"Oh my god!"
The creepy, inauspicious face directly startled Chu Chen, making him almost jump out of bed!
"Shush! Keep it down! It's me!"
"Steward Han? How can you walk so silently? You almost scared me to death!"
Han Yuan chuckled sheepishly:
"No choice, we are eunuchs. We can't make too much noise in the palace, or we'll be punished!"
As he spoke, Chu Chen noticed Han Yuan was carrying a bamboo basket.
"Seeing as you haven't eaten all day, you must be hungry! I happen to have an old friend in the imperial kitchen, and I asked him to bring some food. Eat it while it's hot!"
Looking at the several plates of meat and fish in the bamboo basket, Chu Chen's eyes lit up, and he began to devour the food.
He had expected the imperial cuisine in the palace to be exceptionally delicious, but upon tasting it, he found the flavor to be just so-so.
After all, this world didn't have such a rich variety of seasonings. To achieve this level was already quite good!
"Wait! If that's the case, then if I choose the culinary skill, won't I instantly become the top chef in this world?"
Chu Chen secretly resolved that in his next life simulation, he would definitely choose a practical skill to have!
"By the way, Steward Han, how long do I have to stay in this room? I'm suffocating!"
"Bear with it a little longer! If you go out now, your un-severed condition will be discovered! In my opinion, two more days should suffice!"
"Also, I've already arranged your duties after entering the palace. You'll be cleaning the Imperial Study!"
"This job is a bit tedious, but at least you won't have to deal with too many powerful figures, which will ensure your safety!"
Chu Chen nodded and thanked Steward Han.
Han Yuan then changed the subject and began to inquire about his family's situation.
Fortunately, Chu Chen was prepared and had already learned about Han Yuan's family situation through the system.
Facing his inquiries, Chu Chen answered fluently, without any flaws.
"That's great! I was worried something might happen at home, but hearing you say that, I can finally relax!"
"Steward Han, I'd like to ask you about something else! You've been in the palace for many years, have you ever heard of Princess Xinyue?"
Upon hearing this, Han Yuan's face turned pale with fright, and he immediately made a shushing gesture.
"How do you know about Princess Xinyue?"
"I... I overheard some young eunuchs mentioning her name outside the door earlier and got curious!"
"Those scoundrels, do they think they've lived too long!"
Han Yuan cursed softly, then turned back to Chu Chen:
"Remember, from now on, no matter the occasion, you must never casually mention this person!"
"Why? Is this princess some formidable character?"
"Not necessarily. Princess Xinyue is the youngest of the Emperor's five daughters and is doted upon. But because of this, Princess Xinyue's temper is also very peculiar and completely unpredictable!"
"I heard that the Emperor previously assigned a tutor to teach Princess Xinyue music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. At first, the princess was very eager to learn, but one day, because the tutor pointed out a small mistake she made, she was directly thrown into prison and hasn't been released yet!"
Hearing this, Chu Chen couldn't help but shiver.
No wonder he died at this person's hands twice in his simulations. So it turns out this person is indeed not to be trifled with!
In this case, if he were to encounter Princess Xinyue in the Imperial Study in the future, wouldn't it be a sure death?
No! No matter which princess, he had to avoid them in the future. His life was the priority!
"Alright, you should rest early! I need to get back quickly!"
After Steward Han left, Chu Chen glanced at the sky outside and thought it must be past midnight.
So he eagerly opened the system and started another life simulation.
"This time, I need to be more careful and definitely avoid Princess Xinyue!"
[Life simulation loading complete! Protagonist: Chu Chen!]
[With the help of Steward Han, you successfully entered the Imperial Study, cleaning while cultivating.]
[Because you did not undergo castration, you remained vigilant at all times, not letting anyone detect your abnormality.]
[However, one day, Princess Xinyue and her tutor came to the Imperial Study and happened to see you cleaning.]
[Princess Xinyue, seeing your handsome appearance, called you over to grind ink for her.]
[But you had heard that Princess Xinyue had a peculiar temper and hesitated to come forward.]
[Seeing your lack of response, Princess Xinyue became furious and ordered you to be thrown into prison, thus exposing your false eunuch identity.]
[Ultimately, less than half a year after entering the palace, you were ordered to be executed.]
"Died again? How is this Princess Xinyue like a Grim Reaper? I can't even avoid her!"
[Congratulations to the host for successfully completing the simulation. The following three rewards...]
"Wait a moment! One more time! I don't believe that Princess Xinyue can really be my nemesis!"
Chu Chen, looking unconvinced, performed several life simulations in a row.
But the results made him dumbfounded.
[Because you made noise while sweeping, disturbing Princess Xinyue's poetry, you were ordered to be executed.]
[Upon entering Qingming Palace, you accidentally stumbled upon Princess Xinyue bathing naked, and were ordered to be executed.]
[Princess Xinyue was bored and killed a eunuch to amuse herself, executing you.]
"Good heavens? How is this a princess? She's clearly a living Yama!"
This was the first time Chu Chen had encountered a princess with such a violent and eccentric temperament. Fortunately, he didn't become an empress, otherwise, this world would have been filled with corpses by her!
However, after several simulations, Chu Chen's clever stratagem automatically took effect, providing him with a crucial clue.
The history of the Yunyue Kingdom was not long, so it lacked cultural depth. Even the tutors' literary attainments were not very high.
If he could learn the skill of composing poetry, he might be able to gain some appreciation!
Thus, when it came time to choose skills, Chu Chen did not hesitate and took both "Knowledge of Ancient and Modern" and "God-tier Culinary Skills."
With these two skills, Chu Chen entered the simulation again, and the effect was indeed different.
This time, Princess Xinyue was attracted by Chu Chen's talent and recruited him into Qingming Palace, where she sought his literary advice daily.
Chu Chen then showcased his culinary skills, which further endeared him to the princess!
In this way, Chu Chen's status in Qingming Palace rose steadily, and he even became Princess Xinyue's personal attendant, accompanying her wherever she went!
Although he ultimately ended up in prison and died of grief due to Princess Xinyue's peculiar temper, at least in this life simulation, Chu Chen lived in the palace for nearly ten years, which was quite an improvement!
[Congratulations to the host! Successfully broke the simulation duration record, and the exchange point function has been unlocked!]
[Each simulation will earn corresponding exchange points. Accumulate a certain number to draw cards!]
[This simulation earned 200 exchange points! And an additional free draw opportunity!]
[Do you wish to draw now?]