Fourteen prefectures.

Since Chen hanged herself, Wanyan felt empty and bored, having lost someone she had always hated.

It was as if the Fourteenth Prince had vanished into thin air, and there was no further contact with him.

Wanyan knew that she, her fourteenth son's concubines, and their children would live such a life of confinement, with no idea when it would end. Perhaps her fourteenth son would never appear again, and she would grow old slowly along with the fourteenth son's household.

Fourteen, where are you? Did you just abandon your family and disappear without a trace?

Like Wanyan, there was another woman who was filled with sorrow and anxiously awaited the king.

The Yikun Palace was shrouded in a deathly stillness, devoid of any vitality. A torrential rain dispelled the unbearable heat and drought, bringing boundless blessings to the common people and also easing the gloom and despair over the untimely death of the young prince in the palace.

It seemed that Lady Nian had suddenly come to her senses overnight. After being bedridden for many days, she suddenly got up very early today and sat upright at the head of the bed, startling the maid who came in to help her get up.

Bai Zhi rushed in upon hearing the commotion, and upon seeing Lady Nian, she burst into tears. Lady Nian reached out and Bai Zhi quickly helped her up. Lady Nian looked at her reflection in the dressing mirror, touched her face in surprise, and said blankly, "My face..."

The person in the mirror was no longer the rosy-cheeked, shy woman she once was. Instead, she resembled a resentful woman abandoned in the deep palace, with empty eyes, a gaunt face, and fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. Lady Nian hadn't expected her appearance to have aged so drastically, and a sense of fear crept into her heart.

"Bai Zhi...come quickly, help me with my hair and makeup..." Lady Nian hurriedly called out to Bai Zhi. Bai Zhi was delighted and beckoned to two or three maids to comb Lady Nian's hair and apply powder and rouge. However, after the makeup was done, Lady Nian still felt that her appearance was much worse than before, and she stammered, unable to express her feelings. Bai Zhi saw Lady Nian's regret and signaled the maids to leave. She then knelt down and selected a hairpin for Lady Nian, putting it on her head.

"Your Majesty, I'm so happy you're getting better..." Bai Zhi couldn't help but cry as she spoke, but Lady Nian lowered her head dejectedly and sighed, "Even if I get better, what then? I'm still getting old..."

Bai Zhi quickly stopped crying, hastily wiped away her tears, and comforted her with a smile: "No, Your Majesty, as long as you are willing to put in some effort, Your Majesty's beauty will surely be captivating again..."

Suddenly remembering that Bai Zhi was an expert in skincare, and that Bai Zhi had always prepared rouge and face powder for her back in the Prince's residence, Lady Nian asked expectantly, "Do you have any way to restore my complexion to its original state? No... even better than before?"

Bai Zhi knelt down in surprise, nodded confidently, and said with a smile, "Your Majesty, you've finally figured it out! I was so worried! I will definitely concoct the best beauty ointment for Your Majesty to restore your youthful appearance..."

Lady Nian gestured for Bai Zhi to stand up, then carefully examined herself in the mirror, and said with a wry smile, "How long has it been since His Majesty visited Yikun Palace?"

Bai Zhi was taken aback, and stammered, "It's been a while, but His Majesty said that Your Highness should rest well and he will come to visit you once you've recovered..."

Lady Nian shook her head sadly and said sarcastically, "Ever since my elder brother was impeached by the previous dynasty, the Emperor has visited even less. Now I have already lost two sons. If anything happens to my brother, our Nian family will be finished..."

Bai Zhi trembled with fear and said in a trembling voice, "His Majesty has already promised Your Highness that he will not easily believe those rumors, so Your Highness should not think too much about it..."

Lady Nian said dejectedly, "I knew this day would come, but I am unwilling to accept it. I can no longer sit idly by and wait for my doom..."

Lady Nian suddenly turned around and grabbed Bai Zhi, saying urgently, "So I need to regain my beauty as soon as possible. The Emperor once said that he likes to see me the most. I need to be even more beautiful than before..."

Bai Zhi thought for a while, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and exclaimed, "This servant knows! The fastest and best way to restore skin is to use morning dew mixed with pearl powder. As long as you persist in using it morning and night, it will be completely restored in less than half a month..."