After being sentenced to death, she came to her senses.

The moon cast long shadows, and fewer and fewer pedestrians appeared on the road.

After finishing the last wonton, the stall had already closed.

After paying, Fang Xiaoran left with Gu Yuqing.

He did not choose to return to the carriage, but walked back.

Donglai Street isn't too far from the Marquis's residence, so walking back wouldn't be a problem.

However, his legs had not recovered, and walking such a long distance at once was not good for him.

Fang Xiaoran stared at him and calmly reminded him, "If you walk back like this, your legs will definitely feel uncomfortable, and you might even get injured."

Unexpectedly, Gu Yuqing smiled faintly and looked at Fang Xiaoran. His peach blossom eyes were particularly eye-catching, and they remained undiminished even under the cold moonlight.

He said, "Isn't there you? I believe you can definitely heal my leg."

"I can cure you, but only if you follow the doctor's orders," Fang Xiaoran said in a deep voice, which was met with a hearty laugh from Gu Yuqing.

He strolled along at a leisurely pace.

The number of pedestrians on the road decreased until there were none left. Shops closed one after another, and the candles on the street were extinguished one by one, leaving only the moonlight to illuminate the way forward.

Fortunately, the weather was relatively clear, and the moonlight was sufficient.

The wind swept across the empty eaves, carrying the last wisp of smoke into the moonlight.

The hoarse sound of the night watchman's clapper came from not far away, three times, five times, and then he too disappeared into the shadows at the end of the alley.

A cool breeze ruffled Gu Yuqing's stray hairs. He slowly raised his head, gazing at the high-hanging crescent moon, and suddenly said softly, "It's almost the middle of the moon."

July is approaching, and the 14th is naturally not far away.

Fang Xiaoran had been preparing for this day for a long time, and it was finally coming.

She remained silent, gazing into the distance.

Gu Yuqing tilted his head slightly, looked at her, and kissed her with a smile: "Are you ready?"

"If you're not prepared, does Young Master Gu really intend to help me rescue my master?" Fang Xiaoran said with a light laugh.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuqing's eyebrows softened, and he smiled faintly, "If you call me husband, it wouldn't be so bad."

Fang Xiaoran didn't take these words to heart, assuming he was just joking.

After all, he often makes jokes, so how can they be taken seriously?

She naturally wouldn't utter those two words; all that lingered in her mind was the phrase "soon." But she couldn't help asking, "What exactly does the Empress Dowager want you to promise her?"

Generally speaking, Fang Xiaoran wouldn't pry too much into Gu Yuqing's affairs. Although they were husband and wife in name, they actually acted independently and rarely had any connection.

This time, however, she simply couldn't suppress her curiosity. She had so many questions and doubts about this person, and it would be unbearable to keep them bottled up inside.

Gu Yuqing shrugged and said helplessly, "She didn't say, how would I know?"

Fang Xiaoran asked, "If you didn't know, why did you refuse so decisively?"

"Because I knew it couldn't be anything good, of course I had to refuse. What if it was meant to kill me?" Gu Yuqing's eyes were indifferent. The moonlight falling into his eyes was like being swallowed by a deep pool, leaving not even a trace.

Looking at him, Fang Xiaoran had a strange feeling. This man never spoke the truth, yet he was always convincing.

She smiled helplessly, not dwelling on the matter any further, and simply said, "Is that so?"

The sound gradually faded away in the wind...

The events that occurred in the palace were not widely publicized, as there was a deliberate attempt to suppress them. Those who had managed to escape from Wanchun Pavilion remained silent. The outside world only knew that a large fire had broken out in the palace, which nearly spread but was fortunately saved in time. However, many noble ladies and gentlemen died in the fire.

No one dared to mention this disaster, not even in private discussions.

Previously, some fearless individuals had secretly mentioned this matter, but ended up being killed. Although their deaths were suspicious, no one was sure if it was due to their loose tongues.

Once the news spread, those who attended the birthday celebration were filled with anxiety and dared not even step out of their doors.

As for the palace, Consort Ning was suspected of having an affair with a foreign official and was imprisoned in the Hanlu Palace.

The Cold Dew Palace was extremely remote, no different from the Cold Palace, only with a better name.

The Seventh Prince was embroiled in the controversy surrounding the imperial bloodline. Although a blood test later proved that he was indeed of royal blood, the rumors had already spread. The emperor was extremely suspicious, and even if he knew that the Seventh Prince was innocent, he would certainly not value him as much as before.

Moreover, the blood test for kinship is inherently manipulable, and it might just be a pretext to save face for the royal family.

As a result, Consort Ning completely lost power, but the Empress was not much better off. She had already been stripped of her title and forced to hand over the Phoenix Seal. This time, she almost caused the royal family to lose face. Although she was the one seeking justice, it was hard to guarantee that she would not be disliked.

Consort Hui, on the contrary, benefited from the situation, temporarily taking control of the harem and enjoying great success.

Of course, the Empress Dowager was also tricked this time. She helped Emperor Zhao intimidate the people attending the birthday banquet and enabled Emperor Zhao to successfully establish a glorious image of a benevolent and wise ruler. However, this was obviously very different from the Empress Dowager's original intention.

Fang Xiaoran roughly knew about these things and sneered inwardly. She could only say that the Empress was indeed as she had expected, willing to go to any lengths to bring down Consort Ning. Consort Hui's rise to power was quite unexpected.

Few princes are capable of shouldering great responsibilities now. Although the Third Prince Zhao Jin was not implicated in this incident, he is still the son of Consort Ning and will inevitably be affected.

In recent days, there has been little news about Zhao Jin, probably because he knows that this matter is not in his favor, and Emperor Zhao will certainly treat him much worse than before. Once the father and son harbor resentment, it means that it will be even more difficult for him to compete for the position of crown prince.

This was pretty much what Fang Xiaoran had hoped for; she wanted Zhao Jin to be unable to get what he wanted in this life.

What surprised Fang Xiaoran the most was the treatment of the Grand Tutor. Emperor Zhao seemed completely unconcerned about his affair with Consort Ning, making no mention of it and not punishing the Grand Tutor. This led those who were curious about his relationship with Consort Ning to speculate.

Could it be that things aren't as the Empress described at all? There must be some misunderstanding. Otherwise, given Emperor Zhao's ruthless methods, he would never have let the Grand Tutor off the hook. Even if he plays a pivotal role in the court, it doesn't mean that an emperor can tolerate his concubines having affairs with court officials.

Unless there are other hidden reasons, no one knows what the reason is.

Fang Xiaoran didn't look into it too much. With the Ghost Festival approaching, she had to make thorough preparations.

The blood toad grass, the missing ingredient in the initial preparation of the antidote, has been found.

What Fang Xiaoran found strange was that the Blood Toad Grass was not something her people had painstakingly found, but rather something someone had taken to a pharmacy to sell, which the shopkeeper bought at a high price and immediately handed over to Fang Xiaoran.

Blood toad grass is extremely rare, and harvesting it is even more difficult. She even mobilized resources from those closest to her, but still failed to find it. Originally, she thought that if she couldn't find it soon, she would have no choice but to go to the ghost market.

I never expected it to fall into her hands in this way; I always feel that someone did it on purpose.

But whatever the reason, Fang Xiaoran had no time to consider it; she had to immediately concoct the antidote.

Therefore, she returned to the Princess's residence and began a period of seclusion with Jiu Yuan.

This seclusion lasted for more than ten days.