The matters that were once shrouded in mist and confusion were now brought up again, each one incredibly clear.
Yet, behind the facts lay a web of deception woven by a group of people.
"You, Prince Jing, and Feng Qingheng schemed against each other, framing one another. In the end, it was the late Emperor who bore the consequences for all of you.
The mushroom poison you administered, Prince Jing's wound-healing poultice, and Feng Qingheng’s use of silver needles to wound his heart’s pulse – the three of you were truly filial!"
Lu Qingwan said coldly, "I won't hide it from you. If it weren't for concerns about the imperial lineage of Da Qian having no successor, the Regent would have already drawn his sword and cut you down the moment he knew of your wicked deeds.
You, Feng Qingheng, and Prince Jing, none of you can claim innocence.
Accept your fate if you lose. If anyone dares to cause further trouble and disturb the late Emperor's rest, you can try to see if Feng Xiwu, unrestrained, will continue to go easy on you."
Prince Ning slumped onto the chair like a deflated ball, his eyes wide with shock.
"I never thought my schemes were so flawless. If Ding Kun hadn't betrayed me at the last moment, I would surely have been the new Emperor of Da Qian."
He looked at Lu Qingwan, uncomprehending, "Since you know I did all of this, why don't you kill me?"
"The late Emperor had only a few sons. Before, when his days were numbered, my husband and I couldn't bear to see him mourn his children.
As for now, isn't the answer obvious?"
Lu Qingwan finally finished writing Prince Ning's prescription and handed him the pre-prepared pills.
"This is the antidote that His Majesty previously ordered me to prepare for Prince Jing's detoxification. You have been poisoned by the same kind of toxin, so it will be effective for you as well.
As for this prescription, I will instruct the shopkeepers here to specifically oversee your medication. You can rest assured and take it. I will not let you die before I complete the task that the late Emperor entrusted to me."
Without adding a single extra word about Emperor Jingyou's complete arrangements, Lu Qingwan turned to leave.
Prince Ning remained silent. Just as Lu Qingwan was about to exit, he suddenly called out, "Wait!"
Lu Qingwan turned back calmly, "Speak quickly."
Although the latter half of her sentence was unspoken due to their status, Prince Ning still understood her implied words.
His expression was as if he had swallowed a fly, making him look much more animated than someone in a coffin.
He said, "Feng Qingheng’s targeting of the Regent was not solely for you, nor because the Regent held so much power.
Someone from Qin has offered him a generous reward: if he eliminates the Regent, Da Qian will form an alliance with that country, becoming the most formidable power among the three nations.
Feng Qingheng's repeated successes were due to the help of those people.
As long as those people exist, the Regent's life will never be truly safe."
Lu Qingwan immediately thought of the seventh-level martial artist who had been causing so much trouble. Her eyes sharpened, "Do you know who they are?"
Prince Ning's words, however, were somewhat peculiar. He said, "I don't know the specific nationality, but I am certain they are from Qin.
Feng Qingheng referred to those people as 'Your Excellencies,' and aside from the northern kingdoms, no one uses such a title."
Lu Qingwan nodded and left with a profound expression.
Prince Ning asked from behind, "Aren't you going to use acupuncture and medicinal baths?"
"No," Lu Qingwan replied decisively.
Prince Ning, still worried, said, "Then why did you… when you treated me and Prince Jing before?"
Before he could finish, Lu Qingwan cut him off, "That was to make it seem mysterious and complicated, so I could earn your money.
You are now like an old fox basking by the fire—penniless and bare. Why should I bother with such effort?"
Prince Ning choked on his breath, almost passing out on the spot.
His face turned red from holding his breath, giving him a somewhat more lifelike appearance.
With wide eyes, he watched Lu Qingwan walk away, then turned to a nearby shop assistant and asked, "How much will it cost to treat my illness?"
The shop assistant said solemnly, "For your illness, only the Consort can cure it in all of Da Qian. Therefore, whatever price the Consort sets is the price."
Prince Ning found this statement unassailable. However, he retorted, "Who says I don't have money?
I am, after all, a prince of the court. Does she think I need her pity?"
Prince Ning was deeply stung by Lu Qingwan's remark about an old fox being penniless and bare, and he wished he could present his entire fortune to Lu Qingwan to prove her wrong.
The shop assistant, who was also from Bai Xinglin, brightened upon hearing this, "Then I'll go tell the Consort to continue charging you the consultation fee as usual?"
Prince Ning: ...
Before he could fully recover, the shop assistant had already rushed out. In a flash, Prince Ning felt as if he saw the shop assistant's tail wagging excitedly behind him, looking utterly triumphant!
Truly, the servants followed their masters; the upper beam is crooked, and the lower beam is slanted!
The case that had already been handled did not take up much of Lu Qingwan's time. After leaving Ci'an Hall, she looked at the ruins of Bai Xinglin and, after a moment's thought, said, "Let's go take a look."
Meng Sheng followed behind, nervously reminding her, "Grand-mentor, the roof beams are still falling these days, and bricks are dislodged from time to time. Perhaps you shouldn't go?"
Whether it was Lu Qingwan's status as a Consort or her being his grand-mentor, Meng Sheng was reluctant to let Lu Qingwan risk entering the ruins of Bai Xinglin.
Lu Qingwan, however, was firm in her resolve, "Don't worry, I'll be careful.
Have you found the point of origin of the fire?"
"Consort, allow me to take you." Ying Yi chased after them. "I was the first to discover the fire. No one knows the entire process of Bai Xinglin's destruction better than I do."
Lu Qingwan waved to him, "Then let's go, what are we waiting for?"
Ying Yi quickly ran ahead to lead Lu Qingwan, navigating through various obstacles directly towards the point of origin.
"Consort, this is it." Ying Yi pointed to a precarious-looking room. "According to our brothers below, someone ignited a package and threw it into the room from downstairs, which led to this."
"A package?" Lu Qingwan mused for a moment, then touched one of the fallen roof beams.
It was the smell of gunpowder, a scent she was all too familiar with. Just as she was about to continue searching, Ying Yi said astonishingly, "It's this smell! I had my men intercept a package. No one has touched it; it's still in a civilian house behind us."
"A package?" Lu Qingwan was shocked. "Where is it? Take me there!"
Ying Yi was startled by the disbelief in Lu Qingwan's voice and quickly said, "It's in a civilian house not far from here. It's likely the temporary residence of people from the Tianxuan Sect in Shangjing. Because you said the item was dangerous, Mistress Wu Ying instructed us not to touch it and to await your instructions before handling it. We didn't expect you to come before we could report."
As he spoke, he was already leading Lu Qingwan towards the civilian house where the gunpowder was kept.
Fearing that the gunpowder might explode, Lu Qingwan walked very quickly, rushing along. Arriving at the civilian house Ying Yi mentioned, she followed him and saw an oil paper package about the size of two adult fists. It was placed steadily in a basin filled with snow. Ying Yi explained from the side, "Mistress Wu Ying said that this thing won't explode if it encounters water, so our men came up with this method."
"Everyone step back." Lu Qingwan waved her hand, slowly clearing away the snow around the oil paper package. After examining the structure of the gunpowder pack, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.