He recognized his own daughter.
Compared to three years ago, Yun Shu's appearance and demeanor had subtly changed. He had previously attributed it to her serious illness, but now, hearing Ye Tinglan's words, it did seem rather peculiar.
Seeing him staring at her with growing suspicion, Yun Shu shifted uncomfortably and spoke in a low voice.
"Father King, I am right here. I am not someone else..."
Hearing this, the Dingnan King came back to his senses. Just as he was about to struggle, Ye Tinglan's deep voice cut in.
"Uncle, you can ask her some trivial matters and see if she can answer them."
This imposter was, after all, just an empty shell. Yun Shu's appearance could be mimicked to about fifty to sixty percent, but the details were entirely different.
The Dingnan King hesitated for a long time, his expression growing solemn. He spoke again.
"Shu'er, your father asks you, your imperial mother's cinnabar birthmark, was it on her left wrist or her right wrist?"
Yun Shu had doted on her mother since childhood. Although the Dingnan King's Consort had passed away early, Yun Shu was already ten years old when she died. This was something obvious she should remember clearly.
However, the person before him hesitated upon hearing this. She looked up at him, a flicker of panic in her eyes.
The Dingnan King did not miss this. Seeing this, his face darkened. He then heard her try to explain.
"Father King, the imperial physician said the poison in my body has reached the marrow and injured my internal organs. Therefore, my thoughts are confused, and I cannot remember many things from the past."
If she were truly deeply poisoned, this would be understandable.
The Dingnan King frowned, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "Before you came to the capital, the heirloom I personally gave you, have you kept it well?"
This time, she nodded quickly.
"Daughter did not dare to be negligent. I always had my maid take good care of it. However, I came in such a hurry this time and did not bring it with me."
As it was an heirloom, it naturally required careful handling.
She thought her explanation was flawless. Little did she know, the Dingnan King's face turned incredibly dark upon hearing it.
His gaze fell upon her, a hint of ruthlessness appearing. "You are not my daughter!"
Yun Shu was startled. She tried to argue, but the Dingnan King's stern voice cut her off.
"I have always been a straightforward person and have no such thing as an heirloom. Yet, you keep mentioning that you have it. Tell me, who are you? Why are you impersonating Shu'er!"
Exposed, the fake Yun Shu became flustered. She instinctively tried to run out of the tent, but the Dingnan King struck her on the back with his saber, causing her to fall to the ground with a scream.
Seeing him raise his saber again, Ye Tinglan immediately stepped forward to stop him. "Spare her life. I still have questions to ask."
The Dingnan King's brows furrowed. He looked up at Ye Tinglan and questioned, "What exactly is going on?"
His own daughter had been replaced for three years, and he hadn't noticed. This was a mockery.
Ye Tinglan ordered the guards to escort the fake Yun Shu away and then stepped forward.
The conversation in the tent lasted for a full half hour. When Ye Tinglan was sent off, the Dingnan King was still in a daze.
He hadn't expected that from the very beginning, Yun Shu's heart belonged to someone else. Her agreement to come to the capital from Dingzhou, including marrying Ye Tinglan, was all to escape his control and make her escape easier.
Now that she had secretly made a deal with Ye Tinglan and achieved her goal, the words Ye Tinglan had used while interrogating the fake Yun Shu indicated that things were not that simple.
What she was desperately rushing towards might very well be a true pit of fire.
When he came back to his senses, the guards had brought the horses. On the open ground in front of the camp, Ye Tinglan's soldiers stood in an immaculate formation.
After bowing to him, Ye Tinglan turned and mounted his horse. "I will return to the military camp first. For all other matters, I will trouble Uncle."
Given the current situation, they had to continue cooperating.
The Dingnan King still had Yun Shu on his mind. He hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"I can help you, but Shu'er she..."
Yun Shu's disappearance had always made him uneasy.
Moreover, this incident forced him to re-examine himself. If he had considered his daughter's true wishes more when arranging the marriage, instead of pursuing his own desires for imperial power, perhaps things wouldn't have reached this point.
Ye Tinglan's dark eyes dimmed slightly upon hearing this. He said in a low voice.
"Uncle, rest assured. I am also involved in this matter. I will investigate that person thoroughly and bring Chao'an back."
After all, she was a childhood companion, and he regarded Yun Shu as a half-sister. He could not stand idly by.
Furthermore, this matter was very likely aimed at him, or perhaps at his master who had long since returned to the netherworld.
...
When two messages were sent back to the palace, Ye Tingyan was already seated on the dragon throne.
With a glance, his subordinate immediately began to report in order.
"General Feng has now led his troops to rendezvous with the Ning brothers. However, the plan encountered some unexpected issues. Ning Shunhe was captured. They can only abandon the encirclement for now and make further plans."
"Furthermore... Ye Tinglan did not accompany them personally today. The troops were led by his副将 (fùjiàng - deputy general), Li Chengyan."
After saying this, the man's palms began to sweat.
Ye Tingyan's eyes narrowed upon hearing this, and his expression indeed turned grim.
"These two useless Ning brothers."
Beneath the imperial platform, the two subordinates lowered their heads, not daring to look up.
After a moment, he asked again, "Where is Ye Tinglan? Where is he today?"
The man lowered his head even further, pursed his lips, and said fearfully, "There is still no news..."
"Useless!"
The jade inkstone was swept down, striking directly in front of them.
Jade shards flew, drawing bloody lines on their faces. Yet, they remained kneeling on the ground, not daring to move.
The atmosphere in the hall remained tense for a long time. After a while, Ye Tingyan suppressed his anger and spoke irritably.
"You speak."
He pointed to another person standing nearby.
That person did not dare to delay. He raised his head slightly and immediately said.
"Reporting to Your Highness, after Princess Chao'an left today, the Dingnan King's military camp began to stir. They seem to be mobilizing troops and preparing to return to Dingzhou."
The progress on this side was going smoothly.
He had great trust in his arrangements for the蛊师 (gǔshī -蠱 master), and now he was completely distracted by Ye Tinglan. Therefore, he only listened casually to a few sentences and did not suspect anything.
He raised his hand and pressed lightly on his temple, then immediately ordered.
"Have people continue to watch. Make sure to figure out Ye Tinglan's plan. If you fail again, all of you will lose your heads!"
"Yes."
The two men acknowledged and quickly retreated.
Inside the hall, Ye Tingyan sat on the dragon throne for a long time before gracefully rising.
He did not hurry to leave. Instead, he stood with his hands behind his back on the imperial platform, looking down. The expression in his eyes was burning with a near-mad intensity.
After a while, he let out a low, ambiguous hum and turned to leave the hall.
It was the second day since he had taken control of the imperial palace.
The night was deep and dark. The inner palace should have been tranquil, but as Ye Tingyan stepped into the inner palace, a dark shadow quickly flashed overhead, making him immediately alert.