Linglan nodded as if she understood, but what good would it do them if the Emperor agreed?

If the master were still in the position of Suzhou Textile Commissioner, he might have been able to get a share of the profits, but the prefect of Tongzhou can't!

Thinking of this, Linglan directly asked the question that was on her mind, "But this servant doesn't understand why Your Highness would say these things to the Emperor."

"After all, this is a matter of the imperial court. If those with ulterior motives find out, I'm afraid you will be punished as a result."

Sun Miaoqing said, "There is no one else in the room besides you and Su Peisheng. Without the Emperor's permission, Su Peisheng dares not tell anyone."

"As for the Emperor, as long as what I say and think coincides with his, he will not truly blame me."

"Since he can share his power with his ministers, why can't he share it with me, his bedmate?"

"At least whether I want to admit it or not, his honor or disgrace is my honor or disgrace."

Linglan said, "That makes sense. The empresses' power comes from the emperor's favor."

“If the emperor is unhappy, all titles and palace power will soon vanish.”

Sun Miaoqing said with a smile, "That's why women need to have their own confidence. Since I've married the emperor, why shouldn't I use such a good talisman?"

"Even if it's just a case of someone borrowing the tiger's power, he still needs to be there to take the lead. If I hadn't entered the palace, or if I had entered but hadn't been favored, would the products from Honey Candy Shop be selling so well?"

"How could those imperial relatives, princes, and ministers possibly swallow their pride and accept this loss?"

"Originally, I asked my brother and sister-in-law to go to Sichuan to find local official positions, thinking that once the sea ban was lifted, they could make some achievements as local officials."

"In three to five years, my brother will be able to distance himself from Nian Gengyao's affairs and find a way out for the Sun family."

"Who knew the Emperor would insist on appointing him as the Prefect of Tongzhou? The matter was only half accomplished; we had to find another way to complete the other half."

Linglan felt that the Empress was indeed an Empress, far more intelligent than her, a mere servant. After entering the palace, her vision and mind were extraordinary.

Thinking back to what the nanny had taught her before she entered the palace, and the lady's earnest advice to her and Qiangwei.

It is said that the palace rules are strict, and the slightest carelessness could endanger one's life and even bring disaster to one's family.

After she and Qiangwei enter the palace, they must constantly remind the Empress to follow the rules.

Plant more flowers and fewer thorns; if others don't provoke them, they shouldn't easily offend others.

But after entering the palace, the Empress lived a more comfortable life than she did at the Sun family. When she was in a bad mood, even the Emperor would give her a hard time.

Even when the Emperor was angry, he couldn't bear to punish the Empress, and after he calmed down, he loved her even more than before.

Linglan thought that the emperor was indeed the emperor, even his hobbies were so unique.

At the same time, he admired Sun Miaoqing immensely. Even Consort Hua probably wouldn't dare to interact with the Emperor like that.

*

Big Fat Orange strolled under the shade of the trees, admiring the scenery of the Old Summer Palace, and slowly made its way towards Bitong Academy.

Earlier at the Changchun Immortal Pavilion, he had noticed a slight change in Su Peisheng's expression, and knowing he was suspicious, he put his hands behind his back and said...

"Do you think I shouldn't have talked so much with Consort Cheng? You still have a lot of questions. Consort Cheng took the initiative to bring up matters of state with me, and I'm not angry."

Su Peisheng, keeping a low profile, said with a smile, "This servant wouldn't dare. You are the Emperor. You can say whatever you want to anyone you want, and talk about whatever you want. As long as you are happy, it's all as you should."

"I presume that Consort Cheng thinks so too."

The chubby orange squinted and chuckled twice, without saying whether it was right or wrong.

There are many people in the palace who speak sweetly, but none of them can compare to Su Peisheng's sweet tongue, which speaks to his heart.

However, even though Su Peisheng was his confidant for many years, he could not let Su Peisheng know about what was going on inside.

Consort Cheng couldn't hide her feelings; nothing she thought could be concealed from him. Even if she grew more cunning later, she wouldn't cause any trouble.

Unlike others who profess unwavering loyalty and are willing to sacrifice everything for him, who knows what they're really thinking?

When the ban on maritime trade in Southeast Asia is lifted, in addition to local textile bureaus, porcelain kilns, and tea plantations, imperial merchants under the Ministry of Internal Affairs will also join in.

Consort Cheng brought this up with him, presumably because she was eyeing the maritime business. He owned three-tenths of the shares in Honey Shop, so he would get a share of every profit.

If the policy of merging the poll tax into the land tax is to be implemented nationwide and become a permanent rule, given the current situation, it will take at least another thirty years. (This is how it has been historically; in some places, it wasn't implemented until the later years of the Qianlong Emperor's reign.)

During this period, numerous conflicts arose, and distant solutions could not quench immediate thirst, so he had to find a solution from other sources.

Only Sun Miaoqing truly understood his feelings. Although it was most likely because she didn't want to suffer, as long as it provided an income, a little extravagance was acceptable.

Anyway, Sun Miaoqing had earned back all the money she had lost, Big Fat Orange comforted herself.

*

Ever since that day when Consort Hua seduced him in front of Consort Chen and Consort Jing, Big Fat Orange, wary of his still-unrecovered health, refused to go to her place alone anymore, and she was happy to have some peace and quiet.

Although they left the inner palace to escape the summer heat at the Yuanmingyuan, the palace affairs they had to handle were no less, and in fact, there were even more than when they were in the palace.

At a small table outside the beaded curtain, Shen Meizhuang endured the soreness in her wrists and copied down the account books from previous years.

Inside the beaded tent, Consort Hua leaned against the imperial concubine's couch, her fingers delicately gesturing as she turned the pages of the rules devised by Consort Chen and Consort Jing.

Songzhi and Zhou Ninghai stood to one side, awaiting instructions.

After reading it, Consort Hua slowly said, "At first glance, Consort Shen's plan seems quite well-written. I will take a closer look when I have time, and I will discuss any issues with you in detail if necessary."

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!