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

The investiture ceremony was so grand that it drew attention from all the women in the palace.

When Chu Nianci moved to the new palace with Tuanyuan and Manbao, the eunuchs and palace maids in charge of the ceremony lined up in a long procession, with a grand procession and the concubines lined up on both sides... This was hardly the kind of procession a noble person should have.

The Empress led the concubines from the six palaces to attend the ceremony, her face bearing a dignified smile, but her eyes were so deep that no emotion could be discerned.

Aside from Shen Lanbing, who was genuinely happy for him, the other concubines harbored jealousy and envy in their eyes.

On the palace gate, the three gilded characters "Tangdi Palace" shone brightly in the sunlight, dazzling everyone's eyes.

From the main gate to the main hall, there is a white marble road two carts wide with carved railings and jade steps. On both sides, there are clear pools with bottoms visible, and the pools are planted with pine, cypress and plum trees.

At this time of year, only plum blossoms are in bloom. The green plum blossoms that His Majesty admires are in full bloom, their fragrance wafting all the way, their petals fluttering like jade butterflies.

It was so gorgeous it was almost blinding.

Chu Nianci watched quietly, thinking to herself: This is where I will stand firm from now on.

She raised her head and looked at the golden and green glazed tiles of Tangdi Palace under the sun. In her charming and clear eyes, a clear and distinct ambition gradually emerged.

In her past life, she sought love and affection, only to end up with nothing.

In this life, she wants fine clothes and sumptuous food, and the honor of being above all others.

Despite marrying the wrong person in her previous life and suffering countless cold stares, she still managed to earn the title of a first-rank imperial consort.

In this life, she married the most noble man in the world.

Becoming a benefactor today is just the beginning.

Chu Nianci gently clenched her hand in her sleeve, gazing at the gleaming palace roof under the sunlight, and the energy in her heart burned even brighter.

She firmly believed that she could climb up step by step and firmly grasp the nine palaces and supreme glory in her hands.

At that moment, he felt a beam of cold light shining on his back.

When he turned around, he saw his half-sister, Chu Shunqing, standing in the middle of the crowd. Her face was ashen, but she tried her best to appear unassuming. However, the stiff expression on her face could not be hidden.

It was an expression of jealousy, embarrassment, regret, and a touch of resentment.

Seeing her only now, Chu Nianci suddenly felt that the grudges from her past life were so far away.

The distant past no longer feels real; seeing her is like seeing a complete stranger.

My heart is now completely unmoved.

Turning her gaze away, Chu Nianci, dressed in a noblewoman's robes, knelt on a brocade cushion.

The Grand Eunuch announced loudly: "Those of Lady Chu, having read the edict, are dignified, gentle, and virtuous, and have been diligent in observing etiquette. By the grace of the Empress Dowager, they are hereby promoted to the rank of Noble Lady..."

Chu Nianci, along with Tuanyuan, Manbao, Aunt Lan, and other palace maids, kowtowed to express their gratitude: "Your Majesty, I accept your decree. Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empress!"

When the Empress handed her the imperial edict with a stiff face, the other concubines looked rather unpleasant, but they still had to force a smile and offer their congratulations.

Chu Nianci wore a perfectly appropriate expression of surprise and accepted everyone's congratulations... "It's only mediocre people who don't attract jealousy. Since I'm determined to climb up, why should I be afraid of these opinions?"

She even secretly admired the stiff smiles of Consort Shu, the Empress, and that pretty concubine who were suppressing their resentment and jealousy.

After the ceremony, everyone headed to the main hall.

As they approached the white marble railing, someone suddenly exclaimed, "Eh!"

Below the railing, a wisp of white smoke was rising from the spring... it was a hot spring.

Even Chu Nianci, a man who had seen the world and believed that nothing could surprise him, was stunned.

She never expected this.

His Majesty actually diverted the hot spring from the Tangquan Palace here, and the clear spring water is sprinkled with all kinds of crystal-clear gemstones.

In her previous life, after marrying into the Lin family, she could only pawn her dowry and struggle to make ends meet. She had never seen such overwhelming wealth before.

Duanmu Qingyu treated her a thousand times more generously than the Lin family did.

They spoiled them a million times over.

Consort Shu stood in the crowd, gazing at the living spring, her fingernails digging into her palms with jealousy.

Empress Lin bit her lip.

Qiao Yingyi's eyes widened.

She had only heard that Chu Nianci was favored by the emperor, but she never imagined that the extent of his favor would far exceed her expectations.

He was confined to his quarters after entering the palace, and it was difficult for him to even see the Emperor.

Even though he was not allowed to leave his quarters, His Majesty never gave him a second glance.

Chu Nianci was just a woman from a merchant family, yet she rose to the top in one step, from a concubine to a noble lady, even overshadowing Chu Nianci, who came from the Imperial Household Department.

This is more than just a slap in the face; it's a complete trampling of her dignity.

Her heart was filled with bitterness, and she gritted her teeth... She absolutely could not let this merchant's daughter climb any higher.

Empress Lin was filled with deep regret.

I shouldn't have been so careless and let that wretched woman show her face in front of His Majesty.

Seeing that the investiture ceremony was over, he glanced at the pretty concubine, then excused himself, saying he was feeling unwell, and left first.

The real show is about to begin. Chu Nianci is so favored, she doesn't want to get involved in this mess and displease His Majesty.

Seeing the overflowing jealousy in Consort Shu's eyes, she knew there was no need for her to take the road.

As soon as the Empress left, Consort Qiao glanced at Consort Shu out of the corner of her eye...

Sure enough, Consort Shu's beautiful face also turned sour, like aged vinegar that had been sitting for over a decade.

Qiao Ying gave a cold laugh, relying on the fact that she was only fifteen years old, she forced a naive and harmless smile and stepped forward.

"Congratulations, Sister Hui!" She held the handkerchief, her voice light and cheerful, her eyes sparkling, as if she were genuinely happy for Chu Nianci. "When I first met you, Sister, I felt that your appearance and demeanor were extraordinary. I never expected you to gain His Majesty's favor so quickly. At this rate, in a few days, I'm afraid I'll have to start calling you 'Your Majesty'."

"Niangniang" is a title for ladies of the rank of concubine or higher.

Now, in the entire palace, only the Empress, Consort Shu, and Consort Jia can be addressed as "Your Highness".

Because of her young age, she spoke innocently and naively, as if it were just something she said without thinking.

But the more unintentional it is, the more jarring it sounds.

Consort Shu's face darkened instantly, like the sky before a storm.

She knew perfectly well that it was the Empress's dog sowing discord, but she still couldn't suppress the burning jealousy in her heart.

She adjusted the phoenix hairpin at her temple... It was a special gift from His Majesty a few days ago. The kingfisher feather inlay used the feathers of over a thousand kingfishers, and it took the craftsmen in the Imperial Workshop several months to complete. It was priceless.

"Even a pheasant that flies to the top of a branch can't become a phoenix," Consort Shu said with disdain on her beautiful face, her words dripping with sarcasm. "Any arrangement should have some blank space. Placing so many things like this, as if filling mountains and moving seas, is nothing but vulgar and tasteless. Only a merchant's son who has never seen the world would do such a thing."

Chu Nianci was not angry when she heard this.

He's a merchant, that's something everyone knows.

I thought to myself, what's bound to happen will happen.

Overwhelming power is most likely to dazzle the eye.

She simply smiled and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Sister Shufei, my palace is vulgar, how can it compare to your phoenix nest? What knowledge do I have? How can I be compared to Sister Shufei? If you find these things an eyesore, you can put them away later."

This casual remark completely shut down her confrontational stance, and it even sounded like flattery.

Consort Shu felt like she had punched a piece of soft cotton.

Getting angry is wrong, but not getting angry is also frustrating.

Shen Lanbing chuckled inwardly when she heard her say that.

Consort Shu mocked her for being a pheasant, and she retorted that this was a phoenix's nest, since everyone knows that a phoenix is ​​a chicken's head, which inadvertently insulted her as well.

What's even more amazing is that Consort Shu couldn't understand it.

Consort Shu knew there was a hidden meaning in her words, but she didn't know what she was being insulted about.

He was so angry he could only choke back tears.

Green Qiao hurriedly stepped forward to support her master's arm, saying, "Master, don't talk in the wind anymore, or you'll catch a cold and your head will hurt again later."

Qiao agreed, inwardly scoffing... She had initially thought this woman was exceptionally beautiful, brave, and resourceful, but now it seemed that apart from her fiery temper, she was utterly useless.

Chu Nianci's ability to cause Consort Shu to suffer a loss with just one sentence makes her even more formidable.

Seeing this, Consort Jia quickly smiled and suggested, "Yes, let's not stand here in the wind. Let's all go inside the main hall and take a look. I've heard that the main hall of Tangdi Palace is beautifully decorated. I'm very curious."

Shen Lanbing quickly echoed her sentiment.

Chu Nianci smiled gracefully and said, "Please, ladies."

To be honest, it was her first time entering this main hall, and she was just as curious.

Upon entering the hall, a warm fragrance wafts towards you.

In the center stood a rosewood screen carved with phoenixes and lacquered with gold, upon which sat a rosewood seat. The carvings were exquisite, and the brocade curtains hung with pearls, making the furnishings extremely luxurious.

Chu Nianci suddenly caught a peculiar fragrance... delicate, warm, with the spiciness of pepper and other spices, so rich it was almost intoxicating.

Could this be...? Her heart skipped a beat, and she looked closely.

The walls were a different color than usual, with a faint dark red sheen...

This is a wall coated with a mixture of pepper paste and spices.

The Jiaofang system has historically been reserved for the Empress.

Sure enough, Qiao Ying immediately exclaimed "Eh!" and innocently said, "This fragrance is so unique... Oh, what's with the color of these walls...?"

She feigned curiosity and leaned closer for a closer look, then covered her mouth and exclaimed softly, "This...this can't be the Pepper Chamber, can it? I've only ever heard of it, this is the first time I've ever seen it. Only the Empress's palace can have its walls plastered with pepper paste, to symbolize the auspicious meaning of 'the fruit of pepper, abundant and plentiful,' signifying numerous offspring and the Empress's honor..."

She turned to look at Chu Nianci, her eyes full of confusion: "Sister Hui, if this were the Empress's Chamber, it would be overstepping the bounds. If it were me, I wouldn't dare to stay here."

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

All the concubines' expressions changed.

Upon hearing this, Consort Shu's face darkened instantly.

Having immediately seized upon Chu Nianci's weakness, she strode forward, reached out and smeared her hand on the wall, instantly leaving her fingertips coated with a fine, fragrant, dark red mud powder.

"It really is pepper paste!" Consort Shu narrowed her eyes, a hostile glint in them. "Well done, Consort Hui! How dare you use the Pepper Chamber without permission? Do you even have any regard for the Empress or me?"

Even when she was the most favored concubine in the palace, she never received such an honor!

This is utterly disrespectful and extremely presumptuous!

Chu Nianci's heart trembled violently, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Your Highness, Consort Shu, this is my first time entering this main hall, and I was unaware of..."

"Don't you know?" Consort Shu interrupted with a cold laugh, her alluring eyes as icy as the coldest winter. "His Majesty personally designated this Tangdi Palace for you. How could you not know when the Imperial Household Department was setting it up? Or did you already know, but deliberately pretend not to, so you could enjoy the honor that only an empress deserves?"

Consort Qiao whispered, adding fuel to the fire: "Your Highness, please calm down... Perhaps, perhaps Sister Hui really didn't know? After all, the rules of the Pepper Chamber are that only the Empress can use it; this is an ancestral rule. Sister Hui might not have known, which is why she had someone make pepper paste..."

These words sound like advice, but in reality, every sentence confirms Chu Nianci's crime of "usurpation".

The palace maids accompanying Consort Qiao also began to whisper among themselves:

"My God, Jiaofang... she's incredibly audacious."

"No wonder His Majesty treats her so kindly; it turns out Consort Hui had this intention all along..."

"If this gets out, it would be a grave offense of disrespect."

Chu Nianci's hands were clenched tightly in her sleeves, her nails digging into her palms...