Feng Yinwan paused slightly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the shattered porcelain on the floor, a hint of uncertainty in them.
"This medicine bowl... it was on the table just now, wasn't it?"
She hadn't paid close attention when she entered, only catching a glimpse of it out of the corner of her eye. The medicine bowl had been on the table, seemingly some distance from the edge...
Jiang Rumo nodded, confirming her guess. "After Prince Yun fed medicine to the Prince earlier, he casually placed the bowl here. The servants hadn't had time to take it away yet."
There were only two living people in the room besides the sick Ye Tinglan. A perfectly good bowl placed there, how could it shatter on its own?
Unless... there was a ghost.
Unaccountably, Feng Yinwan felt a chilling sensation creep up her neck.
She rubbed her hands together and immediately hugged herself tighter.
Seeing this, Jiang Rumo's expression also shifted slightly. He paused, then tried to compose himself. "Perhaps when I was changing the Prince's dressing earlier, I accidentally touched it, and it only fell now."
This matter could only be explained in one way!
Feng Yinwan wholeheartedly agreed. "Yes, that's exactly it!"
Outside, Ye Tingyun was pondering how to lure Jiang Rumo out. Before he could come up with a plan, he saw him emerge from the hall.
His eyes flashed, and before he could utter a word of praise like "You're sensible," he saw Feng Yinwan behind him and immediately raised a hand to stop her.
"Hey, why are you both coming out? Has Third Brother's medicine been changed?"
Jiang Rumo nodded. "Your Highness, rest assured, the medicine for Prince Mo has been changed."
Ye Tingyun choked on his words. He opened his lips, but before he could say anything else, Feng Yinwan had already pushed his arm away.
"Get aside, move!"
"You...!"
Ye Tingyun was filled with indignation. He looked at her as if she were beyond saving, then turned to Jiang Rumo. "Imperial Physician Jiang, you've worked hard. Third Brother's injuries are still unstable. I'll trouble you to stay in the palace tonight."
Jiang Rumo nodded. "This humble subject obeys."
Ye Tingyun arranged for Jiang Rumo to stay in the East Wing of Jiuzhou Xiangshe. Feng Yinwan raised her eyebrows at this, instinctively heading for the West Wing, but Ye Tingyun grabbed her sleeve.
"Hey, wait!"
"What is it?"
Feng Yinwan looked at him, confused. She paused, then remembered the important matter. "Oh, right, I still have something to ask you."
Ye Tingyun glanced at her. "What is it?"
If it wasn't about Third Brother, he refused to answer.
Unexpectedly, Feng Yinwan glanced around and then pursed her lips. "Let's talk somewhere else."
The matter of the Crown Prince was already highly controversial. Ye Tinglan's current injury was of great consequence. Feng Yinwan felt that half of the unfamiliar faces in Jiuzhou Xiangshe were spies.
After much thought, Ye Tingyun's place seemed the safest. Taking advantage of the cover of night, they quietly returned to Biquingju.
It was the same young eunuch from that day. Almost the moment they entered, Feng Yinwan spotted the waist token hanging on the eunuch.
Attached below it was a jade bead of emerald green.
Her eyes narrowed, and Ye Tingyun urged her, "What is it that's so secretive?"
Feng Yinwan smiled, her jade-like fingertips pointing directly at the eunuch's waist. "I just wanted to ask, who among the palace servants uses this kind of waist token?"
Clearly not expecting her to ask this, Ye Tingyun paused slightly, momentarily at a loss for words.
"Many people use these. The deputy director of the Imperial Household Department, the deputy supervisor of the Imperial Kitchen, the ladies-in-charge and head eunuchs of each palace, and..."
"No, why are you asking this?"
He rattled off a long list, seemingly without reason. Feng Yinwan listened carefully, her beautiful eyes gradually focusing.
"Investigating the assassin."
"Assassin?!"
Ye Tingyun thought, aren't you the very assassin who broke into the prison? Do you still need to investigate?
Undoubtedly, Feng Yinwan shot him a cold glare.
"Someone in the palace is watching my belly. If I don't find him, this pregnancy of mine may not be peaceful."
Hearing this, Ye Tingyun's expression shifted subtly. Finally, he asked,
"How do you plan to investigate?"
After speaking, he recalled her nonsensical question from earlier and paused. "You mean..."
Feng Yinwan nodded. "The day I fainted, I pulled a jade bead from the assassin. It was a bead of this emerald green."
She opened her palm. The emerald green bead lay quietly on her white hand, conspicuously visible.
Seeing this, Ye Tingyun's expression also became more serious. "If that's the case, then what I said earlier about all of them having beads of this color means that finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack!"
Investigating them one by one was indeed not feasible, and it would be too conspicuous.
Feng Yinwan pondered for a moment, then pursed her lips. "I have a way."
It would take Jiang Rumo two days to gather the medicinal herbs. During these two days, the Emperor, at Concubine Li's request, continued to summon Feng Yinwan to the palace for treatment.
At the same time, the auspicious sight of the Qicai Xiao Jinli in the Imperial Lake, symbolizing Feng Yinwan's pregnancy with a male heir, had already spread rapidly through the harem.
Ye Tingyun remained skeptical throughout. "Will this really work?"
Feng Yinwan took a sip of tea, remaining calm and composed.
Since the other party was targeting her pregnancy and had not succeeded, they would definitely not give up. Now that they heard she was carrying a boy, they would naturally become even more restless.
Given the audacity of their actions, she didn't believe they would remain inactive.
"Let's wait. Whether it works or not will be clear tonight."
For safety, Ye Tingyun specially borrowed several eunuchs from Concubine Li's palace. As soon as night fell, he ordered them to lie in ambush in the Imperial Garden.
After the second watch struck, Feng Yinwan slowly emerged from Chunhe Palace. At the intersection, she deliberately chose the path through the Imperial Garden to return to her residence.
At this hour, most of the harem had already retired. The paths in the Imperial Garden were winding and dark. In the profound silence, only Feng Yinwan's footsteps could be heard.
The Imperial Lake was ahead. The night wind was sleepless, stirring ripples on the quiet water. A short distance away, the sound of waves could already be faintly heard.
She was still some distance from where Ye Tingyun had set up his ambush. Feng Yinwan did not stop. Hearing the faint sounds behind her, her beautiful eyes turned cold.
They had taken the bait.
The movements behind her were extremely light, hidden in the night wind, and would be undetectable if one did not listen carefully.
The anticipated chill approached rapidly. Just as it was about to touch her, Feng Yinwan sidestepped, and the short sword hidden in her sleeve quietly revealed its edge.
"You've come?"
What met her eyes was a masked face. The person's entire appearance was hidden beneath a night-blooming suit. By the moonlight, Feng Yinwan could only discern their build.
Unexpectedly, this attack was dodged by her. The person's gaze swept over the sharp short sword in her hand, and it seemed they suddenly realized something and turned to retreat.
Sensing his intention, Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes narrowed, and her short sword blocked the person's path first.
Her red lips curved coldly, and a sharp arc appeared.
"What's the hurry?"
"Since you're here, don't leave."