The system was so moved it let out a deafening cheer.
["Ahhh, Host! You're amazing! I knew you had the talent to be a favored concubine—our good days are finally here!"]
Yu Miaohua still felt a bit dazed, as if she were floating on clouds. None of this felt real.
["Maybe my charisma is just too overwhelming."]
That was the only explanation she could come up with—otherwise, it made no sense.
Not only was she puzzled, but even Pei Lingyue’s closest attendants couldn’t understand it. The Emperor’s attitude toward Yu Miaohua seemed… unusually special. If she really had been wronged, the harem was about to undergo a major upheaval.
The matter involved rice that could yield three harvests a year, so Pei Lingyue was even more invested than Yu Miaohua. He couldn’t help feeling frustrated with her lack of ambition. She had suffered such a grave injustice, yet she had quietly endured half a year in the cold palace without once trying to catch his attention. If he hadn’t stumbled upon her today, would she have resigned herself to a lifetime of wrongful condemnation?
Within a month, he would get to the bottom of this!
Pei Lingyue ordered his attendant Chai Xiu to escort Yu Miaohua back. Once she was out of sight, he swept a cold glance over the others. "Not a word of today’s events leaves this place."
The surrounding servants bowed in compliance.
When Cuiwei and Qingluo saw Yu Miaohua being escorted back by Chai Xiu, the Emperor’s personal attendant, they were shocked. Cuiwei turned deathly pale—had they violated palace rules by leaving the cold palace? Would they be punished? Qingluo, however, remained more composed. After all, things couldn’t possibly get worse than they already were.
Chai Xiu smiled warmly at them. "His Majesty has ordered a reinvestigation into Madam Yu’s case. Serve her well—your fortunes are yet to come."
He could see how much the Emperor valued Yu Miaohua and saw no harm in currying favor early.
Of course, he had also taken note of the flourishing plants and livestock in the cold palace. Chai Xiu couldn’t help but marvel at Yu Miaohua’s resilience. Most concubines, after being banished to the cold palace, would wither away in both appearance and spirit within months. Yet here she was, growing vegetables and raising plump chickens. Those birds really did look delicious.
After Chai Xiu left, Cuiwei and Qingluo crowded around Yu Miaohua. "Miss, what happened? Did you run into His Majesty in the orchard?"
From Chai Xiu’s words, it sounded like the Emperor not only hadn’t punished her but actually believed in her innocence?
After the long walk back, Yu Miaohua had calmed down. "Yes, I met His Majesty and told him about our wrongful accusation. He’s agreed to reopen the investigation into the poisoning case."
Hearing this confirmation, Cuiwei’s heart finally settled, and she clasped her hands in prayer. "Thank heavens! Thank heavens!"
"Miss, you’re incredible! You actually succeeded!"
"Yeah, if it were me, I’d be too nervous to even speak!"
Yu Miaohua simply smiled as her maids showered her with praise. That’s right—keep praising her! She was just that amazing! The details didn’t matter; the result was what counted. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten the most important thing.
"Pears! I want pear-fried chicken!"
She had suffered too much for this dish—she deserved to eat her fill and soothe her traumatized soul.
"Oh, and I found a strange plant in the orchard with bright red fruit. It looks festive—let’s cultivate it and see if the fruit is edible."
……
The orchard was remote, and with Pei Lingyue’s warning, the harem remained oblivious to his encounter with Yu Miaohua.
The framing of Yu Miaohua had happened six months prior. To avoid alerting anyone, Pei Lingyue discreetly tasked his shadow guards with investigating, starting with the palace maid Yuzhu, who had committed suicide. Though she was gone, her family remained.
Three days later, the preliminary findings on Yuzhu’s family were presented to Pei Lingyue.
Over the past six months, her relatives had met with a series of "accidents." Her brother, drowning in gambling debts, had fled to another region to escape creditors. The rest of her family had perished in a fire that broke out in the dead of night.
The perpetrator’s methods were brutally straightforward—this was a clear case of silencing witnesses. The only surviving relative was Yuzhu’s missing brother, cutting off the trail.
Pei Lingyue ordered a decoy to pose as Yuzhu’s brother, returning home with a show of newfound wealth to lure out the assassin.
The ploy worked. The mastermind, hearing rumors, quickly took the bait and was captured by the shadow guards, then hauled off to the imperial prison.
Two days later, Pei Lingyue reviewed the confession and immediately issued an edict: Consort Ming and her entire family were to be imprisoned for poisoning Consort De and framing Yu Miaohua. Consort Ming and her attendants were swiftly taken away.
The culprit behind Yu Miaohua’s downfall was Lin Shu, a fellow concubine who had entered the palace at the same time. The Lin family was the wealthiest salt merchant in Jiangzhou, with deep pockets and even deeper connections. Lin Shu’s aunt had once served the late Emperor as a low-ranking consort, and over decades, the family had cultivated a network within the palace. With money and influence, Lin Shu had orchestrated Yu Miaohua’s downfall.
As for the motive, Pei Lingyue didn’t care. He only wanted justice.
When the news spread, the harem erupted in shock.
The poisoning of Consort De had been the most scandalous incident in years, a favorite topic of gossip among the concubines.
Many had lamented Yu Miaohua’s fate—with her striking beauty, she could have risen through the ranks if she’d stayed out of trouble. What a waste! But now it turned out she had been framed?
Wait—why would the Emperor suddenly remember her after six months? Who had whispered in his ear?
The higher-ranking consorts remained composed, while the lower-ranked ones cautiously observed the Emperor’s next move.
Yu Miaohua had suffered greatly, wrongfully imprisoned in the cold palace for half a year. Surely the Emperor would compensate her—perhaps even promote her. She might just become their greatest rival in the fight for favor!
……
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The shrill announcement came just as Yu Miaohua was eating dinner. She sat at her own table, while Cuiwei and Qingluo shared another. Yu Miaohua would have preferred to eat with them, but they refused. After half a year of effort, she’d only managed to convince them to share a table between themselves.
Tonight’s meal included mushroom chicken soup, stir-fried loofah with eggs, and braised chicken wings.
At the announcement, Cuiwei and Qingluo immediately set down their chopsticks, exchanging excited glances.
Yu Miaohua, meanwhile, hurriedly swallowed her mouthful—why did the Emperor have to come now, right in the middle of dinner?
Now she didn’t know whether to keep eating or not.
["Ahhhh, Host! The Emperor has uncovered the truth! We can complete our first main quest and leave the cold palace! Aren’t you thrilled?"]
Look how hard it has struggled—no other system has waited half a year just to see the first glimmer of a completed task. Even the palace intrigue system was moved to shed two lines of electronic tears.
Yu Miaohua, however, only wanted to complain.
[If he had arrived half an hour later, after I finished my meal, I’d have been much happier.]
Though inwardly grumbling, when Pei Lingyue appeared in her line of sight, Yu Miaohua still managed to put on an expression of pleasant surprise mixed with emotion, her long lashes glistening with unshed tears, making her look utterly pitiable. She gracefully curtsied, her posture elegant and poised.
"Your Majesty, have you finally come to believe in this concubine’s innocence?"
Being gazed upon with such trusting gratitude by a beautiful woman would stir even the heart of an emperor who ruled the world—that is, if Pei Lingyue hadn’t seen Yu Miaohua’s inner thoughts. He nearly laughed in exasperation. She actually thought he’d come too early and interrupted her meal?
He watched as Yu Miaohua’s conversation with that unknown entity continued.
[Host, that look was perfect. The next Oscar for Best Actress goes to you.]
[I practiced that expression a thousand times in front of a water jar until my eyes nearly cramped. Cuiwei almost thought I was possessed and even secretly stuffed salt packets under my pillow.]
Pei Lingyue’s faintly raised lips twitched downward.
Hah, it was all an act. But what was an "Oscar"?
For the sake of the three-harvest-a-year rice, he held back.
"Rise. You’ve suffered these past six months. I’ve uncovered the truth—you are innocent." He personally helped Yu Miaohua up, his face filled with tender sympathy.
Yu Miaohua feigned delight. "Then I no longer need to remain in the Cold Palace?"
Pei Lingyue nodded. At that moment, a round of applause echoed in Yu Miaohua’s mind.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission: "Encounter the Emperor, Clear Your Name, and Win His Pity." Reward: Seeds of Champa rice, capable of three harvests a season.]
The system conveniently ignored the additional twenty points.
Yu Miaohua was thrilled—though she had one concern.
[System, how do I retrieve these seeds?] she asked mentally.
The system replied swiftly, clearly well-prepared when it came to rewards.
[Don’t worry, they’ve already been placed in your storage box, swapped with the seeds you bought earlier. There’s enough to plant half an acre. Oh, and this mission also rewarded you with a map marking the origins of crops in this world. You can retrieve it later when the time is right.]
Yu Miaohua relaxed. She had previously planned to grow rice in the courtyard and had bought seeds from other palace servants. Well, she could just claim she didn’t remember who she’d bought them from. The system was so thoughtful.
Seeds! And even a map! These were exactly what Pei Lingyue needed most. His personal visit hadn’t been in vain.
His gaze deepened as he looked at Yu Miaohua, as if she were the only one in his sight.
Yu Miaohua was startled by his expression—Wait, what had she done? Why was the Emperor suddenly looking at her so affectionately? Was it because she looked especially beautiful today? But she wasn’t wearing any makeup—the Cold Palace hardly provided such luxuries. Back then, they hadn’t been allowed to bring cosmetics, only hastily packing silver, gold, and banknotes.
Ah, well. Some beauties were simply born too radiant for their own good.
She tilted her head and asked, "Your Majesty, after leaving the Cold Palace, may I still grow vegetables and rice in the courtyard?"
Even if she left the Cold Palace, given her rank, she’d only be assigned a side chamber—hardly a place where she could plant crops. Which high-ranking consort would tolerate their garden being turned into farmland? The main occupant of her former palace had been Consort De.
She quickly justified herself. "When I first entered the Cold Palace, the false accusations left me so despondent that I nearly lost the will to live. It wasn’t until I started gardening that my mind found respite. Through this, I gradually discovered solace for my soul. If I can no longer tend to the rice, I would feel as though I’ve lost a part of myself."
For the sake of rice cultivation, Yu Miaohua was willing to play the sympathy card.
Cuiwei and Qingluo listened with tears in their eyes—their mistress had suffered so much that she’d resorted to farming just to ease her sorrow. They had been oblivious to her pain, even rejoicing when she seemed to recover. They hadn’t cared for her enough.
Yu Miaohua’s request aligned perfectly with Pei Lingyue’s intentions. Even if she hadn’t brought it up, he would have steered her toward it. Now, he could skip the effort.
Maintaining his tender expression, he said, "Of course. I was blinded by deceit before, causing you undue hardship. By imperial decree: Yu Miaohua, gentle in nature and diligent in virtue, is hereby promoted to the rank of Jieyu and granted residence in Guanju Palace."
Guanju Palace was the closest to his Qianyuan Hall, allowing him to visit frequently and monitor her mission updates. Based on Yu Miaohua’s conversations with that deity called "System," this wouldn’t be her only task. Moreover, Guanju Palace had a spacious courtyard, perfect for her rice cultivation.
Yu Miaohua was stunned.
She had assumed that, at best, she’d be promoted to Meiren after this ordeal—but Jieyu? A leap in rank? Did the Emperor love her that much?
More importantly, she would now live in Guanju Palace—the legendary Guanju Palace!
Guanju Palace had been the residence of Empress Zhenyi, the most beloved consort of the previous emperor. This formidable woman, despite her humble origins, had risen to unparalleled favor through her beauty and intellect. Had she borne a son, the throne might not have gone to the current emperor. After her death, the late emperor had posthumously honored her as empress, disregarding the dignity of his first wife. Since the current emperor’s reign, Guanju Palace had remained vacant.
This was a blatant label of "favorite consort," guaranteed to draw the envy of the entire harem.
Imagining the tidal wave of hostility she’d face the moment she left the Cold Palace, Yu Miaohua nearly fainted. Your Majesty, such favor is too much for this humble concubine to bear!
The system’s voice echoed dryly in her mind.
[Host, rein it in. Don’t overdo the charm. No more seducing the emperor—we’re on the virtuous path, not the femme fatale route.]
The host was too capable, leaving the system struggling to keep up.
Yu Miaohua felt more wronged than Dou E, wishing the heavens would vindicate her! How had she seduced the emperor? Her head ached—how was she supposed to suppress this uncontrollable allure?
