As midnight approached, faint sounds of music still lingered from a courtyard at the back of the Prince Manor. Princess Rong, who had already extinguished the lamps, tossed and turned restlessly on her bed, unable to fall asleep.
Recently, she had been summoning a few noble ladies who usually supported her, to inquire whether there was any chance of reclaiming Yongping's title in the future. The results were disappointing; the husbands of these women were key officials in the court, and according to them, after the Yongping incident, the Empress had issued an edict to all civil and military officials to conduct self-examinations, indicating that the anger had not subsided.
She then invited Yang Zhan over for a meal, and during their heart-to-heart talk, she intended to arrange a concubine for him. However, upon probing his disposition, he claimed that he already had enough attendants and had no intention of accepting anyone new.
