The Great Xia Dynasty, the imperial palace.

The Internal Affairs Office.

Inside the dim room, a damp mist hung in the air.

A group of palace maids about twelve or thirteen years old, pretty-faced and slim, dressed in dark-colored ruqun, stood neatly together with their heads lowered, before an elderly palace matron with graying hair, wearing a bright five-colored long robe, her appearance aged and imposing.

None of them dared to breathe loudly.

In the imperial palace of the Great Xia Dynasty, the hierarchy was extremely strict.

The palace maids were naturally the same.

From first to ninth rank.

The highest rank, the proper First Rank, was the steward matron before them.

She managed all major matters in the palace, oversaw the distribution of stipends and assigned palace maids.

Her authority was great.

As for these young palace maids, they were naturally the newly trained Ninth Rank palace maids.

Today was also an unusual day.

It was the annual work-assignment day overseen by the Internal Affairs Office.

Every year at this time, the steward matron in charge of the palace maids would assign personnel according to the needs of various palace halls within the harem.

For these very young palace maids.

This was naturally a fate-deciding event.

If they were assigned to palace halls belonging to favored concubines or even the Empress.

Their future would naturally be boundless.

But if they were assigned to the Cold Palace.

Their future life would likely be miserable.

Because under normal circumstances, personnel movement within the harem was very small.

Therefore, for a palace maid.

Once the assignment was set.

Her future destiny was basically tied to her master.

So, before the assignment.

Some palace maids with family backgrounds had already found future connections in advance.

Even those without background.

Would scrape together a bit from their meager stipends to give small gifts to the palace maids serving beside the steward matron.

To have them put in a good word.

Just to find a bit of peace of mind.

“From today on, once assignments are decided, each of you must follow the palace rules and take proper care of your master, I trust I don’t need to say more.”

The First Rank steward matron spoke lightly.

Naturally, none of the young palace maids below dared to utter a second word.

After speaking, the steward matron opened the roster in her hand.

“Lin Hong, Jinyang Palace, Fifth Rank, First-Class Palace Maid.”

At once, a palace maid named Lin Hong stepped out from the line with an uncontrollable smile, raising her chin like a little swan, giving a proud glance at the palace maids behind her.

Among the large group of palace maids behind, quite a few revealed looks of envy.

Jinyang Palace.

It was the palace where the Empress resided and First-Class Palace Maids handled tasks like serving tea and water, nothing too burdensome.

The Empress was the mother of the realm.

She naturally cherished palace maids and for those palace maids with dim prospects, Jinyang Palace was the best destination.

“Duan Murong, Furong Palace, Seventh Rank, Cold Palace Palace Maid.”

Another palace maid walked out of the line with a bitter expression.

A Cold Palace Palace Maid, barring surprises, could be said to have no hope of rising for a lifetime.

Moreover, the masters inside the Cold Palace, after being confined for long periods, would more or less develop psychological issues.

By then, venting their anger on these palace maids would be unavoidable.

* * *

As time passed, one young palace maid after another, under the steward matron’s emotionless tone, either in joy or utter despair, had their destinies for the rest of their lives determined.

Finally, it reached the end.

“Jiang Zirou, Sutra Repository Pavilion, Proper Eighth Rank, Sweeper Palace Maid.”

At once, many palace maids cast their gazes toward the youngest, fair-faced palace maid in the line, each bearing varying degrees of pity.

What was worse than a Cold Palace Palace Maid.

A Sweeper Palace Maid with no backing whatsoever.

Such palace maids were like weeds by the roadside, whether by dissatisfied palace maids, psychologically twisted eunuchs, or passing guards—anyone who wanted to step on them could step on them.

Assignments concluded.

The steward matron, about fifty years old, closed the roster.

She left without looking back.

Leaving the young palace maid frozen in place.

This palace maid named Jiang Zirou was about seven or eight years old, fair-faced and rather cute and unlike the numb palace maids around her, even in the dim room, her brows carried a kind of indescribable spirit.

Only, the little girl’s face was filled with confusion, clearly still unable to recover from the blow she had just received.

The so-called blow.

Was not simply being assigned to the Sutra Repository Pavilion like a lonely weed with no support.

But because of another matter altogether.

Her real name was not Jiang Zirou, but Lin Yi.

She was a structural engineer from Earth who had only recently graduated.

Put simply, she was a coder.

While pulling an all-nighter coding, she accidentally died suddenly and afterward transmigrated to this world.

Thinking of this.

Jiang Zirou could not help feeling grief surge within her, even wanting to die again.

Other people transmigrated.

They soared in life, had harems of three thousand beauties and everything went smoothly.

But when it came to her.

She ended up as a tiny palace maid in the harem and even lost the little brother she had raised for more than twenty years.

“Hoo…”

Jiang Zirou’s face was filled with despair.

After merging with the original host’s memories, she discovered that her identity was not just an ordinary palace maid.

The surname Jiang was the national surname of the Great Xia Dynasty.

That was right, she was still a “princess”.

However, she was born from the emperor’s drunken madness with an Eighth Rank laundry palace maid, so this princess status could only be said to exist in name only.

As for why she could still carry the surname “Jiang”?

That was because, although a princess like Jiang Zirou had no title or standing now.

It didn’t mean she would be useless in the future.

The northern barbarians had been rampant, coveting the fertile Central Plains for decades and to ease relations between the two sides.

A princess was always needed to travel north for marriage alliances.

Of course, the northern barbarians were always extremely savage.

Combined with the incompatible climate.

Most princesses who went for such alliances met very tragic ends and very few lived beyond ten years.

Although Jiang Zirou’s identity was not valued in daily life, when marriage alliances were needed, Jiang Zirou was certain that the concubines in the harem would think of her first.

‘Tragic! So tragic! Utterly tragic! Worked like cattle and horses and not even fed grass!’

Jiang Zirou’s expression was numb and her slightly chubby baby-fat cheeks puffed a little.

‘Is this hell? It really is miserable!’

Jiang Zirou felt her future was shrouded in darkness.

But since she had finally gained a new life.

She didn’t want to give up so easily.

So, Jiang Zirou steadied her emotions and, still confused, made her way alone to the Sutra Repository Pavilion.

Just as she stepped into the building.

A voice with a slight mechanical tone rang in Jiang Zirou’s ear.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for activating the Check-In System. Would you like to check in at this location?]