Lu Qing Wan smiled, pure and natural, "From a prominent family, capable in both civil and military arts, and having learned from past mistakes, why wouldn't I use someone like that?"
To think, Wen Ru Ge was only twenty years old.
Yet, thanks to Wen Ya Yi and Wen Ru Yu, she had already experienced more in her brief twenty years than many would in a lifetime.
Especially someone who could maintain their sanity after being in a brothel, Lu Qing Wan believed that given the opportunity, such a person could even become a Prime Minister.
Wen Ru Ge's eyes met Lu Qing Wan's steadily. "Alright, I'll go back with you."
"I don't want to escape quietly. I will return as Wen Ru Ge. Not only will I return with my head held high, but I will also enter Song Shan Academy and study the art of governance alongside the male students. However, I have one more request, and I implore the Princess Consort to grant it."
Lu Qing Wan was truly surprised that Wen Ru Ge dared to return to the Wen family openly under her own name after enduring so many setbacks. A surge of admiration welled up in her; in any world, brave girls truly shone brightly.
Thus, she readily agreed to Wen Ru Ge's request, "What is it? Tell me."
"I've heard that the Princess Consort is very skilled at training people in Bu Ye Zhou. I wish to go through the Bu Ye Zhou training camp."
Without waiting for Lu Qing Wan to ask why, she explained, "I meant it when I said I would personally strike back at everyone who pointed fingers at me and insulted me. I wasn't just talking."
Lu Qing Wan nodded with admiration in her eyes, "Fine. I'll agree to this condition just for your spirit. Now, come with me, and we'll fight our way out. You can go to Bu Ye Zhou yourself to find Yun Ying. Do you dare?"
"Fight our way out?"
Wen Ru Ge was taken aback. "Have we been discovered?"
Lu Qing Wan tilted her chin slightly. "Why don't you peek out the window yourself?"
Wen Ru Ge actually did. She lifted the window and gazed out. On the surrounding pleasure boats, figures in guard uniforms were eyeing them menacingly. On the roof of the Yan Liu Pavilion not far away, rows of archers were lying in wait.
Wen Ru Ge quickly pulled her head back and explained to Lu Qing Wan, "It wasn't me. If I hadn't seen you today, I wouldn't have known you were coming. I didn't expose you."
The absurd actions she had been tricked into by Wen Ya Yi had already heartbroken her grandparents. Her return now was to sincerely repent. Using Lu Qing Wan's influence to enter officialdom was also to display the elegance of a Wen family daughter, so her paternal grandparents wouldn't have to feel ashamed in front of others because of her. If Lu Qing Wan misunderstood her, she would lose all her chances.
"I know it wasn't you. Don't panic," Lu Qing Wan calmly poked her head out of the window. "The people from Han Xiao Palace are quite skilled. Do you dare to fight?"
Wen Ru Ge replied confidently, "Even if their skills aren't good, I'm not made of mud. If you dare, I dare."
Lu Qing Wan chuckled lightly and instructed Li Su, "Prepare to act!" Li Su nodded. Lu Qing Wan then turned to Wen Ru Ge, "When I tell you to go, you go. Dark guards will clear the path ahead. You can fight, but don't overexert yourself or linger in battle. My brothers have all crawled back from the brink of death. If you act foolishly and endanger them, I won't save you again."
After being trapped in the brothel and then confined to the Yan Liu Pavilion, the once unrestrained Princess Ru Ge had been worn down like dough. Now, with her freedom regained and a sharp blade in hand, she knew no fear. Reminded by Lu Qing Wan, she only responded with a restless eagerness, "Understood. You go ahead and handle your business, I'll be careful."
Before she finished speaking, the sounds of explosions, bang, bang, bang, echoed one after another. Amidst a thick cloud of smoke, the pleasure boat Lu Qing Wan was on completely disappeared on the Jade Belt River. Simultaneously, Tang Xiao, leading the Divine Strategy Camp soldiers, seemed to descend from the heavens, shouting, "Divine Strategy Camp investigating! Civilians, stand aside!"
As the soldiers of the Divine Strategy Camp shouted, the common folk on the street quickly retreated. The patrons of the Yan Liu Pavilion also hurried out, and the Divine Strategy Camp soldiers did not stop them. Those inside, seeing that Lu Qing Wan had actually mobilized the imperial forces, attempted to blend in with the fleeing patrons to escape. However, they were precisely apprehended by the Divine Strategy Camp soldiers and dragged out. Any resistance was met with immediate execution. The Yan Liu Pavilion instantly became a fixed and targeted execution ground.
Meanwhile, under the cover of smoke bombs, Lu Qing Wan successfully disembarked from the pleasure boat, her long whip in hand, heading directly for the most luxurious pleasure boat on the Jade Belt River. That was her target for the night. As black-clad figures pursued her, she reached the pleasure boat, which resembled a magnificent three-story moving mansion. The sailors and staff on board alertly drew their knives and rushed forward. Fiercely, they warned, "Get lost! This boat is not for you. If you come any closer, we'll act!" As they spoke, they gestured, revealing rows of archers armed to the teeth.
With the black-clad figures less than a *zhang* behind her and the thugs on the pleasure boat before her also looking threatening, Lu Qing Wan was caught in the middle, in extreme danger. The black-clad figures, seeing this, gloated, "Lu Qing Wan, you have nowhere to run! Hand over what you have, and our master might spare your life. Otherwise, you can go down to accompany your ill-fated man!" Perhaps believing Lu Qing Wan truly had no escape, the man waved his sword and laughed triumphantly, like an idiot.
Lu Qing Wan silently cursed, "Idiot!" With a flick of her wrist, she swung her whip upwards, and simultaneously, a hand grenade was tossed from above. With a deafening explosion, eight or nine out of ten of the small boats used by the black-clad men as transfer points behind them were blown to smithereens. Even the large boat in front of her shook violently. Lu Qing Wan used the momentum to leap onto the massive pleasure boat. The guards rushed forward menacingly, and the archers drew their bows, clearly not intending to let Lu Qing Wan leave that place alive.
However, Lu Qing Wan was not afraid. With a slight lift of her delicate hand, she cheerfully weighed the round hand grenade, "You want to kill me? Guess who would die faster if this thing were to fly out – me or you?" Firearms were a novelty among the common folk. In normal circumstances, even if Lu Qing Wan had shoved a hand grenade into these guards' hands, they might not have been afraid. After all, to them, a hand grenade was just a dark iron ball, not even practical for hitting people. But just moments ago, Lu Qing Wan had given them a practical lesson. On the water behind them, burning pleasure boats still floated. Some black-clad figures had been blown into the water, flailing like dogs, staining the river red. Others lay on the deck, whether by luck or misfortune was unclear. They didn't have to suffer drowning, but because of their injuries, they couldn't escape and watched helplessly as flames engulfed them, screaming as they were burned alive.
With such vivid living examples, the guards instantly became terrified and froze, not daring to move.