The Second World in Ancient Times

That day, sunlight streamed through the palace's carved windows, and as usual, I walked towards the imperial concubine's palace, carrying a plate of exquisite dim sum. The aroma of the dim sum lingered on the plate, meticulously crafted by the imperial kitchen, each one a work of art.

"Hey, isn't that Si Qing? Bringing snacks to the Imperial Concubine again?" A sharp voice rang out behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know it was Cui'er. This maid, always jealous of me, was like a shadow I couldn't shake off.

"Yes, Cui'er, I have to send it there quickly, otherwise the snacks will get cold." I didn't want to argue with her any more, so I quickened my pace.

I arrived at the imperial concubine's palace and was about to enter, but Cui'er got there first and knelt in front of the imperial concubine.

"Your Majesty, please make the decision for me!" Cui'er said tearfully.

The imperial concubine frowned: "What's wrong with you? Get up and talk."

Cui Er stood up and pointed at the dim sum in my hand and said, "My Lady, Si Qing has bad intentions. There's something wrong with this plate of dim sum!"

I was shocked, but immediately calmed down. I couldn't panic in this situation, otherwise I would fall into her trap.

The imperial concubine looked at me with a hint of doubt in her eyes: "Si Qing, is this true?"

I knelt respectfully and replied calmly, "Your Highness, I am innocent. This plate of snacks was meticulously prepared by the Imperial Kitchen. I have carefully carried it all the way from there, and there has been no mishap."

Cui Er yelled, "My Lady, please don't listen to her excuses. I saw her sneaking around the snacks with my own eyes. Maybe she poisoned them!"

I sneered in my heart, thinking that Cui'er was lying with her eyes open, but I still remained calm.

"Your Highness, the Imperial Kitchen has a strict process for making snacks. Each step has a dedicated person in charge. Moreover, when I took the snacks, the eunuchs and maids in the Imperial Kitchen could testify for me." I said earnestly.

The imperial concubine seemed a little shaken. She looked at Cui'er and asked, "You said Si Qing was sneaking around the dim sum. Do you have any evidence?"

Cui Er was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said, "I... I just saw it. I saw it with my own eyes. How could it be fake?"

I took the opportunity to say, "Your Highness, Sister Cui'er said she saw it with her own eyes, but why didn't she stop me at the time? If that's true, then wouldn't she have deliberately put you in danger? Moreover, I have no grudge against Sister Cui'er, so why would she frame me like this?"

The imperial concubine listened to what I said and nodded thoughtfully: "Cui'er, Si Qing's words make sense. Why did you wait until now to say it?"

Cui Er was a little flustered, but she still pretended to be calm: "My Lady, I... I was just scared for a moment, and I thought she was just making trouble. I didn't expect her to be so bold."

I looked at Cui'er, a sharp glint in my eyes. "Sister Cui'er, please don't spit blood at me. If there's something wrong with this plate of dim sum, then you're the biggest suspect. You followed me all the way, maybe you tampered with it while I wasn't paying attention."

Cui'er's eyes widened. "You're talking nonsense! How could I do such a thing?"

I continued, "Then how do you prove that you haven't made any moves? You showed up so suddenly and were so eager to frame me that I have to doubt your motives."

At this moment, Wanqing hurried over. She knelt before the Imperial Concubine and said, "Your Highness, I can testify that Sister Siqing has always been very obedient. I saw her taking the snacks and there was nothing unusual about it. It was Sister Cui'er who often gave Sister Siqing a hard time."

The imperial concubine's eyes became even more severe: "Cui'er, do you have anything else to say?"

Cui'er's face turned pale: "My lady, they are in the same group, don't trust them."

I hurriedly said, "Your Highness, everything I said is true. You can send someone to the imperial kitchen to investigate, or you can ask other palace maids and eunuchs who pass by."

After a moment's contemplation, the imperial concubine said to the maid beside her, "Go, get the person in charge of making snacks from the imperial kitchen. Also, ask if anyone has seen Si Qing and Cui Er on the road."

After a while, the eunuch from the Imperial Kitchen arrived and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this plate of snacks was made by our Imperial Kitchen according to the old rules. There is absolutely no problem. When Miss Siqing came to pick up the snacks, everything was normal."

Then, several more palace maids and eunuchs were brought in. They all said that they saw me walking normally with snacks in my hand, and Cui'er followed me later.

The imperial concubine looked at Cui'er, her eyes filled with anger: "Cui'er, how dare you lie to me and frame others. Do you admit your guilt?"

Cui Er collapsed to the ground in fear: "My Lady, I know I was wrong. I was jealous of Si Qing. Please spare my life!"

I stood aside, watching all this silently. I knew it was time for the Imperial Concubine to make her decision.

The imperial concubine said coldly, "Huh, jealousy? Just because of this, you want to kill someone? If I listen to your slander today and wrongly accuse Si Qing, wouldn't that be letting the villain succeed? Come, drag Cui'er away, give her thirty lashes, and then expel her from the palace!"

Hearing the Imperial Concubine's verdict, I breathed a sigh of relief. I kowtowed quickly, "Thank you, Imperial Concubine, for your insight and clearing my name."

The imperial concubine looked at me, her eyes becoming a little gentler. "Si Qing, please get up. You handled today's events very well and didn't let the panic get to your head. It seems you are a smart girl. You should stay by my side and serve me from now on."

I was overjoyed and kowtowed again to express my gratitude: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I will do my best to serve you."

When Cui Er was dragged away, she glared at me fiercely: "Si Qing, don't be so complacent, let's see what happens!"

I ignored her, watching her being dragged away, a flood of emotion welling up in my heart. In this palace, conflict is everywhere, and I can't let my guard down even for a moment.

From then on, I officially became a maidservant to the Imperial Concubine. I worked even harder to learn how to better serve her, while also being careful in dealing with other people in the palace.

Wanqing was happy for me: "Sister Siqing, this time you really turned a disaster into a blessing. However, we still have to be careful in the future, there may be more people like Cui'er."

I nodded. "Wanqing, you're right. In this palace, we must always be vigilant."

In the palace, the attitudes of the other maids towards me also changed. Some of them began to greet me and wanted to get closer to me.

"Sister Siqing, you are so amazing. Even someone like Cui'er was defeated by you." A little palace maid said enviously.

I smiled and said, "It's nothing. As long as we behave properly, we won't be afraid of being framed by others."

But there were also some palace maids talking about me behind my back, but I didn’t care. I knew that as long as I did my job well, I wouldn’t be afraid of those rumors.

Serving the Imperial Concubine was not easy either. She would often test me to see if I was really smart.

Once, the imperial concubine asked me to pick out a new dress for her to attend a banquet. I chose a gorgeous pink palace dress with exquisite butterfly patterns embroidered on it from among the many clothes.

"Your Majesty, this dress is brightly colored, and the butterfly symbolizes auspiciousness and beauty. The pink color complements your skin tone very well. Wearing it will surely make you radiant at the banquet." I explained to the imperial concubine.

The imperial concubine looked at the clothes and nodded with satisfaction: "Si Qing, you have good taste. Let's take this one."

Although I was appreciated by the Imperial Concubine, I also attracted the jealousy of the other palace maids. There was a palace maid named Ling'er who always made trouble for me when the Imperial Concubine was not around.

"Si Qing, don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have the imperial concubine's support." Ling'er said provocatively.

I looked at her and said calmly, "Ling'er, I have never had such thoughts. I am just doing my job well. I hope you won't make trouble out of nothing."

"Hmph, let's wait and see." Ling'er said and left.

I know that new challenges are coming, but I will not be afraid. I will use my wisdom and calmness to deal with everything.

In order to consolidate my position beside the imperial concubine, I worked even harder to serve her. When she was in a good mood, I would tell her some interesting stories. When she was in a bad mood, I would accompany her silently and help her solve her problems.

Once, the imperial concubine was feeling down because the emperor hadn't visited her for a few days. I said to her, "Your Majesty, the emperor must be very busy with government affairs these days. When he's done, he'll definitely come to see you. You're so beautiful, how could he possibly forget you?"

The imperial concubine listened to what I said and smiled: "You have such a sweet mouth, Si Qing. With you here, I feel much better."

I know that I still have a long way to go in this palace, but I will take one step at a time and use my wisdom to deal with all difficulties and challenges.