After the greetings, I was told that Li Gege's handkerchief was embroidered with peonies, and Gao's embroidered shoes were embroidered with silver thread and tiny pearls.

The peony flower symbolizes ambition.

The silver thread and pearls indicate that the person is wealthy.

After learning everything that was currently available, since knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory, he had someone invite everyone from the backyard in.

These things were done in less than the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.

After the people in the backyard exchanged greetings, they said a few polite words such as serving their master well, being obedient, and having children as soon as possible, and then gave them their gifts.

All the princesses were the same; each of them received a pair of white jade bracelets, which typically sold for around 12-15 taels of silver and a bolt of palace silk.

The concubines received the same treatment, each with a pair of silver bracelets and a bolt of palace silk.

To get to know them better, I listened to their awkward small talk for a little while before letting them go.

During this time, the two nannies, Xia Bai, Dong Hui, Chun Fen, and I observed them discreetly.

After they left, the two matrons were asked to express the opinions of the princesses and concubines. After the three maids added their comments, the conversation flowed freely, and the women gained a basic understanding of the people in the inner courtyard.

The most beautiful among them was Princess Fan, and the most voluptuous and charming was Concubine Chao. The least attractive was Princess Guan, who was only barely pretty, but she was a clever woman who dressed up to look ugly.

The two nannies had worked in the Empress Dowager's palace and knew that the favored concubines in Kangxi's harem all had their own unique characteristics. The others in the harem didn't have any particularly special characteristics. Even the most beautiful Fan Shi was a girl from a modest family, but that was a characteristic in itself.

Upon seeing these people, both nannies breathed a sigh of relief; there were no formidable enemies.

My wife is beautiful, with delicate features and a gentle temperament. Her skin is as smooth and delicate as a baby's, like the finest white jade. Her lips are full and naturally pink, making them irresistible.

It's incomparable, incomparable! Not to mention my own wife's sweet, charming mouth; at home, the old master and mistress practically give her their hearts and souls.

She gets along well with all the young masters, and she visits the fifth young master, who is in poor health, every day whenever he is home, showing him great care.

As long as you don't let the old man cloud your judgment and fall in love with him without knowing the depth of his feelings, it's basically very difficult for him to win you over.

Don't say that the imperial palace can't tolerate love. Even in ordinary wealthy families, if the matriarch falls in love with her husband, it's basically a tragedy. No man wants to spend his life with just one woman. Even wealthy peasant men might buy two concubines.

The servants in the courtyard have all been settled. Granny Shao is knowledgeable in medicine, so she is in charge of the meals.

Granny Shi came from the palace and knew its rules best. She was in charge of all the maids, essentially a supervisor. Bai Xia was a female physician, quick, meticulous, and attentive in her work, and served me personally.

Donghui is good at dressing up. She takes care of all my clothes for all four seasons and my everyday jewelry box. Donghui is in charge of the same things as she is at home.

Spring Equinox is gentle and makes people unconsciously lower their guard. She is best at gathering information. Before, in the Irgen Gioro family, she knew everything about every little thing that happened in each of the houses except for her mother's and grandmother's rooms. Of course, she was born into a family and had her parents and other relatives in the mansion. This was a challenge for her to be a prince, but I believe she can handle it.

Qiu Fen is also a domesticated child, well-behaved, sensible, meticulous, mature, and steady, and skilled in embroidery and flower painting.

Therefore, Bai Xia and Dong Hui were my first-class palace maids, and Chunfen and Qiufen were second-class. Granny Shi was the head maid, and Granny Shao was equivalent to my wet nurse.

In addition, two maids were selected from the remaining maids in the courtyard to be second-class maids, two to be third-class maids, and the remaining two to be junior maids. There were three eunuchs; one was chosen to be the head of the other two. They were also given names.

Second-class maid: Su Mei Su Lan

Third-class maid: Suzhu Suju

Two little maids: Xiao Shu and Xiao Hua

The eunuchs had surnames: Zhou Fugui, Xiao Qianzi, and Xiao Fangzi.