1 Chapter 1

Inside a large, luxurious room lies a girl on a bed surrounded with pillows and blankets. As a soft moan breaks her lips, and a maid walk over carrying a bowl of warm water.

"Good morning, Your highness." The servent turned around and make eye contact with the other maids in the room and they understand right away and left. No one want to be on the wrong side, should the princess be in a bad mode.

The maid set down the bowl and dip a small towel in the warm water and wash the girls face and hands. The girl on the bed moved in discomfort, but the persistent maid follow her movement to finnish. After all, every maid in the household knew she liked waking up this way.

"Your highness, Her Majesty the empress has sent word here. " The maid tries her best waking the spoiled princess up before they got into more trouble.

"What are you talking about? empress? hmm" Wang Ning spoke slowly and drowsy trying to understand. What empress? Wait, who is talking to me?

Wang Ning's eyes jumped up while looking around in astonishment. Where is this? Why is everything ancient looking? Wasn't she dead?

Her eyes connect to the servent and as fast as lightning, memories not belonging to her came streaming down at her in waves. Her eyes blink in confusion, what is this?

As more and more images appear, things become very clear. She died in a car accident and this was not her body.

Images of a beautiful girl living in a palace, being slandered and poisoned several times while the girl in question have no idea

So in other words, I have recarnated into a princess? A very spoiled and silly princess that was actually looked down on. Her name was the same as mine, Ning. She was spoiled by her father, the emperor and her stepmother the empress, but for two different reasons. The emperor loved Ning, since she was the only child left from the the former empress, but the current one secretly hated Ning for taking up her husband's love. No she wanted him to love their children the most, so she spoiled the naive and silly princess, making it seem she was stupid and hateful. Raising her to believe it was alright to suppress anyone, to speak her mind openly.

Wang Ning breathes heavily, trying to come to turn with this crazy scenario, but the maid is hurrying her to get ready. Left with no other choice, she starts getting ready, but when the maid bring over the most unattractive dress she seen, her brows furrow.

Wang Ning walk over the the closet and look true her dresses, but is disappointed when she sees they all are ugly. The coulors were bland and almost brown, the texture was obviously not for the royal family and the pattern where crude and didn't mix well. She tried to find a reason for it true her new memories and was surprised they been given to her from the empress.

'Since I've taken over this body I need to change my image. '

"Your Highness seem to gotten over the fever, His Majesty the the emperor and the empress have visited while her highness was sleeping. "

The maid speaks loosely about what has happened while I've been sick, but for me to be recarnated into this body, the original host must have died. Died from a fever? that doesn't make sense, it seems there is more behind this.

As the maid is brushes my hair I go true my new memories. This body has to many enemies and now this problem has been put on me. Ok, maybe I shouldn't be ungrateful, after all, I have a new chance to live.

Nevertheless I need to deal with this empress first, then fix these clothes.

"Your highness, this way please." The maid Infront of me is guiding me towards The Palace Of Earthly Tranquility, where the empress home is. Other then this palace, nothing else seemed to fit the Chinese history, so Wang Ning came to the conclusion that this was not an actual history. It wasn't until she saw the empresses home that something clicked.

She was in a novel!

"Schemes of an empress"

Wang Ning wanted to faceslap herself. Of all the novels in the world, she was in a power hungry empress novel and of all the characters, she was the princess that dies on the 20th chapter.

'So my fever was actually not a fever, but a strong and dangerous poison sent by the evil empress.'

Wang Ning thoughts was all over the place, trying to remember the scenes in the book about princess Ning. The empress would try and poisen her many times, but failed until chapter 20. In between the princess would create lots of problems and end up angering the emperor. The emperor would again marry her off to an old prince from another country, but before she left she was killed by a new and even more deadly poison.

Wang Ning felt she had much work ahead of her and felt a little tired. It wasn't that she couldn't scheme, it just felt disgusting to trick and scheme people. In her precious life she was a straight shooter, never lied or schemed, but now it was apparently a must just to survive.

"The first princess is here, your Majesty". A servent spoke softly as I walked inside.

"First princess greet royal mother" Wang Ning spoke gently and with elegance. When the empress saw how well Wang Ning behaved, her eyebrows lifted in suprise, but her tight lips gave away her actual feelings. Wang Ning saw and smiled innocently, hiding her coldness.

The empress was around 30 years old, but her beauty was still unparalleled, with long black hair coupled with sweat features. Her dress was gorgeous, showing off her great figure and expensive accessories. She was beautiful, but her eyes gave her away, showing her brutal behavior hiding behind the sweet smile.

"Ningning, why are you so polite with me? I'm your mother, no need to kowtow. Come sit." The empress smiled as she reprimanded her and if no one knew they would think they were very close.

Her every move was imprinted with grace and elegance, witch gave Wang Ning an idea. "I'm just copy my mother's behavior, everyone speak of your elegance, I wanted to try it out to."

Let's see how you will fix that.

The empress coughed awkwardly and then gave a weak smile. "Oh, how sweet you are." Wang Ning could see the barely restraint anger behind her eyes and smiled sweetly.

"Have some tea with me and tell me what the doctor said about your fever." Wang Ning lifted the beautiful cup and took a sip as she remembered what the doctor said.

"He said I have been wet and this caused me to get a fever. He said I couldn't be outside when it rained from now on and should eat more healthy food." Wang Ning reply was short and to the point. She knew what the empress was after and that was to fish for information to see if the doctor the king sent had noticed the poisen. Having read this book, she knew what was on her mind and tried to behave as normal as possible.

"That's good, let's talk about the gift your father wanted to give you, have you accepted it?" The empresses face scrunch up in displeasure, an obvious hint that she should turn it down.

Wang Ning tried to remember, but couldn't. Must been a small entry that the host turned down, seeing the empress interest in it, it must be something she wants. Seems like I need to accept it, since she want me not to.

"Yes mother, I will be good and accept it." Wang Ning bent her head and took another sip as if she didn't see the empress anger. This was a trick that woman would do whenever she wanted the host to follow her demand without saying anything and the host wanted nothing but to please her new mother.

The empress tighten her fingers into a fist, but her face smiled as if she was happy with Wang Ning's decision. The book showed this empress deep hidden ambitions and how she slowly started controlling the ministers and army, ending in killing the princess and the emperor. She opened a brothel and used the girls to find information about the different ministers to blackmail. She then gathered enough money and men to create an army, waging war from her own living room. The empresses won in the end, becoming the ruling monarch. While the emperor was put in jail, where she visited often, torturing him until his death.

~

As Wang Ning walk out of The Palace Of Earthly Tranquility, she feels very hungry. Should be several days since she eaten properly, but no one can let the empress wait so she had no choice in coming here first. While she is sitting in her palanquin thinking of this gift the emperor wanted to give her.

Maybe I should go get it now, according the host memories, he should be done with court by now. No she is far to hungry for that.

While the servants carry her on the palanquin, she sits elegant with an umbrella sheelding her from the sun. Walking beside her is several maids. Up ahead she can see several servants and guards in a argument. As she gets closer she can hear what the fight is about. An older woman holding clothes argues with her boss, apparently about the right to eat after working 15 hours. The woman is wearing wrinkled clothes, and one can see right away she has been working long hours. Her skin is dark from being in the sun and there are dark circles under her eyes.

"No, we need to eat. This can't go on anymore!" The woman yell. The boss is angry and is about to wip her when Wang Ning lift her hand and the palanquin stop while her maid speak loudly, interrupting the bunch.

"Are you all blind? No one knows how to greet the first princess?"

The man stop with his hand high, turning around they all kowtow. I look around and see the servants are really thin as well, this can not go on, so I look at the man while he has his back bent. It feels weird being treated like this so I speak.

"Rise"

Everyone does, but no one dare look me in the eye. I guess it has a lot to do with my former host behavior. Oh well, I guess I can't hide from it.

"Tell me, why have they not yet eaten and why are they working so long hours?" Her voice is gentle but her eyes are sharp, demanding an answer.

The man bows again, but having trouble finding his words.

"Addressing first princess, there was a problem with today's shift and we needed the workers longer."

The man is sweating so much it drips down on the grown. I look at the woman and ask;

"Is what he say true?"

My calm behavior making the woman feel hope and so she bends her knees and speak

" No, today's shift was given free from work, it his orders. Because he like one woman in the other shift, we have to work dobble shift."

I smile turning slowly towards my maid.

" Demote him".

The man cow tow begging for mercy, but after he admits she was telling the truth, I'm not interested in his nonsense anymore.

I look at the woman while my maid run towards the man's boss. "What's your name, age, occupation and how long have you worked here?"

The woman bend her knees as she speak

"Addressing first princess, This servents name is Gu Yu, This servents is 34 years old, work as a seamstress and have worked here for 2 years."

I find I like her behavior very much, even though she is a straight shooter, she doesn't appear to be stupid.

She might be very useful to me, so I decide to keep her. As I'm about to speak, I see my maid and a man rushes over in my periapical view. He greets me, but I keep Gu Yu's eye contact.

" Ok Gu Yu, you now work for me" I turn and look at the man's boss and say "And this man is demoted for using his status unlawfully. Also remember to feed the servants." I'm guessing my maid have filled him in because he simply bow and grab the man while I lift my hand and we continue walking.

After finally getting home in my own house I order the maids to make food and ask my maid to show Gu Yu where she will be sleeping and to give her food and a new identify taffle.

Inside I sit at my desk drawing clothes I want to wear. simple three colour skirts, shirts and long straight jackets. I design the patterns and what texture I want.

Eating while I draw, the time fly easily and before I know it Gu Yu come forward. We speak about her abilities and what I am looking for in a maid. I'm quite lucky with her, because she actually worked at the sewing department. So I gave her the job to pick up the fabric and make them after my drawings and measurements.

The day slowly walk by and after dinner I decide to take a trip out.

Walking around this beautiful palace brings me in a good mood. I sometimes pass other people, but even the concubines dare not even look at me and that's just perfectly fine. I like solitude, love it actually and have always done so. In my previous life I was still in college, only 19 years old when I died in a car accident. Nevertheless I was always alone after my parents died and I slowly got used to it and then I started liking it, even loving it. Things are very different now, when I am surrounded by maids and servents. But I found this life rather interesting and if i could survive this book, then maybe I could also be happy here.

After walking for a while she start to think of her new father and what the empress spoke of.

"To the inner court" Wang Ning say as she sit and look at the beautiful views passing her by.

Time to pick up father's gift.