"Your Highness, do we still need to go?" Li Yang gritted his teeth, looking at Feng Xi Wu.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a strange look on his prince's face, a smile that wasn't quite a smile, as if he were grinding his teeth.
Li Yang flinched back nervously, "Your Highness?"
"Go, why wouldn't we go? When the Princess Consort is tired, you can take over."
"You said that's the Princess Consort?!"
Li Yang was so startled he almost cried out. Li Qing and Li Jin also turned their heads back in shock.
Then, their eyes widened as they stared at the small figures furiously attacking Feng Qing Heng. "Looking at them like that, they do resemble the Princess Consort!"
Li Jin's voice was somewhat ethereal, "If… if that person who dragged Prince Chen out of the carriage was the Princess Consort? Then the other two… they wouldn't be Li Su and Ren Dong, would they?" After all, in such a short time, those were the only two people Lu Qing Wan could rely on.
Feng Xi Wu neither confirmed nor denied, his tone unreadable, "It's hard on her, to have endured until now. Go, take care of Feng Qing Heng's retinue and any hidden tails, don't let them cause trouble for the Princess Consort."
"Yes, Your Highness!" Li Jin quietly retreated.
Feng Xi Wu, Li Qing, and Li Yang remained to watch. After a long while, the person suspected to be Lu Qing Wan raised a hand, and the other two stopped. Li Yang, itching to join the fray, saw the three of them pull Feng Qing Heng out of the sack. Li Yang asked curiously, "What is the Princess Consort doing?"
Feng Xi Wu didn't speak. Li Qing quietly covered his mouth. Then, the three of them watched as Lu Qing Wan took out a dagger and unceremoniously plunged it into Feng Qing Heng's backside. Without regard for Teng Snake's frantic struggles, she pressed it onto Feng Qing Heng's buttocks. After a long moment, Teng Snake, dizzy, lifted its head. Lu Qing Wan, holding its tail, swung it away and left.
Only after the master and servants had left did Li Qing release Li Yang's mouth, asking uncertainly, "Your Highness, should we finish him off?" He dared not admit that for a fleeting moment, he had felt a deep sense of sympathy for Prince Chen.
Feng Xi Wu's lips curved. "We've already reached Bu Ye Zhou, how can we let Prince Chen leave all alone? Go, find a room for Prince Chen to rest well, and tomorrow morning, inform Prince Chen's Consort to pick him up."
Li Qing silently agreed, his sympathy for Feng Qing Heng flowing like a never-ending river. Who better to offend than his own prince and princess consort? Wasn't that like lighting a lamp in a latrine – seeking trouble? With a silent prayer, he turned and walked towards Feng Qing Heng. Even after witnessing Feng Qing Heng's beating firsthand, Li Qing couldn't help but grin. Seeing Feng Xi Wu, who had inexplicably followed, Li Qing hesitated, "Your Highness, perhaps we should give him some medicine? Otherwise, I fear he won't last until tomorrow." Feng Qing Heng was bruised and swollen, his moon-white brocade robe stained with blood at the rear, a large chunk of his hair missing. He was a pathetic sight.
Feng Xi Wu raised an eyebrow. "Are you doubting the Princess Consort's medical skills?"
Li Qing silently bent down, stuffed Feng Qing Heng back into the sack, "This subordinate has erred. This subordinate will send Prince Chen back now." With the Princess Consort's medical prowess, how could she misjudge and kill someone?
Feng Xi Wu handed him a pill. "A good medicine from the Princess Consort, don't waste it." Li Qing's mouth twitched as if he'd been electrocuted upon seeing the pill. This "An Shen Ming" pill was clearly the one the Princess Consort gave the prince to extract confessions. Even the stubborn spies of Bei Wei had cracked under its torture. For the prince to give this to Prince Chen, it truly meant he only intended to keep Prince Chen alive, right? Taking the pill, he offered a silent prayer for Feng Qing Heng, then without hesitation stuffed him back into the sack, threw him into the carriage, and headed back towards Bu Ye Zhou.
Li Yang stood there, looking dumbly at Feng Qing Heng. "Your Highness, where are we going now?" They had planned a whole ordeal for Prince Chen, but the Princess Consort had beaten them to it. They had come out all ready to fight, and now they had nothing to do?
"Ying Yi will escort me back to the manor. You, return to your Bai Xing Lin."
"No, Your Highness!" Li Yang was about to cry. Heaven knows how arduous it was to serve the patients, feeding them, bathing them, and cleaning them. He would rather fight enemies than go back to Bai Xing Lin.
Feng Xi Wu's cold gaze fixed on him. "Or would you prefer to go to the Dark Hall?"
"Let's forget it. This subordinate will return to Bai Xing Lin now." Serving patients was indeed torturous, but at least he could move normally. If he went to the Dark Hall, who knew which limb or part of his body would be in peril next.
Li Yang dejectedly returned to Bai Xing Lin, while Feng Xi Wu, braving the wind and snow, headed back to the manor. On the way, he pondered how to explain tonight's events to Lu Qing Wan. To his surprise, upon arriving at the manor, he saw Li Su waiting at the entrance. Thinking his movements had been discovered by Lu Qing Wan, he quickly asked Li Su, "Why are you here instead of serving the Princess Consort inside?"
Li Su grinned. "This subordinate doesn't know how to say it. Your Highness, you'd better go in and see for yourself." Feng Xi Wu raised his eyebrows, feeling that since he married the little princess consort, everyone around her had become bolder, daring to play games with him? He leisurely walked towards the medicinal hall, while Li Su faintly reminded him from behind, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort is at Wutong Courtyard."
Feng Xi Wu didn't pay much attention, thinking that if Lu Qing Wan had found out, he would just admit it. It was no big deal. However, upon entering Wutong Courtyard, he wasn't met with Lu Qing Wan's interrogation, but rather a group of dark guards kneeling under the eaves. Several nannies and servants, bound and gagged, were thrown into the snow. Lu Qing Wan rarely punished servants, which truly shocked Feng Xi Wu. He strode over and asked the shadow guards kneeling on the ground, "What happened? Why has the Princess Consort made you all kneel here?"
One shadow guard tearfully looked up, "Your Highness, we were negligent and allowed Princess Ru Ge to sneak into the courtyard. Please go in quickly, the Princess Consort seems to be angry…"
Ying Er interjected, "Xiao Ba, don't try to gloss over it. What do you mean 'sneaked into the courtyard'? She clearly sneaked onto Your Highness's bed. If Your Highness hadn't been away, we would have had a new mistress in the manor tonight!"
Hearing this, Feng Xi Wu understood everything. "No matter who sneaks into the manor, there is only one mistress, and that is the Princess Consort. Go to the Dark Hall and receive your punishment." With that, Feng Xi Wu strode into the room and saw Lu Qing Wan sitting cross-legged on the couch. As soon as she saw him, her murderous gaze swept over. He hurried over, "I know about the matter. You know, I never intended to let any other woman into the manor. Don't be angry yet, I'll get rid of her immediately…" As he spoke, he reached out to embrace Lu Qing Wan, but she pushed him aside with disdain, her chin slightly raised, pointing at the beauty couch opposite. "In this state, how can you get rid of her?"