Upon being escorted out by the Wen family and various guests, the two directly took a carriage back to the palace.
However, as soon as the carriage started moving, Li Qing, who had not been seen until now, slipped into the carriage. "Reporting to His Highness and Her Highness, our people have informed Madam Yue Zhao of everything Mu Ge and Na Zhen have done. She has not yet expressed her stance, saying she needs to consider it. Your subordinate has prepared all the evidence of Mu Ge and Na Zhen's conspiracy with Lin Dongye and the Turks, and it can be presented to Madam Yue Zhao when the time is right. The Wu clan should not be a problem."
Although he said the Wu clan should not be a problem, his expression clearly indicated he had more to say.
Lu Qingwan clicked her tongue impatiently, "If you have something to say, say it. If you have to fart, then fart. What is this game of hesitant speech you're playing?"
Li Qing gritted his teeth and, as if severing an arm, produced a memorial, holding it up with both hands, unsure whether to present it to Si Fengwu or Lu Qingwan. He remained silent, waiting for them to take it and read it themselves.
Si Fengwu detested when his subordinates played such games. He cast a cold glance at Li Qing and took the memorial to read. As he read, his brows furrowed tightly, even confusing Lu Qingwan.
"What's going on? Is there a major problem somewhere else?"
"It is widely rumored in Zhongzhou that you and I took Yuan'er away from Da Qin under the guise of raising him, but in reality, Yuan'er has already met his demise. Furthermore, my imperial brother is gravely ill and on the verge of death. The court officials are already discussing selecting a suitable prince from the imperial clan to inherit the throne..."
Lu Qingwan's curiosity turned to seriousness. "Didn't imperial brother communicate with you just the day before yesterday? Considering the speed of the golden eagle and ordinary letters, the time your imperial brother wrote to you should be later than the time this letter was sent, right? Besides, whether imperial brother is gravely ill or not, we know the fate of Yuan'er. This intelligence... why does it strike me as having ulterior motives?"
Si Fengwu tapped his knee with the memorial rhythmically. "The Turks wish to apologize to me in person. I refused to return to Zhongzhou, and then this intelligence arrived. It's clear they don't want me to stay in the new capital. But... what is so important in the new capital that they would rather have me return to Zhongzhou than let me stay here?"
Si Fengwu was Si Fengming's only full brother, and his position in Da Qin was undoubtedly second to none. Therefore, the civil and military officials of Da Qin, regardless of their intentions, would have preferred Si Fengwu to remain in the new dynasty forever and never set foot in Da Qin again. Yan Liheng, the state father, feared Si Fengwu like a venomous snake. Now, they were willing to fabricate such easily debunked lies to trick Si Fengwu into leaving the new capital. This made Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan wonder what in the southeastern three kingdoms and one tribe was so important that it made them so fearful.
"Since the Han Xiao Hall and the San Sheng Tower entered our view, there have been too many incomprehensible events. Sitting here and brooding will not yield any results. Since they want us to return so badly, why don't we go back and see what their intentions are? What do you think?"
Si Fengwu looked at Lu Qingwan with suspicion. Given her personality, she would never so easily fulfill the wishes of those who had gone to such lengths to trick them into returning. Therefore, his clever mind quickly grasped her meaning. "Are you planning to have someone impersonate us and return to Da Qin, similar to when we attacked Xiliang City, to lure the enemy out?"
Lu Qingwan shook her head calmly. "You're wrong, not impersonating both of us, but impersonating you." Without waiting for Si Fengwu to ask, she explained herself, "The new dynasty is still unstable. If both of us leave the new capital, it will inevitably raise suspicion. You are concerned about Yuan'er and imperial brother, and it's understandable that you want to return to Da Qin to ascertain their safety. But I must stay to oversee the overall situation, right? If both of us leave, won't the act be too obvious?"
Si Fengwu agreed with her words, but said, "If a substitute goes to Da Qin, and I cannot appear in the new capital, how should I conduct myself during this period?" The other party had gone to such great lengths to lure Si Fengwu away from the new dynasty, so Si Fengwu naturally could not truly leave the new dynasty. However, once the substitute appeared as him, his reappearance in the new dynasty would expose the substitute's act in Da Qin. Therefore, Si Fengwu's whereabouts became a problem. Fortunately, Lu Qingwan had already thought of a solution when she first proposed this idea. "There are so many hidden guards in the prince's manor, and countless soldiers in the Shence Battalion wear masks. You can just disguise yourself. You can also take this opportunity for a secret tour, to personally assess the achievements since the establishment of the new dynasty. If all goes as expected, you can appear punctually at the enthronement ceremony. It's killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?"
Although Lu Qingwan spoke these words spontaneously, she was not acting on a whim. Si Fengwu pondered her suggestion very seriously for a long time, and only gave Lu Qingwan his feedback when they returned to the palace. "Let's do as you say. The substitute will be the same one as before. I will lead the hidden guards out of the city. You find a way to help us exchange identities. As for Da Qin, have Wu Ying investigate carefully, especially regarding imperial brother. I must see my imperial brother's personal letter confirming his safety before I can rest assured."
Lu Qingwan immediately detected the unease hidden behind his calm words and gently comforted him, "Alright, I will carefully arrange everything you've mentioned. But don't worry too much about imperial brother. Don't forget, you left Shen Ci with imperial brother. Also, how difficult would it be to select an heir to the throne from the imperial clan? As long as the Yan family has any sense, they won't endanger imperial brother's life before Yuan'er is found and imperial brother and sister-in-law have no other children. Their family's prosperity depends on imperial brother; they wouldn't dare..."
The birthday banquet had not brought the expected open attacks, but as soon as it ended, such a major trouble arose. Lu Qingwan did not dare to delay and began arranging everything Si Fengwu had instructed. However, no one expected that just before Si Fengwu was to leave the capital, the puzzle that had been troubling them would suddenly make a breakthrough.
Because the two were to act separately the next day, Si Fengwu, though nominally going to Zhongzhou, could not spend every day with Lu Qingwan. Thus, he had dismissed all the ministers early and planned to spend their last moments together. However, just as the ministers left, Li Jin arrived, bringing with him startling news. "Princess Ru Ge has been found, but she is unwilling to return herself. She only asked her subordinates to deliver this letter to His Highness and Her Highness."