Night…
Dark and endless.
A frigid wind swept past their ears, whistling through the crimson palace walls like the mournful cries of ghosts.
Jiang Yunshu pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she walked slowly along the deserted palace path. Beside her, her young maid, Erya, kept whispering anxiously,
“My Lady, I beg you… let’s go back. It’s too dark here… it’s terrifying!
“And… and just ahead is Fenghua Palace. It’s been abandoned for years. They say it’s haunted…”
Jiang Yunshu glanced at Erya and lowered her voice.
“Keep your voice down. It’ll be easier if there’s no one around.”
Erya looked utterly confused.
“My Lady… what exactly are you trying to do?”
Ever since Jiang Yunshu had fallen into the lake half a month ago, something had seemed… off.
She constantly said strange things and acted mysteriously.
Erya had no idea how her mistress had changed so drastically.
Was it because she realized she’d never have a chance to meet the Emperor in this lifetime? Had the despair driven her mad?
Lost in thought, Erya suddenly noticed Jiang Yunshu stop walking. She hurried to a halt as well, nervously glancing around to make sure no one had seen them.
She didn’t even know what she was afraid of.
Nor did she know what her mistress intended to do.
Jiang Yunshu stared at the tightly shut palace gates.
“Erya, go open the door.”
Erya’s hand holding the lantern trembled.
“I… I’m scared…”
“Scared of what? If you won’t do it, I will.”
Jiang Yunshu climbed the steps and pushed the heavy doors open with one hand.
Creak—
The gates slowly swung open, sending years’ worth of dust raining down. Jiang Yunshu immediately squeezed her eyes shut.
Turning sideways, she carefully slipped inside and urged,
“Erya, hurry up and come in.”
Erya glanced nervously behind her before asking,
“My Lady, why have we come to Fenghua Palace?”
“Shh…”
Jiang Yunshu pressed a finger to her lips before continuing deeper into the abandoned palace, compass in hand.
They pushed through waist-high weeds until they reached the southwest corner of Fenghua Palace.
Found it.
After making sure no one was nearby, Jiang Yunshu tugged at Erya’s sleeve.
“Wait here. Don’t come over.”
Erya looked around fearfully.
“My Lady… what are you trying to do?”
“Shh!”
Jiang Yunshu silenced her again before walking toward a corner wall.
She checked the compass one last time.
Yes.
This was the spot.
She pulled out a dagger.
Just then—
A shadow flashed silently over her head.
She froze.
A trick of the eyes?
Probably.
Not giving it much thought, she crouched down and raised her dagger to carve a mark into the wall.
Another shadow swept overhead.
This time she knew it wasn’t her imagination.
Someone really had flown over her.
She looked up.
Dozens of black-clad figures were leaping across the rooftops, heading straight toward the dilapidated palace hall.
Jiang Yunshu’s hand tightened around the dagger as it trembled violently.
Could my luck get any worse?
After transmigrating here, this was the first time she’d ventured outside—
And she immediately stumbled into something this dangerous.
She wanted to cry, but no tears would come.
Isn’t this supposed to be the tyrant’s imperial harem?
Shouldn’t the harem be the safest place in the palace?
Why are assassins flying around in the middle of the night?
She didn’t dare dwell on it.
One thing was certain.
This place wasn’t safe.
Whatever she’d come here to do would have to wait.
Saving her life came first.
Without another thought, she ducked into the waist-high weeds, grabbed someone’s arm, and whispered urgently,
“Quick, Erya! It’s dangerous here—we have to run!”
The night was pitch-black.
She couldn’t even tell if she’d grabbed the right person.
She only noticed that…
Erya’s arm seemed unusually sturdy.
Keeping her head down, she ran as fast as she could.
Several more assassins flew overhead.
Jiang Yunshu immediately hissed,
“Quick! Erya, crouch down!”
She tugged at the arm.
The person didn’t move.
Frowning, she turned around, ready to scold her—
Only to discover…
She’d grabbed the wrong person.
Jiang Yunshu froze.
Her eyes widened in horror as she stared at the man dressed in a bright imperial yellow dragon robe.
He looked down at her from above, his gaze dark, cold, and faintly appraising.
Setting aside those chilling eyes…
His face was breathtaking.
It looked as though the heavens themselves had sculpted every perfect feature.
Flawless from every angle.
Like a celestial immortal.
And…
She was still holding his hand.
Slowly, Jiang Yunshu let go.
Then her mind suddenly jolted awake.
A bright yellow dragon robe…
The… the Emperor!
The tyrant—Chu Yi!
And she…
Jiang Yunshu…
Was merely one of the low-ranking Noble Ladies in his imperial harem.
She had transmigrated into the Great Jing Dynasty ten days ago and had already inherited all of the original owner’s memories.
The original Jiang Yunshu had entered the palace three years ago, yet had never once laid eyes on the Emperor.
She was so insignificant that even if she died, no one in the palace would notice.
The original owner had adored the Emperor.
After waiting in vain for three years without ever receiving an imperial summons, she gradually sank into depression.
Then, during an accident, she slipped into a lotus pond…
And drowned.
That was when Jiang Yunshu—a twenty-first-century office worker who had literally worked herself to death—had taken over this body.
When she’d first arrived, she’d wanted nothing more than to reject reality.
She hated emperors with sprawling harems more than anything.
Yet…
She had become one of their consorts.
If this was transmigration, she’d rather not have transmigrated at all.
So she’d racked her brains trying to change her fate.
She had searched through every book in the palace related to metaphysics and transmigration.
She had even built her own feng shui compass, intending to locate the place with the weakest spiritual field.
Her plan was to attempt another soul transmigration during the most yin-heavy date, hour, and minute.
Tonight was the perfect opportunity.
Fenghua Palace was the perfect location.
But…
Not only had her plan failed—
She had actually run into the Emperor.
And even grabbed his hand.
She had no desire to become the Emperor’s favored consort.
She’d rather spend the rest of her life living quietly in poverty within the harem.
Nor did she want to fight countless women for one man’s affection.
Yet now…
Even heaven itself seemed determined to shove her toward the Emperor.
What could she possibly do?
Just as the thought crossed her mind—
One of the assassins spotted Chu Yi and charged straight at him.
Without thinking, Jiang Yunshu threw herself forward.
She wrapped both arms around Chu Yi and shouted,
“Your Majesty, be careful!”
The next instant…
She hugged nothing but air.
Instead, she stumbled directly into the assassin’s blade.
Facing the icy gleam of the sword, her heart pounded wildly.
Her whole body shook uncontrollably.
Even so, at the critical moment, she still shouted,
“Your Majesty, run! I’ll protect you!”
If I die… then so be it.
Maybe I’ll transmigrate again in my next life.
But if I survive…
At the very least, the Emperor will remember me.
Even if I don’t gain his favor, I should at least earn a reward.
With that thought, she lunged forward without hesitation, trying to grab the assassin’s leg.
Before she could touch him—
Chu Yi swept past her like a gust of wind.
One slash.
The assassin’s throat was cut clean through.
Warm crimson blood splashed across Jiang Yunshu’s face.
She stared in stunned terror at Chu Yi.
His expression hadn’t changed in the slightest.
His eyes remained dark and merciless.
Her cherry-red lips trembled.
“Y-Your Majesty… are… are you alright?”
Chu Yi gave her a cold, indifferent glance.
Then he leaped away.
Under Jiang Yunshu’s stunned gaze, he dispatched every remaining assassin within moments.
Just a few effortless sword strikes.
Every black-clad killer lay dead.
As expected of the Mad Tyrant.
The very tyrant rumored to drink from human skulls.
A handful of sword strokes…
And countless lives were gone.
Standing tall among mountains of corpses, he looked less like a man…
And more like the King of Hell himself, risen from the depths of the underworld.
Just then—
Erya’s frantic voice rang out.
“M-My Lady! Are you alright? Are you hurt? Why… why are you covered in blood?”