In the fourth year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, Le Shu officially stepped into the public eye and organized two maritime trade operations, radiating outwards from the capital. Gradually, many new things appeared in the Qing Dynasty.

Some were imported, but most were made by artisans from the Le Shu school.

That year, glass became a luxury item pursued by the wealthy and powerful, and glass windows became a hot commodity. She made a killing from this, and these people made a lot of money from maritime trade.

The things Le Shu created one after another stimulated consumption, which allowed those with purchasing power to spend a lot of money, and then the money returned to Le Shu's hands after a few transactions.

With this money, Le Shu started to open workshops, which gradually formed a cluster and slowly developed into factories and the prototype of an industrial park.

With the advent of cement, roads were built, and houses became more sturdy.

Although there are still many difficulties, people have many more ways to make money, and farming is no longer the only way out, so life has indeed become much better.

A selection of consorts was held in the middle, but it was not a large-scale event. Yinzhen did not keep any for himself, but he chose a primary consort for Hongyun. No one in the court said anything, and the Empress remained silent.

At the end of October, Yinzhen stepped into Jingren Palace again.

He hadn't been to this place in a long time.

When Ulanara saw Yinzhen, there was a moment of panic in her eyes, but she quickly calmed down, though her eyes held a hint of deathly resentment.

Yinzhen and Le Shu provided benefits, and she saw the results. The Ulanara family made a fortune, and it seemed that everyone was happy except for her.

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects."

"Your Majesty, there's no need for such formalities. Please sit down and let's talk!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After they sat down, they looked at each other in silence, unsure of what to say.

The Empress broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, I will prepare a memorial requesting to be deposed as Empress."

Yinzhen nodded: "I will bestow upon you the title of Virtuous Noble Consort."

Ulanara was taken aback, then scoffed, "A Virtuous Consort? Virtuous indeed! I'm afraid I'm not worthy of the title!"

Yinzhen sensed the resentment in her tone: "Are you resenting me?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not."

"If you dare not, then you must have a grudge. Indeed, I am going to depose you, so you have every right to resent it."

Ulanara shook her head: "It was my consent. His Majesty gave the Ulanara family what they wanted."

Because of the exchange of benefits, even her resentment seemed greedy.

But how can one control it?

Yinzhen fell silent.

Looking at his silent profile, Ulanara felt that this person was somewhat unfamiliar, and she had many things to say.

"Your Majesty is actually quite surprised. Based on my understanding of Your Majesty, if you want to depose me, the evidence against the Ulanara family is enough to depose me. I just didn't expect Your Majesty to offer benefits in exchange."

Since Consort Zhen appeared, the Emperor has changed. He has become much more tender-hearted than before. The Emperor used to be ruthless and cold-blooded, with clear-cut likes and dislikes, but now he is more considerate of women.

Yes, even though she was about to be deposed, Ulanara could clearly sense that Yinzhen's methods were much gentler and more benevolent.

What distressed her was that this change was brought about by the Chang family.

Yinzhen remained silent.

He is no longer gentle and kind; he has simply had a second chance and has become enlightened.

However, his views on women were indeed greatly influenced by Le Shu.

However, deep down he was still fiercely clear about his love and hate. Otherwise, he wouldn't have let her request to be deposed as empress. All he did was to give a title to the person he liked. In addition, Yue Shu also needed the title of empress to do more things.

It was driven by both personal and public motives, but more by personal motives.

Ulanara looked bitter: "I have heard that the Emperor personally arranged and designed everything in the Consort's Yongshou Palace. Even the Consort's clothes and jewelry are subject to his constant inquiry."

Consort Qi, too, once enjoyed the Emperor's favor and received several pieces of jewelry designed by him privately. I wish to ask, why has the Emperor never shown such tenderness and patience towards me alone?

A very distant memory surfaced in Yinzhen's mind. He didn't really want to talk about it, because he figured she wouldn't be happy if he did.

But Ulanara wanted to know.

She pressed on, her eyes unwavering: "Why won't Your Majesty answer me?"

Yinzhen sighed: "Actually, I once designed clothes for you. When you first married me, I designed several outfits for you. But I heard you tell the nanny in private that those clothes were too lively, so you asked the nanny to put them away. I have never seen you wear them."

He was only a teenager then. He didn't understand her and wouldn't compromise. No matter how unfavored a prince was, he was still a nobleman. "Trying to please" her once was already the limit.

Ulanara was struck dumb upon hearing this.

After a long while, she clearly remembered, her eyes were somewhat empty and blank, and she murmured, "Your Majesty did not know that it was His Majesty's design."

When she married into the family, she was too young to consummate the marriage. There were two concubines in the inner courtyard. Although they were not particularly favored, she maintained the demeanor of a primary wife and dressed very dignifiedly in order to keep the concubines in check.

The clothes designed by Yinzhen were all in vibrant colors that suited her age. She felt they were not suitable for the primary wife to wear, and even though she liked them, she still had the nanny put them away.

Yinzhen had been a repressed romantic since childhood. He originally planned to tell her that it was designed for her when she wore it, but she never wore it. Yinzhen also overheard the conversation between the master and servant.

His initial enthusiasm was extinguished. Although Yinzhen was not estranged from her, they were not exactly close friends. Without a good opportunity, with concubines and princesses in between, and Yinzhen's situation not being good at the time, how could they open up to each other?

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