"This soap business involves enormous profits. With my current official position, I not only cannot command respect, but if someone tries to seize it by force..."
Chu Chen hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Therefore, I implore Your Majesty..."
Before Chu Chen could finish, the Empress smiled faintly.
"This matter is simple. You are merely worried about not commanding respect, aren't you? How about I let Xin Yue accompany you out of the palace?"
"With the princess by your side, I don't think you need to worry about anyone daring to interfere, right?"
Chu Chen opened his mouth, unsure how to react.
He had initially just wanted to ask the Empress for an official position.
To his surprise, the Empress had instead foisted Princess Xin Yue upon him. What was this all about?
Moreover, what would it be like for him to go out and do business with a princess constantly following him?
Was this reasonable?
As if sensing Chu Chen's concerns, the Empress leaned back slightly and said with interest, "You don't need to worry. I have my reasons for letting Xin Yue follow you."
"I beg Your Majesty to enlighten me," Chu Chen said quickly.
"I can see that although you are an eunuch, you do possess some capabilities."
"By having Xin Yue follow you, I also wish for you to teach her some necessary knowledge," the Empress said with a slight curl of her lips. "You absolutely cannot make the same mistake as last time."
"I am merely a personal eunuch, how could I possibly teach a princess any knowledge?" Chu Chen said with a wry smile. "Your Majesty, please do not think too highly of me."
"Are you worried that Xin Yue will not listen to you?" the Empress asked with a smile. "Rest assured, I will make it clear to her."
"Speaking of which, after spending so much time with Xin Yue, you must have some understanding of her temperament by now, haven't you?"
"As long as I agree to her leaving the palace, she will agree to any condition. You can be completely at ease."
Chu Chen opened his mouth again. With the Empress having said so much, what more could he say?
"I obey Your Majesty's command."
But suddenly, the Empress's expression turned somewhat serious.
"You have been in the palace for some time now, and you must have some understanding of the situation in Yun Yue Kingdom, right?"
"This..."
Before Chu Chen could answer, the Empress continued on her own. "You must have noticed that the situation in the imperial court is turbulent and extremely complex."
"Xin Yue has been too well protected by me, she understands nothing. If this continues, and she is exploited by someone, I will be in a very passive position."
As she spoke, the Empress's gaze deepened, staring intently at Chu Chen. "Can you complete this task?"
Chu Chen swallowed with difficulty. "Your Majesty, I do not understand why you would assign this task to..."
"I am truly incapable, I hope Your Majesty will forgive me!"
Chu Chen secretly lamented.
He had finally seized an opportunity, thinking he was finally free from the shackles of the imperial family, only to have the Empress throw Princess Xin Yue into his hands.
With Princess Xin Yue around, not only would his actions be constrained, but he would also have the responsibility of educating her. If she caused any trouble, Chu Chen might even have to take the blame.
No matter how he looked at it, this did not seem like an easy task.
"There is no need to be so self-deprecating. I believe in your abilities," the Empress said, her eyelids drooping slightly as she lowered her head, no longer speaking.
Chu Chen knew that if he refused again, it would seem ungrateful. He could only withdraw helplessly.
If it were someone else, they might feel that the Empress trusted them immensely, be deeply touched, and swear to repay her kindness.
But Chu Chen would never think that way.
He would only feel that the Empress's art of managing her subordinates was honed to perfection.
After all, he himself came from a management background and had been in society for so long. He was no longer a naive youth who would be overwhelmed with emotion by a few words of praise from his superior.
However, regardless of Chu Chen's inner reluctance, the reality was that if he wanted to leave the palace, he had no choice but to bring Princess Xin Yue, this burdensome appendage, with him.
He would also become a target of public criticism because of Princess Xin Yue, constantly drawing the attention of various parties.
"Indeed, is the imperial family the most heartless?" Chu Chen gave a wry smile.
Not only him, but even Princess Xin Yue had become a shield pushed forward by the Empress.
At this juncture, with Princess Xin Yue being sent out of the city by the Empress to run the incredibly profitable soap business with a young eunuch, it would undoubtedly make everyone speculate about the Empress's motives.
These people might not dare to test the Empress directly, but trying to gauge Princess Xin Yue's capabilities would be no problem.
And Princess Xin Yue was a typical naive and sweet girl, so all the pressure would fall on Chu Chen.
Chu Chen sighed slightly and opened the simulator.
He was about to leave the palace, and he needed to make thorough preparations in advance.
[... ]
[The soap business went smoothly, and you quickly accumulated a large amount of capital.]
[After presenting the first quarter's financial report to the Empress, she greatly praised your achievements and promoted you to a high-ranking official of the second rank. You officially established yourself in the imperial court, and no one dared to look down on you, an eunuch.]
Chu Chen frowned.
Attracting such attention was not his intention. Now, he just wanted to develop steadily.
Especially since, as an eunuch, he had reached a height that most people could not achieve in their lifetime. This was bound to bring him a lot of trouble.
He absolutely had to find a way to decline this official position.
[Such enormous profits made many covetous. In order to raise funds for rebellion, the Prime Minister tried every means to recruit you.]
[After being rejected repeatedly, the Prime Minister became enraged and resorted to various tactics.]
[Finally, you were framed and imprisoned, and the Prime Minister seized the soap industry for himself.]
[Three years later, by embezzling the profits from the soap business, the Prime Minister raised a large army and brazenly launched a rebellion.]
[Although the Empress managed to escape, Princess Xin Yue was captured alive by the Prime Minister.]
[To retaliate for your initial defiance, the Prime Minister had both of you beheaded and displayed as a warning to others.]
[You died at the age of twenty-six.]
Chu Chen's mouth twitched.
After finally stabilizing Princess Xin Yue, another Prime Minister had emerged.
Ever since he had resolved the issue with Princess Xin Yue, after multiple simulations, Chu Chen's deaths were all inextricably linked to this Prime Minister.
Zhao Yuanliang was indeed a ruthless man, willing to rebel at any moment, yet he always succeeded. This made Chu Chen extremely speechless.
One would think that the Empress, having been emperor for so many years, would possess some imperial authority, but after at least ten simulations, she had never won!
It was as if all those years as emperor had been for naught!
The most crucial point was that no matter what Chu Chen did, he would eventually be arrested by the Empress herself.
It seemed that Chu Chen was destined to escape death.