The Little Palace Maid Overhears the Emperor's Thoughts and Rises to Empress

[Mind-reading + harem intrigue + goofy sweet romance + the emperor dotes only on his empress] Shen Qingyao transmigrated. The moment she opened her eyes, she was lying on the tyrant’s bed, her whole body aching as if she’d been crushed. While the emperor was still asleep, she scrambled back to the maids’ quarters. Only then did she learn from the original host’s memories that... She was the legitimate daughter of a censor, and the only reason she had entered the palace as a low-ranking attendant to the emperor was her bizarre father. In court, Censor Shen proposed, “The people lack workers to till the fields because the wealthy have too many servants! I ask Your Majesty to order the great households to reduce their staff!” The emperor retorted, “Your own household has more than thirty servants. Why not cut back first?” The emperor was so furious he could only laugh. He summoned Shen’s legitimate daughter to the palace, so she could teach her father what practicality meant. The emperor ordered a search for the person who had attended him the previous night. Someone tried to claim his favor falsely and ended up spilling blood right there in the great hall. Shen Qingyao immediately lowered her head. She couldn’t admit it. If she did, she might die even sooner! Then, by some strange chance, she heard the emperor’s thoughts. Faced with a three-thousand-word memorial full of nonsense, he looked impassive. [All that just to tell me the roof is leaking?] A concubine shyly offered him soup. He replied coolly, “My beloved consort is thoughtful.” [Soup again! Does the harem think I’m a water jar?] Someone slipped poison into the soup. [The powder hasn’t even dissolved. Is she poisoning it or drawing a border around the bowl? Does she think I’m blind?] From then on, Shen Qingyao relied on eavesdropping on his thoughts to interpret memorials and outwit the concubines, all while staying on guard in case her father presented another “brilliant idea.” Until one day, she started “having morning sickness,” and a palace maid accused her of having an affair with a guard. Shen Qingyao grabbed the emperor’s foot...