The Second World in Ancient Times

I was in my own palace, discussing the next plan with Wanqing, but I didn't realize that a fierce counterattack was about to hit me like a surging tide.

At a grand palace banquet, table after table of delicacies was laden with delicious food, the sound of stringed instruments lingered in the air, yet a tense atmosphere hung in the air. The concubines, adorned with gorgeous attire and exquisite makeup, each with a vigilant gaze, like a cheetah lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on its prey.

The empress, clad in a phoenix robe and crown, sat on her high throne, a subtle sinister glint in her eyes. She waved her hand gently, signaling the start of the banquet. Dancers filed in, singing and dancing gracefully, attempting to add a touch of cheer to the oppressive atmosphere, but no one seemed to be in the mood to appreciate them.

At this moment, a concubine from the Queen's Alliance suddenly stood up. She pointed at Concubine Li and said loudly: "Your Majesty, I want to report Concubine Li. She violated the palace rules and secretly passed letters with people outside the palace. Her intentions were not good." Her voice was sharp and loud, which instantly broke the silence of the banquet. Everyone's eyes were cast on Concubine Li.

Concubine Li's face turned pale and she knelt down hurriedly to defend herself: "Your Majesty, I am innocent! This must be someone's deliberate framing. I have never done such a thing." Her eyes were full of fear and helplessness, and she looked at me for support.

My heart tightened, knowing full well that this was a conspiracy by the Queen's Alliance. They were planning to attack my allies first, then defeat them one by one. I was about to stand up and speak, but suddenly realized this might be a trap. If I rashly stepped in to defend them, I'd most likely be framed as well. So, I clenched my fists, suppressed my impulse, and sat still.

The king's face was gloomy. He looked at Concubine Li and said, "Concubine Li, is this true?"

Concubine Li shook her head repeatedly: "Your Majesty, I swear to heaven that this is absolutely not the case. Someone must be jealous of me and deliberately framed me."

The Queen then spoke: "Your Majesty, you cannot simply believe Concubine Li's one-sided statement in this matter. You should investigate this matter thoroughly and rectify the palace rules. If this is true, you must not tolerate it." Her words seemed fair, but in fact they were adding fuel to the fire.

I knew that if I didn't act, Concubine Li would be doomed. I quietly signaled to the maid beside me, telling her to inform Concubine Hui and other allies to prepare for this crisis. Meanwhile, I was rapidly formulating a strategy, like facing a sudden public relations emergency in the modern workplace: I had to calmly and swiftly find a solution.

I remembered that in modern society, evidence is crucial for resolving disputes. So, I decided to start by finding evidence to prove Concubine Li's innocence. I stood up and bowed to the king. "Your Majesty, I believe that before the truth is known, a conviction should not be made lightly. I am willing to assist in the investigation to clear Concubine Li's name."

The king glanced at me and nodded slightly. "Concubine Yu, please tell me how to investigate."

I said, "Your Majesty, you can first search Concubine Li's palace. If there really is any correspondence between her and someone outside the palace, we will surely find evidence. At the same time, we should also investigate the accuser to see if she has any motive or evidence to frame someone."

The king agreed to my suggestion and sent people to search Concubine Li's palace. I secretly instructed my trusted maid to investigate the background and recent whereabouts of the concubine in the Queen's Alliance to see if there was any clue that she had framed Concubine Li.

As we awaited the results of the search, the atmosphere at the banquet grew increasingly tense. The consorts of the Queen's Alliance frequently glared provocatively at me and my allies, and we glared back without hesitation.

After a while, the search team returned and reported: "Your Majesty, we found no evidence of any correspondence between Concubine Li and anyone outside the palace."

I was delighted and looked at the king: "Your Majesty, since there is no evidence, it is clear that Concubine Li was wrongly accused."

However, the Queen refused to give up: "Your Majesty, perhaps Concubine Li has already destroyed the evidence. We cannot conclude that she is innocent based on this alone."

At this time, the palace maid I sent to investigate returned and whispered in my ear, "Your Majesty, I have found out that the concubine who reported Concubine Li has recently had contact with a mysterious man outside the palace. Her family has interests in the Empress's family. It is very likely that she was instructed by the Empress to frame Concubine Li."

I felt certain about what was going on. I stood up and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I have new evidence. The concubine who accused Concubine Li is not innocent herself. She has been in frequent contact with a mysterious man outside the palace recently and has close ties with the Queen's family. She is highly suspected of falsely accusing Concubine Li."

I reported everything the maid had found to the king, and everyone started discussing it. The king's expression darkened. He looked at the queen and the concubine, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter. If anyone is deliberately framing me, I will not let them off lightly."

The storm seemed to have subsided temporarily, but I knew this was only the beginning of the Empress's alliance's counterattack. In the days that followed, the overt and covert infighting within the harem intensified. They deliberately set a trap in the imperial garden, causing Concubine Chun to accidentally damage the precious flowers gifted to the Empress by the Empress Dowager. They then took the opportunity to complain to the Empress Dowager, earning her a severe reprimand.

My allies weren't to be outdone. Concubine Hui, using her wit, cleverly exposed the ignorance and shallowness of a concubine in the Queen's alliance at a poetry gathering, embarrassing her in front of everyone. Concubine Rong, on the other hand, continued to cut off the Queen's family's supplies outside the palace, causing the Queen to encounter difficulties in organizing various palace events.

However, every counterattack and counterattack is like walking on the edge of a cliff. A single mistake could lead to irreversible destruction. We must remain vigilant at all times, analyzing every move of the Queen Alliance and preparing for counterattacks in advance.

Once, the Queen's Alliance secretly bribed one of my maids and drugged my tea, hoping to make me lose my composure in front of the King. Fortunately, Wanqing noticed the difference before serving me tea and replaced it in time, thus averting a disaster.

I knew I couldn't just sit there passively, I had to take the initiative. After consulting with my allies, I decided to exploit the internal conflicts within the Queen's Alliance to further divide them. We discovered a rift between two of the Queen's Alliance's concubines, driven by a struggle for favor. So, we secretly sowed discord between them, causing their conflict to become public, sparking chaos within the Queen's Alliance.

In this fierce battle, traps and counter-traps are everywhere, and the situation is changing rapidly. My allies and I are on high alert day and night, constantly monitoring every move in the harem, not daring to slack off for even a moment.