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

Chu Nianci deliberately covered her mouth, softly bent her knees, and trembled like a deer as she said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. You are wise and intelligent, a man of extraordinary talent. How could Emperor Ai of Jin possibly compare to you? Even if I truly wanted to monopolize the emperor's favor and bring ruin to the country, I could not escape your discerning eyes."

The young emperor simply didn't like women who lacked their own opinions.

However, one should not go too far in anything; if you cross his bottom line, it will also arouse his disgust.

Being neither arrogant nor humble, neither weak nor hard, and with a touch of femininity, is what suits his taste.

Upon hearing this, Duanmu Qingyu was secretly startled.

Such insights are something even the most trusted ministers in the court might not be able to articulate.

She, a woman in the imperial harem, possessed such insight.

Some women may have stunning beauty, but they are shallow and empty inside. They become boring after a while. On the other hand, she is like a hidden treasure. The more you get to know her, the more precious and mysterious she becomes.

Unbeknownst to him, her importance in his heart had increased even further.

However, emperors never showed their emotions. He paused only slightly before his expression returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Duanmu Qingyu sat firmly on the ground, his eyes sharp and his expression unreadable.

Then he suddenly chuckled, before straightening his face and feigning anger, saying, "How dare you compare me to a ruler of a fallen kingdom?"

"I was frightened by what the Empress said, and that's why I spoke without thinking," Chu Nianci said in a panic.

Empress Lin was furious when she saw that she was actually trying to shift the blame onto herself.

Duanmu Qingyu glanced at the Empress and smiled, "The Empress is also worried about me."

He personally stepped forward to help her up and said loudly, "The late emperor overthrew the tyrannical Former Jin and proclaimed himself emperor in Shengjing. Our predecessors struggled to establish the empire, and I now possess the entire realm. How could I repeat the mistakes of Emperor Ai of the Former Jin? The world is now at peace, but the surrounding barbarians have not submitted and frequently harass our borders. There are also regional warlords who hold sway on the frontiers. I have no intention of deceiving myself and will certainly strive to govern diligently, reform the old and usher in the new..."

As for the harem, I am confident that I will not be as incompetent and tyrannical as Emperor Ai, who only had eyes for women, causing the downfall of the country and then blaming a mere woman. I do not believe it, nor do I deign to do so.

Duanmu Qingyu gently stroked his long, flowing hair, laughing with a carefree and elegant air.

He showed no displeasure on his face, but rather a hint of relief in his tone: "You may live in the palace without worry, but as a mere concubine, you should not presume to discuss state affairs. You must be careful with your words and actions in the future."

Chu Nianci lowered her head and said softly, "Your Majesty, I would never dare to live in the Jiaofang Palace. It bears such a prestigious name. The name 'Jiaofang' is reserved for the Empress and is likely to invite criticism from court officials. If Your Majesty truly cares for me, could you please grant the palace another name?"

Duanmu Qingyu laughed heartily: "My wise minister, you are indeed intelligent, quick-witted, and eloquent!"

With a smile in his eyes, he said, "You possess a beauty that could topple cities and a heart of wisdom. Seeing your slightly furrowed brows and face as lovely as a begonia, I will rename the Jiaofang Palace to 'Tangdi Palace' and order its renovation. After I recover from my illness and the ceremony of bestowing the title of Noble Consort is performed, you can move in."

Chu Nianci took a small step back, straightened her posture, and bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for bestowing this name upon me."

"I await you to become my true benefactor," Duanmu Qingyu said with a smile.

Chu Nianci was slightly startled upon hearing this.

To become his true benefactor, is that what he meant...?

Noticing his intense gaze, she slightly raised her head, smiled shyly, and quickly glanced at him.

Duanmu Qingyu saw her bold yet slightly shy gaze.

His eyes unconsciously darkened.

All the concubines were horrified.

Isn't changing the name just burying your head in the sand?

But knowing it in their hearts is one thing; seeing how much His Majesty favors her, no one wants to be the first to act.

Step forward and expose this matter.

The emperor's favor towards her was truly extraordinary.

The Empress's eyes were filled with jealousy and hatred, and she quickly said, "Your Majesty, please reconsider."

The sound of his voice was so distorted that even the tone of his voice changed.

Consort Shu was consumed by jealousy and hatred; her eyes were practically bleeding.

But he happened to catch a glimpse of the Empress's jealous and hateful expression, and heard that her voice had changed. Instead, he felt a sense of relief and a smile appeared on his face.

She said sarcastically, "Your Majesty is in the prime of your life, wise and powerful, and possesses the ability to make decisive decisions. The mere four barbarian tribes are not worth worrying about. How could a mere woman possibly sway your mind?"

The Empress could only force a smile and replied, "What Consort Shu said makes sense; it was my oversight."

"The Empress oversees the six palaces, and her affairs are numerous and complicated. Her slip of the tongue was unintentional," Duanmu Qingyu said calmly.

Chu Nianci lowered her eyes and smiled inwardly.

This empress has always been only concerned with vying for favor and consolidating power. She has never really put her mind on the affairs of the six palaces.

Consort Shu chuckled lightly: "The Empress is indeed a virtuous wife, and also resembles a virtuous minister, but her knowledge is limited, so she cannot be considered a virtuous empress."

The Empress's face paled slightly.

Duanmu Qingyu seemed oblivious, and turned to her, saying, "Consort Shu is quite sensible, knowledgeable in household affairs, and meticulous. If you find the affairs of the six palaces too burdensome, you might as well let her learn from you."

The Empress hurriedly rose, her expression changed, but she still tried to appear magnanimous: "Your Majesty, I am foolish and the affairs of the six palaces are too complicated. How could I let Consort Shu..."

"With so many matters to attend to, we should find a helper. Let her handle the renovation of Tangdi Palace," Duanmu Qingyu said with a smile. "Besides, given what the Imperial Uncle did last night, I can't let the Empress work so hard."

Sweat poured down Empress Lin's back in an instant.

Although she was still smiling generously, her smile had become stiff.

My younger brother has gotten into trouble again.

She also learned that her younger brother had come to the Hall of Mental Cultivation last night. Although she didn't know what he had done or said, she was certain that he had violated His Majesty's taboos again.

Empress Lin gripped the hem of her skirt tightly with her fingers, the gold thread on the dress pricking her fingers painfully.

Could it be because of her again...? She glanced at Chu Nianci.

I warned him long ago not to bother this woman anymore.

Why can't you listen?

Chu Nianci noticed that the Empress was staring intently at him.

He only returned an innocent smile. The young emperor must have found out about Lin Jingrui's actions and words yesterday.

In the depths of the palace, before the emperor, even the slightest hesitation or bargaining will bring immediate retribution, leading to the loss of power.

Today, Duanmu Qingyu's decision to delegate the power of assisting in the management of the six palaces to Consort Shu is intended to restrain the Empress and warn the Emperor's brother-in-law.

They didn't completely strip him of his power.

The fact that the Empress was only granted power to govern the inner palace was a lenient measure, given that he ultimately managed to bring Imperial Physician Zhang over.

Chu Nianci sneered inwardly. Just now, the Empress had almost pointed her finger at him and accused her of being a seductive concubine who bewitched the Emperor.

If we don't return it now, wouldn't we be seen as weak and easily bullied?

So he stepped forward at the opportune moment and said respectfully, "Your Highness Consort Shu is intelligent and meticulous, and will surely be able to manage the affairs of the six palaces properly and thoroughly."

Upon hearing this, all the concubines bowed and knelt down, offering their congratulations in unison.

They all remembered that when the Empress served the Emperor a while ago, she ate all the food herself and didn't share a single spoonful with the others.

The Empress's face had turned black with anger.

But hearing the congratulations from the crowd, he couldn't say anything to stop them.

Now that the matter was settled, it could not be changed. He thought to himself that although he had lost this round, he had not lost completely. The power of the newly assigned palace servants in Tangdi Palace was still firmly in his hands.

Thinking this way, she bit her lip hard.

Duanmu Qingyu had just recovered from a serious illness, and his face showed signs of fatigue. Consort Shu acted coquettishly and insisted on staying for dinner at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

He smiled without saying a word or stopping them. Seeing this, the Empress hurriedly led the other concubines to take their leave.

The crowd dispersed immediately.

Chu Nianci, being of low rank, was the last to leave. She waited until all the other concubines had departed before descending the golden steps. Standing there, she admired the warm sunset on the horizon.

She heard footsteps behind her, and when she turned around, she saw Duanmu Qingyu standing in front of the white marble balustrade.

A ray of sunset was shining on his face. The sunset was a bright and vivid crimson, but it seemed to fade away as it fell on his ethereal face, making it seem as if it had disappeared. It was as if the beauty of a person was revealed only when the sun was set.

I couldn't help but stare at it for a moment.

Duanmu Qingyu also gazed at her, and saw that the setting sun fell on the red mole between her eyebrows, making her look as beautiful as a delicate crabapple.

"Hui'er, in a few days, you will become my woman..."

Chu Nianci didn't hear the sentence clearly, only the words "be my woman".

His voice sounded as unreal as the evening breeze in my ears.

Chu Nianci's heart stirred slightly, and he wanted to ask, but he had already turned and entered the hall.

Her heart was racing, and even her hands were trembling slightly.

Excited, Chu Nianci turned the corner and almost bumped into Jingxi carrying peach blossom wine.

She could smell the scent of the Illusion Flower from afar.

Chu Nianci lowered her eyes; it seemed that Consort Shu was being treated the same way.

She thought things would be different.

As for herself, he said he wanted her to be his woman.

Will I really be different from them?

The next day, news of Consort Shu's night with the Emperor spread throughout the palace.

According to palace rules, those of the rank of Consort or above must have offspring to be promoted, but the Emperor specially bestowed upon her the title of "Lady," and a stream of rewards were sent directly to Yukun Palace.

Everyone in the palace understood that "Lady" was just an honorary title, but Consort Shu was extremely proud of it.

Because she personally requested this title from the emperor.

In an instant, she broke the Empress's former monopoly on favor and became a new favorite.

Consort Shu was at the height of her power, and she rarely went to Kunning Palace to pay her respects anymore. When she did appear, she made no attempt to hide her arrogance.

The jealous gazes that had previously been focused on Chu Nianci now mostly turned to her. Two days later, they heard that the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion had submitted a petition requesting to retire and return to their hometown. They simply quit, which was clearly an attempt to manipulate the Emperor. Duanmu Qingyu then rewarded Consort Jia with peach blossom wine for her to serve him in bed. For a time, the two of them were engaged in a lively back-and-forth battle.

Chu Nianci found it amusing and stood on the dry bank to watch the spectacle.

She knew that the emperor would never actually allow any of his concubines to bear children.

In her previous life, until the very end, when Consort Shu and Consort Yu were vying for the Empress's position, she remained childless.

If I hadn't entered the palace in this life and changed so many things, Consort Yu would probably be in the limelight, and Consort Shu's favor would probably be even greater than it is now.

Because Tangdi Palace still needs repairs, Chu Nianci will stay temporarily in Yangxin Hall.

She slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, and was just drifting off when she was suddenly awakened by the exclamations of Tuanyuan and Manbao from outside.

Chu Nianci rubbed her eyes and sat up, asking outside, "What happened? Why are you making such a fuss?"

"My lord, you're awake!" Tuanyuan's voice was filled with joy. "Come out and see!"