It was a burn, several times more severe than the one on her face previously, and it began from the back of her neck. Ordinary clothing would likely not conceal it.
With the bracelet, the scar was secondary. The important thing was, how much pain must Yuping be in with such an injury!
Feng Yinwan pursed her lips, her eyes instantly reddening.
"Wangfei..."
Fearing she might have an accident due to emotional distress, the imperial physicians quickly followed, only to hear a cold command.
"Tend to Yuping's wounds with utmost care. If there is even the slightest negligence, this Wangfei will hold you accountable!"
She uttered this coldly and turned to leave, her steps unhurried, heading towards the rear courtyard.
The fire tonight was suspicious. She had to find someone to get to the bottom of it.
Nearly half of the aftermath had been cleared. Seeing her return, the guards' hearts tightened, and they had to step forward reluctantly.
"Wangfei."
Feng Yinwan's complexion was still pale, but her beautiful eyes were faintly red, clearly a sign of extreme anger.
Presumably, she had already seen Yuping's injuries. The guards stammered, unsure of what to say.
"Where are the guards who were on watch at Lanqing Courtyard tonight?"
Ye Tinglan had sealed her courtyard and assigned dedicated personnel to guard it. They should know best how the fire started!
Unexpectedly, she asked about this, the guard paused, then replied hesitantly.
"They have been taken to the Dark Hall by Guard Qi. The Prince was enraged upon learning of this and said he would interrogate them personally."
Ye Tinglan was back?
Feng Yinwan was slightly startled at the news, her beautiful eyes darkening again.
Very well. Since he was in the manor, she would have a thorough discussion about this matter.
When she spoke again, her tone had regained its former iciness. "Lead the way."
The Dark Hall was located behind Ye Tinglan's study, a forbidden area of the manor. Rarely mentioned in daily life, Feng Yinwan had never been there in her time at the manor.
"Wangfei, it is just ahead."
The guards dared not enter to anger Ye Tinglan, so they only escorted Feng Yinwan to the vicinity and left.
Feng Yinwan nodded and walked straight in.
The Dark Hall was similar in layout to the front hall, but with simpler furnishings. When Feng Yinwan entered, Ye Tinglan was in a fit of rage. Upon seeing her, the chilling aura around him softened slightly, then his brow furrowed again.
"Who told you to come here?"
Qi Xuan, who was standing nearby, was also taken aback. He immediately stepped forward to block her.
"Wangfei, why have you come? The Prince is discussing important matters. You should..."
His words were cut off by Feng Yinwan raising her hand.
Their eyes met across the distance. Feng Yinwan's expression was resolute, showing no sign of backing down.
"This matter concerns myself and Yuping. Is the Prince not planning to include me when questioning the guards?"
He was always like this, preferring to give her only the outcome without regard for whether she was willing to accept it.
Her words carried a hint of displeasure. Knowing she would not let Yuping's injuries go unaddressed, Qi Xuan's heart tightened. Just as he was about to persuade her further, Ye Tinglan spoke.
"Let her in."
The moment he spoke, Feng Yinwan stepped past him. Her beautiful eyes swept over the two guards kneeling on the ground, her pretty face now etched with coldness.
Ye Tinglan's gaze subtly shifted, confirming she was unharmed. His dark eyes then turned back to the guards on the ground.
"Report to the Wangfei, in full, what you told this Prince just now."
The guards dared not hesitate, nodding in agreement. They immediately turned to Feng Yinwan.
"Reporting to Wangfei, our negligence in guarding has led to this accident at Lanqing Courtyard. This is indeed our fault, and we dare not argue, willing to accept punishment."
Their attitude was one of immediate apology, but this was not what Feng Yinwan wanted.
"This Wangfei is not concerned with whether your guarding was negligent or not. How did this fire start tonight?"
She rarely went to the west wing, so it was impossible for her to have left any kindling there. The fire spreading from that direction was truly peculiar.
The two paused and exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
"We do not know either. Tonight is the Ghost Festival, and servants all over the manor are privately burning paper offerings. We only went to stop them after discovering this, and did not expect Lanqing Courtyard to be on fire when we returned."
What they said was the truth.
The manor strictly prohibited servants from burning paper offerings privately. It was the Ghost Festival today, and Ye Tinglan and Qi Xuan were not in the manor. They had dealt with the matter themselves as it was inconvenient to report.
Feng Yinwan's delicate eyebrows knitted. "Did you discover any suspicious individuals outside Lanqing Courtyard?"
The two still shook their heads.
"No. After discovering the fire, we immediately rushed back. There is only one path leading away from Lanqing Courtyard, and we found no trace of any suspicious persons along the way."
If the fire was visible, it meant it had already fully erupted. This implied that they were not in the vicinity when the fire started.
Without evidence, it was impossible to conclude it was arson.
The atmosphere in the hall became suddenly stagnant. Ye Tinglan slightly raised his chin, and Qi Xuan understood, immediately speaking.
"This subordinate has already inspected. During the previous renovation, there was a pile of wood by the western wall of Lanqing Courtyard that had not been cleared. Tonight, there is a southwest wind. If someone were burning paper offerings here, it would indeed be easy to ignite it."
The implication was clear.
Feng Yinwan's fingertips tightened on the armrest of the chair. Before she could say anything more, Ye Tinglan's gaze turned to her.
"Did you hear? This is all this Prince has investigated."
Feng Yinwan's lips pressed together firmly.
"Lanqing Courtyard is already remote and guarded by sentries. Even if someone were burning paper, why would they choose to do so here?"
To choose tonight to act, it was likely someone wanted to use the Ghost Festival as an excuse to set a fire and burn her to death!
She could only think of one person in the entire manor!
"Before tonight, were there any unusual activities around Lanqing Courtyard?"
The guards recalled carefully and hesitated before speaking, "Miss Qin came the night before last, but she was stopped by us and left without lingering. I don't know... does this count as an unusual activity?"
It was her after all!
The suspicion in her heart was almost confirmed. Feng Yinwan's eyes reddened, and her expression turned stern again.
"Now, does Your Highness still believe this was an accident? Or will you, as before, protect her out of so-called kindness!"
The thought of Yuping's horrific injuries on her neck made her unable to remain calm. Even without evidence, she was determined to investigate this matter.
The questioning in her words was too obvious. Ye Tinglan's expression immediately darkened.
"Wangfei, you have overstepped."
These few words were a definitive judgment, shattering her hopes.
Feng Yinwan's heart ached severely, and a chill spread through her body.
Without giving her another chance to speak, Ye Tinglan's lips curled into a cold sneer.
"Lanqing Courtyard caught fire tonight, and Wangfei was startled. Qi Xuan, escort Wangfei back and ensure she rests well."