Si Fengming asked, confused, "What does this mean?"
"Every soldier of the Xuanjia Army is an orphan, a bandit, or even a mountain bandit that this king has recruited from all over the mainland.
Among them are the less favored illegitimate sons of aristocratic families from Great Qin, as well as orphans from wiped-out Turkic tribes, and refugees displaced from Northern Qi and Northern Wei.
There are also desperate fugitives from the martial world, hunted by all the righteous sects.
When they are gathered, they are simply the Xuanjia Army, no longer affiliated with any dynasty, but belonging only to this king."
Si Fengming was stunned. Lu Qingwan's eyes lit up with excitement, "Meaning, all forty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers, every single member from head to toe, belongs to you alone?"
Feng Xiwu nodded, "That's right, the Xuanjia Army is solely this king's Xuanjia Army.
Naturally, now that you are here, they are yours too."
Feng Xiwu truly missed no opportunity to pledge his loyalty to Lu Qingwan. However, Lu Qingwan's heart could not accommodate romantic sentiments at this moment.
The thought that forty thousand elite soldiers were built by Feng Xiwu made her as excited as a little girl meeting her idol.
All the words in her mind swirled into a single sentence, "Feng Xiwu, you are too amazing!"
Feng Xiwu was clearly pleased with Lu Qingwan's admiring expression. He silently squeezed her fingers, his expression gentle and slightly delighted.
Si Fengming couldn't help but click his tongue. "I entrusted you with the task of properly settling those sixty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers and only granted you command over a hundred thousand troops. Now it seems, my perspective was too narrow."
"It wasn't narrow."
Feng Xiwu gently shook his head. "Forty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers will not all enter Great Qin. Ten thousand troops will remain to guard the Central Prefecture for the Emperor, which is sufficient."
"What do I need your Xuanjia Army for?"
Si Fengming was immensely pleased. "Great Qin does not lack troops, but it lacks generals who can lead them. If you truly have the intention, bring me a few generals before you leave."
After thinking, he pressed his advantage, "Preferably, like the soldiers under your command, those without worries once you depart."
There was no shortage of talented generals among the aristocratic families. However, no matter how capable a person was, if they came from an aristocratic family, their dedication to serving the emperor would be diminished.
Si Fengming, newly ascended to the throne, required a group of civil and military officials who were entirely loyal to him.
The news brought by Feng Xiwu was like a pillow for a sleepy person, a godsend.
He would not poach Feng Xiwu's men, but knowing that Feng Xiwu possessed the ability to cultivate such talent, he might as well utilize it.
How could Feng Xiwu not understand his brother's intentions? He immediately nodded, "Alright, this king will select a few generals from the Xuanjia Army for you later.
Consider these sixty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers as being loaned to you for now. When the court no longer dares to bully you for your youth and dictate your actions, this subject brother will bring them back to Tianxuan City."
This time, Si Fengming was not polite. "You are aware of the court's situation. I will not stand on ceremony with these sixty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers.
It is not easy for you to raise forty thousand Xuanjia Army soldiers yourself. I will instruct the King of Yuezhou and the King of Qingzhou to allocate half of the training grounds and taxes near the territories of the three southeastern kingdoms to you for raising the Xuanjia Army.
Consider it as raising reserve troops for myself.
As for the matters between you and the three southeastern kingdoms, if you can resolve them yourselves, I will not interfere.
If you need assistance, just say the word. This Emperor of Great Qin may not be a warrior, but I can issue a decree to intimidate them..."
Lu Qingwan left the palace still in a daze. "The grain and fodder for the Xuanjia Army, the issue with Feng Qingheng, were all resolved so smoothly?"
She looked back through the carriage window. The Imperial Palace of Great Qin loomed like a giant beast coiled in the imperial city, its jaws bared, yet it did not proactively harm.
"It's hard to imagine that I just came out of the palace."
She leaned onto Feng Xiwu with a sigh, "They say the imperial family is the most heartless. If all emperors and their subjects were like you and His Majesty, where would there be room for treacherous ministers to wreak havoc?"
Feng Xiwu himself enjoyed the harmonious brotherhood they shared. However, being born into royalty, his considerations ran deeper than Lu Qingwan's.
"Rebellious ministers will never cease to cause chaos simply because a monarch is virtuous.
But if a foolish emperor like Feng Qingheng were to encounter traitors like you and I, it would only be his misfortune."
Feng Xiwu gently pressed Lu Qingwan's brow and whispered, "What do you think about the Qian Dynasty?"
"If I calculate the time, Chen Ruoyu's child should be born soon. King Ning's children should also be born within these one or two months.
Since we are to return, let's first kill Feng Qingheng. We can then hold the emperor hostage to command the lords, how about it?"
This was the first time the two of them had formally discussed how to deal with the Qian Dynasty.
Times were different now; they were no longer subjects of the Qian Dynasty. More than being unable to kill Feng Qingheng, Lu Qingwan wanted to know Feng Xiwu's attitude towards the Qian Dynasty.
She knew that Feng Xiwu had always held the life-saving grace of Emperor Jing You and the late Empress Dowager in high regard, hence his reluctance to break his promises to them.
But Lu Qingwan felt that he had already done enough for the Qian Dynasty.
However, she was unsure of Feng Xiwu's own thoughts.
Feng Xiwu looked at her and knew what she was thinking.
He stroked the back of her head with his large hand and sighed, "In a few days, will you accompany me to pay respects to my imperial brother and mother?
After the memorial ceremony, I will return the name Feng Xiwu and the title of Regent of Great Qian to them. I will no longer be the Regent of Great Qian, Feng Xiwu, but rather Prince Si Fengwu of Great Qin."
This was undoubtedly the decision Lu Qingwan had always wished for Feng Xiwu to make. Yet, when Feng Xiwu finally uttered these words, she found herself not filled with the joy she had imagined, but with a deep ache in her heart.
"You... can you bear to completely sever everything that belongs to Feng Xiwu?"
"It's just a name. This king cannot continue to live in the past and drag you down into the mire of Great Qian, struggling."
Feng Xiwu's tone was melancholic, but he did not regret his decision.
"This king believes that Imperial Brother and Mother will understand this king's choice."
After all, it was the outcome she had longed for, and Lu Qingwan could not go against her own wishes by uttering some 'saintly' words like, "Actually, if you are really having trouble, you don't have to kill Feng Qingheng, and you can continue to serve Great Qian."
Therefore, she simply rested her head in Feng Xiwu's embrace and said sincerely, "Alright, I will accompany you to bid them farewell."
To bid farewell to Emperor Jing You and the late Empress Dowager, and to the past Feng Xiwu.
Many things, when undecided, bring hesitation and constant contemplation, making it impossible to make a resolution.
But once a decision is truly made, matters proceed with remarkable smoothness.
After Lu Qingwan and Feng Xiwu decided to eliminate Feng Qingheng, within three days, all intelligence regarding the three southeastern kingdoms was placed on Feng Xiwu's desk.
It had only been five months since their departure, and during this time, neither of them had paid much attention to the affairs of the three southeastern kingdoms. Upon revisiting them, the memorials piled on the desk were as tall as a person.