The third day was tomorrow.
Having failed to find any trace of Feng Jin’chen for two consecutive days, Feng Yin’wan’s anxiety reached its peak.
“Miss, we’ve searched everywhere in the city except the palace and the residences of various officials.”
“There’s still tonight. Should we…”
Despite her subordinates’ lack of complaint after two days of relentless searching, Feng Yin’wan knew they were utterly exhausted.
Neither entering the palace nor investigating the homes of officials was a minor undertaking.
Moreover, the trade was scheduled for tomorrow, and it was not advisable to court trouble tonight.
Feng Yin’wan furrowed her brows and raised her hand.
“We’ll hold our positions tonight. For tomorrow’s trade, I will go myself.”
“Miss, this…”
“No need to say more. You just need to be ready for support. If anything seems amiss, I will signal you.”
Her eyes were lowered, her face etched with determination.
Her subordinates opened their mouths, but seeing her resolve, they offered no further protest.
“Yes.”
…
The moon hung full in the sky, casting a silvery frost upon the ground.
Amidst the profound silence, the door to Xiuchun Courtyard was abruptly pushed open.
Candles were still burning in Qin Ru’lián’s room. A maidservant rushed out and, upon seeing Ye Ting’lán, immediately fell to her knees.
“Your… Your Highness!”
Her voice trembled uncontrollably. The candlelight within the room extinguished instantly upon hearing her words.
Ye Ting’lán glanced over, his aura of coldness intensifying.
Seeing him approach, the maidservant finally regained her senses and, trembling, stepped forward.
“Your… Your Highness, the young lady has already retired. If it’s not urgent, perhaps you could… come back tomorrow…”
Ye Ting’lán’s face was like ice, unmoved by her plea.
“Wake her up.”
“She knows perfectly well why I have come.”
“Your Highness…”
“If you dare utter another word, I will deal with you first.”
Startled by his chilling tone, the maidservant’s body convulsed, and she scrambled back into the room.
Soon after, the sound of porcelain shattering echoed from within.
The maidservant emerged, clutching her forehead, her face ashen.
“Replying… replying to Your Highness, the young lady is unwell and truly unable to rise. It is late and the air is heavy; you should return first…”
Ye Ting’lán’s expression darkened further upon hearing this.
He looked towards the flickering candlelight, his voice growing colder.
“If you refuse to come out yourself, do not blame me for showing no mercy.”
The door remained ajar, and his words undoubtedly reached inside.
On the bed, Qin Ru’lián clutched her handkerchief tightly, her lips bitten almost raw.
But Ye Ting’lán had lost all patience. In an instant, his icy voice from outside resounded again.
“Shuangxi, go call the guards.”
He was actually going to summon the guards!
He wouldn't even enter her room…!
Shuangxi dared not retort. She acknowledged with a sound and hurried towards the courtyard gate.
However, before her fingertips could even touch the gate, a figure rushed out of the room as if possessed.
“Do not go!”
“You wretched creature! See clearly who your master is!”
Shuangxi flinched. Before she could even utter the word “Miss,” Qin Ru’lián lunged forward, swinging her hand in a furious barrage of blows.
“Miss… Ah!”
Shuangxi dared not fight back and could only endure her frenzied attack.
But before Qin Ru’lián could strike again, Ye Ting’lán’s chilling voice came from behind.
“Enough!”
The Qin Ru’lián from moments ago, with her coarse behavior, was like a shrew, devoid of any of her usual delicate demeanor.
Seeing her true face exposed so plainly once more, Ye Ting’lán’s brow furrowed, his eyes filled only with disgust.
Qin Ru’lián’s expression faltered, and she moved to step forward, only to be repelled by his cold aura.
“Brother Ting’lán, I…”
“No need to say more.”
“I told you, last time was the last of my tolerance for you.”
The assassins who had pursued Feng Yin’wan in Jin’zhóu three years ago were undoubtedly her doing.
After this matter was investigated, he had intended to punish her, but it was the anniversary of Qin Yán’zhī’s death.
Out of consideration for past ties, he had given Qin Ru’lián one chance. Little did he expect her to show no remorse and continue on her destructive path.
This time, she had even resorted to such vicious means to deal with a child.
It was truly a profound disappointment!
“Tomorrow morning, you will move out of the Prince’s mansion. Your belongings will be sent to the Empress’s palace by my order.”
The man in dark robes stood with his hands behind his back, his already stern face cast in a layer of frost by the moonlight.
He was breathtakingly handsome, like a beautiful Asura pronouncing judgment upon sin.
Unprepared for him to be so serious this time, Qin Ru’lián’s face turned deathly pale, and she let out a shrill scream.
“No… No! I won’t leave! Ye Ting’lán, you can’t do this to me!”
She had lived in the Prince’s mansion for many years. Though she held no official title, to outsiders, she had long been considered part of Prince Mo’s household.
Now, Ye Ting’lán was casting her out and sending her belongings to the Empress’s palace.
Wouldn’t this make her a laughingstock to the world?
How would she ever be able to conduct herself in the palace, in the capital, from now on!
No!
She would never leave!
“This is not up to you.”
Ye Ting’lán glanced at her, then added coldly, “By dawn tomorrow, I expect you to have left. Otherwise, I will personally order my men to escort you out.”
Moving out willingly versus being forcibly removed were two entirely different matters.
Knowing his unyielding nature, Qin Ru’lián shrieked and collapsed onto the ground.
“Your Highness.”
Having eavesdropped outside for some time, Qi Xuan had heard most of the story.
Seeing his Prince emerge with a grim expression, he respectfully bowed his head.
“Keep an eye on her here. She must move out by tomorrow.”
Caught off guard by this mess, Qi Xuan felt his head spin.
Yet, he dared not refuse and could only nod meekly.
“Yes.”
Although it was agreed she would move out in the morning, by the fourth watch, news of Qin Ru’lián’s suicide attempt had already spread.
The report claimed suicide, and the commotion was considerable, but she hadn’t even come close to succeeding.
Qi Xuan came to seek Ye Ting’lán’s instructions, but his Prince, awakened by the disturbance, looked visibly furious.
“She wants to make a scene, and you let her? Where is your brain?”
Qi Xuan wished he could say, “I wanted to knock some sense into her too, but I didn’t dare.”
After careful consideration, he ventured, “Miss Qin is, after all, the Empress’s cousin…”
As he spoke, he felt the cold fury from above intensify.
“Do you want me to send you to the Empress’s palace as well?”
“This subordinate dares not.”
“Get out.”
Qi Xuan happily “rolled away.”
Not only did he roll away, but he excitedly rubbed his hands.
This was his first time hitting a woman, and he felt no guilt whatsoever. He mused about where the best place to land his punch would be later.
Indeed, until dawn, there were no further disturbances from Xiuchun Courtyard.
When Ye Ting’lán rose, Qi Xuan reported again, stating that not long after dawn, a carriage from the palace had arrived to take Qin Ru’lián away.
“The Empress is quite well-informed.”
Qi Xuan nodded in agreement. “Your subordinate thinks so too.”
As they spoke, Feng Jin’chén, with a sleepy face, emerged from his room. Upon seeing them, he politely waved.
“Goodbye, Uncle Wang and Uncle Xiao Qi. I’m going to find Mama.”
A new day, and the grand plan to find Mama was officially rebooted!
With that, he yawned and started to head out. However, the moment he took a step, a large hand scooped him up.
Ye Ting’lán glanced at him, his tone carrying a hint of playful significance.
“Today, I will personally take you to find your mother.”