Male Lead Is Always That Heartless

Chapter 4 

Deciding her first choice at the fork of life and death on June 15th, Gu Yi pounded the bed and sat up, “Hit it!” 

This time, she must overthrow the former and do the opposite. Who cares about the heartless Emperor? If she dies, she will start over! 

Gu Yi felt the scented pouch under her pillow, and after half a day of fumbling, she could feel the nail-cap-sized golden peanut. 

“Send it to Eunuch Gao.” 

Seeing her messy hair and fierce eyes, Tao Jia dared not take it and only asked tremblingly, “Do you mean it, Beauty?” 

Gu Yi nodded, “Yes.” 

Only then did Tao Jia reach out and take it, carefully stuffing it into her belt pouch. 

After Gu Yi freshened up, the palace maid from Noble Lady Wang’s palace came to invite her to breakfast. Gu Yi responded and said to Tao Jia before she left the house, “I don’t like roasted cakes.” 

Tao Jia felt confused. 

Gu Yi went through the breakfast process again without any problems. After eating, while holding the cloth rewarded to her by Noble Lady Wang to the Laundry Bureau, she urged Tao Jia, “You go hit it. No need to follow me to go to the Laundry Bureau.” 

Tao Jia carried the golden peanut in her belt pouch and hurriedly headed to the corner room next to the imperial garden. 

Following Beauty’s rank, Tao Jia couldn’t meet Eunuch Gao. She could meet Eunuch Lu, Eunuch Gao’s disciple, Lu Chao. He was responsible for the imperial garden’s management, leading the imperial garden in large and small affairs. Tao Jia had dealt with him before and was considered familiar. Lu Chao took the golden peanut from Tao Jia and smiled, “Sister Tao Jia, after following the new Beauty, you remembered me again.” 

“Brother Lu is the first competent person in front of Eunuch Gao. How can Tao Jia forget?” 

Lu Chao weighed the gold in his hand; it wasn’t too heavy, “For the sake of Tao Jia’s face, I’ll accept it. However, we can’t say anything to Master.” 

Tao Jia bowed obediently, “Thank you, brother Lu.” 

After Lu Chao had sent Tao Jia away, he circled the imperial garden to inspect things. Then, he went to the front hall before hesitating, deciding not to take this golden peanut privately. Such a small object; it’s unworthy. 

In case Beauty Gu is a person with a great future — 

Although the situation was not good, a blessed person might emerge from the newly selected Beauties. He swayed to the side of the Tianlu Pavilion, bypassing several red lacquer pillars, probing to look in the side pavilion; he had just taken a cup when an attendant recognized him. 

“Little Lu Zi came to look for Eunuch Gao?” 

Lu Chao hurriedly greeted him, “Exactly, where is my master?” 

The attendant’s eyes glanced to the right. He carefully made a slight movement of slashing his neck. “Eunuch Gao is busy; you wait here.” 

Lu Chao thanked him and sat down in the side pavilion. The mournful cries in the Tianlu Pavilion came faintly. 

“Your Majesty, spare my life. I had been wronged ……” 

Lu Chao hardened his eyes and sat still, like an old monk in meditation.  After waiting about half an hour, Eunuch Gao entered the side pavilion. 

Eunuch Gao, who was about 40 years old and had a white beardless face, wore a blue robe. In front of the chest and shoulders were embroidered with flying fish with a dragon head and tail. He was the first-grade eunuch, a unique honor in the Great Mu dynasty. 

Lu Chao immediately got up from the stool and poured him a cup of tea. “Master, please drink. You must be tired.” 

Eunuch Gao was indeed tired. He took the cup and drank it in one gulp, not even tasting the flavor of the tea. Lu Chao immediately poured him another cup, fawningly punching his shoulders. 

Lu Chao didn’t need to ask why the Master was so tired and thirsty, why screams were coming from the next door, or these kinds of things. When he saw that Eunuch Gao’s breath was smooth, he set out the objects he had received today: a gold ingot, a few gold leaves, and a tiny gold peanut. 

Eunuch Gao glanced, “Who gave the gold ingot, Noble Lady Gong? What about the gold leaves? Noble Lady Wang, Noble Lady Tian?” 

Lu Chao: “Master is wise. The Noble Lady Gong indeed gives the ingot. The gold leaves are from Noble Lady Wang, Noble Lady Tian, and the newest Beauty Zhou.” 

Eunuch Gao twisted the nail-cap-sized gold peanut, and his brows furrowed, “Who is this?” 

“It’s the newly entered Beauty Gu, living in the Xiuyi Hall’s side hall …… I heard she’s a beauty ……” 

Eunuch Gao glanced at Lu Chao and hummed. “The Emperor is not in a good mood today. I don’t know whether today’s flipping will happen. If not, it will be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Noble Lady Wang recently has not been selected. I guess the next time it’s her.” 

Lu Chao nodded, “Master, if it’s okay, then I ……” 

Eunuch Gao tsked, “I know you kid can’t stay, just go.” 

Lu Chao immediately ran away. The Emperor is in a bad mood today and does not dare to stay longer. 

Separated from the Tianlu Pavilion by a corner of heavy green tile roofs was the Laundry Bureau. Gu Yi met Zhao Wan. This time, she won’t be so pointless. When the white rabbit jade pendant fell to the ground, Gu Yi picked it up one step ahead of her. It was time to test her acting skills again! 

Gu Yi’s eyes were as wide open as bronze bells, her eyes trying their best to convey all sorts of emotions: disbelief, bewilderment, surprise, and shock. 

“This jade pendant is yours ……” 

Zhao Wan saw that she looked odd, and her heart sank, “It …… is this slave girl’s.” 

Gu Yi followed the original script and spoke, “Why would an insignificant Laundry Bureau’s maid like you have this jade?” 

Zhao Wan lightly bit her red lips and mumbled, “It is …… this slave girl’s family heirloom. Thus, I brought it into the palace. I’m begging the Beauty to return it to me …….” 

Gu Yi played with the white rabbit jade pendant. “So, it’s like that.” After a pause, she added, “Such a beautiful jade. Allow me to enjoy it for a few days.” 

Slapping the female lead and defaming her for stealing jade — 

She couldn’t do it, so she could only do a roundabout way to improve the plot. 

Zhao Wan was stunned, “Beauty ……” 

Gu Yi: “Two days after, when you bring the cloth, I will return this jade to you.” 

Zhao Wan saw that her face was full of solemnity. Feeling unreal, she could only bow, “Yes, Beauty.” 

Gu Yi stored the white jade into her waist, “Two days later, not too early and not too late.” Saying so, she turned around and left. 

Gu Yi didn’t return to the Xiuyi Hall. Instead, she turned around the Laundry Bureau and picked up a stone path through the Imperial Garden, walking neither fast nor slow, organizing the plot in her thoughts. What must I do to survive three days? There always seemed to be an invisible hand trying to erase her existence, to remove her in three days. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn’t notice a silhouette walking along the narrow stone path. Seeing the lonesome Gu Beauty, Noble Lady Gong paused in her steps. She followed Imperial Consort Shu during the selection process and saw this newly-appointed Beauty Gu. His father was only in the fifth grade and not yet a capital official; the Emperor ascended to the throne for two years, and with more power and authority, the majority of selected beauties were unheard of and insignificant origins. 

Seeing Beauty Gu burying her head and walking, not looking at the road ahead, the senior maid behind Noble Lady Gong, Chun Ya, coughed lightly. 

Gu Yi looked up at the sound and saw a palace beauty in an apricot dress, water-green jacket, willowy eyebrows, phoenix eyes, and six layers of apricot flower pins on her head. It was a noblewoman whose rank was higher than hers. She bent her knees and bowed, “Greetings to Noble person.” 

Noble Lady Gong raised her hand, “Rise. Are you the new Gu Beauty in the Xiuyi Hall?” 

Gu Yi nodded, “Precisely …… I don’t know who the noble person is?” 

“Zhaifang Hall, Gong Yueqin.” 

Gu Yi looked closer at Noble Lady Gong, the soft and beautiful master of Zhaifang Hall and the instigator who pushed the male and female leads’ emotional lines. Favored for a while but left behind by the heartless Emperor after the female lead’s power rose. 

Silently light a candle for her. 

“Greetings, Noble Lady Gong.” 

Noble Lady Gong asked, “Where are your palace maids? Why are you alone?” 

Gu Yi replied, “I went to the Laundry Bureau, so I didn’t bring any palace maids.” 

Why would a Beauty go to a lowly Laundry Bureau? Noble Lady Gong was puzzled for a moment and thought of the character of Noble Lady Wang of the Xiuyi Hall. This Gu beauty was born beautiful and lived in Xiuyi Hall, poking Wang Xiu in the eye. She smiled as she pondered and said, “It turns out to be this small matter. Troubling Beauty Gu.” 

She turned to look at the palace maid behind her, “Reward Beauty Gu with one of today’s newly acquired silk flowers.” 

The palace maid passed the box of silk flowers she was holding, and the Noble Lady Gong asked, “Which one does Beauty Gu like?” 

This kind of sudden reward might not be the sharpest weapon to kill her, such as the roasted cake or the white chrysanthemum. However, she couldn’t refuse Noble Lady Gong’s kindness. 

Gu Yi raised her eyes to look at the silk flowers. It was small, soft masses, and she chose the smallest one. “Thank you for your grace.” 

Noble Lady Gong led a string of maidservants away. Gu Yi put the silk flowers into her belt pouch. As a cat’s paw, Noble Lady Gong advanced the feelings of the male and female lead in the book. The splendor lasted for a while, but the ending was not good. Gu Yi sighed; they were the same. Beauty Gu was also a cat’s paw. Her most prominent role should be facilitating the first meeting of the male and female lead. Wait, could this be the root cause of her repeated deaths? 

Gu Yi was instantly enlightened and couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of this until now. The first time the Emperor met Zhao Wan was in the Xiuyi Hall. The sky was raining heavily that day, and Beauty Gu penalized Zhao Wan by kneeling. Zhao Wan knelt miserably in the rain, tears combined with the rainwater sliding down her pale, paper-like face as she bitterly begged Beauty Gu. Unfortunately, Beauty Gu was indifferent and coldly rebuked her. The Emperor, who had turned over the card of Noble Lady Wang in the Xiuyi Hall, saw all this. The Emperor said the palace could not tolerate her, and Beauty Gu went offline. 

So, the question is: How can the male and female lead meet without her dying?