In the subtle atmosphere, Yu Miaohua concluded her daily greetings to the empress and gained a preliminary understanding of the other concubines.
Returning to her chambers while it was still early, she began flipping through the books borrowed from the imperial library. Though she appeared absorbed, her mind was already replaying the drama she had exchanged for from the system—one she hadn’t finished watching yet.
At lunchtime, Cuiwei reminded her, "Your Grace, the imperial kitchen has just delivered braised pork with eight treasures, roasted squab, and quick-fried eight-piece chicken." Since Yu Miaohua had been promoted to the rank of Consort, Cuiwei had started addressing her as "Your Grace."
Yu Miaohua set down the book and closed the drama. The perks of her promotion were evident in her daily provisions—her allocated share had increased significantly, allowing even Cuiwei and Qingluo to benefit.
She nodded slightly. "Divide the braised pork between you and Qingluo. Just leave the squab and the eight-piece chicken for me."
She glanced over the spread. Lunch typically consisted of four dishes and a soup. Aside from the three meat dishes, there were also stir-fried yellow sprouts and a shark fin consommé.
Cuiwei accepted the offer gratefully. As the personal maid of a consort, her treatment had improved, but at best, it meant an extra meat dish—whatever the imperial kitchen prepared. A lavish dish like braised pork with eight treasures was beyond her usual allocation.
Her Grace treated her well, so Cuiwei resolved to be even more attentive in her service. She pondered carefully observing the new batch of palace servants to ensure no spies from other consorts slipped in.
Under the attendants' care, Yu Miaohua began her meal. Having lived in this world for over a decade, the etiquette was ingrained in her bones, and she performed flawlessly.
The imperial chef’s skills were indeed exceptional—the roasted squab was crispy on the outside and tender inside, with no trace of gaminess. Yu Miaohua decided to order it again for dinner. She also wanted to try the noodles recommended by Consort Zhang, said to be a specialty of Nie Liangyu from the imperial kitchen, with perfectly cooked toppings.
After the meal, she sipped a cup of chilled plum soup. The ice used to cool it was a precious commodity—reserved from winter stores and unavailable to lower-ranking consorts.
The icy, sweet-and-sour drink seemed to dissolve the summer heat with each sip.
No wonder everyone sought the emperor’s favor—these luxuries made it worthwhile.
Yu Miaohua set down the cup, her fingers still tingling from the cold.
Here, the advantage of her past-life memories became apparent. In her previous life, she had often read time-travel novels that mentioned ice-making with saltpeter. Perhaps she could find an opportunity to suggest it to the emperor, attributing it to a book she’d read before entering the palace.
After finishing the plum soup, she beckoned Qingluo and Cuiwei over. "I read about a method for refining white sugar in a book. Help me gather the necessary materials."
These two were her most trusted aides. Since Yu Miaohua couldn’t openly request the materials herself, entrusting them with the task was safer.
To outsiders, it would seem she had stumbled upon the method in a book and wanted to test it before presenting it to the emperor.
Qingluo and Cuiwei, having grown up with her, were somewhat literate. They took the book—its cover stained with ink, titled The Adventures of Tongtong, authored by "The Brilliant Tongtongzi."
They studied the page Yu Miaohua had opened. Wait—white sugar made with mud? Could that really work?
Everything—from the title and author to the method—reeked of absurdity, as if the book was a joke. "The Brilliant Tongtongzi"? Whoever chose that name couldn’t be serious.
Yet, seeing Yu Miaohua’s eager expression, Cuiwei and Qingluo decided to humor her. Even if it failed, as long as it brought her joy, it was worth it.
They had to keep this secret. With Her Grace currently in the emperor’s favor, many eyes were on her, and they couldn’t afford to give anyone ammunition.
Sneaking around, they gathered yellow mud, straw, earthenware funnels, and buckets, hauling everything to an unused side hall. The Guanju Palace housed only Yu Miaohua, leaving plenty of empty rooms.
Once the supplies were in place, Yu Miaohua dismissed the extra attendants and began refining the sugar.
They plugged the funnel’s small holes with straw, placed raw sugar on top, and poured muddy water over it.
Cuiwei assisted while Qingluo kept watch at the door, her guilty expression making it seem like they were committing a crime.
At first, Cuiwei had only intended to indulge Yu Miaohua’s whim. But as they repeated the process, pure white sugar began forming on the straw.
Her eyes widened. It actually worked? Such a ridiculous method could produce white sugar!
Yu Miaohua feigned surprise. "Oh! It really succeeded! The book wasn’t lying!"
Cuiwei felt ashamed for judging the author based on the silly name. Whoever wrote this was a true benefactor.
"Your Grace, now we’ll have endless white sugar!"
Yu Miaohua: "..."
Her Cuiwei’s aspirations were so modest.
Qingluo hurried over from her post. "So the method actually works?"
"Yes!" Yu Miaohua declared firmly. "Let’s work harder today and make more to show the emperor."
The sugar still needed further boiling to remove impurities.
The trio spent the entire afternoon in the side hall, emerging at dinnertime with a bag of refined white sugar—more than Yu Miaohua’s annual allotment.
The system was thrilled.
[Host, once you present this to the emperor, you’ll be the sugar of his heart!]
Yu Miaohua nearly cringed at the cheesiness.
She had planned to inform the emperor that evening, but news arrived that he would dine with the empress.
Yu Miaohua didn’t dare intercept the empress. Instead, she decided to ask the eunuch Chai Xiu to arrange an audience for the next day, hoping the emperor might join her for lunch.
...
The following day was court assembly.
Pei Lingyue sat on the throne in his dragon robes, listening to officials present their reports.
Today, a censor accused Pei Yudong, the heir of Prince Yong, of trampling wheat fields and destroying peasants’ livelihoods.
Prince Yong was the emperor’s uncle, a meek man whom Pei Lingyue treated with extra courtesy for his obedience. But the prince’s heir took after neither his father nor his title, often acting recklessly.
Pei Lingyue had heard numerous petty accusations against him before. Frowning slightly, he ordered, "Have Prince Yong’s heir submit a written defense."
If true, though it wouldn’t cost him his title, a reprimand was inevitable.
After handling minor affairs, Pei Lingyue scanned the hall. "If there’s nothing else, court is dismissed."
Then, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I heard that the late emperor appeared in a dream, declaring Consort Yu to be blessed with great fortune, capable of bringing auspicious signs to Great Qi. To have such a consort is our dynasty’s good fortune. Congratulations, Your Majesty!"
Pei Lingyue smiled faintly. "And where did you hear this?"
The Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices said, "Your Majesty, my servant overheard many commoners discussing this matter while out purchasing goods."
Pei Lingyue understood clearly—this was likely the work of palace consorts contacting their families to spread the news. He had informed Consort Gu precisely because he knew her temperament would ensure the information spread far and wide. This way, no matter how much favor he showed Yu Miaohua in the future, it would be justified. The Empress and Noble Consort were upright in character and would never engage in such schemes. Still, the speed at which the rumors spread left him with a faint sense of displeasure.
Consort Gu had no idea that Yu Miaohua had divine assistance by her side—she was aiming to cut off all her escape routes.
Pei Lingyue’s face broke into a pleased smile. "It is true. This is all due to the late Emperor’s protection. Had it not been for his dream, Yu Miaohua would have suffered unjustly for much longer."
The other ministers quickly followed his lead, offering congratulations to the Emperor.
The Assistant Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices went a step further. "Since Yu Miaohua is the late Emperor’s chosen lucky star, is the rank of Consort not too low for her?"
Pei Lingyue glanced at him, his expression calm. "Yu Miaohua has yet to achieve any notable merit. We shall discuss this later."
Was this Assistant Minister growing too comfortable in his position? How dare he meddle in the Emperor’s harem affairs?
Even if he were to promote Yu Miaohua, he would wait until she completed a few more tasks—otherwise, there would be nothing left to reward her for later.
With the matter of Yu Miaohua settled, the morning court session concluded.
As soon as Pei Lingyue returned to his chambers, Chai Xiu approached with a report. "Your Majesty, Consort Yu claims to have found something valuable in the imperial library and wishes to present it to you."
Though Chai Xiu had questioned Qingluo, the maid had only smiled mysteriously, saying he would understand when he saw it. The barely concealed excitement on Qingluo’s face suggested the surprise was no small matter.
Chai Xiu couldn’t help but speculate—had she perhaps discovered a calligraphy piece by Dan Yang Sanren? The Emperor adored the works of this artist, but most of his genuine pieces had been lost in the fires of the previous dynasty’s collapse. After years of searching, the Emperor possessed only a handful.
Pei Lingyue immediately guessed that Yu Miaohua intended to present the method for producing white sugar. His smile deepened. "Inform the imperial kitchens—I shall dine with Consort Yu today."
…
Arriving at Guanju Palace, Pei Lingyue saw Yu Miaohua gracefully step forward to greet him with a bow. He waved a hand, his voice gentle. "No need for formalities."
Yu Miaohua wasted no time in getting to the point. She opened a small bag and revealed its contents. "Your Majesty, look! This is the gift I prepared for you."
Chai Xiu, standing nearby, felt his eyelid twitch—while white sugar was indeed a luxury for commoners, the Emperor, as the Son of Heaven, lacked nothing. Had Consort Yu really summoned His Majesty just for this? She must have lost her senses.
Pei Lingyue feigned ignorance. "Is this the white sugar sent by the Palace Domestic Service this year? Your allotment couldn’t possibly be this much."
Yu Miaohua shook her head. "I made this myself!"
She produced the book provided by her system. "Thanks to Your Majesty’s kindness, I was permitted to visit the imperial library. Among the books I borrowed, I found instructions for making white sugar. Yesterday, I followed the steps and successfully produced this batch."
"Had it not been for Your Majesty’s grace, I would never have encountered this book."
She wore an expression of perfect gratitude.
[Host, that expression is perfect! The Emperor must be deeply moved right now!]
[Hehe, I practiced it for ages.]
Chai Xiu’s pupils constricted in shock—Consort Yu was far from foolish. If anyone was the fool, it was him!
What kind of outrageous luck did she have to stumble upon such a book on her first visit to the library?
This was the method for producing white sugar! Even Dan Yang Sanren’s calligraphy couldn’t compare in the Emperor’s eyes.
Pei Lingyue eagerly took the book and skimmed through it. The instructions were not only detailed but also accompanied by illustrations, making the entire process crystal clear.
To think the method was far simpler than he had imagined.
"Hahaha, excellent! This is the finest gift I’ve received this year. Consort Yu, is there anything you desire as a reward?"
Yu Miaohua shook her head. "Your Majesty has already bestowed too many favors upon me. I am overwhelmed by your kindness. To be of service to Your Majesty is an honor in itself—I ask for nothing more."
Outwardly, she appeared selfless, but inwardly, she grumbled to her system.
[I just hope the Emperor remembers this favor and doesn’t banish me to the cold palace if I ever fall out of favor.]
[…Host, have some ambition! Our goal is to become a legendary favored Empress! Do you know what that means? You’re not even a high-ranking consort yet!]
[Can’t you be flexible and change the objective? The Empress is a good person—stop scheming to pull her down.]
Pei Lingyue’s eyebrow rose as he read the floating text—if Yu Miaohua continued to produce such treasures, he might consider posthumously honoring her as Empress. Wouldn’t that fulfill her system’s demands?
Though Yu Miaohua was overly spirited at times, she was fundamentally righteous. Even with divine aid, she refused to stir up trouble in the harem.
After a brief pause, Pei Lingyue spoke with unshakable authority. "Though you seek no reward, as the Son of Heaven, I must uphold fairness in rewards and punishments. Do not refuse."
Just as Yu Miaohua was about to respond, her system issued a new task—its tone downright smug.
[You took the initiative to present a gift, successfully boosting the Emperor’s favor. However, mere imperial favor is not enough—our goal is the admiration of all Great Qi, to become the people’s beloved! Host has triggered Main Mission 1.22 of the Harem Struggle Arc: Establish a foundational reputation in the capital, gaining the support of at least 500 citizens. Reward upon completion: Rock sugar recipe.]
[Is this task serious? Just rename yourself the "Suicide System" already. A minor consort like me has no business seeking public acclaim. Do you want me to stand out even more?]
Yu Miaohua firmly rejected the mission.
Seeing her reluctance, Pei Lingyue grew more anxious than the system itself. Neither he nor the Empress were petty individuals—no matter how much popularity Yu Miaohua gained, it would never threaten his position. Why was she so stubborn about such a simple task?
If she wouldn’t do it, he’d do it for her! Five hundred supporters? Even ten thousand would be no issue!
The Harem System pleaded with Yu Miaohua.
[This mission is assigned by the higher-ups—I don’t have a say! Just complete this one, alright? The Empress’s mission might not even trigger.]
[No.]
[…You’re the worst host I’ve ever had!]
[And you’re the most unscrupulous system I’ve ever met.]
The two were practically clawing at each other in Yu Miaohua’s mind.
The system sulked, thoroughly vexed. It swore never to help its host with tasks again.
Just as it was about to retreat to its "time-out corner," it noticed that the recently issued mission had somehow been marked as completed.
[Eh? Wait—HAHAHA! Host, the mission’s done! Turns out your reputation has already spread among the people!]
[We’re amazing—we completed a new mission without even trying!]
Yu Miaohua was stunned: ???
[Did you catch a virus? We haven’t even started the mission yet! How was this task completed? Does it count even if I didn’t do anything?]
The system double-checked and swiftly claimed the rewards at lightning speed.
[It’s done anyway!]
Once the energy was absorbed, there was no way it was getting refunded.
Yu Miaohua couldn’t make sense of it!
Pei Lingyue, who had observed everything, recalled the morning court session and suddenly understood—his heart surged with delight. This heaven-sent recipe for rock sugar was as good as his!
