HOLY COW XJL MOVES FAST.
After having 'slept' together, he begins process of inducting TY into his harem (marriage). TY is still shell-shocked and doing a tsukkomi over being in the Imperial Harem again after having just left it. TY didn't resist since things had come to this already. Rather than his scars being off-putting, most people at this point assumed they were tattoos. Next thing TY knows, he's sitting at a table with XJL having a meal. XJL's ambiguous attitude and gentleness makes him feel like how they were when he was Empress.
Slag Teng sister (she wasn't caught) runs into them while they were taking a walk in the garden and tries to defame TY, saying he was the one who set the fire. XJL is having none of this and gets guards to punish her. TY notes that it's probably also a silent message to him that he's been too soft, having been hurt so often by slag sister's schemes.
XJL suspecting in earnest now that person in Empress' body that he'd come to like is a different person and that 'Empress' is in Teng Nan Hou's body.
LOL. XJL notices that food set on the table (favorites), TY's eating habits, and his intelligence are the same. TY, you've grown too used to your hubby......
Face-off between once-favored concubine and TY. XJL purposefully invited her over to see how TY would deal with her and also mentions 'that night' they had, confirming TY's fears that he was actually 100% lucid. TY frozen and about to run, but XJL grabs him and makes him sit down. XJL serves TY some food, which is huge sign of favor. Concubine tries to spill stuff on TY, only partially succeeds. XJL must want to make her cough up blood or something lol, because he then calls for people to get clothes for TY and brings him close... is spring in the air? LEL