A Qing-Era Journey: I Refuse to Be Anyone's Doormat

What happens when an ordinary person with no golden finger transmigrates into the Qing dynasty as a low-ranking palace consort?

Settle down as the old emperor's concubine? Fight with his other concubines for his favor, all for a brazier full of charcoal and a filling meal?

Of course, that's one option.

But even an ordinary person has the right to live with dignity.

P.S. I once read a Qing-dynasty transmigration novel where the heroine had the power to turn invisible. I left a comment saying, "If she can turn invisible, wouldn't it be great to steal some money and escape the palace?" (That was just one comment. I didn't even give it a bad rating. I'm not lying, swear on a pig.)

Then I got flamed...

Ever since, I've wanted to write something like this. A short story, finished in one chapter.

The heroine has no golden finger, only a heart determined never to live like a dog.

Theme: How can a person crawl out through a dog door?