The Second World in Ancient Times

Standing beneath the palace corridors, I gazed at the long-empty Queen's Palace, knowing that a silent yet fierce war was about to erupt here. Ever since the previous Queen was deposed, the supremely prestigious position of Empress had remained vacant, like a magnet, drawing the attention of everyone in the harem.

"Your Majesty, look at these days. The concubines in each palace seem to have become different people. They are moving around extra frequently." Wanqing whispered beside me.

I sneered faintly, "They have other intentions. The Queen's position is vacant, who wouldn't want to sit on that supreme throne and command the harem?"

"But your Majesty has made great achievements in hunting, and His Majesty is very fond of you. The position of Queen may belong to you." There was a hint of expectation in Wanqing's eyes.

"It's not that simple." I shook my head gently. "Look at Concubine Li. Her family is deeply rooted in the court, and their influence cannot be underestimated. I heard that her father has been meeting frequently with several important officials recently. I'm afraid he is planning for her to become empress."

"And there is Concubine Hui. Although her family background is not as good as Concubine Li's, she is outstanding in talent and is deeply favored by His Majesty. Moreover, she has always been good at winning people's hearts and has many followers in this harem." I continued, with a hint of worry in my eyes.

"Empress, what should we do? Are we just going to watch them fight over it?" Wanqing asked anxiously.

"Of course not. Although I have no intention of provoking a dispute, if someone tries to step on me, I will never sit idly by and wait for death." I clenched my fists, and a hint of determination flashed in my eyes.

Not long after, at a court banquet, I deeply felt the strong smell of gunpowder.

Concubine Li, dressed in a gorgeous brocade dress and adorned with dazzling jewelry, swayed and walked towards me. She said with a fake smile, "Sister, I heard that you were very brave in hunting, but in the harem, courage alone is not enough. You also need the support of your family, don't you agree?"

I smiled calmly, "Sister, you're absolutely right. However, I believe that while family is important, if one lacks virtue and talent, even if one becomes queen, it will be difficult to convince the public."

Concubine Hui was not to be outdone, and whispered, "Sister, you have a point. However, when it comes to virtue and talent, it's not something you can just talk about. I heard that Sister has recently implemented some new rules in the harem, but these palace rules have been passed down for a long time, and arbitrarily changing them would probably cause dissatisfaction among the people."

I looked at Concubine Hui with a calm gaze. "Sister, are you questioning me? I'm implementing this new system simply to create a more harmonious and orderly harem. If anyone is dissatisfied, please raise it with me and I'll consider it."

At this time, the wife of a minister came to pay her respects to the other concubines. Concubine Li immediately went to greet her, took her hand affectionately, and said, "Madam, you have come at the perfect time today. Your master is highly respected in the court. Please speak well of him on my behalf."

The minister's wife responded with a smile: "You are joking, Your Majesty. You are naturally beautiful and have the blessing of your family. Everyone in the harem knows how good you are."

I watched their interaction from the side and knew in my heart that Concubine Li was using the minister's wife to publicize her advantages to everyone.

After the banquet, I returned to my palace. Afeng came to report, "Your Majesty, according to our spies, Concubine Li's brother entered the palace today and had a long, secret conversation with several eunuchs in a secluded corner of the Imperial Garden. I don't know what they are planning."

I frowned. "It seems that Concubine Li wants to start with the eunuchs and gain connections. Ah Feng, continue to send people to monitor and report any signs of trouble immediately."

"Yes, your majesty." Afeng took the order and left.

Meanwhile, Concubine Hui was also busy. She hosted a poetry gathering in her palace, inviting numerous concubines and scholars. At the gathering, Concubine Hui's talent was fully displayed, and her poems won the applause of everyone.

"Empress Hui is truly talented. Only you can compose poems like this," a concubine flattered.

Concubine Hui showed a proud smile on her face: "Thank you for the compliment. If you like it, we can hold more poetry gatherings like this in the future, so that the harem can have more elegant atmosphere."

After hearing this, I said to Wanqing, "This Huifei is quite clever. She's using poetry gatherings to showcase her talent and win over people. However, I won't let her succeed so easily."

So I decided to hold a women's craftsmanship competition in the palace and invite all the concubines to participate. I showed off my superb craftsmanship skills at the competition, which amazed everyone.

"Your Highness, your craftsmanship is truly exceptional. I am ashamed to be inferior to you." A concubine praised sincerely.

I smiled and responded, "Sisters all have their own strengths. Women's work is just a skill for women. What's important is that we can learn from each other and enhance friendship in this competition."

As time went on, the struggle for the position of empress became more intense, and the conflict between Concubine Li and Concubine Hui gradually emerged.

Concubine Li ran into Concubine Hui in the imperial garden and couldn't help but sneer, "Humph, some people think they can become empress just by writing a few poems. How ridiculous! The position of empress can't be obtained by a few sour poems."

Concubine Hui was not to be outdone: "Don't be complacent. What good is your family's influence? If His Majesty doesn't like you, you are just a facade."

The noises of their quarrel grew louder and louder, attracting many palace maids and eunuchs to watch. After hearing about this, I rushed to the Imperial Garden.

"What are you doing? Making such a fuss in this palace, how can you be so disrespectful?" I scolded.

When Concubine Li and Concubine Hui saw me, they both stopped talking. Concubine Li snorted, "Your Majesty, please judge for yourself. Concubine Hui is too arrogant."

Concubine Hui said, "Your Majesty, it was Concubine Li who provoked me first. I was only defending myself."

I looked at them, feeling helpless. "Stop arguing. The position of Queen is decided by His Majesty. If your quarrels were to reach His Majesty's ears, it would only annoy him."

After hearing what I said, Concubine Li and Concubine Hui lowered their heads and stopped talking. But I knew the struggle in their hearts would not stop there.

Throughout this struggle for the throne of Empress, I remained calm and rational. I knew that within the palace, I couldn't be distracted by the current strife; I must have a long-term vision and strategy. While consolidating my position within the harem and managing the concubines, I also secretly monitored the situation at court and maintained contact with the ministers who supported me. I knew that ultimate victory depended not only on the struggles within the harem, but also on the balance of power within the court. And I must find my own path within this complex situation, steadily moving towards the throne of Empress. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lay ahead, I will not retreat.

However, the vortex of palace fighting became more and more violent. Concubine Li began to secretly instruct the palace maids to mix a small amount of diarrhea-inducing medicine into Concubine Hui's tea, intending to make Concubine Hui lose face in front of the king.

One day, when Concubine Hui was about to pay her respects to the king, she suddenly suffered from severe abdominal pain and turned pale. Her maidservant cried out in panic, "Madam, what's wrong with you?"

Concubine Hui gritted her teeth and said, "I don't know either. Go and get the imperial physician."

This matter soon spread throughout the harem, and I thought to myself that someone must be doing something bad.

Not long after, Concubine Li came to visit Concubine Hui, pretending to be concerned: "Sister, what happened to you? Why did you suddenly become ill?"

Concubine Hui looked at Concubine Li, her eyes full of suspicion: "Sister, I also want to know why you suddenly suffered such a misfortune."

Concubine Li pretended to be angry: "Sister, are you doubting me? I came to visit you with good intentions, but you are so suspicious."

Concubine Hui snorted coldly: "Sister, you know clearly whether it was your sister's doing or not."

After I learned of this, I decided to use this opportunity to pit them against each other. I secretly instructed Wanqing to reveal some clues to Hui Fei's personal maid, hinting that it was Li Fei who was responsible.

When Concubine Hui learned about this, she was furious and decided to retaliate. She bribed a young eunuch in Concubine Li's palace and mixed some herbs that would cause skin allergies into Concubine Li's rouge.

When Concubine Li used the rouge, a rash immediately appeared on her face, causing unbearable itching. She looked at herself in the mirror and screamed, "What's going on? How did my face become like this?"

Her maids were also terrified: "Your Majesty, we don't know either."

Concubine Li was furious and anxious, believing that this was Concubine Hui's revenge, so she ran to the king and cried, "Your Majesty, that vicious Concubine Hui is jealous of me and has secretly harmed me. Your Majesty must stand up for me."

Concubine Hui was not to be outdone and came forward to defend herself: "Your Majesty, it was clearly Concubine Li who attacked me first, and I was forced to retaliate. Your Majesty is well aware of this."

The king's face was gloomy as he watched them quarreling, feeling annoyed. "Enough! How can you fight like this in the harem? If you continue like this, I will not show mercy."

Seeing the time was right, I gently addressed the king, "Your Majesty, this incident has caused unrest in the harem. I believe the most urgent task is to find the true culprit and restore peace to the harem. Your Majesty, please allow me to thoroughly investigate this matter. I will handle it fairly."

The king looked at me, thought for a moment, and nodded: "Okay, I'll leave this matter to you. You must give me a satisfactory result."

I began to investigate, and first summoned all the palace maids and eunuchs involved in the incident in Concubine Li and Concubine Hui's palace.

I asked sternly, "Tell me the truth. Who ordered you to poison the ladies' belongings? If you tell even a single lie, I will not forgive you."

The palace maids and eunuchs trembled with fear, blaming each other. I watched coldly, but I had my own plan in mind.

I took out some evidence and placed it in front of them: "This is the evidence I have collected. If you still don't confess, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Faced with the evidence, the young eunuch in Concubine Li's palace was the first to succumb to the pressure and fell to his knees with a thud: "Your Majesty, it was Concubine Li who ordered this servant to poison Concubine Hui's tea. I know I was wrong and beg Your Majesty to spare my life."

When Concubine Li heard this, her expression changed drastically: "How dare you, you little dog slave, frame me."

I looked at Concubine Li and said, "Sister, this is not a false accusation. We have witnesses and evidence. What else do you have to say?"

Concubine Li was still trying to argue, but the king issued an edict: "Concubine Li deliberately poisoned Concubine Hui. From now on, she will be confined to her house for six months and asked to reflect on her mistakes."

Although Concubine Hui had temporarily let out a sigh of relief, I knew she wasn't a good person either. My journey in the harem was still full of challenges.

During Li Fei's confinement, Hui Fei tried to win over more concubines to her side. She often held banquets in her palace and invited the concubines to attend. At the banquets, she used sweet words and some small favors to bewitch the people.

"Sisters, we have to support each other in this harem. Concubine Li has a vicious mind, we can't let her come out and stir up trouble again." Concubine Hui said at the banquet.

Some concubines were moved by her words and nodded in agreement. However, some concubines knew that Hui Fei's move was just to fight for the position of queen for herself.

I closely monitored Concubine Hui's every move while also strengthening my own power. I formed an alliance with some concubines of humble origins but loyal to her, promising that if I became empress, I would treat them well.

"Sister, you are kind-hearted and intelligent. The position of queen belongs to you. We are willing to follow you." A concubine said sincerely.

I held her hand gratefully and said, "Don't worry, sisters. We are in this together and will definitely be able to gain a firm foothold in this harem."

At court, Concubine Li's family harbored resentment towards Concubine Hui's family due to her confinement, and the two families began to fight openly and secretly. Some ministers were also involved in the conflict, and the court became unstable.

I know full well that all of this is closely tied to the struggle for the throne of Empress. Within this complex situation, I must skillfully balance the forces of all parties, preventing Concubine Hui from dominating and Concubine Li's family from taking advantage of the situation to cause chaos. I must demonstrate to the King my ability not only to manage the harem but also to play an active role in court affairs, thereby further strengthening my chances of becoming Empress.

At a court meeting, the dispute between the two families was brought to the fore. A minister stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the Li Fei incident was originally a harem matter, but now it has caused discord between the two families. This is detrimental to the stability of the court. Your Majesty should make a decision as soon as possible."

The king looked troubled. This matter was indeed a thorny one. I stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this matter warrants careful consideration. Both families have made contributions to the court, and it is inappropriate to favor one over the other. We could ask them to temporarily cease their quarrel and work together for the court. If they continue to offend, they will be severely punished."

The king looked at me with a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "My beloved concubine, what you said is very true. I will follow your opinion."

Through this incident, my position in the king's heart has been further improved. But I know that Concubine Hui will not give up and will definitely come up with a new plan to deal with me.