Yu Miaohua had completed several missions with rewards that even Pei Lingyue coveted.
This time, the reward was an iron mine in the grasslands. No one ever had enough iron.
For years, the grasslands had never yielded iron deposits, and without the technology to smelt it, their weapons were mostly purchased from neighboring regions. Great Qi was their primary supplier.
Thinking of those disloyal salt merchants and officials, Pei Lingyue’s eyes darkened with fury. Even after imprisoning and confiscating the assets of those involved, he still felt it wasn’t enough to quell his anger.
Of course, knowing the locations of those iron mines in the grasslands wasn’t about mining them. No matter how careful his men were, any excavation or transportation of iron would risk leaks. Great Qi had spies in the grasslands—they could simply have those agents purchase the land and build estates on it. When Great Qi was strong enough to seize those territories, they could mine the iron then. The key was to control the mines and prevent the Tuo tribe from accessing them.
Currently, he already had iron mines in Great Qi, Half-Moon Country, and Liang Country. Now, with the grasslands added, he had effectively secured resources from all nearby nations. He had never been this well-off before.
So, should he come clean? Admit that there was no mastermind behind the scenes—that he had simply wanted her and the Crown Prince to get along, but his overzealousness had backfired?
After a brief hesitation, Pei Lingyue decided that for the sake of his image, he’d let the Empress handle the explanation.
Though reluctant, he had to admit that compared to him, Yu Miaohua trusted the Empress and the Empress Dowager more.
To give Yu Miaohua a chance to complain, Pei Lingyue quickly excused himself under the pretense of reviewing memorials.
His workaholic persona was so ingrained in Yu Miaohua’s mind that she didn’t suspect a thing.
Returning to the Zichen Hall, Pei Lingyue found another stack of memorials waiting.
Since he was already here, he might as well finish them before leaving.
One in particular stood out—it was unusually thick.
A glance revealed it was from his irritating half-brother, Prince Feng, Pei Lingyou.
The memorial was filled with effusive praise for Noble Consort Hui’s virtuous character, along with twelve poems dedicated to her.
Pei Lingyue skimmed through them. A few were likely written by Pei Yuheng, while the rest were composed by Prince Feng’s retainers.
Thankfully, he had made the Crown Prince write twenty—otherwise, he’d have lost in sheer quantity.
And the Crown Prince had written them personally, showing far more sincerity.
As he read through them, he identified three poems that were probably Pei Yuheng’s work.
One even subtly embedded Yu Miaohua’s name.
Hah. Trying to sneak in a confession, huh? Shameless.
The father and son’s sudden fawning had nothing to do with admiration for Yu Miaohua’s virtues—they were just after her auspicious aura!
Disgusting.
Pei Lingyue mentally cursed the pair repeatedly. He was tempted to confiscate the memorial and have it burned.
But considering the potential mission rewards, he held back.
Pei Yuheng might be detestable, but the mission rewards were innocent. He couldn’t let personal grudges override the bigger picture.
This was the magnanimity expected of a wise ruler—and the key difference between him and Pei Lingyou.
He needed to help Yu Miaohua complete her missions quickly, or no new ones would trigger!
He ordered Chai Xiu to deliver the memorial to the Guanju Palace, along with a selection of premium ink, brushes, and paper from the treasury.
Chai Xiu’s timing was impeccable—Yu Miaohua was just about to leave for the Fengyi Palace.
Hearing his words, she froze.
"A memorial?"
Yu Miaohua was stunned. "His Majesty wants me to read a memorial?"
Wait, did this count as meddling in state affairs?
Having just finished venting about the Emperor to her system, she was now questioning everything. Had she misjudged him? Did he actually trust her this much?
Flattered but wary, she opened the memorial. After reading it, she was speechless.
Prince Feng and his son were just making things harder for her, blatantly trying to win her over.
[Host, these poems were written by Pei Yuheng himself. Look—this one hides your name, and this one compares you to moonlight. He really loves you! You’re his white moonlight, his heart’s desire~]
Her system was practically swooning from all the sugar today.
Yu Miaohua deliberately put on a troubled expression in front of Chai Xiu. "Is Prince Feng trying to drive a wedge between me and His Majesty?"
Chai Xiu suppressed a smile and relayed the Emperor’s thoughts. "His Majesty believes the same."
Yu Miaohua exhaled in relief.
Chai Xiu continued, "His Majesty intends to compile these poems into a collection and distribute copies to libraries across the land."
Yu Miaohua’s face stiffened. Wouldn’t people think she had paid for this self-aggrandizement? The embarrassment was unbearable. Her pride couldn’t take it.
She declined tactfully, "I have no need for such empty accolades."
Chai Xiu replied earnestly, "This servant knows Her Ladyship is indifferent to fame, but you nearly gave your life for Great Qi. This is the least you deserve."
Seeing no way out, Yu Miaohua resigned herself to the idea: If she never saw the collection, she could pretend it didn’t exist.
After finishing the memorial, she headed to Fengyi Palace.
Empress Yang Zhaopei had already learned of Yu Miaohua’s three missions from the Emperor.
To her, the pastry-making mission was the simplest.
So when Yu Miaohua arrived, she found the Empress dressed unusually plainly, her phoenix hairpins and bracelets removed.
Yu Miaohua hesitated. "Your Majesty, have I come at a bad time?"
Yang Zhaopei smiled warmly. "Not at all. You’ve arrived just as I was about to bake. My aunt recently sent me some pastry recipes, and I wanted to make some for Chiyan, Mingyao, and the others."
Her gaze rested on Yu Miaohua, her tone open and sincere. "You often have creative ideas when it comes to pastries. Would you like to join me?"
Yu Miaohua hadn’t planned on completing the Crown Prince’s mission—making pastries for him personally felt too awkward.
But if she was just helping the Empress…
She decided to leave it to fate.
If the pastries she made happened to be sent to the Crown Prince, then so be it. No one could fault her—she was merely assisting the Empress. What was wrong with that?
So she nodded. "Of course."
Yang Zhaopei had someone lead Yu Miaohua to change into simpler attire before they headed to the kitchen.
Yu Miaohua noticed that many ingredients were already prepared—clearly, the Empress had planned this before her arrival.
She asked, "What does Your Majesty intend to make?"
Yang Zhaopei listed, "A few portions of butter horn pastries—Chiyan likes those. Mingyao prefers snowflake cakes, Mingxuan likes hawthorn fruit cakes…"
The Empress clearly knew the preferences of each prince and princess like the back of her hand—she had even prepared a portion for the Second Prince.
[System, look at this—this is what it truly means to embody maternal grace! There’s no way I could ever measure up to Her Majesty.] Honestly, she was being generous by not slipping laxatives into the Second Prince’s food.
Under normal circumstances, the Palace Intrigue System would have brainwashed Yu Miaohua into scheming to overthrow the Empress. But since Her Majesty had invited Yu Miaohua to make pastries together—indirectly helping her complete a mission—the system decided to let it slide this time.
When it came to pastry-making, Yu Miaohua had a knack for spontaneous creativity.
This creativity sometimes led to innovative and delicious new flavors, but more often than not, it resulted in culinary disasters.
Yu Miaohua took a bite of the filling she had mixed with orange peel and immediately scrunched up her face—disgusting! A complete failure!
No matter! She’d try adding walnuts next.
An hour later, Yu Miaohua placed the last hand-kneaded pastry into the steamer.
Perfect. Once these were steamed, she could send them out.
As for whether the mission would be completed… well, that was up to fate now.
After all that work, her face and hands were dusted with flour. The Empress wasn’t faring much better.
Servants brought warm water for them to wash up, and after changing into fresh clothes, Yu Miaohua settled into a chair, sipping hot tea with deep contentment.
“When you arrived earlier, I noticed a hint of worry in your expression. Did something happen?” The Empress dismissed the attendants and gazed at her gently.
Yu Miaohua was touched. Her Majesty was truly observant, picking up on even her subtlest emotions.
Since this matter involved the Crown Prince, Yu Miaohua felt the Empress ought to know.
Even though the room had been cleared, she instinctively lowered her voice to a whisper. “Your Majesty, I suspect someone has been spreading rumors about me and the Crown Prince in front of His Majesty!”
She clenched her fists, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger, her delicate features growing even more vivid.
If not for the divine spirit within her, Yu Miaohua’s personality alone would have been enough to win the Emperor’s favor once her name was cleared. She knew his tastes well—he adored concubines who were both straightforward and stunning.
But because of the divine spirit, the Emperor no longer saw her as a mere consort. Instead, she was now a lucky charm, a means to strengthen Great Qi’s power.
Though, if Yu Miaohua were honest, she might prefer things this way.
Suppressing a laugh, the Empress asked, “What makes you think that?”
Seeing Her Majesty brush it off, Yu Miaohua grew anxious. “You don’t understand—His Majesty has already started testing me!”
“He actually ordered the Crown Prince to write twenty poems praising me! Twenty! What kind of person does that?!”
If she were the Crown Prince, she’d have been tempted to slap him.
“And then he wanted me to personally cook for the Crown Prince!”
The Empress coughed lightly and took the blame. “Miaohua, actually… this is my fault.”
“The mastermind behind these slanders is utterly shameless! They must be trying to drive a wedge between the Crown Prince and His Majesty, destabilizing the empire—” Mid-rant, Yu Miaohua froze.
Wait… did she just hear correctly? The Empress said it was her doing? How was this connected to Her Majesty?
The Empress repeated, “It really does trace back to me. I was the one who suggested it initially.”
Yu Miaohua blinked. “Seriously?”
“Absolutely.”
Yang Zhaopei spoke earnestly. “I know you’ve always been sincere with me, without a trace of ill intent. But there will always be those who envy our closeness and seek to drive us apart. I worried that in such an environment, even Chiyan might eventually be influenced…”
She guiltily threw her son under the bus. Well, if he ever learned the truth, he’d understand.
“I discussed this with His Majesty, and we thought it best to let Chiyan see your virtues firsthand—hence the poems. I never imagined His Majesty would bungle it so badly and end up frightening you instead.”
“This was my mistake.”
Had the Emperor said the same thing, Yu Miaohua might have doubted his sincerity, suspecting another test.
But coming from the Empress, it was undeniably convincing.
The Empress was the Crown Prince’s birth mother—why would she harm her own son?
So Yu Miaohua accepted the explanation without question, only to feel even more awkward. “I see…”
She’d spent all that time cursing the Emperor for distrusting her, only to realize she’d nearly misdirected her anger at Her Majesty.
The Empress continued, “Judging by the poems, Chiyan remains unaffected. I’ve read them—they’re quite well-written. Not surprising, given how often I’ve spoken of your merits in front of him.”
Yang Zhaopei was also laying groundwork for future odd behavior from her and the Emperor.
Even if they engineered situations to push the two together for mission purposes, Yu Miaohua wouldn’t overthink it.
Yu Miaohua murmured weakly, “I was just worried someone might exploit this.”
Yang Zhaopei waved it off with noble grace. “How could they? We’ve done nothing improper. If others twist it into something vulgar, that reflects on their own foul minds. Neither His Majesty nor I would tolerate such people.”
And just like that, Yu Miaohua was pacified.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing Main Mission 3.5: Investigate the reason behind the Emperor’s test and uncover the mastermind. Reward incoming: Location of an undiscovered iron mine in the grasslands.]
[System… this mission was way too easy. It feels unnatural.]
[Keep it up, Host! A few more missions, and I’ll level up again. At Level 4, I’ll unlock even more features!]
The Palace Intrigue System nearly shed digital tears of joy comparing Yu Miaohua’s current success to their early days.
Back then, the host had been rotting away in the cold palace, farming day in and day out, using the system solely to binge dramas—her laziness was downright criminal.
Who could’ve predicted she’d rise to become an Imperial Noble Consort within a year, with both the Empress and Empress Dowager doting on her like their own child?
Yu Miaohua ignored the system’s pep talk. She wasn’t falling for its empty promises again. She’d long given up hope on its so-called “upgraded features.”
All lies.
With one mission cleared and only two ongoing, the system automatically triggered a new task.
[Young men’s hearts are woven with poetry. Even the proudest, most noble youth must bow his head before love, expressing affection through verse. Host has triggered Side Mission 3.1: Gift Pei Yuheng a self-embroidered pouch as thanks. Reward: Multiple tea-processing techniques to enhance quality, including the stir-frying method.]
In this era, tea was primarily steamed or compressed into cakes. The stir-fried tea Yu Miaohua had enjoyed in her past life didn’t exist here.
[The stir-frying method is brilliant—simpler, more efficient, easier to transport and store, reducing costs while improving flavor over compressed tea.]
【The reward is good. But there’s no way I’m doing it! Sending Pei Yuheng a sachet? I’d have to be insane to hand him such leverage.】
【System, are you biased? Why does Pei Yuheng get such a good deal?】
For the Tanhua (Third Rank Scholar), she only needed to thank him privately. For the Crown Prince, it was handmade pastries delivered through the Empress Dowager—a manageable task. But Pei Yuheng’s sachet was different! Giving him one felt like responding to his affections.
Yu Miaohua was also somewhat bewildered.
Pei Yuheng had once wanted her dead—how had he suddenly become so eager to pursue her?
Was it because she was the Emperor’s favored consort, making her a potential spy? Or was he just after the divine blessings she supposedly brought?
Yu Miaohua didn’t believe in love at first sight… and she certainly didn’t think Pei Yuheng or his ilk were the type to be ruled by romance. Even if he were, his father, the Prince-Regent, wasn’t. Yet the Prince-Regent had actively petitioned on his son’s behalf, meaning he didn’t oppose it.
【Host, tasks are automatically generated based on real-time developments. Since Pei Yuheng confessed his feelings, the corresponding return gift must reflect greater intimacy.】
Even the Empress pitied Yu Miaohua—what kind of tasks were these?
Knowing the Emperor as she did, the Empress was certain he’d go to great lengths to help complete this mission.
Yu Miaohua ignored the new task and instead discussed charity fundraising with the Empress.
After a while, a palace attendant informed them that the pastries were ready.
Yang Zhaopei said casually, “I’ll go check to ensure the servants don’t make any mistakes in delivery.”
Yu Miaohua didn’t suspect a thing.
The imperial chefs had already labeled the pastries made by the two ladies.
Yang Zhaopei instructed her trusted aide, Aunt Fang, to personally deliver the Crown Prince’s portion, reminding her to relay a few words.
Aunt Fang couldn’t help but wonder: Anyone unaware might think Her Majesty was playing matchmaker between Consort Hui and the Crown Prince, given the specific instructions.
She quickly dismissed the absurd thought. How ridiculous of her to even entertain it.
Yang Zhaopei smiled faintly. “Miaohua is a good girl. I only hope they get along well and don’t fall into the traps of petty schemers.”
Aunt Fang suddenly understood—no wonder she was told to praise Consort Hui.
Her Majesty’s foresight was truly impeccable.
Aunt Fang personally delivered the pastries to the Eastern Palace, while other attendants carried additional boxes.
When she arrived, Crown Prince Pei Chiyan was reviewing account books. Pei Lingyue had entrusted him with overseeing the construction of a library, and financial records from various regions had been submitted.
Pei Chiyan noticed the pastry box in Aunt Fang’s hands and smiled faintly. “Did Mother send these?”
Aunt Fang curtsied and opened the box, revealing steaming pastries.
However…
Pei Chiyan hesitated—these didn’t look like the work of imperial chefs. The pastries made by Yu Miaohua and the Empress were visibly less refined in shape.
Aunt Fang’s voice carried a hint of amusement. “Her Majesty and Consort Hui made these themselves. Consort Hui visited Her Majesty, who happened to be preparing to cook, so she invited her to join. They made too many, so Her Majesty ordered them distributed to various palaces.”
Pei Chiyan could easily guess which ones were Yu Miaohua’s—the most bizarrely shaped ones. Oddly enough, the longer he looked, the more they grew on him, as if they could warp one’s aesthetic sense.
Since the Empress had orchestrated this, Pei Chiyan didn’t dwell on it.
“Please convey my gratitude to Her Majesty.”
After a moment’s thought, he instructed a eunuch to retrieve some rare spices gifted by subordinates and gave them to Aunt Fang to take back.
Attendants delivering pastries to other palaces also received rewards from their recipients.
Even Second Prince Pei Chiyao, who privately loathed the Guanju and Fengyi Palaces, maintained decorum in public. He gave the attendant a gold nugget and announced he would later visit Fengyi Palace to express his thanks.
Once the attendant left, his expression darkened. “Feed these pastries to the dogs.”
His guard hesitated. “What if someone sees…?”
Pei Chiyao recalled that his father had spies planted around him—neither he nor his mother had yet identified who they were. This forced him to tread carefully.
If the Emperor found out, his disdain would only grow.
Gritting his teeth, he said, “Then you eat them. I don’t like sticky sweets.”
In the end, the guard devoured every last pastry.
Meanwhile, Yu Miaohua’s task was marked complete.
【Congratulations, Host, for completing Side Mission 2.1: Handmake pastries as a gift for the Crown Prince. Reward: Horsemanship and Horseshoe Technology.】
Yu Miaohua was dazed. She had only come to complain to the Empress—who’d have thought she’d complete two missions in one go?
【Wahh, I’m officially a fan of the Empress now! Her efficiency is unreal!】
The Palace Intrigue System finally let go of its grudge against the Empress and switched from hater to fan.
It realized that even without scheming against the Empress, Yu Miaohua could level up just as quickly.
【I told you the Empress is amazing! Don’t you think she’s my lucky charm? Every time I visit her, missions get completed super fast. The Empress Dowager’s the same!】
Hearing Yu Miaohua’s effusive praise, the Empress could only smile. This child… so straightforward, always showering her with compliments until she felt almost embarrassed.
After years as Empress, excellence was expected of her—no one ever acknowledged it. But Yu Miaohua was different. She always found new virtues to praise and was endlessly grateful.
Even without divine intervention, Yang Zhaopei would have gladly protected her.
When Pei Chiyan sent over the spices, Yang Zhaopei let Yu Miaohua pick some to take back.
Yu Miaohua, armed with Noble Lady Sun’s incense recipes, was currently obsessed with fragrances. She selected a few that might prove useful.
She had also commissioned soap-making experiments, planning to infuse them with these scents.
…
That evening, Pei Lingyue visited Fengyi Palace.
His arrival didn’t surprise the Empress—in the Emperor’s eyes, no concubine could outweigh the value of mission rewards.
When she revealed she’d helped Yu Miaohua complete two tasks that day, the Emperor was overjoyed. He clasped her hands. “Empress, you truly are my greatest ally.”
Yang Zhaopei advised, “Your methods should be subtler. Consort Hui is actually quite easy to coax.”
Pei Lingyue disagreed—Yu Miaohua only trusted the Empress so readily because it was her.
The Emperor’s jealousy flared again.
Yang Zhaopei informed him of the new task. Even if she hadn’t, he’d have found out eventually. It was better to warn him now, lest he resort to heavy-handed tactics for the rewards.
Pei Lingyue scowled upon hearing the details. “Why should Pei Yuheng get a sachet? He only wrote three poems—how does that compare to the Crown Prince’s twenty?”
The Emperor felt his son had been shortchanged.
Was he seriously keeping score? How childish.
Yang Zhaopei suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and explained with a smile, "Perhaps it’s because of the emotions conveyed in the poetry of the Prince of Feng’s heir."
Pei Lingyue reluctantly accepted this reasoning, though he was still displeased. "Pei Chiyan is dignified and steady—naturally, he wouldn’t act like that."
His son would never resort to writing love poems to confess his feelings, especially not to one of his own concubines.
Hmph. The Feng Prince’s household truly had no respect for authority.
Pei Lingyue mentally added another mark against them.
Grudges aside, rewards were still necessary.
He pondered how to complete this task. Yu Miaohua would never take the initiative to do it herself. Could he really have a secret guard steal her pouch and deliver it to Pei Yuheng?
The Empress, however, had an idea. "Your Majesty, relying solely on that prescription, Consort Hui may not be able to raise the full five hundred thousand taels. As Empress, I should share Your Majesty’s burdens. I was thinking of leading the other sisters to donate some items for auction—anything would do, like unused jade scepters or decorative potted plants."
"Since Miaohua is seen as a divine maiden in the eyes of the people, why not have her embroider a few Buddha images on pouches to be auctioned?"
Pei Yuheng would surely be willing to bid extravagantly for them.
Especially since the pouches bore sacred imagery—even if they accidentally fell into someone else’s hands, no scandalous rumors would arise.
The Emperor clapped his hands in delight. "This matter shall be entrusted to the Empress."
Thankfully, the Empress could see the tasks—she was truly dependable. With her around, he could worry much less.
Since this task was already settled and no new ones had appeared for the time being, Pei Lingyue threw himself back into court affairs, rarely stepping into the rear palace.
The imperial consorts all knew of the impending earthquake disaster in March, so none dared to vie for favor at such a time. Thus, the rear palace enjoyed an unusual period of tranquility.
Soon, it was time for Yu Miaohua’s investiture ceremony.
She received the decree and seal from the Emperor, then bowed to him, the Empress, and the Empress Dowager, officially becoming Consort Hui.
This time, Yu Miaohua did not create any new auspicious signs—without a task at hand, it was better to save such displays for later.
Next came the bows from the imperial consorts, princes, and imperial grandchildren.
Among them, Concubine Xian was placed behind Noble Lady Li.
Previously, her status had been second only to the Empress and Consort Hui. Now, several ranked above her, and she had no idea when she might be restored to her former position.
Swallowing her humiliation, she bowed to Yu Miaohua.
Then came the civil and military officials, followed by the noblewomen.
This investiture ceremony, at least, proceeded without further mishaps.
Yu Miaohua sighed in relief. Eccentrics like the Empress’s birth mother were, after all, a rare breed.
Others in attendance, however, felt disappointed.
There were no auspicious signs to behold this time.
Pei Lingyue, who had prepared meticulously to bask in the divine aura, was especially let down—he had even struck a pose.
He would just have to wait for the next opportunity.
After the ceremony, Yu Miaohua returned to the Guanju Palace. Due to the simplified arrangements, the subsequent banquet was canceled.
However, the Emperor suggested she could host a small gathering for her relatives and close friends among the consorts.
Yu Miaohua did not refuse this kindness.
...
March 17th.
An earthquake struck Lizhou. Thanks to the two-month advance warning, local officials had organized the populace to stay in open spaces that day. Though many buildings collapsed, casualties were minimal.
Days later, the news reached the capital via express courier.
Consort Hui’s reputation as a divine maiden spread throughout the land—and was promptly relayed to their respective homelands by foreign spies hidden within Great Qi.
In the Guanju Palace—
Yu Miaohua’s mind buzzed incessantly with notifications.
[Congratulations, Host! Hidden task completed: Gain 100,000-level prestige within a year. Reward: Three uses of the Mind-Reading skill + 1,000 points. Mind-Reading allows communication with animals—you’re the Disney princess of ancient times!]
[Congratulations, Host! Hidden task completed: Gain 1,000,000-level prestige within a year, achieving fame across the land. Reward: Three uses of the Dream-Sending skill + 1,000 points.]
[Congratulations, Host! Hidden task completed: Gain 10,000-level international prestige within a year. Reward: One Life-Extending Pill + 1,000 points.]
[Ahhh, Host! We’ve truly outdone ourselves!! Leveling up this year is no longer a dream!]
[Sniff… I really am the luckiest system. Being bound to you is the best thing ever.]
Yu Miaohua: ???
Wait, where did all this international prestige come from? Are there really so many spies within Great Qi?
The grassland spies: All thanks to us!
