Upon hearing the news that the emperor lingered in the Changle Palace and that Yue Chen had regained favor, some concubines in the harem were delighted, some were worried, while most remained indifferent. In fact, this news wasn't entirely unexpected. Since the emperor hadn't deposed the empress, it was only a matter of time before she regained favor. Moreover, there was also the Prince Regent who had returned from the northern border.

　　The Prince Regent had once been on good terms with the Yue family. The emperor had seized the opportunity to convict the Yue family and executed them in a hurry. In such haste, it was inevitable that some details were overlooked. Things had developed too quickly, and there was no point in regretting now. Presumably, the emperor had been carried away by the joy of victory at that time and failed to eliminate Yue Chen, the remaining threat, in a timely manner. Or perhaps Yue Chen had been too dull and easy to deal with back then, but now he was gradually suffering the consequences. Since one wants to cut the grass, one should also remove the roots and burn it all to ashes.

　　How far the empress could go depended on how long the Prince Regent would assist her. After a woman gets married, her last reliance is usually her maternal family, but the empress's maternal family had been completely exterminated. After all, the Prince Regent was a man, and Yue Chen was in the harem. There were some things that couldn't be done just because one had great power.

　　However, after experiencing the extermination of her family, the loss of her child, losing favor and being sent to the cold palace, Yun Lian had rashly gone to the cold palace to tell Yue Chen that everything was a hoax, making full use of others' sincerity. Logically speaking, there shouldn't be such a loophole now, but Yue Chen was indeed still alive. Even Yun Lian couldn't figure out how she had managed to survive. After Yue Chen hit the pillar and fell to the ground, Luo Xia had stepped forward to check her breath. Could it be that the current living Yue Chen was possessed by some evil spirit? The more Yun Lian thought about it, the more superstitious and strange it seemed.

　　The concubines in the palace each had their own speculations. Since that night, Yu Qian hadn't come again. Besides the daily necessary greetings, Chen Zhi spent the whole day in the Changle Palace, eating, sleeping, and lying around, living a carefree and comfortable life.

　　Rong Quan noticed that Yue Chen had visibly gained a lot of weight. Her thin and frail body had also recovered a great deal. Her lips were rosy, and her face was full. She was no longer as weak as when they first met, as if a strong wind could blow her down.

　　It should be so. The medicinal food and tonics from the prince's residence were sent to the Changle Palace every day as if they were free. Every three to five days, an imperial doctor would come to diagnose her condition and adjust the prescription accordingly. He had never seen the prince put so much thought into anyone else. Rong Quan guessed in his heart that Yue Chen wasn't suffering from amnesia, but rather seemed like a different person inside. Except for her face, everything else was different from what he had heard.

　　Chen Zhi was sitting on the couch, on the verge of falling asleep. She was extremely sleepy. At this time of day, she usually took a nap. It had been half a month since Yu Qian's last visit. Finally, a concubine couldn't hold back and came to stage the so - called palace intrigue drama. She was quite excited at first, but the timing was bad. At this moment, she just wanted to close her eyes and sleep.

　　“Your servant pays respects to the Empress Dowager,” Liang Pin said with proper etiquette, unlike Xian You. Chen Zhi, who was behind the screen, looked at Rong Quan with an inquiring look in her eyes.

　　Rong Quan was also helpless. He was a highly skilled guard, not a eunuch who wandered around the harem all day. People asked him about those he didn't know, about utensils he didn't recognize, and about food he was unfamiliar with. If this continued, he would forget what his original duty was. Although he was protesting inwardly, he still whispered to Yue Chen.

　　“Rise,” Chen Zhi said softly, raising her hand. The rules in the harem were so strict that a higher - ranked concubine could suppress others effortlessly.

　　Liang Pin stood up and said respectfully, “I heard that Your Majesty is not feeling well. Your servant has specially stewed a nourishing soup and brought it for Your Majesty.”

　　Chen Zhi came out from behind the screen and saw a palace maid behind Liang Pin holding a bamboo - woven food box in both hands. She replied casually, “I've been unwell for over half a month. Liang Pin, it took you so long to send the nourishing soup. It seems you're not very concerned.”

　　Yu Qian had many concubines in the harem. Although Yue Chen, as the empress, had never treated any concubine differently in the past, treating them all equally and never being harsh to the palace maids or servants. However, after the Yue family was destroyed, Yue Chen lost her unborn child and lived alone in the Changle Palace. No one came to visit her, and she had seen the coldness of the world.

　　Upon hearing this, Liang Pin wasn't annoyed. She replied respectfully, “Your Majesty may not know. There is a very hard - to - find ingredient in this nourishing soup. Your servant asked her clansmen to search for it outside the capital recently. As soon as your servant got it, she immediately made the soup and brought it here without any delay.”

　　“So that's the case. It seems I misunderstood,” Chen Zhi said. This Liang Pin was really patient. She even had an excuse ready when she came. “Put the medicine on the table.”

　　“Yes,” Liang Pin said. She raised her hand and made a gesture. The palace maid behind her carefully walked to the table and gently placed the food box on it.

　　Chen Zhi covered her mouth and yawned, looking extremely tired. Seeing this, Liang Pin casually found an excuse and left.

　　Chen Zhi sat beside the table, propping her chin with one hand, and glanced slightly at Liang Pin's departing figure. She was quite observant, better at hiding herself than Xian You.

　　“Is that all?” Rong Quan asked. He had thought he would see Liang Pin storming out again, but it ended so quietly.

　　“What do you expect? Liang Pin's rank is higher than Xian You's. She answered my words without any mistakes and was respectful and polite to me, the empress. She's very good at reading people's expressions. She has no grudges with me. I'm not a firecracker that explodes at the sight of anyone,” Chen Zhi understood Rong Quan's eagerness to watch a show. In the past half - month, everything had been calm. Finally, a concubine came, but it disappointed him.

　　Rong Quan quickly changed the topic. Otherwise, this “firecracker” might explode at him. “She said this soup is so precious and rare. Are you going to drink it?”

　　“See the flower pot on the high stool? Use it as flower fertilizer,” Chen Zhi said. Whether the soup was poisonous or not, she wouldn't drink it. She had been toned up too much recently, and she would vomit if she had to drink any more bitter medicine.

　　“Isn't it a bit wasteful to pour away someone's good intentions?” Rong Quan said, picking up the soup and looking at it from all angles. It didn't smell bitter and didn't seem to be poisoned.

　　“If you want to drink it, it's yours. 正好可以试毒 (It can be used to test for poison just right),” Chen Zhi said.

　　“You think the women in the harem are too stupid. Who would poison someone and deliver it in person? If something happens, she'll be the first one to be suspected,” Rong Quan thought secretly in his heart. He thought, not everyone is as stupid as you, not seeing the prince's brilliance like a pearl.

　　Chen Zhi was a bit speechless. But soldiers who fought on the battlefield were straightforward and didn't have so many twists and turns. “Who said poisoning has to kill someone immediately? Why does it have to be an obvious poison that takes effect as soon as one drinks it? There's also a kind of slow - acting poison. The dosage is increased little by little, and the last dose is what kills the person.”

　　Rong Quan's understanding was simple. He was born in troubled times, lost his parents, and begged for food in the alleys. He couldn't remember which day it was, but a man in a black long robe appeared in front of him, and he followed him. At that time, his only thought was to have enough to eat and a place to live.

　　“Anyway, in short, don't trust anyone easily in the harem, or you won't even know how you die. Especially since I'm sitting in the position that all the women in the harem want. They dream of pulling me down,” Chen Zhi said, looking at Rong Quan's half - understanding expression. She didn't expect him to understand. Anyway, he wouldn't be by her side for long. When the Prince Regent left the capital, as his personal guard, Rong Quan would naturally follow.

　　In the past half - month, she had taken good care of her body. The women in the harem were well - educated but didn't know martial arts. Next, she could ask Rong Quan to teach her some basic self - defense techniques.