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

Chu Nianci followed Duanmu Qingyu back to Yangxin Hall. As soon as she entered, she turned and hurriedly returned to Nuanqing Pavilion with her head down and back bowed.

She noticed throughout the journey that His Majesty was giving her unfriendly looks.

His handsome brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes were sharp.

Having caused such a huge mess, if she doesn't run away, she'll just get scolded.

Unexpectedly, Duanmu Qingyu did not appear.

Instead, the Empress arrived, and Consort Shu, Consort Jia, Shen Lanbing, and Consort Yue sent people to deliver congratulatory gifts.

Looking at the table full of dazzling gifts, Tuanyuan and Manbao knelt down and said happily, "Congratulations on your promotion to Consort. His Majesty cherishes you, and the Empress values ​​you. We will have good days ahead."

Chu Nianci looked at those things and chuckled coldly to himself.

The empress doesn't value me; she fears me.

Duanmu Qingyu clearly regarded himself as a dispensable pawn.

She wasn't that naive. Even if she couldn't be the first to step forward, she still had to try to be the second one to serve the emperor.

Before others completely capture Duanmu Qingyu's attention, he needs to establish a place for himself in Duanmu Qingyu's heart.

Soon after, Jingxi arrived at Nuanqing Pavilion with an imperial edict, gifts, and several maids.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Lady Hui, the chosen consort, is gentle and dignified, and has rendered meritorious service in saving lives. I am greatly pleased and hereby promote her to the rank of Sixth-Rank Attendant. This is the imperial decree!"

"Your Excellency, please accept the decree," Jingxi said with a beaming smile.

Chu Nianci led the palace servants in expressing their gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"

Afterwards, Tuanyuan gave Jingxi and the accompanying eunuchs a reward.

Jingxi accepted the silver with a smile and said, "Congratulations, Consort Hui! His Majesty has been thinking of you. He specially sent me to select several sets of clothes and jewelry from his private treasury. I rarely see His Majesty care so much about any of his consorts..."

Tuanyuan, Manbao, and the others were overjoyed to hear this.

Chu Nianci's face showed surprise and emotion, but her mind was clear.

The imperial treasury holds countless treasures; this small reward is insufficient to make her deeply grateful.

To rise through the ranks in this deep palace, the most important thing is to have both the skills to win favor and the ability to guard one's own heart.

Anyway, I've seen how noblewomen were coaxed by men in my past life, so I just need to use those words.

Just feed it to Duanmu Qingyu. If men can use it, why can't she?

She always remembered her vow: she only sought wealth and glory, not a shred of true affection.

The next day, after lunch, she went to the Bisha Kitchen for a short rest. The warm winter sun shone on her face, and she slept until sunset.

Duanmu Qingyu usually spends the afternoon reviewing memorials after court, and only calls her over after dinner.

In her hazy state, she smelled a familiar, rich, sweet fragrance...

Opening their eyes, they found a table laden with snacks: honey peanuts, walnut sticks, jade bean cakes, and most notably, dragon whisker pastries.

This is a delicacy from Jiangnan...

Then Tuanyuan said, "...This dragon whisker pastry needs to be made by repeatedly boiling wheat, sugar, sesame seeds, and peanuts. It also contains fragrant herbs like scallions, amaranth, pepper, and mugwort, which have unique aromas. The sugar shouldn't be too sweet or too bland; it should melt in your mouth and have a slightly caramelized aroma..."

Chu Nianci watched through the curtain as Tuanyuan sat at the table, talking animatedly, holding a Ru kiln plate containing dragon whisker pastry and bird's nest soup.

Chu Nianci wondered: Tuanyuan usually gets ordinary pastries, where did this precious thing come from?

"Wow, you've got some skills," Chu Nianci said with a smile, lifting the curtain and walking over. "Where did you get this?"

Tuanyuan said in a clear voice, "It was sent by Sister Hongying."

"Red Tassel?" Chu Nianci smiled.

"Where is she?" Chu Nianci looked around.

"I just kowtowed to you and left, saying I wouldn't disturb your afternoon rest," Tuanyuan said with a grin.

"She asked me to tell you that she is doing very well with Consort Lan now, and will come to kowtow to you again another day... This dragon whisker pastry was made by Consort Lan herself, so that you can taste the flavor of your childhood."

Chu Nianci raised an eyebrow: "Sister Lan, you've really gone to a lot of trouble."

Don't be fooled by how small this dish looks; it takes several days to make.

"Yes," Tuanyuan nodded quickly, "My lady, this is a piece of his heart, please try it!"

Chu Nianci picked up the item, sniffed it, and took a small bite.

The sweet and soft flavor instantly permeated her heart, reminding her of the days she spent with her mother in Jiangnan.

"You eat too." Chu Nianci took a piece and gave it to Tuanyuan.

Tuanyuan stuffed the piece into his mouth in one gulp and ate it like a little squirrel.

Just then, Manbao almost drooled to the ground, and Chu Nianci handed him a piece as well.

Manbao had a money pouch attached to her waist.

She ate so much that her eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

"Are you receiving your monthly allowance?" Chu Nianci asked, looking at the money bag.

"No way, the monthly allowance isn't that much," Manbao said, shaking her money pouch as she ate. "This servant just won it from the Fourth Treasury, hehe."

Chu Nianci's face darkened as soon as she heard this.

The Four Treasurys were responsible for managing the distribution of clothing and various items to the emperor and his consorts.

Unexpectedly, he was even gambling in private. Gambling was strictly prohibited in the palace, yet he went to gamble.

"I told you long ago not to break the palace rules," her voice turned cold. "You dare disobey me?"

Manbao knelt down with a thud, wiping the sugar smear from her mouth as she cried out her innocence: "My sister was tortured to death in the laundry department. It was Master who sent people to rescue her. If I didn't obey Master, wouldn't I be a beast? I only went there to gather information..."

She, Tuanyuan, did this to win Manbao's heart. She glanced at Tuanyuan, and Tuanyuan nodded.

"You already know," Chu Nianci said.

Having been here for less than a month, we definitely need to keep an eye on things.

If Manbao is completely prevented from going, she might really become deaf and blind.

Tuanyuan whispered, "My lord, if we don't let him go, we'll be completely in the dark."

Chu Nianci's expression softened slightly: "So what did you hear?"

Manbao rubbed her eyes, leaned closer and lowered her voice: "Consort Bai and Noble Lady Qiao slandered you, but His Majesty cleared up the rumors for you and promoted you to the rank of Changzai. Those rumors have been dispelled. Since Consort Shu cannot serve the Emperor, everyone is watching the matter of serving the Emperor. Those below the rank of Consort can be promoted one rank after serving the Emperor for the first time. All the Consorts are hoping for it."

"Consort Shu was furious this afternoon, smashing a lot of porcelain, and several palace servants were punished for no reason..."

Chu Nianci smiled lightly: "She was originally the most likely to serve the emperor, but after this incident, she lost face, so of course she's unhappy."

It's a pity that such a good family background was used to scheme against someone. So, it was really unwise to fight for the first opportunity to serve someone in bed.

However, everyone knows this principle, but if there really is a chance, who can give it up? Not to mention others, even Chu Nianci herself is a little envious. But she can't choose her background, and she doesn't want to stand out and become a target.

She believes that, regardless of past or present lives, as long as she doesn't get caught up in romantic relationships, she can always climb up step by step.

Holding the pastries, Tuanyuan sighed, "With Consort Shu, Consort Bai, and Noble Lady Qiao out of the running, the remaining three have a much better chance."

Chu Nianci lowered her eyes and asked, "What's the latest news?"

"Everyone is secretly working hard... Consort Jia sought out Eunuch Li De'an, Consort Yue went through Eunuch Jingxi's connections, but Noble Lady Lan hasn't made any moves."

Sigh, even Consort Lan has found a way to get ahead.

"The dragon whisker pastry you're eating is one of them," Chu Nianci thought to herself with amusement.

"Furthermore, regarding His Majesty's right to have his first bedmate, those who bet on Consort Jia's bedchamber have a 10% chance of winning, those who bet on Consort Yue have a 30% chance, and those who bet on Noble Lady Lan have a 40% chance."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further: "The most ingenious thing is that everyone bet on Consort Shu to serve the emperor the other day, except for Xiao Luzi, who served Consort Qiao. He bet early on that Consort Shu wouldn't be able to serve the emperor, and won a thousand taels. He's probably counting his money somewhere right now!"

Chu Nianci's lips twitched as she listened.

These ignorant fools actually dared to wager His Majesty's right to his first night.

From this perspective, Lin Jingse was indeed an incompetent empress.

Palace servants accepted bribes, and gambling was rampant in the palace, but she turned a blind eye and focused solely on winning the emperor's favor. No wonder the young emperor didn't like her.

But these are things she can't control right now, and it's not her place to control them.

Now, she is going to dig out the secrets and whispers hidden in the most inconspicuous places.

Suddenly.

Her phoenix eyes narrowed slightly...

The fog in my heart suddenly lifted a little...

The people around Consort Qiao already knew that Consort Shu could not serve the emperor.

Unless she was the one who poisoned Consort Shu.

Did she miss Consort Qiao in Kunning Palace this morning?

Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, it cleaved through the fog before my eyes.

While in Kunning Palace, only one concubine, Qiao Guiren, was dragged out for "breaking a taboo" but was not inspected.

Why is she pretending to be crazy and targeting me?

It's because he was carrying something taboo.

What a clever escape!

She initially thought that the pretty lady was a bit dim-witted and had nothing better to do than provoke her and get punished, but it turned out that she did it on purpose.

Even if she doesn't come after me, she'll find someone else to cause trouble.

What a charming noblewoman who's pretending to be crazy! I really underestimated her.

I just don't know who her master is.

Having figured this out, Chu Nianci waved to Tuanyuan and Manbao.

"The situation in the palace is currently unclear. Everyone in Nuanqing Pavilion must be cautious these next few days and avoid getting involved."

Tuanyuan and Manbao quickly replied, "Yes."

Manbao added, "There's another piece of news, apparently from Consort Shu, that His Majesty used to have a favorite palace maid who liked to wear a red dress and dance in Plum Blossom Pavilion. This news is being spread to Kunchan Palace and Consort Jia's Yanxi Palace."

She'd never heard of the palace maid His Majesty favored.

Consort Shu is now unable to serve the emperor, setting a trap for the Empress or Consort Jia.

However, Chu Nianci believed that this wouldn't work on the two of them.

Because the Empress had been staying for a month, she knew His Majesty's condition well, and Consort Jia had grown up with His Majesty.

This information is worth using.

Chu Nianci calmly instructed, "Find a way to spread this matter to Consort Bai's Yongshou Palace."

Consort Bai, I'm so grateful for your concern; you've gone to such lengths to dig such a huge hole for yourself.

If I don't fight back, you'll think I'm easy to bully.

I've dug this pit for you now; whether you jump in or not is up to you.

"And you are not allowed to go to the Four Treasurys unless I give the order."

Manbao was sweating profusely and repeatedly said, "I will never dare to do it again."

Tuanyuan covered her mouth and chuckled: "You'd better remember this well, even if you have the skills of Sun Wukong, you still can't escape the young master's palm."

"Get up," Chu Nianci said, her tone softening. "In the harem, being well-informed is important, but you can't be arrogant and forget yourself, lest someone find a handle against you. However, you did well this time and deserve a reward."

Tuanyuan handed over a purse.

Manbao was only 8 years old after all. Startled by her, the little girl lay on the ground, timidly refusing the reward, and repeatedly said, "This servant has made a mistake and dares not accept the reward. I only hope that Your Highness will forgive me this time..."

Chu Nianci's voice softened slightly: "As long as you do your job loyally, you should accept this reward. There will be many places where you need money to gather information in the future, so consider this as a way for you to make ends meet. If you do a good job, I will naturally not treat you unfairly."

The way to govern subordinates is nothing more than using both kindness and severity.

After giving her a warning, she also needs some incentives. This way, Manbao will be more diligent in her future duties and less likely to go astray.

Manbao wiped away her sweat, smiled, and accepted the purse and money pouch: "Thank you for the reward, Your Highness. To be honest, I entered the palace when I was six years old. Even if I don't go to the Four Treasurys, I have some familiar faces everywhere. As long as it's not top secret, I can always find out a bit about it..."

Few eunuchs in the palace dared to boast like this in front of their masters.

Since he dared to say it, he must really have some connections.

Chu Nianci nodded: "Then you should pay more attention in the future and do your job well for me. You will have a bright future."

Even so, she knew in her heart that... in this deep palace, one could never trust anyone easily.

At this moment, a young palace maid from the Hall of Mental Cultivation came to summon her, saying that His Majesty had urgent business with her.

Urgent?

What's wrong?

Chu Nianci couldn't think of any urgent matter that could have gotten her into.

But having no other choice, he followed the young palace maid and headed towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation...