Inside the tent, Feng Qingyin had waited for half a day without seeing any sign of Zhan Yuheng, nor had she heard any news of an impending battle. She could wait no longer.
These past days, she was permitted to rest in Zhan Yuheng’s tent, yet Zhan Yuheng himself was rarely there.
Let alone resting — even when attending to matters, he had gone off to another tent.
For Feng Qingyin to be at Zhan Yuheng’s side at every moment was simply impossible.
She knew perfectly well that he was avoiding her. If she pressed him further, he would simply move somewhere else.
“Someone come.” Lowering her head and rubbing her belly, Feng Qingyin called out softly.
Two palace maids came rushing in, fearful of displeasing the person inside the tent.
“Miss Qingyin, what are your instructions?” One palace maid lowered her head and asked softly.
“Where is my Crown Prince Brother?” Feng Qingyin gave the two of them a cold glance, her heart growing more and more irritable.
As a Noble Consort of the Emperor, yet calling the Crown Prince “Crown Prince Brother” — even those long accustomed to hearing it would find it difficult to accept.
“In reply to Miss Qingyin, His Highness the Crown Prince is attending to matters in the adjacent tent. He instructed us servants to keep watch over Miss Qingyin. May this servant ask what Miss Qingyin requires?” The palace maid lowered her head in response.
“I wish to see Crown Prince Brother.” Feng Qingyin supported her belly and extended her hand.
The two palace maids saw this and immediately stepped forward.
One palace maid took Feng Qingyin’s hand while the other stood carefully at her side, not daring to be even slightly inattentive.
Once Feng Qingyin had stood up, one palace maid said, “Miss Qingyin, His Highness the Crown Prince dislikes being disturbed while attending to matters.”
“I have heard… that Miss Lingling has regained consciousness. Miss Qingyin, would you like to go and see her?”
The two palace maids were not actually palace maids selected from within the imperial palace, but rather female guards in Zhan Yuheng’s service.
In order to make it easier for Feng Qingyin to accept their attendance upon her, they had all donned the attire of palace maids.
Even these female guards who had passed through the battlefield were now entirely deferential and cautious before Feng Qingyin.
In recent days, there had been no shortage of rumors in the war camp, and even without a word being said, everyone had their own thoughts.
Feng Qingyin looked at the palace maid who had spoken. The maid immediately lowered her head, not even daring to breathe loudly.
The tent fell silent for quite some time before Feng Qingyin drew a deep breath and nodded. “Very well. I will go and see Lingling.”
Zhan Yuheng had made no effort to conceal the identities of the two palace maids, and Feng Qingyin knew perfectly well who they were.
People who served beside Crown Prince Brother — she would always give them at least a little face. And moreover, she ought to go and see Lingling.
“Very well, Miss Qingyin. Your servant will take you there now.” The palace maid nodded in acknowledgment.
As Feng Qingyin took her light, careful steps, the palace maid supporting her dared only take small, cautious steps in turn.
Leaving the tent and passing through several others, the three of them finally arrived outside Lingling’s small tent.
“Miss Qingyin.” Two palace maids standing guard outside the tent caught sight of Feng Qingyin and immediately came forward to meet her.
Receiving Feng Qingyin from the two female guards, the palace maids called out affectionately, “Miss Qingyin.”
“You need not keep to your bed either? Miss Lingling has already regained consciousness. The physician said that with proper rest for a period of time, she will recover.”
“You two may go back.” Feng Qingyin turned to look at the two who had accompanied her and waved her hand.
“Bear in mind — Crown Prince Brother only asked you to be responsible for my safety, not to monitor my daily life.”
“Yes, Miss Qingyin. Your servants would not dare.” The two female guards disguised as palace maids lowered their heads and withdrew several steps.
One of the female guards said, “Miss Qingyin, we will keep watch outside. If you need anything, simply have someone come and call for us.”
Feng Qingyin waved her hand, turned, and stepped inside.
“Leave one person to keep watch.”
“Yes.” One palace maid nodded and stopped where she stood.
After Feng Qingyin and the other palace maid had gone in, the one who remained lowered the curtain behind them.
The two female guards who had escorted Feng Qingyin withdrew a sufficient distance before stopping, turning to keep watch on the tent from where they stood.
“Miss.” Seeing Feng Qingyin enter, Lingling sat up on the bed.
She casually pulled over a length of gauze and held it up to shield her face.
Feng Qingyin withdrew her hand from the palace maid’s grasp and waved her away.
“You may go as well. I have things to say to Lingling. Make certain no one is able to overhear.”
“Yes, Miss.” The palace maid nodded, turned, and withdrew.
Feng Qingyin sat down beside Lingling and yanked away the thin gauze she had been trying to tie over her face.
“Miss, do not look!” Lingling turned her face away.
With a trace of distaste, Feng Qingyin nonetheless said calmly, “Turn back and let me see.”
Lingling pressed her lips together, leaned back slightly, and then turned to face Feng Qingyin.
Staring at that face which turned one’s stomach, Feng Qingyin’s expression grew very dark.
“What exactly happened? How did the medicine end up affecting you yourself? Are you saying Feng Jiu’er was not harmed at all?”
Lingling let out a soft sigh and nodded.
She lowered her head and picked up the gauze from the bed, casually using it to cover her face once more.
“The imperial physician said it can be lessened somewhat but cannot be completely cured.”
“I know this drug’s potency better than you do. How could you have been so careless?” Feng Qingyin gripped her fist tightly and stood up.
“Miss, please sit and speak. I beg of you.” Lingling stood up, a trace of urgency in her eyes.
Distancing herself from that repulsive face, Feng Qingyin found a chair and sat down.
“Feng Jiu’er was truly not harmed at all?” she asked again, her voice low and stern.
Lingling shook her head and sat back on the bed. “It would appear not.”
“Miss, Feng Jiu’er’s martial skill surpassed anything I could have imagined. She was as though she had mastered some supreme, peerless divine technique — immense inner power, swift and nimble movements.”
“My own skill, compared to hers, falls far too short.”
“How is that possible?” Feng Qingyin frowned lightly. “You witnessed Feng Jiu’s ability back then, did you not?”
“Her martial skill was no more than passable. How could it possibly be mentioned in the same breath as a supreme divine technique?”
“You were outwitted by Feng Jiu’er once, and now you are praising others while looking down on yourself? Lingling, your abilities are far more than this!”
“Miss, I am not doing that.” Lingling looked at Feng Qingyin and shook her head. “The Feng Jiu’er of now is different from who she was before.”
“I once heard that the Ninth Prince took her to the Dream Clan to seek some peerless divine technique manual. Perhaps she truly did find it.”
Watching Feng Qingyin’s complexion grow increasingly ugly, Lingling stood up.
She wanted to go over to her, but worried her own appearance would frighten the Miss. She hesitated for a moment and sat back down.
“I will not conceal this from Miss — with Feng Jiu’er’s current level of power, even if she were to face His Highness the Crown Prince as an opponent, she would not necessarily be defeated.”
Now that things had come to this point, Feng Qingyin did not want to accept it, yet she had no choice but to acknowledge this truth.
She gripped her fist tightly, eyes fixed on a corner of the tent, her gaze carrying a murderous chill.
“Feng Jiu’er — I simply refuse to believe you can be this fortunate for a lifetime. This time, I will absolutely not give you any chance to escape!”