The shadow of the mist was completely stunned by her tearful, mournful expression.
"Princess Consort, have you misunderstood something?
I don't owe any debts!
The business of Bu Ye Zhou is booming, and it's no exaggeration to say it makes a fortune every day. How could it be in debt?"
Could it be that she had accidentally owed someone money, and the debt collectors were coming to the Princess Consort?
Who was so bold as to dare to come to the Regent's mansion to collect debts?
Wu Ying was confused, and Lu Qing Wan was also confused, "Bu Ye Zhou, what is that?"
"It's the business I had you set up with your dowry and private savings. Didn't you also name it Bu Ye Zhou?"
Wu Ying truly doubted life. Her Princess Consort was only sixteen years old; she couldn't be this muddled, could she?
Lu Qing Wan vaguely remembered that on the way to Medicine King City, she had received a letter from Wu Ying asking her to name her own force.
At that time, she had just started cultivating her internal energy and was deeply engrossed in it, so she casually came up with the name Bu Ye Zhou and sent it to him.
Her intelligence finally kicked in, and she weakly asked, "So, I'm not bankrupt, nor in debt, and I've also gained a money tree called Bu Ye Zhou?"
Wu Ying nodded weakly.
Lu Qing Wan was furious, "If you're not bankrupt, why are you kneeling? You scared me to death!"
Being inexplicably called "father," Wu Ying dared not resist and weakly said, "Your subordinate is here to plead guilty to you for the matter of Xiao Yue Ying."
Xiao Yue Ying, upon hearing this name again, Lu Qing Wan felt a sense of daze.
It felt as if ten or eight years had passed since the incident in Ye Yu City.
"What she did has nothing to do with you. If I wanted to hold anyone accountable, the Bu Ye Zhou business would have been handed over to someone else long ago."
She dismissively curled her lips, "Get up and talk. Talking to you like this makes my neck hurt."
Lu Qing Wan had never intentionally said she disliked people kneeling, and she hadn't changed much of the existing rules in the mansion.
However, the people around her were not stupid; they could tell from her demeanor that Lu Qing Wan disliked kneeling and long-winded speeches that didn't get to the point. Wu Ying was no exception.
Upon hearing this, she immediately stood up, "Xiao Yue Ying has gone mad. Your subordinate implores the Princess Consort to allow me to take her to the memorial tablets of my father and brother, so she can personally confess her sins to my father, brother, and the ancestors of the Xiao clan.
When I return, Wu Ying will only be Wu Ying, your subordinate, a maidservant of the mansion, and no longer related to the Xiao clan."
Wu Ying's actions were both to show her loyalty and to thank Lu Qing Wan for killing Lin Qing Quan and avenging her.
However, Lu Qing Wan shook her head, "You can take her back to atone for her sins, but you cannot disassociate yourself from the Xiao clan."
Wu Ying was confused, "What does the Princess Consort mean?"
"If I want you to return to the martial arts world as a member of the Xiao clan and compete with Ming Wu Ya for the position of the leader of the martial arts alliance, do you dare?"
"Me, compete for the position of the leader of the martial arts alliance?"
Wu Ying pointed at her own nose, feeling that Lu Qing Wan was playing a huge joke on her.
"What, you can't?"
Lu Qing Wan did not think she had said anything earth-shattering, "Is there a rule in the martial arts world that forbids women from being the leader, or is it that your talent, Xiao Wu Ying, is inferior, and you are afraid you cannot defeat Ming Wu Ya?"
Wu Ying shook her head so fast it blurred, "Let alone the fact that there has never been a precedent for a woman to be the leader in the martial arts world, my martial arts skills are indeed inferior to Ming Wu Ya's!
I am a full thirty years younger than him. When he fought my father in the arena, I wasn't even born yet..."
Lu Qing Wan looked at Wu Ying with a serious expression, "The leader of the martial arts alliance of our Great Qian is actually a Xiliang person. Can you tolerate this?"
Wu Ying wanted to cry but had no tears, "Even if Ming Wu Ya wasn't from Xiliang, I wouldn't want to tolerate him, but due to my limited strength, I truly have no confidence in competing for the position of the leader!"
"Then you will cultivate a leader of the martial arts alliance for me!"
Lu Qing Wan's expression was earnest; she didn't seem to be joking at all, "From now on, you will find someone suitable to be the leader of the martial arts alliance for me.
As long as you think they are suitable, make a note of it. Whether they become the leader, and how they become the leader, I will discuss it with them."
Wu Ying breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't the one to become the leader, it was fine.
After promptly agreeing, she finally stated the ultimate purpose of her visit today, "After discussing with Li Jin, your subordinate bought a piece of land south of the city and turned it into a street of food, drink, and entertainment.
His Majesty has granted special permission for that area, so there's no curfew. We've decided to name it Bu Ye Zhou.
Currently, Bu Ye Zhou has become the favorite leisure spot for officials and nobles in Shang Jing City.
If the Princess Consort has free time, you might as well come and take a look. After all, it's your territory, so it's better to be familiar with it. Don't you think so?"
It was her territory, and Lu Qing Wan felt she had to visit, so she unhesitatingly accepted Wu Ying's invitation.
As a result, as soon as Wu Ying left, Li Qing rushed in frantically, "It's bad, Princess Consort! His Highness, His Highness has had a relapse of poison in the palace!"
"Prepare the horse!"
Lu Qing Wan roared and rushed straight to the pharmacy, "His Highness has had a relapse of poison in the palace. Come with me to the palace to detoxify him!"
The last time Lu Qing Wan rode for fourteen days back to the capital, although her walking posture was a bit strange upon arrival, it did prove that she knew how to ride a horse.
Given the urgency of the situation, Lu Qing Wan ordered a horse to be prepared, and Li Qing immediately got the mounts ready without a word.
It was a mount specially prepared for her by Li Jin at Lu Qing Wan's instruction. It was a pure black, tall horse with only white hooves and a snowflake-like white marking in the center of its face.
Lu Qing Wan adored this horse and directly declared, "With this appearance, not calling you Ta Xue would be a disservice to you."
Thus, naturally, Lu Qing Wan's mount was named Ta Xue.
Mounting the horse, Lu Qing Wan galloped out like an arrow shot from a bow.
Ta Xue seemed to sense its mistress's anxiety and ran at full speed.
Outside the palace gate, a soft sedan chair had already been prepared, and Li Jin was waiting nearby.
Seeing Lu Qing Wan still intending to bow, she waved her hand, "Stop the nonsense and tell me, what exactly happened!"
Li Jin hurried to catch up, "During the morning court, the ministers again pressured His Majesty to establish a crown prince. His Majesty then kept a few ministers to discuss matters in the imperial study, and His Highness was among them.
Not long after entering the imperial study, His Highness suddenly had a relapse of poison. At such a critical moment, your subordinates dared not let anyone else come into contact with His Highness, so they could only invite the Princess Consort to the palace."
"His Highness's health has been very well taken care of recently. It's impossible for the poison to relapse at this time. Have all the things he came into contact with been preserved?"
Li Jin had encountered such sudden accidents more than once. Upon hearing this, he nodded decisively, "His Majesty personally gave the order. The teacup, the chair used by His Highness.
Even the palace staff His Highness has come into contact with since entering the palace today have been placed under guard."
Lu Qing Wan nodded and took small, rapid steps.
In the bitter cold of winter, she ran all the way to the imperial study and was sweating profusely.
The guards at the entrance, likely having received orders from Emperor Jing You, opened the door upon seeing Lu Qing Wan.
Lu Qing Wan carried her medicine box and entered. Before she could find Feng Xi Wu, she heard Emperor Jing You's voice, "Quick, come and see Xi Wu!"