There was a fleeting exchange of glances, and the pair of indifferent, dark eyes paused almost imperceptibly, then quickly shifted away.
“Shu’er, you and Lan’er haven’t seen each other for many years, so it’s natural to be a little estranged. Now that you’ve finally reunited, sit together, and it will be more convenient to talk.”
The one speaking was Consort Rong.
The woman called “Shu’er” was indeed the one beside Ye Tinglan. She had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and a face like jade and rosy cheeks. Upon hearing this, she smiled charmingly, her almost innocent laughter dazzling Feng Yinwan.
“Consort Rong, you’re mistaken. Lan Gege and I are not estranged at all! Isn’t that right, Lan Gege?”
Unlike Qin Rulian’s affectation and deliberate closeness, the woman lightly tugged on Ye Tinglan’s sleeve, her eyes as pure as stars, devoid of any calculation.
When these words came from her mouth, it felt as natural as breathing.
And Ye Tinglan did not dodge away as he had before.
“Mm.”
This single sound was extremely soft, impossible to discern the tone, yet it felt as if a string in Feng Yinwan’s mind snapped. The hand holding the teacup tightened, and all she could see was that bright smile.
Noticing her discomfort, Noble Consort Li’s delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she spoke softly.
“Ink King’s Consort?”
The voice was not loud, but it was just enough to draw everyone’s attention. As if just noticing her presence, the smile on Consort Rong’s face faltered, and her enthusiasm visibly diminished when she spoke again.
“Shu’er, this is Lan’er’s King’s Consort. She is a little older than you. Since you are of similar age, there are no strict rules between you; you may simply call her sister.”
To save face, she conveniently omitted Feng Yinwan’s status as the legitimate daughter of the Zhenguo General’s mansion.
The change from “King’s Consort” to “sister” was even more telling.
All eyes turned to her, and Feng Yinwan felt as if thorns were pricking her back, her body stiffening uncontrollably.
“Sister, you are Lan Gege’s King’s Consort?”
“I just heard Yun Gege say that you are a great beauty. Now that I see you, you are indeed devastatingly beautiful, no wonder Lan Gege likes you!”
The curious gaze and sincere praise left Feng Yinwan disarmed and flustered.
She could tear apart white lotuses and stomp on green teas, fighting them to the bitter end without mercy, but she simply couldn’t face such gentle words, nor could she respond with harshness.
“You…”
She opened her mouth, but didn’t know how to address her. Seeing her confusion, the woman’s eyes curved into a smile, “I am the daughter of the Prince of Dingnan, Yun Shu. Sister may call me Shu’er, just like Lan Gege.”
The Prince of Dingnan was one of the few feudal princes in the court. Unlike other princes, Yun Ling had troops under his command.
The woman before her was precisely Yun Ling’s only beloved daughter, Princess Zhao’an, Yun Shu.
It was normal for them to be in the capital for such an occasion.
Feng Yinwan’s eyelashes quietly lowered slightly, “Princess Zhao’an flatters me. It is merely a pleasing appearance; I am unworthy of such praise.”
She thought it was mere politeness, but to her surprise, Yun Shu unexpectedly took her hand, her expression exceptionally firm.
“Sister, please don’t say that. Shu’er believes you are worthy!”
Such direct and fervent eyes were something Feng Yinwan had never experienced.
Her hand felt as if it had been scalded, burning inexplicably. Feng Yinwan hastily averted her gaze, no longer knowing how to respond.
While Consort Rong’s intention to pair them made her extremely uncomfortable, deep down, it was truly hard not to like a pure and sincere girl like Yun Shu.
A seed called "timidity" quietly took root in her heart, making her already uncertain resolve even more shaky.
What about Ye Tinglan?
He hadn’t refused just now; was it possible… he felt the same as she did?
The budding thought made Feng Yinwan afraid to contemplate it. Fortunately, Consort Rong had no intention of letting Yun Shu linger with her, and after a few perfunctory words, she called the girl away.
From beginning to end, that aloof figure stood silently, his dark eyes never glancing her way again.
Feng Yinwan forgot when she had found her breath again. She only remembered that when she came to her senses, the warmth on her cold fingertips was from Noble Consort Li.
Consort Rong had already left with Lu Qin. Not far behind them sat Yun Shu and Ye Tinglan.
The air was still thin. Noble Consort Li looked up with concern and pulled her to her feet.
“It’s almost time. Let’s go over first.”
Only after leaving the side hall did it feel like she could breathe again. Feng Yinwan squeezed her cold fingertips and pursed her lips.
“Thank you, Noble Consort.”
Quite a few people were already seated in the main hall. As Feng Yinwan approached to take a seat, several sharp voices assailed her ears.
“Still sitting there? Don’t you even know your current status? The daughter of a condemned official, how dare you sit in such a prominent seat!”
“Her father and brother betrayed the country, harmed the lives of soldiers, and even caused the Ink King to be severely injured. It’s one thing that she remains in the capital due to her pregnancy, but how dare she attend the celebration banquet!”
“Exactly! If I were her, I wouldn’t even dare to come. How can she have the nerve!”
They were, after all, the wives of officials whose families had been impeached by Old General Feng. Feng Yinwan had long grown accustomed to such venomous words and had no desire to argue with them.
She adjusted her skirt and was about to sit down, but the women, seeing this, advanced relentlessly.
“We haven’t seen the Ink King’s Consort in a long time. Your complexion is as good as ever, as if you haven’t just experienced the ruin of your family!”
“Yes, I heard that the Feng family members were exiled to the border. Thinking of such a barren land is enough to make one feel terrified. I truly wonder how people live there.”
“Madam Liu, aren’t you asking the right person? Your son is guarding the Pingguan City, isn’t he? Isn’t it far from the border? How about this, after the celebration banquet, I’ll have someone escort you to the border so that Madam Liu can personally experience the survival rules of a barren land. You can also visit your son, which would save Young Master Liu the trouble of returning to the capital for a visit.”
She paused, then spoke, looking at another woman.
“What do Madam Xu and Madam Zhou think?”
“I noticed you were very curious earlier. If that’s the case, why don’t you all go together? They say three people can make a tiger out of thin air, and the three of you combined would surely be invincible. In the borderlands, it would be difficult to find worthy opponents.”
This was calling them tigresses!
Having never experienced the sharpness of her tongue, the few women were so choked that their faces turned various shades of green and white, too furious to speak.
Taking advantage of the fact that there were few people in the hall and they were the majority, they exchanged glances and made to push Feng Yinwan’s table.
However, as soon as they made their move, a jade buckle struck a wrist heavily. Madam Liu immediately cried out and withdrew her hand.