Feng Yinwan swallowed a pill from her waist, the pain from the wounds from Ye Tinglan's medicinal powder still lingering, though its effects were not instantaneous.
This medicine was a remnant from when she was punished with caning at Prince Mo's manor; it had proven useful again.
After a moment, the unbearable pain in her lower body subsided. Feng Yinwan pursed her lips and slowly rose, propping herself up with her elbows.
By the time she stood at the foot of the bed, a fine sheen of sweat had beaded on her forehead.
Those forty caning strokes had indeed been almost life-threatening.
The small white porcelain bottle on the pillow remained. Feng Yinwan's eyes narrowed as she reached for it.
As she brought it closer, a strong scent of heavy perfume wafted into her nostrils, causing her to wrinkle her brow subconsciously.
She had never been particularly knowledgeable about cosmetics; Yu Ping usually handled her daily necessities. However, the perfume was so potent; it certainly wasn't hers.
The one who had harmed her was a woman.
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes darkened slightly.
Considering the timeline, Ye Tingyun must have mistakenly ingested the peach kernel powder before arriving at Qingpu Temple.
And on this journey, apart from herself, there was only one other woman.
Her expression turned cold as she narrowed her eyes and immediately set off outside.
Ye Tingyun rested for a short while in Cunsan Hall before being moved to the meditation wing by order of the Empress Dowager.
Just as everyone began to disperse, there was a commotion by the window.
Ye Tingyun's movements, as he lay down, halted. "Who!"
The next instant, the window was pushed open from the outside, and a figure in purple struggled to climb in.
Climbing through a window while injured was, indeed, difficult.
"Ouch—"
Feng Yinwan's foot slipped, and she immediately fell onto her backside. The movement aggravated her wounds, bringing tears to her eyes.
Upon seeing it was her, Ye Tingyun's tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and he burst into laughter.
"Hahahahaha, Feng Yinwan, so this is your day!"
Feng Yinwan, having received forty caning strokes, now struggled to move, her posture awkward and pathetic, completely devoid of her former radiant demeanor.
Though she knew it wasn't right to mock her like this, Ye Tingyun felt the pent-up frustration of many days instantly dissipate.
She never expected this woman to have such a moment of humiliation!
Feng Yinwan clutched her backside, aching fiercely. Seeing him laughing with schadenfreude, she gritted her teeth and scrambled to her feet.
Meeting her murderous gaze, Ye Tingyun coughed dryly and immediately suppressed his laughter.
"Cough... Why aren't you staying in your room? What are you doing here?"
Feng Yinwan glared at him irritably. "Of course, I have something to ask you!"
Otherwise, would she have risked climbing through a window, aggravating her injuries?
"What is it?"
"Right, I just heard Imperial Grandmother say that you added peach kernel powder to my medicine, causing my heart ailment to flare up and me to faint and cough blood?"
Although he didn't believe Feng Yinwan was capable of this, he assumed she had come risking danger for this matter.
Thinking so, Ye Tingyun's gaze towards her grew more eager. "What exactly is going on?"
As Feng Yinwan finally recovered her breath, she heard him ask this, and her expression turned serious.
"Who brewed your medicine today?"
Ye Tingyun's medicine had previously been prepared by the royal kitchen. However, the servants from the Prince's manor had not accompanied them on this trip.
Ye Tingyun paused slightly upon hearing this.
"The attendant wasn't present today, so Third Brother asked Guard Qi to brew it. What's wrong?"
Qi Xuan?
Feng Yinwan's delicate brows furrowed. "Was this medicine handled by anyone else? Who else touched it before you drank it?"
"Guard Qi personally brought the medicine, so it shouldn't have been handled by anyone else."
Although Qi Xuan was slow-witted, he was meticulously thorough in his tasks.
Feng Yinwan pursed her lips and continued to press, "Were there any other people present when you drank the medicine?"
Ye Tingyun recalled carefully but still shook his head.
"I was in the carriage when the medicine was brought. There was no one else around, but..."
"But what?"
Ye Tingyun secretly glanced at her and truthfully replied.
"But I saw Ru Lian pass by outside the carriage. Thinking she hadn't eaten much for lunch, I offered her some pastries from inside the carriage."
Qin Ru Lian.
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes flickered. "And the medicine? When you handed her the pastries, where did you place the medicinal soup?"
"I just put it aside... Why are you asking this? You don't possibly suspect Ru Lian, do you!"
"Ru Lian is not that kind of person; how could she harm me!"
Realizing what she was asking, Ye Tingyun became agitated.
Feng Yinwan was aware of their relationship and, after a moment of thought, spoke to placate him.
"I didn't say she harmed you. It's just that this peach kernel powder incident is quite suspicious, so I'm asking a few more questions."
Ye Tingyun clearly didn't believe her and looked at her with a hint of anger in his eyes.
"Feng Yinwan, I am speaking on behalf of Third Brother's behalf to the Empress Dowager. You can clear your name, but don't frame innocent people!"
Faced with such a warning, Feng Yinwan silently rolled her eyes.
She was utterly speechless.
She shouldn't have tried to communicate normally with this idiot!
"This Princess Consort is not someone who would resort to such unscrupulous means. However, there is something I need your cooperation with."
"What is it?"
Ye Tingyun frowned.
He would absolutely not do anything that harmed Ru Lian!
Feng Yinwan raised her eyebrows and leaned in to whisper in his ear.
A while later, the commotion in the room subsided.
Ye Tingyun looked at her, appearing hesitant to speak.
"This..."
"Don't worry, hasn't the Empress Dowager already agreed to thoroughly investigate this matter? As long as you cooperate with me, we can definitely find the mastermind."
Feng Yinwan coaxed and advised him persistently. Ye Tingyun pondered for a long time before finally nodding.
"Alright, I'll cooperate with you."
...
Last night's commotion had lasted nearly half the night. The Empress Dowager's complexion was still not entirely pleasant during the morning sutra recitation.
After the recitation, the Empress Dowager rose and left the sutra hall. She was about to head to the dining hall for vegetarian meals when she happened to meet Ye Tingyun and Jiang Rumò. She immediately called out.
"Yun'er, your body is not yet recovered, why are you out!"
Ye Tingyun nodded. "Imperial Grandmother, this morning I woke up feeling much better. Not only do I feel strong, but my spirits are also high, so I specifically asked Imperial Physician Jiang to accompany me for a walk."
The Empress Dowager's face lit up at his words and she looked towards Jiang Rumò behind him.
Jiang Rumò understood and immediately bowed.
"Replying to the Empress Dowager, although Prince Yun accidentally ingested peach kernel powder yesterday, by seizing the opportunity to expel the stagnant blood from his body, he unexpectedly managed to clear his heart meridians. This is truly a blessing in disguise."
"Furthermore, as this humble subject has already examined, Prince Yun's heart meridians were previously treated by an expert with silver needles. Combined with the medicinal soup Your Highness has been drinking lately, his body is now several times stronger than before."
The Empress Dowager's ears were solely focused on Ye Tingyun's improved health, and she rejoiced greatly.
"Such a thing has happened! This is truly Yun'er's profound fortune, blessed by Buddha, and he has turned disaster into good fortune!"
Ye Tingyun pursed his lips. "Imperial Grandmother, I do not possess such divine abilities. Haven't you heard Imperial Physician Jiang say that this is all thanks to the needle technique and the medicinal soup?"
Naturally, this was Feng Yinwan's merit.
The Empress Dowager was startled.
"Yun'er, what do you mean?"
"Imperial Grandmother, I said yesterday that the matter of the peach kernel powder was not Third Sister-in-law's doing. Look, Third Sister-in-law is truly making every effort to treat me!"
"That still doesn't prove she has nothing to do with this."
The Empress Dowager was extremely cautious regarding Ye Tingyun's affairs and was unwilling to let go of any suspicious individuals.
Jiang Rumò and Ye Tingyun exchanged a knowing glance, and Jiang Rumò spoke again.
"Replying to the Empress Dowager, last night when this humble subject was ordered to take the pulse of Princess Mo, I discovered that the Princess... has been with child for over a month."
The Empress Dowager was immediately shocked.
"What? She's pregnant?!"