The moment the bridal sedan chair, surrounded by the ceremonial procession, passed through the palace gates, Jiang Yunshu truly felt it—she had entered the palace.
Had she really failed to escape the inevitable trope of transmigrated women ending up in the imperial harem?
The sedan chair was carried deep into the inner palace, passing through layers of small gates before arriving at a secluded and tranquil palace complex. Turning westward, it finally stopped outside the western side hall.
A palace maid from the Bureau of Palace Ceremonies helped Jiang Yunshu step down from the sedan chair, guiding her over several thresholds until she was seated on the bridal bed in the side hall.
And then, she waited.
Waited for the emperor to lift her veil.
Today, the Marquis's Mansion had been bustling with endless banquets and festivities, but no such celebrations were held in the palace. For minor consorts like her—dozens of whom the emperor married every year—the Bureau of Palace Ceremonies merely decorated the bridal chamber.
From now on, this side hall would be her home.
With the veil covering her face, Jiang Yunshu couldn’t see the layout of the hall.
But earlier, the maid had guided her inside in just a few steps, and then onto the bed in another few steps… This side hall was so tiny!
Back at the Marquis's Mansion, Jiang Yunshu’s courtyard had been the smallest among her sisters. She couldn’t compare to her elder sister, the legitimate daughter, and her three younger sisters all had their own birth mothers advocating for them. Unambitious and content with her own company, Jiang Yunshu had always been left with the smallest, most remote courtyard.
Yet now, this palace side hall was even smaller than her Yunshu Courtyard at home!
Jiang Yunshu was stunned. In her mind, the palace was grand, majestic, and spacious—so why was her living space here even more cramped than at home?
Soon, she figured it out. The Marquis's Mansion had few residents, but the imperial harem was overcrowded.
With dozens of new women entering the palace every year, the number of imperial consorts had already reached nearly a hundred! No wonder it was so cramped.
Jiang Yunshu comforted herself—there were advantages to a large population. Though the living conditions were tight, with a hundred people taking turns, she’d only have to "work" an average of three days a year…
She could grit her teeth and endure!
Looking on the bright side, perhaps the emperor wouldn’t take a liking to her tonight and would never summon her again.
Then she could enjoy a leisurely life—free meals, a salary, and no real responsibilities.
Working in the palace was better than marrying into the Duan family. There, she’d have to serve as the mistress of the household, toiling without rest all year round.
The only thing troubling Jiang Yunshu now was… she was assigned to a side hall, while the main hall housed a higher-ranking consort.
This arrangement reminded Jiang Yunshu of her past life—living in a partitioned rental room!
And worse, the high-ranking consort had authority over her, meaning the person next door wasn’t just another tenant but her landlord!
Recalling the nightmare of sharing a partitioned space with a landlord in her previous life, Jiang Yunshu prayed that the consort in the main hall would be kind, gentle, and reasonable.
After all, in the modern world, she could always move. But here, she had no power to change palaces—this might be her home for the rest of her life.
"His Majesty has arrived—"
The eunuch’s sharp announcement snapped Jiang Yunshu back to reality.
Night had deepened, palace lanterns hung high, and the emperor had finally come!
The headdress and veil weighed heavily on her—so, so heavy!
Her scalp ached, her neck ached, but now that the emperor was here, she would soon be free.
Her eagerness unconsciously seeped into her posture—her back straightened, her body leaned slightly forward…
"Ahem." A maid from the Bureau of Palace Ceremonies coughed softly in warning.
Ah, that must have looked too eager. Jiang Yunshu quickly adjusted into a demure, graceful sitting pose.
Then the emperor entered. Jiang Yunshu heard a flurry of footsteps… and then a pungent wave of alcohol assaulted her senses!
The emperor was drunk!
And not just tipsy—completely wasted!
Jiang Yunshu secretly exhaled in relief. In this state, the emperor would surely be incapable tonight.
She had dodged a bullet!
Though she had mentally prepared herself ever since learning she would enter the palace—or rather, ever since transmigrating to this era, knowing she’d one day be forced into an arranged marriage and bed a stranger—
She had resigned herself to it, but that didn’t mean she would ever like it!
Right now, Jiang Yunshu felt like a student who had been dreading the 800-meter run in P.E. class, only for a sudden downpour to postpone the test to next week.
Relief washed over her!
A tiny hope flickered in her heart—maybe, just maybe, if the emperor failed to consummate the marriage tonight, he’d forget about her entirely!
The reeking emperor staggered forward, fumbling with the veil… He tugged, tugged again—but couldn’t lift it!
Jiang Yunshu discreetly reached up and gave it a little nudge. The emperor was too drunk to notice her assistance.
Finally, the veil was lifted. Jiang Yunshu kept her head bowed, not daring to look directly at the emperor, feigning nervousness and shyness.
The emperor studied her under the glow of the red candles, then pinched her chin, forcing her to raise her head.
The moment his fingers touched her skin, Jiang Yunshu shivered violently.
The emperor’s hand was icy cold!
How? Early summer was already warm, and alcohol should have made his body burn hotter.
Yet his hand was frighteningly cold.
Suppressing another shudder, Jiang Yunshu lifted her head as directed—and was met with a ghastly sight.
Not that the emperor was ugly—he was young and handsome, surpassing the looks of many emperors in palace dramas.
But right now, his appearance was dreadful. His face was deathly pale, his cheeks flushed with an unhealthy redness, and dark, puffy bags hung beneath his bloodshot eyes.
Jiang Yunshu recalled rumors that the emperor had been frail since childhood.
But was this mere frailty? He looked like he was on death’s door!
The emperor reminded her of a minor celebrity she had naively admired in her youth—equally pale, with the same sunken, shadowed eyes…
That celebrity had long since been exposed—serial philanderer, patron of brothels, exploiter of fans, a true master of time management with three women a day.
Was the emperor truly just born weak?
Or was his poor health the result of debauchery?
Oh, and he was also an alcoholic.
With such a frail constitution, coupled with excess and heavy drinking, he might just drop dead one day…
As Jiang Yunshu’s thoughts spiraled, the emperor’s hand caressed her cheek. "No wonder the Chief Eunuch said you have captivating eyes…"
It felt like a cold, slimy snake slithering across her skin. Jiang Yunshu froze, every hair on her body standing on end.
Her ears rang, drowning out the emperor’s words.
All that talk of enduring with clenched teeth—she had underestimated how horrifying this would be!
Just pass out already! How was the emperor still conscious despite being this drunk?
The emperor swayed, reaching to pull Jiang Yunshu into an embrace—but before he could, he collapsed face-first onto the bed.
He lay motionless, sprawled across the bedding.
After a moment, Jiang Yunshu exhaled silently.
Had the heavens heard her prayers? She always did have a bit of luck!
She sat quietly for a while longer before tentatively calling, "Your Majesty… Your Majesty?"
No response. He was truly unconscious.
Jiang Yunshu carefully turned him onto his side—a drunk person should never lie flat.
Then she saw it—a shocking splash of crimson.
The moment she flipped him over, blood gushed from the emperor’s nose, pouring out in thick, relentless streams.
"Ah—!" Jiang Yunshu screamed, unable to hold it back.
