On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

At this time, at Jingren Palace.

Empress Zhao Shuyu sat on the phoenix throne in the center of the main hall, dressed in a dark red palace gown, with the golden hairpin on her head swaying slightly with her movements.

But if you look closely, you'll notice that she already has half of her hair turned white, even though she's only in her early forties.

If only there were no sorrow of parting in one's eyes, one would not believe that old age is possible in this world.

Just a few days ago, she was smooth and well-maintained, but ever since the eldest prince, Nangong Ao, was crippled by Lin Yi, she has become completely haggard.

You must know that Nangong Ao was her lifeblood and her only hope to become Empress Dowager in the future. As a result, Lin Yi not only crippled Nangong Ao's right hand, but also crushed his manhood.

How could a good-for-nothing who isn't even a man possibly inherit the throne?

Every time Zhao Shuyu thought about this, she felt an urge to devour Lin Yi alive.

But thinking about it is one thing, doing it is another. Not to mention her, even the current emperor, Nangong Xiong, couldn't do anything about Lin Yi.

The weather was quite nice today, sunny and breezy. Zhao Shuyu responded to Nangong Xiong's call and summoned all the concubines in the harem to Jingren Palace, with the aim of forcing them to donate their private savings.

Inside the palace, Zhao Shuyu coldly observed the concubines below.

These women, who usually dress up in flamboyant attire, are all dressed very simply today, with hardly any jewelry. If it weren't for the strict palace rules, they would probably all be wearing mourning clothes.

It's obvious that everyone is wary of her asking for money.

"I'm sure you all know why I called you all here today..."

The concubines lowered their heads, and none of them responded.

Zhao Shuyu knew this would be the attitude, and regardless of their wishes, she continued, "The court is in trouble now. Regent Lin Yi is plotting something and has blocked the supplies of our palace. His Majesty has emptied his private treasury to quell the rebellion and is preparing to mobilize an army of 200,000 to wipe out the rebels."

"With the army setting out, provisions and supplies are needed. His Majesty has already taken the lead in selling off all the treasures. As concubines in the harem, we enjoy the wealth and glory of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Now that it is time to share the burden of the country, we naturally cannot fall behind."

Zhao Shuyu spoke in a grand and dignified manner, but her meaning was very clear: take the money.

The first person sitting on the left is Consort Hui, the birth mother of the fourth prince, Nangong Jin.

The fourth sister's manhood was also destroyed by Lin Yi's dogs, so her current situation is exactly the same as Zhao Shuyu's; both are pitiful people who have lost all hope.

So today she cooperated and took out a small wooden box and placed it on the table next to her.

"Your Majesty is right. Although I don't have much of value, I'm willing to donate all the jewelry I've accumulated over the years to raise funds for His Majesty's military expenses. As long as that scoundrel Lin Yi can be killed to avenge my son, I'm willing to eat chaff and wild vegetables every day from now on."

Zhao Shuyu nodded, showing a sense of shared sorrow: "Sister Huifei is very understanding and righteous. I will remember that."

With Consort Hui taking the lead, the other concubines, no matter how unwilling, dared not openly refuse.

At this moment, a young concubine whispered, "Your Majesty, I entered the palace late and have very little savings. This silver hairpin was given to me by my mother when I entered the palace, and I am willing to donate it."

Zhao Shuyu glanced at the shabby silver hairpin and rolled her eyes.

"You're so stingy, Miss Cai Ren. Where does all your monthly allowance go? You try to fool me with a broken hairpin? Do you think you're treating me like a beggar?"

The concubine was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground, crying and saying, "Your Majesty, please understand, I really have no money left. Since the palace was sealed off, the expenses of each palace have been tight, and I can't even afford to eat. How could I possibly save any money?"

Upon hearing this, the other concubines also joined in with their complaints.

"Yes, Your Majesty, we can't even afford cosmetics anymore."

"The charcoal delivered by the Imperial Household Department a few days ago was all broken and couldn't be lit at all."

"Your Majesty, please have mercy! We really have nothing good to offer."

The main hall immediately descended into chaos, filled with the cries of women lamenting their poverty.

Zhao Shuyu was so annoyed by what she heard that she slammed her hand on the table.

"Shut up, all of you!"

The hall fell silent instantly, and the concubines shrank back in fear, not daring to utter a sound.

Zhao Shuyu pointed at them and scolded, "Stop pretending to be poor in front of me! Why didn't you say you had no money when you sent money to your families? Now that I'm asking you to share His Majesty's burdens, you're all penniless? Let me tell you, if anyone dares to hide anything today, I'll have the palace searched! Whatever they find, I'll confiscate it all and charge you with deceiving the Emperor!"

The concubines' faces changed when they heard that the palace would be searched.

After all these years in the harem, who doesn't have some hidden treasures? If they're really found out, not only will you lose your money, but you'll also be punished.

There was no other way, so everyone reluctantly sent their personal maids back to get the things.

For a time, the hall was filled with the sound of servants going in and out.

Zhao Shuyu felt a little better after seeing the gold and silver jewelry, jade artifacts, and calligraphy and paintings that were delivered one after another.

I'll collect all these things later and send them to Nangong Xiong all at once. This will not only solve Nangong Xiong's immediate problem, but also show my loyalty to him and prove that I, as the Empress, am still useful.

Although the eldest prince has been deposed, as long as she remains empress, she still has a chance to turn things around.

Because no matter who becomes emperor in the future, she will at least be an empress dowager, and her later life will definitely be fine.

Thinking of this, Zhao Shuyu looked at Yang Siyu.

The latter was dressed in a moon-white long dress, with only a wooden hairpin in her hair. Her face was bare of makeup. She was fiddling with her handkerchief with her head down, neither arguing nor fighting, nor complaining about being poor like others.

She is the biological mother of Princess Nangong Min and also the mother of Prince Nangong Jie.

Now, in the entire Ninth Prince's Mansion, the only adult and healthy prince is Nangong Jie. The rest are either deposed or haven't grown up yet.

Zhao Shuyu now finds everyone disagreeable, especially Yang Siyu.

Why is my son disabled while your son is perfectly fine?

Why is it that my hair has turned white while you still look so young and beautiful?

I am the Empress!

Zhao Shuyu's mind immediately twisted, and she turned her anger directly towards Yang Siyu.

"Why is Consort Gui so quiet today? Everyone is worried about His Majesty's military expenses, don't you care at all?"

Yang Siyu raised her head, her eyes filled with a hint of panic.

"Your Majesty, I am also trying to find a solution. However, I usually use all my money to support the servants in the palace, so I don't have much money left over."

"Oh dear, what are you saying, little sister? You may not have money, but you have a wonderful daughter." Zhao Shuyu deliberately raised her voice so that everyone could hear her.

"Princess Nangong Min is now the dignified Regent's Consort. She's married into the Regent's Palace and is enjoying a life of luxury, eating and drinking the finest things every day. That traitor Lin Yi plundered so much money, didn't he offer any to his mother-in-law?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Siyu's expression immediately changed.

Nangong Min's marriage to Lin Yi was not for her to enjoy a life of luxury; rather, Nangong Xiong forced her to go in order to win Lin Yi over.

Yang Siyu cried for several nights because of this incident, and now Zhao Shuyu is using it to attack her, which is like rubbing salt into her wounds.

"Your Majesty, you misunderstand. I know nothing about what happened at the Regent's Palace. Min'er... she only married there for the sake of the Great Zhou and His Majesty."

Zhao Shuyu ignored her explanation and continued to make sarcastic remarks.

"To compromise? I think she's enjoying it! Lin Yi has sealed off the palace, and we can't even get a hot soup here, while your daughter is outside acting like a princess, all high and mighty."

As she spoke, Zhao Shuyu stood up and walked up to Yang Siyu: "Yang Siyu, don't think that just because your daughter married Lin Yi, you can act with impunity in the palace. Let me tell you, Lin Yi is like a grasshopper in autumn; he won't be around for long. Once the 200,000 loyalist troops arrive, Lin Yi will surely die."

"Once Lin Yi dies, your good daughter won't survive either! Since she married a traitor, she's an accomplice of the traitor, and she'll have to be buried with Lin Yi!"

Yang Siyu trembled all over.

This is what she fears most.

If Lin Yi wins, the Great Zhou Dynasty will perish.

If Lin Yi loses, Nangong Min, as the wife of a traitor, will definitely suffer a terrible fate.

Either outcome is one she is willing to accept.

"Your Majesty, Min'er is innocent. She is His Majesty's own flesh and blood. His Majesty will not abandon her."

Zhao Shuyu snorted coldly and retreated to her seat: "Your Majesty can barely save his own life now, what does he care about his own flesh and blood? If you really want to save your daughter, then take out more money and stop pretending to be pitiful here."