The dark clouds dispersed, and the sky cleared again. A vast expanse of azure blue, without a single cloud. The old lady was the first to recover, her hands deftly moving the black jade prayer beads one by one as she walked into the courtyard. She loudly commanded the others, "Tie her up and take her to Yiren Pavilion!"

The servants gradually came to their senses and, with trepidation, carried the unconscious Yan Ning towards Yi Ren Xuan.

Yirenxuan was the former residence of Fulongan's mother, Consort Fang, who belonged to the Ulanara clan. During a palace banquet, she drunkenly wandered into the forbidden palace grounds and was frightened. She was originally supposed to be executed by being beaten, but out of consideration for Empress Ulanara and Fuheng, she was sent back to her residence.

After returning to the mansion, Aunt Fang became mentally unstable and talked nonsense all day long. Fearing that she would disturb the peace of the mansion, the old lady had her move to Yirenxuan, a corner of the west courtyard. Fulongan was raised by the old lady herself. A few years later, Aunt Fang hanged herself in the inner room of the main room of Yirenxuan.

From then on, hauntings frequently occurred at Yirenxuan, causing great anxiety among the residents of the West Courtyard. After discussing the matter with General Fuheng, the Old Madam ordered everyone from the West Courtyard to move to the East Courtyard and sealed off the gates of Yirenxuan. With the West Courtyard left idle, the hauntings gradually ceased. Furthermore, because there was a stage built against the hillside in the West Courtyard garden, even after the haunting sounds had faded, banquets for celebratory events in the mansion were still held in the West Courtyard.

The group carrying Yan Ning were relatively young and had only vaguely heard the rumors of Yi Ren Xuan being haunted, but had never actually seen it with their own eyes. Because no one had visited Yi Ren Xuan for a long time, the courtyard was overgrown with weeds, and the air was thick with the smell of decay.

The group stood in the courtyard, exchanging glances. The old lady had only said to lock the person up in Yirenxuan, but hadn't specified where. Each courtyard in the Fucha mansion had three main rooms, three rooms each in the east and west wing rooms, and two side rooms on each side of the gate. The servants looked at the dozen or so rooms, hesitant. Suddenly remembering that someone had died in the main room, they quickly placed Yan Ning in the west wing room, locked the door, and left.

Yan Ning was choked awake by the smell of smoke and dust. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a dilapidated house. Thick dust covered the room, objects were scattered haphazardly, and cobwebs covered everything, creating a desolate and eerie atmosphere. Yan Ning struggled to reach the door, but felt a restraint on her wrists and ankles. Looking down, she saw thick hemp rope wrapped around her hands and feet. She couldn't help but smile bitterly. Did these people really think she was some kind of demon?

Yan Ning shifted her body, leaning against a pillar. She didn't know how the old lady would deal with her. If it was interrogation, she would have to think about how to answer; if she was handed over to the authorities, Fukang'an would definitely come to her rescue. Thinking of Fukang'an, Yan Ning felt much more at ease. Looking at the scattered lights outside the window, Yan Ning smiled and said, "He's the Great General, so no matter where I am, he can find me!"

Two timid maids in the Peony Hall had fallen ill from fright because they were closest to Yan Ning at the time. They were foaming at the mouth, delirious, and muttering incoherently. The old lady looked at these sick servants and saw that they resembled Concubine Fang from twenty years ago, which increased her wariness of Yan Ning.

When Fukang'an arrived at the Peony Hall, Yan Ning had already been taken to the Yiren Pavilion. Before the old lady could speak, seeing the mess of shamanic implements in the courtyard, Fukang'an guessed what was going on. "Mother, what are you doing now?"

The old lady gestured, and the servants carried in the two frightened maids. Fukang'an listened intently; they mumbled, "Don't kill me!" "There's light!" Fukang'an stepped forward, grabbing a servant at random. "What happened?"

The servant, trembling with fear, recounted the events. When he mentioned that Yan Ning would glow during the storm, he instinctively shrank back. Fukang'an's initial indifference to Yan Ning's origins was shaken. If Yan Ning truly posed a threat to the safety of the Qing people, how could he, as a general, protect her out of personal motives?

“Mother must give Yan Ning a chance to explain everything. If Mother has misunderstood, wouldn’t that be wronging her for nothing?” Fukang’an said, sitting down below the old lady.

Knowing that Fukang'an wouldn't shed tears until he saw the coffin, the old lady ordered the people who had previously tied Yan Ning to the west courtyard to tie her up again.

The servants opened the door that was locking Yan Ning, and seeing her eyes staring at them, they were so frightened that they knelt on the ground. "Don't kill me!" "Don't kill me!"

Yan Ning looked at herself suspiciously, wondering why they were so terrified, guessing that something must have happened after she fainted. "Did the general tell you to let me out?" Because it wasn't Fukang'an who came to pick her up personally, Yan Ning felt a little disappointed.

"Yes, yes, yes..."

"It's the old lady..."

"It's the general..."

"No, no, it's the old lady..."

"The old lady ordered us to tie you up and take you to the Peony Hall..."

Five servants knelt outside, and it took them several attempts to explain their purpose. Seeing them like this, Yan Ning found it amusing. "So, are you going to tie me up, or am I going by myself?" Yan Ning asked, drawing out her question.

The five people answered in unison, "You go by yourself!"

Yan Ning raised her hands, signaling them to untie the ropes binding her hands, and then untied the ropes binding her feet. The servants she encountered along the way would all run to a secluded spot and secretly watch her. The five men behind her, carrying out the old lady's orders, followed her with extreme caution. Yan Ning found this situation both amusing and exasperating.

Yan Ning's flowerpot-soled shoes made an unusually loud noise in the quiet courtyard. As soon as the sound stopped, the five servants behind Yan Ning knelt on the ground. Yan Ning deliberately walked and stopped, and by the time she reached the Peony Hall, the five people behind her were already covered in sweat and exhausted.

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