Dingnan Wang personally penned a memorial to the capital to explain the situation to the Emperor after learning that Ye Tinglan was missing.
However, the Emperor did not appreciate it.
"What do you mean you and Lan'er had agreed to provide support from the periphery? I think he's just making excuses to hide his malicious intentions!"
"Issue a decree, ordering him to immediately lead his troops to rendezvous with Lan'er's forces outside Jinzhou. Within seven days, Lan'er must be found!"
The imperial edict was soon issued, and at the same time, the news of Ye Tinglan's disappearance spread through the inner palace.
Consort Rong, already annoyed by the matter of Consort Ning, became even more exhausted upon hearing the news.
Ye Ziyun hovered around her, worried, "Mother Consort, Father Emperor has not left Yangxin Hall for a day. Has my brother truly met with misfortune?"
What was the current situation?
Ye Tinglan had rendered meritorious service in clearing the emperor's faction of rebels. If he were in the palace, he would have secured the position of Crown Prince by now.
Seeing that their mother and daughter would have a pillar of support in the future, yet at this very moment, he had fallen into danger. How could they not worry!
Consort Rong was also very anxious. Hearing this, she suppressed her emotions and could only admonish her.
"Alright, stop speaking such disheartening words. The matter is not yet concluded. We mother and daughter are under the watchful eyes of many in the inner palace, so we must not fall into disarray first."
Regarding Consort Ning, although the Empress Dowager had not said it explicitly, she was already displeased with her.
Currently, she was in charge of all the palaces in the West Garden and was an object of envy. At such a critical juncture, she could not afford to make any more mistakes.
Ye Ziyun could not listen to any of this. She thought that the news was spread with such detail that it did not seem fake at all. In her heart, she had already equated "Ye Tinglan's disappearance" with "he met with misfortune."
She pursed her lips, wanting to say more, but Consort Rong's glance silenced her.
Rumors were rife in the palace, but this did not hinder Feng Yinwan's actions.
As night fell, she snuck through the shadows, heading towards Yuxiu Palace.
After Song Qing'an took up residence, the palace's patrols had clearly been strengthened, making her movements less easy than before.
She dodged a wave of Imperial Guards, and just as she was about to move, a gust of wind brushed past her from behind.
Feng Yinwan's eyes instantly sharpened. As she evaded, a pebble lightly landed in front of her.
Before she could investigate, she heard movement again by her ear. This time, it was not the sound of an object, but a very light footstep.
The footsteps blended into the night, making them difficult to detect without careful attention. They moved in an orderly and swift manner, clearly indicating a person with profound internal strength.
Feng Yinwan's heart tightened. Almost instantly, she held her breath.
In just a few moments, a dark figure swiftly flew past overhead. With just one glance, she recognized the mysterious person who had attacked her several times before.
She had not expected him to appear tonight, and Feng Yinwan inwardly tensed.
This person's internal strength far surpassed hers. If she hadn't sensed him in advance just now, her movements might have been exposed to his eyes.
In this regard, the pebble thrown at her seemed like a warning.
Thinking of this, her eyes narrowed, and she immediately looked in the direction from which the pebble had come.
But under the cover of night, the area was silent and dark, with nothing visible.
Feng Yinwan gazed intently for a moment, then finally moved to pursue the direction in which the mysterious person had left.
Having infiltrated for several days, she was already familiar with the palace's layout. Calculating the possibilities, her beautiful eyes narrowed.
The mysterious person was heading to the imperial prison.