Rou Niang no longer participated in the subsequent investiture ceremony; she returned to the General's Mansion, exhausted from the ordeal.

"Madam must be tired. Get some rest. I've made you some bird's nest porridge. After you drink it, take a bath and get some sleep. Your fatigue will be gone." Chunhong had a sweet tongue.

"Zheng Wanru was not selected. Did the Zheng family not contact her maternal grandmother?" Rou Niang asked.

Although Zheng Wanru took the palace examination, she failed. Perhaps the emperor didn't like the sweet type. Rou Niang couldn't do anything about it, and she was also worried about putting her maternal grandmother, Old Madam Liu, in a difficult position.

"Don't worry, Madam. These are all women who have made it to the palace examination. Even if they don't get selected, they've already proven themselves to be excellent enough. Matchmakers are practically wearing down the Zheng family's doorstep," Chunhong said.

That's true. The talent show selects outstanding women from across the country, and those who make it to the final rounds are clearly exceptional. Naturally, they have many suitors and don't have to worry about finding a husband.

Only Miss Chu would be foolish enough to ruin her own reputation.

"Madam, Master is back," Mingyue said.

Not long after, Mo Bei returned from the military camp and hugged Rou Niang as soon as he entered the door: "Madam, you've been working hard lately. I heard that the talent show is over. You should rest well these days."

"You're back early today," Rou Niang said. She was busy with the imperial concubine selection and accounting late into the night, and she was also busy at the Mo Bei military camp, so she returned late as well.

"We knew you were back!" Mo Bei said with a smile.

After the two had dinner together, Rou Niang didn't call the children, as she really wanted to rest early.

As a result, the wish was not fulfilled, and the couple spent a warm night together in the bridal chamber...

The next day, Rou Niang, sporting dark circles under her eyes, watched Mo Bei get up and dress with a radiant expression, and felt quite resentful.

"Be good, rest a bit more, don't rush to get up." Mo Bei felt a little apologetic; he hadn't been able to control himself last night.

"Okay, then have breakfast before you go," Rou Niang instructed before falling into a deep sleep again.

She didn't get up until noon, but her three daughters obediently ate lunch with her.

"Mother, you've worked so hard. Drink more of this soup; it's very nutritious." Yu Yan thought Rou Niang was exhausted from the imperial concubine selection.

Rou Niang blushed slightly, picked up the soup, and slowly drank it.

"Mother, Uncle Emperor has already bestowed titles upon those people. Liu Lianxing came to express her gratitude this morning, but didn't want to disturb you. She packed her things and left with the palace staff," Yu Rong said.

"What did she seal?" Rou Niang asked.

“They are important people,” Yu Jin said.

"Is the rank of Noble Person very high?" Yu Yan asked, puzzled.

"Not really. In the palace, from top to bottom, it's the Empress, Imperial Noble Consort, Noble Consort, Consort, Noble Concubine, Concubine, Noble Lady, Attendant, and Lady-in-Waiting. Each position has a corresponding monthly salary." Yu Jin explained to her second sister.

"Yu Jin, how do you know so much? Did you read it?" Yu Yan sighed. It was one thing for her older sister to love reading, but for her younger sister to be so knowledgeable made her feel so unambitious!

"Second sister is smart, you should study more in the future," Yu Jin encouraged.

Yu Yan said with a bitter face, "Let's just forget about it."

Rou Niang and Yu Rong both chuckled upon seeing this: "What are the other people's palace positions?"

"I heard from Consort Liu that Prime Minister Wen's daughter, Wen Jingyi, and General Wu's daughter, Wu Anran, have been granted the title of Noble Consort. Wang Yaofu of the Wang family has been granted the title of Consort, and Li Biyue has also been granted the title of Noble Lady. Liu Ping'er is a Palace Attendant," Yu Rong said.

“But she told you everything,” Rou Niang said.

"It was her daughter who saw her off. These days, she and her daughter have gotten to know each other better, so she told her daughter when she left," Yu Rong said. She actually felt a little sorry for Liu Lianxing. A young girl who had traveled thousands of miles to the capital, with no relatives or friends, this was the only place she had any connection with.

"She's a pitiful person too." Once you enter the palace, it's like entering a deep sea; your future depends on yourself. Liu Lianxing comes from Fucheng and is a member of the Liu family clan; you can't escape the connection.

"Mingyue, in the name of the Princess's residence, send her some gifts to congratulate her." This would be considered announcing to the outside world that she had accepted this person as one of her own.

Mingyue accepted the order and went out, but returned shortly afterward, saying, "Madam, Consort Liu's stepmother, Madam Liu, requests an audience."

Rou Niang frowned: "I have no connection with her, so I'll see her for now."

In the afternoon, Rou Niang went to see Old Man Mo. Only after their marriage did Rou Niang learn that Old Man Mo was seriously ill.

Although there is the spiritual spring water, it cannot stabilize my father's illness. His body is aging and heading towards death, which is a fact that cannot be reversed no matter what.

"It's Rou Niang, you're back from the talent show." Old Man Meng was already very weak, lying on the recliner.

Rou Niang stepped forward, took her father's hand, and said, "From now on, I'll stay home with you and not go anywhere else. What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you."

"Sigh, when you get old, nothing tastes good anymore. Why don't you sit here and chat with me?" Old Man Mo shook his head; he hadn't had much of an appetite lately. Everything tasted the same; it seemed his tongue had deteriorated.

"Alright, then I'll stay here and chat with you." Rou Niang smiled and sat down next to Old Man Mo.

"Rou Niang, you and Mo Bei have been married for a while now. When are you planning to have a baby? Your father doesn't have a preference for sons over daughters; he just wants to see you two get pregnant and give birth. It would make him happy to see that little life arrive," Old Man Meng said with a smile. Old people just love the lively atmosphere with children.

Rou Niang nodded. "It'll be soon, Father. Just wait a little longer."

"Alright, Dad will wait. But you don't need to put too much pressure on yourselves, don't rush. If Dad passes away, remember to burn some paper money at Dad's grave to let him know. He'll be happy for you when he gets the news over there." As he was talking, Old Man Mo fell asleep again. He's been like this lately, falling asleep while talking and waking up again at some point, sometimes during the day, sometimes at night.

The patient, Rou Niang, covered Old Man Meng with a blanket and carried the rocking chair to my father's bedroom.

"Father, you should rest well," said Meat Mother, then left. Her heart was heavy, seeing her father like this. She thought of all the little things they had done together, of how he had protected her, of how he wouldn't have fallen into the bear's jaws to save her, of their mutually supportive escape.

My eyes unconsciously turned a little red. When I got back to my room, I felt a tightness in my chest and shortness of breath.

"Madam, what's wrong?" Chunhong stepped forward and asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a little tightness in my chest. I'll be fine after I sit down and rest for a while," Rou Niang waved her hand.

Upon hearing this, Chunhong rushed forward to support Rou Niang's chest. "If you ask me, Madam, you must be exhausted. Eat well these next few days and take good care of yourself."

At this moment, Mingyue brought over a bowl of ginseng soup: "This is ginseng stewed chicken that I made this morning. I skimmed off the oil on top, and the essence is all in this soup. Madam, please have some."

Rou Niang took it, drank a sip, and immediately felt nauseous, turning her face to vomit!