The moment she felt the gaze upon her, Xiu Ning tensed up completely.

Just then, before Xiuning could react, the palace maid leading the way suddenly told her to wait a moment, as she had forgotten to retrieve the gift bestowed upon her by the Empress Dowager.

Xiuning: ...Don't be so ridiculous!

She was inwardly complaining that she couldn't come up with a new excuse, since the Empress Dowager didn't seem to have said anything about rewarding her at all.

"Hard"

Xiuning smiled faintly as she watched the palace maid leave, while she stood there like a statue.

Of course, fearing something might go wrong, Xiuning quickly called out to the system in her mind, 'Who is it? Are there any traps around?'

No wonder Xiuning is so nervous. The re-election will end in a few days. If something happens at this critical juncture, she will have no one to complain to.

The system was straightforward; since it concerned Xiu Ning's future, it didn't bother with points or anything like that. "There's no trap. That palace maid is the Emperor's person. The way she looked at you was because of Kangxi."

Emperor Kangxi?!

Xiu Ning was stunned for a moment. Before she could figure out why the Emperor would come over to secretly watch her, she took the initiative to strike a pose that perfectly showcased her figure and demeanor.

Yes, that's how honest she is. She finally got to meet Emperor Kangxi, so she had to seize the opportunity.

On a high platform in the distance, Emperor Kangxi stood before it, his gaze fixed intently on the beautiful woman.

It must be said that before meeting her, Kangxi did not think that a Manchu bannerwoman could be that beautiful. After all, the quality of Manchu bannerwomen is self-evident. Of all the concubines in his harem, only Lady Magiya could catch his eye. Otherwise, no matter how fertile Lady Magiya was, she could not have conceived so smoothly.

But right now, upon seeing Xiu Ning, Kangxi was immediately captivated by her divine beauty.

Beautiful! No wonder she's targeted by the concubines; she should be brought into the palace.

Don't assume that Kangxi's great political achievements can make us overlook his inherent flaws as a man.

Emperor Kangxi was one of the emperors with a large number of children and concubines, so it can be said that he had all the typical male flaws.

What about male chauvinism, lust, or heartlessness? With a little understanding, one can discern a person's true nature.

Therefore, Xiuning has been working on her appearance ever since she came to the Qing Dynasty. A beautiful face can save her a lot of trouble.

Of course, beauty is only a temporary card and cannot bind Kangxi forever, but Xiuning understands what will happen next and will not have any unrealistic fantasies.

To give Kangxi a better view (and make him even more eager), Xiuning took a few more steps forward, almost exposing her entire body to Kangxi's view.

Kangxi: ...! !!

Kangxi certainly didn't think Xiuning could discover him, after all, his location was remote and there were trees to cover him, unless Xiuning had a clairvoyant ability (which he really did have).

Feeling smug that he had hidden her perfectly, Kangxi confidently admired (and envied) Xiu Ning's beauty, while also imagining what it would be like if Xiu Ning stayed in the palace.

There are many unused palaces in the harem. When the time comes, we can arrange for Lady Hitara to be placed in a place closer to the Qianqing Palace.

But since the Empress Dowager is still alive, it's not appropriate to favor Lady Hitara too much, no matter how beautiful she is. Hmm, never mind, let's deal with it when she enters the palace.

While her mind wandered, Xiu Ning in the distance casually and leisurely changed her posture.

She could feel the intense, penetrating gazes fixed on her; if it were any other young lady, she would probably blush with embarrassment.

Only Xiuning remained composed and unafraid of Kangxi's opinion.

The ancients were right: food and sex are human nature.

The more curious and unforgettable Kangxi was, the greater the chance of her being selected, and she might even leave a deep impression on him in advance.

Lowering her head slightly, Xiu Ning smelled the vibrant flowers in full bloom; her mood had already calmed down.

After a while, the palace maid who went to collect the reward returned. Xiu Ning no longer cared about the gazes falling on her and finally returned to Chuxiu Palace without incident.

...

Time flies, and the final day of the re-selection has arrived.

After today, Xiu Ning and the other selected concubines will have finished their studies at the palace and will only need to return to their families to await the palace selection in two days.

"Phew, that was tough. Luckily, nothing bad happened after that."

Guarjia Yuxi patted her chest and breathed a long sigh of relief.

"Sister, you're putting your mind at ease too soon. The last day is often the most dangerous."

Even when leaving the palace, one must remain vigilant to prevent any traps.

After spending more time together, Yiergenjueluo Yiyun was no longer as indifferent as before, and would occasionally offer more advice and suggestions. The relationship between the three of them was much better than when they first met.

“Yes, Sister Yiyun is right,” Xiuning said. Having witnessed the fierce competition among the young ladies, she believed that anything could happen until the very last moment. “It’s not uncommon for people to have problems after passing the palace selection. Just to be safe, we still need to be vigilant at all times.”

Irgen Gioro Yiyun nodded, "The failure rate of the selected girls this time is extremely high, so the probability of them entering the palace or being betrothed to members of the imperial family will increase in the future."

The three of us have been living together for over half a month, and I naturally hope that we all have a bright future.

Putting everything else aside, these are legitimate connections, and their temperaments and personalities are fairly well understood. When it comes time to use them later, they'll be more capable than others.

Guarjia Yuxi sighed, her expression unusually melancholy, "It's not easy for women to be born. We not only have to consider our families, but also ourselves."

Sigh, I just hope everything goes smoothly; I'm afraid I never want to go through this again.

The kind of talent show you have to go through once is enough to make you suffer, but some people go through it two or three times. Guarjia Yuxi really admires these ruthless people. What makes them so desperate to try their luck? Why not just get married quietly?

Regardless of whether she gets what she wants this time, she won't wait three years in vain. Marrying whomever she wants is the same, right? Perhaps not entering the royal family will allow her to have a peaceful end.

Having finally found some time, the three of them huddled together and whispered amongst themselves.

If it weren't for the short time between the end of the preliminary rounds and the final selection, they would have gone on a trip together.

"Thump thump thump—thump thump—"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and an unfamiliar female voice came from outside, "Does Princess Xitala live here? This servant is Chunxi, and I have something to report to the princess."

Inside the room, the three people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Upon hearing that someone was calling her, Xiuning quickly got up and opened the door. "Is there something you need?"

Not recognizing the palace maid before her, Xiu Ning became wary.

"The Empress Dowager requests that you come over, Princess." Chunxi glanced at Xiuning and bowed in greeting.

"Only Princess Xitala?" Guarjia Yuxi spoke up from behind.

Chunxi responded, "And there are also several Mongol banner princesses from Xianfu Palace."

Tsk, this news...