A Palace Maid's Guide to Rising Through the Ranks

In the sixth year of Jianheng, the emperor held a selection of consorts. The only daughter of the Jiang family was made a Cai Ren and chosen to enter the palace.

On the night before Ning Se accompanied her young mistress to the palace, she unexpectedly learned the truth about her own background.

She looked toward the servants' quarters, at the coarse hemp clothes she wore, and smiled as she agreed to her mistress's offer to take her to the palace. But the moment she turned away, her smile faded.

The palace was a place of schemes and hidden traps. Jiang Cai Ren was naive and completely unguarded, and she nearly lost her life there several times. After receiving a secret letter from her family, Jiang Cai Ren had no choice but to support Ning Se and put her to work for the clan.

The flames devoured the letter and illuminated Ning Se's face. Worry showed on her features, but no one could have guessed that Jiang Cai Ren had reached this point entirely because of her.

From that day on, Ning Se danced in the peach grove every day.

As her silken clothes fell away, the emperor stood not far off. Ning Se pretended to be afraid, but when the emperor reached out his large hand, she took it without hesitation.

That night, as the emperor carried Ning Se into his bedchamber, tears rolled down her cheeks. At that moment, Pei Zhanshi felt inexplicably complete.

Even later, when Pei Zhanshi learned that everything had been staged for him to see,

he understood, too, what Ning Se had done by using his power.

But what did it matter? All he had ever wanted was her.

And she could only remain by his side.

Everyone in the palace said Jiang Cai Ren was foolish to keep a sycophantic woman like Ning Se by her side.

But while they were still mocking Ning Se, she had already climbed to the highest position. She was just one step away from becoming empress.

Theme: Even amid hidden dangers, one can still fight one's way upward