The Daily Life of Influencing the Empress [Transmigration into a Book GL] - Chapter 1

“Did you hear?” On the bustling streets and alleys, amidst the flow of people, one person quietly said to the one next to them, “Prime Minister Xiao’s only daughter was killed by bandits on her way back!”

“Nonsense,” the listener immediately picked out a flaw. “The Emperor wiped out the bandits after ascending the throne.”

“There are always some who slip through the net.”

“You still don’t believe me,” the speaker said, half-covered, and seeing that the attention of others nearby was also on them, they raised their voice slightly. “I have a distant relative who works in Prime Minister Xiao’s household, and they personally saw Madam Xiao weeping inconsolably…”

The story was told with conviction and detail. Coupled with the fact that Prime Minister Xiao, who never took leave, had requested three days of sick leave, it was hard for people not to believe it.

“Heaven doesn’t spare anyone. It’s a pity that Miss Xiao, with all her talents, couldn’t serve the country before she…”

“Prime Minister Xiao and his wife lost their child in their middle age,” one person wiped their eyes with a handkerchief. “I can’t imagine their sorrow…”

Everyone in the state of Wen knew the Xiao family. A distinguished lineage, an aristocratic family with a hundred years of heritage. The current head of the family, Xiao Haochen, was an official with the title of Right Prime Minister. At eighteen, he married the daughter of the Shen family. The couple had one son and one daughter. The son entered the Imperial Palace, and their only daughter was sent to Lanxi to care for her great-aunt, Elder Xiao.

Speaking of Elder Xiao, her reputation was even more resounding. Xiao Qingjin entered officialdom at the age of ten. At that time, corrupt officials were rampant in the state of Wen, and she, single-handedly, saved the situation. When the state of Wen began to flourish, Xiao Qingjin resigned and returned to her hometown to focus on running schools. Now, she could be said to have students everywhere.

She had no children of her own throughout her life, so Xiao Haochen, unable to bear his aunt returning alone, sent his daughter to keep her company.

“To think that this journey ended up being…”

Everyone sighed with regret.

No one noticed a woman quietly sitting in the small teahouse nearby. Wearing a cloak, she listened with a smile as the people around her expressed their deep emotion.

After a while, a carriage drove over. The woman gently put down her teacup and boarded the carriage.

“Look at that carriage!” one person suddenly noticed that the carriage seemed somewhat different and pointed with a trembling hand.

It wasn’t until the carriage had driven a distance away that someone said, “Isn’t that the Xiao manor’s carriage?”

The carriage was not luxurious, but it was instantly recognizable because of the white crane with outstretched wings painted on it—a pattern unique to the Xiao family’s carriages.

“The one who just got in looked like a young woman,” someone then said uncertainly.

Just by looking at the back, one could sense her extraordinary demeanor, yet there seemed to be no woman of that age in the current generation of the Xiao family, except for the one they were currently discussing.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone started buzzing with discussion.

Inside the carriage, Xiao Yunlan removed her cloak and brushed off the small specks of dust from her clothes. Inside, there was everything one could need: a small table, cushions, pastries, tea, and snacks. Xiao Yunlan had already drunk tea while waiting, so she picked up a piece of pastry.

“Host,” the System completely failed to understand her actions. “Everyone is discussing that you’re dead, why aren’t you reacting at all?” Even back in Lanxi, it hadn’t understood why the Host would deliberately spread that rumor.

“It should be this way,” Xiao Yunlan said with a light chuckle. “Could it be that the original person is still alive?”

“Alright then,” the System’s limited capacity prevented it from figuring out why the Host was doing this, so it could only obediently listen.

Xiao Yunlan closed her eyes. The carriage had already passed through the busy market, and only the distinct clip-clop of the horse’s hooves could be heard. Six years ago, after her sudden death, she thought everything was over. She never expected to wake up as an eight-year-old girl.

“She is already dead,” Xiao Yunlan heard a strange voice in the dense forest. “If you want to gain a new life, you must save one person.”

“Who is that person?” Xiao Yunlan did not hesitate at all.

“The future Empress.”

Only then did Xiao Yunlan realize that she was currently in a transmigration novel. The female protagonist, Murong Xiaoxiao, transmigrated to the Great Zhou and, after going through various difficulties, ended up marrying the Prince of Great Zhou. The world was currently divided into three states, and she was in the state of Wen. The person she needed to save was the Eldest Princess of Wen, the future Empress.

“The Wen Imperial Palace,” Xiao Yunlan murmured to herself. “I wonder what it looks like?”

“Miss Xiao,” Inner Court Attendant Zhang led Xiao Yunlan toward the inner palace. “His Majesty is attending to state affairs and will not summon Miss Xiao for now. His Majesty said that escaping a great disaster means there will be future blessings, and Miss Xiao can stay in the palace for a period to keep Mr. Xiao company.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Xiao Yunlan declined. “The Inner Palace is ultimately not a place for a woman like me to stay long. I am already very satisfied that Your Majesty permits this commoner to visit.”

“His Majesty said Miss Xiao should just treat this place as home,” Attendant Zhang said. Seeing the inner palace right before them, and coincidentally, Mr. Xiao’s attendant walked over, he excused himself.

“Miss Xiao,” the person who approached was Mr. Xiao’s personal attendant. “My master heard you were coming and waited at the palace gate early this morning. However, an issue suddenly arose in the palace, so he went to handle it first. I will take Miss to stroll around the Imperial Garden first, and we can go over later.”

“No rush,” Xiao Yunlan said calmly. “You must be Bi Mo?”

“Miss still remembers this servant?”

“I vaguely recall a memory,” Xiao Yunlan fabricated easily. She had asked Father and Mother Xiao for information about the people around her brother, Mr. Xiao.

“Miss has an excellent memory,” Bi Mo sighed, as Miss was only eight when he entered the palace.

“Since your master is busy,” Xiao Yunlan said, “You should go and help him first. I can stroll around here by myself.”

“But—”

“It’s fine,” Xiao Yunlan said, pointing to the person behind him. “Just let him stay and accompany me. I’ll go over once your master is finished.” Bi Mo eventually agreed.

“Miss Xiao,” the palace servant bowed their head and said in a neither-high-nor-low voice, “The Imperial Garden is this way.”

“Mhm.” Xiao Yunlan followed him, occasionally looking up.

“What is that?” Suddenly smelling a burst of floral fragrance, Xiao Yunlan thought they had reached the Imperial Garden. She looked up, only to see high walls. Looking closely to the left, separated by a small pond, Xiao Yunlan noticed another palace wall, with flowers peeking over the corner of the wall—pear blossoms.

The flowers were blooming beautifully, clusters of snow-white buds like white clouds, and a faint, elegant scent wafted over.

The vermilion wall should have made a beautiful backdrop for the flowers, but the wall itself showed signs of fading. The peeling palace walls, dilapidated tiles, and plain white pear blossoms gave off an indescribable sense of desolation, completely out of place with the surroundings they had passed through earlier.

Xiao Yunlan casually asked, “Which noble master lives here?”

The palace servant leading the way immediately knelt down, startling Xiao Yunlan. “To answer Miss, this palace, this palace is…”

He stuttered for a long time without answering, making Xiao Yunlan think there must be a secret. “Stand up.”

“I’m tired from walking for so long,” Xiao Yunlan said.

“Miss can rest in the pavilion,” the servant immediately suggested.

After sitting for a while, Xiao Yunlan found an excuse, shook off the people following her, and walked towards the wall of pear blossoms.

The pavilion was about a li (approx. 500m) away from the palace wall. Xiao Yunlan quickened her pace and immediately saw three large characters on the plaque: “Changchun Palace” (Eternal Spring Palace).

The palace gate was dilapidated. Xiao Yunlan pushed it gently, and it made a heavy creaking sound. There was no dust on her hands. “Could it be that someone still lives here?”

Walking further inside, weeds grew rampant. Xiao Yunlan lightened her steps, following the fragrant scent. After passing through another door, the pear tree was right before her.

The mechanical yet familiar voice sounded in her head again, [Target person has appeared. Life Value is negative eighty.]

Before Xiao Yunlan could ponder it, she saw a person vaguely standing in the pear tree—a little girl. Seeing someone approach, the girl stayed still on the tree. Xiao Yunlan took two steps closer, reached out her hand, and gently asked, “Do you want to come down?”

The girl didn’t answer. Instead, she turned to the other side and then jumped straight down. As soon as she landed, she nervously lowered her head.

Looking at her practiced movements, she must climb trees often. Since she was fine, Xiao Yunlan did not ask further. She only wondered, “Is this the future Empress?” Based on the timeline, she should be nine years old, but the person in front of her looked young enough that people would believe her to be six.

Her fluffy yellow hair was tied with only a faded ribbon. Her clothes were loosely tied around her body, and their original color was no longer discernible. The only thing with a bit of brightness was the bunch of pear blossoms she held in her hands.

Xiao Yunlan sighed softly. From the moment she walked in, she could tell—a place without the Emperor’s favor was essentially a living Cold Palace.

“What is your name?” Xiao Yunlan asked, knowing the answer.

The girl did not answer immediately. Seeing that the person in front of her did not intend to hurt her, she waited a moment before looking up.

Only then did Xiao Yunlan clearly see her face. The girl was not only tiny and thin, but her face was also completely bloodless, clearly showing signs of malnutrition.

Perhaps seeing that Xiao Yunlan remained still, she suddenly ran over. Just as Xiao Yunlan was about to speak again, a bunch of pear blossoms was placed in her hand. Looking up again, the girl had already quickly run into the inner palace building.

Xiao Yunlan did not chase after her. Instead, she picked up the pear blossoms and smelled them carefully. After a long pause, she looked silently at the path of green tiles where the girl had disappeared. She had thought about the Empress’s childhood before.

The original book did not describe the Empress much; half of the existing mentions were based on rumors. The male protagonist and the female protagonist, Murong Xiaoxiao, were sent on a diplomatic mission to the state of Wen. During a banquet, the Empress suddenly pointed at the female protagonist and said she offended her eyes, demanding she be expelled from the Wen Imperial Palace. This caused a huge incident, leading to the later downfall of the state of Wen and the Empress’s tragic end.

As for the Empress’s childhood, combining the rumors in the book with what she had heard in reality, Xiao Yunlan could roughly piece together that her father, from the Yu clan, had been favored in the early years. After the Emperor ascended the throne, the entire Yu clan was executed, and her father died in the Inner Palace, leaving his young daughter behind in the deep palace.

This palace was so remote, and judging by the palace servant’s expression just now, few people must visit. How did she manage to live here? But, Xiao Yunlan held the flowers in her hand, why did she give the flowers to her?

“Oh, right, System, what does ‘Life Value’ mean?”

[Target person dies when Life Value reaches negative one hundred.] The System gave a friendly prompt: [Life Value is a comprehensive assessment result, including the target person’s physical health value, mental health value, blackening value, anger value, etc.]

“What are all these strange values? Why didn’t I have them before?”

[The values automatically shut down when the distance from the target person is too great.]

“Fine.” Xiao Yunlan reluctantly accepted the explanation. Wait, negative eighty. Doesn’t that mean she only has twenty more points before she fails the mission?