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

When we arrived at the main hall of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, it was already dusk. Most of the lights and candles in the outer halls had been extinguished, leaving only a few flickering palace lanterns.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the snow-covered ground.

From afar, one could see a person lying on the open ground in front of the hall, being beaten with sticks by two guards, crying and shouting incessantly.

Jingxi was loudly counting the number of sticks.

Chu Nianci wondered, "Who has angered His Majesty?"

She walked to Jingxi, who was supervising the execution, and glanced at him. She saw that he was fat, with a big belly, a rat-like face, and a lewd appearance.

Chu Nianci walked curiously to Jingxi's side and asked, "Oh, who's so blind as to anger His Majesty?"

"Han Yue, the Director of the Imperial Household Department," Jingxi took a few steps to the side and whispered, "His Majesty has been overwhelmed with official business these past few days. This morning, he got angry in Kunning Palace, and Consort Qiao made false accusations against you. In the afternoon, he got up, ate a bowl of fragrant cheese, and felt that the taste was not right, so he summoned him for questioning. As a result, when he checked the accounts, he found that corruption was serious and the accounts were a mess. His Majesty was furious and said that he was corrupt, derelict in his duties, and disrespectful to the emperor. He ordered him to be dragged out and beaten with thirty strokes of the cane."

Order from the Imperial Household Department?

Isn't that the father of the beautiful noblewoman?

It seems His Majesty is still holding a grudge about what happened this morning.

This is clearly on their side.

No, it's more likely that the beautiful concubine was framing herself at the same time.

Unexpectedly, this also turned out to be cheating on him and violated his taboo.

Well done, Chu Nianci thought to himself with satisfaction.

As she stepped onto the golden steps, she thought to herself, "His Majesty is truly remarkable. He uncovered the corruption within the Imperial Household Department with just a bowl of milk."

Such insight is truly rare; we must be even more careful around him in the future.

Just as they reached the palace gates, they heard Duanmu Qingyu's voice: "...How hateful! Greedy and despicable! How can I trust such a person to manage the Imperial Household Department? The Empress now controls the harem, and the accounts are so corrupt, yet you are completely unaware?"

Then Empress Lin replied in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I have only been in the palace for a month. I have been busy with the selection of concubines and the affairs of various palaces, and it has been difficult for me to attend to everything..."

"Oh? Since the Empress is too busy, should I find you some help? Issue an edict to the six palaces, and have Consort Shu and Consort Jia assist you?"

"Your Majesty..." Empress Lin whispered, accompanied by the soft clinking of cups.

Through the curtain, Chu Nianci saw the Empress walk to the side and kneel down, saying, "Your Majesty, I am terrified. If this is the case, how can I face anyone? Please, Your Majesty, rescind your decree."

Duanmu Qingyu was still furious: "Since the Director of the Imperial Household Department is not doing a good job, he need not be kept. From now on, all matters of the inner palace will be handled by the Grand Eunuch. The position of Director of the Imperial Household Department is hereby abolished... Li De'an is promoted to the position of Director of the Imperial Household Department."

"But... Your Majesty, please calm down. Han Yue was, after all, recommended by the Empress Dowager..."

"How could the Empress Dowager know that he is this kind of person? In that case, he has committed another crime of deceiving the Empress Dowager. You should report to the Empress Dowager and demote him to the Construction Department as a supervisor, only in charge of the maintenance of the Forbidden Garden. If he does not repent, he will never be employed again."

The position of Imperial Household Department official was changed to engineering supervisor, which was a significant demotion.

Empress Lin seemed to want to say something more.

"You may leave," Duanmu Qingyu said in a calm tone. "I am now fully recovered, and the Empress need not come to attend to me for the time being."

A rustling sound of clothes rang out.

Empress Lin bowed her head and stepped out. As she turned around, she saw Chu Nianci.

Chu Nianci quickly curtsied.

Empress Lin's face was ashen, her mind preoccupied. She didn't notice Chu Nianci at all, and walked down the golden steps with a gloomy face, got into her phoenix palanquin and hurriedly left.

Chu Nianci gazed at her somber and desolate figure, and felt a strange sense of loneliness.

After entering the palace, she lost the emperor's favor and was merely a puppet of the empress dowager...

This is truly pathetic. In fact, if she hadn't coveted those things that didn't belong to her...

It shouldn't have come to this.

On the other hand, if she honestly stayed true to her duty, would Duanmu Qingyu soften his heart and give her some dignity and respect? It seems unlikely; he is not the kind of person who is soft-hearted.

With just a few words, the Empress's power was stripped away, and she was forbidden from attending to the sick again. Even those recommended by the Empress Dowager were almost driven out of the palace.

This reprimand served both as a warning to the Empress Dowager and as a demonstration of the Emperor's authority.

Thinking of this, she took a deep breath, softening her breathing and footsteps.

Chu Nianci lowered her head and walked lightly into the inner hall.

The inner hall was brightly lit, and dinner had not yet been served. Duanmu Qingyu was sitting at the table with a cup of tea.

The flickering candlelight illuminated his cool, moist lips and handsome profile, making one's heart flutter.

She stared at that profile for a moment, her Adam's apple bobbing slightly as she silently swallowed.

Looking up, he saw several palace maids standing quietly beside him, shyly peeking at his tall shadow cast on the ground.

Chu Nianci chuckled inwardly; these girls wouldn't be able to sleep well tonight.

Seeing that His Majesty was still eating, and realizing that this was not her duty, she quietly stepped aside and stood still.

Before long, Jingxi returned and reported: "Your Majesty, the caning is over."

"Hmm," Duanmu Qingyu glanced over at them lightly, "I'm not eating anymore. Take everything away and don't stand here."

Everyone accepted the order and withdrew, and Chu Nianci also turned around.

"Hui'er..." Duanmu Qingyu called out to her expressionlessly, only saying to the little eunuch beside him, "You don't need to serve here anymore."

Only the two of them remained inside the hall.

She secretly glanced up and saw that Duanmu Qingyu's face was growing increasingly grim in the candlelight, which made her feel uneasy.

No, we can't just sit here and wait to die. We have to prove our innocence right away!

Chu Nianci thought to herself: This whole thing isn't really my fault... but I still managed to cause a little trouble.

It's unacceptable not to explain it clearly.

Having made up her mind, she immediately put on a pitiful look, walked up to Duanmu Qingyu, and cried out, "Your Majesty, actually, I was tricked today."

"Oh?" Duanmu Qingyu paused, looking up at her. "Tell me your plan."

Chu Nianci reacted quickly: "Your Majesty, I was just heading to Kunning Palace with my pearl hairpin when Lin Jingrui suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling me. I had just managed to get rid of him when Consort Yu and Noble Lady Qiao happened to see us..."

"Is that so?" Duanmu Qingyu glanced at her and asked slowly, "Then why didn't you take the main road and instead chose that side path?"

Chu Nianci choked for a moment.

She just wanted to take a shortcut.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty wishes to enjoy the snow." She straightened her expression, her face full of sincerity.

She glanced out the window and then at the emperor's expression, lowering her voice to say, "Your Majesty, I have something important to report."

"Speak." Duanmu Qingyu raised her eyes, seemingly casually.

Chu Nianci leaned close to his ear and told him in detail about how Consort Shu had been given a drug to induce menstruation.

After listening, Duanmu Qingyu seemed to be deep in thought.

Chu Nianci secretly breathed a sigh of relief: That's right, Your Majesty, business is still the most important thing.

As for my meeting with Lin Jingrui, let it all fade away like the wind...

Seeing that he seemed to be deep in thought, she kowtowed and quietly turned to leave.

"How dare you evade the question and try to fob me off!" A voice suddenly drifted from behind...

Oh no… He discovered her thoughts. Chu Nianci’s heart skipped a beat, and she knelt down with a thud…