Feng Xiwu was not in high spirits, and the interesting experiences were spoken of as if reading from a textbook.
Seeing this, Lu Qingwan stopped bothering him. "It's getting late, and we have to get up early tomorrow. Let's get to bed. You try to get sleepy first, and I'll have Lijing arrange the clothes for entering the palace tomorrow. I'll give you a massage to relax." She worried that Feng Xiwu would either suffer from insomnia or have nightmares if he went to sleep with such heavy thoughts. All of Da Qin was full of formidable enemies. If Feng Xiwu appeared before the people of Da Qin drowsy, he would be laughed at.
This was one of the few days Feng Xiwu went to bed earlier than Lu Qingwan. Not wanting Lu Qingwan to worry, he didn't refuse. "I'll wait for you after I bathe. Don't take too long. I can't sleep without you." Like a child, Lu Qingwan patted the back of his hand and turned to leave. Before she stepped out, she heard Feng Xiwu sigh heavily.
Lijing was waiting outside the door. Upon seeing Lu Qingwan emerge, he immediately stepped forward. After hearing Lu Qingwan's words, without asking any questions, he directly said, "For tomorrow's palace visit, you and the Prince's entourage will be about twelve people in total. It's estimated that only the attire from Buye Continent will have matching ceremonial robes. I'll go discuss it with Wuying now." With Lu Qingwan's approval, he turned and left.
It was only a short while, but by the time Lu Qingwan returned to the room, Feng Xiwu was already asleep on the couch. Glancing at his evenly rising and falling chest, she raised an eyebrow, realizing that the massage for tonight could be skipped. The person on the couch's eyelids twitched slightly, but he managed to suppress waking up. Lu Qingwan chuckled softly and went behind the screen to bathe.
The next day, as Lu Qingwan and Feng Xiwu were eating, Emperor Gengshi, as if afraid they wouldn't enter the palace, sent someone to deliver an imperial decree again. "Is it that serious? Are they afraid we won't enter the palace and want to send people to arrest us?" Lu Qingwan, without any regard for the palace attendant present, openly complained. "With such a commotion, anyone would think we've caused trouble!" The eunuch, having heard of the formidable Princess of Qin within three days of her arrival in Da Qin, stood there with a sheepish smile, saying nothing.
Not striking a smiling face, and besides, Lu Qingwan knew these people were just following orders and there was no point in making things difficult for them. She promptly pulled Feng Xiwu up. "Let's go. We shouldn't trouble these errand runners." The eunuch bowed gratefully. "This servant thanks the Princess of Qin for her consideration." He then looked at Lu Qingwan as if he had something to say but hesitated.
Lu Qingwan was speechless. "Neither the Prince nor I have cultivated mind-reading skills yet. If you have something to say, please speak directly." The eunuch awkwardly pulled at the corners of his mouth, cupped his hands, and said, "If the Princess doesn't mind this servant being meddlesome, perhaps you could change the hairpin on your head?" A small eunuch interfering with the Princess's adornment? Lu Qingwan looked suspiciously. "What, is there a problem with my phoenix hairpin?"
The eunuch bowed even lower. "The Princess flatters this servant. You are of noble birth and deserve the phoenix hairpin. However, a few years ago, the Empress Dowager had a nightmare about a phoenix seizing the dragon's eyes. Therefore, for the past few years, the imperial concubines in the palace have been avoiding phoenix patterns. Even the Empress only wears a phoenix coronet on formal occasions like investitures and sacrifices. She doesn't wear phoenix patterns on her dresses or jewelry. If the Princess wears this phoenix hairpin into the palace, it might bring you trouble!"
Lu Qingwan looked at Feng Xiwu in astonishment. He shook his head. Feng Xiwu, having only recently arrived in Da Qin, was concerned with matters of state. He hadn't paid much attention to such taboos regarding women's clothing and jewelry. As everyone in the room hesitated, Sihan arrived. Upon entering, he cupped his fists and said to Lu Qingwan and Feng Xiwu, "Your Highness, Princess, Eunuch An speaks the truth. In recent years, apart from the Empress, few people in the palace have used phoenix patterns."
Ru Yue immediately turned. "This subordinate will go and get a gold hairpin." While waiting, Lu Qingwan said seriously, "Today, we are truly grateful to Eunuch An. Lijing, thank Eunuch An on my behalf." Without a word, Lijing handed Eunuch An a handful of gold leaves. Eunuch An's face broke into a smile. "It's just a small favor, the Princess is too kind!" Although he said this, his actions of taking the gold leaves were very honest.
Lu Qingwan seized the opportunity. "This Princess is new here and not very familiar with Da Qin's customs. I hope Eunuch An will take care of me in the future." With the substantial weight of the gold leaves Lijing gave, Eunuch An was naturally happy to accept the favor. "The Princess is too polite; this servant should do so."
After a round of pleasantries, Lu Qingwan finally boarded the carriage to the imperial palace. As Feng Xiwu had said yesterday, the decorations in the carriages for her, Feng Xiwu, and all their attendants had been changed to a gentle lake blue. However, Lu Qingwan was in no mood to admire these decorations. She sat opposite Feng Xiwu with a serious expression. "There is also an Empress Dowager in the palace. Why have I never heard you mention her before?" Until Eunuch An mentioned the Empress Dowager's dream, she had thought that in Da Qin's palace, only the Empress and Concubine Li were the more influential female figures. Suddenly hearing of an Empress Dowager had indeed startled her.
Feng Xiwu smiled apologetically. "It is my fault for forgetting her." Lu Qingwan pouted. "How can you forget a living person? How low is her presence? Is the Empress Dowager's status so insignificant?" Feng Xiwu, like a persistent shadow, got up and moved to Lu Qingwan's side, sticking close to her. He then patiently explained, "She is not the birth mother of Emperor Gengshi, but the legitimate Empress of my grandfather. Because her maternal clan declined and she was not favored, she was one of the few survivors of the palace coup twenty-three years ago. Like my imperial brother, Emperor Gengshi, out of consideration for appearances after his ascension, he elevated her to the position of Empress Dowager. But as you said, this Empress Dowager's presence is indeed very low. If it weren't for that eunuch surnamed An mentioning it, I would have forgotten that such a person existed in Da Qin's palace."
Lu Qingwan found it strange. "She was the late Emperor's legitimate Empress, so who is the Empress Dowager you mentioned...?" If she remembered correctly, Feng Xiwu had spoken with great respect when mentioning his grandfather and grandmother. If she wasn't the late Emperor's wife, who could she be? "The one who faced hardship with my grandfather was my and my imperial brother's paternal grandmother, the late Emperor's Imperial Noble Consort Jinghui." Although they were two elders he had never met, Feng Xiwu's eyes were filled with longing and yearning as he spoke of them. "My grandmother hailed from the Prince of Youzhou's manor. She and my grandfather were childhood sweethearts. By rights, she was the most suitable candidate for Empress at the time. However, as the only daughter in her family, she was doted upon since childhood and yearned for a free and unrestrained life. If she were to preside over the inner palace, she would have to be bound by various rules, and she herself did not care about rank. After several discussions, my grandfather first enfeoffed her as a secondary consort to the Crown Prince, then as a Consort upon entering the palace, and after giving birth to my father, she was promoted to Imperial Noble Consort."