Upon entering and seeing them, Jiang Rumò was not too surprised. His gaze lingered briefly on Feng Yínwǎn, then he stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Greetings, Prince Mo, Consort."
Yè Tīnglán raised a hand, not speaking. Seeing this, Jiang Rumò immediately stepped forward to take the Emperor's pulse.
The atmosphere in the hall became silent again.
Feng Yínwǎn swallowed her questions, her beautiful eyes fixed on Jiang Rumò's back as he meticulously took the pulse. In her mind, the scene from her visit to the Jiang mansion that day suddenly resurfaced.
Yè Tīngyán seeking out Jiang Rumò was truly perplexing.
His birth mother was of humble origins, her family not as powerful as those of the other princes. He typically associated with civil and military officials, those who were the most influential.
Imperial Physician?
Previously, these two words seemed not to be in his vocabulary of acquaintances.
So, why was he seeking out Jiang Rumò? Could it be to inquire about the Emperor's condition?
While she was contemplating, Yè Tīnglán's voice rang out.
"What is Father Emperor's condition?"
The moment these words were spoken, Jiang Rumò had already risen from the ground. Upon hearing them, he immediately turned around.
"Replying to Your Highness, the Emperor's condition had initially shown signs of improvement. However, yesterday's accumulation of anger led to chest tightness and stagnation, damaging his heart meridian. Currently... the situation is not optimistic."
In simple terms, after finally getting a little better, he had been angered back to square one.
Feng Yínwǎn raised an eyebrow, a hint of schadenfreude in her expression as she hooked her arms.
It would be good if the old fool died from anger, since he couldn't distinguish between loyal and treacherous, and had decreed the execution of her father and brother.
Let's see his good wife and these ambitious sons, who fought tooth and nail for the position of crown prince. In the end, he probably wouldn't even know who killed him.
But wasn't this also a good thing? Having someone close to him kill the old Emperor would be more devastating than her doing it herself.
Perhaps her glee was too obvious, as Yè Tīnglán's gaze shifted towards her, tinged with a hint of coldness.
Feng Yínwǎn averted her eyes, her brows twitching slightly. She let her arms hang down properly again.
Indeed, he wasn't dead yet, so she couldn't be too obviously happy.
As she reined in her smile, she heard him speak to Jiang Rumò again: "Understood."
Just like before, with the principal patient not awake, those attending him could only sit by.
Jiang Rumò's visit was for a routine check-up. The prescription had already been made, and Eunuch Gao personally oversaw the imperial kitchen staff preparing the decoction.
The medicinal soup arrived, and it was already lunchtime.
He couldn't drink it, so it had to be forced down his throat. This was an act of great disrespect, and only Yè Tīnglán could do it.
Therefore, as Yè Tīnglán dragged the Emperor to a semi-seated position on the couch, Feng Yínwǎn watched the show from the side.
As Yè Tīnglán adjusted the Emperor and reached to pry open his mouth, Feng Yínwǎn watched the show from the side.
As Yè Tīnglán finally managed to pry open the Emperor's mouth and was about to reach for the medicine but couldn't quite grasp it, Feng Yínwǎn was still watching the show from the side.
The scene of administering the medicine was not elegant and would damage the imperial countenance. Eunuch Gao had intended to withdraw. He had already reached the doorway when he turned back and saw this scene, and was immediately startled.
Seeing Yè Tīnglán's slightly furrowed brow, one hand on the Emperor's jaw, and the other preparing to gather his palm's energy to draw the soup from the table, he could only weakly remind him.
"Consort, the medicine... the medicine!"
Would you please raise your noble little hand and pass it to Prince Mo!
Called by name, Feng Yínwǎn reluctantly got up, picked up the bowl of medicine, and then, under Yè Tīnglán's displeased but restrained gaze, perfunctorily handed it over.
"Here."
With a "bang," the palace doors were shut directly.
Eunuch Gao: Deceased before his time!
After all, it was his own father, the current Emperor. Yè Tīnglán was somewhat displeased with Feng Yínwǎn's attitude of "not offering charcoal in the snow but instead pouring water and laughing."
But then he thought, although she was perfunctory and reluctant, she did end up helping to bring the medicine over, didn't she?
Never mind, he would forgive her.
Thinking this, his expression immediately returned to normal. After administering the soup, he didn't even ask Feng Yínwǎn to take the bowl.
It wasn't until nightfall that anyone else entered the hall, except for Yè Tīngyún, who came with the Empress Dowager for a brief visit.
Feng Yínwǎn had nothing to do, and coupled with the patient's aversion to cold, the charcoal fire in the Hall of Nurturing the Mind was burning strongly, making her drowsy. Before long, she lost consciousness.
When she opened her eyes again, it was dark. She rubbed her forehead and got up, thinking: It's time, work to do.
However, as soon as she stretched, Yè Tīnglán's voice rang out from beside her.
"Come and eat. We are staying here tonight."
Feng Yínwǎn was stunned for a moment. She glanced at Eunuch Gao, who was arranging bedding on the floor nearby, and was even more bewildered.
"Consort, rest assured. This hall has a ground stove, so it won't be cold while on night duty."
Meeting his earnest smile, Feng Yínwǎn's lips twitched slightly, and she comforted herself.
Hmm... It's fine, staying the night will make it easier to investigate. Hmm.
She hadn't eaten much in the afternoon, and only had a few bites of dinner before Feng Yínwǎn felt full. She looked around and went back to her resting place.
Yè Tīnglán glanced at her and sighed silently.
The atmosphere in the palace was already tense. After the curfew, there was no movement outside. As the second watch struck, Feng Yínwǎn's eyes opened, her pupils in the dimness gleaming sharply, seeing everything clearly.
Yè Tīnglán had clearly noticed her movements as well, and turned his head to look at her.
Their gazes met silently in mid-air. The next moment, the candlelight in the hall flickered slightly, and two figures swiftly darted out from the window sill on one side.
Changle Palace, the main hall's rooftop.
With an extremely faint sound, two figures descended one after another onto the roof.
As Eunuch Zhao had said, the gate of Changle Palace was tightly shut, and the Empress was currently under house arrest.
Feng Yínwǎn looked around but saw no one. She covered her mouth with her mask and then asked the question that had been on her mind.
"The Qin family's affair, was it you who instigated it from behind the scenes, Your Highness?"
Let alone that the Qin family was an aristocratic clan with strict teachings. The Empress's own brother wasn't foolish enough to say such words of exterminating nine generations of a family, as if driven mad, when the situation was so critical and he was drunk.
Behind this, there must have been someone deliberately guiding him, making him lower his guard and become overly complacent.
She suspected this person was Yè Tīnglán.
"Yes."
Without hesitation, a definitive affirmation came from beside her.
Feng Yínwǎn: ?
There was no need to be so frank.
This person's directness made her somewhat unsure. The corners of her lips, hidden by the mask, curved slightly, and the look in her eyes deepened quietly.
Since Yè Tīnglán had already made a move against the Qin family, it seemed the struggle for the crown prince was imminent. If that was the case, she also had to move faster.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she lowered her gaze, gently moving aside a roof tile.
The warm yellow light and heat poured out from below. Feng Yínwǎn lowered her head to look, and the scene that met her eyes immediately caused her expression to freeze.
Below, directly facing her in the hall, was Yè Tīngzhú.
Why was he here?
Wasn't he already under house arrest?