At 3:45 a.m., the eastern horizon was just beginning to glow with the pale hue of a crab-shell green, yet the palace lanterns at Renming Palace had been lit for some time.
Weimo sat before the dressing table, letting A-Qiao style her hair into a simple "hanging moon" bun. She wore no gold, silver, or jade accessories; she looked as plain and unaffected as an unmarried girl. Only the dark circles beneath her eyes clashed sharply with her pale cheeks. A-Qiao’s expression was equally grim, clearly having spent the night in a restless vigil. A-Qiao glanced at her mistress in the bronze mirror but chose to remain silent. Regardless of where the Noble Consort was going, she would follow—that was settled.
Men in this world were truly unreliable, through and through. She had often heard people call His Majesty heartless, but she hadn’t fully believed it until now. Looking at the situation, he was indeed cold to the core. The Noble Consort was leaving, yet His Majesty hadn’t even bothered to come and see her.
Chapter 178