In the snow-covered front courtyard, more than a dozen snowmen of various sizes stood tall. Each snowman was sculpted in the shape of a God of Wealth.

How did the emperor recognize them at a glance?

It was because these snowmen were all dressed in different styles of God of Wealth attire, complete with hats. They carried or held jade-carved ingots, raised jade scepters, or were adorned with strings of colorful jewelry.

The entire front courtyard was enveloped in a sea of emerald green.

The emperor struggled to maintain his composure.

With a dark expression, he strode toward the inner hall.

The palace attendants dared not make a sound.

The chief eunuch pushed open the side hall door with a creak.

The emperor walked into a wave of warmth, intending to have a serious discussion with Consort Rong. He wanted to instruct her to properly care for the little princess and not impose her own preferences onto her. Not everyone shared Consort Rong’s fondness for gaudy gold and jade objects.

However, before he could express his anger, he heard a delighted inner voice:

【Ah, ah! The handsome big brother has arrived! Lalala, so happy!】

Handsome big brother?

If not for the emperor’s frosty gaze, Consort Rong might have burst into laughter at the absurdity.

Wu Yue also struggled to keep her expression neutral.

Fortunately, the emperor was accustomed to Yuan Ruan occasionally coming up with such odd terms. He interpreted it as meaning she was happy to see him.

The emperor took a large stride forward, picked up Yuan Ruan, and asked, “Does Ah Ruan miss me?”

【Of course, I miss my big brother!】

Yuan Ruan happily waved her little hands and kicked her legs in excitement. She even enthusiastically helped brush the snowflakes off the emperor’s shoulder-length hair.

The emperor’s anger dissipated by more than half. He scanned the room, smiled, and said, “Ah Ruan is so sweet. I cannot ask for more. Are you happy here?”

【Super happy! This place is amazing!】

Hearing this, the emperor nodded slightly. He carried Yuan Ruan further inside, but then fell silent.

In his lifetime, he had seen many extravagant sights.

But…

A finely crafted small bed made entirely of jade stood before him, adorned with intricate carvings of dragons and phoenixes. The four corners of the bed were piled high with green jewels, and the bed curtains were made of golden threads embedded with green pearls.

The entire room was filled with an overwhelming sense of opulence, dominated by shades of green.

Everywhere he looked, it was green.

What was this?

Did it really need to be this green inside and out?!

The emperor felt the urge to demand Consort Rong remove all the decorations. But before he could, Yuan Ruan’s inner voice surfaced again:

【Every time I look, I’m amazed at how clever the beautiful lady is! All this jade was stockpiled by her brother under her guidance before she entered the palace.】

The emperor was taken aback.

Consort Rong possessed such foresight?

【If I grow up to do business someday, could I hire the beauty to be my strategist?】

The emperor frowned.

At that moment, Consort Rong spoke eagerly, “Your Majesty, this small bed was part of my dowry when I entered the palace. Not a single coin from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was used. My elder brother dislikes worldly things, and the shopkeepers from our family’s businesses are all idle at home. I thought that when the Seventh Princess and Ninth Princess grow up, those shops could be gifted to them as part of their dowries, allowing them to put their skills to use.”

The emperor pressed his fingers to his temples in frustration.

What kind of foster mother was this? Such indulgence and spoiling were beyond excessive.

At that moment, Yuan Ruan’s inner voice chimed in again:

【Wow! So the beauty has been planning so much for me already? I’m touched.】

The system sighed: 【Even a birth mother wouldn’t go this far. She’s truly earned my respect.】

【You think so too, System. The beauty loves gold so much. Can you find some business strategy books for me? I will work hard on my missions! I want to gift them to Consort Rong!】

The system wiped imaginary tears: 【This is the epitome of mutual affection.】

Consort Rong’s smile deepened.

The emperor, however, couldn’t smile. He even felt a bit suffocated.

How had his little princess, the Great Xia’s national fortune, become enamored with such lowly commerce?

And these “missions.”

Why waste time on such mundane tasks when there were national fortune missions to focus on?

【Oh, and about my big brother—since it’s almost the New Year, let’s ask for red envelopes! Red envelopes, come, come!】

The emperor froze and looked down, just in time to see Yuan Ruan’s bright, smiling face. Her small, plump hands clasped together and waved up and down in an adorable gesture.

Her demeanor was so charming it could melt anyone’s heart.

Instinctively, the emperor removed a small dragon-shaped gold pendant from his person, along with some fragments of gold and gemstones, and handed them to her.

Consort Rong was startled. She hadn’t expected the emperor to give away the protective amulet he’d worn since childhood. Clearly, she needed to hold the Young National Preceptor in even higher regard.

【It’s a pity it’s not jade, but it’s still pretty good.】

The emperor: …

Amused, he pinched Yuan Ruan’s cheek. She was even picky about gifts.

Just then, the emperor saw Yuan Ruan flash a toothless grin at Consort Rong and beckon her over enthusiastically.

Consort Rong, puzzled, leaned in.

Yuan Ruan giggled and placed all the jewelry—except for the dragon-shaped amulet—into Consort Rong’s arms.

【The beauty loves jade and jewelry the most. Hehe, I’ll earn more for you to enjoy.】

Consort Rong froze.

She sneaked a glance at the emperor, overwhelmed with emotion but hesitant to move.

The emperor almost burst out laughing in exasperation.

Was this re-gifting? Right in front of the original giver?

Yet, ever composed, the emperor said nothing in Yuan Ruan’s presence. Instead, he played with her for a while until she began to yawn. He then had the palace maids coax her to sleep and motioned for Consort Rong to step outside.

Yuan Ruan babbled a couple of times, and then both the emperor and Consort Rong heard the system’s voice:

【Ah, Ah Ruan, hush, hush! Don’t disturb them. This is adult’s time. Understand?】

【Oh! But it’s still morning. Fine, I’ll be a good girl and sleep soundly.】

The emperor: …

Consort Rong: …

Once they reached the main hall, the emperor ordered Consort Rong to stop.

Consort Rong paled slightly and nervously said, “Your Majesty, I am a woman of good standing. In broad daylight, this…”

The emperor twitched slightly at her words but didn’t want to admit he could also hear Yuan Ruan’s inner voice. Cutting her off, he said, “Consort Rong, in twenty days, send the Ninth Princess to stay with the empress.”

Consort Rong froze, trying to argue, but the emperor gave her no chance and left after speaking.

Fuming, Consort Rong stepped outside to take a few deep breaths before returning inside.

As she entered, she saw the emperor sipping tea and Yuan Ruan rubbing her eyes as she turned over.

Just then, Yuan Ruan’s soft, confused inner voice rang out:

【So fast?!】

The system chimed in: 【As expected, too many women in the harem takes a toll on the body!】

The emperor nearly choked on his tea.

Consort Rong, smug but outwardly calm, handed him a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Suddenly, Yuan Ruan’s inner voice erupted with alarm:

【Oh no! There’s poison in this tea!】

“Pfft!” The emperor spat the tea out.

Consort Rong, shocked, rushed over to slap his back.

Instinctively, knowing Consort Rong’s strength, the emperor dodged, only to see her slap a gold ingot on the table flat with one strike.

The emperor: …