Ye Ziyun snorted coldly, casting a sidelong glance at her.
"In the palace, hierarchy is the rule!"
She, a princess, and the most favored by the Empress Dowager, possessed a noble status naturally incomparable to the daughter of a convicted official!
Unexpectedly, Feng Yinwan's lips curled into a slight smile, and she spoke softly, "I thought Princess Qingyun was going to say, 'Elders should be respected, and legitimate offspring should be distinguished from illegitimate ones.'"
Within the terms "elders," "legitimate offspring," and "illegitimate offspring," she only held the title of "illegitimate."
Upon hearing this, Ye Ziyun's expression changed drastically. Before she could retaliate, Feng Yinwan's beautiful eyes looked at her with a smile.
"Whether it's about rules or not, Princess Qingyun, you have reached the age of capping. The time you spend in the palace is likely limited."
For princesses, though their lives appeared glamorous on the surface, their destinies were rarely in their own hands.
Consort Rong had exhausted all her efforts to have Ye Ziyun curry favor with the Empress Dowager, all for the sake of securing a good future for her. However, with the border war still unresolved, if marriage were to be used for peace, among the princesses, Ye Ziyun's age would be the most suitable.
It was evident that Ye Ziyun was acutely aware of this point.
"Feng Yinwan! How dare you curse this princess! You insolent wretch!"
Her voice, sharp to the point of a hiss.
Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand to strike Feng Yinwan's face. However, before her hand could fall, the person in front of her had already turned her head, her cool, gentle smile particularly striking.
In the next instant, a startled scream erupted. Feng Yinwan closed her beautiful eyes, her body seemingly losing all strength, and she floated gently to the ground.
"Princess Consort!"
Qing Ruo, returning with the food box, witnessed this scene the moment she entered. Her face paled with shock, and she rushed forward.
"Princess Consort, are you alright..."
As Feng Yinwan was helped up, a red mark remained on her face. To the side, Ye Ziyun's hand was still suspended in mid-air, her brows furrowed, her eyes fierce, and her malevolence still present.
The situation was as clear as it could be.
"Princess, how could you..."
"It hurts..."
Her words were interrupted by Feng Yinwan's faint moan.
Qing Ruo quickly looked, only to see Feng Yinwan clutching her lower abdomen, her long lashes trembling, and her lips turning slightly pale.
Instantly, she exclaimed, "Princess Consort!"
As if hearing her cry, Feng Yinwan's eyelashes fluttered open, and she struggled to speak, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician..."
"Yes... yes!"
Without daring to delay, Qing Ruo dropped the food box and ran out. Unexpectedly, Ye Ziyun was also somewhat frightened.
"You... don't think of blaming this on me! I didn't even touch you just now!"
Damn it!
If she had known this bitch's body was so fragile, she should have listened to her mother and not provoked her. Now look at this!
Gritting her teeth secretly, she was about to turn and leave when her steps suddenly halted.
Feng Yinwan sat cross-legged on the ground, a faint smile on her red lips, and slowly raised her eyes to look at her.
"What, Princess Qingyun is leaving already?"
Her tone, calm and steady, made Ye Ziyun's forehead twitch.
Raising her eyes again, she saw that Feng Yinwan's complexion was rosy, her waist straight, showing no trace of her previous feigned weakness!
"You were faking?!"
Her eyes snapped open, her face contorted with anger.
Feng Yinwan, however, curved her lips and casually adjusted her hairpiece to be even more askew.
"What are you doing!"
A sense of foreboding subtly rose in her heart. Ye Ziyun tightened her grip on her skirt. Just as she reached out to pull Feng Yinwan up from the ground, the sound of hurried footsteps approached from behind.
In the next moment, the Emperor's voice, tinged with displeasure, sounded authoritatively.
"Yun'er, what are you doing?"
"Father... Father Emperor!"
Never expecting the Emperor to arrive, Ye Ziyun trembled violently and immediately leaped away from Feng Yinwan as if stung.
"Father Emperor, it was... it was my sister-in-law who suddenly fell. I... I was just about to help her."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her tongue was already tied in knots.
The Emperor glanced at her, his expression growing colder.
"Is that so? Then why did I just hear a palace maid from Jiuzhou Xiangxie say that you struck the Ink Princess, causing her stomach pain and requiring an imperial physician?"
He had encountered Qing Ruo, who was rushing to fetch an imperial physician, just as he was leaving Chunhe Palace. Upon hearing the matter, he had come personally, and what he saw upon entering was indeed as expected!
"No, Father Emperor! That... that palace maid is talking nonsense. How could I possibly strike my sister-in-law! Don't you believe me? You can see for yourself, my sister-in-law..."
Before she could utter the words "safe and sound," her body stiffened.
Behind her, Feng Yinwan, who had been speaking to her calmly, was now prostrate on the ground, her hair askew, her face swollen, her slender hand covering her lower abdomen!
And her expression clearly showed she was in even more pain than before!
Ye Ziyun was completely dumbfounded.
"Father... Father Emperor..."
Trembling, the two words escaped her lips, only to be ruthlessly interrupted by the Emperor.
"I have already seen it with my own eyes."
The Dragon's countenance darkened, and the terrifying pressure intensified. Ye Ziyun's face instantly lost all color. Before she could speak, the Emperor's voice sounded again.
"Help the Ink Princess up."
From behind, Qing Ruo immediately stepped forward. "Princess Consort, please wake up!"
Feng Yinwan's half-closed eyes slowly opened, her delicate face still pale.
"Greetings, Your Majesty..."
Seeing her attempting to get up, the Emperor waved his hand, his gaze towards Ye Ziyun becoming even more displeased.
This was undoubtedly a dangerous signal.
Ye Ziyun's body trembled, and she immediately shook her head. "Father Emperor, I was really just trying to help her up..."
She hadn't even touched that bitch! Why was she pretending!
She shot a hateful glance, only to meet the triumphant smirk that appeared on Feng Yinwan's lips. Ye Ziyun was choked with anger, feeling as though her insides were burning with rage.
"Why are you pretending! You're deliberately framing me, quickly tell Father Emperor the truth!"
In response, Feng Yinwan let out a weak cough.
Seeing that she was still feigning, Ye Ziyun dug her fingernails into her palm and was about to rush forward.
However, before she could even touch Feng Yinwan's clothes, she was stopped by the Emperor's stern command.
"Presumptuous!"
This reprimand was clearly as cold as it could be.
Ye Ziyun's body trembled violently. Before she could move, the Emperor's voice sounded again.
"Princess Qingyun's words are incoherent and her conduct is wanting. Send her back and have Consort Rong discipline her properly."
"Father Emperor..."
"Princess Qingyun, let's go."
As the words fell, the eunuch behind her stepped forward. Daring not to anger the Emperor further, Ye Ziyun shot a fierce glare at Feng Yinwan and could only follow the eunuch away.
No sooner had she been led out than the imperial physicians arrived. The Emperor waved his hand, immediately ordering someone to examine Feng Yinwan.
Feng Yinwan was also adept at deceiving imperial physicians. After feigning weakness for a while, just as she was about to use her recovery as an excuse to dismiss them, urgent footsteps approached from outside. A eunuch rushed in.
"Your Majesty, Consort Ning has suddenly fallen ill. The palace staff of Zhonghua Palace specifically came to invite you. They are waiting outside now!"