The fifth year of Qianlong, Summer.
Inside the ironing room of the Sizhiku, the young maids were busy with their respective tasks.
These clothes belonged to the Emperor and the various noble masters of the palaces, so the maids were very careful when ironing them.
Some clever maids, seeing the head aunt of the ironing room walk in, worked even more diligently and earnestly.
Being able to enter the ironing room was considered a good job for these lowly maids; at the very least, they didn’t have to wash clothes or carry heavy objects.
Aunt Yun, the head of the ironing room, walked straight to the ironing board by the window. The maid carefully ironing the clothes there had a beautiful face. Even wearing the most ordinary maid outfit could not hide her natural beauty.
Yanwan raised her hand to wipe the light sweat from her forehead. Seeing Aunt Yun approaching, a sweet smile appeared on her beautiful little face, and she said beamingly:
“Aunt, you’re here. The Emperor’s clothes have all been ironed. Please take a look, Aunt. If there are no problems, I’ll have someone send them to the Imperial presence.”
A smile appeared on Aunt Yun’s usually unsmiling face. The girl in front of her had a sweet and bright smile. Not only was she a sweet talker, but she also did the tasks assigned to her the best. Who wouldn’t like a girl like this!
There were many maids in the Sizhiku, but most of them quickly had their spirit worn away by the heavy workload, becoming overly rigid and exuding a sense of numbness!
Although the Forbidden City was strict about rules, having such a bright and beautiful little girl around, no one had the heart to be too harsh.
“There are no problems. Since these are the Emperor’s clothes, it’s better if you deliver them to the Imperial presence yourself.”
Aunt Yun pulled over the tray on the side, looked at the neatly ironed clothes, and nodded, instructing Yanwan gently. This mild attitude made the surrounding little maids look at Yanwan with envy.
They were all lowly maids of the Sizhiku, yet only Yanwan was favored by Aunt Yun, usually helping her manage the ironing room.
Only the Emperor’s clothes were handled by her personally. Who wouldn’t envy such treatment?
Not only did they envy her light workload, but they also envied her beauty; she was the prettiest girl in the Sizhiku.
However, envy was just envy, and no one dared to harbor any malicious intentions. After all, she was acquainted with the chief eunuchs of the Imperial presence, who frequently visited the Sizhiku to see her.
These were people by the Emperor’s side, and no one wanted to bring such trouble upon themselves.
When Yanwan walked onto the palace path carrying the tray, she looked at the Qixiang Palace as she passed by. The smile on her face faded, and she blinked, hiding the malice in her eyes.
In *Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace*, Concubine Jia had abused Wei Yanwan for a full five years. Now that she had replaced Wei Yanwan, she definitely had to strike first when the opportunity arose!
That’s right, no one could have imagined that Wei Yanwan from *Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace* had been quietly replaced!
Her real name was Lin Qingqing. In the modern world, she was about to marry her fiancé, but unexpectedly, she was chosen as a host by a system called [Beauty’s Glory Record]. The two hit it off instantly, and that was how she ended up here.
She thought she could just take over a ready-made concubine’s identity, but she didn’t expect that at this point in the timeline, the original owner was still a lowly maid in the Sizhiku.
Her task was simple: reverse the original owner’s fate, become a woman like Zhao Hede, captivate the Emperor to win his heart, and become the Empress along the way.
System: …
The System sweatdropped: It didn’t say all that. The task was merely to win the Emperor’s heart and become the Empress.
Lin Qingqing had also watched *Ruyi’s Royal Love in the Palace*. Although Wei Yanwan was not a good person, she was one of the rare people in this harem who knew how to strive for advancement. Lin Qingqing’s personality was actually somewhat similar to Wei Yanwan’s.
They were equally pragmatic and both wanted to live a good life!
Since her task was to become the Empress, and the current Empress Fuca had a limited lifespan, Ruyi, the future step-empress, was her biggest rival. However, to get close to the Emperor, she still needed Ruyi.
Because of this, after arriving here half a year ago, she did not go to serve the First Prince like the original owner did. Instead, she stayed in the Sizhiku and casually conquered Ling Yunche along the way!
Didn’t Ruyi claim that her bond with Ling Yunche transcended romantic love between a man and a woman?!
This time, she absolutely had to teach Ruyi a lesson and let this highly arrogant Consort Xian see what true emotional manipulation really looks like!
Back in the modern world, Lin Qingqing had used her looks and acting skills to hook a powerful and wealthy boyfriend, becoming the boss’s wife of a listed company right after graduating from college.
Originally an acting major, she used all her acting skills on her boyfriend. Not only did she coax him into being utterly obedient to her, but she also took over his career and money.
The reason the System chose Lin Qingqing out of millions of candidates was that her past conduct was exceptionally brilliant!
Although she was vain, she was a scheming and resourceful woman!
Such a person was actually well-suited for palace life. Having pursuits, having goals, and knowing how to use her own beauty—if the women in this palace had this kind of awareness, they generally wouldn’t fare too badly.
The women in the palace were ruthless in their methods. The System naturally couldn’t find a naive little white rabbit, so it simply brought in Lin Qingqing, a scheming woman who was adept at playing with men’s hearts.
Thinking of the things Lin Qingqing had done since arriving here, the System felt quite a bit of schadenfreude.
It wondered if the female lead, Ruyi, could even endure until the later stages of the plot!
For Lin Qingqing, she already possessed both money and a lover. The only thing she wanted was the System’s reward of eternal youth!
What beautiful woman would be willing to grow old? No matter how much money one had, it couldn’t buy ageless beauty.
Sensing her thoughts, the System couldn’t help but speak up:
“When all the tasks are completed, I will send you back to the modern world. Your appearance will be even more beautiful than the original owner’s. It should be even easier to conquer the Emperor using your looks. As long as he develops feelings for you, I will have the energy to help you maintain your youth and beauty.”
Looking in the direction of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, a look of inevitable victory appeared on her charming face. Even if he was the Emperor, wasn’t he just an ordinary man?
“I’m really looking forward to it. Seducing the Emperor right beside Ruyi—just thinking about it is thrilling!”
No matter how bold the original owner was, she still had some bottom line, but Lin Qingqing had none!
Not only did she want to snatch away Ruyi’s position as Empress, but she also wanted to snatch the young man Ruyi cared about the most.
She was going to live a completely different life from the original owner!
In front of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Li Yu, who was guarding the door, saw a slender maid walking towards the entrance from afar.
He was about to step forward when he saw his disciple, Jin Zhong, walking over from the side, grinning and handing him a package. Li Yu took it, confused. Opening the wrapped handkerchief, he saw it was a packet of preserved peaches.
“This is a little something to show respect to my master. It’s hot out, eating some preserved fruit will produce saliva and quench your thirst.”
Li Yu pointed a finger at him playfully. Since they were close, he didn’t stand on ceremony. He reached out, picked up a piece of dried peach, popped it into his mouth, and mumbled:
“Stop being a smooth talker. Pay attention to the movements inside the hall. Don’t let the Emperor be unable to find someone when he needs to.”
While the two were talking, Yanwan had already arrived at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. Hearing the footsteps, Li Yu and Jin Zhong turned around and were both visibly stunned.
Every time they saw this girl, it was a feast for the eyes. It was just a simple, wide-sleeved maid’s outfit, but paired with her delicate, exquisite little face, she naturally exuded a fairy-like aura.
There was no shortage of beauties in this palace, and none of the Emperor’s concubines were bad-looking, but the appearance of the girl in front of them was truly top-tier.
Yanwan glanced at the entrance of the Hall of Mental Cultivation. At this time, the Emperor should be meeting with ministers. She knew this in her heart, so she curtsied slightly and said with a bright smile:
“Yanwan greets the two eunuchs. The Emperor’s clothes have been prepared. Where should I place them?”
Jin Zhong hurriedly stepped forward to take the tray from her hands. Looking at the beads of sweat on her forehead, he asked with concern:
“Why is it you delivering clothes again? Did someone in the Sizhiku bully you?”
It was exactly the sixth month, when the weather was at its hottest. Who would have the heart to let this flower-like girl suffer?
Jin Zhong frowned, secretly feeling ruthless in his heart, preparing to go to the Sizhiku later to see which blind fool dared to bully his Yanwan!
Li Yu on the side also looked at Yanwan with concern. He handed the preserved fruit in his hand to her and said gently:
“If you suffer any grievances, you must tell us. We are all so familiar with each other, don’t just cry secretly by yourself.”
Wei Yanwan had come to deliver clothes quite a bit over the past half year. She was someone who never got up early without profit. With the goal of gathering support for herself, she had long since become familiar with the people in the Imperial presence.
She had a very favorable impression of Jin Zhong, an ally of the original owner. He was someone who got things done. If Wei Yanwan hadn’t gone crazy and killed Jin Zhong, she probably wouldn’t have been defeated so quickly.
The first time she came to the Imperial presence to deliver clothes after transmigrating into this body, Jin Zhong had spotted her. Before she even had to take the initiative, this kid came to the Sizhiku to see her whenever he was free. After a few interactions, the two developed into allies.
Her relaxed life in the Sizhiku was also inseparable from Jin Zhong’s care.
“With the two of you looking after me, who could bully me? The others in the ironing room just happened to have errands, so I came to see you on the way.”
Yanwan wasn’t polite either. She ate the preserved fruit and sweet-talked them. Her eyes were clear and without any haze, which finally set their minds at ease.
It was rare for Jin Zhong to see Yanwan, and his eyes never left her. Holding the tray, he guarded by her side, constantly asking about her recent situation.
Li Yu on the side felt he couldn’t bear to watch. Ever since the Wang Qin incident, maids and eunuchs in this palace were forbidden to pair up.
Moreover, with Yanwan’s outstanding appearance, even if she had no desire to climb higher, if the Emperor saw her, he probably wouldn’t let her pass!
Looking at Jin Zhong’s overly attentive behavior, Li Yu couldn’t help but think of his fellow provincial, Suoxin, who was in the Cold Palace.
He wondered how Suoxin was doing. The last time he went to the Cold Palace to see her, she had lost an unbelievable amount of weight.
Following Consort Xian, she hadn’t suffered any less. To say something highly disrespectful, following that master was worse than being in the Sizhiku. At least in the Sizhiku, he could look after her.
After chatting with the two for a while, Yanwan prepared to leave. This was the Imperial presence after all, and Li Yu and Jin Zhong were still on duty.
She didn’t want to run into the Emperor right now, so it was better to avoid him.
When Jin Zhong saw her off, he gave her a subtle look. Yanwan’s heart stirred, and the two tacitly didn’t say anything more.
Walking on the palace path, thinking of Jin Zhong’s look just now, it seemed the Emperor had decided to release Ruyi from the Cold Palace, and she needed to hurry up on her end!
Thinking of this, Yanwan changed her direction and walked towards the Cold Palace.
Ling Yunche and Zhao Jiuxiao were guarding the entrance of the Cold Palace. While the two were laughing and chatting, Zhao Jiuxiao nudged his shoulder and signaled Ling Yunche to look ahead.
“Your little childhood sweetheart is here to look for you. I can keep an eye on things here. Don’t make the lady wait, go on.”
Ling Yunche turned his head and saw Yanwan standing under the red wall not far away, looking at him with a beaming smile.
This Cold Palace was considered the most remote and desolate place in the palace, but Yanwan’s appearance made this desolate Cold Palace seem to take on a bright color. This tender beauty made even the summer sunlight seem gentler.
Zhao Jiuxiao watched Ling Yunche leave with a silly smile. This kid was really damn lucky that such a lovable girl would take a fancy to him!
“Yanwan, why are you here? I was just planning to look for you after my shift tonight!”
Wei Yanwan looked at Ling Yunche with a smile. He was tall and handsome, and his eyes were filled with adoration when he looked at her, completely different from the person in the drama who watched his childhood sweetheart suffer yet remained indifferent.
“The head aunt asked me to come out and deliver something, so I dropped by to see you. We haven’t seen each other for a few days, didn’t you miss me?”
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the Cold Palace ahead. This Cold Palace was really old and dilapidated. Weeds could be seen through the cracks of the tightly shut doors. Living here for a long time would really drive someone crazy!
“Of course I missed you. I was originally planning to visit you tonight, but there has been trouble in the Cold Palace these past few days, and Zhao Jiuxiao and I really didn’t dare to leave our posts lightly.”
Ling Yunche was afraid Yanwan would misunderstand, so he explained anxiously, deeply afraid she would think he hadn’t been thinking about her.
Seeing the light sweat still on her fair forehead, he felt a bit of heartache and raised his hand to wipe it for her, but Yanwan gently swatted it away.
“Your hands aren’t clean and you want to wipe my face. Stop being slick and tell me, did the person inside take advantage of you recently?”
Ling Yunche naturally retracted his hand. Despite being questioned by her, his face showed happiness, and he said a bit embarrassedly:
“Don’t speak nonsense, you’re the only one who can take advantage of me. I have good news for you. I was planning to find you tonight, but since you’re here, do you want to know?”
Good news?
Wei Yanwan blinked. Seeing his mysterious expression, she couldn’t help but guess. Could it be that this guy had managed to get money from Hailan again?
The System heard their conversation and was also guessing what the good news was.
Its host didn’t follow the usual path. If it were anyone else, they would probably try to find a way to eliminate Ruyi’s simp from the show!
Its host, however, had ‘conquered’ Ling Yunche, making him deeply in love with her and practically obedient to her every word.
Conquering him did have its benefits. In order to keep his beloved girl from suffering, Ling Yunche listened to Yanwan’s words and deliberately approached Ruyi.
Not only did he gain Ruyi’s trust, but he even gained Hailan’s trust!
Ling Yunche looked left and right. Seeing her puzzled expression, he didn’t wait for her to speak and pulled Yanwan aside, whispering:
“Our plan is probably going to succeed. A few days ago, Consort Xian was burning paper money in the Cold Palace and actually attracted the Empress Dowager. A crazy dowager consort in the Cold Palace tried to assassinate the Empress Dowager, and Consort Xian really stepped in to save her!”
Hearing his words, Wei Yanwan’s eyes lit up instantly. She held Ling Yunche’s arm and asked with pleasant surprise:
“Then how is Consort Xian? Brother Yunche, did you stop it?”
The girl who was just looking noble and cold instantly broke character. Ling Yunche shook his head helplessly, leaned close to her ear, and whispered:
“I could have stopped it, but since we wanted to make a big scene, Consort Xian getting a little injured would alarm the Emperor. I waited until the dagger stabbed Consort Xian before stepping forward to save her. The imperial physician has already examined her; it’s just a stab wound to the abdomen from the dagger, there’s no danger to her life.”
Surprise flashed in Wei Yanwan’s eyes. Sure enough, once a person lets go of their bottom line, they fall very quickly.
She and Ling Yunche had only agreed to pretend to protect Ruyi to gain her trust. Although they were supposed to add fuel to the flames and cause a commotion, she hadn’t told Ling Yunche to do this!
But Ling Yunche’s actions absolutely won her heart!
She hadn’t forgotten how Ruyi and that group of patients with ‘Yi-syndrome’ suppressed Wei Yanwan in the drama!
Now that she had become Wei Yanwan, she wouldn’t let a single one of these people off. Just wait and see.
Wei Yanwan’s heart was full of malice, but on the surface, she looked at Ling Yunche with admiration and praised him sweetly:
“Brother Yunche is amazing as expected. With your multiple life-saving graces, this Consort Xian will have to repay us. I hope when she leaves the Cold Palace, she’ll be willing to transfer me to her palace. Brother Yunche, everything depends on you now!”
Even though this girl called him ‘Brother Yunche’ when she needed something and ‘Little Ling’ when she didn’t, Ling Yunche endured it gladly.
Unable to withstand the sweet words of his beloved girl, his handsome face quickly flushed with red, and his whole person became even more high-spirited.
The reason Yanwan asked Ling Yunche to gain Ruyi’s trust was, firstly, to take revenge on Ruyi for stealing the original owner’s childhood sweetheart.
Making him fall in love with someone else was one thing, but she constantly disgusted Wei Yanwan for no reason, saying she climbed a high branch and abandoned her childhood sweetheart.
Since Ruyi played foul first, she shouldn’t blame her for retaliating in full.
This time, the person using Ling Yunche to strike and fool others was her!
The second purpose was to use this opportunity to work in Ruyi’s Yikun Palace.
Going to the Yikun Palace would not only prevent her from being targeted by the protagonist group, but it would also provide a prime location to come into contact with the Emperor. There was no place more suitable than this.
Moreover, the reason the original owner was tortured by Concubine Jia for five years was partly due to Ruyi’s contribution.
How could she easily let off this source of disaster that caused the original owner’s misfortune? She absolutely wouldn’t let Ruyi have an easy time!
While the two were talking, Ling Yunche looked at the Cold Palace in front of him and said with a somewhat weird expression:
“Yanwan, do you think the Emperor will really let Consort Xian leave the Cold Palace? The Empress Dowager and the Noble Consort both came the past two days. I saw that Consort Xian looks to be about the same age as the Empress Dowager. I heard she was sent in here because she plotted against the imperial heirs.”
This Consort Xian was framed every couple of days, which showed that these concubines were wary of her.
Ling Yunche had been guarding the Cold Palace for almost two years now. Seeing this Consort Xian becoming incredibly thin from being tormented by leftovers and aging day by day, he really couldn’t understand what these concubines were so afraid of.
The Emperor had so many beautiful concubines. With Consort Xian looking like this, could she really make it out of the Cold Palace?
Besides, this Consort Xian was also out of her mind. Even after entering the Cold Palace, she still planted flowers, saying something about maintaining decency even in the Cold Palace. With that effort, it would have been better to plant some vegetables to eat.
His words made Yanwan laugh out loud. Her originally beautiful face became even more touching with the smile. Ling Yunche looked at this delicate girl, unwilling to even blink his eyes.
“I heard that Consort Xian and the Emperor have a relationship just like ours. She is constantly being targeted by others now, and with people constantly reminding the Emperor, maybe his heart has softened.”
Wei Yanwan knew the plot, so naturally she spoke with certainty, but Ling Yunche was not as optimistic as she was.
Being a man, he naturally understood men the best.
If the Emperor really had feelings for Consort Xian, how could he have sent her into the Cold Palace?
What kind of place the Cold Palace was, they, the guards, all knew. How could the Emperor, who grew up in the palace, not know?!
Looking at the delicate and flower-like girl in front of him, Ling Yunche was very certain in his heart. Even if his Yanwan committed a massive mistake, he would never hurt her, let her eat such bitterness, or suffer such torment!