Master and Disciple
When Zhou Bingchen left, he wasn't disheartened. Though the Noble Consort hadn't agreed, she hadn't outright refused either. Zhou Bingchen had a sense of the situation; it would have been strange if she had agreed so readily.
In Yong’an Palace, there were three little princes, and considering the Emperor's frequent visits, whether to see the little princes or the Noble Consort, once he came, he usually stayed overnight at Yong’an Palace instead of returning to Changning Hall. Consequently, the security measures at Yong’an Palace were not any less stringent than those at the central Changning Hall. Even the palace maids and eunuchs, even if they were assigned simple tasks, appeared much different from those elsewhere.