From cute to empress

Path to Promotion

"Noble Lady Wang, you may eat whatever you want, but you must not speak carelessly! I never poisoned you, so please stop slandering me!" My voice echoed in the empty palace, yet it seemed so powerless. The guards remained unmoved, their cold eyes glaring as if I were already an unforgivable sinner.

At this time, Nanny Li arrived with a group of people. Seeing the scene before her, she frowned and asked in a stern voice, "What's going on? Why is there such a commotion?"

When Concubine Wang saw Nanny Li, she felt like she had found her savior and cried out, "Nanny Li, you have to help me! Niu Mengmeng wants to harm me. She poisoned me!"

Nanny Li's sharp eyes swept over me, then looked at Concubine Wang and asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any evidence?"

Concubine Wang's eyes flickered, and she stammered, unable to speak. Seeing this, Nanny Li had a clue in her mind. She turned to look at Doctor Sun and asked, "Doctor Sun, what is Concubine Wang's illness?"

Imperial Physician Sun bowed and replied, "Reporting to Madam Li, I have treated Consort Wang for a long time and found no signs of poisoning, but..." He paused, glanced at Consort Wang, and continued, "Consort Wang was simply overwhelmed with emotion, and her qi and blood attacked her heart, which led to her fainting."

Nanny Li nodded, turned to look at me, a glimmer of approval in her eyes, and said, "Niu Mengmeng, you did a good job. You were not fooled by the illusion in front of you." My heart finally settled down. Fortunately, Nanny Li was very perceptive and did not wrongly accuse me.

When Concubine Wang saw her plot exposed, she panicked. She tried to argue, but was stopped by Nanny Li's gaze. Nanny Li said coldly, "Concubine Wang, you have disturbed the palace and framed a good person. Your crime is even greater. Someone, take her back to the cold palace. No one is allowed to visit her without the emperor's order!"

After Concubine Wang was dragged away, Nanny Li walked up to me, patted my shoulder, and said earnestly, "Mengmeng, you performed very well today. You were neither arrogant nor impatient, and you remained calm and collected. The Emperor saw it all. You did a great job."

I was flattered and quickly knelt down to express my gratitude.

The next day, an imperial edict arrived, promoting me to the position of Head Maid of the Imperial Clothing Bureau, responsible for overseeing the production of palace clothing. I was both excited and apprehensive, knowing that this presented both an opportunity and a challenge.

The Clothing Department was a place full of intrigue, and as a newcomer, I naturally faced a lot of ostracism. Cui'er, in particular, was a strong contender for the head maid position, but now I had stolen the spotlight, and she was naturally resentful.

"Hey, isn't this our new celebrity, Manager Niu? How come you have time to come to our little place?" Cui'er's sarcastic voice came from behind, her tone full of sarcasm.

I took a deep breath, turned to face Cui'er, and tried to maintain a calm tone: "Sister Cui'er, you're joking. I'm new here and there are still many things I don't understand. I was just about to ask you sisters for advice."

Cui'er snorted coldly, looking me up and down with disdain in her eyes. "You? A girl from a remote town, what do you know about court etiquette and clothing making? I think you should go home and embroider as soon as possible, and stop embarrassing yourself here."

The palace maids around me covered their mouths and laughed. I suppressed the anger in my heart, ignored Cui'er's provocation, and walked straight into the clothing department.

I began carefully reviewing the accounts and fabric inventories of the Imperial Clothing Bureau and discovered numerous issues. The palace allocated vast sums of silver and fine silk brocade annually for the production of clothing, but the accounts were riddled with holes, and the actual fabrics used didn't match the records. I had a vague feeling that something fishy was going on.

I decided to start by improving the utilization rate of fabric and reducing waste. I called together all the embroiderers in the Shangyi Bureau and explained my idea to them.

"My dear sisters, I've noticed that we have a lot of fabrics piled up in our warehouse. Some are outdated, and some are the wrong size, resulting in a lot of waste. I suggest that we redesign these fabrics and make them into some novel and practical items, such as purses, sachets, fan covers, etc. This will not only reduce waste but also increase income. What do you think?"

My proposal was supported by some embroiderers, but some also expressed opposition.

"Master Niu, your idea is good, but the rules in the palace are strict. How can we change the style of clothing at will? If we anger the emperor and the concubines, we can't afford it!" An elderly embroiderer said worriedly.

I understood their concerns and patiently explained, "Please rest assured, sisters. I'm not trying to change the rules of palace attire. I simply want to minimize waste and improve efficiency without violating the rules. I will first submit the designs to Matron Li for review, and only after receiving her approval will I begin production. I won't cause any trouble for you sisters."

After my persuasion, most of the embroiderers agreed to give it a try. I was filled with hope. I believed that as long as we worked together, we would be able to give the Shangyi Bureau a brand new look.

However, my reform plan was opposed by Eunuch Zhao, a favorite of the Emperor, who was in charge of all the affairs of the palace, even Madam Li had to give him some respect.

"Master Niu, your idea is too naive!" Eunuch Zhao shook his head and said slowly, "The rules of the palace cannot be easily changed. If you do this, you will disrupt the order of the court. The consequences will be unimaginable!"

My heart sank, knowing that Eunuch Zhao was a seasoned official in the palace. Since he was speaking out in opposition, my reform plan would probably be difficult to implement...

Eunuch Zhao's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the hope that had just ignited in my heart. I understand that palace rules are like heavenly laws, and changing them is difficult. But can we just allow these wasteful behaviors to continue? I felt a surge of resentment.

"Eunuch Zhao, I know my idea is a bit bold, but I'm doing this for the sake of the palace!" I tried to suppress my uneasiness and said sincerely, "The palace spends countless silver taels on clothing every year. If we can make full use of this wasted fabric, it will not only save money but also increase the palace's income. Why not do it?"

Eunuch Zhao glanced at me and sneered, "Master Niu, you are still too young and don't understand the rules of the palace. These matters are decided by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. It is not your turn as a mere master to worry about them."

I knew that Eunuch Zhao was deliberately trying to embarrass me, but he was a favorite of the Emperor after all, and I didn't dare offend him. Just when I felt caught between a rock and a hard place, Nanny Li stepped forward.

"Eunuch Zhao, Head Clerk Niu is new here and doesn't understand many things. Please don't make things difficult for her," Nanny Li said calmly. "While Head Clerk Niu's idea is a bit bold, it's not completely unfeasible. How about this? I'll take her to see the Queen Mother first. If she agrees, what do you think?"

Seeing Nanny Li speak, Eunuch Zhao couldn't say anything else and could only nod. A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in my heart, and I quickly cast a grateful look at Nanny Li.

With the help of Aunt Li, I successfully met the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother was a kind-looking old woman who listened carefully to my reform proposal and expressed her appreciation for me.

"Master Niu, your idea is excellent. I've always felt that the palace's expenses are too high and should be rectified." The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Just go for it. I support you."

With the Empress Dowager's support, my reform plan was finally implemented smoothly. I redesigned the accumulated fabric in the warehouse into a variety of exquisite purses, sachets, fan covers, and other items, and held a charity sale in the palace. These novel and practical items were immediately popular with the palace maids and concubines, and quickly sold out, earning the palace a considerable income.

My reforms also earned the respect and trust of the palace maids. They began to actively cooperate with my work, and the efficiency of the Shangyi Bureau was greatly improved. Seeing the once lifeless Shangyi Bureau transformed through my efforts, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

However, my reforms also caused dissatisfaction among some concubines. They felt that I was turning the fine fabrics that originally belonged to them into cheap goods for sale, affecting their interests. I knew that I had touched their interests, and the road ahead would be even more difficult...