At the first choice crossroads of the life-or-death race on the fifteenth of the sixth month, Gu Yi pounded the bed and sat up, “Let’s offer gifts!”

This time she would overturn everything from before, doing the opposite.

She didn’t care about any heartless Emperor—if she died, she’d just start over!

Gu Yi pulled out the sachet from under her pillow, fumbling for a while before extracting that fingernail-sized golden peanut.

“Send it to Eunuch Gao.”

Tao Jia, seeing her disheveled hair and fierce gaze, didn’t dare to take it, only trembling slightly as she asked, “Are you sure, Beauty?”

Gu Yi nodded, “Yes.”

Only then did Tao Jia reach out to take it, carefully tucking it into her waist pouch.

After Gu Yi finished washing up, a small palace maid from Concubine Wang’s chambers came to invite her for breakfast.

Gu Yi agreed, and before leaving, she said to Tao Jia, “I don’t like flatbread.”

Tao Jia was very confused.

Gu Yi went through the breakfast routine yet again without suspense. After eating, she received the silk from Concubine Wang and was instructed to take it to Huan Yi Ju. She urged Tao Jia, “Go offer the gifts. You don’t need to follow me to Huan Yi Ju.”

With that one golden peanut in her waist pouch, Tao Jia hurried toward the corner room next to the Imperial Garden.

Given Concubine Gu’s rank, Tao Jia naturally couldn’t see Eunuch Gao. The person she could see was Eunuch Lu, Eunuch Gao’s disciple, Lu Chao, who was responsible for overseeing the Imperial Garden, managing all matters within it.

Tao Jia had dealt with him before and was a familiar face.

Lu Chao accepted the golden peanut that Tao Jia handed over, smiling, “Sister Tao Jia, now that you’re serving a newly appointed Beauty, you’ve remembered me again.”

“Brother Lu is Eunuch Gao’s most capable right-hand man. How could Tao Jia forget?”

Lu Chao weighed the object in his hand—not very heavy. “For Sister Tao Jia’s sake, I’ll go this time. But I can’t speak for my master.”

Tao Jia obediently curtseyed, “Thank you, Brother Lu.”

After Lu Chao sent Tao Jia away, he first made a round of the Imperial Garden, inspecting the sweeping and watering duties, then walked toward the front hall. He hesitated only briefly before deciding not to keep the golden peanut for himself.

Such a small item wasn’t worth coveting.

What if Concubine Gu turned out to be someone with a great future ahead…

Although the current Emperor wasn’t fond of romantic affairs, perhaps among the newly appointed Beauties, there might truly be someone with good fortune…

He crouched and walked to the side of Tianlu Pavilion, circling several red-lacquered pillars, peering into the side hall. An attendant who had just removed cups and dishes and was resting there recognized him.

“Little Lu is looking for Eunuch Gao?”

Lu Chao hurriedly performed a deep bow, “Yes, where is my master?”

The attendant’s eyes glanced to the right, carefully making a small throat-slitting gesture, “Eunuch Gao is busy. You’d better wait here.”

Lu Chao thanked him and sat down in the side hall.

Pitiful screams faintly transmitted from Tianlu Pavilion.

“Your Majesty, spare me! I’m wronged…”

Lu Chao sat with his eyes focused on his nose, his nose focused on his heart, like a monk in deep meditation, his clever ears hearing nothing.

After waiting for about half an hour, he finally saw Eunuch Gao enter the side hall.

Eunuch Gao had a pale face without a beard, was around forty years old, and wore blue clothes with a large crossed collar and a divided lower garment. On his chest and both shoulders were embroidered flying fish with dragon heads and fish tails.

A first-rank eunuch, a unique honor in the Great Mu Dynasty.

Lu Chao immediately rose from his stool, poured himself a cup of tea, “Master, have some water. You must be tired…”

Eunuch Gao was truly exhausted. He took the cup and drank it in one gulp, not even tasting what kind of tea it was.

Lu Chao immediately poured him another cup of tea, fawningly massaging his shoulders.

As for why his master was so tired, so thirsty, and why screams came from next door—these were all matters that Lu Chao never asked about.

When he saw that Eunuch Gao had calmed down, Lu Chao took out the items he had received today and laid them out.

A gold ingot, several gold leaves, and a small golden peanut.

Eunuch Gao glanced at them, “The ingot is still from Concubine Gong? Who gave the gold leaves? Concubine Wang, Concubine Tian?”

Lu Chao: “Master is perceptive. The ingot is indeed from Concubine Gong, and the gold leaves are from Concubine Wang, Concubine Tian, and the newly appointed Beauty Zhou.”

Eunuch Gao picked up the fingernail-sized golden peanut, his brow furrowing, “Who is this from?”

“From the newly appointed Concubine Gu, who lives in the side hall of Xiu Yidian… I heard she’s quite beautiful…”

Eunuch Gao gave Lu Chao a look and made an “Mm” sound. “Today the Emperor is in a bad mood, so it’s hard to say whether he’ll turn the tablet or not. If he doesn’t turn it in today, it will have to be tomorrow or the day after. Concubine Wang hasn’t been selected for a while now, so I guess next time it should be her turn.”

Lu Chao nodded in agreement, “Master, if there’s nothing else, may I…”

Eunuch Gao clicked his tongue, “I know you can’t stay still. Get out of here…”

Lu Chao immediately ran off as if his feet were greased.

The Emperor was in a bad mood today, and he didn’t dare stay longer.

Just across from Tianlu Pavilion, separated by layer upon layer of blue-tiled roofs, was Huan Yi Ju.

Gu Yi met Zhao Wan.

This time, she wouldn’t be so fake.

When the white rabbit jade pendant fell to the ground, Gu Yi picked it up before Zhao Wan could.

Once again, it was time to test her acting skills!

Gu Yi opened her eyes wide like bronze bells, desperately trying to convey disbelief, bewilderment, delight, and shock in her gaze.

“This jade pendant is yours…”

Seeing her strange expression, Zhao Wan’s heart sank, “Yes… It belongs to this slave.”

Gu Yi followed the original script, reciting, “How does a mere palace maid from Huan Yi Ju possess such a jade?”

Zhao Wan lightly bit her red lip, mumbling, “It’s… a family heirloom that this slave brought into the palace. Please return it to this slave, Beauty…”

Gu Yi played with the white rabbit jade pendant, “So that’s how it is…” She paused, then said, “Such a beautiful jade, let me admire it for a few days.”

Slapping the female protagonist, falsely accusing her of stealing jade…

She… really couldn’t do it.

She could only indirectly complete the plot.

Zhao Wan was stunned, “Beauty…”

Gu Yi: “Bring the silk to me in two days, and I will return this jade to you.”

Seeing her solemn face, Zhao Wan couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and could only curtsey, “Yes, Beauty.”

Gu Yi tucked the white jade into her waist, “In two days, not earlier, not later.” Having said that, she turned and left.

Gu Yi didn’t return directly to Xiu Yidian. She went past Huan Yi Ju, took a stone path through the Imperial Garden, walking neither fast nor slow, organizing the plot and her thoughts in her mind as she went.

What could she do to survive beyond three days…

It seemed as if an invisible hand was always trying to reset her existence after three days.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice a graceful figure approaching on the narrow stone path.

Concubine Gong saw Concubine Gu alone and stopped in her tracks.

During the palace lady selection, she had accompanied Consort Shu and had seen the newly appointed Concubine Gu.

Her father was merely a fifth-rank prefect, not even a Beijing official. In the two years since the Emperor’s ascension to the throne, as his power grew, most of the appointed Beauties were of obscure, humble origins.

Seeing Concubine Gu walking with her head down, not looking at the path ahead, Chunmei, the senior maid behind Concubine Gong, coughed lightly.

Hearing the sound, Gu Yi looked up and saw a beautiful woman in palace attire wearing apricot-colored clothes and a water-blue skirt, with willow eyebrows and phoenix eyes, her hair adorned with apricot blossoms and six ornaments.

She was a Concubine of a higher rank than herself.

She curtseyed, “I pay my respects to the Concubine.”

Concubine Gong raised her hand, “Rise. You are Concubine Gu from Xiu Yidian?”

Gu Yi nodded, “Yes… May I ask which Concubine you are?”

“Gong Yuejin from Zhái Fāng Palace.”

Gu Yi looked closely at Concubine Gong, the gentle and beautiful mistress of Zhái Fāng Palace, a plot device to advance the romance between the male and female protagonists.

She had been favored for a time but was cast aside by the heartless Emperor after the female protagonist’s rise.

Light a candle for her.

“Greetings, Concubine Gong.”

Concubine Gong asked, “Where is your palace maid? Why are you alone?”

Gu Yi answered, “I went to Huan Yi Ju, so I didn’t bring a palace maid.”

What would a Beauty be doing at Huan Yi Ju, where lower-ranked palace maids worked?

Concubine Gong was puzzled for a moment, then thought of Concubine Wang’s character in Xiu Yidian.

This Concubine Gu was beautiful and lived in Xiu Yidian, which must have irked Wang Xiu.

Thinking of this, she smiled, “So it’s such a small matter, troubling Concubine Gu.” She turned to look at the palace maid behind her, “Give Concubine Gu one of the silk flowers we received today.”

The palace maid brought forward a box of silk flowers, and Concubine Gong asked, “Which one does Concubine Gu like?”

This sudden gift might well be the weapon that would ultimately kill her, like the flatbread or the white chrysanthemum.

But she couldn’t refuse the Concubine’s kindness.

Gu Yi looked up at the silk flowers, soft little bundles, and chose the smallest one, “Thank you for your kindness, Concubine.”

Concubine Gong led her string of maids away.

Gu Yi put the silk flower into her waist pouch.

Concubine Gong, as a plot device, had advanced the romance between the male and female protagonists in the book.

She had her moment of glory, but her ending wasn’t good.

Gu Yi sighed, we’re both just tools in the book, alas.

Concubine Gu was also a plot device.

Her greatest function was probably facilitating the first meeting between the male and female protagonists.

Wait, could that be the fundamental reason why she kept dying again and again?

Gu Yi was suddenly enlightened, unable to believe she hadn’t thought of this until now.

The Emperor first saw Zhao Wan in Xiu Yidian.

On that day, it was raining heavily, and Zhao Wan was being punished by Concubine Gu, forced to kneel.

Zhao Wan knelt pitifully in the rain, her tears blending with the rainwater as they streamed down her face, which was as pale as paper, begging Concubine Gu earnestly.

Unfortunately, Concubine Gu remained unmoved and coldly rebuked her.

All of this was coincidentally witnessed by the Emperor, who had chosen Concubine Wang’s tablet in Xiu Yidian.

The Emperor said the palace couldn’t tolerate her, and Concubine Gu was eliminated.

So the question arose: how could the male and female protagonists meet without her dying?