After the Emperor Accidentally Bound Himself to a Palace Intrigue System

[Click above to see the character design for our darling A Yu, and the dog design for 818.] Yan Jiao got into a car accident while saving someone. Just before she died, a voice told her that it wasn't her time yet and promised to let her live again, as well as give her a System that would take her to the pinnacle of life. So Yan Jiao transmigrated to ancient times and became the daughter of a minor official. Her stepmother was unkind, and her siblings were at odds, fighting all day like a flock of angry chickens. Yan Jiao felt she'd already had a hard enough life in her previous one. This time, she just wanted to lie flat, so she became a lazy fish. As for the System? It had probably crashed. Emperor Jingguang Chu Yu ascended the throne at thirteen and took personal control of the government at nineteen. He governed diligently, and the empire was growing ever more stable and prosperous. Then one day, as he was reviewing memorials, he encountered the greatest problem of his life. "Ding! Palace Intrigue System 818 is at your service! Our mission is to help the Host reach the pinnacle of life quickly, safely, and without a hitch." "You are about to enter the palace selection. To give you a competitive edge, 818 has selected the following training courses: music, dance, and reading. Which would you like to study today?" Chu Yu: "No..." "Once you complete the task, the System will grant you the following reward: the method for making glass." Chu Yu immediately changed his answer. "Reading." "Very good. The Host has chosen reading. Please begin now." So, after Chu Yu had read for six shichen, the System announced, "You slacked off today. Task failed. No reward will be issued." Chu Yu fell silent for a moment, then asked, "What is your master's name?" Yan Jiao lived comfortably at home, occasionally watching dramas about household intrigue. Then one day, the palace sent someone with a cartload of books and an imperial decree, ordering Yan Jiao to study well and read for six shichen a day. Yan Jiao sat up in the middle of the night. Wait, is he crazy? Why is this emperor so meddlesome? Later, Yan Jiao entered the palace, and Chu Yu personally helped her complete her tasks, with great enthusiasm. "Please complete the face-slapping task against Consort Shu. Reward: a method for irrigating farmland." "Please complete the Mid-Autumn Banquet performance task. Reward..." "Side quest unlocked. Liu Yanshu has asked you to meet at Chunyu House. Complete the task to receive the following reward: a method for making salt." Chu Yu's expression darkened. "We're not doing this task." Yan Jiao was confused. "Why not? That's a method for making salt!" Chu Yu said firmly, "You are not doing it. Abandon this task!" P.S. Set in an alternate world, with a jumble of customs and institutions from different dynasties, including some invented by the author. Both leads are virgins. No unsolicited writing advice, please. [Don't imagine details I never wrote and then criticize me for them. Let's respect each other.] Versioning announcement: This novel will be released on Thursday, November 2. A 10,000-character update will be posted. Thank you for your support! Upcoming novel: "My Husband Is Sick" Blurb: Liu Yao married Ji Yao at sixteen. To outsiders, Ji Yao was a learned, refined man, the son of a duke, and a member of a prominent family. They thought Liu Yao had married well above her station. No one knew that Ji Yao treated her terribly. He was violent, impatient, and quick to anger, beating and cursing Liu Yao, and often abusing her when he was drunk. Then Ji Yao fell and died. Before Liu Yao could even feel happy, she watched in disbelief as he came back to life. But overnight, Ji Yao had become very strange. He didn't even recognize his own wife, and his whole personality had changed, as though he'd become someone else. Her new husband seemed to be sick. He was an uncultivated man who could barely read and couldn't even compose a poem. He knew nothing of manners and etiquette, and often made a fool of himself. But he treated Liu Yao wonderfully. He sang her strange songs, told her bizarre stories, and even helped her fetch water to wash her feet. When he smiled, his eyes shone like stars in the sky, and they held nothing but Liu Yao. Liu Yao rather liked this new husband, so she poured away all the medicine she'd prepared. To her surprise, someone found out and accused Liu Yao of trying to murder her husband. Liu Yao remained expressionless and said nothing. Only her husband panicked, scratching his head and jumping around as he defended her. "Don't talk nonsense! She got the medicine to treat my illness!" The others were skeptical. "You've always been in good health. What illness could you have? Don't let her deceive you, Third Young Master." Ji Yao grew anxious. "I'm sick. I... I can't get it up!" Later, her husband was always calling Liu Yao his goddess and saying he was a pure-hearted male college student. Liu Yao: I know what "pure-hearted" and "college" mean, but what's a "pure-hearted male college student"? Premise: Love makes one person yearn for another