Yan Qige walked a few steps closer to look at the rice paper on the table, then frowned slightly without speaking.

“Let me see.” Yusang curiously moved over, craning her neck to look, and was immediately somewhat shocked – the painting was actually of herself.

“Why are you painting me? I don’t have this mole under my eye right now – you painted it wrong.” Yusang pointed at the woman in the painting with some criticism.

Zhao Yirong turned his head to look at Yusang, raised his eyebrows, and swept his sleeves as he put down the brush, not explaining. His gaze was ambiguous and unclear as he looked toward Yan Qige.

Yusang also followed Zhao Yirong’s gaze to look at Yan Qige, only then discovering his brows were slightly knitted and his expression very strange. Just as Yusang was about to speak and ask, she suddenly heard palace attendants announcing.

“His Majesty arrives, Imperial Noble Consort Chen arrives.”

Everyone performed ceremonial bows and knelt. Yusang followed suit and crouched down, looking toward the entrance to see a young man in bright yellow dragon robes entering the hall surrounded by numerous eunuchs, with a woman in purple palace dress and elaborate hair ornaments following beside him.

“Everyone rise.” Zhao Zhang spoke, and everyone thanked him and stood up. Yusang rose with the crowd and looked up at the person before her. When her gaze fell upon the woman beside the emperor, she suddenly froze in place. The same eyebrows, the same eyes – the only difference was that she had a small cinnabar teardrop mole below her right eye.

The palace meal proceeded exceptionally slowly. Yusang sat in a daze beside Yan Qige, occasionally eating something, but her mind was full of questions. When she looked up to see Imperial Noble Consort Chen sitting beside the emperor, she discovered the consort was also observing her. Consort Chen smiled sweetly, appearing even more charming.

“Prince Yan and I have not seen each other for many years. Why not stay today to accompany us in a game of chess?” At the end, Zhao Zhang made this proposal, so Yan Qige remained in the palace while Yusang and Zhao Yirong left the palace to return to the inn.

When leaving the palace, Zhao Yirong walked alongside Yusang. Seeing her distracted expression, he smiled and said, “What is Princess Yan thinking about to be so absorbed?”

Yusang didn’t look up, speaking listlessly, “Prince of Huainan is clever – why not guess for yourself?”

“Princess Consort is truly interesting. I guess you’re thinking about Imperial Noble Consort Chen.”

Yusang stopped walking and turned to look at Zhao Yirong. After a pause, she said, “You say I’m thinking about Her Highness Consort Chen, but aren’t you doing the same?”

She had expected Zhao Yirong to deny something, but unexpectedly, he was completely open about it, saying, “Naturally, I’m also thinking about Consort Chen, and I’d like to take this opportunity to visit her palace. Would Princess Consort be willing to accompany me?”

“It’s already time for the palace gates to be locked…” Yusang was about to say it wasn’t convenient, but unexpectedly, Zhao Yirong had already reached out to grab her arm and drag her toward the rear garden of the imperial palace.

Zhao Yirong navigated with practiced ease, circling several palace gates and passing through a garden area to reach where the imperial consorts resided. Hearing the sounds of imperial guards patrolling, he quickly pulled Yusang to leap up and land behind some bushes to the side.

“You dare to have secret meetings with the emperor’s consorts – aren’t you afraid of losing your head?” Yusang spoke in a lowered voice.

“You’re impersonating Princess Yan, which is also the capital crime of deceiving the sovereign. Yet you’re not afraid either.”

“You… how do you know?” Having been exposed in one sentence, Yusang couldn’t help feeling guilty.

“How could I not know Yan Qige’s thoughts?” Zhao Yirong raised his chin somewhat proudly.

“What thoughts?”

“He has a painting in his possession. Years ago, he once pointed to that painting and told me that the woman in the painting was the most important person in his life. I understood that if he ever married, it would be that woman.”

“Who is it?”

Zhao Yirong opened his mouth to speak, but when the words reached his lips, he suddenly stopped, glanced at Yusang, and said, “Forget it, I’d better not tell you, lest he blame me later for being a blabbermouth.”

“Leaving half the story untold – how annoying.” Yusang snorted disdainfully and waved her sleeve. Seeing the imperial guards had already walked away, she emerged from behind the tree.

Zhao Yirong followed suit, looked around, then pulled Yusang to scale the walls. They leaped over several palace walls and stopped outside a brightly lit palace compound. The main hall bore a large plaque with blue background and gold inscription, carved with three characters “Zhaode Palace” written personally by the emperor.

According to normal reasoning, since this was a private nighttime meeting, they definitely couldn’t enter boldly through the main gate. Just as Yusang was wondering what to do, she heard Zhao Yirong call out loudly, “Your Highness Consort Chen, this prince has come to see you.”

The palace gates opened wide. Two eunuchs and palace maids knelt at the entrance in greeting, then Consort Chen walked over, laughing as she said, “I’ve been waiting for you for some time – I knew you would come.”

Discovering Yusang behind Zhao Yirong, Consort Chen was momentarily stunned, then nodded to Yusang with a smile. Seeing Consort Chen so magnanimous and frank, it was Yusang who felt somewhat embarrassed.

Following Zhao Yirong into the hall, the interior was rich and luxurious with pearls for lamps, and all the furnishings and decorations were of the finest quality. A pear blossom fragrance table had already been set with tea service – it seemed Consort Chen had anticipated having visitors.

“Imperial Uncle truly dotes on you – this Zhaode Palace is really beautiful.” Zhao Yirong surveyed the interior as he strolled over to sit at the table.

“It cannot compare to your Prince of Huainan’s mansion.” Consort Chen sat across from him and smiled as she gestured for Yusang to take a seat as well.

“On the way here, I heard you’ve been promoted to Noble Consort, and the people are all saying your reputation is unparalleled, calling you the Greatest Consort Under Heaven. Congratulations, congratulations.” Zhao Yirong smelled the tea’s fragrance and smiled with flattering jest.

Consort Chen curved her lips in a smile but didn’t show much joy, only politely instructed a palace maid to pour tea and bring it to Yusang, saying, “This is Snowy Mountain Dragon Well tea bestowed by His Majesty. Princess Yan, please partake.”

Yusang politely expressed thanks and received the teacup, intending to taste it. But when she brought it near her nose, she caught a whiff of something strange. Upon closer investigation, she couldn’t help being greatly alarmed – there was demonic energy in this tea.

“Good tea, good tea.” Yusang calmly went through the motions, smiling as she set down the teacup, and noticed Consort Chen was observing her.

“Princess Yan’s bracelet is really beautiful – it must be a gift from Prince Yan.”

Yusang looked at her face. Though she was smiling, she always felt something sinister rushing toward her. Staring into her eyes for too long made her back grow cold, and she shivered somewhat uncomfortably.

“Yes.” Yusang avoided her gaze and smiled.

What followed was some polite small talk. By the second watch of the night, Zhao Yirong finally yawned. Consort Chen said she had already arranged for the west wing room and had palace maids lead him there, and also arranged for Yusang to rest in the east wing.

Yusang was attended to sleep by palace maids, but lying in bed, she couldn’t fall asleep no matter what. After tossing and turning for an hour and hearing complete silence outside, she felt her way up from bed and quietly slipped out of Zhaode Palace. Borrowing the moonlight, she leaped up onto the palace roof and stood on the main beam. Yusang looked around in all directions, closed her eyes, and curved her fingers to inhale a breath of night wind. She indeed sensed thick spiritual power emanating from the north side of the imperial palace.

Out of curiosity, Yusang followed the source of the spiritual power all the way, finally stopping before a great hall built on a high platform. This hall was different from ordinary imperial palace buildings – it had two tiers of flying eaves, not the usual four-cornered or eight-cornered eaves, but nine eaves per tier, eighteen in total across both levels. The stone bricks used to build the hall were also not the typical red and white colors, but cold black-tinged azure bricks. Just standing here, one could feel the hall’s sinister coldness someone had deliberately established a barrier here.