Chapter 5: The Heir-Bearing System Binds—and She Is Pregnant!

Everyone said the emperor was cold. Tonight, though, he had been anything but. Did he treat her a little differently?

No. Surely not.

Shen Zhiyi made herself think clearly. It was only their first night together. How had she almost let herself get carried away? It had to be because the bastard had made her feel good; that was why her thoughts were running wild.

Just then, a voice exploded in her mind.

【Ding! Heir-Bearing System successfully bound!】

Zhiyi’s eyes flew open, and she nearly shot upright. Stiffly, she turned to look at Li Xuandu beside her. He was breathing evenly, fast asleep, and had noticed nothing.

She slowly faced the canopy again. *What on earth was that?* she asked silently.

The voice sounded once more, flat and mechanical, as if reading an instruction manual.

【This system is dedicated to helping its host provide heirs for an ancient emperor who would otherwise have none, and rise to the pinnacle of life. The host will receive generous rewards for bearing the target’s children.】

Zhiyi blinked. An heir-bearing system? To help the emperor have children? What kind of ridiculous premise was this? In her previous life she had never intended to marry, and now the first thing she was expected to do was have someone’s baby?

Before she could finish complaining, the voice returned, this time with the cheerful lilt of an electronic announcement.

【Distributing the beginner’s gift package… Congratulations, host! You have received a personal storage space!】

【Host has attended the emperor. Checking probability of conception… Result: male sperm motility is extremely low (0.01%).】

【Continuing distribution of the beginner’s gift package. System intervention activated: probability of conception from this encounter increased to 100%. Reward: immediate pregnancy!】

【Conception successful. Current points: 100!】

Zhiyi’s brain stalled. Extremely low sperm motility? A one-hundred-percent chance of conception?

Before she could absorb it, a faint, needle-sharp pain came from deep in her lower abdomen. She instinctively laid a hand over it. Her belly was as flat as ever; nothing looked different. But she knew something had changed.

The mechanical voice wouldn’t lie to her—or at least, given that transmigration had already proved real, the system seemed more credible than her own judgment.

One night. She was pregnant after one night?

But she was an Attendant who had only just entered the palace: the lowest rank, the poorest background, with no connections and no one to support her. The emperor merely found her novel; he could hardly be said to care about her. If she was pregnant now, how could she protect the child?

None of the women in the harem would be easy to deal with. How many would be pleased when word spread that she had attended the emperor tonight? If news of her pregnancy got out as well…

Her hand tightened involuntarily on the quilt.

【Please rest assured, host. The system is with you and will always protect you!】

The mechanical voice spoke up at just the right moment, offering an awkward, programmed sort of comfort. Zhiyi paused, then slowly loosened her grip.

She thought of all the web novels she had read in her previous life: transmigration stories, rebirth stories, stories with systems. Once their protagonists received a special advantage, didn’t they all thrive?

She had never imagined becoming the heroine of a novel herself. But she was already in an unknown dynasty, and the system had already bound itself to her. Rather than struggle alone through the depths of the palace, she might as well hold tight to this powerful ally. With a system, perhaps she really could reach the pinnacle of life.

The thought gradually steadied her. She removed her hand from her abdomen and turned onto her side, her eyes half-lidded as she looked at the man’s back. The candle had gone out at some point; only moonlight through the window outlined his broad shoulders.

She watched him for a few seconds. Whatever. She would take things as they came. She was so sleepy. Tomorrow’s problems could wait until tomorrow.

Zhiyi closed her eyes. This time sleep came quickly, and she sank into dreams with hardly a struggle.

Early the next morning, she was carried back to Changchun Palace in a sedan chair, still half asleep. Qingluo was waiting with a bronze basin for washing; Bitao stood beside her holding a set of pale blue clothes and smiling.

“Congratulations, my lady,” they said together.

“My lady, you must go to Kunning Palace to pay your respects to the empress today. It’s your first formal visit since entering the palace, so you mustn’t be late.”

Zhiyi rubbed her eyes. Her mind had not fully awakened, but her body was already cooperating with the washing and dressing. The original owner’s body seemed to adjust faster than she did, moving deftly as she dressed. Qingluo arranged her hair in a simple bun with just two pearl flowers, leaving her looking neat and fresh.

Bitao studied her for some time, clearly wanting to speak.

“What is it?” Zhiyi asked.

“My lady, it’s your first time paying respects to the empress. You ought to dress a little more formally, but…” Bitao lowered her voice. “I’ve looked through everything, and these few outfits are all you have.”

Zhiyi understood. As an Attendant, the lowest rank, she received only a small allowance of clothes and fabric. She had only just entered the palace, too, and had missed the seasonal tailoring. Her wardrobe really was meager.

She looked down at the pale blue skirt she wore. The fabric wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t especially good either; it couldn’t compare with the clothing of the higher-ranking consorts.

“This will do,” she said calmly. “Clothes are for me to wear, not for other people to look at.”

Bitao wanted to say more, but Qingluo tugged her arm and shook her head.

Once outside Changchun Palace, Zhiyi realized she didn’t know the way to Kunning Palace. She had been here only a day and hadn’t even found her way around her own quarters, much less the sprawling imperial city. Fortunately, Bitao and Qingluo knew the route. They led her through several palace gates and north along a long passage.

Quite a few people were already abroad on the palace paths that morning. Several maids carrying bronze basins and boxes passed them. Their gazes lingered on Zhiyi’s face before they curtsied, lowered their heads, and hurried away.

Zhiyi noticed curiosity in those looks, appraisal, and something else she couldn’t quite identify. It seemed that by now word of her night with the emperor had probably spread through the entire harem.