A Maid's Rise to Prominence

Xia Mian woke up one day to discover she had transmigrated to a dynasty she had never even heard of. Seriously? Other people transmigrated as beautiful young ladies, but she became a scrawny, skinny kitchen maid? How unfair! And to make matters worse, a scheming prince kept pushing her higher and higher.

Little Scene 1: Xia Mian was punished by being made to kneel in the garden, grumbling to herself. That damned King of Hell! It was bad enough that he toyed with her, but now his concubine was bullying her too.

“You’re just a lowly kitchen maid. You think making a few pastries will win the prince’s favor? Dream on. Have you even considered what you have to offer? Without someone to back you, you’re nothing but a weed in the prince’s manor, there for anyone to trample.”

“Who says she has no one to back her?” Zhao Yushen arrived just in time. One sharp glance from him made the woman who had been so brazen moments ago drop to her knees and beg forgiveness.

“You have potential. Start as my personal maid,” Zhao Yushen said, lifting Xia Mian’s chin.

Xia Mian knew that, in her underdeveloped state, she hardly qualified as having potential. But the King of Hell had spoken. How could she refuse?

Little Scene 2: Xia Mian felt like a donkey with a black veil over its eyes, following the regent as he dangled a carrot from a stick to lure her along.

“Have some ambition! Become my principal consort, and you’ll earn three times your current salary,” Zhao Yushen said in a low voice, with a hint of temptation that was hard to detect.

Xia Mian shot upright, eyes wide. She blinked a few times, then flopped back down.

Zhao Yushen glanced up at her. “Besides that, you can pick anything you want from my private treasury.”

Her flagging resolve came back to life. She gave him an ingratiating smile. “Then, then I’ll do my best to give it a try.”