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

In the flower room of the side hall of Yukun Palace, Consort Shu, dressed in riding attire, was lashing the newly delivered flowers with her peach blossom whip.

Petals and broken leaves scattered everywhere, as if those flowers were the people she hated in her heart.

"That vile Consort Hui dared to coax the Emperor into granting her a bath!" Her alluring eyes were filled with rage. "Summon her to me! I'm going to teach her a lesson!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down," Green Fairy advised softly. "This message came from the Empress's palace. It's clearly an attempt to sow discord. Also, we just received news that she sent many fine gifts to Consort Hui, trying to win her over while simultaneously sending us messages, hoping to see us fight with her. She's currently in the Emperor's favor, so we should try to win her over first. Your outburst is just for momentary pleasure. It's better to deal with her slowly when His Majesty turns his back on her later."

Consort Shu was so angry that her head was splitting with pain, and she couldn't hear a single word.

A young eunuch wanted to leave and pass the torch, but was stopped by Lü Qiao's wink.

Consort Shu suddenly stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

The night was deep, and the moonlight, cold and frosty, shone on the garden and illuminated the lights of the Hall of Mental Cultivation in the distance.

What used to be a poetic scene now stung her eyes tonight.

She finally broke down in tears, leaning against the window frame.

Lüqiao silently stayed by her side, and only after her sobs subsided a little did she whisper, "This servant understands Your Highness's distress. Consort Hui is certainly hateful, but to touch her now would only fall into the Empress's trap. Perhaps... we could leak the news to Consort Yue? She hasn't been able to serve the Emperor yet, and she's furious. She also doesn't get along with Consort Hui. Wouldn't it be easier to let her deal with her first?"

Consort Shu raised her tearful eyes, frowned, and thought for a long time. A cold glint flashed in her eyes, but she remained silent.

"Your Majesty, if we take action now, it will surely displease His Majesty," Green said.

Consort Shu's face stiffened, and she angrily put away the whip, saying, "...That's how it will be. Send someone to tell Consort Yue that if she's smart, she'll know what to do."

"Yes." Lü Qiao lowered her head and replied, "In that case, I will send someone to give some rewards to Consort Hui, so that she will not become suspicious."

Upon returning to the Hall of Mental Cultivation from the Hall of Diligent Governance, Duanmu Qingyu lost focus three times while reviewing memorials.

When the time came to choose a nameplate in the evening, the young eunuch would, as usual, present the green-headed nameplate.

Seeing that his finger was moving towards the plaque for "Consort Hui," Li De'an quickly whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, Consort Hui has served you for two consecutive nights. Tonight...would you like to rest?"

Duanmu Qingyu glanced at him: "Do you think I'm physically exhausted?"

Li De'an quickly chuckled and lightly patted his mouth: "This servant is foolish; Your Majesty is vigorous and powerful, so of course you didn't mean that. It's just that Consort Hui has received so much favor, which inevitably attracts attention. This servant thought, why not reward her with something special to show your consideration?"

"A special reward?" Duanmu Qingyu put down his vermilion brush and said calmly, "A concubine will be promoted one rank after serving the emperor, but she became a Noble Lady without serving the emperor, which has drawn the attention of the six palaces. She can no longer be promoted. I do not want her to become the target of everyone's criticism, so let's wait for another day."

"Although Miss Hui's family is wealthy, their social standing is rather humble," Li De'an said, stopping short of commenting.

Duanmu Qingyu suddenly remembered that after serving her in bed, he had not yet given her any real favors.

Although she was the daughter of a wealthy merchant from Jiangnan and lacked nothing, she lacked only the confidence that family background provided.

It's a pity that despite her insightful views, her maternal clan ultimately couldn't support her.

A thought stirred within him, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

"I remember she mentioned that her uncle had donated military funds and received the 'Imperial Merchant' plaque," he said after a moment of contemplation. "Issue an imperial decree to thoroughly investigate the official reputations of her uncle and Chu Maolin. If there are no blemishes, promote Qiao's eldest uncle to the position of Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household Department to assist in the affairs of Jiangnan. Promote Chu Maolin to the position of Prefect of Suzhou. His maternal family will be allowed to leave the business world and become respectable citizens, and their children will be permitted to take the imperial examinations. The decree will be sent out with the imperial records in half a month."

Li De'an was secretly startled...

Everything else is one thing, but His Majesty actually intends to remove Consort Hui's maternal family from the status of lowly people, which is quite unusual.

It should be known that in the Great Xia Dynasty, there was a clear hierarchy, and apart from generals who had made military achievements, no one could easily escape their lowly status.

Before he could recover, he heard Duanmu Qingyu say, "Take a few more pieces of begonia-shaped jewelry from my private treasury and send them over. Let her get a good rest tonight."

The crabapple blossoms are incomparably beautiful and fragrant, yet elegant in form, delicate but not gaudy, which suits her perfectly.

"Your servant obeys the decree." Li De'an bowed deeply, his waist bent at a very low angle.

Having already made up his mind, he decided to treat this Consort Hui with even greater respect from now on.

The next morning, Li De'an entered Nuanqing Pavilion with the imperial edict and a stream of rewards.

It's only a few steps to go back and forth.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Consort Hui, of the Chu clan, is gentle and kind, and serves the Emperor with utmost respect. I am very pleased with her and hereby bestow upon her a begonia-shaped jeweled crown and a screen with butterflies among begonias as a token of my appreciation."

"My lord, please accept the imperial decree."

Chu Nianci led the palace maids in a respectful expression of gratitude: "Your Majesty, I accept your decree and thank you for your great favor."

She gestured for Tuanyuan to reward Li De'an and the accompanying eunuchs.

Li De'an smiled broadly and lowered his voice, saying, "Congratulations, Your Highness! This is truly a joyous occasion. His Majesty has issued an edict appointing your uncle as an advisor in the Imperial Household Department and promoting Lord Chu to the position of Prefect of Suzhou. Furthermore, His Majesty has also granted permission for your maternal clan to be exiled from the merchant class and to participate in the imperial examinations."

He unconsciously began to use the formal "you" in his speech: "In all my years serving Your Majesty, I have rarely seen Your Majesty show such care for any of the consorts. This arrangement is truly extraordinary."

Chu Nianci was shocked, and the handkerchief in her hand almost fell to the ground.

Her eyes instantly reddened.

I was genuinely moved this time.

It's one thing to worry about the father's official position.

Her uncle donated half of his wealth to support the army, but only received a gold plaque in return. Yet she only had to serve the emperor for two days to help her maternal clan change from merchants to respectable people.

In their previous lives, their uncle and cousin were full of talent, but due to their merchant status, they were unable to enter the imperial examination hall. In this life, they can finally rely on their own abilities to strive for a bright future.

My mother will be just as happy as I am when she finds out.

She immediately leaned down and solemnly performed the three bows and nine kowtows in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Li De'an stepped forward to help her up, deeply moved.

Having received such favor, others would inevitably become arrogant and complacent, but Consort Hui is even more humble and respectful. Such people often live longer and go further in the palace.

After seeing Li De'an off, she gently stroked the begonia hairpin, its petals layered, exquisite and gentle.

Sure enough, by capturing the young emperor's heart, one can climb the ladder step by step.

Moved by her experience, she also reminded herself to stay true to her original aspirations and proceed with caution.

The inner palace is too cruel. If one gets involved in love, one will be impulsive and blind like Consort Shu. One cannot show ambition in front of the young emperor, otherwise one will be like Consort Yu or Noble Lady Qiao. At best, one will be deposed, and at worst, one will be banished to the cold palace. These two have family backgrounds to support them, so they can save their lives even if they make mistakes. If it were me, I would probably be beheaded and implicate my family.

At this moment, Tuanyuan brought in another tray, on which lay a gold-inlaid jade pendant.

"My lady, the Jade Palace has sent over a reward."

Where are they?

He left after putting his things down.

A hint of surprise flashed across Chu Nianci's eyes, but she immediately understood.

Consort Shu was both wary of her and trying to win her over.

That's why everyone who comes here acts so furtively, leaving as soon as they don't see her.

However, this is not bad. Given Consort Shu's jealous and easily angered nature, it's already quite remarkable that she didn't come knocking on the door with a whip. Now that she has sent something, someone around her must have persuaded her to stay.

However... I'm afraid they've still got a backup plan.

Although her mind was perfectly clear, Chu Nianci remained calm on the surface: "Prepare a return gift and send it over."

"Yes."

Just then, Manbao quietly walked in, carrying a paper package.

"My lord, the matter you instructed has been completed." He placed the paper package on the table, opened it, and found a packet of fine pollen.

This was precisely the lily pollen that Chu Nianci had asked him to find, the pollen used in Consort Shu's palace.

She picked up a few and sniffed them. Amidst the sweet fragrance, there was a faint, almost imperceptible odor... it was oleander and safflower.

Ultimately, the Empress feared Consort Shu the most.

They put something in her flower buds.

Oleander can cause palpitations, headaches, and irritability, while safflower is used for contraception.

This matter had nothing to do with Chu Nianci, but considering that she would be targeted when she went to pay her respects later, this "gift" would come in handy.

"Manbao, take ten taels of silver and have someone wait outside Kunning Palace. When Consort Shu comes to pay her respects, have someone rub a bunch of lilies on her."

"Understood." Manbao's eyes darted around, and without asking any further questions, she readily agreed and left.

This child is indeed clever; he understood immediately without being asked why. It's a pity he's too young, otherwise, he could be my steward in the future.

Tuanyuan said happily from the side, "Congratulations, Your Highness! Consort Shu just sent a reward, so at least you won't have an opponent to face when you pay your respects today."

"You think she genuinely wanted to let me go?" Chu Nianci chuckled.

"Isn't that so? If you still want to make things difficult for the young mistress, why send gifts in the first place...?"

"When have you ever seen Consort Shu let this go?" Chu Nianci asked calmly. "But she won't take action herself... because she cares more about His Majesty's opinion."

In her previous life, Consort Shu was not entirely without brains. Her arrogance in the harem was simply due to her family background. However, her desire to monopolize the emperor's favor ultimately became a poison that led to her failure.

That's why she cares a lot about what the young emperor thinks.

They might not dare to openly harm the people the emperor currently values.

After getting ready, Chu Nianci glanced at the plum blossom painting she had drawn and instructed, "Take this with you and come with me to see Kunning Palace."

Since Consort Shu has sent a gift, she should reciprocate with a gesture of goodwill.

Tuanyuan hesitated: "Your Highness, this is not a valuable item; it might be inappropriate to give it to Consort Shu..."

Chu Nianci smiled slyly: "The value of a gift lies not in its price, but in its suitability to one's heart. This painting is just right."

This thing can quell Consort Shu's anger.

"Later, have Manbao find an unfamiliar eunuch and send this painting to Kunning Palace."

"In a little while, Consort Shu will break down and cry her heart out, do you believe it or not..." Chu Nianci said to her maid...