Snip snip snip, wash, cut, and style—wash, cut, and style.

Pan Residence

“Achoo—!”

After listening to her elder sister’s scolding and practicing the rules for a long time, Pan Yulian rubbed her nose awkwardly as she finally stepped into the Ninglan Courtyard.

How come it suddenly feels like a chilling wind is blowing behind me in broad daylight?

Glancing out at the bright sunny day, Pan Yulian shook her head. As usual, she sent the maid away and slipped into the room, pretending to take a short rest.

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the selectable concubine. You are one step closer to becoming the most favored in the imperial palace!]

[The palace intrigue mode is now unlocked, main storyline mode unlocked, Yunshang Yuyi Pavilion unlocked, character card pool unlocked, item shop unlocked... A generous gift package is offered to wholeheartedly support your palace struggle career. Enjoy your game.]

Pan Yulian was dazzled by this string of feature notifications.

Suppressing her excitement, she carefully examined each one.

In truth, this was essentially a mini-game disguised as palace intrigue—a game about collecting beautiful costumes, drawing character cards, fighting monsters, and leveling up.

Newly unlocked palace intrigue mode:

Court struggles are ruthless; Your Highness should prepare accordingly—VIP status required.

At VIP level one, you can spread rumors within the palace.

At VIP level three, you may frame and slander others. (One action allowed per month, refreshed monthly without accumulation.)

Character card pool:

Given the palace’s complicated ties with the previous dynasty, Your Highness cannot be without aides—card draws are available, with the first ten draws guaranteed to yield a full character card.

There are also costume draws and a shop...

Currently, Pan Yulian was wearing two sets of layered system costumes as if armored: one was the login gift “Delicate Charm,” and the other was the first recharge gift “Spring Banquet for Beauties.”

[Costume Level: Three Stars]

[Costume Rating: Beauty +2, Charm +3, Elegance +2, Gentleness +4]

[Costume Traits: Flirtatious, Elegant]

[Set Effect (activated when complete): A spring breeze caresses the banquet, a cup of green wine, a song or two, making the wearer feel as if at a spring feast, mood greatly uplifted.]

Indeed, a player without bugs is not a true player.

Normally, the character sprite could only wear one costume at a time.

But whenever Pan Yulian used the “Beauty Illustration,” she could wear multiple costumes layered on herself, aiming for the set effect. Whether it worked or not, Pan Yulian couldn’t say, as she hadn’t tested the layering limit yet.

Now, she looked at the character card within the system.

The first recharge had gifted her an SSR card, but it had always been grayed out and inactive.

Now, the card was unlocked.

Was it a miracle? It all depended on this.

Trembling, Pan Yulian gently tapped the character card.

[Di Huaizhen (SSR)—Outstanding demeanor, wise and articulate, a capable and upright official.]

[Note: Due to your special circumstances, this character is hastening to the capital. Please wait patiently, young mistress.]

It didn’t arrive immediately, but still offered hope.

Pan Yulian tried every function, only to find that the main storyline and battle features, though unlocked, were still unusable. She hurriedly submitted feedback to the system.

After all, all material and silver collection depended on progressing through the story and fighting monsters. Without those, she could only spend money, right???

The system briefly stalled before replying—

[Received your feedback, young mistress. Apologies, due to force majeure, this feature suffered irreversible damage. We have sent you a compensation gift package. Please check.]

Pan Yulian: ...

She stared silently at the so-called compensation gift for a long moment.

Alright then.

They were blatantly showing their true colors now.

This was just a front for pure pay-to-win.

---

[10 Yunshang Yuyi Cards, 10 Juxian Cards, 100 Silver Leaves, 1000 Velvet Cloud Threads, 10 Dream Furniture Random Gift Packs (temporarily unusable), 1 Beauty Illustration, Lingxi One-Point Incense (Limited Edition).]

To be honest, when the gift pack unfolded, it seemed like quite a lot of items.

Pan Yulian stared at the golden thread incense glowing faintly.

This was the first time a limited edition item appeared in the game.

[Lingxi One-Point Incense: Just a light touch, and your palace intrigue progress will take a great leap forward. Please light the incense and pray, key characters may assist you in overcoming palace difficulties.]

Such a vague item seemed unremarkable, but if used correctly, it could work wonders—or perhaps even save one’s life in palace intrigue failure and allow a comeback.

Even Sun Wukong had to face eighty-one trials on his journey—who can avoid hardship?

Pan Yulian carefully analyzed her predicament—

The foremost danger in this life-or-death game was the ruthless and cold “Dragon Overlord” male lead.

This male lead didn’t need anything else; a single identity alone suppressed Pan Yulian completely.

The first hurdle hiding from disaster in the palace was the Pan Residence.

With her meek demeanor over the years, and perhaps the little lucky bags from the system, she might just get past this minor challenge.

The second, greater hurdle lay within the palace itself—why was Pan Yulian chosen?

Now, she dreamed of appearing as an innocent, harmless little white flower.

After all, her scandalous “18+ starlet” appearance was far too flashy and extreme. If anything went wrong, she’d be eliminated in an instant, hardly making it into the palace.

If she failed to be selected, wouldn’t she fall into the hands of the male lead?

Better to spend money to avoid disaster!

This truth was undeniable.

Pan Yulian first washed her hands solemnly three times.

Then she knelt devoutly by her bed, murmuring prayers.

“System, I’m alive and well, and I keep recharging you without stop, right?”

“I’ve been poisoned by novels, so I’m prepared. I can accept your existence quickly and willingly enter the palace. You also have your use. If I quit, no one else would accept you so easily, right?”

“I pay, you serve, a fair deal.”

“You want to fleece me, I’m willing to endure it—mutual benefit.”

“Clear pricing, fair to all ages.”

Muttering as she went, Pan Yulian tapped the incense on the screen.

“Whoosh—”

On the void-like screen, a pale golden incense stick quickly ignited.

...

Cining Palace

At this moment, not only did the small Buddha hall fill with the scent of sandalwood incense, but the entire Cining Palace seemed to be suffused with it.

The palace maids held their breath, quietly waiting, lest they disturb the Empress Dowager’s chanting and worship.

As the emperor’s mother, Empress Dowager Wen should be at the pinnacle of power, revered by thousands, with all her wishes fulfilled. Yet in recent years, her time spent in worship had grown longer and longer.

Ultimately, the fact that Emperor Ming Chongdi had no offspring had become her greatest sorrow.

Back when he was Prince Zhen, the palace had never ceased holding selections of concubines.

After his ascension, Empress Dowager Wen had busied herself both inside and outside the palace.

This fuss had lasted nearly ten years.

Eventually, she realized harassing people was futile, and poured all her hopes into the intangible gods and buddhas.

In recent years, she neglected everything else, spending her days praying and worshipping, beseeching heaven for a beloved imperial grandson.

“Duk—duk—”

In the unusually silent Cining Palace, only the sound of a monk’s wooden fish being struck echoed.

Empress Dowager Wen closed her eyes, tapping the wooden fish as she chanted scriptures.

Chanting, her voice softened and her breathing slowed—she actually fell asleep in this quiet little Buddha hall—

[“It’s born, it’s born!”]

[“Great joy!”]

[“It’s a little prince!”]

Half-dreaming, Empress Dowager Wen vaguely knew she was dreaming but hadn’t had time to think further before she heard jubilant cries and saw a household beaming with happiness.

A new birth.

Involuntarily, she followed the crowd to look at the child in the midwife’s arms—a chubby, adorable little thing.

The midwife, dressed in red and green, grinned proudly, “See, was this old woman right? How can that frail noble lady, so delicate and weak, raise a little prince? Only a woman with a big chest and rounded hips can bear such a child!”

On this joyous day, everyone praised the midwife, agreeing loudly.

“My old sister speaks the truth.”

“My wife is always as skinny as the wind blows...”

“I say it’s the daughter-in-law’s name—people say jade nourishes people; surely she’s blessed?”

The elegantly dressed old woman nearby trembled with tears in her eyes, hands clasped, “Amitabha, may heaven bless us—our Li family has an heir.”

Empress Dowager Wen, squeezed in the crowd, heard every word clearly, feeling a pang of empathy as she looked at the old woman.

For a moment, thinking of her own missing grandson, Empress Dowager Wen’s heart ached...

“Your Highness!”

Nurse Zheng entered with lotus seed soup and was startled to find the Empress Dowager, who had been chanting, now asleep with tears streaming down her face, dropping the bowl in shock.

***

When Emperor Ming Chongdi hurried to Cining Palace, Empress Dowager Wen had already been helped to rest on the couch by attendants.

Seeing the emperor, she dismissed the imperial doctors and servants, gripping him tightly and speaking of the Bodhisattva’s manifestation.

“Your Majesty, the Bodhisattva has appeared! The Bodhisattva has appeared!”

Tears filled her eyes, her voice trembling with excitement.

Setting aside other matters, Empress Dowager Wen was more inclined to believe it was the palace women’s incompetence that prevented her son, the emperor, from having an heir.

Through tears she said repeatedly, “...It’s all their fault. I have received the Bodhisattva’s guidance. This selection must pick some good ones for you...”

*

Eunuch Wei stood outside the hall. Seeing the solemn Emperor Ming Chongdi emerge, he normally would smile and ask if His Majesty wished for a carriage ride, but now he bowed silently, not daring to speak.

Wei Shunzhong had been with Ming Chongdi since his time as a prince.

The emperor was magnanimous from youth, his moods unreadable.

He was frugal and dignified, with a handsome appearance.

When the late emperor was alive, he often said the third son loved classics and history, solemn as a god, with the bearing of a true ruler... Later, even though he had no children, this great responsibility fell upon Ming Chongdi.

Now, Ming Chongdi was indifferent to concubine selections.

To be blunt, when he first ascended, beauties across the realm were at his disposal. For the sake of an heir, he had been reckless for a time.

Later... he devoted himself fully to governance.

Listening attentively to the people, working diligently from dawn to dusk.

Yet treacherous villains still attacked him, citing his lack of offspring as a fault, scheming to overthrow the court.

Could his merits and faults be judged by whether he had children?!

Absurd!

Ming Chongdi glanced coolly back at Cining Palace, then lifted his foot toward the Qianqing Palace.

After a few steps, he said, “To ease the Empress Dowager’s constant worry, this time the selection will be advanced. The regulations will be sent to Cining Palace today.”

Eunuch Wei promptly replied, “Yes.”

...