Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 79

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Su Ye was waiting below the steps outside the Palace of Heavenly Purity. The moment she saw Xie Nuange emerge, she hurried forward.

As they started back, Su Ye questioned her with her eyes.

Xie Nuange shook her head. “Liu Feng came.”

Without slowing, she added, “She made sweet soup for the Emperor. She’s certainly bold.”

Su Ye faltered for a step. “She moves quickly.”

News arrived around dinnertime.

“Your Ladyship, Noble Lady Liu will attend the Emperor tonight. His Majesty did not select a plaque.”

Xie Nuange’s fingers paused in the middle of taking down her hair.

“Understood. Leave the hot water there.”

Su Ye came over to help. “Didn’t Liu Feng already attend him?”

“Who says she can’t attend him again?”

The night passed without incident. The next day, two unfamiliar faces appeared at the Palace of Phoenix Grace.

They were newly admitted Attendants.

“All our new younger sisters have arrived.”

Seated upright in the principal place, the Empress looked over the consorts below, her gaze lingering especially on Liu Feng.

“From now on, you are all sisters. I hope you will support one another, serve His Majesty well, and soon bear flourishing branches and abundant heirs for the imperial family. That is our duty as consorts.”

Everyone rose again, bowed, and answered, “Yes.”

As they left the Palace of Phoenix Grace, Xie Nuange saw that Zhao Ning and the others looked composed, though their gazes toward Liu Feng carried deeper meaning.

“Ye Wan, you need to see the Emperor at least once.”

Xie Nuange turned to her. “If you make it to the birthday banquet without ever seeing the Emperor, you could still be finished.”

[Rule Nine: If you fail to see the Emperor for an entire month, you will be deemed useless. There are no useless people in the palace.]

Xie Nuange even wondered what it meant to “see” the Emperor within that month.

Was merely catching sight of him enough?

Or did he have to see and remember you?

Did it require attending him in bed?

Ye Wan nodded but said nothing more.

They reached the fork in the path, where one road led to Zhongcui Palace and the other to the Palace of Eternal Spring.

At dinnertime, more news arrived.

“It’s Liu Feng again tonight.”

Su Ye quietly relayed the information she had gathered. “Zhao Ning and the others only have one day left.”

Xie Nuange’s hand stilled. “Ye Wan said Consort Qi told her that the Emperor would choose each newcomer in turn during her first three days.”

“Zhao Ning and First Attendant Li entered the palace on the same day. Who knows which one the Emperor will choose tomorrow night?”

Su Ye thought of the two Attendants who had entered that day. “Is Liu Feng pursuing the Emperor’s route?”

She looked at Xie Nuange. “Should we commit to the Noble Consort’s route instead?”

“Keep your distance from Liu Feng from now on.”

Xie Nuange did not say which route they should take. “Zhao Ning isn’t easy to deal with. Liu Feng is provoking her.”

“Zhao Ning and the others will become desperate.”

Zhao Ning was indeed desperate.

And not only Zhao Ning. First Attendant Li and the two Attendants were anxious too.

For three consecutive days, the Emperor selected Liu Feng’s plaque.

As if that were not enough, he selected no one at all for the next two days.

Even Xie Nuange began to feel anxious. They had only one month, and an entire week had already passed.

The next time they paid their respects at the Palace of Phoenix Grace, Zhao Ning stopped Liu Feng in front of everyone as soon as the morning greeting ended.

“Liu Feng.”

Zhao Ning did not speak loudly, but everyone who had not yet left could hear her.

The high-ranking consorts whose processions had not yet departed turned their heads, eager to watch the spectacle.

Xie Nuange and Ye Wan exchanged a look.

“You run to the Palace of Heavenly Purity every day. Don’t you ever get tired? We’re all clearing this scenario together. What exactly are you trying to do?”

Zhao Ning stared coldly at Liu Feng. “You’re always warning us to watch out for Xie Nuange.”

“But I think you’re the one we should fear most. The dog that bites really doesn’t bark.”

Slap!

Liu Feng flung out an arm and struck Zhao Ning across the face.

Zhao Ning stared at her in disbelief and immediately tried to retaliate.

“First Attendant Zhao.”

Liu Feng shook out her hand, her eyes contemptuous. “Before the Palace of Phoenix Grace, you ignored the distinction of rank and insulted a Noble Lady.”

“That slap was merely a small lesson.”

Zhao Ning’s eyes reddened. It had not hurt much, but the humiliation was overwhelming.

Xie Nuange and the other Chosen Players watched, disbelief written across every face.

No one had expected Liu Feng to attack directly—not with a skill or ghost item, but with a straightforward slap.

“Your Ladyships, Her Majesty summons you.”

The Empress’s senior palace maid emerged. Seeing the group gathered there, she curtsied.

Xie Nuange and Ye Wan turned back toward the Palace of Phoenix Grace.

The Empress sat at the head of the hall, looking reproachfully at the latest group of newcomers.

“What is going on?”

Her gaze fell on Liu Feng. “All this shouting and quarreling. Not a moment of peace!”

“Your Majesty, please allow this concubine to explain.”

Liu Feng stepped forward and curtsied. “After the morning greeting today, First Attendant Zhao directly blocked this concubine’s path.”

“She called this concubine a dog and said she should not serve His Majesty, but ought to yield him to the others.”

She looked at the Empress, her eyes reddening instantly. “Your Majesty, how could this concubine possibly decide whom His Majesty chooses?”

Xie Nuange lowered her head. From the corner of her eye, she saw Zhao Ning clench her fists.

“Mm. First Attendant Zhao, what do you have to say?”

Zhao Ning stared at Liu Feng with a cold smile and instinctively activated a skill.

The Empress unhurriedly raised her tea and took a sip, as though she had not seen Zhao Ning’s movement.

Just as the skill was about to be unleashed, she set the teacup on the table.

Tap.

The sound was very soft, yet Zhao Ning reacted as though struck. Clutching her chest, she spat out a mouthful of blood.

She stared in shock at the Empress seated above, then turned toward the Chosen Players around her.

Xie Nuange, Ye Wan, and the other Chosen Players who had experienced the Empress’s absolute suppression earliest all lowered their eyes and pretended to be quails.

If this stage were so easy that they could simply rely on skills and ghost items to slaughter everything in their path, whoever killed the Empress could become the next Empress.

Why would they still be struggling to find another solution?

“Your Majesty.”

Only after Zhao Ning used a Healing-type ghost item did she barely manage to stand straight.

“This concubine was too anxious. She thought the sisters of the imperial harem should help one another and that it was inappropriate for a single person to monopolize His Majesty for several days.”

The Empress propped her forehead on one hand, her lips curving into a smile that was not quite a smile.

“Mm. But you did insult Noble Lady Liu. As punishment, kneel outside for two hours.”

After issuing the order, she waved a hand. “Very well. You may all leave. If anyone breaks the rules again, do not blame me for showing no mercy.”

“Yes. We respectfully accept Your Majesty’s instruction.”

Xie Nuange and the others left the Palace of Phoenix Grace. Zhao Ning was escorted to the area outside the gates.

“This way, First Attendant Zhao.”

Liu Feng watched with a bright smile as Zhao Ning knelt, then left with her palace maid, flicking her handkerchief.

Ye Wan and Xie Nuange exchanged a look and departed as well.

Whether Zhao Ning and Liu Feng became mortal enemies was none of their concern.

“Zhao Ning lost her patience,” Ye Wan sighed.

“She isn’t the only anxious one.”

Xie Nuange continued walking with Su Ye. “None of the four women who entered later has a principal mistress. If they want to see the Emperor, they have to seize this window.”

Like Xie Nuange, they had no principal mistress and had been assigned to side halls in different palaces.

But Xie Nuange had attended the Emperor at least once. They had nothing.

Liu Feng had monopolized the Emperor these past few days, while the first and fifteenth days of each month belonged to the Empress.

There were also numerous high-ranking consorts in the imperial harem. The Emperor did not have enough time to remember women he had never met.

How could Zhao Ning not be angry? Liu Feng had ruined her safest opportunity to meet the Emperor.

If those women wanted to see him now, they would have to take a dangerous gamble.