Returning to her chambers, Concubine Shen sat dazed on the edge of her bed, her gaze unfocused.
"My lady, please drink some ginger tea to warm yourself."
The concerned voice of her maidservant pulled Concubine Shen back to reality. She suddenly grasped the maid's hand tightly. "Why? How could this happen?"
Originally, she had gone to Guanju Palace to witness Yu Miaohua's humiliation, only to end up becoming the biggest joke herself.
Not only had the Empress Dowager not punished Yu Miaohua, but she had also showered her with gold, silver, jewels, and fine silks.
As for her... forget rewards—she had been ordered to copy Buddhist scriptures as punishment. The Empress Dowager hadn't specified how long this punishment would last—perhaps a month, a year, or even several years.
Anyone with eyes could see that the Empress Dowager was doing this to avenge Yu Miaohua. Concubine Shen couldn’t understand how, in such a short time, the Empress Dowager’s attitude toward Yu Miaohua had undergone such a drastic reversal.
Covering her face with her hands, Concubine Shen was overwhelmed with regret.
She had been too impatient. The long years of being neglected by the Emperor had eroded her once-peaceful indifference.
She should have waited longer.
Her maidservant’s hand ached from being gripped so tightly, but she dared not show it. Trying to soothe her mistress, she ventured a guess, "Perhaps the Empress Dowager acted out of consideration for His Majesty’s reputation? She wouldn’t want to create discord with the Emperor over a concubine." Especially since the Emperor had personally gone to Ningshou Palace to plead for mercy—an unprecedented act.
Concubine Shen took a deep breath. "You’re right. For the sake of the Emperor’s dignity, the Empress Dowager would never publicly display her dislike for Yu Miaohua. Maybe she regretted being too obvious this morning and sent lavish gifts to smooth things over."
That would explain it.
No wonder the Empress Dowager had been so angry as to punish them. In her eyes, Concubine Shen and Consort Xu’s actions had only escalated the situation, leaving the Empress Dowager no graceful way out.
There was no way the Empress Dowager had suddenly taken a liking to Yu Miaohua, right?
Understanding the reasoning only made Concubine Shen more frustrated.
She said to her maid, "Prepare paper and ink. I’ll start copying the scriptures now."
"My lady, won’t you rest a little longer?"
Concubine Shen shook her head. "The Empress Dowager demanded ten scrolls a day, so I’ll do twenty. With perseverance, she will eventually see my sincerity."
Consort Xu had also been punished alongside her. Given Consort Xu’s temperament, she’d be lucky to finish ten scrolls a day. By comparison, Concubine Shen’s diligence and obedience would shine brighter. If the Empress Dowager spoke well of her, perhaps the Emperor would remember her again.
Though the maid pitied her mistress for the exhausting task, she understood it was the only way to salvage her standing in the Empress Dowager’s eyes.
She went to the study to light the braziers, warming the chilly room. Given Concubine Shen’s rank and lack of favor, the charcoal ration she received wasn’t enough to place braziers in every room. Normally, she only kept two in her bedchamber.
Concubine Shen sipped some tea to warm herself and nibbled on pastries to stave off hunger.
When her maid returned, she reported with excitement and emotion, "My lady, Noble Consort Xian has sent us some extra charcoal. Now we can place three braziers in the study!"
Concubine Shen paused, her expression turning solemn. "I must go and thank Her Highness." Noble Consort Xian was truly kind-hearted. Having such a senior consort as her superior was a blessing. Gifts in times of need were rare, and Noble Consort Xian’s generosity amid her downfall only highlighted her noble character.
The maid stopped her. "Noble Consort Xian wishes to keep this discreet. She sent the charcoal secretly."
She then added, "Besides you and Consort Xu, Beauty Concubine Zhao also received scriptures from the Empress Dowager."
Concubine Shen didn’t know what to say. Beauty Concubine Zhao had arrived earlier than them—ostensibly for Miss Ruo Lan of Guanju Palace, though everyone knew her true motives. Yet the Empress Dowager had punished her too. Beauty Concubine Zhao must be seething with resentment.
Knowing she wasn’t the only one suffering lifted Concubine Shen’s spirits. At least she wasn’t alone in her humiliation.
---
The events at Guanju Palace left many in the palace stunned.
Especially when they learned of the lavish gifts the Empress Dowager had bestowed, several concubines nearly lost their composure.
Concubine Hui hadn’t just escaped unscathed—she’d profited handsomely from the ordeal. How was she so lucky?
Some even wondered if Yu Miaohua was a fox spirit in disguise, capable of bewitching hearts. Otherwise, none of this made sense.
The servants of Guanju Palace walked around with their noses in the air, looking as if they thought everyone else was a fool.
They had known their mistress would be fine—otherwise, how could she have had the appetite to feast on hotpot at noon? She’d eaten twice her usual portion!
As one of the key figures in this drama, Yu Miaohua maintained an air of serene confidence in public, but inwardly, she was panicking.
She didn’t get it either. That morning, the Empress Dowager had treated her like a thorn in her side, yet by afternoon, she was suddenly her treasured darling.
When she learned that the Empress Dowager’s gifts to her even surpassed those given to the Empress, her alarm only grew.
What had she done to deserve this?
[System, isn’t this just setting me up for a fall?]
After much deliberation, this was the only explanation she could think of. Wasn’t this how it always went in novels?
[Possibly. Host, do you want to take the initiative and expose the Empress Dowager’s scheme?]
Yu Miaohua couldn’t help rolling her eyes at the system. Expose her? She wasn’t that stupid!
She picked up the orchid hairpin the Empress Dowager had gifted her. Under the lamplight, the delicate sheen of the jeweled pin was mesmerizing.
So beautiful!
She decided she’d wear this pin when she met her mother this year. The Dawn Brocade the Empress Dowager had sent would make a splendid new gown—her current embroidered silk dress paled in comparison.
After admiring each of the Empress Dowager’s gifts, Yu Miaohua declared righteously to the system:
[Being a target is truly miserable—both mentally and physically torturous. I can’t bear to let my sisters suffer like this, so I’ll endure it alone. For the peace of the inner court, I’m willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good.]
What could she say? She was just that selfless—definitely not because she coveted the Empress Dowager’s treasures.
The system listened to her grand speech, deeply moved.
[How wonderful, Host! With your thick skin, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!]
Though the system’s tone sounded sincere, Yu Miaohua felt subtly insulted.
Ignoring it, she directed the palace servants to place the sandalwood curio cabinet in her bedchamber. The old rosewood cabinet, now discarded, was relegated to the storeroom.
That evening, when Pei Lingyue visited Guanju Palace, he immediately noticed the blue kingfisher-feather peacock hairpin in Yu Miaohua’s hair and chuckled. "That pin was a gift from the Empress Dowager, wasn’t it?"
He had been the one to send those tributes to Ningshou Palace in the first place.
Yu Miaohua put on an expression of touched reverence. "Her Majesty dotes on me and has bestowed many precious gifts."
Pei Lingyue’s visit this time was also meant to reassure Yu Miaohua and prevent her from dwelling on the matter. "Your Highness previously had a palace maid who was fiercely loyal to the Gu family and harbored resentment toward you. She twisted the truth in front of Her Majesty, sowing discord, which led to Her Majesty misunderstanding you. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared, Her Majesty naturally favors you."
Pei Lingyue pinned the blame squarely on the Gu family’s eldest branch—and he wasn’t wrong. Nanny Li had indeed spoken ill of Yu Miaohua, planting preconceived biases in the Empress Dowager’s mind. Coincidentally, the tasks issued by the system at the time were easily misconstrued, further fueling the misunderstanding.
Yu Miaohua suddenly understood—it was the Gu family’s doing again. That family truly had a way of haunting her like a persistent ghost.
"...So, the misunderstanding has been resolved now?"
"Yes. After realizing she had misjudged you, Her Majesty sent those gifts as an apology."
So the Emperor had come specifically to explain this to her.
Yu Miaohua sighed inwardly to her system.
[The Emperor is surprisingly kind.]
Pei Lingyue casually remarked, "I heard you visited the Virtuous Pavilion this afternoon."
Yu Miaohua hadn’t forgotten about her mission. After storing away the Empress Dowager’s rewards, she claimed her mission reward—once again choosing the Virtuous Pavilion.
Hmm, next time, she’d pick the library.
She hadn’t had the chance to flip through the book yet.
The Emperor was unusually invested in this. Was he so certain that visiting the Virtuous Pavilion would yield results?
She replied tactfully, "I haven’t had the chance to read it yet."
Pei Lingyue waved his hand. "I’ll read it with you!"
Half an hour later, he held the book in his hands, his usual composed demeanor replaced by fervor and excitement. "So that’s how it works..."
The movable clay-type printing technique wasn’t complicated, yet no one had thought of it before.
Using this method, mass-producing books would not only save time and effort but also drastically reduce costs.
The more he read, the more he was convinced of its brilliance—it had to be shared.
No wonder the system had said this reward would elevate Yu Miaohua’s reputation among scholars.
Pei Lingyue immediately ordered a batch of clay types to be made. He planned to present the book in court after the New Year and promote the technique throughout the Great Qi.
"Wasn’t the inventor supposed to be the brilliant, peerless System?"
Hearing the name "brilliant, peerless System" from Pei Lingyue’s lips made Yu Miaohua cringe so hard she wanted to dig her toes into the floor.
"No, the book credits a man named Bi Sheng."
Though this world had no Bi Sheng, Yu Miaohua had instructed the system to include his name when claiming the reward.
Pei Lingyue marveled, "What a great sage."
Clutching the book, he said, "I just remembered some urgent matters. You should rest, my dear."
He came like the wind and left just as swiftly, leaving Yu Miaohua utterly bewildered.
After a moment of confusion, she turned to Qingluo. "Have dinner served."
Food was the priority.
Too bad she couldn’t mooch off the Emperor’s imperial rations today.
...
After leaving the Guanju Palace, Pei Lingyue immediately headed to the Palace of Tranquil Longevity to show the book to the Empress Dowager.
All other palace attendants were dismissed.
The Empress Dowager flipped through the pages detailing the movable clay-type printing technique, her voice distant with awe. "This is truly extraordinary."
The reward had been granted just like that.
No wonder the Emperor placed such faith in the system. Yu Miaohua was also endearingly naive—if not for the Emperor covering for her, she would’ve been exposed long ago.
Faced with such divine intervention, even the Empress Dowager was on the verge of becoming a believer in this unknown deity. What made her prouder was that she had contributed to this reward. Without her cooperation, the mission wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. She conveniently forgot her earlier heartache and fury.
With such merits, Yu Miaohua wasn’t just fit to be a mere Noble Consort—she could even be an Imperial Noble Consort.
For once, the Empress Dowager and the Crown Prince were in agreement: the Emperor was being stingy with titles.
"Your Majesty, isn’t Noble Consort a bit too low?"
Pei Lingyue replied, "Promoting her too quickly leaves no room for advancement later. I plan to enshrine Yu Miaohua as Virtuous Consort next year after the Champa rice harvest."
He intended to skip the rank of Consort entirely to avoid repeated ceremonies.
The system simply gave too much—he had no choice but to reward her.
Pei Lingyue was experiencing what one might call a sweet dilemma.
The Empress Dowager nodded. "Very well."
It was only a matter of months. Until then, her treatment could be elevated first. The Empress Dowager quickly devised a plan—soon after, she summoned the imperial physician, claiming illness.
The next day, the Empress led the concubines to pay their respects as usual.
The Empress asked with concern, "Has Her Majesty’s health improved?"
The Empress Dowager had called for the physician the previous night.
In truth, she was perfectly fine—this was all an act. Nanny Zhou had even dusted her face with powder to make her look pale and weary.
She coughed lightly. "This old one is fine, just a slight headache. There’s no need for daily visits these next few days."
The Empress understood—when one was unwell, they disliked disturbances.
As the Empress, it was her duty to attend to the Empress Dowager during illness.
She glanced at the other concubines. "You may all leave. This one will stay to serve Her Majesty."
The other concubines eagerly volunteered, eager to display their filial piety—and appear honored to do so.
The Empress Dowager quickly interjected, "The year-end palace affairs are busy. Empress, do not neglect your duties for this old one."
The Empress disagreed. "Your Majesty’s health is no trivial matter. Allowing Your Majesty to fall ill is this one’s dereliction of duty."
The Empress Dowager said, "Let Concubine Hui stay with me. She’s lively and clever—having her by my side eases my headache."
Huh?
Why Concubine Hui again?
The Empress was puzzled. She had assumed the Empress Dowager’s lavish gifts meant she no longer held any grudges.
But since the Empress Dowager cited illness as the reason, even the Emperor couldn’t stop Concubine Hui from fulfilling her filial duties.
If the Empress thought so, the other concubines were even more convinced.
Their eyes darted meaningfully—so the Empress Dowager had switched tactics to torment Concubine Hui. Yesterday’s rewards were just a smokescreen.
Yu Miaohua, already briefed by the Emperor, accepted cheerfully, her smile carefree. "Attending the Holy Mother is this concubine’s greatest honor."
The other concubines: Concubine Hui must be a fool. She’ll be crying soon. With "attending illness" as the excuse, even the Emperor can’t help her.
The Empress Dowager observed their expressions coldly. These women only wished ill upon Concubine Hui, treating her palace like a den of monsters. Was she some villain who delighted in tormenting the young? Only Concubine Hui was sweet and lovable.
With a wave, she dismissed them all, keeping only Yu Miaohua.
The Empress Dowager beckoned her over. Nanny Zhou, now aware of the Empress Dowager’s true feelings, had already brought an embroidered stool, offering Yu Miaohua a kindly smile.
Yu Miaohua thanked Nanny Zhou and sat. "Does Your Majesty crave anything to eat?"
The Empress Dowager shook her head. "Do you know why I kept you?"
Yu Miaohua thought for a moment. "Because my sutra recitation is pleasant to hear?"
The Empress Dowager nearly laughed. "I kept you to copy sutras."
Copy sutras again?
The Emperor had said that the Empress Dowager had already cleared up the misunderstanding about her, so why was she still being punished to copy Buddhist scriptures?
No, judging by the Empress Dowager’s attitude, it didn’t seem like she disliked her.
Yu Miaohua couldn’t figure it out, so she simply stopped trying.
"This concubine is foolish and slow-witted. I beg the Empress Dowager to enlighten me."
The Empress Dowager said, "You’ve made quite a few enemies in the palace..."
Yu Miaohua was stunned—the Empress Dowager actually said it outright!
"Yesterday’s misunderstanding could easily be twisted in the future to accuse you of being unfilial."
Yu Miaohua was now convinced that the Empress Dowager truly intended to reconcile with her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have spoken such heartfelt words. She adopted an expression of earnest attentiveness, which only made the Empress Dowager more eager to confide in her.
Ah, she was getting old, and the younger generation no longer cared to listen to her, only feeding her empty, flattering words.
"This time, I’ll have you stay to attend to my illness and copy blood scriptures for me. Once I recover, let’s see who dares to call you unfilial."
The Empress Dowager herself disliked blood scriptures, but only because she loathed others using such methods to scheme against her—it reminded her of that woman. However, since the world favored such displays, she didn’t mind employing the tactic herself.
Blood scriptures! Did that mean she had to cut herself for blood?
Just imagining it made Yu Miaohua wince. Wait, wouldn’t she lose too much blood if she used it to copy scriptures?
Noticing her alarm, the Empress Dowager said leisurely, "Cinnabar has already been prepared."
She wasn’t actually trying to torment Yu Miaohua, so she naturally wouldn’t make her use real blood. Still, this child really couldn’t hide her thoughts—they were all written plainly on her face.
Yu Miaohua sighed in relief. As long as she didn’t have to bleed, it was fine.
The palace servants had everything ready. Perhaps to prevent leaks, Yu Miaohua was made to copy the scriptures in the Empress Dowager’s own chambers.
If nothing else, the Empress Dowager’s inner circle was indeed full of hidden talents. One of her seemingly unremarkable maids, Nanny Zhou, had mixed cinnabar to a shade indistinguishable from dried blood, even carrying a faint metallic scent.
She had expected to spend the entire morning copying, but after finishing one volume, a servant brought her food.
After eating, novels and travelogues were presented to her for entertainment.
Yu Miaohua held a novel, dazed. So she only had to copy one volume in the morning? This task was easy.
After spending the morning with the Empress Dowager, she was even invited to stay for lunch before being dismissed.
"You’ve worked hard keeping me company for half a day. Go back and rest—don’t exhaust yourself."
The Empress Dowager even took off a glass-bead bracelet and bestowed it upon her.
Thus, Yu Miaohua, who hadn’t actually suffered any hardship, returned to Guanju Palace with both the merit of serving the Empress Dowager and her generous reward.
Before she left, the Empress Dowager had Nanny Zhou wrap a bandage around her wrist.
Yu Miaohua’s eyelid twitched as she stared at the red stains seeping through the white cloth, then at the Empress Dowager’s inscrutable expression.
She had the feeling the Empress Dowager was playing a very elaborate game.
……
As a prominent figure in the palace, Yu Miaohua’s every move was under close scrutiny.
Those with well-connected sources quickly learned that she had spent half a day copying scriptures for the Empress Dowager before being released.
When Consort Xu, who was also being punished to copy scriptures daily, received the news, her haggard face brightened. "Is this true?"
Her punishment was effectively a form of house arrest—she couldn’t even leave her palace.
Every time she copied scriptures, she seethed with resentment, thinking of all the lavish gifts Yu Miaohua had received.
Her confidante, knowing her grievances, shared more to cheer her up. "Not only that, but Concubine Hui’s wrist was injured. It was wrapped in white silk, and traces of blood could still be seen."
Consort Xu’s eyes widened, malice dripping from her voice. "The Empress Dowager’s methods are truly masterful. Forcing her to copy blood scriptures is torture, yet she can’t even complain."
In comparison, her own punishment of ten scripture volumes a day seemed trivial. At least she didn’t have to bleed.
Consort Xu had initially considered writing blood scriptures to show sincerity, but after one cut, she gave up—it hurt too much, and there was no need to harm herself like that.
Her confidante tittered. "Being allowed to copy blood scriptures for the Empress Dowager is an honor for Concubine Hui. Ordinary people like us aren’t worthy of such grace."
Consort Xu nodded. "It seems our earlier guess was correct. The Empress Dowager’s gifts yesterday were just for the Emperor’s benefit."
As the Emperor’s birth mother, even she had to resort to such indirect methods to discipline a concubine. Consort Xu’s wariness of Yu Miaohua deepened.
The harem had never seen anyone like Yu Miaohua before.
She couldn’t be allowed to continue like this. If she were to be promoted to Consort or even bear a child… her position would become unshakable.
Of course, Consort Xu wasn’t foolish enough to act directly—that would only invite trouble and possibly the Emperor’s wrath, ruining any chance of regaining favor.
No matter. If she couldn’t act, she could let the Empress Dowager do it for her.
All she needed was to provide the Empress Dowager with a plausible reason, and Yu Miaohua’s downfall would be assured.
"Your Highness, I also heard that Concubine Shen copies twenty scripture volumes daily."
Consort Xu, who had been deep in thought, flew into a rage upon hearing this.
"That Concubine Shen is doing this on purpose! Trying to outshine me? Dream on!"
Initially, because Concubine Shen also despised Yu Miaohua and shared her punishment, Consort Xu had felt a sense of camaraderie with her. Now, that fragile bond evaporated like morning dew.
Consort Xu detested such show-offs.
Gritting her teeth, she declared, "Starting today, I’ll copy twenty volumes daily—no, thirty!"
……
Many shared Consort Xu’s sentiments. They watched as Yu Miaohua went to attend the Empress Dowager every day, only returning at noon.
Rumors spread:
They said Concubine Hui copied ten blood scriptures daily to pray for the Empress Dowager’s health.
They said she personally tasted the Empress Dowager’s bitter medicine, refusing to let others do it.
They said she even picked prayer beans for the Empress Dowager, reciting a scripture for each one.
Everyone waited for Concubine Hui to finally snap. To their disappointment, she remained as docile as clay, never showing a hint of temper, arriving punctually at Ningshou Palace each day.
Even the Empress exempted her from morning greetings, instructing her to focus solely on serving the Empress Dowager with filial piety.
Concubine Hui’s silent endurance made the whole affair rather dull.
What surprised the concubines was that the Empress didn’t speak up for Concubine Hui this time.
But it made sense—with the Empress Dowager invoking filial piety, the Empress wouldn’t risk offending her over a concubine.
As for the Empress herself, she could only sigh.
The Empress Dowager had been kind enough to explain her intentions: she wanted to build a reputation of filial devotion for Concubine Hui to shield her from criticism.
The Empress had visited Ningshou Palace. While many things could be faked, Concubine Hui’s relaxed demeanor there couldn’t. At lunch, she even requested dishes beyond her usual allowance—something even the Empress wouldn’t dare do.
And the Empress Dowager… seemed to take it as a sign of closeness, appearing rather pleased.
Concubine Hui was clearly not suffering in Ningshou Palace. The Empress Dowager had no intention of tormenting her.
No matter what schemes the Empress Dowager was plotting this time, the Empress decided to ignore it.
As for whether someone might accidentally fall into a trap—that was their own problem. If one acted with integrity, they wouldn’t stumble into pitfalls.
Over the past year, the harem had grown increasingly restless. It was time for her to see who would dare stick their neck out this time, to make an example of them and restore order to the palace.
...
Regardless of what everyone truly thought, on the surface, they all praised Yu Miaohua for her filial piety.
But gradually, the tide began to turn, and discordant whispers emerged.
"Concubine Hui isn’t being filial—she’s acting out of guilt. Her birth chart clashes with the Empress Dowager’s, and she’s the one who caused her illness."
"How could that be? Wasn’t Concubine Hui said to have an auspicious fate?"
"Her fate is too strong, and it’s overwhelming the Empress Dowager. It’s like two tigers cannot share one mountain. Think about it—has the Empress Dowager ever been ill for so long before? It’s been ten days, and even the imperial physicians can’t pinpoint the cause. Clearly, it’s the result of a clash."
"Then what should Concubine Hui do? It’s not like the Empress Dowager can step aside for her."
"We’d better find connections to serve elsewhere. The good days in Guanju Palace are coming to an end. Do you think the Emperor would let Concubine Hui take precedence over the Empress Dowager? Impossible."
"Let’s just hope her blood-written sutras have some effect and the Empress Dowager recovers soon."
The two palace maids were deep in their gossip when an angry voice suddenly cut in.
"How dare you slander Her Highness with such malicious lies?"
The maids trembled, their bodies stiffening as they turned to see Concubine Hui in her resplendent robes, flanked by a retinue of furious attendants.
Their faces paled, and they dropped to their knees instinctively. "Your Highness, spare us! We only heard it from others!"
Yu Miaohua swept a cold glance over them. "Send them back to the Palace Secretariat."
Servants returned to the Palace Secretariat rarely met a good end.
For those who dared to badmouth her behind her back, Yu Miaohua felt not an ounce of pity.
The two maids tried to plead their innocence but were swiftly dragged away. Cuiwei shot them a scathing glare—ungrateful wretches. After all the kindness Her Highness had shown them, they still dared to mock her in secret.
But beneath her anger, a thread of worry crept in: Would the Empress Dowager believe these rumors and turn against Her Highness? Concubine Hui had been working so hard lately that she’d even lost her appetite.
Since Yu Miaohua always attended to the Empress Dowager alone—and the fact that the Empress Dowager’s illness was feigned couldn’t be revealed—even Cuiwei and the others were unaware of the truth. Hearing these rumors, they couldn’t help but fret over Yu Miaohua’s future.
Yu Miaohua strode toward the palace gates, and Cuiwei hurried after her. "Your Highness, where are we going?"
She assumed Her Highness would seek the Emperor’s intervention. Those who dared spread such rumors in the palace must have been instigated by someone. Cuiwei hoped the Emperor would investigate and clear Yu Miaohua’s name.
Yu Miaohua answered as if it were obvious. "To Ningshou Palace."
Of course, she was going to ask the Empress Dowager to stand up for her! Such was the confidence of being the favored one.
Meanwhile, Ningshou Palace was shrouded in a stormy atmosphere. The servants held their breaths, doing their best to stay unnoticed.
Hearing the palace gossip, the Empress Dowager was so furious she abandoned her pretense of illness. All these years of prayer and vegetarianism had made some people think she’d turned into a merciful Buddha.
"Investigate. Get to the bottom of this."
She wanted to see who dared bully Yu Miaohua under her very nose, trying to drive a wedge between their mother-daughter-like bond. This was nothing short of challenging her authority!
Consort Xu: "Empress Dowager, let me assist you!"
Empress Dowager: "Who gave you permission to harm my beloved daughter—who shares no blood with me?"
