"Listen to me, brother, I didn't..."
Her eyes suddenly darted to Feng Yinwan, and Qin Rulian cried out, "It's her! She gave me this thing, I don't understand medicine at all, how would I know that peach kernel powder would conflict with the soup!"
She gambled that Ye Tinglan would still have some trust in her.
Feng Yinwan raised her delicate eyebrows and reached for her waist.
"What Miss Qin mentioned, is it this?"
In her hand was the small white porcelain bottle containing the peach kernel powder.
Qin Rulian's body trembled, and then she quickly said, "Listen to me, brother, look, this peach kernel powder is on her. This matter was orchestrated by her!"
Ye Tinglan's gaze was indifferent. "How do you know that's peach kernel powder?"
"I..."
Qin Rulian was taken aback by the question, and her face instantly turned pale.
Feng Yinwan curled her lips. "Your Highness's question is pertinent. This porcelain bottle was given to me by Miss Qin herself. How could she not know what's inside?"
She glanced at Qin Rulian and spoke unhurriedly.
"Last night, this Princess Consort was severely punished with forty strikes. Deputy General Song ordered someone to invite you to apply medicine to this Princess Consort. You slipped this peach kernel powder into my person then, didn't you?"
"I don't understand..."
Seeing that she was about to deny it, Feng Yinwan raised her eyebrows.
"Don't be in a hurry. It still carries your scent of makeup. What, Miss Qin, you didn't notice it yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Rulian's already pale face turned even uglier.
Her expression conveyed everything.
"Your Highness just saw it with your own eyes, so I don't need to repeat myself. Since the matter has been clarified, please Your Highness go and invite the Empress Dowager."
To avoid making a scene, she had only called Ye Tinglan over.
Ye Tinglan frowned, clearly displeased with the tone of her command.
"Do you take me for a servant?"
Feng Yinwan spread her hands. "What can I do? If I go myself, what if the person is gone when I return? To be honest, I really don't trust you."
After all, he had shown favoritism more than once in the past.
Ye Tinglan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Feng Yinwan, mind your tone when you speak to me."
He gave her a menacing glance, and his thin lips parted.
"The Empress Dowager is currently resting and it's not appropriate to disturb her. I will handle this matter myself."
Feng Yinwan sneered.
"How does Your Highness intend to handle it? By throwing out another scapegoat?"
"Feng Yinwan!"
Ye Tinglan's brows furrowed, and a chilling, thin anger welled up in his eyes.
"I have already shown you the greatest tolerance by not exposing you before the Empress Dowager. Since you have cleared your name, you need not interfere further."
He was referring to the peach kernel powder incident, as well as the matter of her pregnancy.
Feng Yinwan was almost amused to the point of anger by this blatant threat.
"Your Highness, have you forgotten? I have the Empress Dowager's imperial decree in hand, and this matter is entirely under my purview."
Ye Tinglan raised his eyelids to glance at her, his expression indifferent.
"You are the one who has forgotten. At lunch, the Empress Dowager had already handed this matter over to me."
Therefore, even though he suspected that the person caught was likely Qin Rulian, he still came.
Feng Yinwan, who had not expected the "special person" mentioned by the Empress Dowager to be him, felt she had miscalculated and was instantly furious.
"Ye Tinglan, do you have any shame at all!"
She was, flustered!
Ye Tinglan's body exuded a chilling aura. "Presumptuous."
Presumptuous?
Feng Yinwan gritted her teeth. I'm more than presumptuous to you!
"Even if the Empress Dowager has handed this matter over to Your Highness, now that the culprit has been caught red-handed, Your Highness is not punishing them. Could it be that you are still thinking of shielding them and distorting the truth?"
Her beautiful eyes widened slightly, her face flushed with anger, showing no trace of fear.
For some inexplicable reason, Ye Tinglan found her exasperated appearance somewhat... amusing.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the cold severity had silently receded.
"The Princess Consort claims I am distorting the truth. Do you have any proof?"
Feng Yinwan sneered. "The peach kernel powder in Qin Rulian's sleeve is the proof. I personally saw her pour peach kernel powder into the soup just now. What other proof does Your Highness want?"
Ye Tinglan's narrow eyes curved into a half-smile.
"But I was also present just now and did not notice the abnormality you mentioned."
Feng Yinwan's delicate brows furrowed. Before she could speak, she heard him say faintly.
"The Princess Consort and Rulian have always been at odds. It's understandable that in her haste, you might have misjudged."
"You!"
Feng Yinwan fully understood the meaning of "lifting a rock only to drop it on one's own feet!"
She had originally called him over to witness the moment the "white lotus" was caught in the act, making it impossible for him to show favoritism. She had not expected him to be so brazen and blatant!
Where was morality, where was the bottom line, where were the principles of being a person!
Ye Tinglan glanced at her, speaking in a neither warm nor cold tone to dismiss her.
"The Princess Consort's previous statement has no corroborating evidence. I will continue to investigate this matter. You should focus on your pregnancy and rest well."
He was clearly intending to distort the truth, and she truly had no recourse!
Feng Yinwan gritted her teeth, glanced at Qin Rulian on the ground, and stomped out in anger.
Seeing this, Qin Rulian was secretly delighted, assuming Ye Tinglan was intentionally helping her out of her predicament. She quickly got up.
"Listen to me, brother, I knew you would believe me."
As she spoke, she reached out to pull Ye Tinglan's sleeve, but before her fingertips could touch the fabric, Ye Tinglan coldly dodged her.
She immediately bit her lip as if wronged, "Listen to me, brother..."
"What about your marriage to Deputy General Zhao? Have you considered it?"
Deputy General Zhao was the husband Ye Tinglan had chosen for her after the palace banquet.
Qin Rulian was visibly stunned by this, and her face immediately turned pale again.
"Listen to me, brother, didn't we agree not to mention this again? Why are you bringing it up again..."
Ye Tinglan pursed his lips and turned his gaze away, his stern expression undiminished.
"If you speak the truth, you will hope that you can marry soon."
"Marry."
Qin Rulian murmured the two words, and the surging resentment in her eyes resurfaced.
"You'd rather believe that bitch Feng Yinwan than me. You drove away Feise, and now you're trying to get rid of me. You must be eager to marry me off!"
"Ye Tinglan, you're dreaming! This is what you owe me and my brother. You'll never escape me in this lifetime!"
She cried out hysterically, her expression bordering on madness. Ye Tinglan looked at her calmly.
His dark eyes were filled with a deep silence, so cold it was almost devoid of emotion.
A rapid twitch appeared at Qin Rulian's temple, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.
"Listen..."
"Take care of yourself."
He made no mention of today's events, yet his tone was even colder than if he had pursued it.
A fear she had never known before spread through her heart. Qin Rulian trembled, wanting to chase after him, but Ye Tinglan's figure had already disappeared from sight.
...
After returning to her room, Feng Yinwan became more and more enraged. In the end, she couldn't stand it anymore and simply packed her things and left.
Since she couldn't fight against the powers that be, she quit!
Because she was concerned about Ye Tingyun's health, the Empress Dowager had originally planned to return to the capital the next day. Therefore, Song Qingan was somewhat surprised to see her storming out with her luggage.
"Where is the Princess Consort going?"
Feng Yinwan had originally intended to ride back by herself, but she hadn't expected to encounter him, and her eyes immediately lit up.
"There's an urgent matter at the General's residence. This Princess Consort needs to return to the capital first."
"Return to the capital?"
Song Qingan was startled and immediately advised against it, "Qingpu Temple is far from the capital. It's too dangerous for the Princess Consort to travel alone. It would be better to..."
"It would be better to send more escorts!"
Feng Yinwan curled her lips. "If Deputy General Song is willing to help, this Princess Consort will be eternally grateful."