You take on two husbands, I'll turn around and marry the tyrant and rule the world.

Everyone bowed to Emperor Mingsu in unison, their hearts filled with unease.

A long shadow fell to the ground.

This young emperor, who had recently ascended the throne and now reigns supreme, was very tall, and the wide dragon robe he wore made him appear elegant and otherworldly.

He seemed to ignore the earlier commotion in the courtyard.

He led his people straight through the middle of the two sides, as if what happened in the courtyard had never happened.

Chu Nianci thought that his steps were extremely well done.

By walking right between the two sides, he was telling everyone that no matter what happened, they had to back down in front of him.

Duanmu Qingyu's gaze gently fell on the still-warm tea, and after a moment of silence, he spoke.

Her voice was clear and melodious, like jade striking each other: "Excellent tea. Since I ascended the throne, I have had several different palace maids serving tea, but none of them have been able to brew such a perfect tea in terms of color, aroma, and taste."

He paused, then looked up and asked, "Who brewed this tea?"

Aunt Lan is the head of the household here, so she should report back. She quickly whispered, "It was brewed by Chu, the newly appointed concubine."

Emperor Mingsu seemed somewhat interested: "Recently, only one new concubine has been added to the palace. Is she the one recommended by the Empress?"

"That's right," Aunt Lan said.

"Which one is it?" Duanmu Qingyu asked calmly.

Chu Nianci lowered her eyes and responded.

"Raise your head." A gentle, clear voice came from above.

Chu Nianci was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then respectfully performed a kowtow before slowly raising her face.

Then, she suddenly realized that "the white crane in the clouds, the celestial being banished from heaven" was not just a fictional story in a book.

Such people really do exist in this world.

In her previous life, she was a first-rank noblewoman who encountered many handsome young men from noble families, but none of them ever stirred the slightest emotion in her heart.

At that moment, my heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Duanmu Qingyu was born with a striking bone structure.

Her eyebrows were like ink cut from a fine brush, and her eyes were like cold stars.

Her lips were straight and light in color, her nose was high and straight, and her jawline was clean and sharp. The most captivating thing about her was her eyes, a pair of extremely beautiful phoenix eyes with a natural slight upturn at the corners. They should have been affectionate, but because her gaze was too clear and sharp, it revealed a coldness that could not be looked at directly.

As the sunlight shifted, those eyes swept over her indifferently, making her afraid to meet their gaze and instinctively wanting to lower her eyes.

In her past life, she had never encountered a man with such a captivating gaze.

Compared to the man before him, Lin Jingrui was nothing but a pretty face.

The air of nobility and imperial majesty he exuded, nurtured by his privileged upbringing, made people afraid to look him in the eye.

But she suppressed her heart palpitations and didn't look away. Upon closer inspection, she did notice something unusual: a faint trace of black energy lingered on Duanmu Qingyu's handsome face...

That wasn't a natural complexion; it was more like... a sickly aura emanating from the very bones.

But his gaze immediately forced her to suppress the chill in her heart. Chu Nianci looked away and instead focused her gaze on the exquisite dragon embroidery on his shoulder.

Duanmu Qingyu was also somewhat surprised.

The woman in front of him actually dared to look him up and down.

I couldn't help but examine it closely.

She had a pair of extremely beautiful phoenix eyes, with a crimson beauty mark between her eyebrows, and thick, long eyelashes. Her gaze seemed to shift and change with the sunlight, truly captivating.

What attracted him even more was her clear, unblemished eyes, pure and clean, yet dignified and charming, a mixture of many things.

She possesses a mysterious and captivating quality that makes people feel drawn to her.

He narrowed his eyes slightly... His brother-in-law was truly blessed.

However, he squandered this good fortune.

Recalling Jingxi's report a few days ago that Lin Jingrui had dared to draw his sword against his eunuch for the sake of a woman.

He had originally heard that the woman was his brother-in-law's betrothed, and he was thinking of finding an excuse to send her back.

But upon hearing the words "draw your sword," a hint of displeasure flashed through his mind.

Could it be that he has only been on the throne for a short time and his power base is still shallow, so he wants to test the imperial authority?

It was precisely because of this thought that he became somewhat curious about the woman who could make Lin Jingrui willing to draw his sword to fight her.

What kind of person is he exactly?

After the morning court session this morning, I heard that someone was in the Xiefang Hall, so I came over to take a look.

Now that he had seen the person with his own eyes, he thought to himself, "No wonder."

"I see your tea skills are quite good. Have you been practicing since childhood?" Duanmu Qingyu looked at her with interest.

Chu Nianci lowered her head and replied, "Your Majesty, my mother has always loved drinking tea, and I have learned a little bit from her since I was a child."

"Oh? Who is your mother?" Duanmu Qingyu asked.

"My mother is a daughter of the Qiao family in Jiangnan," Chu Nianci replied.

"The Qiao family of Jiangnan?" Duanmu Qingyu seemed intrigued. "I remember the Qiao family of Jiangnan once donated military funds?"

"Qiao Zhaoling, who donated military funds, is my maternal uncle," Chu Nianci said.

"I see. The Qiao family is known for its loyalty and righteousness, and you are also a descendant of loyal and virtuous people," Duanmu Qingyu nodded slightly. "Then brew me another cup."

Chu Nianci kowtowed in agreement, then slowly rose and walked to the tea table.

In just a glance, she noticed the fatigue in the young emperor's brows and the faint dark circles under his eyes, which she guessed were due to being overworked and having trouble sleeping at night.

So instead of the usual tea, she specially prepared a calming tea.

At this moment, Jingxi waved his whisk, and a young eunuch immediately brought over a tea set.

The cup was as clear as amber, shimmering with a lustrous sheen under the light.

It turned out to be a rare luminous cup.

Chu Nianci was slightly surprised. Such a precious item was something that even her mother only had one of back then, while the emperor casually acquired a whole set.

Your Majesty truly enjoys all the riches and honors of the world.

She suppressed her envy, focused her mind, and with her delicate hands, she held the teapot, warmed the cups, added tea leaves, and poured water, her movements as fluid as flowing water.

As the steam rises gently, the tea gradually turns a clear amber color, and a delicate medicinal fragrance mixed with a faint sweetness quietly spreads out.

After brewing, she presented the luminous cup to Duanmu Qingyu with both hands, her red lips parting to reveal her snow-white teeth: "Your Majesty, please enjoy."

Duanmu Qingyu reached out and took it, the transparent jade cup reflecting the light on his fair and slender fingers.

He gently stroked the rim of the glass and lowered his head to take a light sniff.

The tea has a light and refreshing aroma, with subtle hints of chrysanthemum and mimosa, which instantly calms the mind.

He took a small sip, the warm tea slid down his throat, leaving a lingering sweet aftertaste, and the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days seemed to ease a bit.

"The tea has a delicate fragrance that soothes the mind and calms the nerves," he said, setting down his cup. A hint of approval flashed in his star-like eyes. "It is indeed a fine tea."

"What kind of water are you using?" Duanmu Qingyu suddenly asked. "It doesn't seem to be palace well water?"

"Yes." Chu Nianci was secretly surprised that he could taste it in one bite.

"These are the dewdrops I collected this morning."

"Delicious," he said, tapping the rim of his cup lightly with his fingertips, and slowly reciting, "'Bathing in fragrant orchid water, adorned in splendid robes, like a flower in full bloom...'"

After speaking, he said no more and stood up abruptly.

Her bright yellow robes flowed like clouds across the stone steps, and she gracefully departed.

There was no clear ruling, nor was a single word left behind.

A single praise from the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) has already defined the nature of today's events.

This woman was someone he had personally evaluated.

Those who want to cause trouble should think twice.

All the palace servants bowed their heads in unison: "Respectfully seeing off Your Majesty..."

Chu Nianci bowed to the others and looked up at the ethereal figure that was gradually disappearing into the distance.

Chu Nianci felt a slight chill in her heart.

His Majesty had only taken a few steps before defusing the standoff between the two sides.

Then, with just one sentence, he effortlessly resolved her predicament.

Such beauty, such cunning.

She suddenly realized that she would be living in this deep palace from now on.

The beauty and wisdom that the concubines relied on to win his favor... were probably nothing but illusions in front of him...

If I ever have the chance to see him again, I must be extremely cautious and careful.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the emperor departed.

Upon hearing His Majesty's praise poem, Xia Dong knew that it was no longer appropriate to use Chu Nianci today.

She suppressed her frustration and was about to leave with her people...

"stop."

Aunt Lan was just harassed, how could she let it go so easily now?

"His Majesty has praised Consort Chu, so it seems there's no need to go to the Inner Palace. Let's leave the matter of the assault behind for now," she said coldly, staring at Chu Shunqing. "Inner Physician Chu, what do you have to say?"

Chu Shunqing was so frightened that his legs went weak, and all he could think about was regret and fear.

She barely managed to hold onto the chair beside her to avoid collapsing. Despite her immense resentment, she could only grit her teeth, lower her head to Chu Nianci, and kneel on the ground: "Chu Consort... I'm sorry."

Xia Dong didn't say anything this time, her face expressionless, she just glanced at them indifferently.

Aunt Lan couldn't stand people who were unruly, bullied others, and disregarded palace rules.

Chu Nianci sneered inwardly.

In his previous life, Chu Shunqing relied on the Empress's favor and never paid any attention to palace rules. Now he is reaping what he sowed.

Chu Nianci slowly stood up, her tone calm: "I can overlook your rude words, but you hit someone, so you have to give an explanation."

Xia Dong simply said to Aunt Lan, "You decide what to do."

When Chu Shunqing saw that she was no longer protecting him, he panicked and kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"Disciplining a palace maid in violation of regulations, shirking responsibility and showing no remorse," Aunt Lan's voice was cold and hard. "Guards, give her twenty slaps as a warning to others."

As soon as she finished speaking, the palace maid in charge of punishment, who was holding a ruler, stepped forward and slapped Chu Shunqing's face repeatedly.

The two maids who had just attacked were already terrified, and the rest of the group was scared out of their wits, bowing repeatedly and saying, "We will never dare to do it again!"

As he spoke, he slapped himself in the face, his heart filled with hatred for Chu Shunqing.

Xia Dong didn't say anything more and hurriedly left with his people.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, with only the crisp sound of a slap remaining.

After twenty lashes, Chu Shunqing's face was red and swollen, his makeup was smeared all over, and he looked like he had been dyed.

Chu Nianci didn't look at her again, turned around to get the medicine, and carefully applied it to Tuanyuan.

Chu Shunqing was speechless, filled with resentment and unwillingness. He could only cover his face in embarrassment and slink away from the courtyard.

In the days that followed, the palace maids of Xiefang Palace suddenly became very busy.

Because the Empress Dowager has decreed that a selection of candidates for His Majesty will be held in a few days.

The selection process was held at the Xiefang Palace, and Aunt Lan was chosen to be in charge, causing great tension throughout the palace.

Chu Nianci was also very nervous, because she knew that something big would happen during this talent show...