The Second World in Ancient Times

Si Qing stood in the family hall, surrounded by the solemn elders. Her father looked at her gravely and spoke slowly, "Qing'er, our family is facing some difficulties right now. We need to plant spies in the palace and obtain information that will benefit the family. Only you are qualified for this task."

Si Qing was shocked: "Father, do I really have to go? The palace is dangerous, if I go..."

"I know this is unfair to you, but this is the family's decision. You have shown extraordinary wisdom and courage in your overseas travels. We believe that you can survive in the court and bring hope to the family." said the family elder.

Si Qing clenched her fists, a hint of determination flashed in her eyes: "Okay, I'll go." She knew that the interests of the family were above everything else, and this was a responsibility she could not escape.

In the family courtyard, Si Qing said goodbye to her family. Her mother, tears streaming down her face, held her hand and said, "My daughter, you must take good care of yourself. The palace is not a place we can control. You must be careful."

Si Qing fought back tears: "Mother, don't worry, I will come back safely. Please take care of yourself while I'm away."

Her brother ran over and hugged her: "Sister, if you are bullied in the palace, come back and I will protect you!"

Si Qing patted her brother's head and said, "Silly brother, I will take good care of myself. You must study hard at home and bring honor to the family in the future."

After bidding farewell to her family, Si Qing packed her simple bag and set off for the palace. Looking back, her family gradually faded into obscurity, and she felt a mixture of emotions, but she didn't hesitate at all.

When the palace gate appeared before his eyes, Si Qing was overwhelmed by the grandeur and majesty of the scene. The tall gate tower rose into the clouds, the vermilion gate was inlaid with huge copper nails, and the mythical beasts carved on the gate were lifelike, as if guarding the majesty of the palace.

The guard at the door had a serious expression, his eyes squinting at everyone who came in and out. Si Qing took a deep breath and walked forward.

"Stop! Who are you?" the guard shouted.

"I am a new maid in the palace, and I came here on orders." Si Qing replied.

The guards checked her documents and let her pass. As Si Qing entered the palace, she immediately felt a sense of oppression. The palace's buildings were meticulously arranged, with carved beams and painted rafters, but the austere atmosphere gave her a chill.

Si Qing followed the eunuch who led the way to a palace where the newly arrived maids gathered. A stern-looking maid stood in front of the palace, scanning the crowd with a lightning-like gaze.

"Stand still! You girls, don't think you'll have a good life just because you enter the palace. From now on, your every move must comply with the palace rules. If you make a mistake, don't blame me for being rude!" the nanny said loudly.

While checking the belongings, the nanny walked up to Si Qing, picked up her bag, and deliberately threw it on the ground: "What kind of rubbish is this? You are not allowed to bring such vulgar things into the palace."

Si Qing was furious, but she knew better than to act rashly. She replied respectfully, "Mammy, these are some personal belongings my mother prepared for me. She has no other intentions. I'll pack them up now and won't let them appear again."

Mammy sneered, "Humph, that's better."

During the initial inspection and registration process, Si Qing discovered that several new maids had ill intentions towards her. One of them, Cui Er, deliberately bumped into her.

"Hey, isn't this the self-righteous Si Qing? I heard that you came in because of your family relationship. Don't implicate us." Cui'er said sarcastically.

Si Qing frowned: "I don't want to argue with you. We are all here to serve the master. I hope you can respect yourself."

"Hmph, why are you pretending to be so noble? In the palace, you are not as comfortable as you are outside. You will suffer someday." After Cui'er said this, she walked away with a twist of her waist.

Si Qing knew that these people were jealous of her, or were being manipulated by someone to target her. She was secretly vigilant and could not let these small characters affect her plans.

During the break, a maid who looked very clever quietly walked up to Si Qing.

"Sister Siqing, you have to be careful of Cui'er and the others. I heard that they were arranged by some powerful palace maids to make things difficult for you. Don't fall into their trap." The maid said in a low voice.

Si Qing looked at her gratefully: "Thank you, what's your name?"

"My name is Ling'er. Sister, you are a good person and I don't want to see you being bullied." Ling'er said.

"Ling'er, don't worry, I won't be defeated by them easily. But why do you want to help me?" Si Qing asked.

"I think you are different, sister. Besides, in this palace, it is better to have one more friend than one more enemy." Ling'er replied.

While waiting for registration, Si Qing and Ling'er heard some old palace maids discussing palace secrets.

"Do you know? There has been unrest in the palace recently. I heard that a palace maid accidentally broke the imperial concubine's favorite vase, so she was dragged away and beaten half to death, and finally thrown into the cold palace." said an old palace maid.

"Also, I heard that some forces from the previous dynasty are secretly operating and want to disrupt the palace. We servants have to be careful and not get implicated." Another old palace maid echoed.

Si Qing's heart trembled. She knew the palace was full of complicated affairs, but she hadn't expected it to be this complicated. She realized that she had to be more cautious to survive in this dangerous place.

When it was Siqing's turn to register, the eunuch in charge suddenly frowned: "Siqing? Are you the Siqing whose family is suspected of colluding with the enemy country?"

Si Qing was shocked: "Father-in-law, this is a misunderstanding. My family is loyal and dedicated. How could we collude with the enemy country?"

"Hmph, it's not my decision. There's an order from above that anyone suspected is not allowed to enter the palace. Go away!" The eunuch waved his hand impatiently.

Si Qing was extremely anxious, she knew that someone must be framing her. If she was kicked out now, not only would her family's plans be ruined, but the family might also suffer a devastating disaster.

Just when Si Qing was in despair, a familiar voice came: "Wait!"

Everyone looked over and saw an old maid who held considerable prestige within the palace. She approached Si Qing and said, "I can vouch for this girl. I know her family; they've always served the court and there's no way they would collude with the enemy."

The eunuch hesitated: "Mammy, this..."

"Hmph, I'll take responsibility if anything goes wrong. I think this girl is smart and a useful talent." said the old nanny.

The eunuch had no choice but to let Si Qing continue to register. Si Qing looked at the old nanny gratefully: "Thank you for saving my life."

The old lady patted her shoulder and said, "Do your best and don't embarrass me."

After registration, the newly arrived maids were divided into several groups. Si Qing and Ling Er were assigned to one group, while Cui Er was assigned to another. Each group had a maid in charge.

The maidservant in Si Qing's group seemed quite kind. She said to everyone, "From now on, you are all my people. In the palace, you must obey my instructions and not act on your own. The area we are responsible for is near the Empress's palace, so you must be careful and cautious."

Si Qing's heart skipped a beat. The Empress? It looked like she had a chance to get close to the inner circle of power in the palace. But she also knew the dangers were greater, and she had to proceed with caution.

The palace maid took Si Qing and the others to visit the palace and introduced the uses and precautions of each palace.

"This is the Imperial Garden, where the Emperor and the Empresses enjoy the flowers and have fun. The flowers and plants here are taken care of by special people, so you must not touch them casually." said the palace maid.

Si Qing looked at the beautiful imperial garden, thinking about how to use the environment here to obtain information for herself. She found that every corner of the palace might be hiding secrets, and what she had to do was to find her own way to survive in this complex environment.

Next came the arduous palace training. From etiquette and posture to manners and behavior, every detail was strictly enforced. Si Qing and the other maids practiced repeatedly under the scorching sun, and the slightest mistake would result in punishment.

"Hold your chest high! Keep your head up! Stop looking around! You girls are so stupid!" The training nanny scolded harshly.

Si Qing's sweat soaked her clothes, but she gritted her teeth and persevered. She knew that only through this training could she gain a foothold in the palace. During the training, she also made sure to observe the people around her, keeping an eye out for possible opportunities and dangers.

During a training break, Si Qing found that her training clothes were missing. She looked everywhere and saw Cui Er holding her clothes in a corner with a smug smile on her face.

"Si Qing, are you looking for this? Haha, if you beg me, I will give it back to you." Cui'er said provocatively.

Si Qing glared at her: "Cui'er, don't go too far."

"Hmph, I just want to embarrass you. Without clothes, I wonder how you can train? Just wait for your punishment!" After Cui'er said that, she threw the clothes into the pool next to her.

Si Qing did not panic. She quickly looked around and saw some palace maids' clothes hanging out to dry. She ran over, explained the situation to the palace maids hanging the clothes, and borrowed a set of clothes.

When the training nanny noticed Si Qing had changed her clothes, she asked, "Where are your clothes?"

Si Qing replied, "Mammy, my clothes got dirty accidentally, so I borrowed a set. I will clean them and return them as soon as possible."

Although the nanny was somewhat dissatisfied, she did not pursue the matter too much. Si Qing escaped Cui Er's frame-up and became more wary of Cui Er.

Late at night, Si Qing lay on her simple bed, unable to fall asleep. She thought of her family, her family's mission, and everything she had experienced in the palace today. Although this place was full of dangers and challenges, she could not retreat.

"I must survive in the palace, find useful information for my family, and protect their safety. No matter how great the difficulties, I will never give up." Si Qing vowed silently. She looked out the window at the bright moon, her heart filled with hope and determination for the future.