"Hehe, don't you know the Empress's identity? I've heard that she used to be just a village girl, an ordinary village girl. Her family had no power or influence, no food or money. It's already quite remarkable that she was able to donate so much!"
"Yes, Her Majesty the Empress said she wouldn't let the Zhou family or the General's Mansion help. Actually, I'm also curious to know how much she can donate without their help!"
"That's true, but she donated far too little!"
Everyone's eyes darted around, and it was unclear what they were thinking.
"Am I the only one who wants to ask this? It was said back then that anyone who could donate more than the Empress could enter the palace, which meant..."
These words delighted everyone. Besides the young ladies who had signed up, there were also some from well-off families who hadn't signed up because they thought it was impossible for them to enter the palace.
People are naturally curious. They came just to see what was going on and to find out how many people entered the palace today. But the result was a huge surprise to them.
Many people were filled with regret, saying that if they had known this would happen, they would have signed up no matter what.
Some people regretted it, some were excited, and some laughed. The area in front of the treasury was bustling with activity.
"Alas, I never expected Her Majesty the Empress to actually..."
Mu Yurou came over with her maid. The maid beside her sneered, "Your Majesty the Empress has gone a bit too far. Even if you're just putting on a show, you shouldn't have donated such a small amount!"
"Shut up!"
Mu Yurou's expression turned cold, and the girl shrank back in fright, raising her hand to cover her mouth.
"There are a lot of people around here, so you need to be careful what you say!"
The little girl nodded hurriedly, startled; she had just burst out laughing.
Her young lady only says that she has a low status, but look at the current Empress, whose status is not as high as her young lady's.
What's there to be ashamed of?
"But I didn't expect Her Majesty the Empress to donate so little." Mu Yurou looked at her ranking, which wasn't very high. She was currently in twelfth place. Actually, she could still push harder. Her family had already prepared food, and she was waiting for her last chance.
"Miss, I believe you will definitely win the Emperor's favor!"
The girl spoke obediently, and Mu Yurou smiled and said, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
As she said this, a blush crept onto her face.
"Oh, miss, don't be modest! You're so beautiful, you can definitely do it."
The little girl looked at her with a fawning expression, but Mu Yurou looked at the girls over there. They were all daughters of high-ranking officials, and their names were all in the top ten. It was obvious that they would definitely be able to enter the palace, and after entering the palace, they would definitely be made into concubines.
Even if we disregard the monks' feelings, we should still consider the Buddha's feelings; the emperor will surely treat them differently.
Looking at myself or other merchant women like me, even if we entered the palace, we would still have to climb up step by step from the lowest rank.
They were never on the same starting line.
Mu Yurou was also angry, but so what? She was just a businesswoman, an ordinary businesswoman.
Her family did everything they could, hoping that she could secure a place in the palace and bring glory to the family.
Mu Yurou didn't force herself to approach those people; even if she did, they wouldn't respect her.
She waited quietly, and after noon, she would start to exert her efforts again.
The noble ladies on the other side, though they didn't laugh loudly, couldn't hide the smugness on their faces.
"To be honest, our Empress is quite a joke!"
A woman chuckled softly, her voice clear and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.
Her voice wasn't loud; it was only loud enough for people in their circle to hear clearly.
These women all get along well, and some things can be said in jest.
"That's not necessarily true. Perhaps Her Majesty the Empress has a backup plan!"
Li Qingluan covered her mouth and chuckled. At first, she felt that Han Luoxue definitely had a backup plan. For the past month, she had her people come to check every day, only to find that nothing had been done on the other side.
Everyone thought the Empress would exert her influence later on, but who would have thought that she hasn't exerted her influence at all until now.
There's only half a day left. Even if Her Majesty the Empress buys all the food in the city, she probably won't be able to climb many hills.
You should know that the grain stores in the city have been out of grain for a long time now; they've been emptied out in the last few days.
"Hehe, that's a strange thing to say. I feel that even if she were given three more days, she still wouldn't be able to gather enough food!"
“She was just a village girl before, and her family couldn’t help her. How could she climb up the social ladder on her own?”
"Unless you ask the Emperor or the Zhou family for help!"
However, the Emperor and the Zhou family have always had people watching them, as well as the General's Mansion. If anyone makes a move, those people will definitely not let it go.
It should be noted that it was the Empress herself who said that she would absolutely not use the Emperor's resources.
She blocked her own path, so she has no one to blame but herself.
"It's laughable, really. I never imagined our Empress would be like this..."
Xu Lingyi also sighed, while Li Qingluan smiled and said, "Isn't that a good thing? Once we enter the palace, the Emperor will surely see our good qualities!"
The women were full of confidence and weren't in a hurry to go back.
Six of the top ten people on the list today are actually businesswoman.
"These merchants' daughters are really despicable. So what if their families have a little money? Do they think that climbing onto this list and entering the palace will bring them great wealth and power?"
Su Xiaoman curled her lips in disdain. Although she looked down on those businesswomen, their families were indeed wealthy and had strong economic power. If it came to connections, businesswomen couldn't compare to them.
However, when it comes to money, I am no match for them at all!
The women's faces turned cold, but Li Qingluan was the one who understood. She smiled indifferently and said, "Actually, this ranking list is useless. As long as we are all above the Empress and can enter the palace, that's enough!"
"Think about it, this is just a stepping stone. Once we enter the palace, we can decide how we go about our own business."
"How things develop in the future, and how far they go, will all depend on the influence of your family. By the way, as for these people, keep them if you like them, and find a way to get rid of the ones you don't!"
The other women nodded in agreement; it had to be said, this was what they truly felt.
"We should keep an eye on the Empress. Although her background isn't good, and the Emperor can't openly help her, her donations still involve the royal family's reputation. You should keep an eye on it for now..."
Su Xiaoman didn't understand for a moment. She asked in confusion, "Sister Li, what did you mean just now? Are you saying that the Emperor will secretly help her?"
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