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

Chu Nianci pretended not to see Lin Jingrui's meaningful gaze, thinking to herself, "Anyway, you can't do anything to me right now."

After Empress Lin and her brother withdrew, she knelt upright again, bowed her head respectfully, and said, "Thank you for your protection, Your Majesty. I will do my utmost in the future, even at the cost of my life."

Duanmu Qingyu glanced at her with deep eyes, only slightly curving his lips, without saying a word.

He intervened to save the day, but was it really for her sake? He was just trying to save face.

Even Lin Jingrui knew to protect his sister and uphold the Lin family's reputation.

Could it be that he, the ruler of a nation, would disregard his dignity and hand over his concubines to others?

His things, even if only nominally his, are not for others to covet.

Offering help was merely a convenient way to smooth over something that was bothering them.

Duanmu Qingyu said calmly, "Why would I want you to die ten thousand times? Don't worry about it. Just stay by my side and serve me well."

After talking for so long and dealing with the argument just now, Duanmu Qingyu's handsome face looked a little tired.

Chu Nianci kowtowed twice.

Whether he did it to save face or had other considerations, he still helped me.

Thinking of this, Chu Nianci quickly took out another sachet from her sleeve and said, "Your Majesty has some dark circles under your eyes. You must be tired from daily work and have trouble sleeping. I have specially made a sachet to calm your mind and soothe your head. If Your Majesty smells it before going to sleep or puts it by your pillow, you will surely be able to sleep soundly."

She felt that she should subtly hint to His Majesty that he knew some medical skills, which would make her presence more apparent.

As expected, Duanmu Qingyu picked up the sachet, smelled it, and immediately felt refreshed and in a good mood.

So he nodded, waved for her to leave, and watched her graceful figure disappear.

Duanmu Qingyu's lips curved into a smile. She was beautiful, poised, intelligent, and adorable. She even knew a little about regulating the properties of medicine. It would be a pleasure to have such a person by your side.

He was satisfied with his decision.

Then, Eunuch Jingxi led her out of the hall.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace gates, Jingxi looked at her with a half-smile and said, "His Majesty has been exceptionally kind to you; you must remember His Majesty's favor."

"Of course," Chu Nianci replied casually.

Jingxi glanced at her and said, "Even the Empress has to plead for a title for a newly promoted concubine. You arrived and His Majesty personally assigned you a post. Since His Majesty values ​​you so much, you should go and settle in Nuanqing Pavilion in the back."

"Thank you, Eunuch Xi." Chu Nianci was overjoyed.

She thought Jingxi would at most arrange a single room for her, but she didn't expect that he would give her a warm room to live in.

Chu Nianci immediately reciprocated by taking out a sachet from his sleeve, which contained about ten taels of silver.

Jingxi smiled and beckoned a young eunuch to lead Chu Nianci to the back hall.

Before long, she arrived at Nuanqing Pavilion with Tuanyuan, and the eunuch who had led the way withdrew.

Although this is only a side hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it is exquisitely and elegantly decorated, and is much more spacious than the Weirui Pavilion in the Lin family mansion.

Tuanyuan put down her bundle, touched the famille rose and gilded tea tray on the table, and couldn't help but sigh, "My lady, even a concubine lives in such a refined place. How luxurious the imperial concubines' quarters must be!"

Chu Nianci looked up and saw that the brocade curtains in the room stretched to the ground, the curtains were tightly drawn, the treasure shelves were full of precious objects, and in front of the carved canopy bed, the silver wire charcoal in the bronze cauldron with the beast knob was hissing. He couldn't help but curl the corners of his lips slightly.

In her past life, she lived in the Lin family mansion, but in order to save money, even the curtains could only be made of coarse cloth. They were drafty in winter, stuffy in summer, and cold wind and rain poured into the house on rainy or snowy days.

In just ten years, she developed rheumatism, became haggard, and looked older than her peers.

In this life, she lives in a spacious and warm palace, which is far more peaceful and comfortable than in her previous life.

Does Lin Jingrui still want her to go back?

Let him keep dreaming.

Even if she dies, she will never turn back.

It's good that he made a scene today. After what happened today, I doubt he'll dare to talk nonsense again.

A few days later, Chu Nianci finally understood that Duanmu Qingyu's decision to make her a tea-serving maid was indeed a "care" on her part.

The emperor had six head palace maids who worked in two shifts: two were responsible for combing hair and changing clothes, two for tidying robes, and two for managing bedding.

Duanmu Qingyu was a very particular person, and the six of them followed her around all day, keeping them extremely busy.

Only in Chu Nianci's place are four people on duty in shifts.

All she had to do was serve a few cups of tea after dinner, sleep until she naturally woke up during the day, take a stroll around the palace, and then make an appearance before the emperor.

Leisurely and carefree all day long.

Needless to say, the imperial kitchen delivered more than a dozen delicacies every day.

These carefree and joyful days have made even family reunions even more complete.

The newly arrived palace ladies-in-waiting will meet the Empress tomorrow and will be arranged to serve her in bed.

That day, as soon as Chu Nianci arrived at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she saw Jingxi standing at the door, looking at her with a half-smile, and said, "Consort Hui, a few days ago you said that you would not hesitate to die ten thousand times. Now is the time for you to show your loyalty."

Chu Nianci didn't understand what he meant, but still replied, "Of course."

As he spoke, he lifted the curtain and entered the main hall.

The hall was eerily quiet, with a brass basin overturned on the floor, water spilled everywhere.

Several eunuchs and palace maids trembled like leaves, kneeling on the side, not daring to raise their heads.

Emperor Duanmu Qingyu, with his wet, dark hair disheveled, leaned against the chaise longue, his face grim.

Two basins of water were placed beside the tatami mat, their surface rippling gently.

Chu Nianci was slightly surprised when he saw this scene.

It's just washing your hair, why is this guy arguing with his subordinate?

However, I only figured it out in the last few days: this young emperor is a clean freak; he has to wash his teaware several times before drinking tea.

She had intended to leave quietly to avoid incurring bad luck.

"Hui'er," Duanmu Qingyu called out to her with sharp eyes, his voice still carrying the anger that had not subsided, "Come here and wash my hair."

Chu Nianci paused in her steps.

He added, his tone stern: "You are only allowed to touch my hair, but not my body."

Chu Nianci felt helpless; this request was truly difficult for him.

How can you wash your hair without touching your scalp and neck?

But since he'd already spoken, we had to bite the bullet and go for it.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

She moved over and knelt down beside his bed.

As I got closer, a crisp scent of pine and grass wafted into my nostrils. It wasn't the ambergris or sandalwood commonly used in the palace; rather, it smelled like grass after the rain, mixed with a hint of clean soapberry—it was his scent.

Chu Nianci leaned closer to his hair, sniffed it deeply, and reached out to gently gather his wet hair.

It feels cool and smooth to the touch, just like the finest silk, or like a handful of flowing ink, almost slipping through your fingers.

She carefully dipped her long hair into the clean water prepared beside her, the water flowing through her fingers and brushing against his hair.

But inevitably, I touched his ear.

"I told you not to touch me!" Duanmu Qingyu's body stiffened slightly, his voice filled with annoyance and discomfort. "I don't like being touched..."

"Why?" Chu Nianci asked curiously.

"I simply dislike it, I find it disgusting..."

Chu Nianci didn't stop moving; she simply took out the exquisitely embroidered sachet from her sleeve and promptly held it to his nose.

This is a special sachet she prepared for him over the past few days. It's not an ordinary mint sachet; it contains more than a dozen kinds of Chinese herbs to suppress nausea and vomiting. Among them, the Dewdrop Grass, which can only grow in Medicine King Valley, is especially precious. With this, no matter if you feel nauseous or uncomfortable, just smelling it will suppress most of the nausea and vomiting.

"If Your Majesty is unwell, perhaps smelling this will help."

Just as Duanmu Qingyu was about to lash out, a sweet, herbal fragrance wafted over, strangely suppressing the nausea surging in his heart.

He finally reached out and took the sachet, holding it slightly to his mouth and nose, and said in a muffled voice, "...Hurry up."

Chu Nianci's lips curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

With her eyes lowered, she focused on tending to his long hair. Her fingertips would occasionally brush against his sensitive scalp, and she could feel his instant tension, even making the lines of the back of his neck clearer.

Scoop up the warm water, rinse away the foam, and reveal the black and lustrous shine of your hair.

The palace servants kneeling in the distance were already stunned.

Who doesn't know that His Majesty hates being touched in close proximity?

In the past, even when combing her hair or changing clothes, she would often fly into a rage due to impatience.

Now they were actually being served by Huixuan like this... The group exchanged shocked glances and quickly lowered their heads even further.

Chu Nianci used a soft, fine cotton cloth to gently absorb the water stains from her long hair.

This hair is incredibly shiny; holding it in your hand feels like holding a top-quality piece of turquoise.

Looking up, one could see that Duanmu Qingyu's fingers were gradually tightening around the sachet, her shoulders and back were tense, and her eyelashes covering her eyelids were trembling slightly.

Chu Nianci, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed that Duanmu Qingyu's ear tips had turned red.

She held the long, flowing hair in her hands, secretly amused.

Suddenly, a crucial question came to mind.

Now that the young ladies-in-waiting have met the Empress, it seems their time to serve her in bed is on the agenda.

But His Majesty is so fastidious that he cannot be touched... even washing his hair makes his ears turn red.

What would it be like to meet one's concubines naked in bed?

Does that mean no one can touch it either?

Holding his hair, which flowed like a waterfall, Chu Nianci lowered her head in thought.

The Great Xia Dynasty had been established for less than twenty years. The late emperor had conquered the country, but before he could even settle into his new position, he passed away a little over a decade later.

Now this burden falls on Duanmu Qingyu's shoulders... If he cures it well, it will be a prosperous era; if he doesn't, it may end up as "the second generation dies out".

Conquering a kingdom is difficult, but maintaining it is even more difficult. Judging from the young emperor's behavior, although he and Empress Lin have been married for only a month, they have certainly not yet consummated their marriage.

No wonder the Empress Dowager and court officials were desperately trying to fill the harem with women; it was clear they all hoped for the Crown Prince to be born as soon as possible.

After all, whoever can serve the emperor in bed is very likely to give birth to a dragon descendant and become the future heir to the throne.

If His Majesty won't let anyone touch him, how can he continue his lineage?

No wonder he had no offspring until his death in his previous life.

Chu Nianci gently wiped the ends of her hair, her mind somewhat in turmoil.

If she hadn't entered this palace, what the emperor did would have been none of her concern.

But now that she has become a close attendant, she can only be at ease when he is stable.

With no connections, she certainly couldn't become the first to be chosen as a concubine.

According to the order of precedence, it should be Consort Shu... Does His Majesty not even allow her to touch him?

To be honest, this disease is not incurable; my master, the Medicine King Sun Zhenren, once said so.

This is a mental illness, and mental illness requires mental medicine to cure.

If we can find the source of this disease, there may be hope for a complete cure.

But if I cure his ailment, will he reward me with wealth, honor, and a bright future?

The answer is... uncertain.

She has always disdained to try things she's unsure of.

"Are you done washing?" Duanmu Qingyu suddenly asked.

She did not respond.

He glanced at her and saw her resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought, her long eyelashes drooping, and the slight upturn of her eyes making her seem to be pondering something extraordinary.

Lost in thought, she lowered her head, her slender, fair neck curving forward like a flower stem, her hands especially delicate and fair, with a touch of pink at the fingertips, glistening with dewdrops, making them look exquisite.

As you approach, a faint, sweet fragrance wafts over you, intoxicating you with its aroma.

Duanmu Qingyu was momentarily lost in thought.

He couldn't help but reach out and gently take her hand.

Chu Nianci suddenly snapped back to her senses, looked up and met his face, which was so close to hers that it made her dizzy.

"A few days ago you said you would die a thousand deaths for her." He gazed at her.

"Yes, Your Majesty, what are your orders?" Chu Nianci looked at his handsome face with a beaming smile.

"Not yet." Duanmu Qingyu grasped her slender, white, and boneless hand, lowered his eyes, and concealed a slight flutter in his heart.

Chu Nianci flinched as his hands gripped hers, but his grip was so strong that she couldn't break free.

She snatched it away.

Suddenly, a bright, moon-like smile bloomed on Duanmu Qingyu's face, like a fairy emerging from a pile of brocade.

"I won't give away the cup I've drunk from, even if it's smashed," Duanmu Qingyu gently squeezed her hand. "These hands of yours have been used to wash my hair, so no one else is allowed to touch them. If anyone else touches them, I will chop them off."

His voice was as soft as a feather, as gentle as a murmur of waves, but when he said the last sentence... "If you dare let anyone else touch you, I will chop off your hands."

The moment the words fell.

His long, elegant phoenix eyes suddenly sharpened, the soft, star-like light in them replaced by a cold, icy glint.

His tone suddenly became cold and piercing.

Chu Nianci's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, and she almost blurted it out in shock.

In that instant, she felt her heart stop beating, and her blood seemed to freeze in her veins.

Fortunately, she still had some sense and pinched her palm in time, preventing her from actually opening her mouth wide and making a foolish, out-of-control appearance.

She never expected that, in addition to his well-known mysophobia, His Majesty also had such an obsessive possessiveness.

He would rather smash the teacup he used than give it to someone else.

And since her hands had served him and touched his hair, they had become his "possessions".

He would eliminate any attempt by others to interfere.

But... people come and go in this deep palace. What if Eunuch Jingxi or Tuanyuan accidentally pull on my arm?

The thought sent a chill down her spine, as if those beautiful yet icy hands were already hovering over her wrists.

From the first fleeting glimpse of him from afar to the subsequent daily interactions that happened by chance.

In her heart, he was always a young emperor who was somewhat fastidious but gentle in nature.

She even privately sketched out a vague, soft outline of a wise and benevolent ruler in a prosperous era.

But just now, who was that person with the cold eyes and sharp words?

His eyes, which were usually bright and sparkling, suddenly turned into frozen snow blades in that instant.

The coldness and obsessive control he displayed in that instant made her feel like she was a stranger to him.

Moreover, the two expressions are seamlessly switched without any sense of incongruity.

She even had a ridiculous thought: Was the person just now really the Emperor she knew?

Could it be... that it has been possessed by something else?

So this is His Majesty's true nature?

That's what she thought, but on her face she showed a respectful and obedient attitude.

She responded softly, "Yes!"

"Your words before me are not empty promises. I remember every word you have said to me. I will not give you the chance to go back on your word. But you can rest assured that I do not need you to die. Just do your duty." After saying this, Duanmu Qingyu gently released her hand.

Chu Nianci breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he probably wouldn't arrange anything dangerous for her.

And her job... isn't serving tea?

But he was definitely not referring to serving tea. Sensing his deeper meaning, Chu Nianci had a sudden inspiration and asked, "Your Majesty, I do want to do my duty well, but everything is difficult at the beginning, and I always fail to do it well at the start?"

"You are mine now. You should try to do whatever you want, just one thing: don't embarrass me," Duanmu Qingyu said.

Chu Nianci's eyes lit up.

He seemed to understand what he was saying, but was not sure. He kowtowed, bowed, and retreated outside the shop.

She stepped outside the hall and saw Jingxi standing in front of it, smiling as he walked towards her.

Chu Nianci quickly tucked her hand into her sleeve, afraid that he would touch her.

After glancing around, Chu Nianci leaned closer to Jingxi and whispered, "Eunuch Xi, I have a question. His Majesty once said that he could never find a good tea-serving maid. Why is that?"

She refused to believe that there were many skilled tea-making maids in the palace, so why couldn't she find a good one?

It is clear that His Majesty's mind is not entirely on tea.

Jingxi glanced at her and smiled, "The fact that you could ask that question shows you have some insight. Think about it carefully; some things can't wait for His Majesty's orders before you do them."

Chu Nianci smiled and said, "Thank you for the pointers."

Jingxi glanced at her, flicked his whisk, and turned to enter the hall.

She finally understood.

The emperor appointed her as his informant, to keep a close eye on what was happening in the palace.

Chu Nianci acted immediately, instructing her personal maid, Tuanyuan, to find out the details.

In the entire palace, who has the best connections? Where is the best place to get information?

Who are the real "ears" and "eyes" in this palace?

The clever eunuch returned with a report within two days: the eunuchs in the four treasuries had the widest network of connections, and could hear all sorts of gossip and information about the expenses and expenditures of various palaces.

The eunuch Man Bao, who had guided Chu Nianci during the previous talent show, happened to be working at the Fourth Treasury.

Chu Nianci made a decisive move and had Tuanyuan find a way to bring Manbao to his side.

While she was busy weaving a web of information gathering, she was completely unaware that a pair of eyes were already watching her intently from the shadows.

The person staring at her was none other than Consort Yu, Bai Qianrou, whom she had tricked and caused to suffer a major setback on the day of the talent show.

Consort Yu has been busy these days, spending money and seeking connections everywhere, determined to find something to do with Chu Nianci. She wishes she could immediately send her to the Cold Palace or simply banish her from the palace to vent her hatred.

There are never any real secrets within the palace walls.

As the saying goes, the walls of the palace have ears and eyes.

Consort Yu was willing to invest, and she actually managed to dig up something.

On the day of the audition, Chu Nianci had a secret rendezvous with a man...