Yuan'er stammered, "It's... it's you!"
Feng Yinwan was speechless.
"Alright, then tell me, how did the Prince end up here? And how did I, in front of my own husband, drug Feng Yiyi?"
She would have to be out of her mind to do such a thing.
Yuan'er was momentarily stumped by the question.
"Prince Mo... Prince Mo was naturally invited by you!"
"Yesterday, when the Prince visited, he saw you and Young Master Song being intimate. In a fit of anger, he returned to the Prince's manor. To apologize to the Prince, you specifically wrote to invite him back to the manor."
"My second young lady was afraid the Prince would misunderstand if he saw Young Master Song again, so she deliberately kept the Prince in the front hall for a while longer, never expecting..."
She paused, then looked up at Madam Yu with a mixture of hatred and fear.
"Madam, the eldest young lady is arrogant and domineering. It was she who put the Hailiangxiang and Xiangjianhuan in there to harm the second young lady! It was all her!"
Feng Yinwan almost wanted to applaud such acting.
In fact, she did.
"After sending away one Biyun, another Yuan'er appears. I truly never imagined that my second sister would have such talented individuals around her."
Madam Yu glared at her. "Stop being so sarcastic!"
"Yuan'er is a servant of the General's manor and has always been loyal. She wouldn't lie. Even if she were questioned by the authorities, her testimony would be the same!"
Before she could finish speaking, the courtyard gate was pushed open again.
Yuping and Song Qing'an returned together, holding a cloth bag.
Embroidered on the bag was clearly the character "Yi."
"Wangfei."
"Miss."
Yuping hurried forward and handed the cloth bag directly to Feng Yinwan.
"Miss, we found two boxes of medicinal powder in the second young lady's room. Please examine them."
Feng Yinwan nodded and reached in to open it. The first thing she saw was a bright, exotic green. It wasn't as translucent as ordinary jade; the inlay on this box... was it agate?
As soon as it was opened, a faint fragrance drifted out. It was undoubtedly Hailiangxiang powder.
Feng Yinwan was certain that this item did not belong to Feng Yiyi.
Madam Yu clearly recognized the box as well. Her expression changed immediately. Before she could formulate a response, Feng Yinwan had already taken out the other box.
In comparison, the box for Xiangjianhuan was made of common white jade, clearly acquired later.
With the two boxes of powder revealed, Yuan'er's face turned extremely grim.
Seeing this, Madam Yu knew something was amiss. Just as she was about to speak, Feng Yinwan beat her to it.
"One box of Hailiangxiang, one box of Xiangjianhuan. Madam Yu, would you like to personally test the power of this medicine?"
It was a joke. Madam Yu would never dare.
"I don't care what kind of powder this is. This isn't Yiyi's. You must have framed her!"
Feng Yinwan sneered.
"Whether it's a frame-up or not, I believe the authorities will have their judgment."
With a smirk, she turned to Ye Tinglan. "I intend to report this to the authorities. Would Your Highness accompany me?"
As a Wangfei, why would she need to report it herself?
But Ye Tinglan agreed.
"Naturally."
Before Madam Yu could react, the guards waiting outside quickly entered, bypassed her, and swiftly dragged Feng Yiyi away.
"Stop! What are you doing!"
Her Yiyi had only recently been released from prison. She couldn't go back again!
Madam Yu lunged at the guards like a madwoman. However, no matter how much she struggled, cursed, or insulted them, the guards held Feng Yiyi firmly, their eyes never even blinking.
Feng Yinwan cast her a casual glance.
"If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear. Madam Yu, why are you so agitated?"
With a curl of her lips, she beckoned. "Take her away."
The guards responded and dragged Feng Yiyi away. Feng Yinwan nodded, carefully placing the box containing the Hailiangxiang into her sachet.
Behind her, Ye Tinglan's gaze shifted slightly, a hint of inquiry in his dark eyes.
In just a few days, Feng Yiyi was sent back again, escorted by the Prince and Princess Mo themselves. The Prefect of Jingzhao, trembling, rushed out, concerned about his official hat.
"Your subordinate greets Prince Mo and Wangfei."
He had thought that officials would be upright individuals, at least in appearance. However, this Prefect of Jingzhao had a shifty look, which Feng Yinwan found difficult to stomach.
Her first thought was, "Is this guy well-connected?"
The last time she wanted to deal with Feng Yiyi, this official had merely sent yamen runners to the manor for a perfunctory inquiry. This time, he had personally come out to greet them.
It was clear that the well-connected official showed more respect to Ye Tinglan.
"May I know the honorable surname of Your Excellency?"
Prefect Zhao was waiting for Ye Tinglan's nod, but unexpectedly, Feng Yinwan spoke first.
Ye Tinglan, who was usually indifferent, lowered his eyes slightly, his handsome face showing no impatience. This expression... seemed to be tacit approval?
Uncertain, he looked again.
After hesitating for a moment, Prefect Zhao turned to Feng Yinwan with a fawning smile.
"Replying to Wangfei, your subordinate's humble name is Zhao Yong."
Feng Yinwan softly uttered, "Oh, so it's Lord Zhao."
"Does Lord Zhao know why this Wangfei has come today?"
Recalling Feng Yiyi being dragged away earlier, a cold sweat broke out on Zhao Yong's forehead.
"Could it be that Feng Er... that concubine's daughter has committed a crime again?"
Very good. Feng Yiyi had gone from "Second Young Lady Feng" to "that concubine's daughter."
Feng Yinwan nodded with satisfaction and placed a hand on her almost flat abdomen.
"Feng Yiyi, unrepentant, poisoned the food with intent to harm this Wangfei and the imperial heir in my womb. Does Your Excellency consider this a serious matter?"
Zhao Yong, even with a hundred heads, wouldn't dare say it was a minor matter.
"Poisoning... harming the imperial heir?!"
No wonder Prince Mo himself had come today. Heaven knew how much the Empress Dowager and the Emperor cherished the pregnancy of the Princess Mo. Feng Yiyi had gone mad!
Before he could speak further, a cloth bag was thrown at him. He hurriedly opened it and saw a medicine box inside.
"The poison is in here, and this Wangfei has brought the maidservant by Feng Yiyi's side. How to handle the case, I believe Lord Zhao already knows."
Zhao Yong stared blankly at the box of Xiangjianhuan.
He subtly glanced at Ye Tinglan, but before he could even lift his eyelids, Ye Tinglan's slightly cold voice rang out.
"Wangfei has been greatly alarmed this time, and the Empress Dowager and our Father Emperor will surely be worried. I hope Lord Zhao will handle this case with utmost care."
Almost instantly, Zhao Yong clutched the medicine box in his hand and nodded repeatedly.
"Please rest assured, Your Highness and Wangfei, your subordinate will do his utmost!"
If Princess Mo said it was poison, then it was poison!
Feng Yinwan knew Ye Tinglan's name carried weight, but she hadn't expected it to be so effective.
With Ye Tinglan's backing, things proceeded more smoothly than she had anticipated. Only when they left the gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture did Feng Yinwan suddenly realize that Song Qing'an was not with them.
Out of curiosity, she asked Yuping, "Where is Young Master Song?"
In her preoccupation with Feng Yiyi, Yuping hadn't noticed either.
She shook her head, and a displeased, clear and cold voice came from beside her.
"The border is under heavy pressure. As a model for the army, Deputy General Song must bravely advance."
The implication was that he had sent the person to the border!