As dawn broke, the palace's commotion finally began to subside.
Song Qing'an was responsible for leading his men to investigate the remaining culprits. As he approached the vicinity of the cold palace, a faint sound caught his attention.
Realizing what it was, he turned and instructed his subordinate, then strode away.
In the shadows outside the cold palace, Feng Yinwan had been waiting. Seeing him approach, her eyes flickered momentarily as she raised her hand and pulled down her veil.
"Wan'er!"
Seeing her again, Song Qing'an couldn't help but feel joy.
His gaze swept over her, confirming she was unharmed, and the tension on his face eased slightly.
"The palace was in turmoil tonight. Fortunately, you are safe, otherwise, my heart would not be at peace."
He had been stationed outside the city for days, waiting for the so-called summons.
Ever since the imperial palace was controlled by Ye Tingyan's men, he had been constantly worried about Feng Yinwan's situation. Yet, remembering her instructions, he dared not intervene rashly. Now that he saw her in person, the stone in his heart finally settled.
Thinking of something else, he spoke immediately.
"It is dangerous within the city. I have temporarily housed Miss Yuping at the military camp. She is under the protection of dedicated guards and will enter the city tomorrow morning."
His arrangements were always meticulous. Feng Yinwan nodded upon hearing this, her gaze shifting to him, now carrying a hint of gravity.
"Yuzhi, there is one more matter I need to ask you about."
Song Qing'an was briefly stunned by the seriousness in her words, then nodded.
"Speak."
Feng Yinwan pursed her lips. "When you were investigating the remaining culprits tonight, did you find any Gu master dressed in black robes?"
Her intuition told her that the Gu master was of utmost importance. However, when the court descended into chaos, she did not see the Gu master by Ye Tingyan's side.
Now, Ye Tingyan and his rebels were executed, but the Gu master was nowhere to be found. This made her vaguely uneasy.
Gu masters possessed a specific scent, making them relatively easy to identify.
Song Qing'an frowned and pondered for a moment upon hearing this, but then shook his head. "I did not."
Feng Yinwan had anticipated this. Her expression dimmed slightly, and just as she was about to nod, she heard him say.
"Wan'er, is this person very important to you?"
He always paid close attention to her affairs.
Feng Yinwan lightly pressed her lips together and revealed everything. "It is not about me. That Gu master was someone close to Ye Tingyan. On previous occasions, he was the one acting from the shadows."
She was afraid of leaving any loose ends that could cause trouble later.
Song Qing'an's eyes narrowed slightly upon hearing this. He nodded. "I will order people to keep a close watch."
"Then I shall trouble you."
At present, her identity was still that of a "dead person," making it inconvenient to appear in public. After saying this, she nodded to Song Qing'an and prepared to retreat back into the cold palace.
Seeing this, Song Qing'an quickly called out to stop her.
"Wan'er."
Feng Yinwan turned her head, slightly bewildered. Seeing his gaze fixed on the cold palace behind her, he seemed hesitant to speak.
She asked doubtfully, "What is it?"
Song Qing'an's gaze shifted, his rosy lips tightening as if from nervousness.
As her suspicion grew, Feng Yinwan heard him speak with a hint of apprehension.
"His Majesty has ordered me to remain in the palace and has specially bestowed a residence. If you do not mind... perhaps you could accompany me."
His voice was quite soft.
Whether it was an illusion or not, after saying this, Song Qing'an's earlobes seemed to be tinged with a faint blush.
Feng Yinwan sensed something and hesitated, but then he continued.
"That place is not large, but it is enough for two people to live in. It is not far from the inner palace, and there will be no one to disturb us."
"Of course, this is merely a suggestion. If you are unwilling to go, I will find another place for you..."
"Thank you, Yuzhi."
Interrupted, Song Qing'an looked up, slightly stunned. He saw that her expression was calm, with no excess emotion on her face.
"Do not worry, I have my own place to go."
Staying in the cold palace was merely a temporary measure. Once the situation in the palace was completely settled, she would return to Jiuzhou Xiangxie.
She understood Song Qing'an's considerations, but him residing in the palace and being favored by the emperor, it would be somewhat inappropriate for them to live together.
Hearing that she had a place to go, Song Qing'an nodded and did not insist further.
He merely looked at her, earnestly admonishing, "Alright. Now that I am in the palace, if you need anything, come to the imperial presence to find me."
...
By the time the sky was fully bright, the disturbances in the palace had completely ceased.
Ye Tingyan was dead, and the Emperor had reasserted his authority. The court and the inner palace naturally returned to their former order.
The Empress Dowager's apoplexy had been feigned. With a dose of medicine from Jiang Rumò, her elderly self had already recovered her health.
Ye Tingyun was initially unaware. After being released from prison, he only learned the twists and turns of the events. He was so wronged that he almost burst into tears.
The Empress Dowager and Jiang Rumò comforted him, but he complained instead.
"Grandmother, by doing this, you make me look like an idiot!"
Why did it seem like everyone knew the truth, and he was the only one kept in the dark?
He was truly the one being kept in the dark!
After a pause, he thought of something else and immediately pursued the matter with lingering disbelief.
"Where is third brother? Did third brother know about this?"
Jiang Rumò looked at him and smiled, replying, "Prince Mo knew about this early on."
Ye Tingyun: "..."
Wonderful. Even third brother kept him in the dark!
He was hurt.
He wanted to throw a tantrum, he wanted to throw a tantrum!
However, before he could even start his protest, the Emperor strode in.
Ye Tingyun called out "Father Emperor" with a resentful and complicated expression, and quietly retreated to the side.
The Emperor cast a loving glance at him and then turned his gaze to the Empress Dowager, with a hint of apology.
"My son's considerations were insufficient. These past days have caused Mother much worry."
This plan was highly classified. Only Ye Tinglan and Jiang Rumò were truly privy to it.
Although Song Qing'an was tasked with rescuing the Emperor, he did not know the full scope of the plan.
And the Empress Dowager, of course, was unaware at first. It was only after she noticed clues during the tiger tally incident that she learned part of the plan from Ye Tinglan.
Therefore, her concern for the Emperor's illness during this time was, naturally, not false.
Hearing this, her eyes reddened. The usually solemn face also showed a few signs of age.
"Hmph, you still have your mother in your heart!"
The Emperor yielded, nodding and apologizing. "It is my fault. Mother, please scold me as you wish, but do not upset yourself."
The Empress Dowager would not truly scold him. She merely gave him a perfunctory reprimand or two, and the matter was dropped.
With three generations reunited, and Ye Tingyun livening up the atmosphere, the hall was filled with a harmonious joy.
As they were conversing, an attendant, Eunuch Gao, came to report from outside.
"Your Majesty, Chang Le Palace requests your presence."
With the Emperor resuming his duties, the rebellion of the Qin clan could naturally not be avoided.
When the Qin family was raided, Ye Tingzhu was temporarily stripped of his title, and the Empress was confined to Chang Le Palace.
During this period, whether voluntarily or by force, Ye Tingzhu had served by his sickbed for a long time and had shown no disloyalty.
Considering past deeds and present merits, the punishment would likely need to be reconsidered.
"Mother, how do you think I should deal with the Empress and the First Prince?"
Although the Emperor's words seemed like a question, his eyes already held his considerations.
The Empress Dowager's expression tightened slightly upon hearing this. She said, "Naturally, it should be investigated truthfully, with rewards and punishments clearly defined."