Unlimited Save System for Palace Intrigue

Ruyi, a gaming geek, suddenly finds herself transported to another world as the illegitimate daughter of a marquis. But why is every step she takes a trap? It’s one pitfall after another! She died while burning incense; she died while strolling through a temple fair; she died while facing a vicious court lady… “How did I die again? System, reload the save! This time, I’m going to turn the tables.” And then… she died again…

Chapter 1: Death and Reincarnation It was the height of summer, and the sweltering heat kept the streets nearly deserted; most people chose to stay indoors with the air conditioning on, and our protagonist, Ruyi, was no exception. Ruyi was already in her twenties, but as a web novelist, she earned a decent income even while staying at home. So, she usually spent her time either watching TV or playing video games. And right now, Ruyi was currently immersed in a game—a palace intrigue simulation. The game’s design was intriguing: the characters didn’t possess any overpowered abilities, but it did feature a save function. Players start with one save point, and by clearing levels, they earn new save points—not to mention the chance to acquire some interesting items. Ruyi had already cleared countless levels with her character, but now she’s stuck on a particular level. No matter how many times she tries, her character just ends up dying. At first, Ruyi was patient, but when the outcome remained the same no matter what she did, anyone would have lost their temper. Ruyi pounded furiously on the keyboard to vent her frustration. In a moment of distraction, she knocked over the water cup next to her. The water spilled onto the computer tower. A blue flash appeared, and the entire computer exploded. The explosion was deafening, and before Ruyi could even react, she was blown to bits. In that final moment, her mind was still racing with thoughts of filing a complaint against the computer manufacturer—the explosive effect was off the charts, even more powerful than a bomb. Was this a computer manufacturer or an explosives factory? But clearly, Ruyi didn’t get the chance. The moment the computer exploded, she died too. However, perhaps the blast was so powerful it created a tiny spatial fissure, and Ruyi’s soul unexpectedly slipped through it, arriving in another world. This was a beautiful, luxurious mansion. After Ruyi’s soul appeared here, it drifted straight into the body of a girl in the inner courtyard. It wasn’t a case of soul possession or reincarnation, but merely a possession of a corpse. Even if Ruyi’s soul hadn’t appeared, the girl would have died anyway. After an unknown amount of time, Ruyi slowly awoke to find herself lying on an embroidered bed. Where was this place? Hadn’t she died? Could she have traveled through time? Seeing her own shrunken body, Ruyi had to admit that she had indeed traveled through time, and it seemed she had ended up in an ancient era. Although she didn’t know where she was, Ruyi was still happy—at least she was alive. However, she wasn’t feeling well: her whole body ached, her head felt heavy and throbbing, and she was terribly thirsty. Just as Ruyi was about to get up to see if she could find some water, a woman dressed as a maidservant entered. Seeing that Ruyi had woken up, she said happily, “Miss, you’re finally awake. You have no idea how worried I’ve been about you these past few days.” Ruyi’s head was still spinning. Hearing the woman speak, she felt a buzzing in her ears and couldn’t help but whisper, “Water.” “Miss, please wait a moment. I’ll pour you some water right away,” said Hongxing. After drinking the water, Ruyi felt much better, though her head was still foggy, and she couldn’t help but drift back to sleep. Seeing that her mistress had fallen asleep again, Hongxing tucked the quilt around Ruyi and went to prepare the medicine. Seeing that her mistress’s complexion had improved considerably, she felt relieved. Earlier, the doctor had said her condition was critical; if she hadn’t woken up, it would have been dangerous. Truly, it was a blessing from heaven. This maid didn’t know that her real mistress had already died; the one before her was merely Ruyi, who had come from the modern world. Ruyi drifted off into a drowsy sleep and had a dream. This dream recounted the brief life of a concubine’s daughter in a marquis’s household. When Ruyi awoke, her expression was somber; it seemed she hadn’t merely been dreaming, but had instead absorbed the memories of this body. Her current identity was that of a concubine’s daughter in the Yong’an Marquis’s household, named Li Ruyi, which, coincidentally, was the same as her own name. This young girl had caught a cold and ultimately died of it. As a result, she had benefited Ruyi, allowing the time-traveler to take possession of this body. Her head was so foggy that Ruyi couldn’t think clearly; recovering her health was the most important thing. Just then, Hongxing brought in a bowl of herbal soup and said to Ruyi, “Miss, the medicine is ready. Drink it while it’s hot; you’ll recover quickly.” Ruyi downed the medicine in one gulp and ate a piece of candied fruit to mask the bitter aftertaste. Thanks to the original host’s memories, Ruyi now knew who the maid attending to her was. As the concubine-born daughter of the Marquis’s household, she had two personal maidservants. However, ever since she had awakened, it had been Hongxing who had been bustling about attending to her, while Xiangling was nowhere to be seen. So Ruyi asked, “Why haven’t I seen Xiangling?” At the mention of Xiangling, Hongxing’s eyes shifted nervously, and she stammered, unable to make any sense of it. Even a fool could tell something was wrong, so Ruyi said, “Speak!” Hongxing replied helplessly, “Miss, Xiangling’s family came looking for money again. Since the amount I gave them this time was a bit less, her brother actually shoved Xiangling to the ground. I saw that Xiangling was hurt, so I had her family sent away. She’s resting in her room now. If you have any instructions, Miss, I’ll go fetch her right away.” “This is utterly outrageous—utter nonsense! Xiangling has already been sold to the Marquis’s household as a maid. What right do her family have to come demanding money? From now on, tell the gatekeeper that if Xiangling’s family comes, there’s no need to notify her. Just drive them away. How dare they bully my maid! “You must remember: you are not just individuals—you are maids of the Marquis’s household. How can you allow yourselves to be bullied so easily? Go and give the order: gather a few people to teach Xiangling’s family a lesson, so they dare not come again. As long as they don’t dare to come back, Xiangling won’t be bullied either,” Ruyi said. Hearing Hongxing’s words, Ruyi also recalled her own maid’s despicable relatives. They had sold Xiangling off in the first place, yet still had the nerve to come knocking on the door demanding money. It was only because Xiangling was soft-hearted and easygoing; otherwise, if it had been Ruyi herself, she would have slapped them across the face long ago—those scum. “But Miss, isn’t this a bit wrong of us?” Hongxing listened to Ruyi’s instructions, her eyes wide with astonishment. “What’s wrong with it? Am I the mistress or are you? Just do as I say,” Ruyi said. “Yes, Miss. I understand,” Hongxing replied. Having served the young mistress alongside Xiangling all this time, Hongxing and Xiangling were close as sisters, and Hongxing genuinely wanted the best for Xiangling. Clearly, the young mistress’s decision would benefit Xiangling—after all, if Xiangling had to handle this matter herself, it would be nearly impossible to resolve. and if she truly refused to pay the other party, she would likely be accused of being unfilial. Although she had been sold, blood ties and familial affection could not be severed. Now that the young mistress had spoken, everything was different.