The Second World in Ancient Times

Amidst the mysteries of the palace, I knew it was difficult for me to stand alone against the Queen's powerful alliance. Therefore, I began a carefully planned campaign to win over others, intending to build a force capable of opposing them.

My first sight was towards Concubine Li. Her beauty had once been a thorn in the Empress's side, and she had repeatedly denigrated her in front of the King, gradually causing her to fall from favor. Taking advantage of the night, I quietly approached Concubine Li's palace. When she saw me, her eyes were filled with alarm: "Concubine Yu, what are you doing here?"

I smiled faintly and whispered, "Sister Li Fei, you and I are both in the harem, both suffering from the Empress's oppression. You are a stunning beauty, and your talent is not inferior to others, but the Empress has made things difficult for you. Are you living smoothly in this palace now?"

Concubine Li sighed softly, "Concubine Yu, why do you ask such a question when you already know the answer? The Queen is extremely powerful. What can I do?"

I approached her and took her hand. "Sister, if we continue to fight alone, we will only be defeated one by one by the Queen. But if we unite and support each other, perhaps we can fight for a place in this harem. You see, we all have our own strengths. If we can work together, whether it's vying for the King's favor or dealing with the Queen's machinations, we'll have a better chance of success."

When Concubine Li heard what I said, a flicker of hesitation flashed in her eyes. "But, going against the Queen is no easy task. If we fail, we will be doomed."

I looked at her firmly: "Sister, if we don't resist, we can only sit and wait for death. I have secretly investigated some of the Queen's secrets. As long as we find the right time, we may have a chance of winning. Moreover, I also have some connections outside the palace. If the critical moment really comes, they may come in handy." I laid out my plan to show my sincerity.

Concubine Li pondered for a long time, and finally nodded: "Okay, Concubine Yu, I will try it with you."

With the addition of Concubine Li, my confidence grew. Then, I found Concubine Hui. Concubine Hui was always intelligent, but because she stole the Empress's limelight at a palace banquet, the Empress held a grudge against her and she was constantly hindered by her.

I "accidentally" ran into Concubine Hui in the Imperial Garden. After exchanging pleasantries, I got straight to the point: "Sister Hui, do you remember what happened at the palace banquet last time? The Empress targeted you like that, and I'm afraid she won't let it go from now on."

Concubine Hui frowned: "Of course I know, but what can I do?"

I said, "Sister, I am now planning to form an alliance to fight against the Queen. Sister, you are very intelligent. If you could join us, you would definitely be able to offer us advice. By uniting, we can not only protect ourselves, but also expose the Queen's evil deeds and let the King see her true face."

Concubine Hui thought for a moment and said, "You are right. However, we must be extremely cautious in this alliance. The slightest mistake could lead to disaster."

I nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, sister. I have a comprehensive plan. We will start by secretly collecting evidence of the Queen's crimes. At the same time, we will expand our influence in the harem and win over more sisters who are being oppressed by the Queen."

Concubine Hui was persuaded by me and joined the alliance. Afterwards, I successively won over several concubines, including Concubine Rong, who had been suppressed because of her family's business competition with the Queen's family, and Concubine Chun, who had offended the Queen because of her straightforward personality.

After the alliance was formed, we began to meet frequently in secret. During the first secret meeting in the secret room of my palace, I looked around at these sisters whose fate was linked to mine, and my heart was filled with anxiety and hope.

"Sisters, we are gathered together now to fight against the Queen. Everyone has witnessed the Queen's evil deeds in the harem. In order to consolidate her position, she uses all means to suppress innocent people like us. We can no longer sit and wait for death." I spoke first.

Concubine Li said, "Concubine Yu is right. But how should we act? The Queen enjoys the King's deep trust. If we act rashly, I'm afraid we will not succeed."

Concubine Hui continued, "I think we should start by examining the Queen's daily behavior and looking for flaws. For example, if we can obtain solid evidence of her collusion with foreign ministers, we can report her to the King."

Concubine Rong also said, "I have some spies outside the palace. I can ask them to help investigate the business dealings of the Queen's family. Maybe they can find something."

I nodded in approval. "Sisters, your ideas are all good. But we must also act carefully and make sure the Queen doesn't notice our actions. We can start by spreading some rumors about the Queen in the harem to disrupt her morale while secretly gathering evidence."

Concubine Chun said with some concern: "But if we are found to have spread rumors, won't we be punished?"

I smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Sister Chunfei, we won't spread rumors blatantly. We can have the palace maids and eunuchs casually reveal some negative news about the Queen during their casual conversations. Just like the wind blowing across the water, creating ripples, it may seem natural, but it will slowly influence everyone's opinion of the Queen."

In the days that followed, we followed our plan. The maids and eunuchs cleverly spread gossip about the Empress within the harem, claiming she was extravagant and wasteful, and that she treated her servants harshly, often beating and scolding the maids and eunuchs. Though seemingly trivial, these rumors gradually sparked discussion within the harem.

We concubines also became more cautious in presenting ourselves before the king. I, still displaying my talent, composed exquisite poems at the king's poetry gatherings, earning his praise. Concubine Li's captivating dance performances dazzled the king. Concubine Hui, with her intelligence, skillfully offered insightful views during discussions of state affairs, earning him a new respect. Through these methods, we gradually distracted the king from the queen and simultaneously elevated our own status in his heart.

However, the Empress was no ordinary woman. She quickly noticed something was amiss within the harem and began to intensify her surveillance of us. She had spies planted within our palace, constantly monitoring our every move.

My maid Xiao Tao noticed something and hurried to report to me: "Your Majesty, I have noticed that there are some strange maids wandering around our palace recently. I think they might be the Queen's spies."

My heart tightened, knowing we had to be even more cautious. I said to Xiaotao, "Go tell the other sisters to keep an eye on the area around their own palaces. We need to change our secret meeting places frequently, and be more discreet when communicating."

To confuse the Queen, I deliberately acted relaxed and at ease in the palace, playing with the maids and seeming unconcerned about the Queen's threats. Meanwhile, secretly, my allies and I sped up the collection of evidence.

Rong Fei received news from outside the palace that her spies had discovered that the Queen's family was secretly trading with merchants from the enemy country, a crime that is considered treason. But we also know that this alone is not enough to bring down the Queen. We need more evidence and a perfect opportunity.

During a palace sacrificial ceremony, it was discovered that the empress had tampered with the sacrificial supplies. She had secretly swapped some of the sacrificial jade pieces, replacing inferior ones with genuine ones, intending to keep them for herself. This was blasphemy against the gods, a serious crime in the palace.

After discussing with my allies, I decided to keep this news secret and wait for the right time to expose the Queen's evil deeds.