Contents
Chapter Four: Ready to Serve
Overview
In the concubine testing chamber, Zetian scores an exceptional spirit pressure and is assigned as a full Consort to Yang Guang. She endures indoctrination on obedience and survival, while guarding a weaponized hairpin. A confrontation with Xiao Shufei nearly exposes it. The chapter ends with Yang Guang’s arrival, tightening Zetian’s revenge stakes.
Summary
In a testing chamber beneath the Great Wall, Zetian endures a disorienting tilt-table exam and posts a spirit pressure of 624, far above the other recruits. Auntie Dou declares she will enter Prince-Colonel Yang Guang’s service as a full Consort, explaining that success depends on mental compatibility and unwavering support.
As the girls wait, they recall the day’s grooming, maidenhood checks—one girl is disqualified and taken away—and the rigid rules: please the pilot, be attentive, and never resist his touch. Zetian steels herself, determined to win proximity to Yang Guang to kill him for Ruyi, while masking nausea and fear.
During another girl’s test, Xiao Shufei questions Zetian’s unfashionable hairpin, unknowingly prodding at Zetian’s hidden weapon. Zetian refuses to surrender it, tensions escalate, and Zetian lashes out about the futility and class hypocrisy of their roles, briefly shattering the others’ composure.
Provoked, Xiao Shufei snatches the hairpin, nearly exposing the blade. Zetian holds her ground, masking panic as the room falls silent. A male voice interrupts from the doorway, advising Shufei to return it. Recognizing the voice from countless broadcasts, Zetian turns to see Yang Guang, the target of her vengeance, arriving and bringing her plan to a pivotal moment.
Who Appears
- Wu ZetianProtagonist; tests at 624 spirit pressure, becomes Yang Guang’s Consort, conceals a weaponized hairpin, clashes with Xiao Shufei, prepares to kill Yang.
- Auntie DouSenior maidservant overseeing tests; announces Zetian’s assignment and instructs concubines on obedience and support.
- Xiao ShufeiFellow recruit with 118 pressure; challenges Zetian over her hairpin, insults her, and snatches the pin, nearly exposing the weapon.
- Yang GuangFamed Prince-class pilot; arrives at the end, confirming Zetian’s assignment and intensifying her revenge objective.