Lu Qing Wan affectedly picked at her ear and said nonchalantly, "Alright, alright. If the Emperor of Da Qi truly valued you, his brother, you wouldn't have been left to fend for yourself for decades and would only be a Prince at best upon your return! My Prince is also a brother to the Emperor of Da Qin. I know the difference between a Prince and a mere Prince. Please quiet down a little, lest the news reaches Southern Qi and no one comes to your rescue. Then you'll be the one in an awkward position."
It was as if to say, comparing oneself to others leads to despair. In truth, the title of Prince was not low. However, as a brother to the Emperor, Si Feng Wu was enfeoffed as a First Rank Prince, while Ming Wu Ya only received the title of a Second Rank Prince, which was somewhat awkward. Of course, what was more awkward was that Ming Wu Ya himself knew clearly that if it were just a part of the Southeast Three Kingdoms, it would be one thing. Perhaps the Emperor of Southern Qi would launch an expedition under the guise of avenging him, expanding territory and seeking justice for him. But now, Si Feng Wu was not only the ruler of a part of the Southeast Three Kingdoms, but also the beloved younger brother of the Emperor of Da Qin, and he commanded an army of 400,000. The Emperor of Southern Qi would have to reconsider carefully. Thinking of this, Ming Wu Ya felt utterly dejected.
As for the other three, Lu Qing Wan didn't give them another chance to speak. She had them bound and dragged away one by one. After the room was cleared, Li Su followed, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, a group of missing persons were indeed discovered in the disguise. Furthermore, I've ascertained that according to Lin Dong Ye's plan, this ship will enter the territory of the Wu tribe overnight and silence everyone on board. Lin Dong Ye had even found a place to dispose of the bodies, a sinkhole on the mountain behind the Great Ancestral Hall of the Wu tribe. The bodies of everyone Lin Dong Ye and Chieftain Mu Ge found unsatisfactory were all disposed of there."
Lu Qing Wan had only received information from Teng She that Lin Dong Ye's ship was suspicious, but she never imagined they would dare to commit such audacious acts. "It's likely these people were intended to be transported to the Northern kingdoms to support the new dynasty's 'civilization' theory. However, with our recent strict investigations, they had no choice but to silence them and destroy the evidence. Are Madam Yue Zhao and Chieftain Long'an aware of the existence of that sinkhole?" Lu Qing Wan knew that some ancient tribes had peculiar methods of punishment. If Madam Yue Zhao and Chieftain Long'an, or even the ordinary folk of the Wu tribe, knew about the sinkhole, then the impact of this matter would be limited to its current scope. But if everyone else was unaware, then that would be a different story.
Lu Qing Wan's words were pointed, and Li Su quickly understood, "Regarding the sinkhole behind the ancestral hall, actually, everyone in the Wu tribe knows about it. Moreover, during the war between the ancient Nanzhao Kingdom and the Central Plains dynasty many years ago, the ancestors of the Wu tribe were forced to take refuge in the sinkhole and narrowly escaped disaster. Therefore, the Wu people call that sinkhole the 'Tian Ling Pit' (Heavenly Spirit Pit), a sacred place for the Wu tribe, where the Great Priest of the Wu tribe must burn incense and worship daily."
Lu Qing Wan's eyes suddenly lit up. "Such an important sinkhole must be very significant to the Wu tribe, right?" Li Su suppressed a smile and nodded, "Indeed. If the Wu people knew that the sacred site they revered was being used as a place to dispose of soiled bodies, they would surely drag Lin Dong Ye and Chieftain Mu Ge to light sky lanterns."
Lu Qing Wan turned and left, "Return to the palace immediately. Send word to the Prince that this consort is safe and sound. Do not heed any rumors you hear. Tomorrow morning, deliver a letter on my behalf to Madam Yue Zhao, asking her to personally visit the sinkhole. This consort will await her in the palace."
The pleasure boat had already docked. Lu Qing Wan strode ashore, her mount waiting by the roadside. Lu Qing Wan mounted her horse and issued her final command, "Strictly investigate all merchants and commoners implicated tonight. The losses we suffered in terms of property will be compensated by Bu Ye Zhou, and all reasonable compensation claims made by the commoners must be honored without rejection." Having said that, Lu Qing Wan spurred her horse and galloped away.
But just as she sped off, Li Su suddenly exclaimed, "Princess Consort, be careful!" Immediately, a sound of whistling through the air followed, mingled with a crisp clang. Lu Qing Wan leaped into the air, evading the incoming arrow, and saw a随行 (accompanying) secret guard fall from his horse. At the same time, a stranger stood on the riverbank railing, holding a long sword. Not far away, an arrow made of refined iron had been cut in two.
Lu Qing Wan glanced deeply at the person and then quickly moved towards the wounded secret guard. The other secret guards had already helped the injured man up. Seeing Lu Qing Wan, they immediately made way. An experienced secret guard surrounded Lu Qing Wan to prevent her from being harmed by further arrows, and then reported, "Reporting to the Princess Consort, the opponent used a Xuan Tie (Black Iron) arrow, specially made for the Northern Wei royal family, and the sword appears to be poisoned."
The Jici Hospital was already world-renowned. Lu Qing Wan immediately took out a dose of anti-toxin serum and injected it, then gave an anti-toxin pill to the secret guard. "Administer one anti-toxin pill every hour. Fetch a carriage; he cannot move on his own anymore. Take him back to the Imperial Hospital to find Meng Sheng; he will arrange the treatment." The Jici Hospital was considered even more effective than the Imperial Hospital by these guards. The group quickly acknowledged the order.
Li Su also came forward, "Princess Consort, let's return to the palace first, to avoid any unforeseen complications." In the very heart of the empire, someone was repeatedly attempting to assassinate Lu Qing Wan, the future Empress. Even a three-year-old child would not believe it wasn't deliberate. Li Su now only wanted to escort them back to the palace as quickly as possible, fearing that if anything happened to Lu Qing Wan, she would have to answer to Si Feng Wu.
Lu Qing Wan did not make things difficult for her subordinates at such a time. "Bring the horse carriage over. I will return to the palace myself. You follow Da Bai and tell that person that if they continue to hide and watch me being attacked instead of revealing themselves, then I do not need their help. Without them, I will be even safer."
Li Su was astonished, "Princess Consort, are you referring to that person just now..." Seeing Lu Qing Wan's displeased expression, she wisely swallowed the rest of her words. Waving to the carriage driver to bring the carriage over, she held Da Bai and instructed her subordinate, "Immediately find Li Qing to accompany the Princess Consort. Do not stop halfway; escort the Princess Consort back to the palace as quickly as possible."
Lu Qing Wan had encountered two attacks in succession. Although she was unharmed, the secret guards were already on high alert. Upon learning that Li Su was leaving, they immediately sought a way to summon Li Qing without hesitation. As a result, by the time Lu Qing Wan returned to the palace, Li Qing had also arrived, even bringing back the imposter Wen Ru Ge. The imposter, unaware that her deception had been uncovered and that the real Wen Ru Ge had been rescued, saw Lu Qing Wan in the Kunning Palace and arrogantly said like a peacock, "What, Princess Consort, have you finally come to your senses and agreed to cooperate with me?"
"Yes, I have come to my senses." Lu Qing Wan lazily curled her lips, her gaze towards the imposter like she was looking at a buffoon. Unfortunately, the imposter, blinded by the imminent victory, saw nothing.