The Second World in Ancient Times

Life in the harem is like walking on a knife's edge; every step must be taken with caution. I thought that after experiencing a few storms, I would have a few days of peace, but I didn't expect that a bigger conspiracy was quietly approaching.

That day, I was in the palace studying new embroidery patterns with Wanqing when Cui'er rushed in. "Your Majesty, something bad has happened. I just heard from the imperial kitchen that someone is tampering with the king's food and wants to put the blame on you."

I was startled and frowned. "Do you know who it is? Any details?"

Cui'er shook her head. "I only know that a high-ranking concubine is behind this, but I don't know who it is. I only heard that they plan to put a powder into the crystal pork elbow, the king's favorite dish, which will cause unbearable abdominal pain after eating it."

I paced back and forth in the room, pondering a countermeasure. A typical response, even if it proved my innocence, might still leave the king with a trace of doubt. I had to come up with a foolproof plan, one that would not only clear my name but also make the person who framed me suffer the consequences.

Suddenly, I remembered the chemistry knowledge I had learned in modern times, and the corners of my mouth curled up slightly: "Wanqing, Cui'er, let's set up a trap to make it so that those who want to harm me will never come back."

I asked Cui'er to keep a close eye on the Imperial Kitchen, especially the eunuchs and maids responsible for the King's meals. Meanwhile, I began preparing a countermeasure. Using some common ingredients, I concocted a special reagent that would produce a noticeable color change upon contact with the powder that caused the abdominal pain.

A few days later, Cui'er came to report, "Your Majesty, I saw Eunuch Liu from the Imperial Kitchen acting suspiciously. He's not usually in charge of the King's meals, but today he was hanging around the Crystal Pork Knuckle dish. There's definitely something fishy going on."

I nodded: "Keep watching, don't alert the enemy."

When it was time for the king to have his meal, I asked him to come with me. The king was a little puzzled: "My dear, why do you suddenly want to have dinner with me today?"

I smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty, I have recently learned some interesting things and I want to entertain you while you eat."

The king smiled and nodded, then took me to the dining hall.

Just as the king was about to enjoy the crystal pork elbow, I seized the opportunity and pretended to accidentally spill a cup of tea on the pork elbow.

"My dear, what are you doing?" The king was a little surprised.

I quickly apologized, "Your Majesty, I deserve this. I will prepare a new one for you right away."

As I spoke, I took out the handkerchief I had prepared and pretended to wipe it, but in reality I was smearing the reagent on the handkerchief onto my elbow. Instantly, a strange color change appeared on my elbow.

I pretended to be surprised and said, "Your Majesty, look at this dish. There seems to be something wrong with it."

The king's face darkened, and he immediately called for the imperial kitchen. When Eunuch Liu saw the discolored pork elbow, his face turned pale.

"Eunuch Liu, what's going on?" the king asked majestically.

Eunuch Liu slumped to his knees, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I don't know."

I sneered, "Don't know? Then why were you sneaking around this dish today? This dish was poisoned, and you just happened to show up. Do you dare to say you have nothing to do with it?"

Eunuch Liu was trembling with fear, but he still insisted, "Your Majesty, you... you must not wrongly accuse me."

At this time, I looked at the king and said, "Your Majesty, I have a way to find the mastermind behind this. This poison must have been given to Eunuch Liu in advance. We can search his residence. If we can find the source of the poison, we can reveal the truth."

The king agreed and sent people to search Eunuch Liu's residence. Soon, the remaining poison powder and a jade pendant representing the identity of a concubine were found in his residence.

Seeing the jade pendant, the king was furious: "It's Concubine Rong!"

My heart trembled. It was her again. This Concubine Rong, who seemed so dignified on weekdays, was unexpectedly so vicious.

Soon, Concubine Rong was brought before the king. When she saw the jade pendant and the poison, her face changed drastically.

"Concubine Rong, why are you doing this?" The king glared at her.

Rong Fei quickly knelt down and begged for mercy: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! Someone framed me and deliberately placed the jade pendant there."

I walked up to her and looked at her. "Sister Rongfei, you said someone was framing you. Then why was this jade pendant in Eunuch Liu's residence? And what about this poison? If you were simply jealous of my favor, you could have just been open about it. Why did you resort to such despicable means to murder the king?"

Concubine Rong's eyes flashed with panic: "Concubine Yu, please stop slandering me. This is all your conspiracy."

I sneered in response, "My conspiracy? Sister, you staged all of this yourself. If I hadn't been prepared, the king would be in danger today because of you. You're willing to hurt the king just to win his favor. This is truly a heinous crime."

The king was furious at this point. "Fei Rong, you are my concubine, yet you have committed such a heinous act. I will not forgive you lightly. From this day forward, you will be demoted to a commoner and banished to the cold palace, never to leave."

Concubine Rong cried and made a fuss, but was still dragged away by the guards.

The king looked at me, his eyes filled with relief. "My beloved, this time is all thanks to you. If it weren't for your extraordinary wit, I would be in danger today. How did you know there was something wrong with this dish? And what about your magical handkerchief?"

I smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, I enjoy delving into the strange and bizarre. I've read in ancient texts about unusual food properties, which is why I'm wary. That handkerchief is a special fabric I stumbled upon, capable of detecting abnormalities in food."

The king held my hand and said, "My beloved, you always surprise me. Your intelligence and kindness are something that no one else in the harem possesses. I am so lucky to have you by my side."

I snuggled in the king's arms and said, "Your Majesty, I just don't want these treacherous people to hurt you. I hope there will be more peace in the harem, and no more conspiracies and intrigues."

This incident caused a huge uproar in the harem, and those concubines who were originally ready to make a move no longer dared to take action against me easily. But I know that they were only temporarily intimidated, and the frame-ups they would make in the future might be even more insidious.

In my palace, Wanqing said with a smile, "Your Majesty, this is truly a relief. Those who wanted to harm you have all received the punishment they deserved."

I shook my head. "Wanqing, don't let your guard down. We were just lucky this time and got the news in advance. We must be even more careful in the future and not let the enemy take advantage of us."

Cui Er also nodded: "Your Majesty is right, we will always be by your side."

I looked at them, my heart filled with warmth: "With you here, I feel much more at ease. Let's face the ups and downs of this harem together."

In this harem full of conspiracies, I know I cannot slack off at all. I must use my wisdom and courage to protect the relationship between me and the king, and to protect the rare peace in this harem.