A moment of hesitation had dragged things to this day, and as the words left his mouth, Feng Xiwu was bewildered himself.
The surprise he had meticulously prepared for so long was gone just like that.
Lu Qingwan was also stunned. "You... when did you find them?"
"After returning from the Hall of Reincarnation."
Feng Xiwu couldn't meet Lu Qingwan's gaze, feeling guilty.
"At that time, no one knew who the skeleton in the lotus pond was, and the Hall Master had just recognized you. You all thought it was Liu Hanyan.
But this king felt that Liu Hanyan, as the Saintess of the Hall of Reincarnation, with peak martial arts and medical skills, how could she have been killed by two mere household women like Madam Zhang and Lan Ruyu?
Holding onto a sliver of hope, I had people investigate your background, and that's how we found the Zhou family in Qingtang."
After the initial shock, Lu Qingwan replayed the events and noticed some discrepancies.
"When my father brought that woman back to the capital, impersonating Princess Anyang, she had no proof of her identity with her.
You were able to investigate this far, so you must have known long ago that she and my father were not my biological parents, right?"
Feng Xiwu guiltily stole glances at Lu Qingwan, unsure of her feelings about the matter, and could only nod honestly.
He then tried to smooth things over, "At that time, I only learned that Princess Anyang was not your birth mother, and then suddenly this new discovery. I was worried it would be too much for you, so I didn't tell you.
Later, seeing how much you valued Marquis Lu, I thought that if I could help the Zhou family in some way, it would be a form of filial piety for you."
Feng Xiwu's tone was incredibly complex; even now, he wasn't sure if Lu Qingwan and the Zhou family should acknowledge each other.
"As for what happened later, you know it all. Marquis Lu died, and Liu Hanyan disappeared without a trace.
This king then thought that although Madam Zhou was not your birth mother, she had protected you a lot when you were young, and she was the wife that Marquis Lu himself recognized. So, I subtly promoted the Zhou family.
Who would have thought that Zhou Xuean would actually be so capable, climbing step by step to the position of Governor of Liaodong."
One slip of the tongue required a thousand words to explain. He found it exhausting to speak, yet he dared not guess if Lu Qingwan would believe his explanation.
As he waited anxiously, contemplating how he would appease her if Lu Qingwan didn't believe him or was angry about his deception, Lu Qingwan calmly asked, "Since your people have investigated so much, do they know how the Zhou family treated my mother?"
At least she hadn't exploded on the spot, which made Feng Xiwu feel a glimmer of hope.
"Shen Tangzhou personally investigated the Zhou family, and the intelligence was very detailed.
Madam Zhou saved Marquis Lu when he was gravely injured while on an outing. By chance, she took on the identity of Princess Anyang.
To prevent her deception from being exposed, she severed all contact with the Zhou family. The Zhou family believed she had disappeared and had been searching for Madam Zhou all these years."
With the cause and effect clearly explained, Feng Xiwu sighed with emotion.
"Even though Zhou Xuean has reached the position of Governor of Liaodong, the elder Mr. and Mrs. Zhou still live in Qingtang with their youngest son and several grandchildren, just in case Madam Zhou returns one day and has no home to go to.
Over the years, the Half-Moon Pavilion, the Wuan Palace, and even the Unsleeping Continent have all received requests from the Zhou family to help find her..."
It was evident that the Zhou family deeply cared for their daughter who had been missing for over a decade.
Lu Qingwan's heart, filled with panic and apprehension, finally found some solace.
"If that's the case, my mother, wherever she may be, should also be very gratified."
Feng Xiwu was surprised by her tone. "You're not planning to acknowledge the Zhou family?"
"No."
Lu Qingwan was composed. "She was the wife recognized by my father. She came with integrity and left peacefully.
I imagine they wouldn't want the gossip surrounding the true and false princess to disturb their peaceful rest.
From now on, I will simply offer more care to the Zhou family. Don't tell them about my mother's death; at least they will still have hope in their hearts..."
Feng Xiwu felt utterly defeated by his own mistake, feeling that anything he said now would be wrong.
Fortunately, Lu Qingwan was reasonable and her emotions were extremely stable; she quickly regained her composure.
"Marquis Xuanwu is still alive; this is indeed quite a surprise.
However, since Feng Qingheng is willing to go to such lengths to forcibly put him in the position of Governor-General of Liaodong, perhaps we can give him an opportunity to be 'released from the factory' then.
The thought of Feng Qingheng's expression when he believes victory is within his grasp, only to be told that military power in Liaodong is also in our hands...
I feel that allowing them to live a few more days in this world is not impossible."
This outcome was undoubtedly what Feng Xiwu most wished to see.
Without hesitation, he replied, "Alright, I'll listen to you. We'll do as you say.
Originally, I kept Marquis Xuanwu and his son alive so that you could personally kill them and avenge Marquis Lu.
If they can be put to good use, it can be considered them atoning for the soldiers they caused to be killed and for Marquis Lu."
The two quickly decided on how to deal with Marquis Xuanwu and his son, but their mood for a peaceful night's sleep was gone.
Seeing Lu Qingwan staring with wide, troubled eyes, completely devoid of sleep, Feng Xiwu reluctantly picked her up. "Since you can't sleep, we'll return to the capital.
We'll rest wherever you feel tired."
Emerald River was not far from the capital; it would take five or six days by fast horse.
Feng Xiwu alternately wished they could reach the capital immediately, so he could personally confirm the safety of Wen Xiang and others, and put Lu Qingwan's mind at ease.
But then he thought, what if they arrived later, after Feng Qingheng and Marquis Xuanwu and his son were killed, and Lu Qingwan had avenged her great enemy? In this timeline, there might be no one left for her to worry about.
Feng Xiwu also knew that Lu Qingwan truly loved him, but she didn't know if this love was enough for her to abandon everything from her past life and resolutely stay by his side.
Each lost in their own thoughts, the two finally reached the capital.
Li Jin and the others had been eagerly awaiting their lords' return.
They had prepared carriages and horses nearby, outside the capital, to greet them and escort them back.
After a month's separation, Li Yang was eager to make up for all the words left unsaid.
"The city guards are from the Imperial City Department, not very strict. The Prince and Princess could have slipped in with a little disguise.
Tang Xiao is still the Commander of the Shence Camp, but he has been demoted to patrol the five military garrisons.
Currently, the security of the imperial palace is handled by Chen Xiangqin, the legitimate second son of Chen Jianzhang, the Minister of Revenue..."
Amidst Li Yang's rambling, the group quietly entered a three-courtyard residence within the city.
From the outside, it looked unremarkable, but inside, it was small but perfectly formed, with the most luxurious furnishings.
Thanks to Li Yang's chatter, Lu Qingwan and Feng Xiwu received all the intelligence they needed without having to ask.
They had said they wouldn't bring attendants, and they truly had no unnecessary contact with Li Jin and the others along the way.