Chu Ling paused for a moment, then continued slowly, "As for my niece, this servant knows even less."

As the saying goes, once you have a stepmother, you have a stepfather. What's more, my stepmother gave birth to two big, fat sons for my father.

One can imagine what life would be like for this former daughter-in-law of the servant.

I started working when I was very young. My stepmother made me do all kinds of chores, whether I was capable or not. So I was actually glad that I had the opportunity to be selected to enter the palace.

At that time, I had just reached the age to participate in the selection, and my father and stepmother couldn't wait to send me to participate. So I entered the palace at a very young age.

When I was selected, my father was overjoyed, hoping that I would support his children and grandchildren in the future.

"I'm dissatisfied with Your Highness. I agreed readily, just wanting to get into the palace as soon as possible to escape my father and stepmother's family."

After listening to Chu Ling's words, Ituma Shushu sighed and said softly, "Chu Ling, you're not old enough to leave the palace yet, are you? I can think of a way when the time comes."

"I will try to plead with the Emperor for a favor, so that you, like Xia Ju and Dong Mei, may remain by my side."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty. Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty."

Chu Ling immediately knelt down excitedly and bowed.

Ituma Shushu said gently, "Get up, Chuling. As long as you continue to serve me and the two young princes diligently, I will not treat you unfairly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Chu Ling quickly kowtowed.

...

Pure, unique, and beautiful.

Several months have passed in the blink of an eye, and Chunhua left the palace and returned home yesterday.

At this moment, Ituma Shushu was sitting on the couch with her eyes closed, resting. In fact, she had just opened the "Dawn Mall".

Then, Ituma Shushu immediately used her mind to open the small compartment in the malicious sensor and put Chu Ling's image into the malicious sensor.

The virtual transparent panel of "Dawn Mall" displayed:

[Ding! Malice value: -89]

[Ding! 10 Health Points Deducted]

Looking at the information on the panel, Ituma Shushu sighed: Ever since she said last time that she would let Chu Ling continue to stay by her side, her favorability rating has skyrocketed.

That's because Chu Ling knew that this was the best path she could strive for, and the fact that Chu Ling knew martial arts showed that she was different from Chun Hua.

Sigh, the ancient feudal dynasties are nothing like the world I lived in before I transmigrated!

Given the status of women in ancient times and Chu Ling's family situation, if she left the palace and returned home after the age of twenty-five, even if she was rich and knew some martial arts, she would still face great difficulties.

However, in the world before she transmigrated, Chu Ling, who was rich and had some martial arts skills, could have easily stayed away from her father and stepmother's family.

When the time comes, all she needs to do is buy a house and settle down in another city, and she can start a new life in that new city!

It's a real pity about Chu Ling. In the context of ancient times, considering that she had the idea of ​​getting rid of her father and stepmother's family at an early age, and that she was able to seize the opportunity to learn martial arts after entering the palace, she was the kind of person who was ahead of her time in both thought and action.

Therefore, given Chu Ling's personality and abilities, if she had been born in the world before her own transmigration, she could definitely have lived a good life through her own efforts.

...

Soon after, Ituma Shushu snapped out of her thoughts.

Then, after thinking for a while, she used her mind to open the small compartment containing the malicious sensor and put Sujuan's image into the malicious sensor.

The virtual transparent panel of "Dawn Mall" displayed:

[Ding! Malice value: -73]

[Ding! 10 Health Points Deducted]

Ituma Shushu looked at the information on the panel and nodded in satisfaction.

After observing her for some time, I have found that Chunhua's niece, Sujuan, is a kind and honest person.

Although he had only transferred her to Chunqi Xiuse to be a cleaning maid, she was very grateful to him, so her initial favorability towards him was very high.

Back when Chunhua, Qiuyue, Luoye, Zhiqiu, Chuyin, and Chuling first came to my side, none of them had even half the favorability rating of Sujuan.

However, this is understandable. After all, people strive for higher positions and water flows downhill. Moreover, Chunhua and the others are all palace maids with advanced skills; each of them possesses some special abilities.

Sujuan should be considered an ordinary palace maid, well, let's put it that way.

During her training as a palace maid after passing the preliminary selection, she was probably just barely passing, while Chunhua and the others were outstanding, scoring over 90 points.

So Sujuan knew she wouldn't be assigned to a good place either, so even though she came to Chunqi Xiuse to be a cleaning maid, she was extremely grateful to herself.

This is also an advantage; she has self-awareness and doesn't aim too high, and she happens to have no shortage of capable palace maids around her.

With this in mind, Ituma Shushu made a decision.

However, time flies. Chunhua, Qiuyue, Luoye, Zhiqiu, Chuyin, and Chuling have all served me for at least seven years.

Now that Spring Blossom has left the palace, Autumn Moon will be next.

The fourteen eunuchs who were originally there—Xiao Dingzi, Xiao Cuizi, Xiao Yezi, and Xiao Zhuozi—followed the Seventh Prince, Hongzhao.

Xiao Liaozi, Xiao Shuangzi, Xiao Shunzi, and Xiao Jiangzi followed the Eighth Prince Hongxu and the Ninth Prince Hongxuan.

So, one after another, eight new eunuchs came to his side. No, it should be ten eunuchs.

Because two of the eunuchs were detected by his malicious sensor as having ulterior motives, he devised a way to send them back to the Imperial Household Department.

This is why, after hearing what Chunhua said, he thought of transferring her niece to his side.

Thinking of this, Ituma Shushu opened her eyes and called out, "Summer Chrysanthemum, Winter Plum."

Yes, that's right. She transferred Xia Ju back to serve her, and transferred Chu Ling to serve the Tenth Prince Honghao and the Eleventh Prince Hongyao.

Because Honghao and Hongyao's personalities are quite different from their three older brothers, Ituma Shushu had never been very at ease with them.

So she had Xia Ju serve them for more than two years before she was transferred back these past two days.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xia Ju and Dong Mei responded and pushed open the door to enter.

Ituma Shushu nodded and instructed, "Xiaju, go and bring Sujuan in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Xia Ju bowed in response and then withdrew.

Not long after, Xia Ju brought Su Juan in.

Sujuan immediately knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings to Consort Shu."

Ituma Shushu gently put down her teacup and said softly, "Get up."