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

The next day, Duanmu Qingyu emerged from the Hall of Mental Cultivation feeling refreshed. Upon seeing Li De'an, she turned back and specifically instructed him: "Today, Consort Hui need not go to the Empress's to pay her respects. Let her rest a little longer. Also, order someone to bring the spring water into the Tangdi Palace."

He paused, his expression softening, and said, "I want to give her a surprise."

Upon hearing this, Li De'an hesitated for a moment, but remembering his previous lesson, he didn't say anything more and simply bowed his head and replied, "Yes."

Suddenly, the image of Chu Nianci blooming for him last night flashed into Duanmu Qingyu's mind, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

After a few more days of calm, the Tangdi Palace was repaired.

Duanmu Qingyu decreed that the relocation of the palace and the investiture ceremony be held together.

The news had already spread throughout the palace... Everyone said that the Tangdi Palace had been renovated to be magnificent and splendid, comparable to the Kunning Palace and the Yukun Palace, and that a spring from Mount Li had been introduced into it.

Inside the Jade Palace, the sound of porcelain shattering echoed continuously.

Consort Shu was immersed in a newly dug bath, which was filled with rare peony petals and precious medicinal herbs.

She threw away several cups, closed her eyes, but her chest was heaving violently. Suddenly, she raised her hand and shoved the flower petals on the water's surface.

"It's one thing for the palace to be built so ostentatiously... but now His Majesty has even brought in a living spring for her. Does she even deserve it? Who told the Imperial Household Department to build his palace so magnificently?" She opened her beautiful eyes, her anger surging, and her voice was as sour as if it were soaked in vinegar.

"Your Majesty, I asked the people from the Imperial Household Department, and they all said that it was on your orders that the Empress added many more."

"What?" Consort Shu was slightly taken aback. "When did I say I wanted to renovate Tangdi Palace? It must be these servants who are opportunistic. Seeing that this little wretch has gained the Emperor's favor, they deliberately fawn over her. They used to pretend to be well-behaved, but I underestimated them. Could it be that the Empress deliberately sent them in to share the Emperor's favor?"

She grew angrier as she spoke, her alluring yet sharp face contorting slightly: "No, while I'm still assisting in managing the six palaces, I must summon this little vixen and give her a good talking to!"

"Your Majesty, please calm down!" Green Fairy knelt beside her, urgently pleading, "Right now, the Empress probably wants to conceive a royal heir more than anyone else. Why would she want to share the Emperor's favor with others? Haven't you heard? The Empress has had many more people added to the harem. This is clearly a deliberate attempt to incite resentment towards her within the six palaces. If you react now, you'll only attract His Majesty's attention, which is exactly what the Empress wants! It would be better to wait until His Majesty's novelty wears off..."

Consort Shu bit her lip and took a deep breath.

After all, she was the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's family, carefully cultivated by him. Although she was spoiled, she was not truly brainless.

Besides, she ultimately couldn't do without the emperor's favor and support.

But she couldn't swallow her anger. A cold glint flashed in Consort Shu's eyes: "That Consort Hui is a vixen. How can I allow her to be so smug..."

"Your Highness," Green Bridge changed the subject at the right moment, "I received news that Consort Qiao... has been released."

"What?" Consort Shu frowned. "The Empress has let her dog out again?"

"It wasn't the Empress," Green Bridge lowered her voice, "it was the Empress Dowager who was seriously ill a few days ago. Consort Qiao cut off a piece of flesh from her own wrist to make soup and offer it as medicine. After the Empress Dowager drank it, she actually felt a little better. The Empress Dowager wrote a letter praising her filial piety, and His Majesty then allowed her to leave."

"Who would believe such a deceptive trick?" Consort Shu sneered.

Green Bridge whispered, “Your Majesty, if this dog is released, it will definitely bite Consort Hui first. Since she has a grudge against Consort Hui, we might as well sit back and watch the tigers fight. Let Consort Hui be smug for a few more days. Your most important task now is to cleanse the safflower poison in your body and try to conceive a royal heir.”

Consort Shu squinted and thought for a moment.

"My lord, the old prime minister has sent word that as long as you can conceive a royal heir, the manor will find a way to dethrone the empress."

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu slowly leaned back against the edge of the pool, closed her eyes, and said no more.

Inside the Leisurely Moon Pavilion, Qiao Yingying's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and the wound on her wrist was so deep that the skin was torn open, a shocking sight.

Yu Xing was carefully applying medicine to her, her fingertips trembling slightly, which still made Qiao Yingying gasp.

"Your Majesty, your confinement period is almost over, why harm yourself like this..." Yu Xing's voice choked as she looked at the gruesome wound, "With this wound... how will I be able to receive your favor and serve you in bed in the future?"

"Cheng'en?" A mocking smile flashed across Qiao Ying's pale face. "The most important thing right now is to find a way to get out."

Her bright face was soaked with sweat, and her lips were bitten until they turned white. Only after Yu Xing was properly bandaged did she slowly speak: "The Empress Dowager is already secretly looking for a new concubine. If I don't go out soon, once the new concubine enters the palace and the Empress has a new pawn, who will remember me? I'm afraid I'll rot away in this cold pavilion."

A chill ran through her eyes. "I heard that vile woman has already been promoted to Noble Lady... Some of the sisters who entered the palace at the same time haven't even been favored yet, but she's risen to the top in one step. If it weren't for her, how could I be trapped here?"

Qiao Ying's eyes darkened: "Let her be smug for a few more days. Is that thing ready?"

"Ready."

"Keep calm." She lowered her wide sleeves to cover the wound, her tone so calm it was chilling. "In two days, we'll go and 'congratulate' her."

Yu Xing hesitated for a moment: "There are quite a few people who resent and envy her right now, why should we make the first move?"

"Yu Xing, there's nothing I can do. The Empress sent someone to explain things clearly..." Qiao Ying suddenly raised her hand to cover her eyes, tears welling up in her beautiful eyes, her voice becoming plaintive. "I come from a humble background and have always been someone else's pawn. I act on the Empress's orders, and I know that the slightest mistake could lead to utter ruin... But did I have a choice?"

She wiped away her tears, a cold smile slowly curving her lips: "Precisely because of my low rank and the fact that I have offended her, if she were to climb up, I would have no chance of advancement. Waiting for someone else to make a move? Who knows how long that would take?"

She paused, then asked, "Have the people the Empress arranged entered her palace yet?"

"Zhui'er and Xiao Guizi are already here."

"Alright." Qiao Ying gently stroked the gauze on her wrist. "On the day of the investiture, go and offer your proper 'congratulations.' Remember to invite the Empress's physician, Chu, as well."

"Why did you invite her?" Yu Xing asked, puzzled.

"She's the Empress's sister-in-law, and also her sister," Consort Qiao raised her eyes, a calculating glint in them. "If something goes wrong, someone has to help share the burden, right? We can't be the ones to take the blame entirely."

She whispered a few more instructions, and Yu Xing understood, bowing her head and retreating.

The day before the investiture ceremony, Chu Nianci was sitting by the window having Tuanyuan help her comb her hair.

Suddenly, Manbao's clear voice came from outside: "My lady, Eunuch Qin from the Imperial Household Department has brought someone here. Please come out and take a look."

Chu Nianci had Tuanyuan simply tie her hair into a bun, put on a fox fur cloak, and helped her out of the warm pavilion.

Two rows of palace servants stood neatly in the courtyard.

The leader was a eunuch in his forties, who was fair-skinned, plump, and round, with a smiling face before he even spoke.

He stepped forward and gave a crisp bow: "This servant, Qin Li, the steward of the Imperial Household Department, pays his respects to Consort Hui and congratulates you on your promotion. According to your current rank, you should be assigned one head maid, two senior maids, one head eunuch, and a total of twenty maids and eunuchs for general use."

He turned to the side and pointed to the two rows of palace servants standing respectfully behind him: "The servants have all been brought here. Please take a look, Your Highness. If any do not meet your expectations, we will replace them for you immediately."

Chu Nianci's gaze calmly swept over the kneeling palace maids and eunuchs filling the courtyard...