Upon returning from the northwestern front, he had only made one public appearance during the triumphal military entry into the capital, after which he announced his seclusion for cultivation, receiving no one. Though he had achieved merit by triggering the volcanic eruption, the Wei King’s rewards were sent directly to his residence; he never entered court for an audience.

Feng Miaojun could no longer sit still. Just as she was considering making a personal journey, the red-headed parrot flew into the study, flapping its wings and crying loudly, “Queen of New Xia, Queen of New Xia!”

She had long allowed this spiritual bird to freely enter and exit her chambers and royal study, so no one dared stop it on its way.

Feng Miaojun had only written a dozen or so characters on the imperial edict in her hand. When she heard the call, her brush trembled slightly, causing an ink blot to spread on the fine paper.

Without thinking, she set aside the wolf-hair brush and raised her arm. The red-headed parrot perched on her arm and lowered its volume, calling out once more, “Queen of New Xia.”

This meant that somewhere thousands of miles away, someone was trying to speak with Feng Miaojun through the male bird.

She composed herself, “Who are you?”

Yun Ya often varied his terms of endearment for her, but would never use her official title.

The parrot spoke with a human voice, faithfully transmitting someone’s voice from thousands of miles away: “Lu Ming.”

After waiting all these days, the one who finally contacted her was merely Lu Ming.

Feng Miaojun’s breathing grew lighter, but she immediately asked, “Where is Yun Ya?”

“This concerns confidential matters.”

Without hesitation, she dismissed everyone around her, then set up a barrier before saying, “Very well, speak now.”

“The State Preceptor was gravely injured in the Battle of Red Demon Mountain. He barely made it back to camp before collapsing and hasn’t awakened since.”

So Yun Ya was indeed injured.

Despite being prepared for this, Feng Miaojun’s heart sank, “What happened?”

Lu Ming said quietly, “The State Preceptor exhausted his power triggering Red Demon Mountain’s eruption first, then engaged in a fierce battle with the Yan King afterward, which is how he was injured.”

“After the battle, I heard he made public appearances, more than once.”

Lu Ming smiled bitterly, “That was me.”

Feng Miaojun suddenly understood. So it was Lu Ming who had used a shape-shifting insect to disguise himself as Yun Ya, making rounds in the military camp to stabilize morale. The Wei State Preceptor was the spiritual pillar of the army; if anything happened to him, morale would plummet.

On the day the army returned victorious to the capital, it was undoubtedly Lu Ming impersonating Yun Ya. With the triumphant return of the army and the State Preceptor seated far from the Wei King, everyone could only observe from a distance, unable to approach for conversation, making it difficult to expose the deception.

Her heart was filled with frustration, “Why did he have to trigger the earth’s true fire?” She had repeatedly instructed that fellow to ensure his safety.

Lu Ming said with difficulty, “Your Majesty, not being here, you don’t know how deteriorated the battle situation was. The State Preceptor only wanted to use this unexpected move to change the course of battle.”

Feng Miaojun waved her hand, then realized he couldn’t see this gesture, “Has the Yan King discovered this?”

“The Yan King was also seriously injured. It’s said that after returning to camp, he rested for a long time and rarely appeared,” Lu Ming reported truthfully. “In the battles that followed, he never appeared once.”

“This can only be concealed temporarily,” Feng Miaojun’s thoughts were in chaos. “Where is Yun Ya? Have skilled physicians been summoned for consultation?”

“He’s settled in the capital. This matter is confidential; including Your Majesty, only five people know of it.” Lu Ming paused, “The State Preceptor’s injuries are severe, with his life force recovering slowly, but most troubling is that we cannot diagnose the cause of his coma, as there is no injury to his skull.”

Feng Miaojun could no longer hide the worry in her voice, “Could his soul have been damaged in the volcano?” She couldn’t sit still, standing up to pace a few steps, feeling increasingly agitated.

“That’s possible,” Lu Ming smiled bitterly, “We’ve tried various methods, all unable to awaken him. The only consolation is that the State Preceptor’s three souls and seven spirits are all intact, with none missing.”

If even one of a person’s three souls and seven spirits were lost or missing, that would be truly problematic. Even if the body’s owner survived, they would either suffer intellectual deficits or perpetual depression, possibly living like a walking corpse, merely breathing.

Feng Miaojun pondered, “Was he still conscious after his fierce battle with the Yan King?”

“Though the State Preceptor returned injured that night, his mind was clear. After instructing me to guard him, he entered meditation to regulate his energy. Since then, he hasn’t awakened.”

This meant that Yun Ya’s condition deteriorated after returning to camp, which also explained why the Yan King withdrew his troops. Had he known earlier that Yun Ya was incapacitated, he might have ordered the Yan army to fight to the last man to capture Yun Ya.

Feng Miaojun walked to the window. There wasn’t the slightest cool breeze in the garden now, making it suffocatingly stuffy.

She took two deep breaths before asking her final question: “Why contact me only today?”

In these days, she had spoken to the red-headed parrot every few days, but there had been no response from the other end, like a stone sinking into the sea. As Yun Ya’s attendant, Lu Ming knew about their communication through the kindred birds; after Yun Ya fell into a coma, he must have kept the male bird.

After so many days of silence, why had he actively sought her out today?

Facing this question, Lu Ming was silent.

Feng Miaojun laughed coldly, “Was it Xiao Yan’s idea?”

She waited a few more moments before hearing Lu Ming say, “Before the northwestern battle ended, the news of the State Preceptor’s severe injury and coma was top military intelligence. All items related to him were sealed away, including the kindred bird.”

Only with strict confidentiality would the victory at Red Demon Mountain be meaningful and cause the Yan King to withdraw. Though Feng Miaojun understood this, she was still full of resentment, “What about afterward? Yun Ya has been back in the Wei capital for a long time, hasn’t he?”

Lu Ming remained silent.

Feng Miaojun broke off several peony stems before coldly saying, “Your use of the kindred bird today was also authorized by the Wei King, wasn’t it?” Perhaps Xiao Yan was right beside him listening at this moment. “Why doesn’t he speak with me directly?”

There was no response from the other end.

These were questions that someone of Lu Ming’s status couldn’t answer. Feng Miaojun certainly understood that these few exchanges were merely to vent her frustration. She let out a long sigh, “Tell me, what does Xiao Yan intend?”

Lu Ming honestly replied, “His Majesty only instructed me to convey the State Preceptor’s condition, with no other directives.”

At this point, no more needed to be said. Feng Miaojun patted the red-headed parrot, letting it cease its spiritual connection, then stood up and walked toward her chambers.

The parrot’s flight had alarmed several palace attendants. Chen Dachang, following the sound, was waiting outside the study. Seeing her, he approached, “Your Majesty.”

He knew of the kindred bird’s talent and was aware that the Queen had been unable to eat or sleep properly these past days, anxiously awaiting news from Yun Ya. Now that the red-headed parrot had arrived, it proved that a response had finally come from thousands of miles away. The Queen should have felt relieved, so why was her brow furrowed?

Feng Miaojun waved her hand, “Follow me.”

With many palace attendants along the way, it wasn’t a place for conversation.

She quickly walked into the lake pavilion, ordering everyone else to withdraw, then said in a deep voice, “Yun Ya was severely injured at Red Demon Mountain and remains in a coma.”

The lake covered several acres; no one standing on the shore could hear their conversation.