After two days of cleaning, the Imperial Palace was transformed into something brand new. Every trace of what had transpired was scrubbed away, as if nothing had ever happened.
White silk ribbons, the colors of mourning, were hung simultaneously at the Yongning Palace and the General's Estate. People from the General's Estate worked through the night to transport Qian Yong’s body home for burial. Inside the palace, Empress Qian donned hempen funeral attire, kneeling on the cold floor and weeping bitterly. She had never imagined that their parting at the Yongning Palace that night would be their final farewell.
Zhao Zheng approached Empress Qian with a sorrowful expression and consoled her, "Jinluan, please contain your grief."
Chapter 38