The imperial guards around him didn't even wait for Si Fengwu to give a specific order before raising their spears and firing indiscriminately.
At the same time, Duan Yue and Wufeng, the two most skilled individuals, had already drawn their blades and moved forward, using the chaos to deliver the finishing blows.
When the smoke from the explosions cleared, not many of those who had escaped the mist bombs remained.
Si Fengwu coldly commanded, "Li Jin, take Da Bai and search for the remnants of the Wu'an Palace. Prioritize finding someone called Lady You. The rest of you, escort these people out and hand them over to the Princess Consort for interrogation."
The expedition to the imperial tomb's underground palace had gone unexpectedly smoothly.
After Si Fengwu had roughly settled things, he turned and left the underground palace, heading straight for Lu Qingwan.
He had spent two hours setting up the formation and less than an hour capturing the culprits. As Si Fengwu emerged from the underground palace, his expression lacked the joy of smooth progress.
Lu Qingwan rushed over the moment Si Fengwu exited the entrance to the imperial tomb. Observing his demeanor, she worriedly asked, "Why did you come out so quickly? You don't look very happy. Was the situation inside not as you expected?"
Si Fengwu's expression was grave, as if he were facing a life-or-death battle. After a prolonged period of stifled frustration, he finally spoke with a dejected air, "Inside were nothing but a rabble. It seems they were the true disciples of the Wu'an Palace. The group operating under the banner of the Wu'an Palace, mentioned by Nie Wuming, must have gotten wind of our arrival and fled. At least, among these captured individuals, there seem to be few with decision-making power."
As he spoke, the imperial guards began escorting a group of figures in black attire out. They were all tied together with slender ropes, like fish on a string, and dragged out of the imperial tomb. These individuals had their internal energy crippled before being awakened. They could barely walk, their strength completely gone, and they were utterly incapable of resistance. While they could manage to stand when moving, they collapsed in a heap whenever they stopped.
The imperial guards paid them no mind after dragging them out, allowing the infuriated figures to lie on the ground and curse. If anyone's curses became too vile, a piece of rag was shoved into their mouth to silence them. Lu Qingwan could clearly see that among these people, very few were of any real use.
However, she reasoned, "Even if we didn't gain much, it doesn't necessarily mean they got wind of our plans. After all, our army has already advanced to Guihua City. Even if they hadn't received any warnings, they wouldn't have had the courage to continue hiding under our noses and oppose us, would they?"
Si Fengwu nodded, "I won't dismiss that possibility. But regardless of the reason, this king will not let them off just because they escaped this time." The thought of a group of unidentified, powerful enemies hiding in unknown locations was terrifying to both rulers.
Lu Qingwan understood Si Fengwu's sentiment. If it were her, she would never allow such a force that threatened the stability of the three southeastern kingdoms and a portion of the empire to go unchecked. However, she mused, "Currently, we have no means to restrain them. Even if we wanted to eliminate them completely, where would we even begin?"
Not far away, Shi Yue was already using truth serum to interrogate the black-clad figures captured from the imperial tomb. Si Fengwu glanced over and indifferently reminded Lu Qingwan, "Do you still remember how Xie Shiyu and Feng Qingheng initially colluded?"
The name Xie Shiyu had been forgotten for too long. Lu Qingwan had to rack her brains to recall, "Didn't Xie Shiyu and Feng Qingheng conspire together just to gain access to the Great Gan Imperial Mausoleum?" As she spoke, she realized, "Are you suggesting that Xie Shiyu's attempt to enter the Great Gan Imperial Mausoleum was similar to these people, perhaps just seeking a hidden place to reside?"
Si Fengwu shook his head repeatedly, "Even deep schemers like Liu Hanyan and Nie Wuming were merely peripheral figures within the Wu'an Palace. Someone like Xie Shiyu likely wouldn't have been qualified to be involved in such matters. This king believes she was merely a pawn pushed to the forefront. It is no coincidence that these people have used the Northern Wei Imperial Mausoleum as their base."
As more people were brought out from the imperial tomb, Lu Qingwan couldn't help but feel that Si Fengwu was right. "But I had people investigate the imperial mausoleums of various kingdoms before, and I found nothing unusual?"
Si Fengwu didn't answer. He turned and ordered Li Jin, "Ask them when they moved here." It was a simple question. Li Jin quickly jogged over and returned with an answer not long after.
"Reporting to His Highness, these people moved here precisely one year ago, after the news of you being a member of the Great Qin royal family was revealed."
The cold wind of the Northern Wei grasslands at the end of March whistled fiercely. Despite wearing clothes far thicker than those of the locals, Lu Qingwan still felt a chill down her spine. This answer from Li Jin once again confirmed her suspicion that these resilient enemies were indeed targeting her and Si Fengwu.
Si Fengwu's expression turned extremely grim for a moment. Before he could console Lu Qingwan, who was equally disheartened, Duan Yue emerged. Holding someone in his hand, he walked directly to Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu. "Princess Consort, this is the Lady You you were looking for."
Lu Qingwan finally perked up a bit. "Did you use the drug?" Duan Yue nodded, "We've administered it. We can begin the interrogation at any time." Lu Qingwan immediately stepped forward, pulled off the person's veil, revealing a face that was entirely unremarkable. Their eyes were vacant, staring ahead, a symptom of the truth serum taking effect. Lu Qingwan then tossed a gesture to Duan Yue, "Li Su, you handle the interrogation. Record her confession and compare it with the others' statements to filter out valid intelligence, then deliver it directly to me."
"Thank you for your trouble." With a insincere grin meant to placate Duan Yue, she immediately assigned him a new task. "Put aside what you're currently doing and immediately mobilize all available forces to execute the mission I assigned you before we went into the tomb. Procure any resources you need and don't hesitate to seek help from the Reincarnation Hall. I will repay the favors owed; I only need that result as soon as possible."
Having confirmed that these people were after the King of Myriad Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token, Lu Qingwan, even knowing that handing over these two items would bring disaster, no longer wished to be the scapegoat for others. If the Crown Prince and Princess of Chengan, along with her own birth parents, had truly been forced to entrust these items to them for safekeeping, so be it. But if it was merely for their own peace and quiet, then whoever wanted to play the savior of the common people could do so. She would rather be one of the suffering masses than exhaust herself and Si Fengwu for the sake of some supposed world peace.
Duan Yue, who understood what they had experienced better than anyone besides Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan, agreed without a word. Ignoring the crowd present, he turned, mounted his horse, and galloped away. Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu exchanged a glance, then both extended their hands, clasped them, and gazed in the direction of Guihua City.