Today was the day for the imperial concubines to pay their respects to the Empress. According to palace regulations, only concubines of the rank of Baolin or higher were qualified to attend. Lower-ranking concubines had to accompany their assigned higher-ranking counterparts. For instance, before being sent to the Cold Palace, Yu Miaohua had merely held the rank of Cairen and had always followed Consort De, standing silently behind her during these ceremonies.
This was Yu Miaohua’s first audience with the Empress since her release from the Cold Palace, and she dared not be negligent. She arrived early at Fengyi Palace to avoid giving anyone a reason to criticize her. Since no other concubines were attached to her residence, she came alone. Inside Fengyi Palace, her seat had already been prepared—a small embroidered stool, a modest but notable improvement from her previous status. To her left sat Consort Li, and to her right, Consort Zhang. Both were veterans from the Emperor’s princely days, known for their gentle dispositions. Their palaces were close to Fengyi Palace, so they had arrived early as well.
The two exchanged pleasantries with Yu Miaohua, and Consort Zhang enthusiastically recommended the almond tofu from the Empress’s private kitchen.
"That tofu melts in your mouth, perfectly sweet with none of the almond’s bitterness," Consort Zhang said with a smile.
Yu Miaohua played along, replying cheerfully, "Then I must try it."
Just then, the palace maids brought out the refreshments—steamed milk buns, yam and jujube paste cakes, almond tofu, milk tea…
Yu Miaohua had already eaten some buns before leaving her quarters, so she only sampled the almond tofu recommended by Consort Zhang. True to the description, it melted on her tongue with just the right sweetness, leaving her pleasantly surprised.
Consort Zhang was clearly a connoisseur of fine food. Yu Miaohua quietly asked her about other delicacies worth trying, and Consort Zhang eagerly listed the signature dishes from each palace’s kitchen. Yu Miaohua listened attentively, mentally noting them for future reference.
Of course, they didn’t exclude Consort Li from their conversation. Consort Li was an avid cat lover, and soon the topic shifted to her beloved feline. Food and pets were the safest subjects, and Yu Miaohua chatted with ease, even agreeing to visit Consort Li’s palace in two days to see her precious cat.
Yu Miaohua considered making some cat toys as a gift.
[Host, you’re doing great! Keep up this positive attitude! Engage with them, gather their weaknesses, and strike when the time comes! They’re all future targets for your mission!]
The Palace Intrigue System was moved—its host was finally showing initiative. At last, it saw a glimmer of hope for completing the main quest.
Yu Miaohua: "..."
[Well said. Now stop talking.]
This system was such a buzzkill, its scheming mindset utterly exasperating.
Yu Miaohua had once skimmed the Palace Intrigue System’s manual. At Level 1, it could only be muted once a day, for no more than half an hour. By Level 3, the mute function would allow up to five uses per day, each lasting at least an hour.
As more concubines arrived, Fengyi Palace, though spacious, began to feel crowded.
Yu Miaohua fell silent, her gaze fixed on her teacup as if suddenly fascinated by its intricate patterns.
She could feel more and more eyes turning toward her—scrutinizing, displeased, puzzled, pitying, sympathetic… Wait, the first few she could understand, but why pity and sympathy?
Yu Miaohua blinked and accidentally met the gaze of Noble Consort Yuan Huirou, whose eyes were filled with compassion.
Huh? Was she seeing things?
Why would Noble Consort pity her? These past few days, though the Emperor hadn’t visited her palace in person, he had frequently sent imperial delicacies, silks, jewelry, and other lavish gifts. Yu Miaohua was currently the envy of many.
Had something happened that she wasn’t aware of?
A faint unease settled in Yu Miaohua’s heart. She thought of the white sugar production method she had retrieved—after being processed by the system, it had been written in the style of a travelogue in a fabricated book. With this achievement, she at least had a fallback plan.
Soon, the Empress emerged from the inner hall. Graceful and elegant, she wore a slate-blue palace gown today instead of her phoenix robes. Though her attire and jewelry were understated, her dignified presence commanded respect.
Yu Miaohua held a favorable impression of the Empress. She was fair in rewards and punishments, gentle yet authoritative. Though many concubines lacked the Emperor’s favor, few suffered from withheld provisions under her rule.
[Host, take a good look. This is your greatest rival—the current Empress! A concubine who doesn’t aspire to be Empress isn’t a good concubine.]
Yu Miaohua: "..."
This system was insufferable!
[Shut up already!]
Yu Miaohua had had enough and used her daily mute privilege on the system.
The Empress smiled warmly. "Consort De, has your health improved? I have a century-old ginseng in my treasury. Take it back later to supplement your medicine."
Consort De replied, "Imperial Physician Qian’s prescription has been effective. My cough has lessened these past few days."
"That’s good to hear." The Empress then inquired about the Eldest Princess, who had been injured in a riding accident and had yet to recover. The gentle-natured princess was dearly loved by the Emperor, and the Empress showed genuine concern for her.
Yu Miaohua observed quietly as the Empress addressed each concubine in turn. When her turn came, the Empress asked about her daily needs and, learning of her recent visits to the library, even lent her two rare books.
Yu Miaohua marveled inwardly. No wonder everyone praised the Empress’s virtue. This was the epitome of maternal grace. How could she, in comparison, manage an entire palace while keeping track of every concubine’s affairs? If the system had bound itself to the Empress, the main quest would’ve been completed long ago.
The Empress surveyed the assembly and spoke solemnly. "Consort Yu is new to the palace and still young. If she has shortcomings, everyone should be patient with her. Sisters of the inner court ought to support and care for newcomers. I will not tolerate anyone bullying the younger sisters under my watch."
Noble Consort Yuan, who shared a close relationship with the Empress and held a prestigious position, was the first to respond. "How could anyone bear to mistreat someone as lovely as Consort Yu? Even I adore her at first sight, let alone the Emperor."
Her daughter was already fifteen, and she had long since stopped competing for favor. The Emperor, out of respect for her daughter and her family, often visited her palace.
Consort Gu, who had been sipping tea, looked up and said in a honeyed voice, "With even younger sisters arriving, I’m no longer Your Majesty’s most cherished one."
Consort Gu was the Emperor’s cousin. Once unruly due to her aunt—the Empress Dowager’s—indulgence, she had been disciplined after causing trouble and had since behaved. Her gaze lingered on Yu Miaohua as she added with a meaningful smile, "Why would Consort Yu need our care? The Emperor himself called her a woman of fortune. I only hope to grow closer to her and share in her blessings."
The Empress and Noble Consort froze at these words—how did Consort Gu know about this?
The Empress frowned. When the Emperor had spoken of this matter, he had dismissed all attendants, and Fengyi Palace was tightly guarded. How had the news leaked?
The Empress said, "This matter should not be spoken of lightly, Consort Gu."
Gu Shishi pouted coquettishly, "How dare I speak nonsense? This was personally said by His Majesty. The Emperor mentioned that the late Emperor appeared in his dreams, calling Yu Miaohua a woman blessed with fortune."
Upon hearing this, the other consorts exchanged looks of sudden understanding—Consort Gu's words had unraveled the mystery in their hearts. Yu Miaohua had been banished to the cold palace for half a year, yet the Emperor had suddenly remembered her and even overturned her case. So it was because of the late Emperor's dream! Was this also why the Emperor doted on her so much?
Yu Miaohua was stunned: So the Emperor secretly thought of her this way! No wonder he treated her so well.
[System, did you really not secretly send the Emperor a dream behind my back?]
Yu Miaohua released the system from its "time-out," suspecting it might have manipulated things.
The palace intrigue system didn’t even have time to be angry, denying it immediately.
[How could I? Back then, you hadn’t completed a single mission—where would I get the energy to send dreams?]
Yu Miaohua thought about it and agreed. The system was notoriously stingy; it would never spend its own energy. So it really was the late Emperor’s dream?
This was too unbelievable!
But considering she had already experienced transmigration, Yu Miaohua quickly accepted this fact.
[Good. This afternoon, Cuiwei and I will hurry with the sugar experiment. Once we have results, I can present that book to the Emperor.]
This would help solidify her image as a woman of fortune. As long as this reputation held, no one would bat an eye when she retrieved more items from the imperial library in the future.
Far from feeling nervous, Yu Miaohua was secretly delighted—this situation worked greatly in her favor.
Unaware of Yu Miaohua’s thoughts, the Empress sighed inwardly: Why would the Emperor tell Consort Gu about this? Now that Consort Gu had blurted it out, Yu Miaohua would surely become a target. If she failed to demonstrate her so-called "fortune," she’d face endless schemes in the future.
The Emperor’s actions were truly ill-advised. Yu Miaohua had already been framed and sent to the cold palace once—proof she wasn’t the most cunning. How could she handle the hidden daggers coming her way?
Noble Consort Yuan Huirou smiled. "To enter the palace and serve the Emperor, Yu Miaohua must indeed be blessed—just like all our sisters here."
She shared the Empress’s thoughts: The Emperor had handled this poorly. Why would he tell Gu Shishi, of all people, such a bigmouth? How many others had he told? The older he got, the more he gossiped!
She glanced at the Empress, confirming from her expression that she also knew of this matter.
The Empress nodded. "The Noble Consort speaks wisely."
But Consort Gu refused to let it go. "But how can any of us compare to Yu Miaohua, who was blessed by the late Emperor’s dream? The late Emperor has been gone for years, and this is the first time he’s appeared in a dream!"
She stood and walked over to Yu Miaohua. "Yu Miaohua, might I have the honor of sharing in your fortune? My luck has been rather poor lately."
Consort Gu didn’t believe the Emperor’s story at all. She even suspected Yu Miaohua had secretly hired someone to perform dark arts. Either way, she didn’t mind stirring the pot.
Yu Miaohua wasn’t foolish—she could see Consort Gu was trying to throw her into the fire, while the Noble Consort and Empress were offering her a way out. The Noble Consort was good, the Empress was good, but Consort Gu was bad.
With a radiant smile that made her look like a naive sweetheart, she said, "If you want to share, go ahead. I won’t mind, Sister."
Consort Gu’s expression stiffened. How dare Yu Miaohua speak to her like that? What right did she have to "not mind" her?
Secretly fuming, she thought: I’ll send word to my father later and have him spread rumors among the commoners about Yu Miaohua’s "fortune."
Yu Miaohua took Consort Gu’s hand and shook it several times. "Here, take some more. Bad luck, be gone!"
Consort Gu gritted her teeth. "Thank you for your kindness, Sister."
Yu Miaohua’s smile remained dazzling. "No need to thank me."
She was inwardly thrilled: Thank you, Consort Gu, for handing me the perfect excuse!
Noble Consort Yuan rubbed her temples: Was Yu Miaohua an idiot? She’d given her a way out, yet she’d still jumped right into Consort Gu’s trap. Did she actually believe the Emperor’s dream? She’d regret this later.
Hopeless. Just bury her already.
