The morning light shines through the window lattice, casting mottled light and shadows on the floor.

An Lingrong slowly opened her eyes, the remaining sleepiness making her mind confused.

The emperor was no longer by her side, but the faint scent of his ambergris, mixed with the scent of calming incense, lingered on her nose.

She raised her hand and stroked the still warm mattress beside her, and fragments of memories from last night flooded into her mind.

The emperor's eyes were passionate and affectionate, and his embrace was warm and powerful.

"Your Majesty...this is..."

An Lingrong murmured to herself, feeling mixed emotions.

Joy, fear, and guilt intertwined into a dense web that wrapped her tightly.

She knew that her purpose in entering the palace was to gain the emperor's favor, but now that her goal had been achieved, she felt a little uneasy.

"I can't fall in love with the Emperor..."

An Lingrong bit her lower lip, a trace of struggle flashing in her eyes.

But she soon became resolute.

"Even if I can't love him, I can still help him, share his worries, and create a prosperous Qing Dynasty!"

She stood up, walked to the dressing table, looked at her slightly pale face in the mirror, and took a deep breath.

"From today on, I am the Imperial Consort. My every word and action represents the reputation of the royal family."

She picked up the ivory comb and combed her long black hair one by one, her eyes full of determination.

Golden sunlight filled Yongshou Palace, and the air was filled with a festive atmosphere.

An Lingrong was dressed in gorgeous clothes, sitting upright on the phoenix couch, accepting the kowtows of the palace maids.

"Your servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Imperial Concubine. May Her Majesty live a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

The palace maids' voices were clear and pleasant, filled with respect and joy.

An Lingrong nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on the corner of her mouth.

"Everyone, get up."

Her voice is gentle and magnetic, carrying the majesty of a mother of the country.

After the enthronement ceremony, the emperor handed over the right to manage the affairs of the six palaces to An Lingrong.

She is fully aware of the weight of her responsibility and dares not slack off in the slightest.

The first thing to do is to check the palace's account books.

When she opened the thick account book and saw the densely packed words and numbers on it, she couldn't help but frown.

"This account book... is it still using the old method?"

She turned to look at Qiuyue beside her, with a hint of doubt in her tone.

Qiuyue answered respectfully:

"Your Majesty, this is how the palace has always kept accounts."

An Lingrong pondered for a moment and came up with an idea.

"Qiuyue, go call everyone from Yongshou Palace. I want to teach you a new way of keeping accounts."

There was a glint of wisdom in her eyes.

"Yes, ma'am."

Qiuyue took the order and left.

An Lingrong picked up a pen and wrote the words "double-entry bookkeeping" on the paper.

The lights in Yongshou Palace were bright.

An Lingrong, Qiuyue and others sat around the table, carefully sorting out the palace's account books.

As the sorting progressed, An Lingrong's expression became increasingly ugly.

She discovered that the prices in the palace were more than two hundred times higher than outside!

The price of an ordinary jade hairpin in the palace is three times that of outside!

The price of a piece of fine silk in the palace is five times that outside!

"This...this is simply blatant corruption!"

An Lingrong's fingers were tightly gripping the account book, her knuckles turning white.

She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart.

"Qiuyue,"

Her voice was low and hoarse,

"You continue to tidy up, I'll go out for a walk."

She stood up, walked to the window, looked at the dark night sky outside, and her mind was full of thoughts.

The power in the Imperial Household Department is complex and intertwined. If she rashly exposes this matter, the consequences will be disastrous.

"I can't be impulsive..."

She took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"I have to find a way to have the Emperor discover this personally."

She turned to look at Qiuyue, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

"Qiuyue, don't tell anyone about this for now, understand?"

Qiuyue nodded.

"The servant understands."

A few days later, the sun was shining brightly and the spring breeze was warm.

The emperor rarely has a day off, so he wants to take An Lingrong out for a walk.

"Rong'er, the weather is perfect today. Let me take you out for a walk."

The emperor gently took An Lingrong's hand.

"Where do you want to go?"

An Lingrong's eyes rolled and she had an idea in her mind.

"Your Majesty, I want to go to the city's market."

She raised her head, her eyes full of anticipation.

"Since entering the palace, I haven't been out for a stroll on the streets."

The emperor looked at An Lingrong's enthusiastic expression and couldn't bear to refuse.

"Okay, I'll take you there."

He touched An Lingrong's head lovingly.

"Whatever you want to buy, just buy it."

A sly smile appeared on An Lingrong's lips.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

She thought to herself,

"This is an opportunity that you brought to yourselves."

The bustling market is filled with the sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the clinking of gongs as vendors bang on them to attract customers.

An Lingrong danced among the crowd like a happy butterfly, occasionally stopping in front of a dazzling array of jewelry stalls, picking up a hairpin inlaid with rubies and examining it carefully in the sunlight;

Sometimes I am attracted by the strange aroma wafting from the spice shop, take a deep breath, and feel the unique taste of various spices mixed together.

Her eyes were moving and her gaze was bright, and every movement she made revealed the girl's cuteness and innocence.

"Boss, how much is this hairpin?"

An Lingrong picked up an exquisitely crafted jade hairpin and smiled sweetly at the stall owner.

The stall owner was a shrewd middle-aged man. He could tell at a glance that An Lingrong was dressed luxuriously and must be rich or noble, so he immediately put on a smile.

"Madam, you have good taste. This is carved from the finest Hetian jade. Paired with this South Sea pearl, it is the icing on the cake. I'll give you a fair price: fifty taels of silver!"

An Lingrong raised her eyebrows in feigned surprise, put down the jade hairpin, and picked up another one.

"It's so expensive? I'd better look at something else."

She casually browsed the other ornaments on the stall, asking the prices from time to time, but never showed a strong desire to buy.

The emperor always stayed by An Lingrong's side, watching her every move gently with a doting smile on his face.

He enjoyed this rare leisure time with An Lingrong, as if he had returned to the good old days when they first met.

Tap the screen to use advanced tools Tip: You can use left and right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.

You'll Also Like