Hu Shanwei had no choice.

She also didn’t continue kneeling to beg the Hongwu Emperor to let her go. From her understanding of the Hongwu Emperor, His Majesty was so ruthless even toward his biological sons and the pillow companions who had served him for years. What was she?

It was useless. The older this emperor became, the more he feared losing things, and the stronger his desire for control. He habitually treated everyone as chess pieces. Wherever he needed someone placed, that piece had to stay there. Otherwise, a useless abandoned piece would actually be more dangerous.

Moreover, she had to consider Mu Chun, who was garrisoning Yunnan. At this critical moment, she absolutely couldn’t drag him into the whirlpool of the succession struggle.

Hu Shanwei returned to her quarters as if sleepwalking, her mind filled with the scene of Empress Xiaoci’s final moments. At that time, she had been angry at the mastermind who had used the silkworm mother assassination and Ma Ye’s death to repeatedly harm Empress Xiaoci both physically and mentally. She had been full of confidence:

“…Your Majesty must hold on. This subject swears to root out the true culprit. Whoever engages in palace intrigue, I’ll deal with them. Whoever fights for the succession, I’ll deal with them. No one is allowed to cause trouble!”

But Empress Xiaoci had looked at her with pitying eyes, advising her to give up and leave the court:

“…Actually, the harem is like the front court—everyone has personal desires, everyone wants to climb higher. This is human nature. Therefore, you can’t kill them all or eliminate them completely…”

“I don’t want you to repay favors or seek revenge. I only want you to live well…”

“…Let go. The harem is the Ming’s greatest arena of fame and fortune. After my death, for the position of empress, even for the succession, the harem will become the greatest gladiatorial arena, tearing at each other until a new empress is determined. The Ming court is about to face its greatest upheaval. To protect yourself, you’ll need to use all your wisdom. Don’t entertain other fantasies.”

At that time, her heart had been filled with anger and grief, focused only on rooting out the mastermind for revenge. How could she listen?

She had opposed Empress Xiaoci making choices for her. During the year of guarding the tomb at Xiaoling, feeding deer and raising peacocks, life had tempered her, but the fire of revenge had not yet been extinguished. Until Noble Consort Duanjing Guo came to Xiaoling to “visit the thatched cottage” and invite her out, she had knowingly walked toward Tiger Mountain despite knowing tigers were there.

Later, she had indeed succeeded, rooting out the mastermind Consort Da Ding and avenging Empress Xiaoci. The price was that Empress Xiaoci’s eternal resting place had nearly been razed to the ground. From then on, she had been drawn into various court whirlpools, gradually growing weary of this endless open and covert struggle, this atmosphere of blood and violence. When she wanted to withdraw and seek peace, she could no longer retreat.

Ten years later, Hu Shanwei was “forced into the yellow robe” and reluctantly became Palace Administrator. She understood how brilliant Empress Xiaoci’s seemingly non-competitive final choice had been, how much mystery and deep care it had hidden.

Empress Xiaoci had considered her and Mu Chun so deeply, paving the way step by step to achieve a happy ending for the lovers. But at that time, she had been too young and naive, completely failing to understand the deeper meaning behind Empress Xiaoci’s actions. She hadn’t walked the path Empress Xiaoci had paved for her, but instead walked toward another fork in life’s road full of variables.

Hu Shanwei wandered aimlessly through the palace. The court was like a huge, perfectly square chessboard. Once people entered as chess pieces, their advance or retreat was no longer up to them.

Hu Shanwei slowly organized her emotions, thinking about how to navigate the future.

Did she regret it? Hu Shanwei asked herself.

No regrets. Empress Xiaoci had shown her great kindness in recognizing her talent and teaching her carefully. Without her, she would have been just another ordinary woman, drifting with the tide.

If heaven gave her another chance, she would still choose to avenge her. An empress who had devoted her life to the Ming and the court shouldn’t have died unclear circumstances, letting the killer remain free forever.

She couldn’t betray this kindness, even knowing the price she would pay was postponing her promised meeting with Mu Chun.

It was postponement, not indefinite separation.

The Hongwu Emperor had made a promise. When the harem weathered the coming storms safely and the succession was secure, that would be when he would unite her with Mu Chun.

Hu Shanwei comforted herself. The path was walked by oneself. Having chosen it, she shouldn’t regret it. She thought about how to make it up to Mu Chun in the future. At least their future was full of hope.

Having thought through this, her steps became lighter. Walking along the main street of the Eastern Six Palaces, she passed the iron tablet inscribed “Palace servants shall not interfere in government affairs; violators will be executed.” The tablet was no longer as pristine as when she had first entered the palace—it was now covered with rust, just like the aging emperor in Qianqing Palace.

His inner strength was invincible. No betrayal or pain could defeat him. He could overturn situations with a flip of his hand, like a shrewd chess player manipulating everyone’s lives.

But before time, everyone was equal.

Looking at the rusted iron tablet, Hu Shanwei’s gaze turned cold: Let’s endure and see who outlasts whom…

At the same time, on the other side of the tall palace walls of East Long Street was Yanxi Palace, which had been closed for twelve years and was welcoming a new mistress.

The previous mistress had been Noble Consort Hu, who had dominated the six palaces but died in childbirth with Princess Nankang after her father’s “Hu Mei palace disorder” case erupted, leading to the extermination of three generations of her clan. Yanxi Palace had remained empty ever since.

After Noble Consort Duanjing’s death, His Majesty had ordered Yanxi Palace renovated. At that time, palace servants had all thought this palace would house some favored Korean tribute women. No one had imagined that the mistress of this palace would be Consort Shu Cui, who had been Court Rites Administrator for fifteen years.

This meant that as soon as Noble Consort Duanjing Guo died, the Hongwu Emperor had already determined the perfect candidate to replace Guo in wielding harem authority.

Court Rites Administrator Cui—a subordinate who had served for years, his eyes and ears, familiar with the palace and understanding the front court, commanding respect in the harem and able to convince crowds. From a fifth-rank female official to Consort Shu was merely changing official robes and titles, doing a second job.

Moreover, Lady Cui was forty-two years old. She couldn’t possibly have children of her own, had no selfish thoughts or distractions, and would prioritize the Hongwu Emperor’s interests above all else.

Using a job posting from five hundred years later as an analogy: relevant work experience, no need for any training or adjustment period, could start immediately, sterile and guaranteed not to request maternity leave that would delay work, dedicated to her job and treating the company as home, with extremely high loyalty to the boss.

Remember when Noble Consort Duanjing Guo first managed the harem, she hit walls everywhere and had no choice but to invite Hu Shanwei out as a strategist. After much turmoil, she finally gained a foothold. Now Consort Shu Cui could switch from female official to consort mode in one second without effort.

Lady Cui’s favor and elevation to consort was absolutely not the Hongwu Emperor indulging his desires and impulsively dragging his old subordinate to the dragon bed, but the result of careful consideration and weighing pros and cons.

If the Hongwu Emperor were placed five hundred years in the future, he would definitely be a gold-medal headhunter, skilled at placing the most suitable talent in the most fitting positions.

When Lady Cui moved to her new residence, Shen Qionglian, whom she had personally promoted, wrote calligraphy as a housewarming gift.

Consort Shu Cui unrolled the mounted scroll: “Prudence in solitude?”

“Yes,” Shen Qionglian said. “The ‘Great Learning’ states: ‘What is meant by making one’s intentions sincere is not deceiving oneself. Like hating a bad smell, like loving beautiful colors—this is called self-satisfaction. Therefore, the gentleman must be prudent when alone.’ This means we cannot truly deceive ourselves. What smells bad is bad, what we like we like—we should honestly face our inner hearts. Consort Shu, is this truly what you want?”

Shen Qionglian had entered the palace at only thirteen, full of childish spirit. Consort Shu Cui had drawn her through lottery and treasured this talented girl, carefully nurturing and caring for her. Nominally they had a superior-subordinate relationship, but it was actually almost like mother and daughter.

Shen Qionglian was proud of her talents and somewhat cold by nature. She had long been accustomed to others’ care and appreciation, considering it all deserved. Even so, Consort Shu Cui’s twelve years of companionship had still moved Shen Qionglian. She never meddled in others’ affairs and had no curiosity about others’ business, including Hu Shanwei’s investigation into Prince Lu Huang’s death in Yanzhou—she had no interest in asking about that either.

But Consort Shu Cui was different from “others,” so Shen Qionglian rarely developed curiosity about Consort Shu Cui’s sudden change. She wanted to know why.

Consort Shu Cui personally hung Shen Qionglian’s calligraphy on the wall. In the candlelight, her wrists, neck, chest, waist, long legs, ankles, and arches formed beautiful, graceful curves, like willow branches swaying in spring breeze.

“I’m different from other female officials. Palace Administrator Cao comes from a scholarly family. Palace Administrator Fan is even more impressive—the granddaughter of Yuan dynasty poet Fan Pei, with reputation and talent. Away from this palace, they could still live well. But I’m different…”

Consort Shu Cui finished hanging the scroll, stepped back, and examined whether it hung straight. “I’m an orphaned daughter of a fallen family. My clan members seized my family’s property and sold me to a wealthy merchant as a concubine. That merchant, seeing I was beautiful and could read and write, somewhat versed in poetry and literature, thought I was a valuable commodity and used me as a bribe for officials. Good times didn’t last long. The official was executed with his entire family for corruption, and women and children were confiscated as official slaves. Because of my beauty, I was selected for the then Prince Wu’s residence as a foot-washing maid.”

A life of hardship and a beauty’s tragic fate—Consort Shu Cui spoke lightly, as if discussing someone else’s background. She approached the scroll and raised the left side a bit to hang it properly, nodding with satisfaction. “Foot-washing maid sounds better, but actually I was just for warming the bed, without even a proper title. To survive, I served His Majesty as diligently as I had served the previous two men, but His Majesty didn’t touch me. He gave me another path.”

“So for me, meeting His Majesty was like getting a chance to be reborn.” Consort Shu Cui looked at the stunned Shen Qionglian and smiled slightly. “His Majesty sent me out of Prince Wu’s residence. I had famous teachers’ instruction, studied poetry, literature, and history, and learned some basic skills from Mao Qiang—picking locks and such. I changed identities, transformed into a daughter of a scholarly family, tested into the palace as a female official, worked my way up from eighth-rank historian. I was a chess piece His Majesty placed in the palace, with a second identity as a Jinyiwei agent, sent to… monitor Empress Xiaoci and successive noble consorts. His Majesty is the only one I serve.”

Shen Qionglian stared blankly at Consort Shu Cui, as if looking at a stranger.

Consort Shu Cui said: “Consort Shu is just a title, a position. For me, it’s no different from Court Rites Administrator—both serve His Majesty. His Majesty didn’t touch me last night and won’t in the future. The so-called attending His Majesty was just a pretense to make the title real. I’m being completely honest with you today to tell you that the Court Rites Administrator position requires absolute loyalty to His Majesty to sit securely and long-term. Similarly, His Majesty will repay you with trust. The Court Rites Bureau manages harem entry and exit—like a key. You must be His Majesty’s eyes, ears, and key…”

While Consort Shu Cui was opening the door to a new world for her prized disciple Shen Qionglian, Hu Shanwei was helping Palace Administrator Cao pack, preparing to leave the palace the next day.

Hu Shanwei only packed three trunks. Palace Administrator Cao was more incorruptible than Judge Bao.

Seeing Hu Shanwei’s surprised expression, Palace Administrator Cao smiled mysteriously: “Don’t think this is all I have. Over these years, I’ve gradually bought fields, property, and large mansions outside, preparing for retirement. These three trunks are for show—otherwise, leaving the palace with a dozen carts would damage my reputation.”

Palace Administrator Cao was thorough in her rough methods, planning ahead like a cunning rabbit with three burrows. Hu Shanwei truly admired her.

Hu Shanwei asked: “Palace Administrator Cao is still young. You really didn’t need to resign. You and Consort Shu Cui worked together for so many years—your cooperation should be more seamless. Why did you recommend me to His Majesty? Why the rush to leave? You could clearly work several more years and save more retirement money.”

When someone is about to leave, their words are kind. Palace Administrator Cao shared her official experience with Hu Shanwei: “Before, I was Palace Administrator and she was Court Rites Administrator—same rank, but I was head of female officials, so she had to listen to me. I often liked to show my authority. Now she’s elevated to Consort Shu and I’m Palace Administrator—I would have to listen to her. It’s like our positions are reversed. On the surface, our relationship looks flourishing, but hidden beneath the flowers are weeds. Given the right conditions, weeds grow wildly and ‘devour’ the flowers. Do you understand?”

Palace Administrator Cao spoke from the heart: “Those of us who mix in official circles, whether front court officials or harem female officials, should never lightly test human nature or bet our future on the bright side of others’ humanity—that is, try not to think too well of others. Treat others as ordinary people with both good and evil, conscience and selfishness. Ordinary people all have weaknesses and inner demons—you never know when they might be triggered.”

“So with Consort Shu Cui’s promotion, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me, her former superior, to be her assistant. We need someone slightly lower in status to cooperate. Consort Shu Cui undoubtedly trusts Shen Qionglian, whom she cultivated personally. Shen Qionglian is fine for taking over the Court Rites Administrator position, but as Palace Administrator… heh, even if Consort Shu Cui wanted to promote her own people, His Majesty wouldn’t agree.”

Now Hu Shanwei didn’t understand: “Why wouldn’t His Majesty agree? His Majesty elevated her to Consort Shu and entrusted her with harem authority.”

Palace Administrator Cao said: “Because His Majesty is His Majesty! His Majesty has mastered the art of balance. Giving harem authority to Consort Shu Cui—how could the Palace Administrator managing the Six Bureaus and One Department also be the Consort’s person? So the Palace Administrator position could only be yours—you couldn’t escape even if you tried.”

So that’s it! When immortals fight, little ghosts suffer!

Hu Shanwei pondered for a while, then had a flash of inspiration: “Court Rites Administrator Cui became Consort Shu Cui, so I had to become Palace Administrator—mutual balance. If Palace Administrator Cao became Consort Cao, then… Court Rites Administrator Cui would become Palace Administrator Cui!”

With Palace Administrator Cui, I could successfully leave the palace.

“Pah pah!” Palace Administrator Cao slapped the back of Hu Shanwei’s head: “You crow mouth, don’t curse me. I’d much rather leave the palace to enjoy my later years. Becoming a consort also depends on looks, you know? Court Rites Administrator Cui still has the bearing of a favored consort—she looks the part. If I took over Yanxi Palace, it would be telling the six palace consorts that His Majesty doesn’t trust you, so give up hope. The acting wouldn’t even be convincing, and His Majesty isn’t stupid. But you…”

Palace Administrator Cao stared carefully at Hu Shanwei’s face: “Actually, after Noble Consort Duanjing’s death, when His Majesty needed to arrange someone new to manage harem authority, initially… I thought it would be you. You’re my subordinate. No matter what, I couldn’t continue as Palace Administrator. My replacement would likely be Court Rites Administrator Cui, so I was prepared to retire. I didn’t expect His Majesty to switch your positions and reverse the arrangement.”

Hearing this, Hu Shanwei felt a chill. Palace Administrator Cao’s suspicion wasn’t unreasonable. The Hongwu Emperor ultimately chose Consort Shu Cui because he knew about her relationship with Mu Chun, and Empress Xiaoci had left final words.

Choosing the lesser of two evils, Hu Shanwei thought: No matter what, being Palace Administrator is much better than being some consort. Fortunately, I met Mu Chun. Being Palace Administrator still offers hope; being a consort means being trapped in the deep palace for life.

That night, Palace Administrator Cao and Hu Shanwei shared a bed, chatting until late. Neither knew who stopped talking first and fell asleep. The next day, Hu Shanwei saw Palace Administrator Cao off.

One person, three trunks—one cart was enough. Palace Administrator Cao said: “The storm is about to begin. I’m escaping. Take care.”

The Hongwu Emperor began his reckoning.

In the twenty-sixth year of Hongwu, the treason case of Duke Liangguo Lan Yu erupted.

The Hongwu Emperor exterminated the entire Lan family, skinned Lan Yu, and sent his skin to the Shu Prince’s residence in Chengdu—Princess Shu Lan was Lan Yu’s daughter. The Shu Prince trembled with fear, and Princess Shu, to avoid implicating her husband and children, took her own life.

However, the Lan family tragedy was just the beginning.

The Hongwu Emperor labeled all officials who posed threats to the Crown Imperial Grandson as members of the so-called “Lan faction” and killed them all.

Over fifteen thousand officials were implicated, including one duke, twelve marquises, two earls—almost all surviving founding heroes perished in this purge.

Among them was Mu Chun’s great-uncle—Duke Songguo Feng Sheng, who was granted death with his entire family exterminated, sparing not even two adopted daughters. Only two married daughters survived—one was the wife of Duke Zhengguo, the other was Princess Zhou.

Mu Chun wrote to the Hongwu Emperor pleading for his uncle Feng Cheng. The Hongwu Emperor, remembering that Mu Chun’s maternal grandfather Feng Guoyong had died early and had illustrious military achievements, spared Feng Cheng’s entire family, stripped him of his title, and demoted him to commoner status. Mu Chun sent Commander Shi to bring his uncle’s entire family to Yunnan.