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

The candlelight fell into his eyes, and a clear, slightly bright light spread across his pupils.

Chu Nianci looked at him and thought: With such a face, wouldn't it be a pity not to flirt with him?

Anyway, he was the one who approached her first, so it's not her fault.

She maintained a serious expression, but a cunning glint shone in her eyes, like a kitten stealthily extending its claws.

As he lowered his head, she leaned forward slightly, her thick eyelashes drooping down, making her red lips appear even more luscious and tempting.

Duanmu Qingyu didn't consider himself a lustful person, but at this moment, his throat tightened and his gaze couldn't be taken off.

The moment their lips touched, a warm and fragrant sensation filled the air.

The girl's serene aura suddenly intensified, lingering in his breath.

He paused, unsure of what to do next.

Chu Nianci noticed that he could only clumsily move his lips around against hers, and chuckled to herself: He really is a novice, he can't even open his lips properly.

She wasn't in a hurry. She just chuckled softly and, before he could react, gently brushed her soft lips against his, as if patiently tracing some precious object, bit by bit, not even missing the corners of his lips.

Duanmu Qingyu was ticklish, and she trembled slightly after being lightly rubbed twice. Her ears turned red, but she pursed her lips and did not dodge.

Chu Nianci still maintained a serious expression... but unknowingly, a soft moan escaped his lips.

She immediately moved forward, her tongue gently meeting the opening slightly.

The moment their lips touched, she tasted the faint scent of herbs and trees in his breath, as clear and resilient as pine and cypress, and as cool and slightly sweet as mint.

He also kept pestering him.

Chu Nianci had assumed his lips and tongue would be soft and inexperienced, but when he actually clung to her, she realized she was wrong.

That gentleness carried an irresistible sense of invasion, even a hint of ferocity.

He gently bit her, and as he caressed and rubbed her, a subtle yet tingling shiver ran through him.

She lowered her eyes, letting him explore, her clear eyes narrowing slightly.

With eyes closed, I fully enjoy the wild dance of two tongues.

After an unknown amount of time, her hand accidentally touched the edge of the copper basin.

A soft "ding" sounded.

The two of them snapped back to reality at the same time.

Duanmu Qingyu slowly stepped back a little, his gaze falling on her lips, which were already rosy and glistening with moisture.

"Your kissing skills are so practiced," he suddenly leaned closer, the crisp scent of pine wood enveloping her, "Are you perhaps practicing for someone else?"

"Oh, Your Majesty, you're so naughty," she met his gaze, a slight smile curving her lips. "This is the first time I've ever done this."

That's true... but this is the first time in this lifetime.

She spoke frankly, her eyes sparkling with a subtle, lingering tenderness.

"You're lying again," Duanmu Qingyu looked at her for a moment, his eyes darkening. "You practiced it a thousand times on others, but you're using it on me."

His voice was still soft, yet it was like a pebble sinking into a deep pool, and a thin layer of ice had formed in his eyes, faintly revealing a sharp edge.

Suddenly, a possibility occurred to her: although she was a virgin, could it be that she had kissed that person before entering the palace...?

Thinking of this, a surge of annoyance and resentment welled up in his heart, and his eyes gradually darkened.

Chu Nianci noticed that his gaze was gradually becoming fierce.

I know he's thinking the wrong way.

Your Majesty, your thoughts have wandered far. I have truly been innocent throughout my life…

She inwardly groaned, but on the surface she blinked, feigning innocence, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness: "Why is Your Majesty misinterpreting me? I... um..."

Before she could finish speaking, Duanmu Qingyu kissed her.

Chu Nianci was breathless from his kiss and pushed him away.

"You think you can just hide now that you've piqued my interest?" His gaze remained unmoved, but his fingertips gently traced the corner of her lips before he suddenly became fierce and pounced on her again.

He stared intently at her with deep, dark eyes, forcefully pulling her close to his body, his jade-white fingers tracing her lips.

The candlelight reflected the cold sharpness in his eyes, and the upturned corners of his eyes carried a hint of savagery, as if he wanted to trap the butterfly in his palm.

His tyrannical mask fell off again.

The thought that she might be facing a storm instead of marital bliss didn't frighten her; instead, she felt a sense of anticipation.

A high position was her goal, and the emperor's favor was also what she desired.

However, Duanmu Qingyu's emotions are hard to discern, making him a two-faced person.

One moment he's a refined and elegant young man, the next he can transform into a ruthless and tyrannical ruler.

She still hasn't figured out what the key factor that triggered this incident is.

Therefore, these two things are not easy to obtain. Getting along with him is not only a high-level game, but also a contest of acting skills, tactics, and patience.

She concealed the ambition in her eyes.

Playing hard to get, maintaining a distance while seemingly close.

She didn't want the emperor to get his wish so easily; if he did, he certainly wouldn't cherish it in the future.

So she deliberately pressed a finger to his lips and said, "Your Majesty must be tired from managing so many affairs of state. I will not disturb you any longer."

"Now you know how to hide," Duanmu Qingyu sneered, his breath brushing against her ear, "Where did your courage go?"

Before he could finish speaking, he lowered his head and kissed her again.

No one had ever given Duanmu Qingyu such a feeling before, which aroused his interest, making him both reluctant and welcoming, and extremely alluring.

His breathing grew heavier, and he kissed her neck with domineering force.

At this moment, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the Hall of Mental Cultivation. The footsteps stopped, and the person stood outside the door, seemingly hesitant. After a while, Li De'an's voice finally rang out from outside the hall: "Your Majesty, an urgent report from the border."

Duanmu Qingyu was slightly startled, then sat up.

An emperor who possesses all nations will inevitably be burdened by the burdens of the world; he does not belong to himself.

"Alright, you can go back now." Duanmu Qingyu calmly regained her composed demeanor.

Seeing that her mood had been ruined, Chu Nianci was taken aback. She was neither angry nor disappointed; she had only wanted to tease him a little today.

This was not the best time to curry favor, so she lowered her eyelashes, quickly got up, and left.

Upon returning to Nuanqing Pavilion, I found the table piled high with various gifts.

There are no secrets in the harem. After the incident that afternoon spread, many concubines sent people to curry favor with her, hoping to establish a connection with the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Even the Empress and Consort Shu sent people to give her gifts, saying it was to calm her nerves.

Chu Nianci did not show up, allowing Tuanyuan to accept everything.

Receiving gifts is a way of establishing a good relationship.

People in the palace are used to fawning on the powerful and bullying the weak. When Consort Bai was demoted to a commoner and left Yongshou Palace, she only took a quilt with her.

The night in Yongxiang was cold, and the dilapidated palace was drafty, with only a dim oil lamp lit.

Bai Qianrou was wrapped in a thin blanket, and the festering wounds on her face looked even more gruesome in the shadows.

Demoted from a concubine to a commoner, her appearance ruined, she was already an outcast of her family.

The palace servants all left, leaving only Yanqiu, who had been by his side since childhood.

With red eyes and gritted teeth, Yanqiu said, "Yanrong bit her tongue and committed suicide, my lady. I never expected Consort Hui to be so cunning, seeing right through us... Don't worry, I will definitely avenge you!"

"Don't act rashly," Bai Qianrou said after a moment of silence, suppressing the resentment surging in her eyes. "The victor is king, the loser is villain. In this round, I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."

"Shouldn't we take revenge?" Yanqiu said unwillingly.

"Now that we're outcasts, if we want to turn things around, we have to make ourselves useful to the family." She looked out the dark window.

She slowly turned her head, her eyes probing: "Now that my appearance is ruined and everything is over, if you wish to leave, I will not blame you."

Yanqiu shook her head: "I am an orphan, and I have only survived to this day because of your great kindness. That wretched maid Yanrong, biting her tongue is too good for her. Could it be... that the Empress ordered it?"

"It shouldn't be," Bai Qianrou said in a hoarse voice, staring at the drafty door. "She's just following orders from the household. Now we can only wait for someone from home to come and then act accordingly."

Inside the Kunning Palace, the candlelight was dim.

Empress Lin leaned against the couch, a hint of gloom flashing in her eyes: "Consort Bai couldn't hold her temper after all. I thought she had some courage, so I went to great lengths to get her out. I originally wanted to use her to deal with Consort Shu, but I didn't expect her to be so impatient. Now the plan is ruined, and I almost got dragged into it."

Xia Dong stood to the side, a rigid line forming at the corner of her mouth: "She and Consort Hui had some old grudges before she entered the palace, which is why she couldn't hold back for a moment."

Empress Lin rubbed her temples: "Speaking of which, Consort Hui's promotion is too fast. She looks unremarkable, but she has been promoted from a concubine to a consort in less than a month since entering the palace. She even managed to defeat Consort Qiao and Consort Bai. She should not be underestimated."

Xia Dong curled her lips. She looked down on Chu Nianci, who was just a merchant. "Your Highness doesn't need to care too much. In the end, she's just a lowly concubine. Her father is only a sixth-rank official, and her mother is a merchant. She won't amount to anything. Right now, the important thing is to deal with Consort Shu."

But Bai Pin's broken wings still weighed heavily on Empress Lin's heart like a boulder.

If only I had known this would happen, I would have made my move as soon as Chu Nianci entered the palace.

However, what's done is done.

Empress Lin suppressed her frustration and said in a low voice, "This time she not only escaped punishment, but it also shows her character and methods. In terms of appearance and mind, she is no ordinary person. Although her rank is low now, if we let her grow stronger, she will probably be more difficult to deal with than Consort Shu in the future... It is best to deal with her as soon as possible before she gains a firm foothold."

"Master..." Xia Dong saw that her expression was resolute and knew that she could not be persuaded, so she changed the subject, "The other day, the old lady sent a letter saying that the fifth young lady has turned sixteen and passed the coming-of-age ceremony. It is time to look at marriage prospects."

Empress Lin frowned slightly: "I have already looked at some of the portraits of eligible young men from noble families in the capital in the past two days. The road will be paved for her. Tomorrow, summon Jingrui to the palace and have him help with the deliberations."

After speaking for a while, Empress Lin could no longer hold on, and her face grew increasingly pale.

Xia Dong quickly replied, "Yes, I will go and invite the Imperial Brother-in-law to the palace first thing tomorrow morning."