Erya supported Jiang Yunshu as they staggered along the deserted palace pathway.
Looking up at the fading night sky, Jiang Yunshu realized dawn was about to break.
She had stayed awake the entire night.
And she wasn’t the only one.
The Empress’s palace had been awake all night as well.
As Jiang Yunshu and Erya passed Fengyi Palace, the Empress’s residence, the heavy scent of blood drifted through the air. Punishment was still being carried out inside, accompanied by heart-wrenching cries of agony.
Jiang Yunshu couldn’t help glancing toward it, feeling a trace of pity for the Empress.
Then she recalled something the tyrant emperor had said—that he would repay, many times over, everything her father and brothers had done to him.
From what she knew…
Hadn’t the emperor once been sent away as a hostage?
Could it be that he had been held hostage in the Empress’s homeland and cruelly abused by her father and brothers?
So now…
He was taking revenge!
Good heavens!
Thinking about it that way, it made sense. Someone as deranged as the tyrant emperor must have suffered inhuman torment as a child. No wonder his personality had become so twisted.
Still…
The Empress didn’t seem like a harmless woman either.
She actually dared to resist him.
She even attempted to assassinate the emperor!
My goodness!
If these two were the leads of a romance novel…
What an incredible couple they’d make!
Lovers and enemies, trying to kill each other—it was peak toxic romance.
The only pity was for all the innocent people caught in between.
After returning to Shuixiang Garden, the young eunuch Xiao Zuo hurried over excitedly.
“Congratulations, My Lady! Congratulations! Eunuch Liu from the Imperial Kitchen personally delivered today’s meals. He also said that if Your Ladyship has any preferences, you only need to let them know in advance.”
Jiang Yunshu curled her lips into a smile, already imagining the aroma of delicious food.
She quickened her pace toward the hall.
From a distance, she saw an entire table filled with exquisitely prepared dishes.
She had been in this world for over ten days.
Every meal had either been leftovers or buns so hard they could be used as rocks.
Today was the first time she’d seen a genuine imperial banquet.
It was even more refined than she’d imagined.
The dishes looked beautiful, smelled wonderful, and tasted delicious.
Unable to wait any longer, Jiang Yunshu sat down.
Beside her, Erya immediately picked up a pair of chopsticks and began serving food onto her plate.
Despite being ravenously hungry, Jiang Yunshu ate slowly.
Back in her previous life, she’d had a weak stomach.
The old Chinese physician had always reminded her to chew carefully and eat slowly, so she’d developed the habit.
She had completely forgotten…
This body was brand new.
Young and healthy, too.
The original owner had entered the palace at fifteen. Three years had passed, making her only eighteen now.
In modern times…
That was practically still a teenager.
Naturally, Jiang Yunshu couldn’t finish such a lavish meal by herself.
But after experiencing how difficult life in the palace could be, she looked at Erya.
“Erya, pack up the untouched dishes and lower them into the well.”
Erya blinked in confusion.
“Into the well? Why?”
“It’s cool down there. The food won’t spoil as easily.”
Erya’s eyes immediately lit up.
“My Lady, you’re so clever!”
After saying it, however, Jiang Yunshu suddenly felt embarrassed by herself.
They were only a few dishes.
Why was she hoarding them?
The tyrant emperor had already summoned her to share his bed.
She’d even shamelessly begged him for food right to his face.
The Imperial Kitchen had just promised to take care of her.
Would they really mistreat her from now on?
How pathetic.
Thinking that, she immediately stopped Erya.
“Forget it. Don’t save them. Take them and share everything with Xiao Zuo.”
Erya froze before finally reacting.
She bowed deeply.
“Thank you for your reward, My Lady!”
“Go on.”
Watching Erya’s delighted expression, bitterness welled up inside Jiang Yunshu.
She’d only been thinking about herself.
She had never considered the people beside her.
Now…
She had no choice anymore.
She could only survive in this deep palace.
The tyrant emperor had already claimed her.
So why not gamble on becoming his favored consort?
He’d suffered unimaginable abuse as a child, leaving him mentally warped.
He seemed especially fond of her neck.
Perhaps because he was psychologically twisted…
His tastes were unusual as well.
Lost in thought, Jiang Yunshu walked over to the bronze mirror.
The first thing she noticed was the jet-black gemstone resting against her pale neck, its dark luster standing out sharply against her fair skin.
Then…
She noticed the countless red love bites scattered across her neck.
She’d expected them to hurt.
Surprisingly…
They didn’t hurt at all.
She even had to admit—
The tyrant emperor was incredibly skilled in bed.
He had given her an amazing night.
Aside from the pain at the beginning, when she lost her virginity…
The rest of it had been… very enjoyable.
Since she was already here…
She might as well make peace with it.
She really hadn’t come out at a loss.
Jiang Yunshu…
Accept your new reality.
Although dawn had already arrived, Jiang Yunshu still slept comfortably.
In this fictional imperial harem, the Empress didn’t require the consorts to pay their respects every day.
Only on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month.
Coincidentally…
Tomorrow happened to be the first.
After such a major incident in the Empress’s palace, tomorrow’s morning audience was sure to provide plenty of entertainment.
As an insignificant Noble Lady in the harem…
The greatest advantage was quietly watching everyone else’s drama unfold.
She hadn’t seen the emperor for three years, yet she’d suddenly been summoned to his bed.
No one found it particularly strange.
After all…
The tyrant emperor never followed common sense.
So Noble Lady Jiang didn’t become the target of everyone’s attention.
Instead…
The entire harem pitied the Empress a little more.
The first day of the month.
Yawning repeatedly, Jiang Yunshu allowed Erya to dress and style her hair.
That stingy tyrant emperor…
She had spent the night with him.
The least he could have done was reward her with something.
Instead…
He’d only given her that shabby black gemstone and a single good meal.
Fortunately, she’d been thick-skinned enough to ask for food herself.
Otherwise, she probably wouldn’t have received anything at all.
Looking at her plain dresses and cheap jewelry…
Even she found them unbearably shabby.
Oh well.
At least the original owner had been blessed with a beautiful face.
Pulling herself together, Jiang Yunshu headed toward the Empress’s palace.
Her residence, Anning Palace, was quite far away, so she had to leave early.
After what had happened in the Empress’s palace, the Empress was undoubtedly in a foul mood.
If she caught anyone making even the slightest mistake…
She would probably use them as an outlet for her anger.
To avoid becoming collateral damage, Jiang Yunshu needed to be extremely cautious and give no one any reason to find fault with her.
By the time she arrived…
Half of the imperial harem had already gathered.
The Empress’s throne remained empty.
The seats immediately below it on both sides were also vacant.
According to the original owner’s memories, they belonged to the two most favored women in the harem.
One was Noble Consort Wan.
Her father was the Duke of Zhenguo.
Back then, he had protected the tyrant emperor while escorting him back from enemy territory, carving a bloody path that eventually led him to the throne.
Her powerful maternal family secured Noble Consort Wan’s lofty position in the palace.
No matter how tyrannical the emperor was, he still depended on powerful noble families to stabilize his rule.
However…
Noble Consort Wan had no children.
Judging from the usual palace intrigue stories, it was likely the emperor himself had ensured she remained childless.
After all, he wouldn’t want his most favored consort’s powerful family to become even stronger through an imperial heir.
The other empty seat belonged to Consort De.
She was famously voluptuous.
For a while, everyone in the palace thought the emperor preferred curvier women.
A trend swept through the harem as many women tried to gain weight.
In the end…
The emperor still didn’t spare any of them a second glance.
A madman was a madman after all.
Even the way he favored women was unlike anyone else’s.