"Your Highness, Your Highness..."
Xue Xingyue woke from her dream, seeing the figure by the bed, and sat up, "Feng Tian?"
"It is your subordinate," Feng Tian said.
"Where is Fu Bao?" Xue Xingyue picked up the cloak by the bed and put it on, then opened the curtains and got out of bed.
Feng Tian said, "Fu Bao is probably still asleep."
Xue Xingyue looked out the window and found that it was still a dark night. She frowned slightly, "Is something wrong?"
Before Xue Xingyue's words fell, Feng Tian suddenly knelt on one knee, startling her with this abrupt action.
"Feng Tian, what do you mean by this? Get up and answer me."
Feng Tian did not get up, but looked as if he had something to say but couldn't.
Seeing this, Xue Xingyue said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Being so hesitant makes me think you've done something to hide."
Feng Tian, upon hearing this, seemed to have made his final decision and resolved himself, "Your Highness, Feng Jiu has been taken away by people from the palace."
Xue Xingyue was stunned and after a long while said, "What exactly happened?"
Feng Tian did not answer. Xue Xingyue urged, "We've come this far, what are you still hesitating about? Quickly tell me the whole story."
People from the palace would not dare to come to her princess's mansion to arrest someone so brazenly. Her imperial brother certainly wouldn't. Thus, this person was very likely Consort An.
Thinking of this, Xue Xingyue asked, "Were the people who took Feng Jiu from Consort An?"
Feng Tian nodded, "Indeed."
"Why?" Xue Xingyue continued to ask.
Feng Jiu shook his head, "Your subordinate doesn't know. At that time, your subordinate was still monitoring the Second Prince. By the time your subordinate returned, Feng Jiu was gone. When I asked the servants in the mansion, I learned that she was taken by Consort An's people."
"Why didn't they report to me?" Xue Xingyue asked coldly.
Feng Tian replied, "Your subordinate also asked. The servants said they wanted to report to Your Highness, but Fu Bao said you were asleep and anything that happened could wait until tomorrow."
Xue Xingyue's gaze turned cold, "Feng Tian, go and check if Fu Bao is still in the next room."
"Yes, Your Highness." Feng Tian received the order and was about to leave. Before he could step out of the room, Xue Xingyue stopped him.
"No need. I suspect she's already gone." Xue Xingyue said. Although she had been a bit tired lately, she wouldn't be so unaware that someone had entered the mansion to arrest someone. Clearly, she had been drugged.
And the person who drugged her must be someone close to her. Without even guessing, she knew it was Fu Bao.
She hadn't expected to be schemed against despite her caution.
Feng Tian quickly understood some things upon hearing this, "Your Highness, you think Fu Bao did it?"
"There must be someone behind Fu Bao," Xue Xingyue said coldly.
"Your Highness, then what should we do now? Feng Jiu is in the palace, could something terrible happen?" Feng Tian asked with some worry.
Xue Xingyue frowned. Although she and Consort An were not on good terms, she wouldn't actively provoke Consort An over the years, and Consort An wouldn't actively provoke her either.
Therefore, something must have happened. However, it was too late to have Feng Tian investigate. "I will go to the palace to find Consort An."
Feng Tian said, "Your Highness, your subordinate will go with you."
Xue Xingyue nodded.
The carriage was too slow, so Xue Xingyue rode her horse straight to the imperial palace. Because she had a token that allowed her to enter and exit the palace at any time, she could pass through without hindrance, even though it wasn't the usual time to enter.
However, upon entering the palace, she dismounted and handed the horse to a palace attendant, heading towards Consort An's Jiahe Palace.
Reaching the front of Jiahe Palace, she said to Feng Tian, "Feng Tian, when it's the fifth watch, go find my imperial brother and tell him about the situation. He will understand."
"Your Highness, your subordinate should accompany you inside!" Feng Tian said worriedly.
Xue Xingyue replied, "What? Does your highness, the grand princess, fear Consort An? Besides, Consort An is not brainless. Go!"
Feng Tian nodded and left.
When Xue Xingyue entered Jiahe Palace, she found it brightly lit, clearly waiting for the expected guest.
Arriving at the front of the sleeping chambers, the palace attendants bowed to her, "Greetings, Your Highness."
"Go in and report!" In the past, she would have barged in without hesitation. Her imperial brother had often admonished her for this.
Today, she would give Consort An a good impression.
Soon, the palace attendant who went to report came out and bowed to her, "Your Highness, the Consort requests your presence."
Xue Xingyue nodded and entered the sleeping chamber. She saw a figure half-reclining on the Consort's couch, dressed in a scarlet palace gown and adorned with a jeweled hairpin, looking noble yet cold.
"Consort An," she said slowly.
Consort An, who had been half-closing her eyes, opened them, her expression icy. "Princess Xingyue's visit so early is truly surprising to me."
"Consort An, you don't need to play word games with me. Let's speak plainly. Why did you send people to take Feng Jiu away?" Xue Xingyue asked coldly.
Consort An sat up straight upon hearing this and sneered, "So Princess Xingyue didn't know?"
"I don't know," Xue Xingyue replied concisely.
Such straightforwardness made Consort An, who had prepared a bellyful of anger, unable to exert any force.
"Does Princess Xingyue also have moments of being out of touch?" Consort An mocked.
"I am not a deity, how could I know everything? Please, Consort An, inform me!" Xue Xingyue replied, neither subservient nor overbearing.
Consort An felt as if she had thrown a punch with all her might only to hit cotton, completely useless.
"What if I don't say anything?" Consort An's temper flared. Unable to outwit Xingyue Princess, she could at least refuse to speak.
"If there is no matter, and Consort An privately sends people to arrest my people, do you really think you can control everything in this capital single-handedly?" Xue Xingyue asked coldly.
"You..."
"My dear consort, how do you wish to control everything single-handedly?" A cold voice interjected, making both Consort An and Xue Xingyue tremble.
A figure in bright yellow appeared at the entrance of the sleeping chamber, the coiled flying dragons on his chest signifying his noble status.
His slender build couldn't perfectly showcase the bright yellow dragon robe, which seemed somewhat oversized.
Looking further up, his handsome face was pale and bloodless, but his dark eyes were exceptionally sharp.
"Consort An," Xue Xingchen said word by word.
Consort An quickly stood up from the couch and walked down, bowing to Xue Xingchen, "Your subject greets His Majesty. What brings Your Majesty here?"
Xue Xingyue also bowed, "Imperial Brother, why are you up so early?"
Xue Xingchen stepped forward and helped up Xue Xingyue, coldly ignoring Consort An.
"Get up!" Xue Xingchen said coldly.
Consort An had no choice but to rise herself. Seeing that the hand that had helped her up now helped Princess Xingyue, she felt displeased.
"Why didn't you inform your imperial brother after entering the palace?" Xue Xingchen asked.
Xue Xingyue glanced at Feng Tian, who was following behind Xue Xingchen, and gestured for him to speak. Didn't she ask him to find her imperial brother at the fifth watch?
Feng Tian felt the inquiry from his own princess's eyes and expressed his helplessness. He hadn't expected that upon reaching His Majesty's sleeping chambers, His Majesty seemed to have been informed in advance.