As an emperor with lofty ambitions, Pei Lingyue's goal had always been to be remembered in history as a wise and illustrious ruler. This year, Great Qi had been plagued by misfortune—natural disasters struck one after another, and to make matters worse, a corruption scandal among officials had erupted. His mind had been entirely preoccupied with court affairs, leaving him no time to visit the imperial harem for months. Only now, with most of the pressing matters resolved, did he finally allow himself a moment of respite.
He first went to the imperial garden, where he encountered Consort De, who had just recovered from an illness. Consort De had always been gentle and considerate, bearing him children and enduring hardships without complaint. This time, she had suffered yet another grievance, and Pei Lingyue had no choice but to patiently console her. He even drank the soup she had specially prepared for him—though it nearly sent him to an early grave. Consort De was perfect in every way, except for her inexplicable habit of adding oranges to her broth.
Next, Pei Lingyue wandered into the pine grove, where he came across the Noble Consort. Her father had recently rendered great service to the court, and out of respect for him, Pei Lingyue felt obliged to show her some courtesy. Though the Noble Consort was not particularly bright and had a knack for saying things that stung, he endured it.
By the afternoon, he had run into Consort Xu in the orchid garden and Concubine Zheng among the peonies. Far from relaxing, he only felt more exhausted.
Determined to find peace, Pei Lingyue chose the secluded plum grove, thinking that at least here, he wouldn’t encounter any concubines and could finally enjoy some solitude.
No concubines appeared, but instead, he stumbled upon a group of imperial children holding hands and wreaking havoc among the flowers. The four princes and princesses chattered noisily, their voices grating on his ears.
Pei Lingyue refused to give up. He was determined to find a truly quiet place. In the end, he settled on the orchard—a spot even more remote than the cold palace.
The orchard was serene and tranquil, the crisp air refreshing to both mind and body. Pei Lingyue’s slightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. Here, at last, he could wander undisturbed.
But less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, he witnessed the most bewildering scene of his life—was he hallucinating? How else could he see lines of words appearing on the tree?
[OMG!!]
[Ahhh, Host! The emperor came to the orchard! Instead of the imperial garden, the peach grove, or the exotic animal park, he chose this place! This must be what they call "two hearts beating as one"!]
[Host, your fate with the emperor is clearly written in the stars! No matter how much you try to avoid it, it’s useless!]
[Quick, Host! Go for it!]
What was a "host"? Was the emperor referring to him? And what were those symbols between the words—some new form of punctuation?
Was this anomaly caused by some spirit in the garden?
He glanced at his attendants and guards, but their expressions remained calm, showing no signs of shock or fear.
A thought occurred to him—could it be that only he could see these strange words? Was this some kind of scheme targeting him alone?
Pei Lingyue paused and called out, "Who’s in the tree?"
His eyes gleamed with faint suspicion and a hint of lethal intent. If this creature posed a threat to his empire, he would ensure its utter destruction.
The next moment, more lines of text floated from the tree.
[Hahaha, main quest, here we come—Main Quest 1.1: Encounter the emperor, clear your name, and win his sympathy. Reward: Seeds of Champa rice that yield three harvests a year. Completing each task also grants 20 points.]
Pei Lingyue’s gaze fixed on the words "Champa rice that yields three harvests a year," his pupils dilating slightly.
Rice that could be harvested three times a year? This could feed countless more of his people.
This was no malevolent spirit—it was a divine blessing, heaven answering his prayers.
A grievance?
What grievance did she have? He would see justice done for her.
As for the part about "winning his sympathy," Pei Lingyue dismissed it outright. That was irrelevant.
At his words, the guards behind him tightened their grips on their swords, eyeing the tree warily.
...
Meanwhile, Yu Miaohua, still perched in the tree, was panicking, silently communicating with her system.
[System, if I climb down now, will I get stabbed to death? Will they think I’m an assassin? I’m so scared! I shouldn’t have gone out today—I should’ve checked the almanac. It clearly said today was inauspicious for travel!]
If she died, so be it—she’d already lived over a decade in this life, which was more than she’d expected. But she couldn’t bear the thought of implicating her family.
[Host, don’t panic! We have a newbie protection package. Once activated, you’ll have a three-day invincibility shield—no blade or arrow can harm you.]
Yu Miaohua took a deep breath. The more nervous she was, the more her mind raced.
[Oh god, if I really become invincible, they’ll either think I’m a monster or a goddess.]
Both options were dangerous. Unless absolutely necessary, she didn’t want to go down that path.
[The goddess route isn’t bad! We could exchange for the "lotus steps" effect—every step you take, a lotus blooms beneath your feet.]
Yu Miaohua refused outright. She’d checked the system’s backend—that effect cost 1,000 points and lasted only a year. This palace intrigue system was downright shady, always trying to trick innocent, helpless little her into taking out loans.
One of Pei Lingyue’s guards respectfully asked, "Your Majesty, shall I investigate?"
Pei Lingyue tore his gaze away and quickly replied, "No. Don’t frighten her."
What if his Champa rice vanished out of sheer terror?
The earlier text had seemed like a conversation between two people. Were there two individuals in the tree? He grew even more certain that only he could see these words.
If he could just resolve her grievance, he would obtain the miraculous rice seeds…
The reward was too tempting. Even the usually cautious Pei Lingyue was willing to take the risk.
"None of you are to approach," he reiterated, then took a few steps forward. This distance allowed his guards to protect him if needed while still demonstrating his sincerity.
He looked up—an uncomfortable gesture for an emperor accustomed to looking down on others. Through the branches, he could vaguely make out a figure, though their face and form remained hidden. Pei Lingyue did his best to appear benevolent. "Come down. No one will harm you."
Hearing this, Yu Miaohua gritted her teeth and decided to descend.
But… climbing down was harder than climbing up. She tried three times and failed each time.
She couldn’t just jump, could she?
Since Yu Miaohua was facing away from him, Pei Lingyue still couldn’t see her face. He only watched as she clung to the trunk, sliding down a bit before scrambling back up, unable to find a foothold.
Her attire resembled that of a low-ranking concubine, though more worn. Her hair was bare, not even adorned with a silk flower.
After witnessing her third failed attempt, Pei Lingyue’s eyelid twitched.
Then, clear as day, another line of text appeared above her head.
[I’m crying, Host! Can’t you climb down more gracefully? Our image is ruined! Completely ruined!]
【How can this be my fault? I never expected the Emperor to come to the orchard at this time! Next time, I’ll practice harder—make sure every move I make while climbing trees is textbook-perfect, elegant and enchanting.】
【Next time?! You still think there’ll be a next time?!】
Pei Lingyue couldn’t take it anymore. “Zhou Lin, fetch a ladder.”
The guards, who had been on high alert, were left speechless by this turn of events. Was this really an assassin? Then again, it could be a ploy to lower their guard.
Hearing that someone was bringing a ladder, Yu Miaohua stopped struggling and simply waited on the tree. It seemed the Emperor had no intention of treating her as an assassin—otherwise, why bother with a ladder?
Zhou Lin vanished in a flash and reappeared just as quickly, carrying a wooden ladder.
As he set it up and turned to leave, Yu Miaohua hastily called out, “Could you hold the ladder steady for me?”
Otherwise, what if it tipped over?
At this point, she had already lost all dignity today—what was one more humiliation? Yu Miaohua had resigned herself to the situation.
Pei Lingyue’s voice was low. “Do as she says.”
When the woman in the tree spoke, Pei Lingyue found her voice oddly familiar—could she actually be one of his concubines?
Since when did his harem include a consort who enjoyed climbing trees?!
With the ladder in place, Yu Miaohua descended smoothly, still clutching her bag of pears. She wouldn’t have encountered the Emperor in the orchard if not for these pears—she absolutely had to take them back, or this whole ordeal would’ve been for nothing. Besides, the bag also held the pepper seedlings she’d exchanged for a hundred points.
She quickly curtsied. Though she had regained memories of her past life, the etiquette ingrained in this lifetime remained intact. “This commoner, Yu, greets Your Majesty.”
Since she’d been demoted to a commoner, she probably no longer counted as a consort, right?
Yu Miaohua’s beauty was undeniable—it was why she’d been selected for the palace in the first place. Even with dust smudged on her face and leaves tangled in her hair, her natural charm shone through. Standing there, she turned the orchard into a mere backdrop.
Her striking looks, combined with the rarity of the surname “Yu” in the harem, helped Pei Lingyue place her almost immediately.
Wasn’t this the same Yu who had been accused of poisoning Consort De six months ago and banished to the cold palace? The opportunity for that triple-harvest rice rested with her?
An injustice… So she had been framed back then?
Six months ago, Pei Lingyue had been overwhelmed by court affairs when the poisoning scandal erupted in the harem. Furious and presented with irrefutable evidence, he had swiftly condemned the culprit to the cold palace. Now, it seemed there might have been more to the story.
For the sake of that rice, there had to be more to it!
“Why are you here?”
Yu Miaohua kept her head bowed, doing her best to appear meek. “This humble one wished to pick some pears.”
Would shedding a few tears help her case? But she couldn’t force herself to cry.
“Did you come alone? Where are your maids?” Pei Lingyue glanced up at the tree—no one else was hiding there. Did that mean Yu Miaohua had been talking to spirits invisible to human eyes?
She remained perfectly still. “This humble one came alone.”
【Host, hurry and plead your innocence! Ask the Emperor to reopen the investigation! Do you really want to stay in that wretched cold palace? Look how patient he’s being with you—he didn’t immediately order your execution. He must have fallen for you at first sight!】
【If he didn’t fall for me six months ago, why would he now? Do you really believe that? Unless it’s because my tree-climbing antics make me seem refreshingly unpretentious, and he’s smitten at first sight, utterly captivated at second glance.】
Even saying it out loud felt absurd.
Still, she had to try. What if the Emperor’s tastes were truly unconventional?
Yu Miaohua began her plea. “Your Majesty, I was wronged—I never poisoned Consort De… She treated me with such kindness. How could I harm her? That maid was bribed! I beg Your Majesty to reopen the case and clear my name—”
She pinched herself to force out a few tears, adding a soft sob for effect.
Yu Miaohua was about to swear a minor oath—otherwise, her plea might seem insincere, and the Emperor would never believe her outright!
The next moment, she was proven wrong.
Pei Lingyue gave a slight nod. “I believe you are not that kind of person. I will investigate this thoroughly and uncover the truth.”
Yu Miaohua’s unspoken oath died in her throat. She stood there, stunned.
Huh?
The Emperor just… accepted it? Without even pressing for details?!
So he really did have a thing for the naive, tree-climbing type? His tastes were truly unique!
