Chapter 1 The Cold Palace Life

The clear, azure sky was dotted with flocks of birds flying into the distance. Mingmei withdrew her gaze from the heavens and turned her attention to the withered pomegranate tree standing beside the high vermilion wall.

The stark contrast between the red and black created an alternative beauty of decay, which made Mingmei feel depressed after looking at it for too long!

Mingmei glanced down at the snow-white palace dress she was wearing, then raised her eyes to the palace gate not far away. As if she had made up her mind, she took a deep breath and lifted the hem of her skirt.

Wearing soft-soled, embroidered satin shoes, Mingmei silently stepped on the bluestone pavement, dashing towards the dog hole in the corner of the palace garden at lightning speed!

Finally!

She was once again stopped by the two NPC guards stationed outside the dog hole.

"Esteemed Consort, His Majesty has decreed that you are not allowed to leave."

Looking up at the guards, whose faces were even more expressionless than hers, Mingmei pursed her lips and reluctantly retracted her head from the hole.

Damn you all!

This was the umpteenth time she had tried to break out since entering the game today, but each time she had been stopped.

The NPCs who had been guarding the main gate a moment ago now immediately reappeared in front of the dog hole to block her.

Their reflexes were truly amazing!

[Host, I advise you to give up resisting. The Cold Palace map will only unlock after midnight. Only then can you leave, or players can find you here,] Gui Gui whispered in Mingmei's mind.

In this round, Mingmei was speechless. She had actually entered a palace intrigue survival副本(fùběn, instance/scenario).

Palace intrigue and survival?

Mingmei raised her eyebrows. How were those two related?

It was true that palace intrigue and political schemes could be deadly, but after thinking for a long time, Mingmei still couldn't figure it out. "Why does a bento box-selling NPC have to be an abandoned concubine? Selling bento boxes in the Cold Palace? That's outrageous! And there's a time limit."

[Host, think of it this way. You're only nominally an abandoned concubine, aren't you? In fact, you're a greatly favored consort! The Emperor is only keeping you here because he's afraid someone will harm you.]

Mingmei chuckled coldly at this setting, not saying a word.

Did this setting help her sell bento boxes?

No!

She had just updated a super-long timeline scenario yesterday, and today she entered an even longer and more complex game scenario.

For a moment, Mingmei felt like she was having a run of bad luck.

Everything she did went wrong.

She was too embarrassed to recall how many times she had stepped on Mu Chen's feet while dancing last night, because she was so nervous about being watched.

Each time, he comforted her, saying it was okay and to practice more.

Even so, Mingmei still wondered if she had broken his foot that night (x_x;).

The people who came to watch were obviously there to ship their CP, with the mindset of "seeing through but not exposing."

As a result, Mingmei gave everyone a humorous comedy, "buy one get one free." Was that reasonable?

Now everyone knew she couldn't do ballroom dancing _(:3」∠)_. She didn't even want to go to the two lessons she had scheduled.

And then today, she entered a game that was even more restrictive than her Mysterious Merchant status!

Bah!

Bad luck!

[If you're bored, do you want me to show you Lu Xiaoyao's livestream for a while?]

"No, I don't want to watch Lu Xiaoyao's livestream for now. Send me another copy of the game's information, including the old version…"

After spending a long time trying to outwit the guards at the Cold Palace gate as soon as she logged in, Mingmei hadn't had time to look at the plot. Now that she took a closer look at the plot introduction, she was amazed.

Her uncle had really written a flower out of the era's background.

It was Hua Liang again, twenty-five years after the Shao Di (Young Emperor) ascended the throne and repelled the Chu Rong.

When Emperor Jing'an was young, the imperial court was in chaos. At that time, the assassins were secretly hired from the common people.

After the Chu Rong retreated, the Shao Di, Emperor Jing'an, began to rectify the imperial court. In the twenty-five years he had been in power, he had achieved peace and prosperity for the people.

The only flaw was that the Emperor had no children.

After Emperor Jing'an's thirty-fifth birthday, he adopted the suggestion of the court officials and directly selected four outstanding young men from the imperial clan to bring back to the palace to be raised as heirs.

And this year, at Emperor Jing'an's fortieth birthday banquet, the court officials once again inquired about the Crown Prince.

Although Emperor Jing'an directly issued an imperial decree at that time, he also stated that he intended to select the Crown Prince from among these four people.

As soon as this news spread, the imperial court and the harem were instantly thrown into turmoil…

The players either played as one of the princes who were heirs, or as some of the characters in the harem. The ultimate goal was to help their chosen character successfully ascend to the throne.

[However, Emperor Jing'an seemed to have had his own plans for a long time…]

Comparing the content introduction of the new and old versions, the addition of this last line in the new version made people's minds wander.

"Gui Gui, could this Emperor Jing'an be the big Boss in this script?"

[Host, there's no reward for guessing correctly~]

Mingmei: "…"

"I know, alright, it's still early. Show me Lu Xiaoyao's livestream. I want to see what role she's playing this time."

Realizing that she really couldn't get out, Mingmei returned to her palace, which looked simple and dilapidated on the outside but was actually exquisite and elegant inside. She lay on a rosewood carved beauty couch, closed her eyes, pretended to be dozing, and began watching Lu Xiaoyao's livestream.

As soon as she entered the livestream room, she was surrounded by [Hahahaha] filling the screen.

The reason was that Lu Xiaoyao's assigned character was very challenging.

"Hmm~~~?"

After a series of hopeless, rhythmic, and life-questioning "hmms," Mingmei looked at Lu Xiaoyao wearing the eunuch's uniform and understood.

"She's really a eunuch? Everything that should be there is not, and everything that shouldn't be there is also not there??"

Lu Xiaoyao wrapped herself in the quilt, gave herself a "spa" all over her body where the audience couldn't see, and confirmed—a real eunuch's body!

Yes, a eunuch is a castrated male servant, and the newly minted genuine Eunuch Lu immediately filled the entire livestream room with laughter.

[Pfft~ Sorry, but I really… hahahahahaha can't help it!!]

[Hahahahaha, I can't do it anymore, my baby was still wondering if she was a woman disguised as a eunuch, but…]

[Hahaha, she thought she had gotten the female lead script, a woman disguised as a eunuch being favored by the Emperor hahahahaha!]

[Facts have proved, daughter, oh no, son, eh? No, baby! You don't have the female lead's fate!]

[It's more than just not having the female lead's fate…]

[Not the male lead either!]

[Hey hey hey, the above is too mean, too mean, how can you laugh like that?]

[I can't help it, I still want to laugh.]

"Eunuch Lu~"

Suddenly, a shrill voice came from outside, calling towards Lu Xiaoyao's room.

"Ah, hey, hey! What, what's the matter you're calling, calling this one for?"

The moment she heard someone calling her from outside, Lu Xiaoyao, who had been crying the previous second, immediately got into character, threw off the quilt, pinched a orchid finger, and turned to open the door.

When she appeared in front of the little eunuch who had called her, Lu Xiaoyao raised her chin, her face full of impatience and unapproachability, and asked, "Why are you being so reckless? Speak up if you have something to say. While this one is changing clothes, what bad thing have you done again, you little brat?"

That nasal voice, that little look, Lu Xiaoyao really looked like a chief eunuch.

However, Mingmei felt that she was overdoing it slightly, exaggerating.

"His Majesty is summoning you in the Imperial Study. He wants you to go quickly."

The little eunuch gave Lu Xiaoyao a pleasing smile. Lu Xiaoyao snorted with a fake smile, already starting to pull up the electronic map in her mind.

When she arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Study, the body that had just been standing straight immediately bent over, standing respectfully outside the Imperial Study door.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at the four youths kneeling in a row on the steps, all wearing extraordinary clothes, and Lu Xiaoyao saw them all.

This made Lu Xiaoyao emo!

Why?!

People transmigrate and become princes, but she transmigrates and becomes a eunuch?!!