"Ye Tinglan?"
Feng Yinwan stiffened slightly, wanting to struggle, but the grip only tightened.
"You let go of me first..."
That last moment had been too rough, and as expected, the wound on her left shoulder was torn open again.
Her voice now tinged with pain, her lips' movement halted. Ye Tinglan lowered his gaze to look at her and released his grip.
A faint trace of alcohol wafted into her senses. In the darkness, his ink-black eyes seemed to see through her, as if capable of dissecting her very soul.
He had been drinking?
The moment the thought surfaced, Feng Yinwan's carefully prepared words caught in her throat. She tilted her head back, gazing at him, her mind a complete blank.
In the profound silence, Ye Tinglan’s face was as cold as a specter, his large hands by his sides clenching soundlessly.
"What medicine did you drink this morning?"
It was an emmenagogue, but she didn’t know how to explain.
There was still no answer to this question.
The last flicker of candlelight in the room quietly extinguished, plunging the atmosphere into a deeper, suffocating darkness that stretched the tension further.
As if in a haze, a self-mocking sound escaped Ye Tinglan’s lips, and then he rose.
"The situation on the front lines is critical. My father has ordered me to reinforce them. I must depart tonight."
Tonight?!
The news was sudden. Feng Yinwan blinked in surprise, and before she could utter a sound, Ye Tinglan had already turned to leave.
"Ye Tinglan!"
A pang of anxiety seized her, and she called out directly. The figure in the gloom paused, but remained rooted to the spot, not turning back for a long time.
"I have already instructed Qi Xuan to stay. You should rest assured here. Do not worry about matters on the front line."
His voice was deep, revealing no discernible emotion.
Her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand. Feng Yinwan opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the figure in black had already exited the room.
Feng Yinwan’s heart lurched. She tried to rise but fell heavily back onto the bed.
Qi Xuan, outside, heard the commotion and rushed in. Seeing her state, he quickly called for a palace maid to help her up.
He was unaware of the underlying circumstances, merely assuming Feng Yinwan was worried about her father and brother and reluctant to see Ye Tinglan leave. He scratched his head and offered words of comfort.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. The soldiers will handle the fighting. His Highness going personally will surely resolve General Feng's urgent predicament."
She naturally trusted Ye Tinglan's capabilities, but…
She pursed her lips and merely nodded, "You may both leave now."
The aroma of Kyushu remained, and the candles in Changle Palace burned all night.
The Empress reclined on a small couch, her long, sharp, jeweled fingernails twirling a strand of hair, half her face obscured by shadows.
"You told me she was showing signs of pregnancy, yet today Physician Zhao’s diagnosis in public yielded the same result?"
Their scheme had failed, and instead, they had cemented Feng Yinwan's pregnancy. This was akin to lifting a rock only to drop it on their own feet.
"Your Highness," Qin Rulian knelt on the ground, trembling, her lowered head daring not to lift even an inch.
"Aunt, this was told to me by that concubine from the Feng household. She and Feng Yinwan have always been at odds. I only dared to inform you of this because I believed her. I have always respected you, Aunt, how could I possibly deceive you!"
She had pointed the way for Feng Yiyi to escape, and in return, Madam Yu had told her the secret about Feng Yinwan's pregnancy.
Initially, she had some doubts, but when the Empress suggested testing it, she dared not object. Who would have thought…
A flicker of displeasure crossed the Empress's face.
"I know you would not deceive me. But that concubine is, after all, a member of the General's household. How can her words be fully trusted? Rulian, you still have not understood the principle of not believing things lightly."
"Aunt's teachings are correct…"
"Very well. Let today's matter end here. With the Feng father and son now defeated, the General's mansion faces an uncertain future. There is no need for excessive worry."
She glanced at Qin Rulian briefly and then said, "Now that Prince Mo is not in the mansion, return and do as I have instructed you. Do not be careless again."
"Yes."
…
The medicines from the Imperial Hospital were top-notch. By the next morning, Feng Yinwan’s wound was already showing signs of scabbing.
She tidied her clothes and stepped out. Qi Xuan seemed taken aback.
"Your Highness, why are you up so early?"
She hadn't woken up early; she hadn't slept at all.
Feng Yinwan yawned and waved her hand, "Prepare the carriage. I want to return to the Prince's mansion."
She had initially gone to the palace to report to the Emperor, but with these recent events, the Emperor was overwhelmed. She had therefore wisely refrained from doing so, only offering morning greetings to the Empress Dowager before leaving the palace.
Having not slept all night, she felt drowsy as soon as she got into the carriage. Feng Yinwan leaned against the small couch and dozed off, but her thoughts remained troubled.
The situation on the front lines had been favorable. How had it suddenly reversed?
Who were the assassins who suddenly appeared in the palace yesterday, and that mysterious man before them? Who were they?
And her stomach…
She raised a hand to her still remarkably flat abdomen, thinking of the emmenagogue she had drunk yesterday. A chill of fear ran through Feng Yinwan.
The powder had been potent, far more harmful than the decoction, and it contained cold medicinal ingredients. Yet she had ingested it…
The bleeding she saw yesterday was likely not menstrual blood at all, but a clear sign of miscarriage!
A wave of cold washed over her, and her palm, pressed against her abdomen, began to sweat faintly. Before she could recover, the carriage had stopped in front of the mansion gates.
"Your Highness, we have arrived."
Feng Yinwan's face was still somewhat pale as she alighted from the carriage. Qi Xuan, assuming she was merely tired from the carriage ride, was about to step forward to express his concern when a slender figure in front of him moved ahead.
Having been away for several days, seeing the gates of the Prince Mo's mansion again brought a quiet sense of peace to Feng Yinwan’s heart.
Yuping, who had been waiting anxiously in the front courtyard, hurried forward upon seeing her.
"Miss!"
Before she could finish speaking, she noticed Feng Yinwan's pale complexion and the slight droop of her left shoulder, her brow furrowing immediately.
"What's wrong with you… You went to the palace and seem to have lost all your vitality?"
Then she looked behind Feng Yinwan and asked curiously, "Where is His Highness? Why hasn't His Highness returned with you?"
To Qi Xuan, her words were like stepping on Feng Yinwan's raw nerves.
"His Highness received a sudden order and led troops to war. Yuping, the Consort was injured in the palace yesterday. Please help her inside to rest quickly!"
"Injured?!"
Yuping's voice suddenly rose by eight octaves.
"How did Miss get injured out of the blue? What were you guards doing, were you just decorations!"
After finally breaking the ice, she launched into a barrage of scolding.
Qi Xuan retreated a step, decisively choosing to remain silent.
"It's not Qi Xuan's fault; I was careless."
She had been ambushed.
She possessed martial arts skills; even with the emmenagogue taking effect, she should have been able to dodge. But at that moment, her limbs had gone weak, clearly a sign of being drugged.
Before this, she had only visited the Empress's palace.
"Miss."
Yuping pouted, wanting to say more, but Feng Yinwan had already walked forward. She shot Qi Xuan a glare, and Yuping could only follow.
Her thoughts had been engrossed all along, and it was only as she reached the entrance of Lanqing Courtyard that Feng Yinwan’s senses returned.
Previously, this courtyard had been sealed on Ye Tinglan's orders. She wondered what state it was in now…
She pursed her lips, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked up.
The next moment, Yuping's voice chimed in, "His Highness had people renovate the courtyard. Miss, why are you standing there? Hurry and take a look!"