After seeing Eunuch Liu off, Gu Jiangli was certain of one thing.

Eunuch Liu knew why the emperor was afraid of fire.

The emperor doesn't really trust her yet, so it's unrealistic to expect him to open up and tell her what he fears.

Therefore, the only option was to target Eunuch Liu, who was standing next to him.

Gu Jiangli made some preparations, changing into an elegant dress and choosing two understated pieces of jewelry before heading towards Jinghe Palace at sunset.

She boarded the golden silk palanquin reserved for imperial concubines, and many palace servants passed by along the way, their respect for her becoming even more evident.

Indeed, she used to be just an unknown concubine, and many palace servants might not even recognize her.

Things are different now; several major events have made her famous overnight.

The emperor deserves much credit for this.

Arriving at the gate of Jinghe Palace, the towering gates actually made her feel a little oppressed.

This sense of oppression came out of nowhere; it seemed to come not from the palace itself, but from the people who lived there.

Eunuch Liu greeted her with a smile and led her to the rear palace.

The emperor was seated at the round table.

It was already dark, and the house was dark and gloomy.

Several palace maids were skillfully clearing away the food on the table in the dimly lit room.

It seems the emperor has just eaten.

Gu Jiangli glanced at it briefly; the dishes on the table were barely used, showing almost no signs of having been eaten.

It is clear that the emperor did not have a good appetite.

It's not surprising that someone with a physical illness and psychological issues would have a poor appetite.

The sensible old man, Liu, led everyone out.

Gu Jiangli walked slowly to the emperor's side, her respectful demeanor suggesting she had secretly learned a great deal of etiquette.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."

The emperor tilted his chin to the side and said, "Sit down."

Gu Jiangli obediently sat down, her back ramrod straight.

"Are you afraid?" the emperor asked indifferently.

Gu Jiangli was puzzled. "What are you afraid of?"

"You've hardly ever served a man in bed, aren't you worried?"

"Serving Your Majesty is what I should do, and I should not be afraid."

The emperor remained calm and asked again, "How does it feel to become Consort Chen?"

"Oh, Your Majesty, I haven't had a chance to show off to Consort Lan yet. When I have some free time in a couple of days, I will definitely go to Consort Lan and put her arrogance to a halt. I will then ask Your Majesty for his opinion."

"While Consort Lan is still angry, you should go see her. You can add fuel to the fire. If you go after she calms down, the effect will be much less."

Gu Jiangli nodded slowly, "Yes, Your Majesty just met with Consort Lan today. You must have already endured her complaints and tears. She didn't say anything bad about me, did she?"

"I think I wanted to say something, but I didn't have time. I left after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea."

Gu Jiangli was slightly surprised.

Because the emperor's words were as if he were explaining to her that he had not shown any particular favor to Consort Lan that day.

But he didn't really need to explain it to her.

"Your Majesty, you went to see her even though you were only staying for such a short time. You really went to great lengths to do so."

The emperor's eyes darkened. "There's no need to beat around the bush in front of me. My visit to her was simply to fulfill the Empress Dowager's wish."

Gu Jiangli gave an awkward laugh.

The Empress Dowager told the Emperor to visit Consort Lan more often, but her meaning was clearly that she wanted the Emperor to favor Consort Lan more.

The emperor did indeed visit Consort Lan, but it was really just a casual visit.

He did listen, but not much.

Gu Jiangli felt a growing sense of goodwill towards the emperor.

It seems he's not a mama's boy; he has a rebellious spirit.

As the two remained silent, the sky grew completely dark.

The room became almost completely dark, with the windows wide open, relying entirely on the moonlight from the horizon to provide some illumination.

Beneath this silence, the emperor's aloof face conveyed a sense of detachment.

But he had a face that made everyone want to keep their eyes glued to him, so Gu Jiangli didn't hold back and stared directly at his profile.

At this moment, Liu Gonggong's cautious voice came from outside the door.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the medicine is ready. May I bring it in?"

A hint of disgust flashed in the emperor's eyes, and he uttered a single word, "Enter."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Liu pushed open the window, familiarly stepped across the threshold in the darkness, and walked in carrying the medicine tray.

After the medicine tray was placed on the table, Gu Jiangli could see that there were two bowls of medicine on it.

A bitter smell of medicinal herbs filled the room.

The emperor picked up one of the bowls and readily drank half of it.

The rest was left on a plate; I didn't want to drink it.

Eunuch Liu glanced at the emperor tentatively and quickly understood his meaning.

He sighed silently, picked up the remaining bowl and a half of medicine, and left the palace.

Gu Jiangli watched Liu Gonggong's departing figure with surprise, harboring doubts but not asking.

It's clearly abnormal that he only drank half a bowl out of the two bowls that were brought to him.

Dividing the medicine into two bowls only proves that the two bowls of medicine have different effects; otherwise, one large bowl would be enough.

The emperor only drank one bowl of the drink; was he only trying to treat one symptom and not the other?

Gu Jiangli looked at the emperor and found that he was indeed a complex and difficult-to-understand person.

The emperor seemed to notice her gaze as well. He stood up and extended his hand to Gu Jiangli.

Let's go.

Gu Jiangli nodded, knowing that her task today was to serve the emperor in bed, so she naturally placed her hand in the emperor's hand.

The emperor walked ahead, and she followed in his footsteps, walking step by step in the dimly lit room.

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