Xiao Li looked at Zhao Ming with gloomy expressions when she heard her words. Her eyelashes were fluttering in nervousness as she opened her mouth to say something but no words come out.

  She clenched her fists tightly and wanted to say something when she heard cold and stern manly voice coming by Zhao Ming's side.

  " Yes. You did the right thing to punish someone who disrespects you. My Empress." Ji Cheng suddenly spoke as he turned towards Zhao Ming and looked at her with a tender gaze.

  Her gaze was soft and gentle. He was assuring Zhao Ming that she did right by punishing someone who disrespects her.

  Xiao Li and others were stunned when they heard Ji Cheng's words. It was the first time, he said something like this and that too in public.

  Xiao Li's mouth was open in a daze as she looked at Ji Cheng with perplexed expressions on her face. She has no idea how to react in this situation.

  Though Xiao Li has seen the different side of Ji Cheng in the banquet, but he did not say much at that time either.

  But this time, Zhao Ming openly went against her and Wen Xu while Ji Cheng surprisingly supported her.

  ' Since when his highness has become so expressive?' Xiao Li was speechless as she looked at Ji Cheng in disbelief.

  Her expressions turned sour seeing her looking at Zhao Ming with tender expressions on his face.

  He never looked at her with such expressions but when he looks at Zhao Ming, his expressions changes and becomes soft and gentle.

  Even Zhao Ming was surprised and startled when she heard such warm words from Ji Cheng. She has not expected to interfere and support her statement.

  When she spoke her mind earlier, she was slightly nervous what if Ji Cheng opposed her or did not support her?

  But when she heard his warm words, her heart melt away.

  Especially the words, ' My Empress.' when he said these words, his gaze was extremely gentle and his voice was warm and tender. She felt that those words were dipped in honey because they were extremely sweet that she could get diabetes from them.

  It was the first time that she felt her body trembling and something felt different about him. She never expected that despite his cold and stern image, he would show such side of him in public.

  She was baffled and don't know how to react. She just looked at him with her puppy-like a confused gaze and stared at him in a daze.

  She felt that these words felt more sweet and intimate than, ' My Wife'. For some reason, she will choose My Empress over cheezy loving words like baby, honey or wife.

  Because baby, honey or wife could be anyone but the Empress of Ji Dynast could only be one.

  There could be only one Empress in Ji Dynasty at this moment and that is her. She felt her worth and the importance she held as an Empress.

  He was looking extremely handsome and charming at this moment when she looked at him. His face was glowing and his eyes were glistening like the moonlight in the starry night.

  Ji Cheng saw the bewildered gaze in Zhao Ming's eyes and smiled. Her face has turned crimson because of his words and her eyelashes faltered because of it.

  He resisted the urge to touch those flushed cheeks and tried to control his heart racing emotions.

  He shifted his gaze away from her and turned to face Hao Mei and then looked at Xiao Li, " From now on, Zhao Ming, the Empress of Ji dynasty, will have all the powers to control this harem. No one could interfere in her decision, not even Empress Dowager or someone else." he looked at Xiao Li when he said, ' someone else'.

  " Not only they could not interfere but they cannot influence her decision in any way as well. The Empress will have every right to decide for this harem in every sphere be it punishing someone, setting the budget for other consorts, including Empress Dowager." His tone turned firm and cold when he said Empress Dowager.

  Xiao Li was shocked when she heard Ji Cheng's words. He not only gave her rights to maintain the harem but also gave her financial power as well.

  Moreover, now she can decide Empress Dowager's budget as well. She was thinking to use Wen Xu as her shield but she could not believe that Ji Cheng could not only give Zhao Ming some power but he has taken powers from Empress Dowager as well.

  In the past, Zhao Ming was supposed to maintain the harem but Empress Dowager always interfere in her decisions and never let her exercise her rights.

  Because she had the power to make budgets for everyone. And in every field financial power is the most important power that can ever have.

  In every Empire, the Finance minister was given the utmost value because of his work. He not only has to maintain the treasury but also need to deal with the treasury deficit problems.

  They have to make proposals to create opportunities to fill the treasury as well.

  Even Zhao Ming was surprised when he gave her the power to make budgets. She has learned about business and has also learned about accounting during her graduation year as well.

  Making budgets and management is not a big deal for her. She can do this better than anyone here since she has majored in this field officially. However, she never expected that he would give her the power to manage the budgets as well.

  She suddenly felt overwhelmed and her lips curved upwards in a smirk. She never expected that Ji Cheng would give her such rights. She looked at Xiao Li with smug expressions and felt gleeful.

  " But his highness, Mother is not here. How can you take such a decision? It is the mother, who controls the budget for the harem. How can you give it to her." Xiao Li almost cried out in desperation. She could not let this happen.

  She was feeling worried that if Zhao Ming got the power to make a budget she will take revenge with her seeing her current attitude.

  " What do you mean by giving? It is originally, Zhao Ming's right to make budgets for the harem. But Empress Dowager kept interfering and in the end, she took the power into her hands after she fell into a coma. " He said firmly. He called Wen Xu as Empress Dowager and not Mother.

  The words Empress Dowager sounds distant and cold from his mouth.

  In reality, it was Zhao Ming who had the power to make budgets. But Wen Xu always interferes and ruins her budget.

  Not only that she and Xiao Li spends more than her budget and in the end, Zhao Ming has to limit her budget to balance the loss.

  Zhao Ming could not say anything at that time, because the Empress Dowager suppressed her with her power as the only head of the family.

  Later Empress Dowager started to make decisions regarding the budget herself and asks Zhao Ming to pass the budget she makes.

  In that way, Wen Xu was managing the budget herself but in an indirect way.

  But since Zhao Ming fell into the pond and went into the coma, Wen Xu took this task and took the harem in her control.

  It includes financial powers as well.

  With Wen Xu managing the harem, Xiao Li's status has advanced and she felt more important and superior than before.

  …


  " Consort Xiao Li, it's my decision that from now on Empress will manage the harem herself and no one will interfere with this." Ji Cheng looked at her with indifference and said in a cold tone.

  " And if anyone dared to interfere in her decisions, then I will deal with that person personally." He looked at Xiao Li as if telling her to not mess with Zhao Ming.

  Xiao Li's expressions turned dark as she shifted her gaze at Zhao Ming who was smugly looking at her.

  Now no one can say that she is an unwanted Empress or useless Empress because Ji Cheng gave her all the powers in the harem that an Empress should have.

  Empress without powers is useless just like thunder without rain. The words of powerless Empress do not contain any weight and no one will respect her either if she doesn't have any rights.

  This was the case with the previous Zhao Ming. She was an Empress with title but with no rights.

  But now, Ji Cheng was interfering in this matter and has given all the powers to Zhao Ming in front of everyone.

  It was the first time, Zhao Ming has complained about her problems and how she could not exercise her powers because of Wen Xu and Xiao Li. In the past, she never said anything nor complained to him about anything.

  He has many things to deal with and did not look at the matters of Harem. If no one complained to him, then how would he supposed to know about the issues within harem which is under Zhao Ming's control.

  However, now no one can ignore Zhao Ming's words because she has all the powers and the right to punish anyone who disrespects her without anyone's permission.

  She only needs to report to the Emperor, Ji Cheng, other than that, no one can interfere with her decision. Not even the Empress Dowager.