Ning Xuan was an orphan who died after a night of sleep and found herself in a void, surrounded by weeping women dressed as imperial consorts. A mechanical voice, the system, explained that these were the resentful souls of palace women from a past world, and their extreme suffering had formed a sea of sorrow. The system offered Ning Xuan a mission: help characters eliminate their resentment by increasing their Happiness Value, earn points redeemable for items, and upon completing the mission, receive one wish come true. Ning Xuan accepted. The system informed her that the role she would transmigrate into would be random. The maximum Happiness Value is 100. At the start, the Empress had only 5, while Consort Hua, Consort Jing, and Consort Duan each had 10. For every additional point of Happiness Value, Ning Xuan would get 100 Points. After accumulating 5000 Points, she could switch to reality, but only in non-human forms. Ning Xuan named the system Jiu Jiu.A black vortex sucked her in. She arrived in the Underworld, where she witnessed Yi Xiu, a deceased woman, desperately seeking her lost son Hong Hui. A ghost messenger opened a door. Meanwhile, Ning Xuan found herself unable to move or see. Jiu Jiu revealed she was only a little over a month old, still in the womb, and there was another fetus beside her. Yi Xiu woke up in her old residence, confused until she realized she had been reborn back to the year she was pregnant. It was April of the 61st year of Kangxi. Yi Xiu, now young again, understood she had returned. She remembered her past life’s suffering and her son Hong Hui who had died. Resolute, she decided to change her fate. She dismissed the other consorts from daily greetings, saying they only needed to pay respects on the first and fifteenth of each month, shocking everyone. Her maid Jian Qiu wept, seeing her finally let go of her obsession with rules. Yi Xiu felt the child in her womb move and sensed Ning Xuan’s presence. When she ate a piece of shredded chicken, she tasted a fishy smell and vomited. The imperial physician diagnosed her as over a month pregnant. Yi Xiu dropped her teacup in shock but soon felt joy and tears, believing her child might be a gift from heaven. Ning Xuan, still in the womb, felt helpless but vowed to protect her mother.The news spread. Yin Zhen, the Prince of Yong, was overjoyed, seeing the child as a means to secure a legitimate son for his succession struggle. He visited Yi Xiu and called her by her name, which surprised her. But his words revealed he valued a son over a daughter. Yi Xiu felt disappointed and cold. Ning Xuan disliked her father’s attitude. Yin Zhen left to visit Secondary Consort Nian. Jian Qiu warned Yi Xiu that without the Prince’s favor, the child might be neglected. Yi Xiu realized she must not let the Prince look down on the child. By the third month, Yi Xiu’s belly was as large as five months. Fearing foul play, she called an imperial physician. Doctor Zhang announced she was carrying twin fetuses. Jian Qiu worried if both were princes it would attract danger. Yi Xiu tearfully declared she would protect them, having already lost one child. Jiu Jiu confirmed to Ning Xuan that the other fetus was a younger brother, a dragon and phoenix pair. Yi Xiu became even more cautious, wearing loose clothing and rarely leaving her residence.Yin Zhen visited every few days. One day, Ning Xuan playfully kicked, making bulges appear on Yi Xiu’s belly. Yin Zhen placed his hand there, believing the child liked him. Ning Xuan stopped moving as soon as Yin Zhen spoke, and he lost interest and left. Ning Xuan resumed movement only after he was gone, and Yi Xiu smiled, feeling the child’s cleverness. Jian Qiu remarked on the child’s intelligence.Jian Qiu brought a box of incense powder. Yi Xiu had replaced the musk in Huan Yi Incense with a mild contraceptive, planning to use it secretly. She recalled how Nian Shilan had lost a child years ago due to Consort De and the Prince’s schemes. Yi Xiu felt guilty and ordered Jian Qiu to take care of Consort Qi privately, saying she owed her. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, Yi Xiu could not avoid meeting the consorts. Nian Shilan flaunted a jade from the Prince. Yi Xiu responded calmly and later sent Nian Shilan a set of pink ruby filigree hair ornaments as a return gift. Nian Shilan was satisfied with the valuable gift.The next day, Yi Xiu went to the palace to pay respects to Consort De. She bound her belly with white cloth and wore loose clothes to hide the twin pregnancy. Consort De noticed her belly seemed slightly larger than normal. Yi Xiu claimed over-nourishment, and Consort De warned her to be careful. Ning Xuan grew impatient in the womb and nudged her mother. Yi Xiu sensed the discomfort and quickly excused herself. Back home, she had the cloth removed, and Ning Xuan stretched comfortably.Consort Li grew anxious as Yi Xiu’s pregnancy progressed, fearing Fujin would neglect her son Hong Shi. She brought Hong Shi to the main courtyard, offering handmade clothes and trying to secure attention. The story follows Yi Xiu’s careful navigation of palace politics, her inner resolve to protect her twins, and Ning Xuan’s silent presence as the system’s agent, all while the system’s monthly Happiness Value updates remain pending. The narrative continues with the ongoing pregnancy and the looming threats from the Prince’s ambitions and the court intrigues, ending before the children are born or the mission reaches its conclusion.
