PRINCE YONGXUAN asks for an audience with JIAQING and raises his concern regarding QIANLONG’s suspicious death. He then asks for permission to investigate the matter, seeking to pledge allegiance to JIAQING. When JIAQING goes to visit bed-ridden PRINCE MIANNING, he becomes very touched after seeing ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT guarding at his bedside. Investigating the death of the late EMPEROR EMERITUS at the imperial harem, PRINCE YONGXUAN learns from CONSORT XIAN that eunuch CHANGDONG suddenly asked for permission to leave the palace to treat his illness following the death of his roommate CHANGCHUN, so he feels something smells fishy. JI XIAOLAN and PRINCE YONGLIN are hearing stories at a restaurant, during which the storyteller makes a sly innuendo that JIAQING committed regicide and patricide. Meanwhile, HESHEN and CHANG MEI learn about CHANGDONG’s sudden absence, and they decide to wait and see.… ...