"And what about you two?"
Feng Xi Wu had maintained his habit of morning practice, and his mind was clear, free from any morning grogginess. He wouldn't be easily dismissed by Si Feng Ming's few words.
Si Feng Ming smiled faintly, "We've come this far. I can see that unless he has irrefutable proof of my treason and rebellion, he won't dare to harm me. Don't mistake your elder brother for an ignorant scholar; not all fifty thousand Imperial Guards will necessarily obey me, but at least twenty thousand are willing to fight to protect me, your Crown Prince. I'm letting you leave not to put myself in danger, but to have no worries behind me..."
Before he could finish, Lu Qing Wan emerged from behind the screen, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, you must have misunderstood. My husband and I will never be a burden to anyone. Emperor Geng Shi wants you to entertain the King of Qing Zhou, so you go ahead. If he wants us to attend to his illness, you can rest assured and let us go. Letting us into the palace is not putting us in danger, but Emperor Geng Shi himself."
While Feng Xi Wu and Si Feng Ming were talking, Lu Qing Wan had already washed up and changed into neat attire. Standing beside Feng Xi Wu, she boasted, "Right, my Prince?"
Feng Xi Wu looked at her for a moment, then turned to Si Feng Ming and nodded, "A'Wan is right. My dear brother, instead of worrying about us, you should worry about Emperor Geng Shi. What if Emperor Geng Shi dies before all the regional kings arrive? You, as the Crown Prince, would be in quite an awkward position."
The couple, speaking in turn, blocked all of Si Feng Ming's words. When reasoning failed, he resorted to emotional appeals, "I know you have your reasons, but even if you don't consider yourselves, won't you consider Yuan'er? He's still so young..."
"Brother, don't worry. People from the Reincarnation Hall will come to take Yuan'er away today. If you're not at ease, I can even entrust Imperial Sister-in-law to their care..."
"Thank you very much!" Si Feng Ming interrupted her irritably, "I'm at my wit's end with you all. Do as you please. If something happens, I'll just ask my father for forgiveness!"
With that, the Crown Prince grumbled and left. Lu Qing Wan and Feng Xi Wu shook their heads with amusement, withdrew their gazes, and exchanged a look. Feng Xi Wu smiled calmly, "So, shall we obediently go to the palace to attend to his illness?"
Lu Qing Wan grabbed Feng Xi Wu's hand and looked at him with questioning eyes, "Attending to his illness is fine, but are your arrangements on the Qing Zhou border foolproof?"
The King of Qing Zhou's rebellion was the greatest concern for Emperor Geng Shi. What Feng Xi Wu and Lu Qing Wan wanted was to seize this opportunity to gain an unassailable position in the Great Qin. Arriving in a place so alien, where only blood relations were familiar, Feng Xi Wu and Lu Qing Wan naturally had preparations. However, Qing Zhou was far from Zhong Zhou, and Lu Qing Wan couldn't be sure that Feng Xi Wu's arrangements were completely foolproof.
Feng Xi Wu gently stroked Lu Qing Wan's hair and said softly, "Rest assured, I'll have Xia Qiong investigate again. If there are any unexpected developments, Shen Tang Zhou and Lian Yu will make timely adjustments. This time, the most dangerous one is Emperor Geng Shi himself, not us."
"Then let's go." Lu Qing Wan narrowed her eyes at him, "Honestly, I'm very curious. What is Emperor Geng Shi's plan in summoning us to the palace to attend to his illness at this time?"
...
The carriage of the Prince's manor rumbled out of the gates. The people of Zhong Zhou were still unaware of the undercurrents in the imperial court, and the streets were as bustling as ever. However, if one looked closely, they would notice that the patrolling personnel in the city had been changed from the Five Garrisons to the more formidable Imperial Guards. The officials traveling through the streets in carriages looked so tense they seemed about to fly.
Lu Qing Wan looked around, most surprised by the palace. "So many guards stationed at the palace gates. Is he afraid the King of Qing Zhou won't rebel?" As an emperor, upon hearing of a regional king's rebellious intent, instead of trying to de-escalate the conflict, he brought the conflict out into the open from the start. How could such a conflict possibly be resolved?
The two had already entered the palace. Although they were surrounded by their own people, Lu Qing Wan unconsciously lowered her voice as she spoke. Feng Xi Wu also lowered his voice, "Does A'Wan think Emperor Geng Shi shouldn't be on guard?"
"It's not about not being on guard, but shouldn't it be a case of 'internal consolidation and external relaxation'?" To avoid being overheard, Lu Qing Wan practically hung onto him, whispering in his ear. "Since the King of Qing Zhou hasn't directly led his troops into Zhong Zhou, it shows he's still hesitant about rebellion. If Emperor Geng Shi had handled it with great care, it might have been resolved peacefully. But look at the current situation, it's as if he's determined to behead the King of Qing Zhou as a sacrifice. Even if the King of Qing Zhou was hesitant before, seeing this display, he should be determined to rebel to the end."
Feng Xi Wu pinched her cheek and chuckled, "Consort, you've become increasingly astute in court politics."
Lu Qing Wan snorted proudly, "Who do you think I am?!"
Feng Xi Wu leaned down with a smile. From a distance, it looked like he was joking with Lu Qing Wan, but his words were unusually serious. "The firmer the King of Qing Zhou's resolve to rebel, the better it is for us. Let's drop this conversation. We'll act according to the situation once we're in the palace. Don't alert our enemy."
Lu Qing Wan pouted disdainfully, "Got it, I'm not an idiot."
It was the same Zi Chen Palace, the same Emperor Geng Shi. However, the Zi Chen Palace was now missing the kneeling imperial physicians and instead had a group of familiar-looking young princes and nobles.
Upon seeing the Feng Xi Wu couple enter, Emperor Geng Shi slightly raised his eyelids, "You're here?"
The two stepped forward and paid their respects to Emperor Geng Shi, "Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Emperor Geng Shi, seated on the grand dragon throne, waved his hand weakly, "Do you know why I summoned you?"
Feng Xi Wu raised an eyebrow, "Weren't you supposed to be attending to illness?"
Emperor Geng Shi was already accustomed to Feng Xi Wu's unyielding demeanor. His gaze fell on Lu Qing Wan, who kept her eyes down and her heart steady, determined to be the woman behind a successful man. Her equally unyielding expression, a match for Feng Xi Wu's, managed to choke Emperor Geng Shi. "The King of Qing Zhou is coming to the capital, and will arrive no later than noon. King Qin, you were once a regent. I want to hear your opinion on this matter."
Emperor Geng Shi had barely spoken this sentence before the two young men wearing princely robes beside him looked furious. However, Feng Xi Wu acted as if he saw nothing. He said to himself, "When a regional king enters the capital, it's either a great joyous occasion or great chaos. Since he's coming without being summoned, it's hardly a joyous occasion. Currently, there are people intercepting him outside Zhong Zhou city, asking the King of Qing Zhou to state his purpose for entering the capital. Let his entourage stay at the posthouse, and have the King of Qing Zhou and his personal attendants enter the palace. If he dares to come, Your Majesty only needs to administer a minor punishment; there's no need to make a great fuss. If he doesn't dare to come, or tries to bargain with the court, Your Majesty can simply mobilize troops to arrest the King of Qing Zhou. With only these two choices, why does Your Majesty need to ask?"