The moment Ye Tingyun stepped out of Jiuzhou Xiangxie, he was already regretting it.
"I am a Prince, I can come and go in the palace freely, why must I act so sneakily?"
He wanted to follow openly, but this woman insisted he change into the uniform of the Imperial Guard, saying they needed to keep a low profile so as not to arouse suspicion.
He glanced at Feng Yinwan, who was also wearing an Imperial Guard uniform beside him, and pouted.
This woman was so carefree, she didn't even consider how tiring it was for his frail body to wear armor!
Feng Yinwan not only didn't consider it, but also mocked him mercilessly.
Her gaze, when directed at him, clearly conveyed the meaning of "useless." "If you're not willing, it's not too late to go back now."
Ye Tingyun was most susceptible to provocation.
Hearing this, he immediately widened his eyes. "Who said I'm not willing? I just think it's unnecessary!"
It was just a trip to the imperial prison, did anyone dare to stop him? They were being too cautious.
While he was mumbling, Feng Yinwan and Song Qingan had already walked far ahead, without looking back, showing no intention of stopping to wait for him.
Ye Tingyun snapped back to attention, called out "Hey, hey," twice, and quickly hurried to catch up.
Because they were disguised as Imperial Guards and led by Song Qingan himself, they entered the imperial prison very smoothly.
The previous night's fight had been fierce, and the mess on the ground had been cleaned up, but traces of the struggle could still be seen on the walls.
Song Qingan led them all the way to the prisoner's cell. The body lay on the ground, stiff and straight, covered with a hastily thrown straw mat.
He stepped forward, lit the oil lamp in the cell, and then turned to retreat.
"Wan'er, you look. I'll stand guard for you outside."
It was absolutely quiet here now, allowing her to act as she pleased.
Feng Yinwan nodded and stepped forward, about to act, when Ye Tingyun suddenly grabbed her hand.
"Hey... what are you doing!"
This young man was timidly hiding behind her, his eyes practically wanting to look from the cell to the outside.
Feng Yinwan glanced at him and said indifferently, "Let go."
Her gaze was cold, and combined with the atmosphere in the cell, Ye Tingyun immediately realized that her words about "looking at a dead person" were no joke.
This woman... she was really here to see a dead person!
A shiver ran down his spine, and he immediately let go and jumped back a few steps.
Feng Yinwan raised an eyebrow slightly at this, staring at him and saying faintly, "What are you afraid of? It's just looking, not dissecting. I've dissected Ye Tingyu's body before and didn't see any vengeful spirits."
Ye Tingyun's mouth almost formed an 'o' shape upon hearing this.
What was this woman saying?
Dissecting? Ye Tingyu... it's over, it's over, he wouldn't be able to sleep tonight!
He trembled, and his body even unconsciously moved a bit closer to Song Qingan.
Feng Yinwan no longer scared him, lifted the straw mat, and focused on examining the body.
As Song Qingan had described, this person's throat bone had been broken, and he had died in one blow. She looked down, and when her gaze landed on the inner side of his left arm, she paused slightly.
Song Qingan's gaze had been following her. Seeing her pause, he immediately asked,
"Wan'er, have you found anything?"
Feng Yinwan's brow furrowed slightly, giving no definitive answer.
Her fingertips rubbed over the spot, then she took out a bottle of medicinal liquid from her sleeve and dripped it down.
As the firelight drew closer and the heat intensified, a dark red mark appeared in that spot within moments, clearly visible under the firelight.
Song Qingan and Ye Tingyun were both shocked by this.
"This..."
Feng Yinwan stopped in place, her hand still in the same position as if holding something hot, but a storm was brewing in her heart.
This mark was unique to the royal family of Yue.
This person's appearance was related to the royal family of Yue!
The thought was so shocking that she became lost in thought, not even noticing the oil lamp tilting in her hand.
"Be careful!"
Song Qingan pulled her aside in time. The lamp oil spilled and splashed onto the ground.
Feng Yinwan came back to her senses, her gaze returning to the corpse, and a very bad premonition surged in her heart.
"This person is related to the royal family of Yue. This infiltration into the palace is probably not as simple as assassination."
Enemy spies, infiltrating the imperial palace at this time, and being silenced in the imperial prison after their activities were exposed...
Behind this, there must be a greater storm.
She was deep in thought, then suddenly remembered something, and her eyes darkened.
Song Qingan knew the gravity of the situation. After thinking for a moment, he sent the two of them back.
Ye Tingyun, unaware of the full story, was already stunned by this news. He hadn't figured out what the people of Yue were doing in the palace all the way.
As they neared the entrance of Jiuzhou Xiangxie, Eunuch Gao suddenly appeared.
He was looking for Song Qingan. Seeing them, he hurried over. Ye Tingyun, who was still lost in thought, immediately pulled Feng Yinwan to lower their heads.
"Little General Song, the old servant has been looking for you."
Song Qingan stopped his steps. "Eunuch Gao."
He was still slightly out of breath from chasing after them.
After a pause, he spoke again, "The Emperor and the officials have finished their discussions. They are looking for you now. Please come with the old servant."
Unexpectedly, it ended so quickly, Song Qingan was slightly taken aback. He immediately nodded.
"Alright."
Eunuch Gao was in a hurry to report back and left with the person, not noticing Feng Yinwan and Ye Tingyun behind them.
Seeing them walk away, Ye Tingyun, who had been playing the ostrich, finally dared to raise his head.
He let out a long sigh of relief and looked at Feng Yinwan, appearing a little smug. "Fortunately, I reacted quickly, or we would have been discovered."
Feng Yinwan was still thinking about her findings in the prison today. Hearing this, her eyes darkened, and she didn't respond to him.
...
The Imperial Study.
After dismissing a group of ministers, the Emperor picked up the ginseng tea beside him and took a sip. His expression was clearly not good.
Song Qingan entered from outside and immediately stepped forward to pay his respects.
"Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Majesty."
The Emperor had not finished his tea when he saw him, and his expression improved slightly.
"Get up. I heard from Gao Deyu that you were here earlier."
Song Qingan nodded. "Last night, an assassin broke into the imperial prison and silenced the person apprehended the day before yesterday. I am here to inform Your Majesty of this matter."
"Assassin?"
The Emperor frowned, his expression sinking further. "Have you captured the assassin?"
"Your humble servant was negligent and failed to apprehend them."
The Emperor's expression immediately darkened.
Song Qingan had always been meticulous in his work. For him to fail to capture the person indicated that they were indeed not simple.
His expression shifted slightly, and then he said, "I ordered you to interrogate him yesterday. Did you find anything?"
Song Qingan shook his head and spoke carefully.
"He did not speak during yesterday's interrogation. However, while examining the body, I discovered a uniquely shaped mark on him, which is very likely related to the royal family of Yue."
The Emperor's eyes narrowed at this, and his face was suddenly filled with a storm.
"The royal family of Yue."