Seeing that Xie Yushu had gained the Empress Dowager's trust so easily, Consort Chu's eyes flashed with annoyance, but she said nothing. The Empress glanced at Consort Chu and said kindly...

"I've long heard that Lord Jingde is a remarkable person. The batch of glass and mirrors you sent last time wasn't enough for the palace to distribute!"

On New Year's Day, ladies and young women from various families came to the palace to offer their New Year's greetings. Seeing these things, they were all extremely envious and lined up to buy them. "Did the Lady bring some with her when she came to the capital this time?"

The Empress doesn't necessarily need to fight for Xiao Yi's military power, but she's absolutely willing to get involved in anything that's detrimental to Consort Chu. Don't think that you can achieve anything just because you have some of the Emperor's favor!

As long as she remains Empress, the position of Crown Prince can only belong to her son. Consort Chu, you're dreaming!

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and Xie Yushu's abilities are worth winning over; at the very least, she should befriend her.

Although Xie Yushu had no experience in palace intrigue, she hadn't watched so many historical books and palace dramas for nothing.

No matter who it is or what they say, as long as she knows what they ultimately want, it's not hard to guess what they're thinking—it's all about that position!

Xie Yushu looked at the emperor, who was all smiles, glancing at the empress and comforting the imperial concubine, and sighed inwardly, "Being an emperor is really not easy."

How could he, as the person involved, not understand something that even an outsider could see at a glance? And what good would it do him if he did understand? He still spent his whole life maintaining stability in the court and feigning friendship with a group of women!

To put it bluntly, she's just a woman who sells smiles!

But in any case, none of this concerned her, and she didn't want to get involved in choosing sides within the harem, so she gave a standard reply.

"Your Majesty, I came to the capital by imperial decree in a hurry and did not bring those things with me. When I left, the workers were rushing to finish the work. Once it is completed, Lord Han will send the things over as soon as possible!"

Xie Yushu's attitude was respectful but not intimate. The Empress naturally understood her meaning, but she was not in a hurry. As long as Xie Yushu did not help Consort Chu, she could take care of Xie Yushu appropriately.

The Emperor had a very good impression of Xie Yushu. He was quite disappointed that Xie Yushu was not a man. If she were a man, he would have given her the position of Minister of Revenue or Minister of Works and put the affairs of the Great Qi Dynasty under her control!

The way he looked at Xie Yushu was so eager, almost like he was eyeing a money bag, so he treated Xie Yushu with exceptional gentleness.

Xie Yushu said that Han Zhongyu would deliver the next batch of glass once it was finished, so there was no need to rush him. Anyway, we weren't shortchanging him, and it wouldn't matter if the others waited a few more days!

He was somewhat worried about the speed of glass production, fearing that if they didn't produce enough, they wouldn't make enough money!

Thinking this way, he wanted to have a good chat with Xie Yushu about how to increase productivity and how to quickly turn glass into piles of silver!

In any case, Xuan Yuanche's condition was expected to be under control. The Emperor symbolically instructed Xie Yushu to keep a close eye on Xuan Yuanche's health before sending her to the Imperial Study with him.

A woman was summoned to the Imperial Study—something that had never happened since the Emperor ascended the throne!

The Imperial Study has always been a place where women are forbidden to enter; even the Empress and princesses are not allowed to go in. The fact that the Emperor actually summoned Xie Yushu to the study caused a change in the expressions of everyone in the room.

The Empress's face stiffened, and Consort Chu completely lost her composure, exclaiming in surprise.

"Your Majesty! Women are not allowed to go to the Imperial Study. This is a rule established by our ancestors. It is not appropriate for you to send Xie Yushu there!"

Although Consort Chu overstepped her bounds, what she asked was also what the Empress Dowager wanted to say. Although the Emperor was not her biological son, there was still some mother-son bond between them, and she could not watch the Emperor go astray!

Upon hearing this, Emperor Qingyuan stopped and addressed the Empress Dowager.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I know what I'm doing. I summoned Xie Yushu to the Imperial Study to discuss some matters of economic development. This involves state affairs and is not convenient to discuss here!"

Furthermore, Xie Yushu, as the Lady of Jingde Township, was a subject, not a member of the imperial harem, so she hadn't broken any rules!

No one had ever been here before, which meant there had never been such an extraordinary woman before. He just couldn't believe that if the ancestors had known there was such a woman who was good at making money and offering advice, they would have just let her stay in her boudoir applying rouge and powder. It would have been such a waste!

With the Emperor's word, no one dared to object. Xie Yushu bowed to the Empress and Empress Dowager, then turned and followed the Emperor to the Imperial Study with Nanxing in tow.

Xuanyuan Che never concerned himself with politics. His health was so poor that he needed to save his energy for eating, drinking and having fun. He felt it would be a huge loss if he missed out on enjoying himself. He was too lazy to bother with those troublesome political affairs. Anyway, Xie Yushu said that he wouldn't die for the time being and that there was a way to recuperate. He felt more at ease. Seeing that Xie Yushu had left with his brother, he also patted his behind and went back to his residence.

Seeing that her son was alright, the Empress Dowager waved her hand, signaling everyone to disperse!

The Empress and Consort Chu had mixed feelings. The Empress suddenly realized that Xie Yushu might be more important to the Emperor than she had imagined. She wasn't afraid that Xie Yushu was young and beautiful and that the Emperor would take a liking to her. After all, there were three thousand beauties in the harem. If she had to be jealous of each one and guard against each one, she might as well just live in a vat of vinegar!

But for capable people, whether or not they enter the harem, it's best to keep them in one's own hands.

But now is not the time for her to act rashly. She needs to see what the Emperor thinks before making any arrangements.

Consort Chu felt a surge of jealousy and a sense of crisis. She was almost certain that Xie Yushu was definitely their formidable rival!

Seeing that the Empress Dowager had left, Consort Chu hastily bowed to the Empress and said in a sarcastic tone...

"This Lady Jingde is truly a stunning beauty! Your Majesty should prepare carefully, for who knows, one day we might have another sister!"

Speaking of which, this Lady Jingde is just as intelligent as Your Majesty the Empress!

We've been sisters for years, so I'm just kindly reminding you: a wise person avoids dangerous situations. Some things need to be prevented before they happen, so please don't be careless, sister!

The Empress, of course, understood her intentions. She wanted to use her to get rid of Xie Yushu and reap the benefits herself. How wonderful!

Seeing Consort Chu's feigned indifference, the Empress remained calm and composed.

"Even if eight beauties enter the harem, I will still be the Empress. Sister, you should worry about yourself. No matter how bad things get, I still have my family who care about me. If Consort Chu's favor is shared with someone else, life will be difficult!"

Moreover, it seems that it is not Consort Chu's place to interfere in who the Emperor chooses and what he does. To presume to speculate on the imperial edict is a great disrespect!

The Cold Palace isn't far from here, so don't accidentally end up back there!

After the Empress finished speaking, she returned to the palace with an air of arrogance, leaving Consort Chu alone with a twisted expression!

The Queen won this round decisively!