Yu Yao noticed the emperor's footsteps gradually approaching, finally stopping at the side of the bed. Her heart raced to her throat, and she was extremely nervous.
She dared not imagine the consequences of being found out, fearing she might be taken away to be buried with the deceased in the next second.
It can't be that the task hasn't even started yet, and the person has already died.
When he felt worried, he hid in the space.
Rongyuan stood by the bed, slightly bending down, with one hand casually resting on the edge of the bed, his gaze deeply scanning every inch beneath it.
However, all he saw was the cold floor, with no trace of a person.
"Strange, I clearly heard a sound."
He furrowed his brow and muttered, his expression puzzled.
The palace maidens dare not make a sound, lest they anger the unpredictable new emperor.
Yu Yao hid in the space and took a deep breath of relief, not bothering to pay attention to what was happening outside.
She simply sat on the grass, beginning to organize the plot and memories in her mind.
The original owner, Yu Yao, was also named Yu Yao. She was the daughter of Yuan Yuhui, the county magistrate of Shanyu County in Hangzhou. She was selected for the imperial harem in the twenty-fifth year of Jianyuan and was initially appointed as a promise.
The original owner came from a humble background, and her appearance was not particularly outstanding. She could be considered a delicate beauty from an ordinary family, and she was especially honest and straightforward. After entering the palace, she remained unremarkable.
The reason she was chosen for the palace was that the former emperor grew tired of the selection process and left early.
The former queen, who is now the empress dowager, kept her because she didn't pose a threat to her appearance, which was ordinary and unremarkable.
The empress dowager's judgment of people is quite accurate. Since the original owner entered the palace, she has been nothing more than a decorative item.
Not to mention the bedchamber, even the number of times she was allowed to see the former emperor could be counted on one hand, and those were just brief glimpses at the annual palace banquet.
She had never had the opportunity for a close encounter.
The former emperor probably had no idea about the existence of the original owner in his harem.
But the original owner, by virtue of her seniority, had also worked her way up to the position of a talent woman.
After the former emperor's death, the original owner was bestowed the title of Supreme Attendant by Emperor Jing.
This was a general title given to all the concubines below the rank of consort, who were all granted the title of Supreme Attendant. Those who were at the rank of consort or above had their rank elevated by one level to show the Emperor's great benevolence.
Yu Yao stood up, walked back and forth in the grass, and her eyes fell into deep contemplation.
The most important thing at the moment is how to save her life and avoid being sacrificed.
Although the original owner is already twenty-seven this year, which can be considered old in ancient times and someone who is no longer able to bear children.
As long as she can live, who would want to die?
She still has tasks to complete.
"What are the tasks in this dimension, and who is the male lead?"
She asked the system internally.
"ding, a task has been assigned to the host. Task one: bear an heir for the imperial successor, Emperor Rongyuan. Task two: avoid being sacrificed and successfully survive."
She furrowed her brow slightly, as the second task was precisely the problem she was currently facing.
Only by avoiding being sacrificed can she proceed to discuss strategies.
Conquering the emperor is not difficult for her; she has completed similar tasks before.
The problem is, her status is that of a Supreme Attendant, the mother of the new emperor. Although she has no qualifications to be the stepmother of the new emperor, her status is still correct.
The new emperor is only twenty years old this year, but she is already twenty-seven. She is seven years older than the new emperor. In a harem full of beauties, can the emperor really favor an old woman like her?
While she doesn't feel old herself, others certainly do not see it that way.
Yu Yao skimmed over Emperor Jing's information: the first emperor's only son, who was crowned as the Crown Prince at the age of twelve. He was intelligent, wise, courageous, resourceful, and deeply calculating.
But he had a flaw: he had a penchant for beauties and women, was indulgent in his passions, and even during his time as the Crown Prince, the beauties in the Eastern Palace could not contain him anymore.
The exact number is unclear.
It is known that Emperor Jing had three or forty concubines after ascending the throne, with some in high positions and others in lower ones.
This is still within the mourning period, and the selection of concubines has not yet begun. Once the mourning period is over, during the early days of the new emperor's reign, there will definitely be a grand selection of beauties, and then there will be even more women in the harem.
She has no interest in competing for the favor of a group of 15-16-year-old girls. Once she passes the hurdle of being sacrificed, she will find an opportunity to sleep with Emperor Jing and then give up.
She has no interest in attacking this shared cucumber; she just wants to have a child, raise it, and then leave.
Yu Yao walked into the room of the wooden house in the space, which was fully furnished. Standing in front of the copper mirror, she looked at herself in it.
The copper mirror reflected an ordinary, thin, withered face with a yellowish complexion.
She was also very thin, with almost no meat on her.
She is twenty-seven, but she looks like she could be thirty-seven, and people would believe it.
She was already an ordinary delicate beauty, but now she looks even more ordinary.
Thin, waxy-yellow, and lacking vitality, she looks somewhat unattractive.
But that can be understood, as the original owner came from a low-status family, and there was no support from her parents-in-law.
She was far away in Yucun, and there was no way for her family to support her. She had to survive on the food allotment from the palace.
The original owner was not favored, and the palace servants were all taking advantage of others, withholding her food allowance in layers, leaving her with very little.
Eating cold dishes and rice year-round, it's a wonder if her complexion could be good. It's evident she is malnourished just by looking at her.
"Grrr, this was already not very attractive, but now it's even more disreputable."
Although Yu Yao doesn't intend to conquer Emperor Jing, at least she needs to pass the hurdle of being sacrificed and successfully remain in the palace.
She applied the Beauty Elixir, the Whitening Pill, the Beauty Muscle Pill, the Body Shaping Pill, and the Wonder Pill to her body.
Considering that the drug effect needs time to work, she also added a beauty filter to herself, directly maximizing the effect.
Emperor Jing is known for his lechery. I don't believe he would spare her life and sacrifice her if he saw such a beautiful woman.
In the sleeping quarters, the candles sway and cast their shadows on Emperor Jing Rongyuan's deep contours.
He paced back and forth in the chamber, his mind filled with perplexity.
His senses are extremely acute, and he is certain that someone must have entered just a moment ago. Now, however, there is no one to be found, which is truly strange.
"Find them," he issued a brief command.
The guards at the door entered in a row and began to search through the whole Taihe Hall from inside out. However, no matter how they searched, they found nothing.
"Your Majesty, there was no one found in the bedroom. However, according to the eunuch outside, Consort Yu refused to be sacrificed, knocked over the executioner's eunuch, and ran all the way into Your Majesty's sleeping quarters."
The leader of the guards, Fu An, bowed respectfully and said.
Emperor Jing raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Consort Yu?"
He had no impression of his father's harem and rarely came into contact with it. He had never heard of Consort Yu before.
However, it takes some courage to kick over the eunuch and flee. She is not easily resigned to her fate.
"Your Majesty, yes, Consort Yu was a talent during the time of the former emperor. She kept a low profile, was invisible, and even had no existence. After the former emperor's death, Your Majesty promoted her to the position of Supreme Attendant."
The head of the guards, Fu An, said respectfully.
Upon hearing this, Rongyuan's eyes dimmed slightly with interest. To be low-profile, unnoticed, and without any sense of existence meant that either her family background was humble or her appearance was ordinary.
Or perhaps she is truly indifferent to the world and doesn't want to compete for favor.
But regardless of which one it is, her appearance would not be particularly attractive.
In a place like the harem, beautiful women with outstanding appearances cannot keep a low profile. Even if you want to, others will definitely find trouble for you.
Unless she's dead.
"All right, disperse."
Emperor Jing yawned and waved his hand, signaling the guards to disperse.
In the space.
Yu Yao stepped out of the space wooden house, looking through the space barrier to see that no one was inside the hall.
The palace girls and eunuchs were also nowhere to be seen, and the bedroom was completely empty.
"Wow, is that it?"
She hesitated for a moment, then stepped out of the space.
Hiding in there forever is not an option. One needs to eventually go out.
She stood hidden in the shadow of the palace, her mind racing with plans for what to do next.
In a simple white dress, with the enhancement of the beauty filter and her attire's monochrome hue, she was exquisitely beautiful, appearing to be untainted by worldly filth and transcendentally extraordinary, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding melancholy.
She was just about to sneak away quietly, when a shadow suddenly appeared from behind the screen, making no noise at all. It was like a ghost, scaring Yu Yao a good deal.
"I said, what's your problem? Is it okay to scare people like that? I almost died of fright."
After seeing the person's face, she hurriedly covered her mouth, her face turned pale, and she quickly knelt on the ground to apologize, "Your Majesty, Consort Yu Yao did not recognize Your Majesty. I have offended Your Majesty with my words and actions. Please forgive me."
Rongyuan narrowed his eyes, carefully examining her. The woman's skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were as clear as autumn waters, with a beauty that was not of this world. It seemed like a celestial being who did not eat or drink.
"Are you really Consort Yu?"
He watched her with a keen interest, his voice deep and uncertain.
He couldn't have imagined that there would be such a stunning beauty in his father's harem who had been so quiet and invisible, truly intriguing.
Father must be blind, or the woman is deliberately hiding her appearance to avoid favor.
Yu Yao was puzzled in her heart but still answered respectfully, "Your Majesty, I am indeed Consort Yu."
Rongyuan twirled the jade board paper on his thumb, his lips curving into a teasing smile, "Consort Yu, you overturned the eunuch, refused to follow the imperial decree to accompany the late emperor in death, and dared to enter my bedroom without permission. Do you know your crime?"
She inwardly cursed but kept her face calm, "I am well aware of my deep sin and beg Your Majesty's leniency to allow me to explain a few things."
"Oh? Please proceed."
Rongyuan raised an eyebrow, indicating for her to continue.
