The bitter taste of tea in Little Wei's mouth was completely devoured by Mu Miao, leaving her cheeks flushed and her breath uneven. She raised her small hands to push Mu Miao away, flustered as she scrambled off her lap, her mind buzzing with confusion.
Why was Mu Miao angry?
She didn’t understand.
"Let’s eat, let’s eat," Little Wei muttered, her thoughts in disarray.
When exactly had things gone wrong?
Was it when she teased Mu Miao, or when Mu Miao tied her hands that day? No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t figure it out.
"Alright," Mu Miao replied with a gentle smile.
The imperial cuisine was something Little Wei had never tasted before. While delicious, she was a simple soul at heart—homely dishes suited her palate far better.
Once the meal was finished, Su Zhe arrived with a few palace maids, knocking lightly on the door.
"Lady Mu, Miss Little Wei, His Majesty has sent some items for you."
"Come in," Mu Miao said, her posture poised and her tone soft.
Su Zhe motioned for the maids to bring in several brocade boxes. After dismissing them and closing the door, he retrieved two wooden boxes from his sleeve.
"These are incense ashes from Consort Li’s and Consort De’s palaces. His Majesty visited both earlier, and these were discreetly collected. He requests that Physician Mu examine them carefully."
Unable to see the boxes clearly, Mu Miao relied on Little Wei to open them and hold them to her nose.
Slow-burning incense was a slow-acting poison, but a brief sniff wouldn’t cause harm.
Mu Miao inhaled through her handkerchief before signaling Little Wei to move the box away. Then, she pointed to the one on the right.
Su Zhe’s expression shifted slightly, but he merely lowered his eyes and said, "Thank you, Physician Mu. I will relay the truth to His Majesty. We must trouble you further in the coming days."
As a seasoned palace eunuch, Su Zhe knew better than to discuss matters of imperial consequence with Little Wei.
But that didn’t matter—she had her own advantages.
"Si, which palace does the right box belong to?"
"Consort De, the birth mother of Prince Qi."
In this world, only Consort De and Mu Miao could recognize the slow-burning incense, which was why Consort De had let her guard down.
"Well, isn’t that interesting?" Little Wei mused, rubbing her chin with a sly grin.
"True, but your mission is to break up the couple, not cripple the male lead," Si reminded her dryly.
"What if the male and female leads die..." Little Wei seemed to ignore the warning entirely.
"That doesn’t count as separating them," Si retorted, exasperated yet amused.
Perhaps he’d need to restrict her access to certain items in the future. If Little Wei ever accumulated enough points, she might just waltz into a world and buy ten Doom-shrooms first thing—now that would be a disaster.
"I know, I know. I’ll play it by ear. For now, I still have a way to get my master’s eyes. And I want the male lead to deliver them to me personally," Little Wei declared before downing the Biluochun tea in front of her.
Ugh!
So damn bitter.
Why were ancient people so obsessed with tea?
Unlike her—she preferred plain hot water.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Little Wei, chaos had erupted in Consort De’s palace. The usually composed noblewoman hurled her teacup at a maid’s head.
"How could you be so careless? You couldn’t even dispose of incense ashes properly, letting Eunuch Su steal them!"
The head maid, observing her mistress’s fury, leaned in and whispered, "Your Highness, even if Eunuch Su took them, it doesn’t mean he understands their significance. Right now, Prince Qi’s safety is our priority."
Consort De’s face burned with rage. Of course she knew her precious son came first, but how could she suppress the rumors spreading like wildfire among the commoners?
She had warned them—that wretched girl was nothing but trouble. Yet they insisted on bringing her into the family, and now, at the critical moment, she was failing them.
Consort De loathed Su Qingyun with every fiber of her being.
"You—summon Prince Qi immediately. Tell him his mother wishes to see him."
No sooner had she spoken than Eunuch Su strode in with a retinue of maids. Consort De froze, while the injured maid hastily retreated—though not before Su Zhe noticed.
If this were merely about missing incense ashes, why would Consort De punish a maid so harshly?
After all, wasn’t she renowned for her kindness and virtue, earning her the title of Consort De?
"Consort De, His Majesty decrees that for the next seven days, you are to receive no visitors. The number of attendants in your palace shall also be reduced."
Though Su Zhe smiled, his eyes remained cold.
Consort De nearly lashed out, but the thought of her son falling out of imperial favor held her back. Swallowing her pride, she bowed slightly.
"This consort obeys His Majesty’s command."
With a flick of his hand, Su Zhe had most of Consort De’s staff removed, leaving only a few sweepers and guards outside.
"Wait—Eunuch Su, why must Aunt Xun leave as well?"
Su Zhe lowered his gaze. "His Majesty’s orders. Aunt Xun has served you for years. He has questions for her."
Before Consort De could react, Su Zhe’s expression turned icy.
"Take her away."
No matter how favored she was yesterday, daring to scheme against the Emperor meant Consort De wouldn’t survive even with nine lives.
When Little Wei heard Si’s report, she nearly dropped her jaw.
"The Emperor moves fast. Pretty impressive."
"At his age, nothing matters more than his life. Besides, Consort De’s family lacks influence—that’s why Prince Qi married the Prime Minister’s daughter in the first place."
"The male lead doesn’t seem close to his mother, right?" Little Wei recalled the novel’s description—Consort De had never liked Su Qingyun.
"Have you ever seen a domineering prince who treats his mother well?" Si’s retort shut her up.
True. Wasn’t the female lead drawn to the prince’s overbearing demeanor? And the male lead, thinking it cool, acted the same toward everyone else.
"I think this role suits me perfectly. Next time, find me a world where I can be a CEO."
The immersion was strong—she could already picture herself speeding around in a Ferrari.
"That depends on luck," Si said, unable to predict which world or identity she’d land in next.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
Little Wei stretched lazily.
Time flew in the palace. Over those seven days, the Emperor, revitalized by Mu Miao’s treatments, found his back pain gone, his legs stronger, and even his vigor restored.
His gratitude extended to both Mu Miao and Little Wei, treating them with exceptional lenience.
"Miss Little Wei, about Physician Mu’s eyes... is there any hope?" The Emperor had long admired Mu Miao’s gaze, lamenting its loss.
"It’s a long story," Little Wei sighed, glancing at her master feeding koi in the distance. With a pitiful expression, she recounted Su Qingyun’s misdeeds.
"No wonder Consort De regained her sight years ago. That vile woman—her methods were never righteous." The Emperor’s face darkened at the mention of Consort De.
Aunt Xun, unable to endure the palace’s interrogations, had confessed everything. Now, Consort De languished in the cold palace.
th】 【No prior gaming knowledge required】【The First Cultivation + Game Design Novel on the Platform】 In a world where the righteous path dominates and crushes the demonic sects, Lu Ze unlocks the "Son of the Demon Path" system. Killing righteous cultivators now grants him power-ups. Wait—deaths in illusions count too? As a former game designer, Lu Ze decides to give the cultivators of this world a little—no, a massive—shock... Sect Elders: "What is this 'Escape from the Demon Sect' game? Why have all our disciples abandoned cultivation to play it??" Elite Disciples: "You're saying... mastering 'Demon Slayer' can help us counter demonic schemes?" Reclusive Masters: "Why did I leave seclusion? Ask that backstabbing rat who ambushed me in 'Eternal Strife' yesterday!" Rogue Cultivators & Civilians: "'Immortal Abyss Action' is addictive! You can even earn spirit stones by loot-running..." Sect Prodigy: "My Dao heart is unshakable... except for that cursed black hammer." Royal Scions: "Can skins have stat boosts? I’ll pay 10,000 spirit stones for one!!" Sect Leader: "WHO IS CORRUPTING MY DISCIPLES?!!!"
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?
