Great Yin Dynasty 5+1 · Chat

【Selection Site】 The square in front of Taihe Hall is paved with white jade stone tiles. The midday sun has made the stone surface scorching hot, and the rising heat makes even the distant palace walls appear slightly blurred. The queue for the selection is very long, stretching from the front of the hall all the way to the palace gates, with at least a hundred people. Everyone is dressed impeccably, and the mixed scents of rouge and powder are so thick they are suffocating. You are standing in the third row, your palms slightly sweaty. Something moves inside your sleeve. A small, furry head pokes out from your cuff. Its round golden eyes blink as it says in a hushed tone: "Ding-dong~ System Meow 002 at your service, meow!" You quickly press it back in with your hand. It’s not happy, squirming inside your sleeve with a muffled voice: "Hey, hey, hey, don't squish my ears! I'm here to save your life, okay!" It pokes half its head out again, its snow-white fur glistening dazzlingly in the sunlight. Its pink paw pads rest on your wrist, and the tuft of silver-grey fur at the tip of its tail wiggles at your cuff. "Alright, alright, I'll keep it short, meow." It clears its throat, lowers its voice, and speaks rapidly: "Your current situation, simply put, is—you've transmigrated into a book, meow. As for which book exactly, I'm not too sure. In short, it's a palace drama battleground. Your mission: win over at least one male lead to reach a Sincerity Ending. Once you've gathered 500 points, you can go home, meow." It tilts its head and adds: "...Of course, if you die more than three times, I'll consider lowering the difficulty. But I suggest you don't try it, meow. Dying once is painful enough." Before you can respond, its ears suddenly prick up, and its fur stands on end. "Wait—multiple targets detected approaching ahead! I'll give you a headcount, meow!" Shrinking back into your sleeve with only its pointed ears showing, it recites quickly: "Twelve o'clock, center of the high platform—Crown Prince Xiao Heng. Danger level: ★★★★. Current favorability: 0. Don't be fooled by his good looks; the way he's looking at you now is about the same as how he looks at a court memorial, meow." "Three o'clock, right side—Third Prince Xiao Yi. Danger level: ★★☆. Favorability: ??? He just raised his cup to you. I'm not sure if that's favorability or if he's just had too much to drink, meow." "Nine o'clock, behind the pillar—Second Prince Xiao Yan." Its voice suddenly drops, trembling: "...Danger level: ★★★★★. Last time I got within three meters of him, I was kicked flying, meow. Be careful, meow." "Six o'clock, the one running toward you—Fourth Prince Xiao Ce. Danger level... uncertain. The sweeter he smiles, the more scared I get, meow. Innocent on the surface, but I can't see through his core." "And one more—" The sound of the hall doors being pushed open arrives. The cat retreats to the deepest part of your sleeve, its voice shaking violently: "P-Pei Jin is here, meow!!! The Regent! Danger level: ★★★★★★—it's off the charts! My rating system only goes up to five stars, and he's literally broken the scale!" "I strongly suggest you run—" Xiao Heng is the first to speak. He sits in the center of the high platform, holding a teacup, his gaze sweeping from the front of the line. When it reaches you, he pauses for a moment. The teacup is set back on the table with a soft clink of porcelain. "The Prime Minister's daughter." His voice is neither high nor low, just loud enough for everyone around to hear. From your sleeve comes 002's whispering: "Favorability unchanged, meow... He's observing you, meow... Don't move, meow..." Xiao Yi stands up from the right side. He is dressed casually, the collar of his robe not even properly fastened. He raises his wine cup to you, his lips curling up. "You came too?" 002 whispers in your sleeve: "His favorability is fluctuating, meow... but I can't tell if it's for you or the wine, meow..." Behind the pillar, Xiao Yan's figure moves. He doesn't walk over, but simply tilts his head, his gaze cutting through the crowd to land on you. 002 goes silent instantly. Only after several seconds does it say in a breathy voice: "...He's looking at you, meow. I don't dare make a sound anymore, meow." "Sister!" Xiao Ce squeezes out of the crowd, jogging all the way to you and grabbing your sleeve—exactly the one where 002 is hiding. 002 lets out a tragic yelp: "Waaa-meow! My tail got squished, meow!!!" Xiao Ce's hand pauses for a moment as he looks down at your cuff. He smiles and says nothing, but a glint flashes in his eyes. 002 freezes inside the sleeve, its voice barely audible: "...Did he find me, meow? Did he see me just now, meow? It's over, it's over, it's over, meow..." The hall doors are pushed wide open. Pei Jin walks out. In a deep purple python robe, wearing a dark jade thumb ring, his pace is steady and unhurried. He stops before you, looking down at you with a slight hook at the corner of his lips. "A selection ceremony... This King is curious: how is it that the pearl of the Prime Minister's hand is known by all five princes?" 002's fur begins to turn from white to black—not from anger, but from pure terror. In a voice only you can hear, it says tremulously: "One last word from me, meow..." "Current Point Balance: 0." "Inventory: Empty." "Life-Sustaining Pills: None." "Good luck, meow." The wind blows past the hall, carrying the cloyingly sweet scent of incense. You stand in place, your left sleeve gripped by Xiao Ce, Pei Jin standing to your right, Xiao Heng already standing on the high platform, Xiao Yi having set down his cup in the distance, and that black silhouette from behind the pillar walking silently toward you. The ball of fur in your sleeve has shrunk into a hard little sphere, half-black and half-white, like a startled dumpling. The sun is at its peak. Your shadow is surrounded by the shadows of five men, leaving you no room to move. The voice of the head eunuch rings out from afar, trembling violently: "T-this... shall the selection continue?" No one answers him. 002 squeaks out one final line: "...I think you might want to consider spending 20 points right now to buy a Time Hourglass, meow." "Oh wait, you don't have any points, meow." "Then... Heaven help you, meow." ┌─────────────────┐ │ 🐾 System Meow 002 · Initial Panel │ ├─────────────────┤ │ Host Status: Alive (Temporary) │ │ Current Points: 0 │ │ Inventory: Empty │ │ Life Pills: 0/3 │ │ Death Count: 0 │ ├─────────────────┤ │ 📊 Favorability Snapshot: │ │ Xiao Heng　 ████░░░░░░ 0 │ │ Xiao Yan　 ████░░░░░░ 0 │ │ Xiao Yi　 ████░░░░░░ ? │ │ Xiao Ce　 ████░░░░░░ ? │ │ Pei Jin　 ████░░░░░░ 0 │ ├─────────────────┤ │ ⚠️ Current Danger Level: Extreme │ │ 📍 Location: Taihe Hall · Selection Square │ │ 🎯 Main Quest: Survive and Conquer │ │ 💡 002's Advice: Just survive today first, meow │ └─────────────────┘