From cute to empress

* **Cui'er replaced the real jewels with fake ones:** Cui'er could use her identity as a palace maid to secretly replace a fake piece of jewellery with Lady Wang's real jewels, and then deliberately lead me to touch the fake jewellery at the banquet, and loudly announce that I was the one who stole it.

* **Noble Lady Wang cried "Stop thief":** Noble Lady Wang could pretend to find that her jewelry was missing at the banquet, and then insist that I stole it and incite others to accuse me.

That night of the banquet was so thrilling that my heart is still pounding when I think about it now.

I will always remember the sumptuous meal that day, but I didn't touch a single bite. I felt the gazes around me were sharp, especially from Cui'er and Concubine Wang. They sat not far away, their faces adorned with ambiguous smiles that made me uneasy.

Suddenly, Concubine Wang exclaimed, "My jade bracelet is gone!"

Everyone was in an uproar, and my heart skipped a beat. I thought to myself: Oh no, something might happen again.

Lady Wang burst into tears and pointed at me, saying, "Just now I saw Miss Niu touch my bracelet, and then it disappeared. If it wasn't you who took it, who else could it be?!"

Everyone chimed in, the accusations were endless. I had no way of saying anything and could only watch them act out.

Just then, an elderly gentleman emerged from the crowd. I recognized him; it was the Imperial Physician Sun from the palace. He walked slowly up to Concubine Wang, pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, and said with a smile, "Concubine Wang, have you forgotten something?"

Everyone looked closely and saw that the handkerchief contained the jade bracelet they had "lost." Concubine Wang was speechless and her face turned extremely ugly.

Doctor Sun continued, "Just now I saw Lady Wang put the bracelet into her handkerchief. How come she has forgotten it now?"

Concubine Wang tried to argue, but Imperial Physician Sun had already turned and reported everything to the Emperor. Although the Emperor didn't pursue the matter, this farce completely humiliated me and made me realize that in this deep palace, kindness and innocence only made me a target.

I secretly clenched my fists and decided not to sit still and wait for death. I wanted to find out why Cui Er and Concubine Wang framed me like this, and I wanted to find out who was behind them and teach them a lesson!

Over the next few days, I began to pay attention to Cui'er and Lady Wang's every move. I discovered that they often gathered together secretly, always avoiding others, and were mysterious and secretive, with no idea what they were discussing.

Until one day, I overheard their conversation, and the content shocked me...

**(Leave this blank to pave the way for the next chapter)**

I hid behind the rockery, my heart pounding. Cui'er and Concubine Wang were secretly burning something! I bravely peeked out and saw a piece of letter faintly visible in the firelight. I held my breath and listened carefully to their conversation.

"This time it's all thanks to Eunuch Li, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get away so easily." Cui'er said in a low voice.

"Yeah, this Niu Mengmeng looks silly, but I didn't expect she's actually quite difficult to deal with." Concubine Wang snorted coldly, "However, as long as Eunuch Li is here, we'll be able to drive her out of the palace sooner or later!"

Eunuch Li? Isn't that the confidant of Prime Minister Li, the powerful minister outside the palace? Could it be that the person behind Cui'er and Noble Lady Wang is actually... I was instantly horrified. It turned out that this frame-up wasn't just a jealous feud between palace maids, but involved a more complex palace struggle!

I took a deep breath and told myself to stay calm. I secretly observed my surroundings, making sure no one else was around before tiptoeing away from the rockery. Back in my room, my mind was filled with Cui'er's conversation with Concubine Wang, and the burnt letter. I had a strong feeling it must contain some important secret!

I tossed and turned, unable to sleep, the contents of the letter constantly replaying in my mind. Suddenly, an idea struck me: I remembered that the Intelligent Magic Circle had once taught me a special potion that could restore burned paper!

I immediately took action, following the instructions of the magic circle, and prepared a restoration potion using various herbs. I carefully applied the potion to the ashes of the letter, and the charred paper miraculously returned to its original state!

I excitedly opened the letter, and the contents shocked me. It turned out that Cui'er and Concubine Wang had been colluding with Prime Minister Li. Not only had they accepted bribes, but they had also passed on information from the palace and even plotted to...

I gasped. This evidence was truly shocking! I realized the seriousness of the matter. This was no longer a simple frame-up; it concerned the safety of the Emperor and the fate of the entire country!

I didn't dare delay and immediately took the letter to the Emperor. After hearing my story, the Emperor's face turned pale and he immediately ordered a thorough investigation. Ultimately, Cui'er and Concubine Wang were found to have colluded with forces outside the palace, and with irrefutable evidence, they were sentenced to death.

The Emperor praised me highly, praising my loyalty, resourcefulness, and bravery. I breathed a sigh of relief; the crisis was finally averted.

However, I know in my heart that this is just the tip of the iceberg of palace struggle. Cui'er and Concubine Wang may have been brought to justice, but who can guarantee that there won't be another Cui'er or another Concubine Wang? In this deep palace, danger lurks everywhere. I must work harder to improve myself, to protect myself and the people I care about!

The Emperor's praise has helped me gain a foothold in the palace, but I know this is only the calm before the storm. Cui'er and Concubine Wang have been executed, but within the harem, people like them are like weeds, reborn in the spring breeze. I must be even more cautious to survive in this place where people are eaten without leaving any bones.

Look, trouble has come again.

That day, I was ordered to go to the clothing bureau to pick up the new clothes for the Empress. As soon as I stepped into the clothing bureau, a strong smell of powder hit my nose, mixed with the smell of various fabrics, which made me frown.

I followed the rules and explained my purpose to the aunt in charge of the clothing department. But she didn't even raise her eyelids and said impatiently, "Wait!"

I had no choice but to stand aside and wait patiently. This wait lasted a full hour. As the sun began to set, I grew increasingly anxious. I'd seen the Empress's temper before, and I couldn't afford to miss the appointment.

I mustered my courage, walked up to the aunt in charge, and whispered, "Aunt, are the Queen's clothes ready? It's getting late..."

Before I could finish my words, I was rudely interrupted by the aunt: "Why are you rushing me? Can't you see we're busy? The Empress's clothes are certainly important, but we can't delay the other Empresses' work!"

I was scolded by her and my eyes immediately turned red. I understand that the Shangyi Bureau has a lot of things to do, but you can't treat people differently like this.

At this moment, a sarcastic voice came from behind me: "Hey, isn't this Niu Cairen? How come you're putting on airs after only being a Cairen for a few days?"

I turned around and saw that the person who spoke was none other than the maidservant who had always opposed me, Cui'er's fellow villager, named Xi Que. She was looking at me with a mocking expression, her eyes full of malice.

My heart skipped a beat, knowing that today's matter might not be so easily resolved.