Rules of Horror: Survival Begins in the Haunted Harem - Chapter 87

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Xie Nuange acknowledged the instruction and returned to the Palace of Eternal Spring with Su Ye.

They had barely sat down when someone knocked on the door.

Chuntao reported softly from outside, “Your Ladyship, Noble Lady Ye has arrived.”

Ye Wan entered with Zhang San. Su Ye and Zhang San exchanged a look, then went outside to guard the door for Xie Nuange and Ye Wan.

“Did the Noble Consort say she would take you?”

Ye Wan sat and came straight to the point.

Xie Nuange poured her a cup of water and pushed it across the table. “She did. Did Consort Qi give you a mission?”

Ye Wan accepted the cup and ran a finger around its rim.

She paused and decided she could not exchange information with Xie Nuange this way.

She would be getting the worse end of the bargain.

“She did.”

Ye Wan raised her eyes. “Did the Noble Consort ask you to find something?”

Xie Nuange nodded. “Did Consort Qi ask you to do the same?”

“Mm.”

Ye Wan set down the cup and leaned back. “Did she tell you what you’re looking for?”

Xie Nuange shook her head. “She said she would tell me on the day.”

“Same here,” Ye Wan said. “She’ll tell me that day.”

The corners of her lips curved. “The Four Consorts and the Empress can each bring one person inside.”

Something occurred to her, and she smiled. “We took the wrong path from the beginning. We should have attached ourselves to the Four Consorts or the Empress from the start.”

“All we needed was to glimpse the Emperor from a distance. The only problem is that competition around the Four Consorts is intense. Some newcomers were assigned to palaces with principal mistresses, while others were not.”

Xie Nuange’s gaze settled on Ye Wan’s collar.

The banner gown Ye Wan wore today did not have a particularly high collar. When she turned her neck, it revealed a small patch of skin above her collarbone marked by a bruise.

Noticing Xie Nuange’s gaze, Ye Wan did not deliberately cover it. She merely paused before asking,

“What’s your Assimilation Level?”

“Twenty.”

“Then you’re luckier than I am.”

Ye Wan looked surprised, then seemed to understand and nodded. “Don’t let it rise any further. A high level is dangerous.”

“What is yours now?” Xie Nuange asked.

If someone truly attended the Emperor in bed, would being with him cause the Assimilation Level to rise sharply?

“Thirty-nine.”

Ye Wan paused. “I don’t know whether the first time adds twenty points or every time does.”

Xie Nuange pressed her lips together and looked at Ye Wan.

Both women fell silent for a moment.

“Tsk. I’m not that fragile. Remember what I told you: nothing is more important than staying alive.”

Meeting Xie Nuange’s gaze, Ye Wan tugged at the corner of her mouth. “The experience wasn’t bad. It’s just a pity there were no condoms. Rather unhygienic.”

Neither spoke. Xie Nuange had no intention of probing what Ye Wan meant.

Everyone had their own method of clearing the scenario.

All Xie Nuange could do was try her best to emerge alive.

After a long while, she said, “Talk with Zhang San. Discuss other things, things from outside. Think about the outside world more often. It helps.”

Ye Wan froze.

Something flickered through her habitually languid, foxlike eyes as she looked at Xie Nuange.

She stood, reached out, and pinched Xie Nuange’s cheek. “All right.”

Ye Wan left.

Xie Nuange rose and walked to the window, watching Ye Wan cross the courtyard of the Palace of Eternal Spring.

Su Ye opened the door, removed the cold tea, and replaced it with a fresh hot pot.

She stood beside Xie Nuange and looked at the now-empty courtyard gate.

“That’s just how this place is…”

Su Ye’s voice was calm and emotionless. “People come, and people leave. We cannot save anyone. They can only rely on themselves.”

“In the same way, all we can do is try our hardest to survive.”

Xie Nuange turned and leaned against the windowsill, smiling at Su Ye. “I know.”

The following evening, the news arrived before the Phoenix Carriage of Spring Favor.

Xiao Yunzi entered through the courtyard gate at a slightly quicker pace than usual, smiling.

“Your Ladyship.”

He stood outside the threshold with his hands lowered. “His Majesty selected Your Ladyship’s plaque tonight.”

Xie Nuange was in the middle of dinner. Her chopsticks stopped in midair.

“Su Ye, go prepare.”

Su Ye acknowledged her. Xie Nuange also rose to ready the Calming Incense.

It had been quite some time since the Emperor selected any plaque.

They had barely finished preparing when Xiao Yunzi, who had just left, returned.

Su Ye looked at him, then glanced outside.

“Has the Phoenix Carriage of Spring Favor arrived?”

“No.”

Xiao Yunzi wore an unnatural smile.

It lacked the eager attentiveness of his earlier congratulations. He appeared torn between speaking and remaining silent, yet had no choice but to report.

“What is it?”

Seeing his expression, Xie Nuange could roughly guess.

Had the other palace candidates become desperate and begun fighting to see the Emperor?

“A servant from the Palace Affairs Office just came with a message…”

Xiao Yunzi lowered his head and spoke quickly. “His Majesty will no longer select a plaque tonight. First Attendant Zhao went to see him.”

The hall was silent for a moment.

Xie Nuange nodded. “Understood.”

Seeing Xiao Yunzi’s and Chuntao’s unhappy faces, she smiled and looked at Su Ye.

“Su Ye, give Xiao Yunzi and Chuntao a reward. Cheer them up.”

Then she turned back to them. “Someone merely intercepted the summons. It’s nothing serious.”

“Consort Qi had the Emperor stolen from her not long ago. Don’t look so miserable.”

Xiao Yunzi and Chuntao cautiously studied Xie Nuange.

Only after confirming that she was not angry did they relax, thank her, and withdraw.

Once they were gone, Su Ye leaned close and whispered, “Has Zhao Ning become desperate?”

“She’s been desperate ever since Liu Feng monopolized the Emperor for those three days.”

Xie Nuange murmured an assent. “Probably. But it doesn’t matter whether the Emperor sees me.”

“The Noble Consort has already promised to take me to the birthday banquet. We just need to wait quietly.”

She patted Su Ye. “Don’t be upset. The Emperor not seeing us is a good thing.”

“Mm.”

After a moment of silence, Su Ye said, “We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Let’s sleep early tonight.”

Xie Nuange nodded.

“I learned something today,” Su Ye whispered, leaning closer. “Apparently, this opera troupe has performed for the Empress Dowager for years and enters the palace once annually.”

“She refuses to listen to any other troupe.”

Xie Nuange considered the information.

“Could the people in the troupe be… people like us?”

Su Ye shook her head and pulled the quilt higher over Xie Nuange.

“I don’t know. But I heard the Empress Dowager requests *Falling Pear Blossoms* every year.”

“If anything dangerous happens tomorrow, remember to protect yourself first.”

Xie Nuange softly acknowledged her.

At the Hour of the Rabbit the next morning, in the Palace of Phoenix Grace, the morning greeting was much shorter than usual.

Seated on the phoenix throne, the Empress swept her gaze across the consorts below.

“Today is the Empress Dowager’s birthday. Have all the palaces made their preparations?”

Her gaze traveled over everyone present. “It is almost time. Let us go.”

Xie Nuange and the others exchanged looks and answered in unison.

After leaving the Palace of Phoenix Grace, everyone headed toward the Palace of Longevity and Health.

The high-ranking consorts rode in sedan chairs. Xie Nuange and the others walked behind them.

“Be careful later,” Ye Wan whispered after moving beside Xie Nuange.

“Mm. Don’t worry.” Xie Nuange nodded lightly and looked toward the festively decorated Palace of Longevity and Health ahead.