Yun Jiao can rewind her life infinitely.
So even though she's a little Servant Consort who doesn't have the Emperor's favor, she can live a content and satisfying life in the harem.
Don't like the food from the Imperial Kitchen?
Rewind, and get my favorite steamed pork.
The color of the fabric doesn't suit me?
Rewind, and this time I finally got my favorite lake green.
The Emperor chooses my card?
Rewind, life without favor is also enjoyable.
As long as the result is unsatisfactory, she'll rewind and start over.
——
Eighteen years ago, Yun Jiao transmigrated to the Yan Chi Dynasty. A fetal transmigration into the single-player palace intrigue game "Deep Palace" that she played before she died. The body she inhabits now is the character she crafted herself—Yun Jiao, daughter of the Imperial College Chief Clerk.
In her past life, she was frail and sickly, spending her days in hospital wards. Her only entertainment was a free single-player palace intrigue game, and her greatest gaming skill was the SL (Save, Load) technique.
In the game:
If the Emperor doesn't choose her card?
Reload and try again! Tonight, if the Emperor doesn't come to her palace, he can't go anywhere!
Physical weakness leads to a difficult childbirth?
Reload and try again! With patience, she can rewind until she has twins.
Palace maids plotting, poisoning, verbal sparring? Reload them all!
Speaking of this, Yun Jiao regrets deeply.
A paid player's character can have all stats maxed out to 999.
Yun Jiao was stingy and reluctant to spend money in the game.
If she had known she would transmigrate into the game, she would have spent 648 yuan without hesitation.
Fortunately, the initial character stats weren't fixed, and because Yun Jiao was patient enough to farm stats, her character was top-tier among free-to-play players.
[Yun Jiao]
Constitution: 800 (Healthy and resilient)
Temperament: 500 (Gentle and serene)
Appearance: 800 (Radiantly beautiful)
Scheming: 100 (Naive and easy to deceive)
These unbelievable stats were traded with her lack of skills in arts like music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
However, Yun Jiao quickly discovered.
Ever since her mother taught her to play the qin, her previously greyed-out skill points began to light up, proving she could change and improve herself.
If she had married or been wed under ordinary circumstances, she could live comfortably without talents.
Unexpectedly, the selection that she thought was a mere formality caught the Empress Dowager's eye, leaving her card to be sealed as Servant Consort Yun, with the day of entering the palace chosen. Yun Jiao was initially very anxious, as the real harem is not a game, but that very night, she activated the ability to rewind, gaining three slots to freely save and load, essentially giving her the power of limited time reversal.
So what's there to fear?
As long as she saves diligently, even dragon pits and tiger dens can be ventured into.
——
"Jiaojiao, you must be cautious in your actions after entering the palace. Think thrice before speaking. Once the arrow is released, it doesn't return."
The night before entering the palace, her mother held Yun Jiao's hands and advised her.
"I know, Mother."
Yun Jiao replied crisply, smiling gently and obediently. Her carefree demeanor made Lady Yun worry more. This daughter of hers has outstanding looks, with dewy, fair skin and bright eyes and teeth, yet she has developed a nonchalant personality. She's concerned how much Yun Jiao will suffer and how changed she will be after entering the palace.
Yun Jiao wasn't worried at all.
It's said that once an arrow is released it can't return, but she can make it return—
She only needs to save before shooting the arrow.
——
On the day she entered the palace, Yun Jiao saved her second slot.
Her first slot was saved when she was leaning on her mother's knee talking last night.
Should she face grievances in the harem, she can reload and act spoiled in her mother's embrace to heal herself.
Sitting on the sedan chair, emotions of longing for her parents surged forth.
Yun Jiao resisted the urge to lift the curtain and look back, sitting upright until she reached the palace gates.
After she disembarked, an eunuch bowed and greeted her:
"Paying respects to Miss Yun."
According to the new rules of the Yan Chi Dynasty's harem, newly admitted concubines are uniformly housed in Chuxiu Palace to learn the palace rules. Only after mastering them will they be assigned rooms and officially become concubines. If they fail to learn the rules, they will continue to stay in Chuxiu Palace until they get approval from the nanny and the Empress.
Yun Jiao lived far away, and her mother was very reluctant to part with her, leading to repeated delays until she arrived quite late. There were already eight young maidens in Chuxiu Palace, either sitting or standing. When they noticed a newcomer, they glanced over and found yet another stunning beauty. Some of them, lacking depth of character, immediately pursed their lips in disdain.
Her family background was the lowest among the concubines present, and she wasn't fond of socializing, so she found a quiet corner to sit down.
Until the nanny arrived, no one spoke to Yun Jiao.
A stern Aunt Jiang read out the palace rules and regulations to everyone. After finishing, she said: "These are what the young mistresses must memorize to serve the Emperor in the future. Now, we will assign rooms to each of you, two people to a room, without objections."
Upon hearing that they had to share rooms, everyone showed expressions of surprise and displeasure.
The selected concubines were all noble ladies at home, some with private courtyards. Now entering the palace, they found themselves living in lesser conditions than at home, instantly feeling the disparity. Moreover, they heard that not all rooms in Chuxiu Palace were the same. Getting a bad room would truly be a hardship.
Miss Zhang, beside Consort Ji, raised an objection: "Nanny, are rooms chosen according to rank? Although we are here to learn palace rules, our ranks are determined, and there should be a distinction of hierarchy."
She was close friends with Consort Ji, yet her actions followed Consort Ji's lead, with herself as the secondary.
Today, as Miss Zhang took the lead, everyone knew she was merely Consort Ji's mouthpiece.
Consort Ji had been granted the highest rank among those selected and came from the most prestigious family, so she was decidedly unwilling to endure any hardship.
"Room allocation is decided by drawing lots, Miss Zhang might not know, but this is also the Empress's decree. We servant maids are merely following orders."
Nanny, while facing Miss Zhang, put on an impeccable smile and tone, yet citing it as the Empress's will, even Consort Ji did not dare to voice another word.
Yun Jiao was not the slightest bit flustered, she calmly saved a progress file.
Drawing lots was great; wasn't this just like starting off with fresh game data?
She was extremely familiar with this.
"Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot, whichever you get is yours, no changing."
So, unlike the anxiously apprehensive others, Yun Jiao, composed and calm when stepping forward to draw her lot, caught the nanny's attention, who looked at her in a new light, considering her a level-headed child.
In this palace, keeping calm is the way to go far.
After all the concubines had drawn their lots, they could go settle into their rooms.
As it happened, Yun Jiao's roommate was Miss Zhang. No sooner did she step into the room than her face turned grim, complaining: "This room faces north, such bad luck! It doesn't even get sunlight during the day." Casting a disdainful glance at Yun Jiao, she said, "I don't want to share a room with you."
Yun Jiao: "Neither do I."
Just as Miss Zhang was about to explode, the environment around them froze.
In a blink, the smiling face of the nanny reappeared before Yun Jiao: "Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot, whichever you get is yours, no changing."
This time, she drew a room with a good orientation, but it had a musty smell.
After asking a palace maid and confirming there was no solution to this problem, Yun Jiao saved the progress again.
"Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot..."
This time the orientation was good, but her roommate was Miss Zhang again.
"Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot..."
This time the orientation was good, and the roommate was amiable, but it was too close to the communal washing area.
"Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot..."
After rewinding six times, she finally drew a satisfactory room, settled in, and then gathered in Qingxin Hall to listen to the nanny teach palace rules and learn how to serve the dishes. There was much to learn and remember, leaving her exhausted by the end of the day. As Yun Jiao lay thinking of home, she was about to fall asleep when she heard Attendant Lady He's snoring...
Yun Jiao closed her eyes and resolutely saved the progress again.
She had to stay here for a month!
She must draw the perfect starting setup!
"Come, Miss Yun, draw a lot..."
...
The day seemed to fall into endless repetition.
After finally drawing a satisfactory room, the other concubines started to become familiar. The lesser-ranked little Servant Consorts huddled together for warmth, making Yun Jiao the object of their envy.
"Sister Yun has such amazing luck, drawing the best room, with a window facing a beautifully blooming magnolia tree. In leisure time, she can enjoy the view to relieve boredom, unlike my room, where the window looks onto a wall! If only we could draw again..."
"No way, better be glad if not drawn by the nanny."
Yun Jiao rested her chin on her hand, but before she could speak, the stern-faced nanny walked in, ready to teach them the rules of serving meals: "The Emperor and Empress have palace maids to serve them meals. Normally, there's no need for you to do it yourself. However, should the Emperor want no one else to serve him, the young mistresses can't afford to make mistakes and disgrace themselves at the Imperial Court."
Hearing anything related to the Emperor, the concubines immediately fell silent.
"Today is the first lesson. I will only teach you simple basics. As long as the manner is not awkward and the steps and etiquette are correct, you can have your meals."
At the nanny's words, everyone suddenly remembered that they hadn't eaten yet.
Better not to mention it, now that it is, everyone's stomachs started growling with hunger.
By the looks of it, if meeting the nanny's standards is not achieved, they wouldn't even receive meals! The concubines internally moaned in fear—they were all extremely pampered at home, their dining etiquette flawless, but they had never learned how to serve others.
Nanny Ye took in everyone's expressions.
She paused slightly upon seeing Yun Jiao, noticing that she was surprisingly calm and not at all flustered.
...Well, after all, in the numerous resets of drawing lots for the initial room setup, she had already practiced serving dishes seven times!