"There is," Ye Tingyan replied with a cold snort. "The Empress Dowager even left the palace specifically today, and I suspect she has already met him."
The departure from the palace that morning had been sudden. The Empress Dowager had only taken her personal嬷嬷 with her, informing no one else. Upon her return, she had shown no outward signs of distress and had not mentioned the matter at all.
Such an attitude was impossible to fathom, but it was certain that she must have already known about the child's existence and had met him.
Ye Tingyu's mind finally caught up.
"Second Brother! They are keeping such a momentous event a secret. This means they are fully prepared to seize the position of Crown Prince!"
"At this point, if we do not act, we will surely suffer the same fate as the Qin family!"
The Qin family's downfall had left too many traces. Any discerning individual, with a little effort, could uncover the truth behind it.
This was clearly Ye Tinglan's doing. He was already paving the way for the succession struggle!
Seeing Ye Tingyan remain silent, Ye Tingyu's brow furrowed, and he immediately spoke again.
"Second Brother, we have been planning for years. If we do not make a move now, are we to watch our efforts go to waste?"
As if finally convinced, Ye Tingyan nodded, his expression grave.
"We need to act now, but we are still lacking the right opportunity."
Rebellion was no trifling matter. They needed a legitimate pretext.
Thinking he was going to say "wait" again, Ye Tingyu frowned. Before he could speak, he heard Ye Tingyan continue, "They say the Emperor's health has shown signs of improvement recently, and the one serving in the Hall of Mental Cultivation has always been Ye Tinglan and his concubine."
Ye Tingyu paused slightly at this, then nodded irritably, "That is indeed the case."
If the Empress had been in the palace, she could have secretly countered Ye Tinglan and prevented him from gaining such an advantage.
But now, with the Qin family's major blunder, the Empress was lucky to even leave Chang Le Palace, let alone counter him.
And with Ye Tinglan controlling the Hall of Mental Cultivation, no one else could reach the Emperor, naturally attributing all credit to him.
Ye Tingyu said indignantly, "Second Brother, why are you suddenly asking about this? He is so calculating. Even if Father Emperor recovers, we still won't be able to contend with him!"
Ye Tingyan's eyes narrowed, and a hint of an unreadable smile touched his lips.
...
As anticipated, the day after Su Xi entered the Ministry of Punishments, there was movement from Chang Le Palace.
Ye Tinglan's men had been watching from the shadows. They apprehended the intruders the moment they appeared. These individuals were not as strong-willed as Su Xi, and after a day of interrogation, they revealed quite a bit.
Inside the hall, Feng Yinwan was reading the confession, her brow subtly furrowed.
"I hadn't expected there to be the Empress's influence within the Imperial Guards."
The Imperial Guards were the Emperor's personal retinue, always acting on his orders and having little involvement with the inner palace.
The Empress, confined to the inner palace, had managed to extend her reach into the Imperial Guards, and had stealthily infiltrated to a considerable extent. The thought was chilling.
Feng Yinwan's gaze deepened, and she raised her hand to place the confession down.
"How does Your Highness plan to deal with this?"
The Imperial Guards were the palace's inner security, representing the Emperor's dignity. Even with this confession, they could not act arbitrarily.
Furthermore, the Empress's influence ran deep. To eradicate it would likely require a complete overhaul.
Ye Tinglan seemed to have already devised a plan. A silent current flowed through his dark eyes, and his thin lips parted slightly.
"The inner palace must not interfere in state affairs. Those who violate this will be tried for treason. With the Qin family's matter still unresolved, if this confession is submitted, the Empress Dowager will surely order a thorough investigation. This is an excellent opportunity to eliminate her."
Feng Yinwan was somewhat surprised by his nonchalance.
"Investigating the Imperial Guards is a major undertaking. At such a time, is Your Highness not afraid of being criticized for being overly ambitious and seeking to monopolize power?"
While the Empress and the First Prince sought a comeback, Ye Tingyu and Ye Tingyan were also desperately seeking leverage.
So many eyes, both inside and outside the palace, were watching. Ye Tinglan submitting a report to investigate the Imperial Guards now would be handing them a perfect excuse.
Ye Tinglan's expression grew even more detached. "Even if I don't do this, they will harbor other intentions. Having the Empress's people within the Imperial Guards remains a hidden threat."
Since Feng Jinli's information had leaked, Ye Tingyan and Ye Tingyu had begun making moves in the past two days. He needed to eliminate this hidden threat before the conflict erupted, thus ensuring her, the Empress Dowager, and others' safety.
Once the confession was submitted, the Empress Dowager's imperial edict was quickly issued. The words conveyed her profound hatred for the Empress, ordering a thorough investigation.
Ye Tinglan was prepared. To prevent any thoughts of rebellion, he took the imperial edict and brought the imperial army into the palace. Under pressure, only a few resisted and were shot dead by the imperial army on the spot.
Feng Yinwan followed the entire process.
This operation was significant, yet she felt that beneath the grand display, there was an odd calm, like a moment of false and eerie peace before a storm.
As the traitors were being escorted to the imperial prison, Ye Tingyu and Ye Tingyan, excited like two cats catching the scent of blood, rushed over.
They hurried forward and began yelling at Ye Tinglan, pointing at his nose.
"Ye Tinglan! Who gave you the right to mobilize the city's imperial army into the palace without authorization? Father Emperor is not dead yet, are you trying to rebel!"
His voice was loud and clear, not at all like someone deeply poisoned.
Feng Yinwan paused slightly and looked up, only to see Ye Tingyu's complexion ruddy, his spirit and energy appearing even better than when they had met in the palace earlier.
In an instant, her brow subtly tightened.
Had the Xianghun Yin on him been resolved?
Before she could observe further, a pig-like scream came from in front of her. Ye Tinglan, with a bit of force, snapped the two fingers that Ye Tingyu had raised in the air.
He had never expected this. After the shock, the intense pain surged, and Ye Tinglan, with a cold and imposing demeanor, pushed him away. His voice was chilling and commanding.
"I am investigating the traitors in the Imperial Guards under the Empress Dowager's imperial edict. The imperial army's entry into the palace was to protect the Emperor and the Empress Dowager's safety. It was a normal deployment. How can it be considered rebellion?"
Ye Tingyu cried out in pain.
"What traitors? I think you are the traitor!"
"Everything was fine in the palace, nothing was wrong. If you hadn't controlled the Hall of Mental Cultivation and kept us from seeing Father Emperor, how could so many complications have arisen!"
"We want to see Father Emperor today!"
Ye Tinglan raised his eyebrows slightly, his gaze never resting on Ye Tingyu.
"The Emperor's illness has not yet healed, and he is not yet fit for exertion. I will convey the wishes of Second Brother and Fourth Brother. If he summons you, I will have someone notify you."
"You!"
Ye Tingyu wasn't genuinely seeking an audience with the Emperor. He was shouting these words to condemn Ye Tinglan and solidify his control over the Emperor.
He tightened his grip on his injured hand, then feigned anger and said, "You intend to imprison Father Emperor! Your ambitions are like a wolf's, a wolf's!"
Ye Tinglan did not even flinch. His thin lips parted, and he coldly uttered one word.
"Scram."