Xiu Ning spent most of the day in the preliminary selection, and having gotten up especially early in the morning, she only talked with Lady Fucha for a short while before feeling quite sleepy.

Seeing this, Lady Fucha did not insist on keeping Xiuning, but instead had someone send her back to her courtyard to rest. "There's still time. Go back and take a break. You've suffered today."

Xiuning smiled and got up from the couch. "Mother, don't worry too much. I'm not suffering."

These are all necessary steps she must take before entering the palace. If she complains about the hardships and fatigue, then she won't be able to get through the days to come.

Xiuning took Chunyu's hand, turned around, and quickly walked back to her own courtyard.

Whew~

She was too embarrassed to tell Fucha that after walking for most of the day in heavy platform shoes, Xiuning began to doubt that her legs were even her own.

Sitting on the tatami mat to catch her breath, Xiu Ning reached out and took the teacup Chun Yu brought her, taking a sip. "While I was away, did anything go wrong in the courtyard?"

Better safe than sorry. Xiu Ning was shocked by the chaotic pace of this world. It was too easy for things to go wrong. If she wanted to stay safe and sound, she couldn't relax for a moment.

Chunyu shook her head. "I'm guarding the courtyard, nothing has happened yet."

"But Princess, you will be entering the palace in three days, and then this servant will no longer be able to accompany you."

It's a bit of a pity about the spring rain, but that's how it was during the Qing Dynasty's selection of imperial concubines. For most of the month after they entered the palace, the women had to handle their daily affairs on their own. I heard that this was part of learning the rules.

"It's okay, everyone is like this."

There are many princesses in the palace with better backgrounds than yours, so nothing bad can happen to them.

Everyone is on the same starting line. At least Xiuning's mindset is very stable. She also has experience living in various mission worlds, so she is definitely more adaptable than others.

Upon hearing this, Chunyu couldn't help but feel worried. She had been assigned to serve the princess at a very young age, and the princess never had to worry about her daily life.

If she is selected to enter the palace again, the princess must not only manage herself well, but also be wary of the schemes of others.

Whenever Chunyu thinks about these things, she can't help but feel nervous for Xiuning.

Xiuning couldn't say anything about it, so she could only let Chunyu take great care of her for the next three days. Chunyu even prepared a complete set of luggage so that Xiuning could easily take it and change after entering the palace.

It was all Chunyu's kind intention, and Xiuning did not disappoint her but chose to accept it all. It was just a pity that there were regulations on the luggage that could be brought into the palace, and Xiuning still had to give up the two heaviest packages when she left.

She boarded the carriage to leave home once again, but this time it was no longer a same-day trip. When she returned home, it was time to truly part with her family.

Pulling back the curtains, Xiu Ning watched her loved ones gradually disappear from her sight through the gap, while recalling what Xitala Debao had told her last night.

The person who framed the two candidates from the Hitara clan during the initial selection has been found. As expected, it was mainly the Niohuru clan, with the Magiya and Nara clans also involved.

The Ma Jia clan is quite powerful. Given that Consort Ma Jia has already entered the palace and won the Emperor's favor, and has successfully given birth to the Emperor's eldest son, Cheng Rui, it is understandable that they would not want the outstanding Xiu Ning to enter the palace smoothly.

After all, Consort Ma Jia is now considered a favored concubine who has received the emperor's favor quite a few times. Although she cannot compare with the Empress and Consort Shu, she should not be underestimated.

If Xiuning remembers correctly, this period in the early years of Kangxi's reign was precisely the time when Consort Ma Jia was having a crazy number of children.

Unfortunately, many of his children died. He had five sons and one daughter, but only one son and one daughter survived. They were the future Third Prince Yinzhi and Rongxian, who married into Mongolia.

Another family, the Nara clan, was even more numerous and prosperous than the Magiya clan. It was one of the eight famous Manchu clans, with many branches, such as the Ulanara clan and the Yehe Nara clan.

The concubine Nara in the palace was a candidate for the imperial concubines from the Yehe Nara clan. The famous and powerful minister in this clan was none other than the future Mingzhu.

Consort Nara was not as fertile as Consort Ma Jia, but she was still a formidable figure. She managed to secure her son's position as the eldest prince while Empress Hesheli was alive, even though it resulted in Yinti being sent out of the palace for several years, creating a scene of separation between mother and son. However, in the end, Consort Nara's actions were very worthwhile (otherwise, Yinti could not have fought with Yinreng for more than ten years without losing ground. While the competition between Mingzhu and Suo'etu cannot be denied, the title of the eldest prince was easier to manipulate).

"System, you're saying that before I even entered the palace, I already had grudges against three concubines."

This future life in the imperial harem is sure to be incredibly exciting.

The selection process has been chaotic since the beginning, and Xiu Ning doesn't believe things will be peaceful once she enters the palace.

After all, the fact that everyone was able to enter the palace proves that none of them are people without ambitions; everyone knows what little thoughts they have in their hearts.

"Host, this second round of selection will likely be even more difficult than we anticipated."

The system specifically retrieved all the relevant information, and after reviewing it, it couldn't help but sigh.

Xiuning simply rolled her eyes. 'It's obvious that everyone is aiming for that position.'

How did the current emperor ascend the throne? It's likely that the young Empress Xiaokangzhang never imagined her son would one day inherit the throne.

At that time, neither the most favored nor the one with the best background in the harem was the Tongjia clan, who was unremarkable in every way.

But how did Lady Tongjia become Empress Dowager? It was all thanks to Kangxi's own efforts. Whether it was surviving smallpox or outperforming his brothers, Lady Tongjia was able to have the last laugh. (Although Lady Tongjia died young, she passed away in the second year of Kangxi's reign. However, Kangxi treated his maternal family, the Tong family, very well. At least the reputation of "half the court" was not just a rumor.)

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!