Because of a joint letter, the usually mild-mannered emperor flew into a rage and punished many officials.

This news caused quite a stir in the capital, with everyone saying that the beautiful Sakura was a fox spirit who had cultivated herself into human form, and that the emperor was completely bewitched by her.

Some even went so far as to compare Ji Ying'er to Bao Si, calling her a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country.

These rumors quickly reached the Imperial Guards scattered throughout the capital, and it wasn't just one person who reported them; three or four others had heard similar rumors.

This was quite unusual. Realizing this, Commander Lin Xiao hurriedly went to the palace to report.

"Your Majesty, these people are simply audacious! If not for sending this humble servant, I would have them all..." Lin Xiao made a throat-slitting gesture, meaning to kill them without mercy.

"Commander Lin's idea is excellent; I like it very much." Shen Shi looked at him with certainty, making no attempt to hide the admiration in his tone.

"Really?" Lin Xiao asked in surprise, then, realizing he had been questioning the emperor, he immediately kowtowed and admitted his mistake: "Your Majesty, I was so happy that I misspoke. Please punish me! Please punish me!"

Listening to the incessant "bang bang" sounds, Shen Shi couldn't help but sigh: No wonder he was born a military general, even his head kowtows louder than others.

With the original novel's plot serving as a cheat code, Shen Shi watched with great interest as the man kowtowed for quite a while. Anyway, he wasn't a good person, so it was quite amusing for him.

Since the Emperor didn't call a halt, Lin Xiao had no choice but to continue kowtowing. As time went on, when Lin Xiao, who was seeing stars, could no longer continue, Shen Shi, who had been silent for a long time, finally spoke.

"Since Commander Lin is so loyal, I will entrust this matter to you."

"Remember not to alert the enemy; you must catch the real mastermind behind it all."

Lin Xiao was so excited that he didn't know what to do when the Emperor entrusted him with such an important task so easily.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to bring the murderer to justice as soon as possible, and live up to your trust." As soon as he finished speaking his words of loyalty, Lin Xiao slapped his head three times.

Seeing the dark circles on his forehead, Shen Shi didn't have the heart to make things too difficult for him. He simply said, "Go and do it," and let Lin Xiao leave.

After Shen Shi's rebuke, no one, whether officials of the previous dynasty or concubines of the harem, dared to question Ji Ying'er's decision to become empress.

The Ministry of Rites combined the birth dates of the two individuals and, after some calculations, set the coronation ceremony for the fifteenth of next month.

A beautiful day with clear skies and bright sunshine.

Although there was still some time before the ceremony, the process of bestowing the title of empress was complex and second only to the coronation in terms of solemnity, so the Ministry of Rites had been busy for a long time.

The same was true in the imperial harem. Embroiderers in the textile bureau rushed to make dresses, palace maids in the flower room selected the fireworks to be used that day, and the kitchen staff had to determine the dishes.

Ji Ying'er herself was also summoned by the Empress Dowager.

Shen Shi heard the news on the afternoon of the following day.

Wang Xi had only mentioned it casually, but the Emperor unexpectedly asked, "Do you know what the Empress Dowager and Consort Ying talked about?"

"Your Majesty, I am but a eunuch, serving you in the Qingyang Palace all day long. How would I know anything about the Empress Dowager's palace affairs? You are making things too difficult for me." As he spoke, Wang Xi pretended to slap himself.

He was a eunuch who had served Shen Shi since childhood. Back when he was still by his mother's side, Wang Xi was with Shen Shi.

Later, he was fostered under the care of the Imperial Concubine. Shen Shi insisted on taking him with her, and even begged the late Emperor, so that the two could not be separated.

Even Emperor Shen Shi, who had served him for over twenty years, couldn't help but show extra patience towards his old servant.

It was precisely this patience that made Wang Xi very popular in front of the emperor, and he didn't care much about etiquette when speaking to the emperor.

Shen Shi was always very lenient with those who knew him well and followed him closely. “It’s difficult for you. I haven’t paid my respects to the Empress Dowager in a long time. It just so happens that I’ll make a trip today.”

"Is Your Majesty going to Cining Palace for lunch?" Wang Xi asked.

“That won’t be necessary. The Empress Dowager prefers light meals, and if I go there, she will inevitably have to accommodate me. It’s better to go in the afternoon,” Shen Shi replied.

Wang Xi immediately understood: "This servant will make the arrangements right away."

After arranging the matters, Shen Shi waved his hand to dismiss the servants in the study. With everyone gone, he was left alone in the large room.

Seeing that no one was watching, Chen Shi slumped into his chair and sighed heavily, "Sigh!"

The tragic look on Shen Shi's face contrasted sharply with the magnificent imperial study.

No wonder Shen sighed; being an emperor is truly not an easy task!

Since transmigrating, every day I wake up to endless memorials to review and countless ministers to meet. I wake up earlier than the rooster and go to bed later than the dog, and I'm almost turning into an owl from exhaustion.

How come this is different from what we see in period dramas?

Let alone having three thousand concubines in his harem, under such high-pressure work conditions, he almost couldn't handle just Ji Ying'er.

Shen Shi had considered giving up, after all, he was the emperor and his word was law, and no one dared to disobey him here.

The acceptance of modern, living education makes it impossible for Chen Shi to slack off with a clear conscience. As long as he thinks that someone might lose their life because of his inaction, Chen Shi cannot abandon his responsibilities.

Alas, it seems I am destined not to be a tyrant. I should just stick to reviewing memorials!

Fortunately, there weren't many memorials to be submitted today, and Chen Shi, working diligently, finished his afternoon's work in just two hours.

Then it's time to pay my respects.

He hadn't met the Empress Dowager since his arrival, but just from the descriptions in the book, it was clear that she was an extremely shrewd woman.

The current Empress Dowager and Shen Shi's adoptive mother were both daughters of the Zhang family. The difference was that the former Consort's mother was the daughter of Prime Minister Zhang's second wife, while the Empress Dowager was the daughter of his first wife.

As the saying goes, "It's good to have a big tree to lean on." The Zhang family, as an old and prestigious family, had a rich heritage, and Prime Minister Zhang was second only to the emperor. Therefore, when they sent their daughters to the palace, they valued quality over quantity.

Throughout history, emperors have always given the Zhang family face, and their daughters, even if they entered the palace, would at least become concubines.

Of course, the position of concubine was not enough for the Zhang family; all they wanted was the position of empress.

If Shen Shi hadn't intervened and killed her, the former Consort Zhang would very likely have achieved this goal.

But there are no "what ifs" in life. Consort Zhang, who enjoyed immense prestige in life, caused no stir after her death.

Half a month later, the Zhang family sent another daughter to the palace. She was born to Prime Minister Zhang's first wife, and the late emperor made her empress as they wished.

Everyone in the Zhang family was extremely excited, hoping that the newly arrived empress would give birth to a prince so that their Zhang bloodline could sit on the dragon throne.

No one remembers Consort Zhang anymore, neither her proud family nor her beloved prime minister father.

So-called aristocratic families are ruthless; daughters are merely pawns in the struggle for power. If one is no longer useful, they are replaced with the next. After all, with three wives and four concubines, they are never short of daughters.