"My Lord."
"Miss."
Before the words fully registered, they saw their posture, and the two froze abruptly, stopping their voices awkwardly.
Feng Yinwan's pretty face flushed even hotter under their synchronized gazes.
She twisted her body, forcibly breaking free from Ye Tinglan's embrace, completely ignoring the slight droop of the handsome face behind her. Casually, she asked,
"Ahem... why did you all come out?"
Qi Xuan regained his senses and stepped forward first, bowing his head, "My Lord, General Li urgently requests your presence at the military camp."
The General Li he mentioned was the deputy general in charge of the military camp in the outskirts of the capital. After the assassination attempt at Wuxi Pavilion last time, Feng Yinwan had no good impression of this military camp.
However, military matters were naturally urgent.
Ye Tinglan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. He nodded, "This King understands."
He then looked up again, his gaze falling on Feng Yinwan's flushed cheeks, and paused slightly.
"After this King finishes dealing with military affairs, I will return to accompany you."
His voice was deep, yet his expression was incredibly gentle. These words were inexplicably like a declaration.
Hearing this, Feng Yinwan's heart sank again. She quickened her pace forward as if fleeing.
"My Lord, if you have time, perhaps you should return to the Prince's mansion instead of lingering at the General's mansion."
This voice came muffled from a distance. Ye Tinglan's thin lips curled secretly. He turned and mounted the carriage again.
Speeding back to the mansion, the redness on Feng Yinwan's cheeks had not yet subsided. Yu Ping, unusually quiet, followed beside her, her two round eyes widened secretly, darting back and forth as if she had stumbled upon gossip.
Feng Yinwan was utterly heartbroken.
Tactfully clearing her throat, she decisively changed the subject.
"You and Qi Xuan rushed out together earlier. Was there something important?"
Judging by the girl's reaction, she didn't seem to know the truth.
There was indeed something important. Yu Ping came back to her senses and quickly replied with a serious expression,
"Miss, you were not at the mansion today, and Shuangxi came to urge you repeatedly. She even tried to enter your room privately to get the tonics. If you didn't return, I truly wouldn't know how to handle it!"
Miss had instructed her to comply with the tonic matters, so she really couldn't directly refuse.
Feng Yinwan's brows furrowed slightly upon hearing this.
These past few days, that maid had been urging her to eat tonics at every meal. Nearly half of the emperor's gifted items had already been consumed. Even with her substantial assets, it was difficult not to feel a pang of heartache at this rate!
Moreover, the hidden reason behind it had not yet been investigated.
After a slight thought, she lifted her lips, "Go to the storeroom and get some ordinary bird's nest for her. If she asks, say that the blood bird's nest gifted by His Majesty is gone, and ordinary ones will do as a substitute."
Yu Ping nodded, then hesitated, "What about the tonics in the room? If she sees them..."
"Those are no longer needed. Put them all away and store them in the cabinet in my room."
Ye Tinglan's antidote had already been concocted, so those things were naturally useless.
"Yes."
As they spoke, they walked towards the back courtyard, unaware that two figures had quietly appeared by the flower bushes behind them.
Madam Yu's hands clenched tightly, lost in thought. The handkerchief in her hand was already twisted into strips.
Seeing this, the maid's eyes flashed subtly. She leaned closer, "Madam, what do you think Eldest Miss means by this?"
She refused to eat perfectly good tonics, opting instead to fool people with inferior products, and didn't want others to know...
The body was her own, and the child in her belly was also her own. Without rhyme or reason, why would Feng Yinwan act like this?
Madam Yu snorted coldly and flung away the handkerchief in her hand.
"What does she mean? She's even hiding things from the people of Prince Mo's mansion. What do you think this lowly creature means?"
There must be something wrong with her belly!
"Madam means..."
The maid was still a bit confused after hearing this. Madam Yu's eyes slanted, and she glared at her impatiently.
"You foolish thing!"
Before she could scold further, a young servant rushed over from the front hall. Seeing her, his expression immediately changed.
"Madam, something's wrong!"
The servant, his face pale, rushed forward almost tumbling.
Madam Yu's eyebrows knitted together at the sight. Her sallow old face instantly creased.
"Why are you screaming in broad daylight? Are you mourning?"
The servant stopped yelling at being reprimanded and, after taking a deep breath, said again, "Madam, Second Miss... Second Miss has contracted malaria!"
"What?!"
Upon hearing this, Madam Yu's eyes suddenly widened, and she grabbed the servant's collar.
"What did you say? Malaria?!"
Yi Yi was safely in prison. How could she have contracted such a serious illness as malaria!
Her expression was terrifyingly ghastly. The servant shivered and whispered weakly,
"I was out on errands earlier and heard from the pharmacy's staff that malaria had broken out in the Jingzhao Prefecture prison. Second Miss was unfortunately infected and has now... now been sent out of the city for isolation!"
Madam Yu's mind went blank with a "boom." Her eyes rolled back, and she almost fainted.
"Madam!"
The two of them hurriedly helped her up. Before they could finish, Madam Yu's body stiffened and then exploded.
"Quick! Prepare a carriage! I'm going out of the city!"
In stark contrast to Madam Yu's situation, Feng Yinwan retired early after having her dinner.
She hadn't slept well last night because Ye Tinglan had been bothering her. Today, treating Feng Yiyi in prison had also consumed a lot of energy. Now, drowsiness and exhaustion surged in together, and she quickly fell asleep.
Shuangxi had just returned with the stewed bird's nest. Before she could enter, Yu Ping stopped her.
"The Princess Consort is already asleep. Leave this here, and she can eat it tomorrow!"
"But Sister Yu Ping, the Princess Consort hasn't had any tonics all day today..."
Shuangxi hesitated, but Yu Ping shot her a cold glance and directly snatched the tray from her hand, throwing it away.
The tray hit the ground, the bowls shattered, and a pot of bird's nest spilled everywhere.
"Hey... what are you doing!"
Yu Ping's small face tightened even further.
"Tonics, tonics, all you know are tonics! Miss knows medicine. Doesn't she know her own body better than you do!"
"You keep urging her to eat. Anyone would think you'd added some miraculous elixir to it!"
Qin Rulian certainly wouldn't let her add any miraculous elixirs. Even if she did, it would only be poison.
Shuangxi's face turned pale from the reprimand, and she dared not speak loudly anymore.
"Sister Yu Ping, you misunderstand. I'm just following Miss Qin's instructions..."
"If you listen to Miss Qin so much, why are you still in the General's mansion? Hurry back and serve your young lady."
Who are you putting on a show for?
"I..."
"Alright, hurry up and clean this up. Before Miss wakes up tomorrow, there should be no trace left!"
With that, she closed the door. Shuangxi, along with the mess, was shut out. Turning away in frustration, she met Feng Yinwan's gaze and froze.
"Miss, did I wake you?"
As she spoke, she already regretted it. Feng Yinwan smiled casually, unconcerned.
"Yu Ping, I've discovered your tongue is becoming more and more formidable."
She could even retort indirectly now.
Yu Ping's face flushed, and she lowered her head shyly. Before she could even say, "Miss, don't tease me," the silence of the courtyard was abruptly shattered by a loud noise.