Lu Qingwan also didn't expect that Emperor Jingyou's reign had ended so many years ago, yet it could bring her such a surprise.
Overjoyed, she nudged Si Fengwu, "Quickly tell me the specific method to find the Phantom Night Sea from that painting, the 'Phantom Night Sea Suppressing Map,' quick!"
Si Fengwu maintained an awkward yet polite smile, "My dear, that is the 'Phantom Night Sea Suppressing Map,' not a nautical chart. To reach the Phantom Night Sea, we'll have to figure out a way ourselves.
And my wife, have you forgotten? We still need to ascend to the throne in Xindu. Even if we found a way to reach the Phantom Night Sea, we can't go now."
As for abandoning one's home and family to complain, Si Fengwu stated he didn't quite support it.
Lu Qingwan finally came back to her senses, "Alright, it's fine not to go to the Phantom Night Sea for now. We'll return to Xindu to ascend the throne, and after all matters are settled, we can leave, right?"
Si Fengwu also hadn't expected that bringing Lu Qingwan to bid farewell before their departure would yield such an unexpected gain.
The words he had spoken earlier, that he would never look for his parents again, lingered on his lips but he couldn't bring himself to say them. He could only say somewhat petulantly, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Once all court affairs are settled, I'll take you to the Phantom Night Sea."
Indeed, whether it was him and his imperial brother, or Lu Qingwan, they all needed a reasonable explanation. Even if they were abandoned, they at least deserved to understand why. Merely being unable to bid farewell to Master Bai before departing had surprisingly resulted in them receiving a pass to a new world, and both were immensely excited.
However, this excitement didn't last long. Soon, after their emotions subsided, both realized that this map to the Phantom Night Sea didn't actually impact their current plan of action. With the map, both of them indeed wanted to explore the Phantom Night Sea, but the Phantom Night Sea wasn't an absolute must-go destination. Compared to the Phantom Night Sea, the stability of the new dynasty was clearly more important.
Therefore, after the initial excitement, they decided to proceed with their original plan. To hand over the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token to people from the Three Lives Tower and the Cold Night Hall in the most crowded area, and then depart for Xindu.
The Mortal Abode at the gate of Shangjing City had always been the most crowded place. Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu arrived as scheduled, preparing to return the items to the protector of the Cold Night Hall as agreed.
However, Lu Qingwan, with the intention of annoying them, besides returning the items as agreed, also had people unfurl a long banner, calling it the "Handover Ceremony of the Holy Artifacts, King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and True Dragon Token, from the Three Lives Tower and the Cold Night Hall."
The banner was long, and the flags of the Three Lives Tower and the Cold Night Hall attracted a large crowd. The people from the Three Lives Tower and the Cold Night Hall who came to retrieve the items went momentarily blind upon seeing the banner, almost turning to leave.
The Vice-Tower Master of the Three Lives Tower was about to curse, "What is the meaning of this? You yourselves wanted to hand over the items, we didn't force you. We gave you a hundred million taels of gold, what are you trying to do with this stunt?"
Si Fengwu, finding Lu Qingwan's mischievous trick both amusing and exasperating, immediately put on a stern face upon hearing this. "A hundred million taels of gold for a hundred thousand spies, do you think we got the better deal?"
The Vice-Tower Master of the Three Lives Tower instinctively wanted to nod. After all, a hundred million taels of gold was not a small sum for the Three Lives Tower, and he still felt the sting of it. However, before he could speak, he was interrupted by the protector from the Cold Night Hall.
The protector of the Cold Night Hall was quite polite, "Please calm yourselves. We all know this isn't about the money. Regardless, now that the transaction is complete, we will take the items. The journey is long, please take care!"
With that, he didn't mind the poor attitude of Lu Qingwan and Si Fengwu. He bowed, collected the King of Ten Thousand Phoenixes and the True Dragon Token neatly placed on the table, and calmly walked out of the Mortal Abode.
Lu Qingwan watched the two of them leave and smiled at Si Fengwu, "Shall we… depart too?" If it weren't for the handover of these two items, they would have departed for Xindu long ago, having been delayed by two unnecessary days.
Si Fengwu didn't answer her directly but turned to look at Li Jin, "Has the carriage been prepared?"
Li Jin quickly nodded, "Reporting to Your Highness and Wangfei, the carriages are all ready and can depart at any time."
"Then let's go." Si Fengwu stood up, took Lu Qingwan's hand, and leisurely walked out of the Mortal Abode.
Behind the Mortal Abode, in the carriages, the royal carriage and guards had long been ready. Once the two boarded the carriage, they neatly departed from the alley.
"If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the last time we come to this place." Lu Qingwan looked back at the bustling Shangjing City through a gap in the window. After a long pause, she withdrew her gaze, "Are we returning directly to Xindu, or should we wander around a bit?"
"Let's wander around a bit. We need to give them some time to exercise their own initiative." Si Fengwu narrowed his eyes, "After the new dynasty is established, there will likely be no opportunity to roam around. While we are still free, I'll take you to see the sights. Once we've seen everything, it will be time to return and do what needs to be done."
Lu Qingwan's eyes curved into crescents with delight, "Alright, then I shall accompany Your Highness to properly see our own empire!"
…
The two spoke casually, and in fact, they traveled quite casually as well. Without pre-planning their route, they simply went wherever their hearts desired, taking things as they came. No one would have believed that the Emperor's travels would be like this.
Yet, this seemingly carefree way of traveling greatly unnerved the new and old officials of the Southeast Three Kingdoms and its territories. They were all on edge, compelled to do their utmost in their duties. After all, no one knew where Si Fengwu and Lu Qingwan, the soon-to-be Emperor and Empress, would appear the next day.
Initially, there were indeed some bold grassroots officials who took advantage of the distance and lack of oversight to neglect their duties and oppress the common people. However, before they could even sort out their own muddied affairs, Si Fengwu had already arrived at their residences. Without a word, he would apprehend them and mete out punishment. A beating and dismissal were considered light. Most officials could tolerate having their assets confiscated to compensate the people.
However, the rule that anyone who committed an offense would be barred from officialdom for three generations within their clan truly gripped everyone. A single misstep meant becoming an unfilial descendant, and who could withstand that? They would turn around and beg their parents and cry for mercy. Alas, it was useless! Lu Qingwan said, "Now you know to beg for mercy, what were you doing before? You cry and beg for me and His Highness to spare you, but who will spare the common people you arbitrarily dealt with, leading them to ruin?" Her words silenced all those who pleaded for mercy.
Somehow, these matters reached the ears of the officials, both high and low, in the new dynasty. These individuals no longer dared to treat their official positions lightly. Over time, the officialdom of the new dynasty naturally became clean.