From cute to empress

As soon as Xi Que finished speaking, the maids around her covered their mouths and laughed secretly. I felt a burning sensation on my face, as if I had been slapped. I knew that they were laughing at me and wanted to see me make a fool of myself.

I took a deep breath, suppressed the anger in my heart, and told myself that I couldn't stand up to them. I was about to explain when suddenly, a majestic voice rang out: "What's going on?"

I looked up and saw a woman in rich clothes and graceful manner walking in. It was the mother of the current emperor, the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager walked in with a group of palace maids and eunuchs behind her. The entire clothing department suddenly fell silent and everyone knelt down to pay their respects.

"Your servant pays homage to the Empress Dowager. May the Empress Dowager live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years!"

The Queen Mother ignored everyone and walked straight to me. Her eyes fell on the clothes in my hands and said, "Is this the Queen's new dress?"

I quickly knelt down and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, that's right."

The Queen Mother picked up the dress and examined it carefully, frowning slightly. "The style of this dress is too old-fashioned, and the color isn't bright enough. The Queen is in her prime, and she should wear something more befitting of her status."

I was moved. The Empress Dowager was right. The Empress was young and beautiful, and she should wear clothes that could better show her elegance.

I raised my head and mustered my courage to speak: "Your Majesty the Queen Mother is right. I do have an idea, but I wonder if I should share it with you."

The Empress Dowager looked at me with great interest: "Oh? Tell me about it."

With the Empress Dowager's permission, I presented my idea. I've loved sewing since childhood and have a knack for fashion design. Combining modern aesthetics with court etiquette, I designed a new style of court attire that's both elegant and fashionable.

After hearing my description, the Empress Dowager's eyes lit up: "Yes, your idea is very innovative. Let's do as you say."

I was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to express my gratitude: "Thank you, Queen Mother, for your grace!"

In this way, through my talent and hard work, I established myself in the Imperial Clothing Bureau. The new clothing I designed was a favorite of the Empress and the concubines, and even the Emperor praised me highly. My reputation gradually spread throughout the palace.

Meanwhile, Zhen Youcai also distinguished himself among the palace guards. With his exceptional martial arts skills and swift reflexes, he repeatedly and brilliantly completed the tasks assigned by the emperor. The emperor, deeply impressed by him, promoted him to captain of the guards, responsible for the emperor's safety.

One day, I was ordered to go to the Imperial Garden to pick fresh flower petals for the Empress Dowager to make sachets. As I was carefully picking the petals, I suddenly heard a commotion not far away.

I looked up curiously and saw a group of guards accompanying a man in a bright yellow dragon robe walking towards me. The man was dignified and majestic, and it was the current emperor.

I quickly knelt and saluted, my heart pounding. This was the first time I had seen the Emperor so closely, and I couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

The Emperor seemed to notice me, stopped, and fixed his gaze on me. My breath suddenly stopped, my heartbeat quickened, and a strange feeling washed over me...

The emperor's gaze was sharp and penetrating, as if it could see through everything. I felt my cheeks heat up slightly, and quickly lowered my head, avoiding his gaze.

"What's your name?" The emperor's gentle voice sounded, like a spring breeze blowing past the ears, but with a hint of unquestionable majesty.

"Your Majesty, I am Niu Mengmeng." I lowered my head and answered respectfully, my voice trembling slightly.

"Niu Mengmeng..." The emperor repeated my name softly, as if he was thinking about something.

At this moment, Zhen Youcai came over and saluted the emperor: "Your Majesty."

"Get up." The emperor nodded slightly, his eyes falling on Zhen Youcai, with a hint of admiration, "Guard Zhen, your martial arts have improved again."

"Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty." Zhen Youcai replied modestly.

My heart was pounding. I secretly glanced up at Zhen Youcai, and my gaze met his. His eyes were still warm and resolute, as if telling me not to be afraid. My heart instantly settled, but I couldn't help but feel a hint of sweet bitterness.

"Do you know each other?" The emperor seemed to have noticed the subtle atmosphere between us, and there was a hint of amusement in his tone.

My heart tightened, and I quickly lowered my head, not daring to speak. Zhen Youcai replied calmly, "Your Majesty, Miss Niu and I have met several times in the Imperial Garden."

"Oh?" The emperor smiled meaningfully, did not ask any further questions, but turned around and continued walking forward.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but I felt that the emperor's gaze seemed to be always on us, and I couldn't help feeling a little uneasy.

In the days that followed, I became increasingly cautious, fearing I might make a mistake and bring trouble to Zhen Youcai. Zhen Youcai, in turn, seemed to keep his distance from me, with only the occasional glances between us conveying silent longing and worry.

I knew that within the strict hierarchy of the imperial palace, a relationship between Zhen Youcai and me was impossible. We were like two parallel lines, never to intersect. But I couldn't control my emotions. Every time I saw his heroic figure, my heart would beat uncontrollably.

This torment lasted until a month later, when the Emperor suddenly issued an order for Zhen Youcai and I to jointly investigate a palace secret...

One morning a month later, I was practicing embroidery in the courtyard when I heard hurried footsteps. Looking up, I saw Eunuch Li, the emperor's attendant. He was holding a bright yellow scroll and looking hurried.

"Miss Niu, the emperor has summoned you, please come with us." Eunuch Li's voice was sharp and rapid, revealing a hint of unquestionable majesty.

My heart tightened, and I quickly put down the embroidery needle in my hand and followed Eunuch Li to the imperial study.

The Emperor sat at his desk, his brow furrowed, as if he had encountered some difficulty. Seeing me approach, he looked up at me, then at Zhen Youcai, who had followed him, and slowly spoke, "I have recently received a secret report that a spy has infiltrated the palace, intent on stealing state secrets. This matter is of grave importance, and I order the two of you to thoroughly investigate it and bring the spy to justice."

My heart sank. This was a hot potato! Although I'd traveled through time, I knew nothing about the court struggles of this era, let alone investigating a case. I stole a glance at Zhen Youcai and saw that he, too, had a serious expression, clearly aware of the thorny nature of the situation.

"Your servants obey your command!" We obeyed the order in unison, but our hearts were filled with anxiety.

For the next few days, Zhen Youcai and I worked tirelessly, reviewing files and interviewing palace servants, trying to uncover any clues. Although I knew nothing about solving cases, I was at the forefront of my observational skills. Zhen Youcai, on the other hand, was experienced and skilled, able to spot flaws even in the smallest details.

The two of us, one in charge of the interior and the other of the exterior, worked in perfect harmony and quickly uncovered some crucial clues. After a thorough analysis, we finally identified the suspect—a young eunuch from the imperial kitchen.

Faced with the evidence, the young eunuch confessed his crime. It turned out that he was a spy sent by a neighboring country, lurking in the palace for many years, waiting for an opportunity to steal intelligence.

The case was successfully solved, and the emperor was delighted and praised the performance of Zhen Youcai and me. He not only rewarded us generously with gold, silver, and jewelry, but also summoned us to ask what reward we would like.

"You two have made great contributions this time. If you want any reward, just tell me and I will agree to it." The emperor said in a gentle tone while sitting on the dragon throne.

I glanced at Zhen Youcai furtively. He shook his head slightly, motioning for me to speak first. I took a deep breath, mustered my courage, and said, "Your Majesty, I want nothing but to remain in the palace and serve you."

The Emperor seemed a little surprised by my answer. He looked at me with interest and asked, "Oh? You don't want gold, silver, jewelry, or wealth, you just want to stay in the palace? Do you know what staying in the palace means?"

I answered without hesitation: "I know that staying in the palace means giving up my freedom and serving the emperor for life. But I am not afraid. I am willing to give everything for the emperor."

Although my voice was not loud, it was full of determination and sincerity, and echoed in the empty imperial study for a long time.

The Emperor seemed touched by my determination. He pondered for a moment, a glint of admiration in his eyes. "Very well, I am very pleased that you have such a heart. In that case, you will stay by my side and serve as a court lady."

I was flattered and knelt down to express my gratitude, my heart filled with emotion. I had only been looking for an excuse to stay in the palace, but I hadn't expected the Emperor to actually make me a lady-in-waiting, a position many maids dream of.

"Zhen Youcai, what reward do you want?" The emperor looked at Zhen Youcai again with a hint of praise in his tone.

"Your Majesty, I only want to continue to protect you and safeguard the safety of the palace." Zhen Youcai knelt on one knee, his voice loud and powerful.

"Okay, I trust you." The emperor nodded with satisfaction. "From today on, you will be promoted to the commander of the imperial guards, responsible for the security of the palace."

"Your humble servant thanks the Lord for his grace!" Zhen Youcai kowtowed again to express his gratitude, his face full of excitement.

I know Zhen Youcai has always dreamed of becoming a general and defending his country. Although he is now only the commander of the imperial guards, he is one step closer to his dream.

After leaving the Imperial Study, Zhen Youcai and I walked side by side in the Imperial Garden, our hearts filled with joy and anticipation. I knew this was just the beginning of our long journey in the palace, and we had to continue working hard to realize our dreams.

"Mengmeng, do you really want to stay with the emperor as a female official?" Zhen Youcai suddenly stopped and turned to look at me with a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" I looked at him in confusion.

"The people in the palace are treacherous. You are a girl, and I'm afraid you will suffer." Zhen Youcai's tone was full of concern.

My heart warmed, and I smiled and said, "I know you're worried about me, but don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. Besides, I still have you, right? You'll protect me, right?"

Zhen Youcai looked at me with a complicated expression, hesitant to speak. Finally, he just nodded gently and said, "Of course, I will always protect you."

I know Zhen Youcai had a lot to say, but he ultimately chose to remain silent. I understand his feelings and know he was worried about me.

"By the way, the emperor said he would hold a banquet to celebrate for us tomorrow night." I changed the subject, not wanting to make the atmosphere too heavy.

"Palace banquet?" Zhen Youcai frowned slightly. "I heard that palace banquets have many rules and regulations. If you are not careful, you will offend the powerful."

"It's okay, I'm here, I will remind you." I patted his shoulder and said with a smile.

I know that while Zhen Youcai is a skilled martial artist, he lacks social skills. But that's okay, I'll help him. I believe that as long as we work together, we can overcome all difficulties.

As night fell, the palace was ablaze with lights, a festive atmosphere abounding. Zhen Youcai and I changed into our gorgeous court attire and prepared to head to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where the banquet would take place.

My heart was pounding, a mixture of excitement and nervousness. I knew this banquet would be a huge challenge for both Zhen Youcai and me...