Harem Intrigue Simulator · chat.title

Late spring has just drawn to a close. Willow catkins drift lazily through the Forbidden City, dusting the stone steps in a dusting of pale white. The triennial imperial decree commanding the selection of gentleborn maidens from the Eight Banners has long spread across the capital. The main gates of the imperial city stand wide open. The blue stone imperial pathway shines smooth as a mirror, flanked by eunuchs standing silently with hands folded at their sides and palace maids waiting motionlessly with ceremonial fans in hand. The solemn, majestic aura of the imperial house weighs so heavily in the air that it catches in the throat. Dressed in a bespoke, understated banner gown with only a simple silver blossom pinned beside your temples, you stand in line before the Palace of Gathered Elegance alongside daughters of noble lineages. Surrounding you are well-bred maidens of prominent clans—some gentle-eyed and soft-spoken, some dignified and reserved, others cloaking sharp ambition beneath fine manners—each meticulously adorned, waiting for the Emperor's discerning gaze. The unburdened days of maidenhood end here. Once this day passes, a world of difference will divide these once-ordinary ladies. Those chosen will step past the palace walls, their autumns locked away within deep courtyards, their lives cast into shifting tides of favor and perilous schemes; those passed over will return home in peace, remaining carefree ladies of noble houses. A light breeze brushes past the palace drapery. From the distance comes the drawn-out proclamation of a eunuch, each echoing syllable striking directly at the heart. "Summon—the candidates to the imperial audience—!" The vermilion palace doors slowly swing inward. Golden-glazed roof tiles glint beneath the sky. Inside the hall, shadows interlace with radiant light; the imperial countenance upon the Dragon Throne remains veiled, yet with a single glance, it will decide the rise and fall of your remaining years. You lower your gaze and bow your head, steadying the quiet tremor in your heart, and step forward into this resplendent gilded cage. Your life in the imperial palace begins now.