S1, A3: Aunt sees through Niohuru's tricks and decides to die to protect Qingying. Before she dies, she instructs Qingying to become the empress in order to bring glory to the family. There must not be a second abandoned woman in the Ulanara family. She teaches Qingying not to hate the empress dowager, but to use her for support instead. Qingying is stunned and agrees in a daze. The emperor is shocked to hear of her aunt's death. He learns that the empress dowager has been to the Palace of Great Benevolence, and finds it suspicious. Minister Zhang Tingyu also proposes an investigation. But in front of the emperor, empress dowager and Zhang Tingyu, Qingying testifies that she saw her aunt die of anger and frustration, putting an end to the case. The empress dowager is pleased with Qingying's obedience. Qingying tells the empress dowager that she can only keep testifying for the latter if she stays alive. Noticing a very different Qingying from before, the empress dowager agrees. But the emperor is still unhappy with the empress dowager. Using renovation of the Palace of Tranquility as an excuse, he arranges for the empress dowager to live at the Palace of Longevity and Health with the dowager consort. At the throne ascension ceremony, the empress dowager finds out she has been sent to the Palace of Longevity and Health. She is surprised and displeased.