Wang De was a low-ranking concubine in the harem of Emperor Jinghe of the Great Zhou dynasty. She died with her name unjustly smeared, and at the instant she breathed her last in the Cold Palace, she became bound to a cold-blooded [Harem Intrigue System]. She was reborn on the eve of the imperial consort selection, at the turning point of her fate. The System interface clearly listed her missions: [Beginner Mission: Pass the preliminary selection, reward: 10 points] and [Long-Term Main Quest: Rise to the rank of consort within one year. Failure means erasure]. The bitter memories of her past life intertwined with the data displayed in this life, and Wang De finally saw things clearly: this time, she would not be a prisoner of love. She would be a player in the game of power.
The imperial harem was her game board. The Noble Consort’s harassment became a [Resolve the Crisis] mission issued by the System, with a beginner medical skill point as the reward. The Consort Shu’s frame-up triggered a [Strike Back] event, which would earn her five points of the Emperor’s favor if completed. Calmly accepting her missions, she used points to exchange for items and learn skills, turning every morning greeting and every “chance encounter” in the imperial garden into a precise maneuver. Favor, hearts, and political scheming could all be quantified. She planned her every move, rising from Court Lady to Lady of the Noble Rank, then to Concubine, and crushing the enemies of her previous life with one flawless mission completion after another.
But the System’s missions gradually escalated, shifting from self-preservation to outright attacks, and even reaching into the forces of the imperial court. When the final mission, [Topple the Empress and Claim the Phoenix Throne], appeared, Wang De knew she would ultimately face off against the old order at the very top of the palace: the thousand-year-old aristocratic clans represented by the Empress. This time, she had the System in hand and data on her side. She swore to turn this man-eating palace into the ladder that would carry her to the top.
