The next day, upon waking, Feng Yinwan heard the news that Feng Yiyi had been punished and sent to kneel in the ancestral hall.
Old General Feng had gone to court early, and Madam Yu, feeling emboldened, cast furtive glances at Feng Yinwan during breakfast, her words laced with barbs.
Feng Yinwan paid no attention. After breakfast, she returned to her courtyard as if nothing had happened.
Prince Mo's Estate.
After breakfast, Ye Tinglan was about to accompany Qin Rulian out when Qi Xuan hurried to greet him.
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort's personal maid wishes to see you. She claims to have found some clues regarding the events of the grand ceremony and has come to inform you."
Ye Tinglan raised an eyebrow in suspicion, not expecting her to be so swift. Before he could respond, Qin Rulian spoke up.
"The Princess Consort has already found clues so quickly? Brother Tinglan, we aren't in a hurry to go out anyway. Why don't we invite her in to tell us?"
She was well aware of the three-day deadline.
Zhao Si was dead, and she was merely waiting for the appointed time to see Feng Yinwan kicked out of the estate. She said this merely out of casual interest, never expecting Feng Yinwan to uncover anything substantial.
Ye Tinglan nodded at her words. "Very well."
Qi Xuan understood and immediately turned to fetch the maid. Ye Tinglan and Qin Rulian shifted their steps and entered the main hall.
"Your Highness."
Yuping walked forward briskly. Upon spotting Qin Rulian, she directly treated her as if she were invisible.
"Yesterday, the Princess Consort discovered some leads. Fearing Your Highness might be worried, she specially ordered this servant to inform you."
Qin Rulian shot a sidelong glance and interjected, "I wonder what the Princess Consort has found. I am truly curious."
Yuping nodded.
"The Princess Consort said that although the villain has been beaten to death by order of the Empress, such an act must have had accomplices."
She paused, then added, "The Princess Consort went to investigate yesterday. The guards at the palace gate on the day of the ceremony saw a suspicious person loading someone into a carriage. As long as we identify the identity of the person driving the carriage, we can ascertain the details of that day's events."
Qin Rulian, who had been waiting to watch a spectacle, felt a slight stiffening of her expression upon hearing this.
Damn it, how could this wench know about the carriage!
Before she could speak, Ye Tinglan had already nodded. "That is indeed a viable method. Go back and tell Feng Yinwan that with two days left on the three-day deadline, she should find some concrete evidence for me!"
"Yes."
Mission accomplished, Yuping nodded and withdrew immediately.
Operating under the principle of "seeing things through," Qi Xuan intended to escort Yuping out the same way he had brought her in.
However, after following Yuping for a few steps, she suddenly stopped.
Qi Xuan was taken aback, and then saw her turn to glare at him. "What are you following me for?"
Qi Xuan scratched his head.
"To escort you out."
"Is this Prince's Estate your home? Do you think you're the only one who knows the way?"
Puzzled by her sudden reprimand, Qi Xuan was about to explain when he caught sight of Yuping's expression. His heart tightened, and he wisely fell silent.
Good heavens, how could he forget!
This little girl had slapped him twice yesterday!
Twice! Her slap had swollen his cheeks!
When had he ever suffered such indignity!
Yuping continued to glare at him. "You're just showing off your knowledge. I don't need you to escort me. Go back and attend to the Prince!"
"Fine, I won't escort you, but why are you yelling at me..."
Before he could finish, he saw Yuping frown even more tightly. A twitch in his temple, he immediately offered a fawning smile. "It's nothing, it's nothing. Hurry along now, I'll watch you leave."
Yuping rolled her eyes and walked away.
After a few steps, seeing that he genuinely had no intention of following, she confidently quickened her pace.
As soon as she was out of the estate gate, seeing that the guards hadn't noticed her, she immediately hurried into a nearby alley.
"Miss!"
Feng Yinwan, accompanied by several guards, had already been waiting there. Upon seeing Yuping, she glanced cautiously towards the estate entrance.
"How did it go?"
Yuping nodded. "This servant told everything to His Highness. Fortunately, Miss Qin was with His Highness, so she heard the news firsthand."
Heard it firsthand?
That's good. It saves further effort.
Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes flickered. Before she could speak, she saw Yuping purse her lips and add.
"Just now, that fellow Qi Xuan wanted to follow me out. I saw he had ill intentions and immediately shooed him away!"
As she spoke, a hint of pride still lingered on her face. Feng Yinwan chuckled and, her gaze sweeping over the tea house diagonally opposite the Prince's Estate, patted her on the shoulder.
"Let's go."
The group headed straight for the tea house. Feng Yinwan led Yuping into a private room and busied herself with something. When they emerged, they had clearly transformed.
The guards outside, who had just seen a stunningly beautiful woman, were now gaping in astonishment at what appeared to be a handsome young man.
"Y-Young Miss?"
Feng Yinwan was very pleased with their reaction. She adjusted the jade crown on her head and slowly cleared her throat.
As they watched her voice gradually shift from sweet to... salty? They were stunned again.
Before they could voice their surprise, Feng Yinwan smirked.
"Yuping."
Startled to hear her name called in her mistress's male voice, Yuping was momentarily dazed.
After two seconds, she snapped back to reality. "Y-Young Miss? How did your voice..."
How did it turn into a man's voice!
Feng Yinwan felt a little embarrassed by their stares.
This was, in fact, a long story.
Voice acting was her amateur hobby. She hadn't intended to reveal it to a group of ancient people, but it was quite useful today...
She covered her mouth and resorted to a pretense. "Cough... This is a marvelous sound technique taught to me by my elder brother. It can temporarily change one's voice to a man's. It will be useful when we interrogate Granny Sun later."
Yuping, being simple-hearted, didn't doubt her and merely nodded in bewilderment. "This method is truly amazing, Young Miss. You are so clever, learning it so quickly."
The guards nearby didn't think so. They stared wide-eyed as if they had stumbled upon earth-shattering gossip.
When did the young master gain this ability? Did he learn it from a famous opera singer at the theater district?
If one could change a woman's voice to a man's, then a man...
Swallowing cautiously, they dared to ask.
"Young Miss, if a man learned this marvelous sound technique, could he change his voice to a woman's?"
In response to their eager gazes, Feng Yinwan nodded as expected.
"Yes! Middle-aged uncles can instantly turn into lolis, giving you a different wonderful experience in minutes!"
As soon as the words "Yes!" were heard, their expressions shifted from surprise to sheer delight. They barely registered anything she said afterward, their minds filled with only one thought – the young master... can imitate a female voice!
This was too wonderful, truly wonderful!
Military camp training was always arduous, and there were no women in sight. These perpetually single rough fellows were on the verge of tears.
Although the young master wasn't a woman, the fact that he could imitate a female voice was enough!
As long as he could speak to them in a soft, feminine voice, they would willingly run twenty laps around the training ground!