Frequently asked questions about Road to Empress II mechanics, routes, and differences
The RtE II prologue is the game’s biggest fork in the road. Choosing “Leave this place, start a new life” enters the Side Story (Liu Xi route). Choosing “Return to the palace, ascend to supreme power” enters the Main Story (Li Zhi route). Once chosen, you cannot switch — this decision is irreversible.
The perfect ending requires all of the following:
In the prologue, choose “Leave this place, start a new life.” Then seize the hairpin from Liu Xi and eliminate her (QTE must be passed). After Liu Xi’s death, any choice leads into Chapter 17 “Ganye Temple: No Escape 1.”
The key branch point is “What to Leave Behind” — choosing the amulet, Sun-Moon hairpin, or Flying Kite leads to three different well-side scenes. When pawning items later, the Peony Hairpin leads to a Bad Ending, while the Sun-Moon Hairpin and Flying Kite allow progression.
RtE II introduces Court Mode in the Ch25–30 range, where you review memorials and make rulings on court matters. This system is essential for the “Ready to Rule” and “The Throne Has Spoken” achievements.
Chapter 25 of the Main Story contains an automatic narrative split whose trigger condition has not yet been determined by the community. The walkthrough author on showgamer.com has called for players to share their findings in the comments. This remains an unsolved mystery.
Check the main menu mailbox before starting. There is a 5,000 gold coin gift waiting.
RtE II is not just more chapters — it is a systems upgrade. The trait system that RtE I only sketched in post-game stats is now tracked live during play; court politics has become a mechanical faction system rather than pure narrative; and the new Memorial Review / Imperial Edict mechanics (Court Mode) let you actually govern between story chapters. Ending count is comparable (110 in RtE I vs. 100+ in RtE II), but RtE II spreads them across two completely separate campaigns: the Main Story and the Side Story. For a full breakdown, see our RtE II vs RtE I comparison.
Chapters 21–22 of the Main Story form a two-part arc centered on the emperor’s mother. It is one of the most choice-dense sections of RtE II’s mid-game, and your handling of the dowager faction here directly affects your standing with Empress Wang and the consort factions in later chapters. Treat every dialogue option in this arc as a faction vote, not a flavor choice.
In the Main Story’s later chapters, the succession question becomes mechanical: you choose which prince to back, and the game tracks faction reactions to your choice. Supporting Li Zhong while splitting the Liu faction is one of the requirements for the Li Zhi route’s perfect ending. Backing a candidate without weakening his rivals first is a common way to lock yourself out of top-tier endings.
For the Li Zhi route’s perfect ending, three attributes must all reach 80 or higher: Strategy, Resilience, and Decisiveness. Because attribute gains are spread across the entire campaign, you cannot cram them in the final chapters — balanced choices from Chapter 17 onward are required. If you are aiming for a specific top ending, check its requirements early and keep a mental budget of which choices feed which trait.
Yes. The memorial-review and edict systems introduced in the Ch25–30 range feed directly into the governance achievements, including “Ready to Rule” and “The Throne Has Spoken.” If you skip Court Mode content or rule carelessly, these achievements become unobtainable in that run.
No. The prologue choice is irreversible: “Return to the palace” locks you into the Main Story (Li Zhi route), and “Leave this place” locks you into the Side Story (Liu Xi route). Experiencing both campaigns requires two separate playthroughs — which is clearly how the game is designed to be played, since several achievements and endings are exclusive to each side.