Putting aside the current peculiar emotional dynamics between them, Lu Qingwan trusted Feng Xiwu's character.
"That would be for the best. Follow me, I'll find something for you to do."
Li Su quickly followed, only to be stunned by Lu Qingwan's bold arrangement.
"Your Highness, you're going to sell all your dowry?!"
For a moment, Li Su felt a surge of disrespectful disdain towards her mistress. How stingy was the Prince, to force the Princess Consort to sell her dowry for a living?!
Lu Qingwan nodded calmly, "That's why I called you here. Many of these items are imperial gifts. Help me sort them, distinguish which can be sold and which cannot. Hand over the items that can be sold to Wu Ying. Oh, this is her."
She pulled Wu Ying over, "Is your promise to me still valid?"
Wu Ying nodded, "Of course. What I say, I never go back on."
Lu Qingwan waited for this assurance. "Now, here's the money. Find a place yourself, with secrecy and security as the top priorities, and preferably not too far from the capital. Also, look for young men and women between fifteen and twenty years old, orphans preferably, those who don't have to worry about anyone else. Once found, have them taught to read and write, basic martial arts. Specifics, I'll elaborate later."
Wu Ying agreed to everything, while Li Su listened with her ears perked up like a rabbit's. Seeing that Lu Qingwan wasn't hiding anything from her, she dared to ask, "Your Highness, are you building your own force?"
"That's right," Lu Qingwan looked at her with unusual frankness. "If I ask you not to tell Feng Xiwu for now, and tell him when the time is right, can you agree?"
"Of course, no problem," Li Su agreed decisively. "It's just that, the Prince already knows Miss Wu Ying's identity."
Li Su had a premonition that this was an opportunity Lu Qingwan was giving her. She would face it with sincerity, and from now on, she would be Lu Qingwan's most trusted person in the Prince's mansion. But if she dared to hide anything, or secretly tell Feng Xiwu, then Lu Qingwan would no longer have a place for her by her side. Having followed Feng Xiwu for many years, Li Su had long developed a wild instinct. Therefore, without fully understanding Lu Qingwan, she confessed everything about the investigations she and her colleagues had conducted on Lu Qingwan. It was a gamble, but Li Su believed she wouldn't lose.
As expected, Lu Qingwan did not get angry upon hearing this. She even nodded calmly. "I will not hold past grievances against you. From now on, regarding matters concerning me, before telling Feng Xiwu or keeping them from him, you must get my consent first, do you understand?"
Li Su nodded repeatedly, "This subordinate understands!"
"Then let's begin," Lu Qingwan casually tilted her chin, looking at Li Su. "You should be more familiar with the pawnshops and terrain of the capital than Wu Ying. You take Man Chun and the others to sort things first. Wu Ying, come with me."
After saying this, Lu Qingwan leisurely left with Wu Ying, leaving Li Su dumbfounded! She couldn't help but feel that the Princess Consort was entrusting her with so much not out of suitability, but simply to find a free laborer? However, she was already on the ship, and she couldn't get off just because she wanted to. She could only begrudgingly get to work.
Meanwhile, in Dr. Shen's pharmacy, Lu Qingwan was skillfully preparing medicinal herbs. She said to Wu Ying, "First, seal your internal energy and lie down."
Wu Ying obediently complied. Lu Qingwan then took gauze and tied Wu Ying's limbs to the bedposts.
"I need to first activate the Poison of the Netherworld Flower within you before I can begin detoxification. It will be very painful. Bear with it. If you really can't take it, pat the bed three times, and I will readjust the detoxification plan."
Wu Ying did not respond. She simply looked at the empty ceiling and asked, "It's been a full half-year since I discovered I was poisoned by the Netherworld Flower. How long will detoxification take?"
"Looking at your condition, you've been poisoned by the Netherworld Flower for at least two years. It will take anywhere from two months to six months. Furthermore, you absolutely cannot touch it again during this period. Once you do, it's very easy to get re-infected, and it will be very difficult to quit completely then."
Wu Ying looked at her with mournful eyes, "I know." Many of her relatives had been ruined by the Netherworld Flower. Before meeting Lu Qingwan, she didn't even know that someone could overcome this poison.
"It seems you are prepared," Lu Qingwan gave her the prepared pills. "Then, let's begin." After saying that, she handed Wu Ying some gauze. The latter bit her palm, and within moments, Wu Ying's poison began to act. The beautiful Wu Ying, who could even make Lu Qingwan sigh with admiration, was now disheveled. Her body convulsed, and foul white foam oozed from her mouth. Tears and snot streamed down her face. It was at this moment that Lu Qingwan precisely inserted her needles. Twelve-inch long silver needles were stuck all over Wu Ying's face. She remained conscious throughout, in excruciating pain, sweating profusely. Her almond-shaped eyes were wide open, but she never, as Lu Qingwan had warned, patted the bed for help. After administering the acupuncture, Lu Qingwan prepared methadone, buprenorphine, clonidine, and other medications for her. As usual, these Western medicines transformed into antique pills once they left the spatial laboratory, even their names changed. Lu Qingwan looked at them. The method of administration and names were all clear. She placed them aside. She dropped a small medicine bottle into the spatial laboratory for analysis. The tense expressions of Li Yang and the others when Feng Xiwu produced the Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pill in the Ministry of Justice prison yesterday were still vivid in her mind. If possible, she wanted to research and craft a Purple Heart Breaking Barrier Pill to compensate Feng Xiwu. Seeing the wheelchair in the spatial laboratory, she had a new idea. She became so engrossed in her work that she lost track of time. By the time she removed the needles from Wu Ying, it was already night. Wu Ying had fainted from the torment of withdrawal. As Lu Qingwan was about to call for someone to take care of her, she saw Feng Xiwu sitting in the courtyard upon stepping out, with only Li Yang behind him, appearing somewhat lonely. Lu Qingwan quickly walked up, "The night is deep and the dew is heavy. Why is Your Highness sitting outside?"
"Waiting for you," Feng Xiwu held Lu Qingwan's hand. "So much has happened today. Without seeing you, I can't feel at ease."
"Then you must be at ease now!" Lu Qingwan pushed Feng Xiwu towards the house and instructed Li Yang, "Have the kitchen prepare some food. I'm hungry." Li Yang acknowledged and left. Lu Qingwan chatted leisurely with Feng Xiwu, "I remember Your Highness mentioned someone named Tie Shou this morning, asking him to help rebuild Bai Xing Lin. Is he a craftsman?"
"He could be called a mechanist," Feng Xiwu said with admiration. "He is a master of siege engines and crossbows for the Xuanjia Army. All the new weapons of the Xuanjia Army, my carriage, and many famous mechanisms in Da Gan were personally crafted by him."
Lu Qingwan's heart stirred slightly, "May I meet him?"
"No problem, but he's likely at the imperial forging workshop now, so you can only meet him tomorrow."
"That's fine, I can wait." Lu Qingwan showed unprecedented patience towards this mechanist named Tie Shou.