Main story/7

## Chapter 7: Waves

Rewards no. 11
Spring Sword
Spring Cap
Rewards no. 22
Spring Shoes
Spring Robe
Rewards no. 33
Recruit Paper

## 7-1 Dowager Empress

When you were standing against him, Ruolan showed up.

Ruolan
Hello, my lady. Xiao Yanzi, why are you here?
Player
He said he was asked by the empress dowager to take me to Yongan Palace. Do you know that?
Hearing that, Ruolan frowned and threw a glance at him. At once, Xiao Yanzi couldn't feel his legs and knelt down.

Ruolan
Don't worry, my lady. I will find out what's going on. But now I have something more urgent. Her majesty wants to see you.
You knew Xiao Yanzi must be a spy hiding in Yongan Palace. Luckily, you were cautious. Otherwise, you may have walked into a trap.

Player
Great, I want to visit her as well. Please lead the way.
Soon, you were here in Yongan Palace. At the sight of you, the empress dowager asked you to sit by her side, happily observing you from top to toe.

Dowager Empress
You are a girl of good fortune. Within such as short time, you are a Grade IX Concubine now. The emperor must like you very much.
Player
(Shy) I am very lucky.
Dowager Empress
Well, have you visited the empress? Did she give you a hard time?
Choose an option
I can handle her
Confide in her
### Option A (7-1)

Player
The empress is bossy. But she lost her calmness as well. I can handle it.
Empress Dowager
Huh, as she thinks her family helped the emperor take the throne and she is his wife, she is very arrogant and peremptory. But she doesn't know that all emperors are cold-hearted.
Player
You are right. But now I need your help.
You showed her the coral bracelet whihch was given by the empress.

Player
The empress gave it to me. If I don't wear it all the time, she will say I disrespect her. But I am just an ordinary girl. I may die early if I do.
Empress Dowager
(Understood) The coral bracelet is too eye-catching. I will give you a pair of jade bracelets. You should wear them all the time and put the coral bracelet away.
### Option B (7-1)

*Innocent +5*
Player
The empress is bossy indeed and has given me a hard time.
Empress Dowager
Huh, as she thinks her family helped the emperor take the throne and she is his wife, she is very arrogant and peremptory. But she doesn't know that all emperors are cold-hearted.
Player
You are right. But now I need your help.
You showed her the coral bracelet whihch was given by the empress.

Player
The empress gave it to me. If I don't wear it all the time, she will say I disrespect her. But I am just an ordinary girl. I may die early if I do.
Empress Dowager
(Understood) The coral bracelet is too eye-catching. I will give you a pair of jade bracelets. You should wear them all the time and put the coral bracelet away.
## 7-2 Select clothes

Weiyang
The jade bracelets are very pretty, my lady. Why don't you change your clothes and wear something that fit them?
Player
The bracelets are transparently green. An elegant dress will do.
Weiyang
You are stunning, my lady. You should be the empress.
## 7-3 Dress up

Player
We need to go out tonight. I should put on some simple casual clothes.
Yaner
My lady, we are ready to go!

## 7-8 Predicament

Since you got promoted, you had been bedded with the emperor more frequently. The empress and Lady Liu were on top, then followed by Lady Jia and you. So others came to flatter you.

Player
(Reach your hand to touch the cloth) The material is quite good.
Yaner
Those eunuchs in Eunuch Division like to flatter the high and bully the low. We asked them to clean up the smelly pond before, but they ignored us. Now they all try to please you, as the emperor adors you.
Player
It's a common thing here in the palace. Why do you bother to care about them? The color of some is dark. Each of you, along with Weiyang, can pick one to make some clothes.
When you saw Yaner and Weiyang choose proper colors that suited a maid and Bihen choose one in luxury purple, you mocked her secretly. She was too bold to stay a low profile. At this time, Chunxiang rushed in.

Chunxiang
My lady, a maid from Shicui Palace came to send you a message just now.
Player
A maid from Lady Jiang's chamber... What did she say?
Chunxiang
(Whispers) She said that Wenxing is in trouble and needs your help.
Hearing that, you were shocked. At once, you rose up and headed for Lady Jiang's palace. But Weiyang stopped you.

Weiyang
Calm down, my lady. We don't know whether it's true or not. Why not ask Xiao Shunzi to confirm it?
Choose an option
Worry about Wenxing
Ask Xiao Shunzi to confirm it
### Option A (7-8)

Player
Lady Jiang is foxy and evil. Whether it's a trap or not, Wenxing is suffering for sure. If we wait for Xiao Shunzi, I may lose her.

With that, you rushed out before Weiyang could say anything. Yaner followed up quickly. You walk so fast. To save time, you chose an isolated path. So you couldn't find Yaner when you looked back. When you waited for her, someone covered your mouth and nose from your back. Soon you fell down and lost consciousness.

Then, several eunuchs threw you into an untraversed discarded well. At the bottom of the well, no one could hear your cries for help. Before long, you closed your eyes and died.

Dead
You know it's dangerous, but you missed other disasters.
### Option B (7-8)

*Cautious + 5*
Player
OK, you ask Xiao Shunzi to check it out! Quickly, don't waste any time.
After he left with your order, you waited anxiously. Various possibilities came to your brain. Finally, he came back.

Xiao Shunzi
I asked an eunuch at the door of Shicui Palace. He told me that a maid knocked over tea by accident and was caned fifty times by Lady Jiang as punishment.
Player
What? Fifty! It will kill her! I must go right now.
Weiyang
My lady, Lady Jiang punished her own maid. There is nothing you can do even if you were there. Why don't you stay out of this to protect yourself?
Player
Wenxing and I have been friends since we were kids. Even though I cannot bring her to me, I must make sure that she can wait for me until I am strong enough to save her.
Hearing this, Weiyang said no more. You asked her to stay and seek the empress dowager's help if you didn't come back in two hours. Then you left with Yaner.

## 7-12 Limbo Palace

It was getting dark, and the moon was rising. Lady Jiang's palace was on the north and far from your bedroom. You were worried and anxious, so you chose an isolated path for a shortcut with Yaner.

Yaner
(Trembling) My lady, why are there no guards? It's creepy.
Player
Don't worry. We will get to Shicui Palace after we pass that road ahead of us.
When you and Yaner hurried on the isolated path with discarded palaces on its two sides, you heard a woman sobbing in one of the palaces.

Yaner
My... my lady. I seemingly hear someone crying.
Chunxiang mentioned this path in front of you before, but you never walked by. The cry made you feel creepy.

Choose an option
Go and check
Leave right now
### Option A (7-12)

+5 cool
Player
(We have to pass by that door if we are going to Shicui Palace. Yaner is frightened, so she must refuse to go. We must check it out.
You kept Yaner behind you to protect her and tried to approach the door carefully. Then you found it was not only unlocked but also left open slightly. You opened it and were about to check inside. Suddenly, Yaner fell down towards your direction and then both of you lay on the floor inside.

Player
Yaner! What happened?
Yaner
Are you alright, my lady? Someone pushed me from behind just now, with great strength!
You turned back and found the door closed. Someone was locking you in here. Apparently, it was the one who attacked you just now.

Player
They are coming for me.
The cry had gone before you realized. Looking around you, you saw broken carving windows and darkness. It had a musty smell. The whole thing was so familiar to you. This palace was where you died last life - the Limbo Palace.

### Option B (7-12)

*Innocent +5*
You had to pass by that door if you were going to Shicui Palace. You were scared and wanted to leave as soon as possible. So you pretended that you heard nothing. You grabbed Yaner and left. However, the more scared you were, the more panicky you became. Suddenly, you sprained your ankle.

Yaner
My lady, you can't go like this! Let's go back and fetch a royal doctor for you! And you can send Weiyang to help Wenxing.
Player
No worries, I will be well very soon.
While you two were checking on your ankle, you were knocked out by someone from behind. When you woke up, you found yourself in a discarded palace. Yaner was lying beside you. You woke her up. She still felt dizzy. Someone knocked her out too.

Player
They are coming for me.
Looking around you, you saw broken carving windows and darkness. It had a musty smell. The whole thing was so familiar to you. This palace was where you died last life - the Limbo Palace.

## 7-15 Horror

Now you knew that it was a concubine in the Limbo Palace who cried. But you didn't know where she was now.

Player
(I never saw this side door last life, or I wouldn't feel so panicked just now. We don't know who got us here. If it happened to an ordinary lady, she would have been scared to death.)
Yaner
Where are we, my lady? The door has been locked. Is there anyone who tries to murder us?
Player
(Patiently comforting her) Calm down, Yaner. They just want to scare us. If you panic, you will fall into their trap.
Yaner
(Tries to calm down) I am not afraid.
You knew that someone locked you here on purple. They may want to frighten you or push you into greater danger.

Player
(There are only some crazy women in the Limbo Palace. They can't do anything. But if they just want to frighten me, it doesn't worth so much work...)
You didn't know what they wanted, but you knew you'd better leave now. You want to leave with Yaner from the front door, which must be guarded by soldiers. You could get out by showing your identity.

Player
Yaner, let's take this way.
Yaner
(Panicked) My... my lady! There is a lady...
As you looked where she pointed, you saw a lady in white. She had long hair which was left uncombed, and her face was in a mess like a ghost. She stared at you with resentment.

Woman in white
My child! You poor little thing! That bitch framed us! Bitch, where is my child?
When she stood there and murmured, her face was getting hideous. It seemed that she had lost her mind. Suddenly, she took out a dagger from nowhere and ran towards you.