From cute to empress

The Empress slowly entered, her bright yellow palace gown accentuating her elegance and grace, yet a gloomy expression lingered between her brows. She bowed slightly towards me, her tone tinged with chill, "Your Majesty, you're so powerful! Even Concubine Li fell into your hands."

I smiled faintly and replied calmly, "Your Majesty, you're joking. Concubine Li's misfortune is her own fault. What does it have to do with me?"

"Really?" The Queen laughed contemptuously. "I heard that the Imperial Concubine has been very close to the guard Zhen Youcai recently."

My heart skipped a beat. The Queen's words seemed casual, but they held hidden dangers. I said sternly, "Your Majesty, please be careful with your words. Guard Zhen and I are merely master and servant. Please don't believe any rumors."

The Queen didn't give up. She walked up to me and said in a low voice, "My Lady, the most taboo thing in the harem is forming cliques for personal gain. You'd better be on your own."

After saying this, the Queen left with her men. I knew this was just a warning to me, and she would use even more despicable means to deal with me next.

Sure enough, within a few days, rumors began to circulate in the palace that Zhen Youcai and I were having an affair. At first, they were just gossip, but gradually, the rumors grew more and more outrageous, with some even saying that I had used witchcraft to seduce the emperor in order to gain his favor.

I was furious, but there was nothing I could do. These rumors spread like a plague through the harem, and my situation became increasingly difficult.

"Your Majesty, don't worry. I will find out who is spreading the rumors behind this." Zhen Youcai was filled with indignation after learning about this.

I held him back and shook my head. "This matter is not that simple. Don't act rashly."

I know that the Queen must be behind this matter. If Zhen Youcai intervenes rashly, he will only get into trouble.

However, Zhen Youcai was determined to help me find out the truth. He secretly investigated and finally found the source of the rumor - a palace maid named Xiao Cui.

Xiao Cui is a maid in the Queen's palace. She accepted bribes from the Queen and deliberately spread rumors that Zhen Youcai and I had an affair.

I wanted to hand Xiao Cui over to the Emperor, but Zhen Youcai advised me not to alert the enemy. "Your Majesty, if the Empress dared to do this, she must have a backup plan. We can't act rashly now."

I nodded and decided to wait and see, waiting for the opportunity to deal a fatal blow to the queen.

However, I didn't expect that the queen was even more cruel than I imagined. Seeing that spreading rumors didn't achieve her goal, she came up with an even more vicious plan...

"Your Majesty, be careful!" Zhen Youcai's voice suddenly rang in my ears. Before I could react, he threw me to the ground.

I looked up in shock and saw a burning arrow nailed to the pillar behind me. A raging flame instantly shot up, illuminating half of the night sky.

"It's the Queen!" Zhen Youcai gritted his teeth and said, "She wants to burn you to death!"

Only then did I realize that the Queen was going to kill me to silence me! My eyes widened in horror, my heart pounding. Zhen Youcai pulled me up and led me out of the sea of ​​fire.

The fire spread quickly, and in the blink of an eye, the entire palace was transformed into a sea of ​​​​inferno. I looked at the scene in horror, tears streaming down my face. If Zhen Youcai hadn't arrived in time, I would have been buried in the flames.

"Don't be afraid, my queen, I'm here!" Zhen Youcai hugged me tightly, his voice was firm and powerful, which gave me great comfort.

The fire alarmed the entire palace, and the emperor rushed to the scene. Looking at the flames engulfing his chambers, his face livid, he roared, "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly! Who did this?"

Scholar Zhao and Instructor Sun launched an overnight investigation and uncovered several suspicious clues at the fire scene, pointing to the Empress. Zhao found a piece of burnt cloth, which he identified as tribute satin, a material unique to the Empress's palace. Instructor Sun, on the other hand, discovered that a large amount of kerosene had been spilled near the fire's origin, also pointing to the Empress's palace.

Zhao Xueshi and Sun Jiaotou exchanged a glance, each seeing shock and anger in the other's eyes. They had never imagined that the Queen could be so vicious that she would set fire to my bedroom in order to frame me!

"We must report this matter to the emperor!" said Master Zhao in a deep voice.

Instructor Sun nodded. "The Queen is so audacious! If she is not severely punished, I'm afraid there will be endless troubles!"

After discussing it, the two decided to go to the palace to see the emperor at night and make the queen's crimes public!

The palace was destroyed, so I temporarily moved to a side hall. The raging flames seemed to still dance before my eyes, and the queen's cruelty filled me with fear. During this period, I could hardly sleep at night, and Zhen Youcai stayed by my side, offering comfort and encouragement.

"Mengmeng, don't be afraid. Good will prevail over evil." He held my hand, his eyes firm, "The truth will surely come out."

I nodded and tried to force a smile. I knew I couldn't let fear get me down, because I still had a lot to do.

As expected, Zhao Xueshi and Sun Jiaotou went to the palace to see the emperor that night and reported their findings to him. The emperor was furious and immediately ordered the empress to be confined to her house and the matter to be thoroughly investigated.

I don't know the Emperor's final decision, but I do know that rumors began to spread throughout the palace. Some said the Empress was wrongly accused, while others said she deserved it. Panic reigned, and everyone was cautious, fearing they would be caught up in this turmoil.

Just then, Su Xiu Niang and Qian Leshi approached me. They said they wanted to organize a palace art performance for me. This would not only ease my anxiety, but also allow me to showcase my talent and kindness to the public and win their support.

I hesitated. After all, I was in the middle of a storm, and it wasn't appropriate for me to be in the spotlight. But Su Xiu Niang held my hand and said sincerely, "Your Majesty, you are kind-hearted and talented. We all believe in you. Let us help you with this performance!"

Looking at their determined eyes, I finally agreed.

On the evening of the performance, the entire palace was ablaze with lights and bustling with activity. Dressed in a simple, elegant palace dress, I slowly walked onto the stage. My presence instantly quieted the previously bustling hall. I took a deep breath and began to tell my story, describing how I had journeyed into this strange world, from a naive young girl to where I am today. My voice was sometimes gentle, sometimes passionate, a heartfelt expression of emotion that moved me deeply.

My story moved everyone present, and many of the palace maids even secretly wiped away tears. Finally, I told them how the queen had framed me, without exaggeration, simply stating the facts calmly.

After the performance, the entire hall was so silent that you could hear a pin drop. I knew that my story had been deeply engraved in their hearts.

The next day, I was summoned by the Emperor. In the hall, I met the Empress, who had also been summoned. Her face was haggard, but she couldn't hide the resentment in her eyes.

"Queen, do you have anything else to say?" The emperor sat on the dragon throne with a cold tone.

"Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have never done anything to let Your Majesty down!" The Queen knelt on the ground, crying.

I took a deep breath, walked forward, looked directly into the emperor's eyes, and slowly said, "Your Majesty, do you believe me?"

My gaze was clear and resolute, without a trace of evasion. The Emperor was silent for a moment, his eyes darting back and forth between the Empress and me, as if weighing something. Finally, he sighed deeply and spoke slowly, "The Empress is cruel and ruthless, sinister and vicious. Effective immediately, she is deposed and banished to the cold palace, where she will never rise again!"

The Emperor's voice echoed through the hall for a long time. The Empress collapsed to the ground, her face ashen. I felt a mixture of sympathy for the Empress and fear for my own future.

I know that even though the Queen has been deposed, I haven't truly won this palace battle. On the contrary, this is just the beginning. Undercurrents are still surging within the harem, and various forces are ready to make their move, waiting for new opportunities.

The emperor looked at me with a complicated expression, a hint of guilt and pity: "My beloved, you have suffered a lot these days. I will definitely compensate you well."

I bowed respectfully and humbly, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace. I only hope that the harem can be peaceful and tranquil, and that Your Majesty can focus on handling state affairs."

The emperor nodded, a flicker of appreciation in his eyes. I knew my answer satisfied him. I didn't take the opportunity to claim credit, nor did I show a thirst for power. Instead, I retreated to advance, demonstrating my sensible approach.

In the days that followed, I temporarily took over the management of the harem. I knew the weight of my responsibility was heavy, and I dared not slack off even a little. I set about restoring order within the harem, severely punishing those eunuchs and maids who committed crimes and promoting those who were diligent and kind. I treated everyone fairly and impartially, and gradually, the atmosphere within the harem began to improve, and the palace maids began to respect me even more.

However, I knew this was only a temporary solution. The root cause of the harem problem lay in flawed institutions, and if I wanted to change all of this, I had to implement more radical reforms.

"Zhen Youcai, tell me, if I want to change the rules of the harem so that the palace maids and eunuchs can live a better life, do you think it is possible?" I asked softly, looking at the bright moonlight outside the window.

Zhen Youcai stood behind me, silent for a moment, and said in a firm tone: "My queen, you are the most special person in this harem. I believe you can do it!"

His words, like a beacon in the darkness, illuminated my path forward. I know the road ahead is still long, but I am not alone, because I have Zhen Youcai and those who believe in me and support me.

I took a deep breath, my eyes gleaming with determination. I already had a preliminary plan in mind. This harem reform begins tomorrow!