Time has quickly moved to March.
Another spring has arrived, a season of chirping birds and blooming flowers.
Yet, both inside and outside the palace, people are anxious, and few have the mood to appreciate such beautiful scenery.
In the court, having not seen the Emperor for many days and lacking any news from the palace, civil and military officials naturally harbor suspicions.
In the harem, the Emperor is the common husband of all, and naturally, he receives the full attention of his consorts.
Not seeing the Emperor for ten days or half a month and hearing no news about him, the suspicions within them are inevitable.
Those rumors and news are like fire inside paper, impossible to contain.
Inside and outside the palace, people are restless.
Xia Ruqing is also seldom seen.
Every few days, she would visit Zhaochen Palace, then shut herself in Duanning Palace and refuse to come out.
It was pointless for the consorts to try to gather information.
