Lanqin had nothing to do these past few days, so she thought she'd go visit Ulanara. She wondered if she was eating properly. As soon as she entered the house, a sour, foul smell hit her. Lanqin covered her nose and went further inside.

Ulanara was found chained to the bed, her hair disheveled and her face haggard, with a grain or two of rice stuck to her lips. She looked utterly miserable.

"Your Majesty, as long as you eat your food properly, you don't have to suffer like this!" Ulanara was truly frightening at this moment.

When Ulanara saw Lanqin arrive, she hurriedly knelt on the bed, the chains making a grating clanging sound. "Consort Xi, I beg you, spare me! If this continues, I'll go mad, I'll die, I'll die..." Ulanara's voice gradually faded, realizing she was pleading with the woman she hated most.

Seeing Ulanara in this state, Lanqin felt not happiness, but rather pity and sorrow. The Empress, though despicable, was still the Empress, the mother of the nation, and the women of the harem were all vying for the Emperor's favor. Ulanara's current state was also due to the Fourth Prince.

Seeing that Lanqin did not respond, Ulanara was completely devastated. She did not want to suffer like this anymore. "Consort Xi, I beg you! I beg you... I really can't take it anymore. I promise I will never do anything bad again. Now I just want to spend my old age in peace in the harem."

Seeing that Ulanara's eyes were red and she was trembling, Lanqin felt a pang of pity and said to her, "I promise you that I will not let anyone drug you again. You must eat properly and I will have these chains removed." After all, she was a woman, and Lanqin could not do anything too ruthless.

Ulanara agreed to all of them, kneeling on the bed and kowtowing in gratitude. Lanqin didn't want to see the Empress like this anymore; she feared she might not be able to bring herself to release her. The once high and mighty Empress was now a prisoner; she wondered how Ulanara felt.

Ulanara stared sharply at Lanqin's back from behind. "Lanqin, you treated me like this today. When Fourth Master returns, he must let him know your crimes!"

After leaving the room, Lanqin said to Cui Niang, "Cui Niang, have someone tidy up her room. She is, after all, the Empress, and I don't want her to live too miserably." The Empress's pale face and disheveled hair flashed through her mind.

Thinking that the Empress had softened her heart, Cui Niang advised, "Your Majesty, you mustn't be soft-hearted! Now that the Emperor has gone to the Northwest, this is our last chance!" Ulanara has killed so many people, we must not let her off easily.

Lanqin knew what Cui Niang was worried about, but the Emperor was currently in the Northwest, and she already felt somewhat guilty for treating the Empress this way while he was away. Besides, Ulanara should already know to repent. "Ulanara is, after all, the Empress. If she dies in such an unclear way, those people from the previous court will surely jump out. The Emperor is at the front lines now, and I cannot let him be distracted!"

Although Cui Niang didn't want the Empress to let the Emperor off the hook, Lan Qin had already spoken, so she couldn't say anything more and could only stand aside and nod. The sun had just set, and the setting sun cast its glow on the earth. Lan Qin gazed at the sky, her thoughts drifting far away. She wondered how the Fourth Prince and Hongli were doing in the Northwest.