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

Chu Shunqing's face was filled with obvious jealousy, which even Consort Shu could see clearly.

Thinking about how she had almost lost her life to this person, Consort Shu was furious... Even without evidence, this good-for-nothing was the Empress's man. Who knew if the Empress had orchestrated today's events?

If you can't touch the Empress, you can certainly't touch a mere imperial physician like yourself?

She wasn't afraid of offending a mere internal medicine doctor.

They are not afraid of offending the internal medicine hospital because of this.

This woman, who appeared out of nowhere, had no foundation whatsoever, except for the Empress as her support.

She thrust her weapon straight at Chu Shunqing, pleading with Duanmu Qingyu, "Your Majesty, if it weren't for Physician Chu, I wouldn't have suffered like this. I beg Your Majesty, drag him away and give him ten slaps on the hand as a warning to others!"

Chu Shunqing's face turned pale with fright.

In the palace, the right hand is always used to punish patients, and she makes a living with her right hand. If her hand is ruined, how will she treat patients in the future?

Empress Lin quickly dissuaded him, saying, "Your Majesty, medical skills are accumulated gradually; they cannot be mastered overnight. Please be lenient with the punishment."

Chu Shunqing immediately knelt down.

She looked at Chu Nianci, hoping that she would plead for her out of consideration for their sisterhood.

Chu Nianci turned her head away, pretending not to see.

Just now, my dear sister told me not to drag him down.

I'm already being magnanimous by not kicking someone when they're down.

She wasn't foolish enough to expect me to plead for her; she wasn't that kind-hearted.

Chu Shunqing's fingers were tightly curled into a ball.

No one in the hall pleaded for him, but Imperial Physician Zhang said, "Your Majesty, Imperial Physician Chu's skills are indeed lacking and he deserves punishment, but if he is punished with a slap on the hand, it will be difficult for him to administer acupuncture and medicine in the future... I beg Your Majesty to be lenient."

Ultimately, assaulting someone from the Imperial Medical Academy brought shame upon the entire institution.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Qingyu said, "Since Physician Zhang has spoken, let's change the treatment to the left hand and deduct three months' salary."

Chu Shunqing trembled, and wanted to speak again.

The executioners from the Empress's palace had already come up, one on each side, and dragged her away.

Consort Shu took a piece of ginseng and her spirits recovered somewhat...

The conversation then turned to the Empress: "Speaking of people the Empress values, who in the entire palace can compare to the good fortune of Physician Chu? She is not only the Empress's sister-in-law, but also in charge of the health of the women in the palace..."

She paused, her voice turning cold: "With medical skills like this, I dare not let her touch them again."

As soon as these words were spoken, Empress Lin immediately became the target of public criticism.

The concubines all knew the truth, but even Consort Shu publicly rejected her. Who would dare to seek her treatment in the future?

Empress Lin, knowing that her words were not kind, slowly said, "Sister Shufei, you are being too serious. Although Physician Chu is the sister-in-law of my deceased brother, she is not 'my person.' Moreover, her position was personally approved by His Majesty. If you are not at ease, you can simply not pass it on to her in the future."

She changed the subject, her tone gentle yet firm: "But my sister needs to rest now, so she won't be able to hang up the green plaque for the time being this month. I hope she can rest well during this period and not worry about trivial matters."

The meaning behind these words couldn't be clearer: Consort Shu, stop making a fuss; the real issue is that you can't serve the Emperor right now.

Consort Shu's face instantly darkened.

Throughout the entire palace, only the Empress dared to humiliate her like this.

But what the Empress said was true... Her period hadn't ended, so she couldn't serve the Emperor.

Although the other concubines dared not show it, they were all secretly delighted.

Even Consort Yue, who had been aloof and had never spoken a word, showed a hint of joy.

With Consort Shu removed, whose chances are not much better?

Chu Nianci lowered her eyes, her face revealing nothing, and quietly watched the scene unfold.

Consort Shu's eyes flashed with anger, like ice blades about to solidify, as she swept her fury across everyone's faces.

Everyone lowered their heads.

Consort Shu snorted resentfully, but there was nothing she could do.

She could defy the Empress, but she could not violate the rules of the palace.

Duanmu Qingyu stood up with a flick of his sleeve, and everyone bowed. He waved his hand and said, "Who will serve the emperor first is up to the empress. We must follow the rules of the palace. I am tired and will return to the Hall of Mental Cultivation first."

Everyone quickly bowed and saluted.

Duanmu Qingyu walked out of Kunning Palace, and Chu Nianci hurriedly followed him.

As soon as they stepped out of the palace gate, they saw Lin Jingrui lying face down on the jade steps, his buttocks covered with a white cloth.

Their eyes met, and she could clearly see his thick, dark eyebrows furrowed tightly, his eyes filled with intense malice and suppressed anger.

This person.

They just can't stand to see themselves doing well.

Chu Nianci glared at him, then turned and followed Duanmu Qingyu's imperial carriage.

Inside Kunning Palace, the concubines dispersed, leaving only the Empress. She ordered her men to carry in Lin Jingrui, who was lying on a bench.

"Sister," Lin Jingrui said urgently, "Nianci has now been promoted to Changzai. If things continue like this, His Majesty might choose her to serve him one day. How can I possibly win her back then? You must think of a way quickly."

The Empress frowned: "Jingrui, you still won't give up? Stop thinking about it."

"Elder sister," Lin Jingrui said in a low voice, unwilling to give up, "you saw it yourself. Nianci's medical skills are superb. Bringing her back will also benefit you."

Upon hearing the news that Chu Nianci had been promoted to the rank of Changzai, Lin Jingrui was almost speechless with anger outside the palace.

He felt increasingly regretful... Why hadn't he been more assertive and kept her?

Ever since Chu Nianci entered the palace, he has increasingly felt that his initial choice was a huge mistake, and he regrets it so much that he almost grinds his teeth to dust.

"You..." The Empress really wanted to slap him to wake her younger brother up. "Jingrui, wake up! She's already the Emperor's woman. Are you going to let her go only after the whole family has suffered?"

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and coughed violently.

"Elder sister..." Lin Jingrui hesitated, then reluctantly pursed his lips and clenched his fist.

Since her sister wouldn't help her, she was thinking of other ways.

Seeing his silence, the Empress assumed he had given up and breathed a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Chu Shunqing, who had been hit on the hand with a slap, also walked in, arms crossed.

The two stood and lay down, one in front of the other with their heads bowed, several steps apart.

Seeing that Chu Shunqing still had a cold face, Lin Jingrui knew that she was still angry about what was said that night.

He simply asked, "Did he succeed?" What was wrong with that?

She felt utterly insulted, finding it completely unreasonable.

She neither came to reconcile, and he couldn't be bothered to try and make amends.

The Empress sighed inwardly as she looked at the two of them in this state.

She also realized that Chu Shunqing's medical skills had shortcomings, but she had no one else to rely on at the moment, so she had to keep him going no matter what.

The Empress rubbed her temples and said wearily, "I still need to take my medicine, so I'll keep it short. Since you are all family, you must not harbor any misunderstandings. As the saying goes, when husband and wife are of one mind, they can move mountains."

She looked at Lin Jingrui: "Jingrui, you are a man, you should be more generous and give way to Shunqing. I heard that your family has been struggling financially lately. I have already allocated five thousand taels from the Kunning Palace treasury. Take it back with you later to make ends meet. You must cure your mother's illness first."

Lin Jingrui's heart sank slightly.

He knew his sister's situation in the palace; it was extremely difficult.

She had only been empress for a month, and her monthly salary was only two or three thousand taels. Even if she included all the rewards from her wedding, she would only have four or five thousand taels of private money.

She was not favored by His Majesty and usually received no extra rewards... This five thousand taels was almost all of her wealth.

He wanted to say he couldn't accept it, but then he thought about the current situation in the mansion... His mother needed money for medicine, expenses were high everywhere, and his father refused to reduce the expenditure.

A few days ago, I borrowed a thousand taels from my colleagues at the Imperial Medical Academy.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but in the end, he couldn't refuse.

Having no other choice, he bowed and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, we will all work together to share your burdens."

The Empress then turned to Chu Shunqing: "Shunqing, although you are nominally my elder brother's wife, I know what's going on. You need to assist Jingrui in managing the Imperial Hospital and stabilizing the household. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will arrange it for you."

She softened her tone: "Don't panic if your medical skills are lacking. You can consult with Imperial Physician Liu more often."

Imperial Physician Liu was the chief imperial physician appointed by Kunning Palace, and his medical skills were superb.

Chu Shunqing's heart stirred... If he could get his guidance, it would surely be of great benefit to him in the future.

She knew that only by relying closely on the Empress could she gain a foothold.

She stepped forward, curtsied, and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly work together with my husband."

The Empress then smiled slightly, gave a few more instructions, and then wearily waved her hand, dismissing them.

When the two left the palace, the sun was already setting in the west.

After exiting Lizheng Gate, they boarded the carriage together.

The wheels rolled forward, and the interior of the vehicle was silent.

Lin Jingrui lay silently inside the carriage.

Chu Shunqing held his swollen left hand, leaning against the carriage without saying a word. He had been expected to speak first to reconcile after receiving the Empress's instructions, but to his surprise, he remained silent, his face ashen as if it had been hit by frost.

His eyes were as sinister as the dark clouds on the horizon.

Is this still the gentle and refined young master I knew back then?

She felt a chill run down her spine and subtly shifted to the side.

After a long pause, Lin Jingrui finally couldn't help but say, "Shunqing, things are in a lot of turmoil at home, and I'm not at peace with myself. I spoke too harshly that day, so please don't take it to heart."

Hearing him apologize for the heartbreaking words he had spoken that day, Chu Shunqing's eyes reddened.

She bit her lip and asked, "I've long forgotten what happened that day, but I just want to ask you one thing... after seeing my sister today, do you regret it?"

Lin Jingrui looked up at her.

As dusk filtered through the carriage curtains, her makeup appeared somewhat faded, revealing a face that looked indescribably tired and ordinary.

Her former charm was gone, and when she suddenly remembered Chu Nianci's bright and dazzling face, her heart was suddenly pierced.

The thought that she was the one who sent Nianci to the palace made him want to kick her off the carriage.

He bit his lip hard.

"You regret it?" Chu Shunqing asked in a trembling voice when she saw his gloomy expression. "Just now in the palace, your eyes never left her."

As soon as my sister stepped out of the main hall, my husband stared intently at her, which showed that he still harbored feelings for her.

Men are all like that; they don't know how to cherish what they have when they have it in their hands.

It's good to have lost it.

Thinking of this, she felt pain in her palms, and even more pain in her heart.

"Stop making wild guesses," Lin Jingrui's face had returned to calm. "If it weren't for Nian Ci today, neither of us would be able to escape this."

Upon hearing this, Chu Shunqing's heartache turned to anger: "She just got lucky. If she were truly capable, why didn't she accompany you to Nanzhao in the first place?"

"Look, you're overthinking things again," Lin Jingrui frowned. "Have you forgotten what Her Majesty the Empress said?"

He paused for a moment and then said, "When I get back, I will have my mother give you the household affairs token."

Chu Shunqing's face turned slightly pale.

She finally managed to find an excuse to decline the steward's job... The Chengen Earl's Mansion is now just an empty shell, and whoever takes it will be in trouble.

"But I've never managed the household..." She immediately shook her head.

At that moment, she almost blurted out that she was pregnant, but then she thought that if she did, he might think she was using the child to brush him off.

"You can learn even if you haven't been taught before; your mother is willing to teach you."

"She can learn, of course," Chu Shunqing's tone softened. "I said before that we should withhold my sister's dowry, but now that the manor is broke, how am I supposed to manage it?"

Lin Jingrui looked at her and said coldly, "You were there when she was there. You couldn't even keep her here, let alone her dowry."

"That's not what I meant," she turned away so he wouldn't see the calculation in her eyes, "I just wanted to be able to serve Your Majesty wholeheartedly from now on, without having to worry about money."

"We can manage if we're frugal. Her Majesty the Empress just gave us five thousand taels of silver. We're not starving."

Chu Shunqing then knelt down and hugged him, asking softly, "Then can I use this money too?"

Lin Jingrui saw a fleeting glint in her eyes and suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, leaving him utterly bored.

He sneered inwardly, realizing that she had married him only for wealth and status.

Since that's the case, I don't need to worry about her anymore. However, she is Chu Nianci's younger sister, so I have to play along with her for a while.

"Don't worry," he said calmly, "I won't let you be a butler empty-handed."

Chu Shunqing rested her head on his shoulder, and a smile finally appeared on her face: "Husband, I believe in you. You will definitely succeed and won't let me live a hard life."

Lin Jingrui's face instantly darkened, and a surge of anger brewed in his eyes, like a lurking ferocious beast.

His dark, handsome eyebrows and eyelashes were all dark and sinister.

But in an instant, his face returned to calm.

After all, she's her own sister; keeping her around will surely be useful.