The Second World in Ancient Times

Chapter 69: Fight Again, Never Back Down

The morning mist, still lingering, gently enveloped the towering palace, lending it an air of mystery. In my own palace, I meticulously reviewed the list of items for the sacrificial ceremony, daring not to overlook a single detail, for this ceremony held such profound significance for the palace. Every stroke on that list seemed to carry the palace's reputation and the expectations of its citizens. I knew full well that even the slightest misstep could ignite a major uproar.

Wanqing was standing nearby, helping me sort through the various silk fabrics for the sacrificial offerings. Her brow furrowed slightly, as if she too was feeling the immense pressure of the preparations. "Your Majesty, the preparations for this sacrifice are truly complex. You must take care of yourself and not overwork yourself," Wanqing said with concern.

I raised my head slightly, rubbed my sore eyes, and responded, "This sacrifice concerns the reputation of the imperial court and the blessing of the nation, so we cannot afford to be careless. I just hope everything goes smoothly and nothing goes wrong."

However, things didn't go as planned, and trouble soon struck. Cui'er, the young palace maid in charge of the sacrificial supply warehouse, rushed in in a panic, her face flushed, her forehead covered in sweat, and tears of fear gleaming in her eyes. "Your Majesty, this is terrible! Something terrible has happened in the sacrificial supply warehouse! Many sacrificial utensils and silks have been destroyed. What should we do?"

My heart tightened, and I immediately put down the list in my hand and stood up: "Cui'er, don't worry, take me to see it first."

When I arrived at the warehouse, the sight before me took my breath away. Exquisite sacrificial vessels lay toppled, some shattered. Once magnificent silks were shredded and scattered across the floor. The bronze vessels, once symbols of solemnity and sacredness, were now battered and dented, a silent testament to their tragic fate. The silks, exquisitely embroidered and painstakingly crafted, lay scattered across the floor, their vibrant colors dulled and tarnished, as if battered by the flames of war. I crouched down to examine the damaged items, wondering who could have dared such audacity.

At this time, Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen came over in a grand procession, accompanied by a group of palace maids and eunuchs. Concubine Hui had a smug smile on her face, but her eyes were filled with sinister cunning. "Hey, isn't this Concubine Yu? How did the sacrificial supplies become like this? You are in charge of preparing this sacrifice. If the Empress and the King knew about this, it would be a disaster."

I stood up and looked at them coldly, "Sister Huifei, this warehouse has always been guarded. How come it's like this the moment I arrived? Sister, you rushed here in such a hurry, do you know something?"

Concubine Hui's expression changed slightly, but she quickly regained her smug expression. "What do you mean, sister? Are you suspecting me? I just heard something happened here, so I came to check it out out of kindness. I don't want to be wronged by you like this."

Concubine Zhen echoed from the side, "That's right, Sister Yu, you can't bite people carelessly. This sacrificial ceremony is so important, and you messed it up like this. You should think carefully about how to explain it to the Empress."

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. I knew that it was pointless to argue with them at this moment. The most urgent thing was to solve the problem. But since they were so aggressive, I would not sit still and wait for death. I raised my chin slightly, with a domineering look in my eyes: "Two sisters, don't pretend to be nice here. If I find out that you are the ones who did such a despicable thing, I will not let you off easily. Although I, Concubine Yu, don't want to make enemies, I am definitely not a soft persimmon that can be bullied. There is justice in this palace, just wait and see. Don't think that your conspiracy can succeed for long. I will make your evil deeds known to the world and let everyone see your ugly faces. You are so arrogant today, and you will be punished one day. I will make you pay a painful and unforgettable price for your actions!"

I turned to Cui'er and Wanqing and said, "Cui'er, go gather all the capable palace maids and eunuchs in our palace and have them come and help. Wanqing, come with me to the storehouse to see what materials are available. We'll remake the utensils and decorations needed for the sacrifice."

After arranging everyone, I calmed down and, drawing on the handicraft knowledge and organizational skills I'd acquired in my modern life, quickly formulated a new preparatory plan. Under my direction, the palace maids and eunuchs bustled about methodically. Some were cutting silk, their scissors weaving through the fabric like nimble dancers, cutting each piece into the perfect shape. Others were mending tools, their hammers tapping gently, creating a rhythmic sound like a war song for the upcoming sacrifice. Despite the tight deadline, everyone was working with great enthusiasm.

While I was busy, I secretly instructed Cui'er to investigate the truth behind the destruction of the sacrificial supplies. Cui'er was quick-witted and soon returned to report, "Your Majesty, I've found out. Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen bribed the eunuch guarding the warehouse to sneak in at night when no one was around and destroy the sacrificial supplies. I've already found the eunuch, and he's confessed everything, fearing punishment."

Anger flashed in my eyes. "How dare Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen be so treacherous and cunning! Cui'er, take that little eunuch with me to see the Empress. I'm going to make them pay for what they've done."

Arriving at the Queen's palace, I bowed respectfully and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."

The Queen sat on the Phoenix Throne, her eyes stern, "Concubine Yu, what's the matter?"

I told the Empress everything about the destruction of sacrificial supplies and the conspiracy of Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen. "Your Majesty, this sacrifice is a matter of great importance to the nation. Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen have gone so far as to destroy the sacrificial supplies in order to frame me. This is truly a heinous crime. If they are not severely punished, I am afraid it will be difficult to convince the public, and it will also affect the sanctity of the palace sacrifice. These two are so audacious and presumptuous, they simply disregard palace rules. If they are not severely punished, the harem will surely be in turmoil. I hope that Your Majesty will be discerning and uphold justice."

After hearing this, the Queen's face darkened. "How could this really happen? They are so bold."

Afterwards, the Empress sent for Consort Hui and Consort Zhen. As soon as they entered the palace and saw me and the young eunuch, they understood something and turned pale.

Concubine Hui pretended to be calm and said, "Your Majesty, there must be a misunderstanding. It was Concubine Yu who framed us."

I stepped forward and produced the young eunuch's confession. "Sister Huifei, this is the confession of the young eunuch who guarded the warehouse. He has clearly explained how you bribed him and destroyed the sacrificial supplies. Do you still want to quibble?"

Concubine Hui took the confession, took a look at it, her hands began to tremble slightly, and her eyes were full of despair.

The Queen glared at Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen: "As concubines in the harem, you do not think about praying for the palace, but you use all means to win favor and destroy sacrificial supplies. It is simply disgraceful. I have decided to punish Concubine Hui by confining her to her palace for half a year. During this six months, you can only stay in your palace and cannot take a single step out. You must chant scriptures and pray for blessings in the Buddhist temple every day and confess your sins. I will also cut your monthly allowance to only 30% of the previous amount, so that you can experience the hardships of life and pay the price for your actions. Not only that, everything in your palace will be confined to your palace. All luxurious decorations will be confiscated, leaving only the most basic necessities of life, allowing you to reflect on your mistakes in the cold and solitude. Demoted to the rank of Concubine Zhen, not only will you be moved from your original palace to a remote and cramped location, but you will also be required to copy the palace rules a hundred times, meticulously writing every stroke. If there is even the slightest mistake, you will be rewritten until I am satisfied. During this period of copying, you will only be fed simple meals and will not receive any special treatment. This is the result of your vain attempt to disrupt the sacrifice. I will not tolerate such sinister individuals in my harem."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen collapsed to the ground, crying and begging for mercy. Concubine Hui crawled to the Empress's feet, sobbing uncontrollably: "Empress, I know I was wrong. Please have mercy on me. I was just confused for a moment, and jealousy got the better of me. Please give me another chance." Concubine Zhen also kowtowed and said: "Empress, I will never do it again. Please be lenient."

But the Queen remained unmoved. She looked coldly at the two men lying on the ground, "You have committed such a grave sin, and yet you still dare to beg for mercy? If I forgive you so easily today, won't the harem be in chaos in the future? As the mistress of the harem, I must uphold the rules and order of the palace. Drag you away."

The guards came forward, carried Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen, and led them out of the palace. Concubine Hui was still struggling, shouting for mercy, while Concubine Zhen was already pale with fear and her eyes were dull.

After this incident, everyone in the harem looked at me with even greater respect. The maids and eunuchs all praised my composure and wisdom, and the other concubines no longer dared to cross me.

Wanqing smiled and said to me, "Your Majesty, this time you have successfully resolved the crisis and made Concubine Hui and Concubine Zhen receive the punishment they deserve. This is truly gratifying."

I sighed softly, "Wanqing, the struggle in the harem will never stop. Although we won this time, we must be more cautious in the future and not slack off in the slightest."

In this harem full of conspiracies and intrigues, I relied on my own strength and wisdom to gain a firm foothold in the struggles time and time again, continued to move forward towards the unknown palace life, guarded the friendship between myself and the king, and worked hard to write my own legend in this palace.