Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 76

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Xie Nuange woke early the next morning. The first thing she did after getting out of bed was check her panel.

Only when she saw that her Assimilation Level remained at ten points, unchanged from before she fell asleep, did she relax.

Attending the Emperor the previous night had sent it soaring to ten.

Did the Assimilation Level increase faster the more she behaved like a consort?

If Assimilation Level was a form of mental corruption, how could she lower it?

As she pondered, she lowered her head and saw a sheet of paper beside her pillow.

“Su Ye, wake up! There are new rules!”

Xie Nuange hurriedly woke the still-sleeping Su Ye.

“Look.”

Su Ye yawned and examined the paper in Xie Nuange’s hand.

[Rules for Paying Respects, Part Two]

[Rule One: The Empress likes hearing—and speaking—words about flourishing branches and abundant heirs. But you must not actually bear heirs.]

[Rule Two: The Noble Consort dislikes anything red, but she must like red because the Emperor likes it. Therefore, you must exercise particular caution and leave as quickly as possible after the Noble Consort flies into a rage.]

[Rule Three: Consort Qi likes others to flatter her beauty, but you must not steal the Emperor’s favor from her. Otherwise, she will find all manner of excuses to make trouble for you.]

[Rule Four: Consort De has two children, the only two children in the palace. They may ask you to play games with them. If you refuse, they may become unhappy, and when they are unhappy, Consort De will fly into a rage.]

[Rule Five: Consort Jing can sing, and it is one of the ways she earns the Emperor’s favor. Do not sing in front of her or admit that you know how. She will consider it a provocation.]

[Rule Six: The Empress hates one person, yet everyone in the palace bears traces of her. You must ensure that you resemble her in at least one respect.]

[Rule Seven: When you do not know what to do, you may feed the fish beside the lake. The fish will help you.]

[Rule Eight: If you wish to clear the scenario quickly, conceive an imperial heir as soon as possible. This will become your fastest route to clearing it.]

[Rule Nine: Your children are your natural allies. Expand your ranks.]

[Rule Ten: From this moment onward, do not speak to anyone about the scenario or Chosen Players. If you accidentally do so, you will pay a terrible price.]

Ten neatly written rules. Added to all the previous ones, they left Xie Nuange’s already foggy morning mind even more muddled.

“Did everyone receive these rules?”

Su Ye developed a headache from looking at the dense lines. “Or did only the ladies who attended the Emperor receive them?”

Xie Nuange shook her head, her gaze settling on Rule Seven.

By now, she wanted nothing to do with rules that told her to let wine or fish help whenever she did not know what to do.

“Will these rules…”

Su Ye glanced at the final rule and changed her phrasing. “Will they still apply after you attend the birthday banquet?”

Xie Nuange shook her head. “I don’t know. But as long as we’re still in the imperial harem, they probably will.”

“Then we need to watch what we say from now on. Bind this sheet together with the previous rules so we don’t forget any.”

Su Ye rose with the paper and went to retrieve the earlier sets.

Xie Nuange sat up and sighed. “I wonder if they’ll have turned into a whole book by the time we leave the palace.”

The thought made Su Ye shudder. “What kind of horror story are you telling?”

Were they going to have to clear the scenario while flipping through a book?

After washing her face, Xie Nuange sat before the bronze mirror while Su Ye dressed her hair and carefully reread the rules.

Combined with the previous rules, it seemed that the Empress disliked others having children, yet was willing to allow them to become pregnant…

Did the Empress merely want to display her magnanimity?

Rule Six mentioned a woman the Empress hated. Was that woman Jiang Fan?

Could everyone in the palace bear some trace of Jiang Fan?

“The rules say pregnancy is the fastest…”

Su Ye looked at Xie Nuange. “Do you think that’s true or false?”

“I don’t intend to become pregnant either way.”

Xie Nuange met Su Ye’s eyes in the bronze mirror. “Pregnancy would enrage the Noble Consort. Giving birth would enrage the Empress.”

“And we only have one month. What would happen after the birthday banquet?”

“You may not believe it, but that doesn’t mean no one else will,” Su Ye said pointedly.

“Among the newcomers… someone is bound to try.”

Xie Nuange said nothing. Images of the people who had emerged first from the second stage flashed through her mind.

Liu Feng, Ye Wan, and the other palace candidates and palace maids from before.

If the Emperor had already selected their plaques, how had they handled attending him?

And what about the palace maids clearing the scenario on their own? Where would they appear?

Once they were ready, Xiao Yunzi was already waiting at the courtyard gate.

The mistress and her two servants followed the palace path toward the Palace of Phoenix Grace.

By the time they arrived, quite a few people were already standing in the courtyard.

The moment Xie Nuange crossed the moon gate, gazes fell upon her from every direction.

The high-ranking consorts looked first, some eager for entertainment and others appraising her.

Their gazes lingered for only a moment before sliding away.

The Chosen Players, however, stared at her one after another.

They looked as though they wished they could inspect every strand of hair on Xie Nuange’s head from a distance.

The main hall doors opened. The chief eunuch emerged and flicked his horsetail whisk.

“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived. Ladies, please enter and pay your respects.”

Inside the main hall of the Palace of Phoenix Grace, the consorts saluted and took their seats in order of rank.

Xie Nuange sat at the very end, hands folded on her knees and back held straight.

Seated on the phoenix throne, the Empress looked toward the foremost seat on the left. “How are you feeling, Noble Consort?”

“Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.”

The corners of the Noble Consort’s lips curved slightly.

“It is merely an old complaint. The people around this concubine make far too much of things, reporting even the smallest matter to the Imperial Medical Bureau.”

As she spoke, her gaze moved away from the Empress and settled on Xie Nuange at the end of the row.

“Noble Lady Xie attended the Emperor last night. Of all the times for this old complaint to flare up, it chose that exact moment. Because of this concubine, His Majesty was unable to spend more time with our younger sister.”

With a single sentence, she drew every gaze in the room to Xie Nuange.

Xie Nuange hurriedly stood. She first swept a quick glance over the Noble Consort and, seeing no red sachet, bent her knees in a curtsy.

“Your Ladyship’s health is far more important. This concubine would not dare accept such concern.”

The Empress laughed and tapped a finger lightly on the armrest of her phoenix throne.

“Noble Lady Xie is sensible. She even knows to speak on the Noble Consort’s behalf.”

She turned to the Noble Consort, gentle reproach in her voice. “Still, Noble Consort, you must stop being so careless. If the Imperial Medical Bureau reported it, then it warrants caution.”

“After all…”

The Empress lifted her teacup and skimmed the foam with its lid. “You did steal Noble Lady Xie’s first night. The newcomer had barely begun when you summoned the Emperor away.”

“You ought to offer her something in compensation.”

“Listen to that. Her Majesty the Empress is taking Noble Lady Xie’s side and trying to pry away what few treasures this concubine possesses.”

The Noble Consort moved her gaze from the Empress to Xie Nuange and let it rest there for a moment.

“Besides, it isn’t as though Noble Lady Xie failed to attend the Emperor last night. She entered the Palace of Receiving Grace, and His Majesty himself declared her service meritorious.”

She raised her teacup, glanced at Xie Nuange, then at the Empress. “Her Majesty should be the one to reward her.”

As the Chosen Players in the hall listened, they all began scrutinizing Xie Nuange where she stood in the center.

Liu Feng regarded her with a complicated expression.

It was Zhao Ning’s first day paying respects after entering the palace, and she had already heard such explosive news.

She looked at Xie Nuange in slight astonishment.

Meritorious bedchamber service… The Emperor had confirmed it himself.

Did that mean Xie Nuange had really slept with the Emperor last night?