The line of sight fell upon a small, square box inlaid with gemstones.
Jiang Rumuo nodded. "This is an item I obtained from a neighboring country in my youth. Due to its excellent seal, it was often used to store medicine."
A neighboring country?
Feng Yinwan's delicate eyebrows furrowed. She reached out and took it from the shelf.
It was surprisingly heavy. The box had a clasp design, and with a gentle touch of Feng Yinwan's fingertip, the lid sprang open.
A vivid red flower bloomed before her eyes, and Feng Yinwan's gaze instantly froze.
It was a Lycoris radiata!
Although not as lifelike as the one on her mother's hairpin, its petals and leaves were depicted together, clearly in the same style.
Seeing her unusual expression, Jiang Rumuo spoke.
"People from the Western Regions have always liked to adorn the inside of their boxes with flowers. What is it, Your Highness? Do you recognize this object?"
More than recognize it.
"Did Imperial Physician Jiang just say this is from the Western Regions?"
"Indeed, from the Moon Kingdom of the Western Regions."
Feng Yinwan was instantly stunned.
The Moon Kingdom, that was the neighboring country.
The very country that General Feng and Feng Jingyuan were leading troops to conquer!
A surge of suspicion erupted in her heart. Feng Yinwan stared fixedly at the Lycoris radiata inside the box lid, her thoughts momentarily drifting.
"Your Highness?"
Jiang Rumuo called out several times before she came back to her senses. Realizing she had lost her composure, Feng Yinwan immediately suppressed her surprise.
"This flower looks truly rare. It was merely my momentary astonishment, I apologize for my rudeness."
With that, she closed the lid and placed the box back.
Jiang Rumuo noticed her slightly pale complexion, a barely perceptible frown creasing his brow.
"Such items are rarely seen in the Central Plains, so it is normal that Your Highness did not recognize it."
With a mind full of questions, Feng Yinwan had no desire to linger and stood up to take her leave after finishing her tea.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Rumuo spoke suddenly.
"It has been several days since we returned from Qingpu Temple. How is Your Highness's pregnancy progressing?"
Normally, a pregnancy would show by three months. If one included the more than a month before discovering it at Qingpu Temple, Feng Yinwan was not far from the three-month mark.
Feng Yinwan's mind was not on this matter. She simply assumed he was reminding her to handle it soon and nodded.
"Rest assured, Imperial Physician Jiang. I have already made a decision regarding this matter."
With General Feng and Feng Jingyuan away at war, she felt it would be better to wait for their return to the capital to deal with this "child."
Another month or so would suffice.
She then walked directly towards the exit. Jiang Rumuo's lips curved slightly, and he ultimately remained silent.
Yuping could naturally tell something was amiss. As soon as they left the Jiang residence, she quietly leaned in.
"Miss, what was wrong with you just now? You seemed quite absent-minded."
Feng Yinwan's gaze deepened at her words.
"Yuping, do you remember the hairpin we retrieved from Feng Yiyi?"
Yuping nodded. "Yes, I do. It belonged to the late madam, and Miss asked me about it."
Recalling the small box she had just seen, she paused for a moment and then spoke again.
"Miss, are you suspecting...?"
"Father often fought on the front lines and traveled. It's not unusual for him to have been to the Moon Kingdom. But people in the Central Plains have never recognized this flower. How could he have given such a hairpin to mother?"
If it were from General Feng, it seemed a bit far-fetched. But if not...
Feng Yinwan pursed her lips, suppressing the thoughts swirling in her mind.
"Let's go back first."
She needed to investigate her mother's affairs further at the General's mansion.
Not long after they returned to the manor, Ye Tinglan arrived in a flurry.
Remembering what Jiang Rumuo had said about internal energy, Feng Yinwan's heart stirred slightly, and she was about to thank him. However, when she looked up, she was met with an imposing pressure radiating a chill.
Feng Yinwan's delicate eyebrows knitted together, and the words of thanks on her lips were immediately swallowed back.
"What business brings the Prince here?"
A trace of coldness silently flickered in Ye Tinglan's dark eyes.
"Ru Lian only served in your courtyard for half a day."
The news of Feng Yinwan's severe reprimand had already spread throughout the manor that morning, and it had clearly reached Ye Tinglan's ears.
"So, what is the Prince trying to say? I merely had her perform tasks expected of an ordinary servant."
"Feng Yinwan! She did not offend you."
"Offend?"
A sharp, cold arc formed on Feng Yinwan's chin.
"The Prince is right, she did not offend me. She tried to take my life!"
"Setting aside last night's events, the Spring Festival ceremony, Qingpu Temple, when has it not been like this!"
Ye Tinglan's thin lips pressed together coldly. "You have already taught her a lesson for past transgressions. I thought you knew when to stop."
Qin Ru Lian could not afford to have any more accidents, at least not before her wedding.
Feng Yinwan's pretty face turned cold.
"I have already stated that I will retaliate for every offense. Rather than wasting your breath here, Your Highness would do well to keep her properly guarded in Xiuchun Courtyard to prevent further trouble!"
"Insolent!"
Feng Yinwan was shouted at, but her eyelids did not even flutter. She snatched a nearby vase and hurled it.
As porcelain shards flew, her face was like frost.
"It's not just today or yesterday that I've been insolent. Is Your Highness not yet accustomed to it? You shouldn't be!"
"Well said, Feng Yinwan!"
Ye Tinglan's handsome face darkened heavily. He cast a chilling glance at her and turned away in anger, the door to the room immediately splitting in two.
Never having witnessed such a scene, Yuping remained meekly silent, not daring to make a sound.
"Miss... why must you get so angry with the Prince?"
The coldness on Feng Yinwan's face receded. She glanced at the shattered vase on the floor and the damaged yellow pear wood door, feeling a pang of regret.
"Cough... I got carried away and couldn't help myself."
Waving her hand, she gestured for Yuping to summon someone to clean up the mess.
However, before the servants could be called, Qi Xuan arrived with his men.
"Prince..."
He had intended to call out "Your Highness," but he first saw the mess at the doorway. Qi Xuan froze, then swallowed his words.
My goodness, what just happened here!
The guards behind him, holding brocade boxes, were unsure whether to set them down.
As they hesitated, Yuping hurried out from inside. Upon seeing Qi Xuan, she was no longer polite.
"What are you all doing here!"
Qi Xuan coughed tactically and took a step back.
"This morning, His Highness ordered us to procure tonics..."
He was referring to the items the guards were holding.
Yuping was taken aback. Before she could respond, they looked as if they had seen a ghost, placed the brocade boxes on the stone table, and fled without looking back.
She had just knitted her brows when Feng Yinwan emerged from the room behind her.
"What is going on?"
Yuping pursed her lips.
"Miss, these are all tonics His Highness ordered. It seems he had instructed this early this morning..."
Tonics?
Feng Yinwan was stunned.
She opened several brocade boxes, revealing only top-grade tonics inside. A faint sense of guilt spread through her.
Yuping cautiously raised her eyes. "Miss, the Prince seems... to care quite a bit about you."
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she slammed the brocade box shut with a "snap."
"Go and call someone to repair the door."
"Yes."
It was not until evening that the door was fully repaired. Feng Yinwan was about to go for her meal when she saw several servants rushing past as she stepped out of the courtyard.
"Quickly, go and summon the imperial physician! The Prince's cold poison has flared up, and he has fainted!"
Cold poison?
The corner of Feng Yinwan's forehead twitched subtly.
This thing was like an advanced version of severe cold and rheumatism, capable of taking a life when it flared up. How could Ye Tinglan have cold poison?
Did its sudden onset mean... it was due to him transferring internal energy to her?
Yuping was still stunned as the figure beside her swiftly darted out, exclaiming in alarm.
"Hey, Miss! Where are you going!"