From the first day she transmigrated, Lin Mengyao went from being completely bewildered to handling things calmly in just three days. She had always been a person who took things as they came, and since she was already here and didn't know how to get back, she might as well just be an ancient person from two or three hundred years ago.

For half a month, Lin Mengyao pretended to be deaf and dumb, escaping the notice of those around her. Coincidentally, she also encountered the original owner of this body participating in a talent show, and learned a lot about ancient etiquette and manners from the governess, thus successfully disguising herself as a Manchu noble lady.

When she realized she had transmigrated into Niohuru Lanqin's body, she was utterly shocked. It was the 43rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and her "father" was named Lingzhu, a fourth-rank official. She burst into tears on the spot.

Damn, Qianlong's biological mother had this surname, and one of Yongzheng's concubines also happened to have the surname Niohuru, whose father was Niohuru Lingzhu, a fourth-rank official.

Oh! Lin Mengyao was stunned on the spot. She had actually transmigrated into the body of someone who was supposedly the most fortunate person in the Qing Dynasty.

Everyone else is dressed as a favored concubine or empress, but she's dressed as an unmarried princess! Does she have to experience all the power struggles, palace intrigues, and even royal battles herself?!

I'm a little scared!! This young lady just wants to live a comfortable and wealthy life, not to fight and scheme! If history is really as it is, will she really enter the Fourth Prince's harem? Will she be a match for those beautiful women who have long lived in the backyards of grand mansions, or even the deep palace? Will she be severely punished, and will she be able to win Yongzheng's favor?!

After several attempts to probe her, and learning from her mother, who always seemed to cry whenever she saw her, that Lanqin was thirteen years old, the third princess in the family, and born of the principal wife. She had one older brother and one older sister born of a concubine, and all her younger siblings were also born of concubines.

Just now, she did it on purpose! She deliberately bruised her knees! Her goal was to make herself lose the selection so she could escape the torment of that old man, Emperor Kangxi.

Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne at the age of 8, and it's currently the 43rd year of his reign, making him 51 years old this year. For Lin Mengyao, who is already over 30, that's definitely an old man! Although she's a single woman, she doesn't want her 30 years of carefully preserved purity to be taken advantage of by an old man, just kidding!!

Looking in the bronze mirror, Lanqin was indeed quite pretty. She wasn't a stunning beauty, but among the Manchus, she was considered to have a dignified appearance and elegant demeanor. Besides, she was only 13 years old at the time, still a minor. It would be clear whether she was truly a beauty in a few years when she had fully matured.

"Third sister, we heard you weren't feeling well, so we came to see you." A melodious voice came through the door. After a series of tinkling sounds, Lanqin quickly lay down and looked through the gauze curtain to see Xue'er leading two young women dressed in qipao into the room.

She recognized the voice; it belonged to Niohuru Holland, her second elder sister, born to a concubine, Lady Yang, Lingzhu's beloved concubine. In the first few days after she woke up, this sister frequently visited her.

Xue'er immediately used a ruyi knot to hook up the gauze curtain, then helped Yunqin sit up straight before stepping aside to serve her.

"Second sister, fifth sister is here. Please sit down!" Lanqin forced a smile, her slightly pale face making her appear frail.

The second princess, Holland, had her hair styled in a soft, winged bun, densely adorned with beautiful and delicate gauze flowers, and interspersed with gold hairpins. She walked to the bedside and sat down.

Fifth Princess Xinyi was still young, only 11 years old. She had her hair styled in two buns, with a silver hairpin on each side. She stood next to Second Princess.

"Third sister, you don't look well. Did you not fully recover after being rescued from the water that day?" the second princess asked with concern.

For some reason, Lanqin could tell at a glance that her second sister didn't really care about her; behind her beautiful and charming smile lay hatred and jealousy.

If it were the previous Lanqin, she would definitely be charmed by this loving older sister, treat her sincerely, and confide her troubles to her.

But now, with her worldly-wise heart, she could still accurately diagnose the words and actions of this fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl.

"Thank you for your concern, sister. I was just tired from trying on the dress the embroiderer brought over, so I'm taking a short nap," she said casually, but the meaning behind her words was crystal clear: I'm the one who's going to participate in the selection, so don't even think about it.

Although she had no memory of the original owner, based on a woman's intuition, this pretty girl was definitely two-faced.

Sure enough, a hint of jealousy and longing flashed in Holland's eyes. Although it was fleeting, she still caught it.

She heard Xue'er say that this Dutchman was born to Yang Shi. Relying on her father's favor, Yang Shi and her daughter had always been arrogant and domineering. In recent years, they had given birth to two more half-brothers, and Yang Shi's power had begun to overshadow her "mother".

Holland resembles her mother; born into the Han Chinese military banner, she is bright and alluring, indeed more beautiful than Lanqin.

She's already 15 years old for this year's talent show. She missed the last one, and this time her younger sister, who is born of the main wife, snatched her away. She must be feeling incredibly unhappy.

But what can you do when she's born out of wedlock?!

Starting with the Shunzhi Emperor, the selection of favored young women from the Eight Banners to serve as imperial consorts became a Qing dynasty system. However, if a family had two or more daughters of marriageable age, the legitimate daughter was given priority.

As a result, 15-year-old Holland missed the last three-year draft because she was born a year too late, and she missed out on this draft as well.

Although Lin Mengyao had no feelings for her "mother" at all, she was still the original owner's mother, and she couldn't stand seeing her being bullied!

"I heard that Father specially invited two Suzhou embroiderers from the capital to make clothes for Third Sister in preparation for her selection as a concubine!" said Fifth Sister Xinyi, speaking without thinking. She was born to another concubine, Liu, and usually liked to follow Second Sister around. She was a simple-minded and naive person.

Holland rolled her eyes at her, and the fifth sister trembled and shut her mouth in fear.

"Xue'er, go to the cabinet and take out those three pieces of clothing. Let your second sister and fifth sister take a look." Lanqin saw this but smiled and said to Xue'er beside her.

Upon hearing this, Holland's smile gradually faded, but she also felt a bit suspicious: Why was she no longer as gentle and mild as usual?

Xue'er was puzzled for a moment, then walked to the cabinet, opened it, and took out three newly made garments. But she wondered to herself: What's wrong with the princess? In the past, if the master had bestowed anything upon her, she would never show it off!