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

Chu Nianci did not avoid their scrutinizing gazes.

Now that she has been promoted to the rank of Noble Lady, she has gained some standing in His Majesty's heart.

If no one bothers her, she will be fine; but if someone insists on causing trouble, she is not someone to be trifled with.

However, she did not want to confront Consort Shu immediately.

Chu Nianci smiled gently, seemingly oblivious to the coldness in the other person's eyes.

She knew that the imperial court and the harem were always closely connected, and there were no secrets that could be kept hidden in the palace.

The news of her rise from the daughter of a minor official of the sixth rank to the rank of Noble Lady had already spread throughout the palace.

With countless eyes watching, she managed to slip past the emperor's notice. Now, the concubines no longer look at her with indifference; instead, they look at her with undisguised envy and resentment.

Chu Nianci knew that she had been completely thrust into the eye of the storm, with no way to avoid it and no need to avoid it any longer.

Empress Lin stood before the hall, surrounded by a group of palace servants, her gaze calm yet sharp.

Consort Shu's eyes were filled with undisguised jealousy. She raised her hand to gently touch the phoenix hairpin at her temple, her smile both charming and sharp.

Chu Nianci hurriedly bowed respectfully to the Empress and Consort Shu: "Greetings to Your Majesty the Empress, may you live a thousand years and enjoy boundless blessings; greetings to Your Majesty Consort Shu, may you be safe and well."

She then bowed slightly to the other concubines, saying, "Good morning, ladies."

Chu Nianci performed a proper bow, without a single flaw in etiquette: "Your Majesty, I have been granted the title of Noble Lady and should have paid my respects to Her Majesty long ago. However, I have been busy taking care of His Majesty these past two days and have not been able to spare the time. Today, I am making up for this by paying my respects to Your Majesty. I hope Your Majesty will not take offense."

The Empress was filled with anxiety all night. Yesterday, she sent a eunuch to follow her during her private memorial service, but he disappeared without a trace after leaving. She sent people to search for him in the palace, but to no avail. When she woke up this morning, she heard that the Emperor was ill, and then came the news of her promotion. Surprised, she hurriedly summoned Physician Liu to ask him about it. He said that Chu Nianci had assisted Physician Zhang in curing His Majesty's illness.

Shocked, he rushed over and learned the whole story from Li De'an's report.

She was displeased, but couldn't show it in front of everyone, so she maintained a gentle and graceful smile: "Of course, His Majesty's health is the most important thing. Sister, there's no need for such formalities. Please get up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Empress."

As Chu Nianci stood up, she secretly glanced at the Empress's expression.

Even with thick makeup covering her face, her haggard appearance was still evident, and she looked even worse than the last time I saw her.

She thought to herself, the Illusion Flower is a secret medicine of Medicine King Valley. Not to mention Physician Liu or her half-sister, even ordinary disciples of Medicine King Valley might not recognize it. The Empress's appearance is probably a sequela of the Illusion Flower she used before... She's already so sick, yet she's still thinking about vying for favor and scheming every day. Isn't she just torturing herself?

Moreover, excessive use of that stuff can cause sterilization.

The more eager the empress is to seize power and consolidate favor, the more it resembles trying to catch the moon's reflection in a mirror; in the end, she may only end up with nothing.

Just then, Empress Lin spoke in a gentle voice: "Consort Hui deserves a reward for saving the Emperor last night. However, to be promoted directly from a concubine to a consort is an honor that is probably unmatched in the palace."

She paused, her gaze seemingly sweeping over Consort Shu, "With such favor, you should be even more dutiful in the future, serve His Majesty well, and produce offspring for the royal family as soon as possible."

These words, ostensibly a word of advice, were actually meant for Consort Shu.

Sure enough, Chu Nianci was about to stand up.

Consort Shu's beautiful almond-shaped eyes swept coldly over Chu Nianci, her anger and jealousy piercing like knives as she said in a cold voice, "I haven't even let you stand up yet."

Shen Lanbing, who was standing to the side, subconsciously wanted to step forward, but Jiafei gently pulled her sleeve, signaling her not to make any rash moves.

Chu Nianci's lips curled slightly, and he sighed inwardly.

It's here; it's bound to happen.

But having received this great favor, one must also bear the envy and resentment that comes with it.

Naturally, the Empress's attempts to sow discord would not succeed.

She knelt with her head bowed, her voice gentle yet clear: "Your Majesty's teachings are well remembered. However, the matter of having children and continuing the imperial lineage should ultimately be left to Your Majesty the Empress and Consort Shu. I dare not overstep my bounds."

"What do you mean by that?" Consort Shu scoffed, her face full of disdain.

She couldn't stand this kind of behavior—being humble on the surface but actually being hypocritical.

Consort Yue suddenly spoke, her cold face full of disdain: "Yes, the speed at which you have been promoted is probably unmatched by anyone in the entire palace. Your good fortune has come so quickly, but you should be careful with it."

"If you dare to take advantage of His Majesty's favor and bewitch him, I will not let you off lightly." Consort Shu glanced at her sideways. Although she knew in her heart that this was the Empress's provocation and that the Empress was still her biggest opponent, she could not suppress her jealousy when she thought of the Emperor's favor towards her.

Especially Chu Nianci's appearance, both innocent and alluring, was dazzling even to her, making her even more resentful.

Chu Nianci straightened her back; she had already thought of a solution last night.

Consort Shu's affection for the Emperor was a sword that could kill, hurting others, but it was also a shackle that bound her to herself.

"Your Majesty's words are too kind," she said, her head bowed and her tone sincere. "How could I, a mere commoner, compare myself to Your Majesty? It was only because His Majesty suddenly fell ill last night and was short-handed that I assisted Physician Zhang with my limited medical knowledge. His Majesty remembered my humble contribution and thus granted me this promotion."

The implication was that it wasn't because of the promotion for serving the emperor, so there was no need to be jealous.

As expected, Consort Shu's expression softened slightly upon hearing this.

"Actually... last night, when His Majesty was in a daze, he tried to summon Consort Shu several times," Chu Nianci added.

"Oh?" Consort Shu raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing her. "His Majesty still thinks of me even while he's ill?"

"How dare I speak such nonsense?" Chu Nianci said respectfully. "His Majesty said that the bond between His Majesty and the Empress is different from that of others since childhood. The person he most wanted to see when he was ill was you. However, the roads were slippery on this snowy night, so he did not send anyone to deliver the message."

Upon hearing this, even the quick-tempered Consort Shu couldn't help but show a hint of emotion in her eyes.

She glanced at Chu Nianci, her expression still disdainful, but the sharp hostility she once felt had lessened somewhat.

She's just someone who rose to power through some medical skills, and she's not yet worthy of her attention. The person she should be most wary of right now is the Empress.

Consort Yue didn't even look at her, and gave a slight sneer: "Sister Hui is truly eloquent, no wonder she has won the Emperor's favor. I just don't know if these words are fabricated or true."

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu's face darkened further: "You dare to lie to me?"

Chu Nianci glanced at Consort Yue discreetly.

Consort Yue was born with a cool and aloof appearance, considered above average in the palace. However, her fair and delicate skin suggested she had been pampered in a life of luxury, and from a distance, she resembled a jade beauty.

I thought she was as indifferent as jade, and disdained to compete for favor, but I didn't expect her to jump out today.

It seems that power and wealth can ultimately change people's hearts... Moreover, with a face like Duanmu Qing's, how many people can remain completely unmoved?

"How dare I deceive Your Majesty?" Chu Nianci lowered her eyes, her tone becoming more sincere. "When His Majesty was delirious during his illness, he did indeed whisper 'Xi'er'... I remember that scene clearly. Later, when His Majesty woke up, I dared to ask, and only then did I learn that it was Your Majesty's childhood name."

She was not afraid that Consort Shu would become suspicious.

I had heard from my relatives in my previous life that Consort Shu's mother valued this name very much and often addressed it among her family and friends.

Moreover, there's no way Consort Shu would actually ask the Emperor about such private conversations in bed... This lie is impossible to expose.

Consort Shu initially thought that Chu Nianci was just casually brushing her off, but the nickname "Xi'er" was only known to her closest family members and personal maids, and there was absolutely no way Chu Nianci could find out.

Could it be... that what she said was true?

Does His Majesty still truly cherish her in his heart?

Consort Shu's expression changed from gloomy to sunny, and when she looked at Chu Nianci again, her eyes even carried a hint of pity.

"At least you're sensible," she said, her tone softening as she waved for her to rise. "I like people who know how to be pragmatic."

Chu Nianci rose and bowed, revealing a hint of unease: "To be honest, Your Majesty, my family background is humble. Even if I am promoted, I cannot compare to the deep foundations of you ladies. I only wish to live a peaceful life in the palace and have never dared to have any improper thoughts..."

Consort Shu finally breathed a sigh of relief... At least for now, Consort Hui was being sensible.

At this moment, Li De'an entered the hall to announce the arrival of the guests and led everyone inside.

Duanmu Qing had changed his clothes and stood up, sitting on the dragon throne in front of the screen.

His face was still pale from his illness, but his spirits had improved considerably. The candlelight illuminated half of his face, revealing his exquisite features. His long hair was loosely draped over his shoulders, and as the cuffs of his nightgown slipped slightly, a faint medicinal fragrance mixed with a refreshing scent wafted through the air.

Physician Zhang had just brought in the decoction and medicinal food.

He took a few bites and then pushed the food away, saying, "I am feeling much better. Empress and Consort Shu need not worry. Please sit down."

Duanmu Qing's voice was calm, yet it carried an inherent air of authority.

Everyone bowed and took their seats.

His gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on Chu Nianci, before turning to the Empress: "Last night I promoted Consort Hui; the Empress must already know?"

The Empress's smile froze slightly, then she said gently, "Your Majesty didn't even send someone to inform me. If Physician Liu hadn't mentioned it this morning when he took my pulse, I would still be in the dark... You never let me come to serve you, so I assumed you were upset about what happened before."

Consort Shu's eyes sparkled as she deftly slipped between the Emperor and Empress, saying sweetly, "Your Majesty mustn't show favoritism. Last time, Empress Dowager Cixi worked tirelessly for many days while attending to the Empress during her illness. This time, may I have the opportunity to serve her?"