When Feng Yinwan emerged from her room, Ye Tingyun was still sitting on the bench, rubbing his waist.
When asked where Song Qing'an had gone, the fellow seemed to be sulking, and his immediate answer was "I don't know."
In the early morning, his temper was quite fiery.
Assuming Song Qing'an had gone out on some business, Feng Yinwan raised an eyebrow and said no more.
She did not return to Jiuzhou Xiangshe, and Ye Tingyun showed no intention of leaving. They sat on opposite ends of the long bench, staring at each other.
It wasn't until the breakfast hour was more than half over that Ye Tingyun slapped his forehead and finally jumped up from the bench.
"Busted!"
He had forgotten he was supposed to have breakfast with the Empress Dowager this morning!
Glancing at the sky outside, he scratched his head in annoyance and hurried out the door.
After only a few steps, he seemed to remember something and abruptly turned back to caution Feng Yinwan.
"Cough, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back soon. You stay here and be good, don't you dare..."
He trailed off for a long moment, unable to finish, grumbling, "You know yourself what you're like!" before quickly leaving the courtyard.
Feng Yinwan let his words go in one ear and out the other, not paying any attention to what he was saying.
Seeing that the little devil had finally left, she breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her room to prepare the medicinal herbs.
She had initially thought she would only need to accompany the Empress Dowager for breakfast at Shou Kang Palace, but as fate would have it, it coincided with the Empress Dowager going to Ling Hua Hall to chant scriptures.
Ye Tingyun knew he was already in the wrong for being late, so he couldn't refuse. He stayed with her until close to lunchtime before he was able to leave.
All morning, though he was in Ling Hua Hall, his mind was entirely on Feng Yinwan.
Fearing that Song Qing'an might seize the opportunity to do something untoward, he took his leave of the Empress Dowager as soon as he was free and rushed back.
As soon as he entered the door and saw Feng Yinwan alone in the room, sorting through medicinal herbs, with no sign of Song Qing'an in the entire house, he felt a wave of relief.
He had worried for nothing. It turned out that scoundrel hadn't even returned yet!
Meanwhile, Feng Yinwan happened to look up from her desk and glanced at the beads of sweat on his forehead, raising an eyebrow impassively.
"Were you chased by a ghost? You're running so fast."
Ye Tingyun was still panting.
He glared, thinking, 'Ghosts? Can that even compare!'
He walked over and poured himself a bowl of water. After taking a sip, he frowned in disgust.
"What kind of awful place is this? Even the water tastes terrible!"
He flung his hand out, about to put the bowl down, but then stopped himself.
'Forget it, conditions are limited. I'll endure.'
The sun climbed higher, nearing noon, but Song Qing'an still had not returned. Ye Tingyun rested his chin on his hands, propped on the table, muttering incessantly as if he were being haunted.
"When are we eating? I'm hungry."
He hadn't slept well all night, and today he had knelt and chanted scriptures with the Empress Dowager all morning. He was tired, hungry, and sleepy, feeling as though a gust of wind would make him faint.
Feng Yinwan was getting annoyed. She glanced at his pathetic, listless state and said,
"You should go back first."
If he hadn't returned by this hour, Song Qing'an must have been held up by a tricky matter and wouldn't have time to worry about meals.
She offered her good advice, but the fellow didn't appreciate it.
The moment he heard her words, his half-closed eyes snapped open, clearly conveying a "You want to trick me into leaving? No way!"
Ye Tingyun sat up straight. "I was just saying it casually, I'm not that hungry."
Feng Yinwan: "..."
'Fine, he still has the energy to be stubborn. It seems I don't need to pity him.'
Her brows lifted slightly, and her gaze returned to the medicinal herbs on the table, and she said nothing more.
Song Qing'an returned at noon. As he entered, he saw the two of them waiting there in silence. His eyes darkened imperceptibly.
Hearing the movement, Feng Yinwan looked up and met the lingering solemnity in his eyes. She hesitated, then spoke.
"What's wrong? Did you encounter something difficult?"
The assassin from last night had vanished again. Although Song Qing'an had managed to stop the Imperial Guards in time, she wasn't sure if the anomaly at Jiuzhou Xiangshe had been noticed by others.
Now, both she and Ye Tingyun were crammed into Song Qing'an's residence. If this were to cause trouble...
Song Qing'an's expression was hesitant. After much thought, he finally spoke the news.
"The remnants of the Ning clan have defected to the Moon Kingdom."
This news was like a stone cast into a lake, instantly stirring up a thousand ripples.
Feng Yinwan's heart tightened. Before she could speak, a loud "bang" echoed from behind her.
Ye Tingyun, his face pale, ran over and grabbed Song Qing'an's arm, speaking in a panic. "Where is Third Brother? Is there any news of Third Brother?!"
Third Brother had been missing for several days. He had previously heard that their father had dispatched troops to Jinzhou for support.
But after that, the palace had been silent, with no further news.
Now, these remnants occupied Jinzhou and Yuzhou. If they defected to the Moon Kingdom, wouldn't Third Brother's situation be even more dangerous!
"No, I have to go find Father Emperor!"
Anxious, he turned to leave, but Feng Yinwan, with her limited mobility, had to ask Song Qing'an to stop him.
"Stop!"
Ye Tingyun struggled fiercely. "Let go of me! Why are you stopping me? I'm going to beg Father Emperor!"
He looked frail, but his stubbornness now gave him considerable strength. Fortunately, Song Qing'an had martial arts skills, allowing him to hold him back.
Feng Yinwan frowned, looking at him coldly. "Calm down. What good will begging him like this do?"
She didn't know where he had gotten this news, but even on matters of state, the Emperor would never listen to him.
Ye Tingyun's eyes were red.
"That's better than doing nothing!"
If Third Brother was in trouble, and they could be indifferent, showing no concern, he couldn't!
"Let go of me! I don't care what you all think, but I absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing!"
He was extremely agitated now, and persuasion was useless. Feng Yinwan had no choice but to use a needle to calm him.
Sensing her intention, Ye Tingyun struggled even more violently.
"You dare! I..."
Before he could finish, the silver needle had already pierced his acupoint.
Ye Tingyun's body instantly went limp. He tried to struggle, but he couldn't resist the medicinal effects of the needle. After a few weak twitches, he fell unconscious.
Feng Yinwan's expression darkened as she saw this, and she sighed almost imperceptibly.
"Let's move him to the couch first."
When he wakes up, there will likely be more fuss.
Song Qing'an nodded and stepped forward to carefully lay him down.
He turned around and met Feng Yinwan's worried gaze.
"Yuzhi, is there something else you want to say?"
Earlier, she had seen him hesitate, clearly wanting to say more, and she suspected it was related to Ye Tinglan.
Song Qing'an wasn't surprised that she had seen through his hesitation; he had already been contemplating whether or not to reveal this news.
He looked at her, nodding with a touch of seriousness.
"Wan'er, there is something I haven't told you. Several days ago, Prince Mo was captured in Yuzhou."