My Best Friend Sent Me to the Laundry Bureau, Not Knowing I Was the Empress Dowager

I am the Empress Dowager, yet my own son, the Emperor, has confined me to my bedchamber.

I can only disguise myself as a palace maid and sneak out to have some fun. I even made a palace maid my best friend.

With my help, she smoothly rose to the rank of Noble Lady and became the Emperor's favorite, despite being secretly in love with my son.

But then she turned around and had me sent to the Laundry Bureau.

"You made it so easy for me to win His Majesty's favor, so you must be a real fox demon at seduction. I won't give you the chance to steal the Emperor from me!"

Not only did she make me wash the clothes of over a hundred people in the dead of winter, she also made me scrub the Emperor's chamber pot.

I told her I was the current Empress Dowager, but she slapped me in front of everyone.

"Stop dreaming and spouting nonsense to fool me! Get back to the laundry. If you slack off even a little, I'll have you beaten to death!"

My hands swelled and reddened, my whole body was covered in blood, and they stuffed me into a sack and beat me until I was barely recognizable.

Just as I had one breath left, a shrill announcement rang out:

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!"