"Aunt!" He Xue suddenly woke up, covered in a cold sweat.

After sitting on the bed for a while, He Xue realized that she had just been dreaming. She saw Consort Tongjia looking at her with the same gentle and loving gaze as always, and she wanted to get closer to Consort Tongjia.

But Consort Tongjia was getting further and further away from her. No matter how she chased and called out to her, Consort Tongjia seemed not to hear her. In the end, she could no longer see Consort Tongjia's figure, and she woke up in a panic.

"Princess, you're awake?" Nanxing heard Hexue's voice and immediately came in.

He Xue hastily wiped the sweat and tears from her face and was about to get out of bed to see Consort Tongjia.

"Princess, be careful of your foot injury!" Nanxing quickly helped Hexue up.

He Xue then looked down and saw that one of her feet was wrapped up.

"Princess, are you going to see the Imperial Concubine?" Nanxing asked.

He Xue nodded.

"Let me carry you across!" Nanxing said, squatting down in front of Hexue.

"No need, help me over there!" He Xue felt that Nan Xing wasn't much older than her, and she could walk on her own, so she didn't need Nan Xing to carry her.

“Alright, Princess, let’s walk slowly! No rush!” Nanxing said after tidying up He Xue.

“Okay!” He Xue replied, and then, supported by Nan Xing, she walked towards Consort Tongjia’s room.

Consort Hui, Consort Rong, and Consort Yi arrived at the room where the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager!" The three women bowed in greeting.

"Get up quickly!" The Empress Dowager asked in surprise when she saw Consort Yi arrive, "Why did you come? Didn't I tell Consort Hui to tell you not to come?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Gui has always taken good care of me. Now that she is ill, I can't rest easy just by checking on her."

"This is not Consort Hui's fault; it was I who insisted on coming!" Consort Yi said immediately, fearing that the Empress Dowager would blame Consort Hui.

"Alright, you're already here, I can't just send you away!" the Empress Dowager said.

"Thank you, Empress Dowager!" Consort Yi replied with a smile.

"Your Majesty, Consort Wuya has just given birth to the Ninth Princess! Mother and daughter are safe and sound!" Consort Rong stepped forward and said.

"Yes, it's good that you're safe!" The Empress Dowager didn't say anything else.

"Grandmother and Mother, you two should go back and rest!" Emperor Kangxi came over at this moment.

"Alright then! I'm too old to keep an eye on things anymore!" the Empress Dowager said with a smile. "Xuan Ye, do whatever you want! Consider it a way to bring good luck to the Consort!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi's face lit up with joy. "Thank you, Grandmother!"

The Empress Dowager smiled at this and then invited the other Empress Dowagers to leave together.

Along the long palace path, the Empress Dowager and Granny Su supported the Empress Dowager on either side as they walked towards the Cining Palace.

"Your Majesty, what did you mean just now?" the Empress Dowager asked.

"It's just as you think. Over the years, Emperor Xuan Ye has wanted to promote the Consort's rank, but I have been holding it back because I was worried that the Consort's child would affect the Crown Prince's position."

"It seems the Imperial Concubine's days are numbered. We might as well go along with Emperor Xuan Ye's wishes! That way, he won't have any regrets!" said the Empress Dowager.

"Could it be that the Imperial Concubine really is?" the Empress Dowager asked with some sadness.

She had watched the Imperial Concubine grow up, and it was hard for her to accept such news.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the surrounding images, a dark mass stretching as far as the eye could see. This palace was like a black hole, swallowing up too many women, yet there were still women desperately trying to get in. Getting in was easy, but getting out was impossible.

She was trapped in this square city her whole life, and could never return to the grasslands.

"Now we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate!" the Empress Dowager said slowly.

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager saw a picture in her mind of He Xue being carried away from the Consort by the Crown Prince. If the Consort were to die, wouldn't the child be heartbroken?

No, when she gets back to Ciren Palace, she will pray to the Eternal Heaven to bless the Imperial Concubine.