The opening of Road to Empress 2 hands you a single decision that splits the entire game. You can return to the palace and fight to become empress, or you can walk away from that life entirely. Choosing to leave starts the Side Story, a self-contained route with its own characters, collectibles, and “good endings” for Wu that never appear on the throne path.
Quick answer: At the prologue’s “Make or Break Choice,” pick Leave this place and start a new life (the Liu Xi’s Terms branch). This locks you out of becoming empress and sends you into the Side Story instead of the palace route.
The prologue choice that starts the escape route
Wu Yuanzhao begins at Ganye Temple after taking the veil. The first branching point decides whether you head back into court politics or break away. Selecting Leave this place and start a new life opens Liu Xi’s Terms, which is the gateway to the entire Side Story. The alternative, Return to the palace and claw to the top, sends you toward Li Zhi and the main empress campaign.
After committing to the escape, you must survive a short sequence of decisions and quick-time events. Failing a QTE here drops you straight into a bad ending, so the inputs below matter.
| Prologue node | Choice to continue the escape |
|---|---|
| Make or Break Choice | Leave this place and start a new life |
| Liu Xi’s Terms | Seize the hairpin and take Liu Xi out |
| Seize the Hairpin | Pass the QTE (earns Nimble Moves) |
| Clutch Moment | Pass the QTE |
| Liu Xi’s Death | Any option (Finally, what a relief / Bittersweet / Couldn’t care less) |
| What Now | Any option, then proceed to Chapter 17 |
Note: Begging Liu Xi not to mark your face leads to Bad Ending 1, and surrendering for the Prince of Wei’s safety triggers Bad Ending 2. Failing the hairpin QTE gives Bad Ending 5, and failing the Clutch Moment gives Bad Ending 6. Any non-fatal choice routes you into Chapter 17: Ganye Temple, No Escape 1, where the Side Story proper begins.
Ganye Temple, No Escape decisions
The first side chapters set Wu up to disappear by taking on Liu Xi’s identity. Follow these picks to reach the end of the chapter rather than an early ending.
| Story node | Correct choice |
|---|---|
| Prince of Wei’s Promise | Kill him. |
| Handle Liu Xi’s Death | Dress as Liu Xi and slip away into the night. |
| What Will You Leave Behind? | The amulet. |
| Danger Approaches | Pretend to be Liu Xi. |
| Deal with Official Xia | Force her to keep your secret. |
| Which Item to Pawn? | Soaring Red Kite |
| Witness Yue’s Crisis | Step in and save her daughter. |
| A Choice Within | No way! I’m not giving up! |
| Mirage Pavilion’s Offer | Any option |
| The Relationship | I wronged him. |
| Did You Kill Her? | I’ve taken more lives than I can count. |
| Reveal Her Identity? | Tell her. |
| Assassin’s Blade | That won’t work; we don’t even look alike. |
| Cast It on Her | Pass the QTE. |
| Fight Back | Pass the QTE. |
Tip: There is no truly “correct” answer at Assassin’s Blade. Telling the assassin you don’t look alike has no story penalty and unlocks an achievement, which is why it is the recommended pick.
Dangerous Reunion decisions
| Story node | Correct choice |
|---|---|
| A Reason to Be Here | Any option |
| Assassin’s Identity | One of the Mirage Pavilion’s agents. |
| Find a Way to Stay | Any option |
| A Dagger That Kills | Your Highness, I like this dagger. |
| Guard’s Suspicion | We don’t just sell goods, we sell stories. |
| Gaoyang’s Interception | Gaoyang, come with me! |
| What Intel to Deliver? | Met General Lichen. |
| A Deadly Choice | Honor your promise and help Li Tai. |
| Your Dagger | Send a signal to the Prince of Wei. |
| Deal With Yuan Lichen | Stay |
| Scatter Dust | Pass the QTE. |
| Throw the Wine Jug | Pass the QTE. |
| Win Over Yuan Lichen | Have you forgotten your comrades? |
| Yuan Lichen’s Concerns | You should have said so sooner. |
| Apply Medicine? | Yes, he was injured because of me. |
| Time to Deliver Intel | Prince of Wei and Yuan Lichen have formed an alliance. |
| Why Learn to Fight? | So I’d never need protection again. |
| Li Tai’s Question | Because some people are worth everything. |
| Reveal His Whereabouts? | Tell them. |
| Remind the Prince of Wei? | Show kindness. |
Beyond the Chains decisions
| Story node | Correct choice |
|---|---|
| Ominous Dream | Tell him about the dream. |
| A Proposal of Marriage | Your Highness, maybe you should just accept it. |
| The Prince of Wei’s Inquiry | Any option |
| The Guard Approaches | Keep working. |
| Knock Them Out | Pass the QTE. |
| Persuade Xu Minhui | Don’t you want your family’s blessing? |
| Mihui’s Response | Let her go. |
| The Letter to Xu Xiaode | I am already married to Danlichi. |
Another Life decisions
| Story node | Correct choice |
|---|---|
| To Be, or Not to Be | Risk it and make him hand it over. |
| Feelings for Prince of Wei? | Any option |
| The Antidote in Hand | Any option |
| After Rebirth | I’ll help him, and wait for his return. |
| Reason to Stay | Because someone here still matters to me. |
| A Trap in the Capital | I will go with you. |
| Things Have Changed | I don’t. |
| Wine at a Treacherous Feast | Watch in silence. |
| Li Zhi’s Concerns | Prince of Wei. |
| Li Zhi’s Proposal | The throne is never what he seeks. |
| Li Zhi’s Thoughts | Any option |
| The Path Forward | Any option |
| Kiss Him | Any option |
| Yue’s Questioning | His Majesty ordered her execution. |
How to confirm you’re on the escape path
You know the escape route worked when the game leaves Liu Xi’s Terms and moves you into Chapter 17: Ganye Temple, No Escape 1, then through Dangerous Reunion, Beyond the Chains, and Another Life. These chapters never appear if you chose to return to the palace, and they end in Wu building a life of her own rather than ascending to the throne.
The route can fail in two ways. The first is selecting one of the prologue’s surrender or “spare Liu Xi” options, which triggers an immediate bad ending. The second is missing a quick-time event, since failed QTEs in this branch almost always force a bad ending. If that happens, use the Story Map from the main menu to backtrack to the last unlocked node and retry the input without replaying from the start.
Because none of these decisions lead to the throne, the Side Story is best treated as a separate playthrough alongside the main empress campaign. Running through it unlocks characters, collectibles, and the route’s good endings, giving you a full view of Wu’s story outside the palace walls.
