Chapter 1 Binding the Eternal Gossip System
Yu Zhaoning knew from the moment she became conscious that her grandmother had traveled from another world. Every day, she would hold her and talk about the equality in that world, how women could also become officials and engage in all sorts of professions!
Until one day her father passed away, her grandmother, disregarding the opposition of countless powerful families, pushed her onto the throne!
The Empress Dowager said, "Zhaoning, with your grandmother here, you will always be the Empress of the Great Yu."
When she was too young, Yu Ling couldn't understand these things. However, after a serious illness, something called a system appeared in her mind, along with some scattered fragments, and she suddenly understood everything.
In this world, her ability to ascend to the throne at the age of four is unprecedented in thousands of years, a path paved by her grandmother through sheer grit and determination.
Now that she has ascended the throne, she has no choice but to remain on it, otherwise she and her grandmother will face certain death!
Moreover, it will be even more difficult for women to gain power in the future.
However, Yu Zhaoning's condition is now worse than ever before. She can feel her body temperature gradually decreasing, and her grandmother is so anxious that she has changed batch after batch of imperial physicians.
My consciousness was a chaotic mess, and I felt like I was sinking deeper and deeper into icy water...
The cold voice of the Empress Dowager, suppressing her anger, reached her ears.
"The Empress fell into the water and remains unconscious. What are you all good for?!"
Inside the main hall, the Empress Dowager was dressed in a bright yellow palace gown embroidered with gold phoenix patterns.
Although she was over forty, her bright face was wrinkle-free, and her phoenix eyes, filled with murderous intent, swept sharply over the dark mass of people kneeling on the ground.
She did not wear elaborate headdresses, but simply held her long hair up with a jade hairpin, looking neat and dignified.
"Your Majesty, please calm your anger!"
The palace servants and imperial physicians, led by the Grand Eunuch, trembled like leaves, not daring to lift their heads.
Yuan Hua let out a cold laugh, which sent a chill down everyone's spine.
"Calm down? Wait until you rescue Zhao Ning, then we can consider whether I should calm down! With so many people watching, you still managed to make the Empress fall into the water, truly admirable!"
"Wasn't it said that there were princes present? Summon them all here, and I will question them one by one!"
"If I find out that the Empress's drowning was related to those people, I will not let them off lightly!"
"Make them all get over here!"
…
On the dragon bed, Yu Zhaoning's mind was still somewhat muddled. All the sounds seemed to be slowly fading away, and she felt her body was stiff.
At the critical moment, the familiar system voice echoed in my mind once again.
[Ding! Host's vital signs are about to disappear. Bind to this system?]
Yu Zhaoning's confused consciousness suddenly cleared.
Oh, right, it seems there's something called a system in her mind now.
This thing hasn't left yet; it seems to be waiting for her decision.
[According to the updated character information from this system, Yu Zhaoning, you are the vicious villain of this world.]
The system's voice continued its introduction.
Upon hearing this, Yu Zhaoning's consciousness gradually returned, and she subconsciously asked in her mind.
[What is a villain? Can you eat them?]
The system seemed to freeze for a moment.
[Host, you can be understood as a roadblock in a female-oriented romance novel, a stepping stone specifically designed to hinder the path of the female and male leads' affection.]
[You, relying on your transmigrated grandmother, usurped the male lead's throne, not only acting arrogantly and domineeringly in the palace but also repeatedly making things difficult for the female lead, who is a palace maid.]
The system's voice remained completely calm.
Yu Zhaoning tried to pull her thoughts back, and thought of a very important person.
[And what about my imperial grandmother?]
[Your imperial grandmother, Yuan Hua, is the ultimate villain of this story. She becomes completely corrupted by your early death, constantly opposing the male lead and nearly wiping out the entire protagonist's group. In the end, she is killed by the male lead with a single sword strike, her body thrown off a cliff.]
[In the end, the male protagonist successfully ascended the throne, and the female protagonist rose from a lowly palace maid to become the empress.]
[Host, if you don't consider binding soon, you're really going to die!]
That last sentence made Yu Zhaoning's breath catch in her throat.
She doesn't want to die! She especially doesn't want her grandmother to die!
[Bound by the system, will I live long?]
She asked eagerly.
[This system's energy can sustain your body's vitality, allowing you to gradually recover. Later, by completing tasks and earning points, you can exchange them in the shop for gene potions to completely improve your physique, making you strong, healthy, and immune to all diseases, even granting you superhuman strength!]
Gene therapy?
The word gave Yu Zhaoning a strange sense of familiarity, but she didn't have time to think about it.
[Could the Empress Dowager use it? Would it help her live longer?]
[Of course, gene serums are effective for everyone.]
Yu Zhaoning did not hesitate.
[Bind! I'm binding!]
She would do anything to ensure her grandmother lived to be a hundred years old!
Yu Zhaoning, who had kept her eyes closed, was unaware.
Empress Dowager Yuan, who was holding her granddaughter's small hand tightly, remained tense throughout.
From that "ding" sound onward, she heard every single sound in her granddaughter's mind without missing a single word!
A storm raged in Yuan Hua's heart.
This is actually an essential cheat system for transmigrators!
The cheat system she hadn't acquired even after decades of transmigrating had actually awakened in her granddaughter!
Yuan Hua was overjoyed, thinking that heaven had eyes and her Zhao Ning could be saved!
But then, when she heard that she and her granddaughter were both villains and destined to be killed by the male and female leads, Empress Dowager Yuan trembled with anger.
Alright! So she and her precious granddaughter are villains! No wonder everything has been going wrong lately; it turns out the world's consciousness is suppressing them, just waiting for them to deliver the male and female leads' heads!
A flash of murderous intent appeared in Yuan Hua's phoenix eyes.
That damn male lead! He's definitely involved in Zhao Ning falling into the water! Don't let me catch him, or I'll kill him right now!
Fortunately, my granddaughter has a system that can repair her body.
Yuan Hua felt somewhat relieved, but then his curiosity returned.
I wonder what kind of system Zhao Ning has. If it's some kind of Empress Development System or Fate-Defying System, then she'll be able to roam freely across this continent.
On the other side, Yu Zhaoning asked the same question.
[System, system, what kind of system are you? What tasks do I need to complete to earn points?]
[This system's full name is the "Number One Gossip System in History." The host can unlock massive amounts of points simply by consistently consuming gossip every day!]
Yu Zhaoning: "???"
Eating melon seeds?
Could it be the edible watermelon that Grandma talked about in the modern world?
Empress Dowager Yuan was also dumbfounded.
What the heck? A gossip system? What good is that? Is it supposed to kill the male and female leads with gossip?
It's over, the heavens are going to kill us!
Empress Dowager Yuan felt like the sky had fallen.
Yu Zhaoning wasn't so desperate; she tentatively asked herself in her heart.
[How about we try eating a melon now?]
The system was preparing there when suddenly a commotion of footsteps and cries came from outside the hall.
"Empress Dowager! I've been wronged! You must do justice for me!"
Consort Li rushed in, carrying a five- or six-year-old boy, tears streaming down her face, and knelt down with a thud.
"My fifth son has been studying in his palace all day and hasn't gone anywhere! How could he possibly have gone to the Imperial Garden to plot against Her Majesty the Empress!"
The concubines following behind her also spoke up in a sarcastic tone.
"Yes, the Empress only accidentally fell into the water. It must be because the servants around her were not attentive enough. How can you blame it on our son?"
"Indeed, my son has always been kind and honest, how could he do such a wicked thing?"
In an instant, the entire hall became noisy.
"Oh? Is that so?" Yuan Hua glanced at them, his tone nonchalant.
"Why are only you here? Where is the First Prince?"