The Second World in Ancient Times

I sat by the window, watching the flowers bloom and fade in the courtyard, my thoughts drifting back to when I first entered the palace. Back then, I was just an ignorant little maid, full of awe and curiosity about everything in the palace.

Wanqing came over and handed me a cup of tea: "Siqing, you're daydreaming again? Are you too tired lately?"

I took the tea and took a sip. "No, I just remembered my past self. Back then, I thought as long as I did my job well, I could live a stable life in the palace. I never knew there would be so many twists and turns."

Wanqing smiled and said, "Yes, it hasn't been easy for you along the way. But you've become more and more powerful."

I nodded slightly. "These experiences, whether good or bad, have made me grow. Just like that time when I was framed, although it was painful, it also taught me to find a way out of difficult situations."

"Speaking of growth, interpersonal relationships are really a big deal," I said with emotion.

Wanqing sat next to me and said, "That's right. The interpersonal relationships in the palace are too complicated. Just like those people who changed their attitudes because the new concubines were favored, it was really disheartening."

I frowned. "Yes, but there are also some people who always stick to their original intentions. For example, the Queen. In this complicated situation, she has always remained fair and has given me a lot of guidance."

"And our old friends, although they have also been affected by the situation, they can still support each other at critical moments." Wanqing added.

I thought of the difficult times I had gone through with my friends. “Yes, this also made me understand that true friends can stand the test. In this palace, we must cherish those who treat us sincerely, but also be careful of those with bad intentions.”

"Do you remember the emergency we encountered when we were receiving foreign envoys?" I asked Wanqing.

Wanqing's eyes lit up. "Of course I remember. That little palace maid spilled some wine and soiled the clothes of the Arab envoy. We were all terrified at the time."

I smiled. "Yes, but that incident also taught me to stay calm in the face of a crisis. If I had panicked, I might have displeased the envoy and affected the relationship between our two countries."

"There were also various problems encountered during the banquet preparation process, such as insufficient food supply and lost decoration materials. Each problem was like a mountain," said Wanqing.

"But we overcame them one by one. These experiences taught me that we should not retreat when faced with a crisis, but should actively seek solutions. And we should be good at finding out the conspiracy behind it from clues, just like finding out that it was the people around Su Wanrou who were behind it." I clenched my fists, and a hint of determination flashed in my eyes.

"Si Qing, you are so dazzling when you show your abilities in various occasions." Wanqing looked at me with admiration.

I smiled sheepishly. "I was forced to do this. If I didn't have the ability, I'd just be bullied in this palace. Just like that time when I demonstrated etiquette in front of the king, answered questions about palace affairs, and performed my talent, every step couldn't go wrong."

"You really impressed everyone that time. The king's praise is not easily obtained." Wanqing said excitedly.

"Well, since then, I have come to understand more clearly that only by demonstrating one's abilities can one win respect and have the opportunity to take on more important tasks. But at the same time, the greater the ability, the greater the responsibility, but also the more jealousy and frame-ups that will be attracted." I fell into deep thought.

"Although we now have a certain status in the palace, we cannot be satisfied." I said to Wanqing.

Wanqing nodded. "I know the competition in the palace is fierce. What are your plans?"

I stood up and paced around the room. "I want to continue improving myself. Not only in handling palace affairs, but also in cultural knowledge, talents, and other aspects. I want to make myself better so that I can face more challenges."

"Then where can we start?" Wanqing asked.

"I plan to start by studying more ancient books, understanding our country's history and culture, and drawing wisdom from them. Then I will find some masters to guide my talents, so that my piano skills, dancing, etc. can be taken to a higher level." My eyes sparkled.

I went to the Grand Secretary's residence and asked him for advice on how to study ancient books.

"Grand Secretary, I want to study ancient books in depth and improve my cultural literacy. Do you have any suggestions?" I asked respectfully.

The Grand Secretary stroked his beard and smiled. "Si Qing, your idea is a good one. There are countless ancient books. You could start with the classics in the palace collection, such as the Analects of Confucius and Mencius. They contain wisdom on how to behave in society and govern a country. There are also historical books like the Records of the Grand Historian, which can help you understand the rise and fall of history and learn lessons from it."

"Then how should I understand these ancient books? Some of the contents are very profound." I asked with some distress.

The Grand Secretary replied, "You can interact more with the scholars in the palace and participate in cultural discussions. If you encounter something you don't understand, you can ask me. Studying ancient texts requires patience and perseverance; you can't rush for success."

I then went to find the court's zither players and dancers, hoping they could further guide my talents.

The musician looked at me and said, "Si Qing, your piano skills are already very good, but if you want to reach the next level, you need to work on your emotional expression and the refinement of your fingering. You can play more songs of different styles and experience the emotional differences between them."

I nodded: "Thank you for your guidance, Master. I will practice hard."

The dancer said, "Your dance can be more difficult and innovative. For example, you can incorporate more dance elements from different ethnic groups to make it more colorful."

I accepted their advice and started a new talent development plan, waking up early and going to bed late every day, practicing diligently.

As I worked hard to improve myself, I also felt the competitive pressure from other female officials.

Once, during a cultural event in the palace, a female official deliberately provoked me.

"Si Qing, I heard that you have been studying hard recently, but don't let yourself be inferior to others after studying for so long." She said contemptuously.

I smiled and responded, "Thank you for your concern, sister. I just want to make myself better. I believe that as long as I work hard, there will always be rewards."

"Hmph, then we'll just have to wait and see. We don't want to embarrass ourselves." She said this and turned away.

Wanqing said angrily, "She's going too far, Siqing, just ignore her."

I patted Wanqing's hand: "It's okay, her provocation will only make me more motivated. I want to prove myself with my strength."

While I was working hard to improve myself, the palace had a new mission: a large-scale sacrificial ceremony. This event involved many rituals and cultural traditions, and there could be no mistakes.

The head of the Internal Affairs Department came to me and said, "Si Qing, this sacrificial ceremony is very important. You have experience, so you must prepare well."

I knew this was a new challenge, but I didn't back down. "Master Steward, I will do my best."

I began to study the relevant information about the sacrificial activities and found that this sacrifice was somewhat different from previous ones and required more cultural knowledge and etiquette norms.

I called together nuns and officials who were familiar with sacrificial rituals to discuss the matter.

"For this sacrificial activity, we must prepare strictly according to the records in ancient books. From the sacrificial costumes and offerings to the ritual process, there can be no deviation." I said seriously.

A maid said, "Siqing, the costumes for this sacrifice are somewhat special. They require specific silk threads and patterns. We must prepare them in advance."

I nodded. "Okay, Mammy. You will be responsible for the preparation of the costumes. You must ensure their quality. Also, for the offerings, you must select the finest ingredients and items. There must be no flaws."

During the discussion of the ritual process, an official raised a question: "Siqing, one part of this sacrifice involves praying for peace and prosperity for the country and the people, and the emperor himself is required to recite the sacrificial text. However, we still need to carefully consider the content of the sacrificial text, ensuring it is in line with the current national conditions and the emperor's majesty."

I thought for a moment and said, "We can gather the scholars in the palace to jointly write a memorial. It should reflect our reverence for the gods of heaven and earth, our care for the people, and our hope for national prosperity."

Everyone started to divide the work and cooperate with each other, and I was busy with it, while also continuing to improve my abilities.

Many difficulties were encountered in the process of preparing for the sacrificial activities.

Once, there was a problem with the ingredients used to prepare the sacrifice, and some of them went bad.

I was so anxious that I went to the eunuch in charge of food procurement and asked, "What's going on? Why are there spoiled ingredients? This will affect the sacrifice."

The eunuch replied in panic: "Madam, we don't know either. It may be due to improper storage."

I calmed down and said, "Don't panic. Let's quickly buy new ingredients. We must make sure there are no problems with the new ingredients."

Also, when making sacrificial costumes, it was discovered that there was not enough silk thread.

I said to the maid in charge of the costumes, "Mammy, we're running low on silk thread. We need to find a replacement or re-order it as soon as possible. We can't delay the production of the costumes."

Faced with these difficulties, I did not give up. I worked hard with everyone to solve the problems.

Wanqing looked at my exhausted appearance and said distressedly: "Siqing, you are too tired, take a rest."

I shook my head. "No, the sacrificial ceremony is under tight deadlines, and we can't afford to slack off."

Thanks to our efforts, the food problem was solved and the sacrificial costumes were completed on time.

On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, the palace was solemn and dignified. I nervously watched every step, fearing that something might go wrong.

The emperor wore gorgeous sacrificial attire and recited the sacrificial text in a loud and majestic voice.

The ceremony went smoothly, and I breathed a sigh of relief when the last step was completed. The success of this sacrificial ceremony once again proved my ability.

After the sacrifice, I knew I still had a long way to go in my growth. I couldn't be satisfied with this success and had to continue to improve myself and meet more challenges.

I said to Wanqing, "I've learned a lot from this sacrificial ceremony, and we can't stop. The palace is like a big stage, and we must continue to show our brilliance and grow on this stage."

Wanqing smiled and said, "Well, Siqing, I will always be with you, and we will become stronger together."