"Not just the northwest snow mountains.
Three days after my imperial brother’s death, the seventh-level martial artist who assassinated you in the royal mansion was also from the Great Qin Imperial Guard, yet you still dealt with him.
Don’t worry too much. While Great Qin is indeed stronger than the other three kingdoms, much of it is exaggerated rumor. They are not an unconquerable behemoth.”
As he spoke, he gently enclosed Lu Qingwan’s fair and tender hand in his own.
“The reason I didn’t tell you before was not because I feared you would be a burden, nor because I was worried about implicating you.
I know you would rather be implicated by me than be kept in the dark.
It’s just that I wasn’t trying to hide anything from you; rather, if my identity were exposed and I couldn’t return to Great Qin in time, my imperial brother would be implicated by me.”
As he spoke, his handsome face contorted into a grimace. “If I explain it to you like this, you might not understand my imperial brother’s importance.
If I told you that my imperial brother is the biological father of that brat Yuan’er, would you understand a little better?”
With a *crack*, Feng Xi Wu’s fingers were almost broken.
He let out a yelp, but Lu Qingwan’s expression was even more contorted than his.
Still clutching Feng Xi Wu’s finger, which was cracking with the sound of being twisted, she asked in horror, "Say that again, whose child is little Yuan’er?"
"A’wan, why don't you let go of my finger first and then listen to me explain in detail?"
Feng Xi Wu pitifully pleaded for his injured finger.
Lu Qingwan, belatedly realizing her actions, immediately released Feng Xi Wu’s finger, her eyes darting around guiltily. "Are you alright?"
Feng Xi Wu grimaced, holding up his hand. "I'm fine, it's not broken."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Yang pushed the door open and rushed in, shouting anxiously, "Your Highness, your subordinate heard you cry out. Are you alright?"
Feng Xi Wu, who had been subtly showing off his injured finger, quietly retracted his hand. "I'm fine. You, however, are in trouble."
"Ah?"
Li Yang scratched his head foolishly. Although he didn't know what had happened, seeing his master's gloomy expression, it felt like a premonition of misfortune.
Li Yang, who usually enjoyed provoking Feng Xi Wu, finally showed some foresight this time and decisively changed the subject. "It's good that Your Highness is alright.
A message has been received from Tian Xuan City, stating that the preparations in the city are almost complete and they would like to invite the Princess Consort to visit.
When would the Princess Consort be available? Your subordinate will negotiate with Shen Tang Zhou.
Your Highness has prepared some gifts for the Princess Consort there, and they need to be arranged in advance.”
Lu Qingwan asked curiously, "Is Tian Xuan City very close to here?"
She hadn't seen such a city when she traveled this route before going to Xiliang.
Feng Xi Wu nodded. "Tian Xuan City has a special terrain, hidden among the mountains.
There are also powerful defensive formations outside. Those who don't know the way might not even notice it when passing by the city gates.
Since we will be in Zhongzhou for a while and may not be able to come back here anytime soon, do you want to go and see your own territory?”
Lu Qingwan was tempted. She yearned to have her own place in this unfamiliar world.
However, "The itinerary for the marriage envoy is fixed, isn't it? If we run off halfway, won't people from that side discover us?"
"No."
Feng Xi Wu said righteously, "I'll have people impersonate us to follow the main group back to Zhongzhou. Once you've had your fill of fun, you can catch up and blend into the group before entering Zhongzhou.
Also, in Great Qin, you don't need to be so cautious.
My imperial brother and I have the greatest ambition in Great Qin: to anger Emperor Gengshi to death. Do whatever makes you happy, and I will shoulder any disaster, no matter how great."
Hearing this, Lu Qingwan felt a surge of joy. She turned to Li Yang. "Prepare it. I will enter the city tomorrow morning."
Feng Xi Wu was surprised. "Don't you plan to enter the city tonight?
Have you had enough of staying in the wilderness after traveling for so many days?”
"I'm tired, I don't feel like walking anymore."
Lu Qingwan shook her head and unconsciously nuzzled closer to Feng Xi Wu. "Quickly explain to me, how did little Yuan’er, who was fine, suddenly go from being your son to your nephew? What about your imperial brother? How could he entrust such a young child to a bachelor like you? Would his wife be at ease?”
Her son, so big and grown, was gone just like that!
The thought of that soft, tender little bun having to call someone else mother in the future, and that she wouldn't be able to kiss and hug him anymore, made Lu Qingwan feel that even the newly acquired Tian Xuan City wasn't as appealing.
With the topic forcibly steered back on track, Feng Xi Wu resigned himself to explaining.
"Emperor Gengshi entered Zhongzhou from his fiefdom under the guise of 'defending the king and saving the emperor.' After he ascended the throne, in order to win hearts and rally the old officials of the previous dynasty, he made my imperial brother the Crown Prince.
But in reality, we all knew that our imperial grandfather, imperial father, father, mother, and elder sister all died at his hands.
He would never truly pass the throne to my imperial brother, so he always forbade my imperial brother and imperial sister-in-law from having children.
It wasn't until five years ago that my imperial sister-in-law, avoiding Emperor Gengshi's notice, gave birth to Yuan’er under the pretext of recuperating at her family home."
Lu Qingwan noticed that despite Feng Xi Wu living in Great Gan, he seemed to have deep affection for his imperial brother, who was the Crown Prince of Great Qin.
When speaking of Emperor Gengshi, he showed utter hatred.
"Unexpectedly, Emperor Gengshi discovered it. In just two months, Yuan’er suffered more than ten assassination attempts. My imperial sister-in-law was terrified, almost to the point of death.
My imperial brother then had no choice but to make a painful decision and send the child to me. Although it is painful to be separated from one's flesh and blood, and I am indeed not a qualified father, at least he can survive."
With Feng Xi Wu's few words, Lu Qingwan could imagine how difficult it must have been for that unseen couple to survive under the watchful eyes of their enemy.
She didn't know how many overt and covert dangers Feng Xi Wu had faced over the years, and she only felt immense heartache.
"Their decision was right. We're taking good care of Yuan’er, aren't we? The three of us in our family will be reunited soon."
Lu Qingwan gently stroked Feng Xi Wu’s furrowed brow. "I just don't quite understand. Logically speaking, when you were young, you had no means of self-protection, so hiding in Great Gan is understandable.
But now, you are no longer the weak, young child you once were. You could have returned to Great Qin and fought alongside the Crown Prince, avenging those who were innocently killed by Emperor Gengshi, and also removing the threat to yourselves. Why did you wait until today, when you were forced to hide, before preparing to return?”
Feng Xi Wu shook his head gently. "I am my imperial brother's lifeline. Emperor Gengshi is naturally suspicious and has long wanted to eliminate my imperial brother to prevent future trouble.
It was an old official who saved my imperial brother and me who told him that there was someone like me in the world. If he killed my imperial brother, he would never find my trace, and I would eventually avenge him. To find me and cut off all roots, he kept my imperial brother as bait.”
Feng Xi Wu wiped his face fiercely and continued, "Returning to Great Qin is not difficult. What is difficult is returning with legitimacy, as the orphan of the late Crown Prince. My imperial brother has been preparing for this day for twenty-three years."