The Emperor and Empress Dowager walked ahead, followed by several concubines who had accompanied them.
Seeing this, everyone bowed. Feng Yinwan followed suit, but noticed Ye Tingyun glance over and whisper to her.
"The one at the very end is Noble Consort Yu."
Feng Yinwan looked up and, as expected, spotted Lingxiang's figure at the end of the crowd.
She bowed slightly, following closely beside a woman. According to Ye Tingyun, that woman was Noble Consort Yu.
Her appearance was surprisingly ordinary, her face pale and even carrying a touch of sickly pallor.
Moreover, without any makeup and positioned at the rear of the procession, she was utterly unremarkable at first glance.
This was in line with her usual demeanor.
Feng Yinwan's gaze flickered slightly. As she straightened, everyone else had already passed them and taken their seats in the hall.
The hall was brightly lit by candles, bathed in warm hues. After days of turmoil in the palace, such a harmonious scene had not been witnessed for a long time.
As if pleased, the Emperor spoke only a few words before ordering a meal to be served. It was at this moment that Consort Ning burst in.
"Your Majesty, why do you refuse to see your humble consort?"
"Your Majesty, Yu'er was murdered!"
"Your Majesty, I implore you to right this wrong!"
She rushed in, shouting hysterically. Two guards, despite their combined efforts, were unable to stop her.
These few words successfully plunged the atmosphere in the hall into a dead silence.
Eunuch Gao rushed in with his men and saw the Emperor's expression quickly darken. He immediately knelt down, trembling.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me. Ever since the Fourth Prince passed away, Consort Ning's mental state has been unstable. It was the oversight of the attendants from Zhongcui Palace that allowed her to escape and prevented us from stopping her. This is my failing."
The deaths of Ye Tingyu and Ning Fengzhi had evidently agitated Consort Ning, driving her to madness on the spot.
However, mad or not, she was still a consort of the Emperor. Without an imperial decree, she could not be dealt with. Thus, when Ye Tingyan controlled the palace, she had merely been confined.
Now that the Emperor had recovered and the palace was beginning to stabilize, he had not yet attended to her. Unexpectedly, she had now come charging in, in her deranged state.
The Ning clan's rebellion was an undeniable fact. Furthermore, rebel forces had yet to be fully suppressed. Her appearance now was akin to adding fuel to the fire, reigniting the Emperor's wrath.
As if sensing something, the Empress frowned at the sight and immediately reprimanded her.
"What are you waiting for? Consort Ning is not of sound mind. Quickly escort her back to her palace. Do not let her spout nonsense here!"
"Yes, yes."
Eunuch Gao responded and ordered the guards to advance swiftly. However, Consort Ning was unyielding. Seeing people approach, she immediately threw herself onto the ground, throwing a tantrum.
She was not yet a deposed consort, and the guards, wary of her status, dared not act carelessly.
As she threw her tantrum, she cried out about being wronged. The Emperor and Empress Dowager's expressions had already darkened.
"Bang—"
A wine goblet was hurled from above, shattering at Consort Ning's feet.
The Emperor's furious voice followed closely, "You still have the audacity to cry injustice for that rebellious son!"
Ye Tingyu's death in prison was indeed suspicious, but the Emperor knew precisely why he had been imprisoned.
He had also been a part of the rebellion that day!
As if terrified, Consort Ning looked up blankly, her voice falling silent for a moment.
The Emperor's gaze fell upon her, filled with disgust.
"The Ning clan, arrogant and overbearing, lacking restraint, and ungrateful for the Emperor's immense favor by committing acts of rebellion, is truly a disgrace to heaven's grace and fills me with loathing!"
"Immediately strip Consort Ning of her rank and confine her to the cold palace. She shall not step foot outside the cold palace until death!"