Ye Tingyun had done his best to stall outside.
Before he could even rack his brain for the next question, he finally saw her return, and a wave of relief washed over him.
"Alright, I have a general understanding of the situation. You all wait in the palace obediently. I will order the Imperial Guards to handle the matter of finding Concubine Yu," he declared.
The palace attendants echoed their assent. Ye Tingyun immediately waved his hand, dismissing them, and strode towards Feng Yinwan.
As soon as he approached, he lowered his voice and asked, "Did you find anything?"
Feng Jingyuan's matter was not yet convenient to disclose, so Feng Yinwan met his gaze and simply shook her head, remaining silent.
She had only come to try her luck, and Ye Tingyun didn't intend to force the issue. Seeing her reaction, he casually said, "Never mind," and then led her out.
With the Empress Dowager's intervention, the ministers had reached a conclusion. However, without an imperial decree, it lacked proper authority. Thus, Ye Tingyun returned and then accompanied the Empress Dowager to the Imperial Study.
The rest of the afternoon passed without any further disturbances in the harem, and there was still no news of Concubine Yu. As night fell, Feng Yinwan set off for Jiuzhou Xiangxie.
Feng Jingyuan arrived precisely on time, and they landed in the courtyard almost simultaneously.
Having been away for a long time, all traces of Jiuzhou Xiangxie had been erased. Feng Yinwan recalled how, previously, when that person had intended to attack her here, another figure had appeared in the courtyard.
She had felt a familiarity with the person's movement techniques at the time, and now, upon further thought, she suspected it was undoubtedly Feng Jingyuan.
"Brother, the one who helped me here last time was you, wasn't it?"
Feng Jingyuan nodded.
"Actually, I had already suspected it since you entered the palace. However, compared to before, your appearance, identity, and even your temperament are all different. Although I had my suspicions, I could never be certain it was you."
"If it weren't for our chance encounter today, I probably would have continued to be in doubt."
This was not his fault. He was in the shadows and had no opportunity to interact with Feng Yinwan, making it difficult to recognize her.
His gaze fell upon her face. Feng Jingyuan recalled snippets he had overheard from palace staff, and his heart sank slightly.
"Wan'er, can you tell me what happened during these three years?"
Before they left the capital, Old General Feng had entrusted Ye Tinglan with the responsibility of taking good care of her.
He didn't understand why Wan'er had left the capital later, why the palace had announced the demise of the Mo Prince's Consort, and even why she had to return now under a different identity.
With his feelings having changed, bringing up old matters now made those hesitations difficult to express.
Feng Yinwan briefly touched upon the events, only explaining her current predicament to him.
Feng Jingyuan listened with lingering astonishment.
"Wan'er, you mean to say, I have a nephew?"
Feng Yinwan hadn't expected him to focus solely on this amidst the layers of information. She chuckled helplessly and nodded.
"Chenchen would surely be delighted to meet you, brother."
"That's wonderful, this..."
Feng Jingyuan was overcome with emotion and rendered speechless. After his initial joy, his gaze turned to her, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy.
"Wan'er, you have suffered."
The drastic changes in the Feng family had undeniably had a profound impact on her. Although her words were casual, her departure from the capital back then was likely influenced by these factors.
Ultimately, this was something he and their father owed her, causing her to worry and bear burdens.
Feng Yinwan shook her head and looked at him, finally voicing the long-held doubt in her heart.
"Brother, what exactly happened back then? And Father, where is he now?"