Before leaving the palace, she received gifts from Consort Lin, Consort Hong, and even Princess Zhenyang, including two pieces of palace satin, two boxes of persimmon frost, two boxes of lily powder, six pounds of dried lychees, a set of four treasures of the study, two calligraphy and paintings, two pairs of large vases, and a bunch of scented beads.

In fact, the eldest prince was not treated very well. Even Concubine Lin and Concubine Hong dressed very simply. Now Concubine Liao was in charge of the palace affairs. She even treated the eldest prince harshly. Now that Yao Niang and the others were his study companions, it was not bad for him to get these.

Tang Huijun also left the palace with everyone else. She looked at the jubilant Yao Niang and felt sad in her heart.

Everyone has a home, but she seems to have no home. Going back to her uncle's house now is just like being a guest. It's not like Yao Niang, who is going back to her own home.

Having known each other for half a year, they have become more casual in their conversation. Tang Huijun said, "I really envy you."

Seeing her worried look, Yao Niang couldn't help but say, "It's nothing, Sister Tang. Think about it, although you are a guest here and there are many inconveniences, it's quiet and peaceful. You can return to the palace after you're done being a guest, and we can study together. As for the future, who knows what will happen in the future? Don't think too much."

Yao Niang said that the Empress had not really thought about Tang Huijun. With her condition, she would probably suffer the pain of childbirth. It would be better for her to marry into a good family so that she would have peace of mind.

What's more, apart from the title of the king's uncle, the Tang family is not worth mentioning at all. Although Tang Huijun seems to be of noble status, he is actually not as good as Wang Yuanshuang, who is also a noble, not to mention Li Tianjiao, the granddaughter of the prime minister.

The main reason was that the Empress had no power, her family was mediocre, and she was under the control of Concubine Liao in the palace.

Tang Huijun just sighed quietly, and Yao Niang was helpless.

Yao Niang said to Xiulin and Xiujuan, "You two stay in the palace and take good care of this room for me. When I come back, I will give each of you a big red envelope."

Xiulin and Xiujuan were overjoyed.

Walking in this long corridor, Yao Niang should have been very excited, after all, she was finally leaving here and returning home free, but for some reason, she felt a little reluctant.

At home, the elders take care of all the big and small things, but here, she can take the initiative to make friends, study, and even do what she wants.

I guess everything has two sides.

When she got home, Yu had already asked people to prepare a sumptuous banquet. When Yao Niang saw her, her eyes could not help but turn red: "Mother, your daughter really missed you."

Yu looked at Yao Niang and found that she had grown taller and thinner. She couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so thin? Did you not eat well?"

But then I thought, maybe the food in the palace is not very delicious.

Yao Niang shook her head and said, "No, it's because we used to take horse riding and archery lessons all day long. My daughter was too tired from learning horse riding and archery. Also, she didn't have as many snacks as at home in the palace, so she lost some weight, didn't she? My daughter thinks it's good."

After that, he showed Yu the things he had obtained from the palace, and said, "Although these things of mine are not worth much, they are gifts from the palace, so they are good. It would be a good omen to share them with everyone."

Yu made arrangements: "Your sister-in-law is in confinement after childbirth. I'll have someone cut twelve feet of palace silk for her. Jingrou and Shiyu will also each be given six feet of cloth. Put some of these preserved fruits on a tray and send them to the old lady, and put the rest in jars and distribute them."

"Mother, that one is divided, and this one is goose-yellow spring satin, so I'll give it all to you. Your daughter has grown up so big, but she has never been filial to you."

As for the four treasures of the study, they were given to Jinghao, the calligraphy and paintings were given to his father, and the incense beads were made into bracelets, one for each person.

After a brief discussion between the mother and daughter, Yu discovered that Yao Niang was indeed different after entering the palace, and her behavior was quite methodical.

After a while, Aunt Qin came back with Shi Yu, Nanny Song took Jing Hao home from school, and even Luo Jingrou came over. Luo Jingrou saw the girl next to Yu, who had a tall and graceful figure, and behaved elegantly, giving her a sense of gracefulness.

If this isn't Yao Niang, then who else could it be?

Luo Jingrou has been drinking bitter juice for the past six months, and she doesn't even know what bitterness tastes like. She is also worried every day. Her mother died when she gave birth to her, and now she herself has uterine cold. She doesn't know what will happen in the future?

Therefore, she felt unlucky in her heart.

"Fifth sister, you're finally back. That's great." Luo Jingrou stepped forward and said.

Shigure also came over to talk.

Yao Niang smiled and said, "I miss you too."

Look, Luo Jingrou's face has become more rosy. She is already thirteen years old this year, and will be fourteen next year. She is a grown-up girl now. She has powder on her face and lip balm on her lips.

Then there was Shi Yu, who had grown a little taller and had more flesh on her cheeks.

Seeing that she was only talking to Jingrou and Shiyu, Jinghao came forward from the crowd and looked at her silently. Yaoniang laughed and quickly took back her luggage, only to see a pair of clay figurines inside.

"My dear, when did I ever lie to you? I always thought of you. I gave you the four treasures of the study that the palace appreciated."

On her way home, passing Qianmen Street, she waited for a long time for the clay figurines she had specially sent someone to buy.

Jinghao tried to pull Yaoniang's hand, but soon he felt a stinging pain. Yaoniang looked at her own hand and found that she had a cord on her hand because she practiced archery very seriously.

When they heard that she had a rope in her hand and wanted to shoot arrows, Luo Jingrou and Shi Yu both looked at her hands.

Yao Niang generously let them watch, and said: "Riding a horse and shooting arrows are necessary every day, but we have a companion there, who seems to be the companion of Princess Baohua, but he can't ride a horse."

"I still want to practice archery and horse riding?" Luo Jingrou was shocked. She was suddenly glad that she did not enter the palace.

Yao Niang nodded: "This is nothing. There is still a spanking on the palm. I have been spanked before. As long as the princesses recite a word wrong, we who study with them will take the punishment for them."

Hearing this, Yu felt distressed. She took her daughter's hand and looked at her, stroking the old silk cocoon in her hand.

Shi Yu originally thought that entering the palace was the easiest job, so she had no idea that it was so scary. She asked, "Fifth sister, what do you do besides studying?"

"When the weather gets warmer, I'll do needlework. Oh, by the way, I've made purses for you all, and I'll give you the gifts later. But you have to study when the roosters crow every day, and come back when it's dark. I fall asleep as soon as I lie down. If I come back early, I'll pay my respects to Concubine Hong." She told her when she got up every day, when she studied, and when she went to bed at night.

This made Luo Jingrou even more grateful. She knew her own body very well. She was strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Everything seemed to be fine, but she was actually weak inside. Not to mention that she had to get up so early and learn how to ride a horse and shoot arrows.

Everyone chatted about family matters together, and Yu asked Erzhen to distribute the things. Seeing that Shiyu and Jingrou were there, she gave the things to them directly.

Yao Niang also said with a smile: "Don't complain that it's too little, this is all I got, everyone should share in the joy."

"How could that be? We are so happy that we can't even wait to be happy." Luo Jingrou's grandfather's family was a marquis's mansion, and there was also a concubine named Wang in the palace. They received rewards during festivals, but she didn't care and just mentioned it casually.

Shi Yu was very happy. She didn't know why. She had said in her heart that she would keep a distance from her fifth sister, but when she came here, she couldn't help but want to play with her.

Just like now, Yao Niang is teaching Jing Hao how to throw the pot in the corridor. Her aim is very accurate and she hits the target almost nine times out of ten.

"Fifth sister, is this still taught in the palace?"

"Of course, this is a kind of archery, but not everyone is proficient in it. I learn something every day anyway, and if I can't learn it, I will leave last, so I learned tossing the pot very well."

Not long after Shi Yu left, he came over to play pitch-pot with them.

Of course, after playing this kind of pot-throwing game for two rounds, Luo Jingrou lost interest and went in to sit down.

However, it was said that Yu had sent a tray of dried lychees and persimmon frost, a small jar of lily powder, and a Buddhist scripture, and had someone deliver it to Old Lady Dou.

When Old Lady Dou saw that it was Erzhen who came over, she knew that she was Yu's eldest maid, so she couldn't help but laugh and said, "Why are you sending a tray over at this time?"

"Our fifth daughter has returned from the palace. She found some gifts in the palace of the eldest prince, and our wife specially asked me to bring them to you. This Buddhist scripture was copied by my daughter herself in the palace. She also sent me some needlework she made herself. We are preparing to have a banquet at home."

"So it's the fifth girl who's back. I heard your wife mention it a few days ago, but I forgot about it. Please tell them to come over and stay for a while when they are free. Brother Xi's daughter-in-law is in confinement after childbirth, and your wife is busy during the New Year holidays, so I don't know a lot of things."

"You are right."

Erzhen went to Jiang's place and Ren's place respectively and divided the things neatly.

Of course, Jiang's own daughter had been a companion to the emperor's studies, so she knew that the rewards in the palace were all limited. Even the ladies could only receive more rewards on their birthdays, which were not much in reality. The eldest son's wife could still get some, as they were treated as relatives.

But Ren waited for Erzhen to leave and then spat, "These three melons and two dates are just to feed a beggar."

"Mom, I think this persimmon frost wrapper is very good. Just now someone said it was a gift from the palace." Shi Fang was almost ten years old and was no longer the naive little girl she used to be.

Ren was not welcomed at home, her father and brother were not helpful, and now when she went out, Shifang could not go out to socialize. Her mother scolded chickens and dogs all day long, which made it even more difficult for her to stay at home. She wanted to go to her aunt's house to hide away and have some peace and quiet.

Ren curled her lips and said, "You are the only one who is stupid. If there is something good, people will give it to you. My dear girl, you should also fight for me. You are not as good as Shi Yu in school. You were quite smart when you were young, but now you are timid in front of your grandmother."

In the past, Ren favored her daughter, but this daughter was inferior to others in every way.

Shi Fang burst into tears. When the news reached the eldest son's family, Yao Niang also felt emotional when she heard it.

In her previous life, Shi Fang had no grudges against the eldest house, even when Fan died and Yu was bedridden, it was a miserable life. Shi Fang's sister-in-law and mother were in charge of the household, and when Shi Yu entered the palace, she had been seduced by the storybook sent by Luo Jingrou. Moreover, she had already started to gain weight at the age of eight, and her teeth were black and rotten, which was no match for the lovely Shi Fang.

Now, Shi Fang was scolded by Luo Zhizheng and his wife for scolding him, and her prestige was greatly reduced. The housekeeper let in Jiang Mu again, resulting in the power of the housekeeper still being taken by Jiang Shi.

She was chosen to enter the palace, and Shi Yu was better than her. Although Old Lady Dou kept Shi Fang, she saw that she was not very capable, and was not proficient in needlework, sewing, or reading. She tried to please people, but she always got into trouble.

Besides, Old Madam Dou seldom goes out to socialize, and Jiang certainly won't take Shi Fang out. Therefore, Shi Fang is almost not as good as she was in her previous life, at least she can still go to every banquet.

This is probably the difference, and this difference also caused Shi Fang to lack confidence.

Just like herself in her previous life, she always felt that she was inferior to others in everything, but at least she knew her shortcomings and worked hard to learn. Shi Fang didn't know if that day would come?

Besides, Yu was hosting a welcome party for her today, and Yao Niang was very happy to see that the table was filled with her favorite dishes.

"Let's stop eating. My daughter wants to go visit her sister-in-law." Yao Niang suggested.

Yu nodded: "Okay, your nephew is still too young to be exposed to the wind, you can just meet him from a distance."

"knew."

At the table, Luo Zhizheng was also silently observing Yao Niang. Seeing that she was talking and laughing, not complaining, she nodded imperceptibly. After the meal, she was originally going to go see Fan, but was stopped by Luo Zhizheng.

Aunt Qin curled her lips secretly and had to take Shi Yu away. Luo Jingrou wanted to stay and listen.

But Luo Zhizheng said, "Jingrou, go back first. I want to ask your sister something."

Luo Jingrou thought to herself, could it be some palace secrets that she didn't want me to hear, but she didn't dare to listen here.

Yao Niang thought Luo Zhizheng would ask about something private, but unexpectedly Luo Zhizheng said, "How come you have grown so fast in the past few months in the palace?"

"Ahem, father, that's why you ask me this. It's because my daughter is learning horse riding and archery, and she often has to run. Others may be too lazy to move, but my daughter rarely has the chance to move, so she runs very fast and eats a lot, and she has grown taller without realizing it." In fact, Yao Niang was afraid that she would lose her hair and become pale and thin, so she drank all the soup in her daily meals.

As long as she was active, she would eat a little more. If she was not active, she would try to eat more vegetables and less meat. She also rested more and slept for four and a half hours every day. She never even caught a cold.

Luo Zhizheng smiled and said, "Your mother was worried about you the first day, but she became calm afterwards. It was me who was worried that you would not have enough food or clothes in the palace, so I asked Eunuch Li from the Imperial Household Department to look after you."

Yao Niang thought, who is this Li Taijian? But her father said this, clearly telling her about this person, so that if anything happens to her in the future, she can look for her, but this relationship cannot be used indiscriminately.

She said happily, "So my father gave me instructions. That's great."

However, it was rare for a man like her father to say such tender words, so Yao Niang also told him everything she knew: "Among our princes, Concubine Lin is not favored, and most of the time it is Concubine Hong who is in charge. It's just that Concubine Lin comes forward on some major occasions..."

She also told about how she was beaten, and even about every detail of her relationship with Tang Huijun, and how Concubine Liao beat two palace maids to death.

I thought that saying these things would be helpful, but who knew that Luo Zhizheng said, "Enough, enough, all this bullshit, all this gossip about other people's shortcomings, my ears are hurting from all the noise."

"Daddy..." Yao Niang thought in her heart, with that kind of mouth of yours, I wonder how you can get married.

Luo Zhi was about to leave, but when he was about to leave, Yao Niang thought he had already left, and said to Yu, "Mother, I want to tell you a big secret."

Yu listened attentively and nodded quickly.

Compared to Luo Zhizheng, Yu's temper was much better, and she also liked listening to her daughter's chatter.

When Yao Niang came to speak, she saw Luo Zhizheng walking back as if nothing had happened. Yao Niang looked at him suspiciously, but Luo Zhizheng was pouring tea leisurely, as if he had completely forgotten that he was about to leave just now.

Or maybe Yu and Luo Zhizheng had lived together for many years and knew each other's temperament, so she just asked Yao Niang: "If you have anything to say, just say it."

Yao Niang was speechless, but she felt that her father was too curious. She didn't even look at Luo Zhizheng and said to Yu: "My daughter has heard Princess Zhenyang mention it many times, saying that Concubine Hong favors the youngest son and doesn't like the eldest son because her eldest son grew up under Concubine Lin's lap. Also, Concubine Lin is said to have taken Concubine Hong's position."

Originally, Yao Niang wanted to say that she had a crotch burn from riding a horse. Her thighs were burning and painful for two days, and it was better after using an ointment. She had this problem when she was fat in her previous life, and she had no idea that she would have a crotch burn even though she was so thin. But her father was here, so she was embarrassed to say this.

"The emperor values ​​his eldest son, and the common people value their youngest son. Are the royal family the same as us ordinary families?" Yu looked into Luo Zhizheng's eyes and said carefully.

Yao Niang smiled and said, "Who doesn't have selfish motives? It's hard to say about the affairs of the royal family. We are in the palace of the eldest prince. Let's take a look at Princess Zhenyang and Princess Yongqing, the daughter of Prince Heng. The two are different. Princess Yongqing's words are trustworthy and she is generous and generous. She is the object of flattery in the palace, while Princess Zhenyang has to rely on Princess Zhaoping from time to time. Princess Zhaoping seems to treat Princess Zhenyang differently. It can be seen that everyone has a scale in their hearts."

…

At night, she finally returned to the familiar east wing. Since Luo Jingrou moved to the west wing, Yao Niang occupied the east wing herself. Yinrong, Baizhi, Baiying and others who had served her in the past all came to see her individually.

Yao Niang smiled and said, "You two should get up soon. I wonder how you are doing at home. I haven't seen you in the palace and I've been thinking about you."

Then she opened a box, which was filled with extremely exquisite silk handkerchiefs. These were used by Princess Zhaoping to wipe her hands on a daily basis. She generously gave a box to each of their study companions.

These are common items in the palace, but they are difficult to buy outside and are very expensive.

Yinrong, who served her most recently, received three pieces, and the others received two pieces each. There were also tongcao flowers sent by Princess Zhenyang, which were different from the gifts from the palace when she returned home, so she decided to let the maids choose one each.

The girls were all very happy and very affectionate.

Yao Niang added, "You don't have to tell everyone about it. Wearing it on a hairpin during festivals is a sign of happiness. When I'm not at home, don't make trouble. When I get home, just tell me what you want to say."

When Yinrong heard this, she knew that Xiaoyao Niang wanted to ask about their family matters.

Originally, Yao Niang was planning to ask Yu, but her father was still there for some reason, and it was not convenient for Yao Niang to tell him, so she had to come back.

"Fifth Miss, a guest has come to our house recently. He is the third miss's fiancé and has already settled down in the front yard. The other day, they met by chance." Yinrong had already said a lot of things and was waiting for Yao Niang to come back.

Wang Zongmu is here?

"Are you satisfied, Third Sister?" Yao Niang asked.

Before Yinrong could say anything, Baizhi said, "I heard that the Third Miss was very satisfied. That day when I was serving tea to the upper room, I met that young master. Not to mention the old master and his wife, even our eldest master was very satisfied. He is indeed a young man from a scholar family, with great talent, eloquence, and handsome appearance."

Yao Niang nodded: "That's good. No wonder I saw that when my third sister came back from the Marquis of Yanping's mansion, there was no resentment on her face. That's good."

Normally Luo Jingrou would ask about everything, but today she just left without any hesitation.

Little did she know that Luo Jingrou was very lucky. At first, she didn't want to marry into the Wang family because she felt that the Wang family was not worthy of her. Only by marrying into the royal palace or the palace like her elder sister, would she feel that she had married well.

But once she met Wang Zongmu, she saw that this boy was outstanding. She was reminded of the Duke of Cheng, Gao Dengfeng, whom she had met before, but his appearance was far inferior. Originally, the Wang family was going to participate in the provincial examination in Huguang, but the Fuguo Mansion was very optimistic about this grandson and let him move to Shuntian Prefecture to participate in the provincial examination. Because of this, Wang Zongmu went to Beijing.

Luo Zhizheng knew that he had come to the capital, so he examined him for a few sentences and, seeing that he was extremely talented, he immediately let him stay at his home and taught him to read personally.

In this way, Luo Jingrou was also satisfied when she heard from her father that Wang Zongmu was extremely talented.

Moreover, she has been recuperating recently, but her menstruation has not been smooth, so she worries all night long, which has weakened her previous strong will.

No matter what, this person came from a family of officials, his mother was a daughter of the royal family, and he was very generous.

I heard that he rewarded the servants in his family and threw away silver ingots casually. When she gets married in the future, she must catch him first.

Yao Niang had a sound night and did not have to get up early in the morning. She slept soundly until dawn, then she washed and got up to have breakfast at Yu's place.

The New Year holidays were very busy, and Yu was also busy. Yao Niang went to see Fan alone again. Fan was also worried about her. She had been in confinement for a month, but her mother-in-law said that she was too thin and had used too much energy to give birth, so she asked her to rest for a while longer.

Mrs. Fan thought that since she was busy during the New Year holidays, it would be much easier for her to help her mother-in-law.

Therefore, she stood up and let Yao Niang in, and ordered people to serve tea and water, and said: "I heard that you came back yesterday, and you also sent us some bracelets and preserved fruits. It's hard to believe that you gave us all the money you got in the palace."

"What's the matter? Why don't you bring your nephew over to me?"

Here, she saw the child who should not have been born in the previous life, and Mrs. Fan who had passed away in the previous life. Mrs. Fan was now smiling, and was no longer the weak and rootless girl she used to be. Instead, she was very strong, and the child was also white, plump and cute.

She touched the child's head and said, "Good boy, you have to grow up well too."

After seeing the different changes after her rebirth, she finally realized that she still had a role to play.

After coming out of Fan's place, Yao Niang saw Jing Hao. He ran towards her with a smile and said that he wanted to practice throwing pots. Yao Niang smiled and said, "Let's go to the garden to practice throwing pots. It's inconvenient here with so many people coming and going."

"Sister, you have learned to ride a horse?" Jing Hao asked enviously.

Yao Niang nodded: "Of course, but riding a horse requires courage and skills. You are too young now. Get a small bow tomorrow and I will teach you archery and pot throwing. I have learned well in the palace."

As soon as the brother and sister walked into the garden, they saw a girl walking towards the Moon Gate. Yao Niang was shocked. How come Shi Fang had gained so much weight after not seeing her for several months?

"Why has Fourth Sister gained so much weight?"

Yinrong thought for a moment and whispered "pastries".

Yao Niang shook her head: "No, Third Sister didn't go with her." Luo Jingrou and Shi Fang had no interactions, and Shi Fang couldn't do anything to hinder her.

Bai Ying added, "That's not it. The Third Miss always sent you sweets in the past, and often sent them to your study. You didn't want to eat them and put them aside, but the Fourth Miss took them and ate them all. She has a strong taste for sweets. The old lady raised her in her care, but the old lady was young and old and liked light dishes. She was always hungry and ate snacks. The sweeter the food, the better it tasted, and that's how she became."

"You should remind her not to eat this dessert." Yao Niang didn't like Shi Fang, especially because she took Fan's dog away, causing Fan to suffer an unexpected disaster and not come out afterwards, and also caused Zhou to have a miscarriage. Later, she brought Jiang into the garden, and it was also because of her that Fan almost hung herself.

But no matter what, Yao Niang never wanted to use such inferior means to harm others. If you can't stand one person's behavior, but agree to use this behavior against another person, then what is the difference between her and Luo Jingrou?

Yinrong and Baiying were both surprised. Although they didn't know what it meant, they both agreed.