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

Two eunuchs held down Chu Nianci's arms, and Lin Jingrui, who was standing next to him, was also restrained.

Consort Yu didn't even consult the Empress before deciding to send the person directly to the Imperial Prison...

Now Chu Nianci understood everything; this whole affair of catching someone in the act was arranged by Consort Yu.

"I am a servant of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Even if someone is to be punished, it should be done through His Majesty," Chu Nianci shouted, struggling as she held up the tray in her hand. "His Majesty sent me to deliver the rewards. How dare you desecrate the angels?"

Several eunuchs hesitated.

"Tie him up. I'll explain to His Majesty later," Consort Yu said through gritted teeth.

Since we've already turned against her, we have to crush her. Otherwise, if we let her recover, we'll just be asking for trouble.

Ever since this woman ruined things for her at Xiefang Palace last time, she had been filled with hatred for her and wished she could crush her.

"Stop!" A clear, sharp voice rang out.

A beautiful woman dressed in a dark blue noblewoman's palace gown walked briskly towards them. Her hair was styled in a flying fairy bun, and she was beautiful, dignified, gentle, and generous. Beside her was a pretty palace maid named Hongying.

When Hongying saw her former master being held captive, her eyes immediately turned red.

Without saying a word, he stepped forward, deftly pushed the eunuch's hand away, and pulled Chu Nianci back.

"Consort Lan, are you trying to commit treason?" Consort Yu narrowed her eyes.

Shen Lanbing remained calm and composed. She first bowed to Consort Yu, then nodded to the Noble Lady Qiao beside her before speaking, "Consort Yu, please calm your anger. I wonder what offense Sister Hui has committed that warrants her being sent to the Imperial Palace?"

"She's having an affair." The pretty noblewoman spoke quickly, her eyes gleaming with malice.

The reason she's so fixated on Chu Nianci is because of her face.

Chu Nianci and she looked remarkably alike, both possessing striking and beautiful features and equally exquisite figures.

Upon closer inspection, one could see a red mole between her eyebrows, her posture upright and dignified, her beauty tinged with resilience, like a red plum blossom in the snow, surpassing even herself.

Women are naturally sensitive to enemies.

The beautiful lady was instantly enraged.

"After all, Sister Hui is a member of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Even if it is not sent back to His Majesty for disposal, it should at least be reported to Her Majesty the Empress first." Shen Lanbing spoke politely, her back ramrod straight.

The two sides are locked in a standoff, neither willing to yield.

At this moment, Lin Jingrui, who had been held down, suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs towards the back of the crowd, "Xia Dong, Aunt Xia, save this young master!"

Just then, Xia Dong turned the corner from the other end of the corridor, leading the young ladies to pay their respects to the Empress.

Hearing the shout, he turned around and his brows furrowed immediately: "Young Master? What's going on here?"

She told the other concubines to wait while she walked over herself.

Lin Jingrui broke free from the two eunuchs, straightening his clothes as he shouted, "Outrageous! You've wronged me for no reason! Do you think the Marquis of Cheng'en's mansion is easy to bully? I demand to see the Empress to seek justice!"

His shout immediately revealed his identity to everyone present.

The heir of the Earl of Chengen, and the Empress's brother-in-law.

A young palace maid quickly stepped forward and whispered in Xia Dong's ear what had just happened.

Xia Dong felt a surge of anger rising within him, and his stern face furrowed tightly with his thin eyebrows.

Regardless of how the Crown Prince got here, we absolutely cannot let this matter escalate too much on this special day, lest someone throw dirty water into the Queen's palace!

Her stern face darkened, her slanted eyes narrowed, and she addressed the crowd, "Young Master, please wait in the side hall. We'll report this to Empress Ming and let her decide."

Consort Yu and Noble Lady Qiao exchanged a glance. Given the current situation, she dared not directly clash with the Empress's people.

Xia Dong led the concubines into the main hall of Kunning Palace in single file.

The palace was brightly lit and very luxurious. Directly in front was the Empress's phoenix throne, behind which stood a gilded screen. On the left and right were six rosewood armchairs and small tea tables, with palace maids standing on both sides with their heads bowed.

Chu Nianci looked around.

Consort Yu wore a pink imperial concubine dress, her hair styled in a drooping bun. Her large, watery eyes were as innocent as a fawn's, and she smiled naively at everyone, revealing shallow dimples on her cheeks.

The beautiful lady stood not far away, her face delicate and charming, her eyes full of affection, and her figure voluptuous and eye-catching.

The red rash on Gu Qingmei's face had subsided. She was dressed in a purple imperial concubine's robe, her black hair styled in a neat riding outfit, giving her a heroic appearance.

Consort Yue was pretty and had a cool and aloof demeanor.

"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived..." The eunuch's shrill voice announced, and everyone knelt down.

Surrounded by palace maids, Empress Lin slowly emerged from behind the carved phoenix and gilded sandalwood screen.

She is twenty years old this year, the oldest in the palace. She is beautiful and dignified, with a calm demeanor. Today she is wearing a bright yellow court dress, a long golden robe with wide sleeves, and her hair is tied into a flowing cloud bun with a golden phoenix hairpin in the center, with delicate tassels hanging from the phoenix's beak.

The ruby ​​necklace adorning her slender neck was particularly striking, gleaming brilliantly.

The Empress smiled and raised her hand, gesturing for everyone to rise and take their seats.

Chu Nianci looked up and met Chu Shunqing's icy gaze.

What is she doing here?

On second thought, Chu Shunqing was a female physician personally appointed by the Empress, so it was quite reasonable for her to serve by the Empress's side.

Chu Shunqing was also very cautious. When he saw Chu Nianci looking over, he immediately looked away as if nothing had happened.

Shunqing sneered inwardly. She was just a low-ranking concubine. What was she so proud of?

Something big is about to happen today. Only I know about it, and only I can solve it.

Once you receive the Empress's reward, let's see if you'll still be so arrogant.

Just then, a soft tinkling of jade pendants came from the entrance of the palace.

"Her Highness Consort Shu has arrived..." The eunuch's voice was particularly enthusiastic as he announced the arrival.

A graceful and elegant concubine walked in slowly.

Her jewelry was dazzling, and her dress was radiant... It was none other than Consort Shu, Huangfu Yuli.

She had a full forehead, a plump face, a tall figure, and a pair of slightly upturned almond-shaped eyes with long, narrow corners that extended to her temples. Her beauty was both alluring and sharp, and she was stunningly beautiful.

She glanced indifferently at the concubines in the hall, casually adjusted the red-gold and kingfisher feather phoenix hairpin at her temple, her demeanor exuding an innate arrogance.

She merely curtsied slightly to the Empress, then straightened up and walked straight to the first rosewood chair on the left, a seat reserved for imperial concubines.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! May Your Majesty live a thousand years!"

May Your Highness, the Consort Shu, be blessed with good fortune and peace!

After watching the concubines bow and kneel on the ground, they dared not utter a sound.

Consort Shu adjusted her hairpin as if no one else was around before raising her eyes to look at the kneeling consorts.

As if examining an object, he spoke up before the Empress could: "Your Majesty should also tell the servants of the Imperial Household Department to be more careful; the jewelry bestowed upon them is becoming increasingly tattered."

The hall fell silent instantly.

Consort Shu's words, ostensibly about being picky about jewelry, were clearly a veiled criticism of the Empress's poor taste and stinginess.

Consort Jia frowned, her spirited brows furrowed; Consort Yue lowered her eyes and remained silent; Noble Lady Lan looked surprised; Noble Lady Qiao quietly clenched the handkerchief in her hand; even Consort Yu, who always pretended to be innocent, put away her smile.

Empress Lin's fingers tightened slightly... but she pretended not to understand and gave a polite smile.

Consort Shu couldn't help but feel secretly pleased.

The Empress is just a puppet. Today is the day for the new concubines to pay their respects. If she cannot establish her authority on this occasion, how can she be favored above all others in the palace and monopolize the Emperor's affections in the future?

She had to make the newcomers understand... who would be the true mistress of the future harem.

Consort Shu slowly stroked the nail guards on her fingertips, then looked up at the Empress's neck and continued to mock, "The gemstones on this necklace seem to be of poor quality. I'll send you a better one another day."

Empress Lin was not angry. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, "Sister, you've gone to so much trouble. This was a gift from the Emperor during my wedding to His Majesty. There's no need for you to spend so much."

"So it was bestowed upon you on our wedding night..." Consort Shu drawled, covering her lips with her handkerchief. "I suppose it's because you don't see His Majesty often, so you specially comforted him."

She emphasized the word "appease" very much.

A month has passed since the Emperor and Empress's wedding. Huangfu Yuli had already bribed the nanny who collected the empress's handkerchiefs and learned that no handkerchiefs had been left out on the day of the Empress's wedding.

The fact that the Empress was no longer in the Emperor's favor was an open secret, yet no one dared to bring it up openly.

Today, Consort Shu actually tore away this veil of shame in front of all the newlyweds.

Empress Lin's fingertips trembled slightly, but the next moment, her face regained its dignified smile.

Despite her humble origins and the emperor's indifference towards her, she had already ascended to the throne and was determined to hold onto her position no matter what.

There's no need to argue over this.

"Your sisters are still kneeling," she gently reminded them. "You've been so busy talking, get up."

"Oh dear, look at my memory," Consort Shu chuckled lightly. "I was so busy talking to the Empress. My sisters, please get up."

As soon as she finished speaking, the concubines rose quietly and sat down in order of their rank.

A smile flickered in Empress Lin's eyes as she said gently, "Seeing all these newlyweds in the hall today, all so young and beautiful, accompanying His Majesty in the future, I am truly delighted."

Consort Shu raised an eyebrow and said with a charming smile, "The Empress herself is too old to serve His Majesty, so she has brought so many young sisters here."

She was subtly implying that the Empress was twenty years old.

"I am indeed not young anymore," the Empress said with a smile, "How can I compare to my younger sisters who are still as beautiful as flowers in bloom?"

She emphasized the words "delicate flower," reminding Consort Shu that she was, after all, seventeen years old.

Consort Shu's sharp eyes swept over the concubines below... each one dressed in a flamboyant and alluring manner, making them an eyesore.

Unable to lash out under the watchful eyes of everyone, and knowing that the Empress was deliberately provoking her, she simply snorted and said, "With my sisters here, I am fine, but I'm afraid Your Majesty will have even more free time in the future."

A cold glint flashed in the Empress's eyes, but her face remained gentle and composed: "Even in a leisurely time, there are still affairs of the six palaces to attend to. I hope that you, my sister, can spend a few more days sharing my burdens and keep His Majesty company. And don't forget to be courteous, so that your sisters may also have the opportunity to serve His Majesty."

"Of course," Consort Shu picked up her teacup, took a sip, and smiled. "I will certainly serve His Majesty well and take good care of all the other sisters on behalf of my elder sister."

Empress Lin stopped speaking and turned back to talk gently to everyone, which made Consort Shu seem even more domineering.

Seeing that many of the concubines had shown gratitude and respect for the Empress, Chu Nianci silently lowered her head, concealing a hint of mockery in her eyes.

If she hadn't been reborn and knew about her past, she probably would have thought that this empress was truly gentle and virtuous.

Little did she know, she had added contraceptive ingredients to all the fertility medicines given to the concubines in the harem.

Although Consort Shu was arrogant, she was merely domineering, while the Empress was cunning and ruthless, capable of killing without shedding blood.

In the midst of the silence, the pretty lady standing to the side suddenly covered her lips with her hand and said to Chu Nianci in a sweet voice:

"Consort Hui, I've heard that your father was a minor official of the sixth rank, and your mother was a lowly merchant's daughter. You had no qualifications to enter the palace, yet you caught His Majesty's eye with your good looks and were exceptionally granted the title of Consort... But why do you not appreciate His Majesty's grace and engage in illicit relations with the heir of the Marquis of Cheng'en, completely disregarding palace rules?"

Her voice was soft and charming, yet sharp and incisive.

In an instant, all eyes fell on Chu Nianci.