The terrifying pressure entered the tent in an instant. Ye Tinglan's brows furrowed, his dark eyes fixed on Feng Yinwan on the couch.
His gaze fell on the woman's pale little face, his expression darkened, and the chill around him instantly turned into a heavy gloom.
"What exactly happened?"
When the guards went to report, he was still leading military doctors to screen patients. Upon hearing the news, he immediately spurred his horse and rushed back.
His dark robes were stained with a bit of dust from the journey, but it couldn't conceal the rage and anxiety in his eyes.
In just one night, such a major incident had occurred at the isolation ward! This woman...
The palm of his hand, which should have been warm, was now ice-cold. Ye Tinglan's thin lips pressed tightly together, his dark eyes filled with tender affection, yet his large hand dared not apply any force.
"Explain in detail everything that happened after I left."
Yu Ping immediately spoke, "Reporting to Your Highness, the severe patients' condition relapsed after lunch. Miss went to check on them and has been modifying the prescription in the tent since her return."
"I've been guarding outside the tent and never left. I truly don't know why Miss suddenly fell ill."
At the end of the third watch, she had even come in to refill Miss's tea. In just one hour, how could Miss...
Upon hearing this, Ye Tinglan's expression grew colder. "Did anyone come?"
Yu Ping instinctively wanted to shake her head, but then suddenly remembered something and froze.
She secretly glanced at Ye Tinglan and truthfully replied, "During dinner, Miss Qin came to deliver some supplements, but I didn't let her in."
Ye Tinglan's dark eyes sank for a moment, then he lifted his lips.
"When did you discover that the Princess was unwell?"
If something had happened at dinner, the guards would not have waited until the fourth watch to report. The timing didn't match.
Yu Ping shook her head, "It wasn't me who discovered it. I was dozing off on guard duty earlier and was startled awake by the commotion of the imperial physicians."
Suddenly thinking of the thin blanket, she spoke again.
"The imperial physicians arrived at half past the fourth watch. At the end of the third watch, I refilled Miss's tea and then withdrew. When I woke up, there was a thin blanket on me. Miss must have... gone out."
In the middle of the night, if Feng Yinwan had gone out, it must have been related to the patients.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Tinglan's voice turned cold again.
"Go summon Imperial Physician Jiang."
Seeing Yu Ping, Jiang Rumou thought Feng Yinwan was in trouble again. He carelessly handed his silver needles to a nearby imperial physician and rushed over.
Upon entering and facing a bone-chilling cold, Jiang Rumou's movements paused, and he immediately nodded.
"Your subject greets Your Highness."
Ye Tinglan, not wanting to waste words, got straight to the point, "Before the Princess fell ill, did she go to the patients' tents?"
Jiang Rumou truthfully nodded, "At the fourth watch, the Princess revised a new prescription and went to the severe patients' tent to discuss it with me."
It was called a discussion, but before the medicinal soup could even be tested, Feng Yinwan had already fallen ill. They hadn't had time to discuss anything.
"That is to say, the Princess contracted the illness in the severe patients' tent?"
Jiang Rumou shook his head, "I dare not be certain."
Feng Yinwan's illness was sudden. He was busy with treatment and hadn't yet figured out the cause.
"Dare not be certain?"
The gloom on Ye Tinglan's face reached its peak.
"After the Princess left the severe patients' tent, she went to the pharmacy to boil medicine. I discovered the Princess had fallen ill while she was in the pharmacy."
It had been half an hour from her departure to his arrival, and no one knew the situation in the pharmacy.
Ye Tinglan's voice was filled with rage, "Investigate!"
This was directed at Li Chengyan, who was standing nearby.
Having just figured out the general situation, Li Chengyan was momentarily stunned when he was suddenly addressed. It wasn't until that sharp chill pressed upon him that he suddenly came to his senses.
"Cousin, I have something to report."
He looked up at Ye Tinglan and added, "Just now, I caught someone by the fence outside the mild patients' tents."
The person he caught was none other than Feng Yiyi.
Feng Yiyi's face was deathly pale when she was brought in, and she dared not meet anyone's gaze.
Li Chengyan glanced at her and said indifferently, "I was about to go urinate when I heard some noise by the fence outside. When I got closer, I saw this woman breaking off pieces of wood. If I hadn't discovered her in time, she would have been long gone by morning."
He thought it was a patient trying to escape, so he casually apprehended her. Now, with Feng Yinwan's incident, it was likely not that simple.
Exposed, Feng Yiyi's body trembled, and she began to shake even more violently.
Ye Tinglan was aware of the enmity between her and Feng Yinwan. Upon hearing this, his eyes narrowed sharply, and a terrifying pressure emanated from him.
"Is the Princess's illness your doing?"
After waking up, she had been clamoring that Feng Yinwan had harmed her, spewing venomous words without any gratitude. Now that this had happened, she couldn't escape blame!
"Illness?"
Feng Yiyi was taken aback by the question. Her gaze flickered towards the couch, and she secretly shivered.
She wondered why that bitch wasn't getting up today. So she was sick!
Looking at the situation, she probably contracted malaria!
A hint of smugness flashed through her heart. Before she could feel happy, Ye Tinglan's cold gaze fell upon her. Feng Yiyi trembled and immediately shook her head.
"No, I didn't..."
She was closely guarded by the guards, and even escaping tonight was difficult. How could she have done such a thing?
If you asked her, it must be that bitch's own wicked deeds that led to her retribution!
Whether Feng Yinwan's retribution had come was uncertain, but her own retribution had arrived.
While she was stunned, Li Chengyan had already found the guards patrolling at night. He glanced at her and then looked directly at Ye Tinglan.
"Cousin, these two are the guards responsible for patrolling near the mild patients' tents."
"You two, speak."
The two guards nodded and immediately began to speak.
"Reporting to Your Highness, at approximately the fourth watch, as we were on patrol, we did indeed see a figure dart out from the mild patients' tents. Judging by the physique, it was a woman, heading towards the latrines."
The latrines were secluded but in the same direction as the pharmacy, and Feng Yiyi was the only woman in the mild patients' tent.
This statement was almost irrefutable evidence.
Sensing that things were not good, Feng Yiyi's eyelids twitched. Just as she was about to retort, Li Chengyan produced something from behind him.
"Cousin, this was found in the pharmacy."
It was a crumpled cotton handkerchief, clearly discarded.
Almost instantly, Jiang Rumou's face changed drastically.
"This... this is a handkerchief the imperial physicians use to handle contaminated items when treating patients!"
This handkerchief was only useful for treating severe patients, and the contamination it carried was likely teeming with pathogens!
No wonder Feng Yinwan had contracted a severe illness; she had touched this object!
Even the most foolish person would know that this was a case of being caught red-handed. Qin Rulian's face lost all color. Before she could utter a sound, Ye Tinglan's icy voice rang out.
"Take her away, and keep a close eye on her until the Princess wakes up."
His gaze swept over the pale, sickly face on the couch. His palm tightened, and he then said with great anger, "No one is allowed to give her any medicine!"
How dare she make the person he cared about contract a virulent disease? This concubine's daughter must pay the price!