Finally got the words out

Shujia fretted for a moment about Shuxian's situation, feeling her family wouldn't give up on her daughter's chance of a successful audition. After analyzing it over and over again, it was all that idiot eldest prince's fault! Leaving him aside, anyone else would be fine! Shujia mentally took note of this ever-changing, ever-troublesome fellow.

I seemed to remember someone saying that during the selection process, some women would try to trip each other up, so pretending to be tricked and then withdrawing would be a good strategy. At the end of June, Shujia came up with another idea and went to her sister's yard.

Aunts Zheng and Wang were both there, and Shuxian's lessons were over. Shujia greeted the two aunts first, then said, "Aunts Zhou and Wu were still talking about you two, saying that we entered the palace together and left together, and they were thinking about you."

The two aunts had a faint smile on their faces, neither ostentatious nor expressionless, and spoke softly and clearly, "Miss Lao, thank you for speaking up. They are thinking of you."

Shujia's smile deepened, and a dimple appeared on her left cheek. "The teacher has a new lesson today, so I came to talk to my sister. Aunts, please feel free to come. If you want to see Aunt Zhou and the others, just send the maid to tell them."

The two aunts thought, "Don't you have something to talk about? Last time, it was said that my aunt's birthday was coming up, and I came to discuss with my sister what needlework to make for her. It would be bad if it was the same. This time there's something new, and we're not the kind of people who don't know what to do. Let's go and chat."

Girl, you are still too young.

Shujia thought her plan worked, and raised the book in her hand: "Sister, I brought you the book that Mr. Jiang talked about today." Shuxian let her sister into the house.

After they sat down and took a few sips of tea, Shuxian said to Shujia, "I can't go to class now, so I have to rely on you to tell me." Shujia smiled and said, "You have something important to do? I'm just an idler, passing messages back and forth." The two of them read a book together, head to head, chatting as they talked.

Shujia whispered, "Anyway, those who can stay in the palace will be eager to stay even if we put down the sign at the end. It won't be a waste. Besides, we are the Han Army Banner, so there are not many people who can be selected. It is common sense to put it down. Everyone understands it."

As they were talking, Zhenzhu came over to say that Aunt Zhang had come to see Shuxian. Shujia said, "Okay, I'll go back first. We'll continue tomorrow. If you have any ideas, we can discuss them." Shuxian nodded and said to Zhenzhu, "You can send the second young lady back and visit the aunts on the way. If they are happy to talk, there is no need to rush back."

When Shujia went out, she saw Aunt Zhang standing in the corridor. Seeing Shujia come out, Aunt Zhang hurried over to greet her. Shujia nodded and smiled: "Aunt is fine. Big sister is reading a book. Come in quickly, it's hot outside."

Shujia had her own company, and since Shuxian had given the order, Zhenzhu followed along. As they walked, Shujia asked, "Does Aunt Zhang come here often?" Zhenzhu replied, "Not really. Aunt Zhang is a little afraid of the aunts." Shujia said, "Is that so... After all... If you can comfort Big Sister, you could ask her to come and visit more often."

I could clearly feel Pearl pause for a moment, and then I heard her say, "Miss, could you... ask Aunt Zhang to stop coming over so often?"

Well?

As a servant of the Shi family, Zhenzhu knew the Shi family's situation. The two girls had different statuses and personalities. The second girl was more cheerful and proactive, while the eldest girl was more worried. It was observed that the second girl had no ill intentions towards the eldest girl, so Zhenzhu, as Shuxian's personal maid, could speak some truth to Shujia.

"When Concubine Zhang comes here, she used to say some sour things, but now, all she says is next year's big selection. You know, my lady is a little worried and already worried, and her words make her worry even more. We always try to make her feel at ease, but now Concubine Zhang comes, it's all in vain."

Aunt Zhang had no bad intentions, that was for sure, and what she said was all normal, and Zhenzhu and the others knew it was true. However, whenever she left, Shuxian would be depressed for a long time, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

"She is not even allowed to see her aunt, which must be even more painful..." Nowadays, estrangement does not separate relatives. They are mother and daughter. Regardless of their status, they still have a place in her heart. Shujia is also very embarrassed.

As they were talking, they came to Shujia's place. Shujia said to Zhenzhu, "I need to think about this carefully. You should talk to big sister more. Go and see the aunts."

The aunts weren't particularly close to each other originally. The four of them, working in three different places, rarely saw each other, barely acquaintances. However, after arriving at the Shi family, they quickly developed a revolutionary friendship, and their relationship improved considerably. They were also talking, telling the little girls to go off and play, while the four of them shared a private conversation.

The content was nothing more than worry about the eldest girl's condition. Aunt Zheng said, "She's learned everything well, but I just feel that something bad is going to happen." Aunt Wu said, "Or is she just worried?" Aunt Zheng nodded, "I don't know what she's thinking. She won't say anything even if I coax her. It's good to keep her mouth shut, but you can't keep things to yourself." Aunt Wang said, "I can talk to the second girl, but she's still young. What can you do to help her resolve it?"

Sigh. This girl is not easy to deal with.

If this happened in the palace, she'd get a good beating and be given all the work she needed to do, leaving her no time for idle thoughts. Any ailment would be cured. Even if it couldn't be cured, she wouldn't be allowed to live or die, and at worst, be kicked out. But here, it wouldn't work. First, you couldn't be harsh with her, and second, you couldn't fire her. The worst part was, she'd learned all the rules well, yet she was becoming increasingly haggard. Even as Xiluo summoned the doctors, she looked at them with suspicion, as if they were mistreating her daughter.

After hearing what Zhenzhu said and hearing that Aunt Zhang was coming, the two aunts simply continued to hide. Aunt Zhou got up and went to the main room to urge Shujia to go to bed early. Her reason was simple: "The masters in this palace get up early. The masters will attend to government affairs at the hour of Yin. There is no later time to get up than this. If you want to get up early, you must go to bed early."

Adjust the biological clock! Shujia fell asleep obediently.

The aunts over there were still talking, this time about Aunt Zhang. In their eyes, Aunt Zhang was a troublemaker. It would be fine if she wasn't very knowledgeable, but she always caused trouble. Shuxian was a thoughtful person, and everyone around her knew about it, but she had to remind them: "Miss, success or failure depends on this one move. You must pay attention."

Shuxian is already very attentive. If she continues, her heart won’t be enough.

You still don’t know what Aunt Zhang is saying now!

At this time, Aunt Zhang was admonishing Shuxian earnestly: "Miss, you've lost weight again. This is not good. Is it because they are not serving you well enough? Just tell the mistress and she will not make things difficult for you now. Miss, a woman has to give birth twice in her life. The first time, you didn't get born in a mistress's womb, but you can't miss this chance. You must listen to your aunt and make a name for yourself."

Amber pursed her lips. "The Madam has never troubled our daughter, has she? All that trouble is on your lips. It's so annoying. Her death makes the daughter unhappy, and when she's unhappy, no one else can be happy. You're usually fine, so why are you causing trouble now?"

Amber is still young and doesn't know that women can get by with other things, but they will be extremely energetic when it comes to their children.

Aunt Zhang was still whispering, "My child is really pretty. If you work hard, maybe you can become a mistress in the palace. Then the whole family will kowtow to you." She has been honest all her life, and this is her only hope. It seems that the hope is quite great, so how can she not be tempted?

Of the three concubines, only she had a surviving daughter. Her feelings had waned before, but over the years, she had grown a bit more confident in herself and her expectations for her daughter had also grown. If her daughter had a promising future... this thought had resurfaced and grown stronger.

Shuxian was utterly depressed. Aunt Zhang's words were all truthful, but they didn't sit well with her. She longed for the true glory of being married off legitimately and ruling the household. The emperor's concubine was still just a concubine. It must be said that Shuxian's childhood trauma was too profound. After all her experiences, she had come to the conclusion that legitimate children were more noble.

Kangxi was still in his prime, and no one could say anything about his taking on two concubines. Shuxian felt even more depressed. She had met the emperor, but of course she was too nervous to see his face clearly. She was filled with awe, and just by hearing his voice, she felt as if he could see through people's hearts. It was quite frightening.

Shuxian shuddered, finally unable to hold back: "The aunts will be back soon." Aunt Zhang started and stood up awkwardly: "It's time for me to go too, young lady. Remember what I said. This is for your own good."

The aunts returned, feeling helpless as they watched Shuxian begin to feel down again. Remembering her birth mother was a good quality, but this wasn't going to work. Why should we take the blame for her misbehavior? The next day, they brought the matter to the attention of the Xiluo family.

Xiluo Te gnashed her teeth in anger. Concubine Zhang was usually quite quiet, but her tantrums were a real nuisance. She steeled herself and summoned Shuxian to her side. She saw she seemed even weaker. She immediately made a decision: "It's been a long summer, and she's lost weight. Perhaps it's too hot? So, you sisters should all stay at the farm."

The decision had just been made and the luggage had not yet been packed when someone else came from the palace.

After the Fourth Prince recovered from his illness, Kangxi went out again. The old lady who stayed in Beijing was bored and asked someone to go to the palace to play with her. This time, she asked more than one family. The Shi family asked the eunuchs and got the news that "the Empress Dowager asked the girls from several families to come and talk."

The so-called girls from several families were the ones the two old ladies had been looking at earlier, and now they were all in her arms. Shujia felt a little uneasy. What was the point of calling me in now?! The last time, it was because my father had returned to Beijing, and it was a routine summons, which was nothing serious. Even if there was a selection of concubines, it was Shuxian who was of the right age. What was going on? Shujia was shocked and broke into a sweat.

The aunts called her back to her frightened soul and began to explain to her the rules of meeting the Empress Dowager.

————————————————————————————————

When they arrived at the Cining Palace, several young girls were already there, none of whom Shujia recognized. She first met the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, and after being offered seats, the two sisters sat together. The Cining Palace was completely silent, save for the Grand Empress Dowager's laughter. "The Empress Dowager and I feel bad for calling you here in this hot weather," she said.

This is a polite remark...

The Empress Dowager had a very good memory and remembered clearly which little girl belonged to which family. When several girls in the palace heard the Empress Dowager's question, their faces flushed. The Empress Dowager still looked numb. The Empress Dowager spoke Manchu this time, which she understood, but she still found it boring.

Shujia listened as the Empress Dowager asked Dong E (Peng Chun's daughter) how her life had been these past few months, asking about things like "your father had recently rendered meritorious service to the state." Dong E, about the same age as Shujia, was also a little nervous, her face flushed, but she answered clearly, "Our family has been blessed by the state, and it is our duty to serve our master."

Well, it's just OK. If you take into account the nervousness of meeting the Empress Dowager, such a speech should have received a higher score.

Of the remaining girls, some were nervous and began to silently prepare their thoughts, wondering what they would say when it was their turn. Others, who were a little more prepared, began to assess the others. Shuxian and Shujia sat together, looking at each other, wondering, if they performed even slightly worse...

Shujia now has a sense of crisis. If the Empress Dowager has her eye on you, then nothing good can happen! In this palace, the people can only be divided into two groups: one, those running for election next year, and two, those running for election three years after next year. You can tell by looking at the beginning!

Shujia, a pseudo-lolita, had even more to think about. After all, she was a woman, so how could she not wish for a lifelong relationship? She hadn't even been in a relationship, and she was already a bride? No matter how she thought about it, she couldn't accept it! At least she should enjoy the treatment of sending flowers and writing letters, right?

Then I have to be eliminated, and then...right?

Therefore, you can't behave too well in front of the Empress Dowager. Just be innocent and lively, and don't die young to become her daughter-in-law.

Can she get what she wants?

Someone looking for trouble is here soon.

As mentioned earlier, the girls in the hall were divided into two groups. Shortly after entering, the Grand Empress Dowager spoke with a few of them, and gradually everyone relaxed. It's said that according to modern scientific research, children have a much shorter attention span than adults. Considering the children's ages, this means that after a 40-minute class, a 10-15 minute break is required; otherwise, the rest of the lesson is useless. Even with a 40-minute class, many students still fidget during the latter half.

Once they relaxed, they couldn't hold it together anymore and their true colors showed.

Some precocious ones start to get distracted and will inevitably look at their opponents first and then think about countermeasures.

For example, consider Samuha's granddaughter, Wu Yashi. Samuha, thanks to her tireless efforts in reporting Wu Sangui's rebellion, earned her the admiration of Emperor Kangxi and was considered a meritorious official of the Three Feudatories. She was of similar age to Shuxian, making her a natural competitor. How far could a young girl go in trying to trip someone up? Just as Shujia's subtle scheming wasn't enough for her aunts, this girl's scheming wasn't enough here either.

Wu Yashi, a Manchu from the Plain Yellow Banner, looked askance at the Han army flag. Her grandfather had reported the news in times of crisis, while the Shi sisters' grandfather had been punished for his mistakes on the battlefield, so she looked down on them even more. She saw Shuxian sitting there motionless, her back straight, a sharp expression on her face. She pinched her handkerchief and turned her gaze to Shujia. The girl was smiling, chubby, and adorable. Wu Yashi concluded that she was foolish.

There are fools who don't do the surgery and use her to implicate her family. Even God can't stand it.

So when the Empress Dowager mentioned that the Shi sisters came from Hangzhou, and then said to everyone, "That's a good place," and asked them to talk about it in detail, Wu Ya came to join in the fun.

"That's true. I seem to have read in a book that there are beautiful views along the West Lake, which are worth seeing. It's a pity that there are too many descriptions in the book, and I can't remember them all. You are really lucky."

The atmosphere was lively, and the more lively it was, the more one's true character was revealed. Shuxian, also influenced by the atmosphere, began to introduce the Su Causeway and Bai Causeway, and the misty rain on West Lake. Everyone listened with rapt interest. Shujia, a pseudo-lolita with slightly better self-control, thought to herself, "Oh no! This is not a good way to show off!"

Everyone still remembered that this was the Cining Palace, and they began to discuss it in a restrained, low voice. Those who knew each other exchanged glances, a hint of envy. Wu Yashi also acted interested, and asked Shujia directly with a smile, "Why aren't you talking? I seem to remember there's a beautiful view by West Lake, but I can't remember the name. My sister didn't mention it, but do you remember it?" Your sister is so perfect with her words, are you the same?

The other girls were also attracted by the topic, but they were not interested. Seeing that the Empress Dowager seemed interested, they also had to act interested.

Yes, Yue Fei Temple. Do you dare to answer?

Shujia pouted slightly, lowered her eyes, and rubbed her forehead with her index finger, pretending to think painfully. "That's what my sister, who my father and mother took me to see, told me about it!" She looked puzzled. "I only remember the Su Causeway and the Bai Causeway. The teacher said the people who built the causeways were good at writing poetry and caring about the people. The teacher asked us to recite their poems, and we memorized them miserably. What kind of scenery is that, sister? Do you know it? Just give me a name and I'll think of it."

With a soft loli voice and a round and cute face, anyone who has such a sister would find her cute and want to satisfy her needs.

Girl, you are becoming more and more cruel!

The surroundings' interest now shifted to Wu Yashi. Wu Yashi was stunned. When Shuxian introduced her, she told her everything she knew, except for Yue Fei's small piece of land, which was taboo. What did you expect Wu Yashi to say? She could only say vaguely, "I don't remember either. If I did, I wouldn't ask you."

The Queen Mother, who had been listening with interest to the subject, now said, "That's a pity; I don't know what it is."

Don't worry, there must be someone around the Empress Dowager who remembers it. Even if there isn't, we can find someone who knows.

I heard that the Samuha family will not be on the list of people who will go to the palace to speak next time.

————————————————————————————————

Back home, Shuxian said to Xiluotai, "What a close call! They dug a hole for my sister to jump into!" She was so angry. Even if she wanted to give up, she couldn't make such a mistake! Xiluotai raised an eyebrow and said, "Be careful what you say next time." She instructed the aunts to intensify their training, and this time, even Shujia's progress was being accelerated. She even put aside the idea of ​​them moving to the village and kept the two of them under her watch.

Originally, Shujia's homework wasn't that urgent, but having been called in twice in a row, she couldn't neglect it. Morning classes continued as usual, but the afternoon was all hers to the aunts. Learning the various etiquettes began, starting with the various etiquettes of meeting people, how to perform the proper greetings and when, and who to meet. She also learned how to identify people by their attire and how to greet them in different situations.

Don't have a stern face when meeting people. A little girl needs to smile a little to be liked, but don't giggle, that makes her look like a lunatic. The same goes for speaking: don't speak too loudly, that's too noisy and uncultured, and don't hum like a mosquito, that's too petty. Don't speak too fast or too slow. To show interest, you can tilt your head slightly...

Aunt Wu originally followed Empress Renxiao. After the empress died, she remembered all the good things about the empress, magnified these advantages several times, and then trained Shujia accordingly.

Shujia concluded: Once you enter the palace, you first have to act elegantly. Act noble, elegant, and make others think you have good taste. Another important thing is to know how to treat people appropriately. Even if you want to be approachable, if you meet someone of lower rank, you have to let them perform their formalities before you can be approachable.

To cultivate a positive image, Shujia began practicing her smile and movements in front of the mirror. This was a technique she had learned before crossing over. She also practiced walking by standing upright against a wall, balancing a book on her head with two plates on either end. The aunts praised her, saying, "That's clever."

Shujia felt like crying. Acting cool was a skill that required a lot of hard work. With the Xiluo family watching her every day, she had no choice but to work hard.

As a result, Shujia had even less time. When she was in trouble, Shuxian fell ill for the first time. Even if she had something to say to Shujia, she was too embarrassed to ask: "What if the emperor wants me to be his concubine?" She kept this in her heart and could not say it.

When Shujia got the news, she had just taken the plate off her head and was rubbing her stiff neck. When she arrived, Mrs. Xiluo was already there, saying to Shuxian, "The doctor always says you think too much. Don't overthink it. Even if it doesn't work out next year, can our family still ruin you?" After thinking it over, she could only think of this one reason.

But Shuxian had something to hide, so she didn't listen. Aunt Zhang was anxious beside her. After hearing what Xiluo said, she broke out in a sweat. What? How could she be so discouraged? She came over again that night and said a lot of things.

Shujia's face turned green, Shuxian's pale. How could the two girls dare to tell their parents about their plans? There was no queen in the palace, and everyone was just a concubine. Who would be willing to give up such a good opportunity? They all thought that Xiluo Te was doing this to make Shuxian feel at ease and prepare for the selection, which made them even more worried.

By the fifteenth day of the eighth month, Shuxian's face had turned pale, and her aunts and doctors kept complaining that she was worried. Xiluo Te went to inquire, but to no avail. She sent Aunt Zhang to inquire, but Aunt Zhang replied, "She's worried about embarrassing the master and his wife, but it's nothing serious." Xiluo Te then sent someone to tell Shuxian, "Your aunt has told me everything. Don't worry. We have a plan."

Shuxian became even more worried, fearing her family might have some ulterior motive to make her a concubine. "My biological mother is useless, but no one can say anything." Shuxian's illness worsened day by day. Shujia was deeply distressed. "Sister, even Lin Daiyu wouldn't be so worried. How long have you not smiled?"

Even so, she didn't dare to leak it. Why did your family raise you this old? Don't think your father and grandfather will show any mercy. They will definitely consider the family's interests. In this day and age, they certainly can't let you waste resources, right?

If Xiluo Te had a deeper affection for her biological daughter and had been more tolerant and listened to her opinions, then in the matter of Shuxian, she would not have said the word "permission" to avoid suspicion. She would not even have revealed the intention.

Shuxian herself felt bad, but she felt a sense of relief in her heart. She would rather die than be someone else's concubine. She passed this thought to Shujia. Shujia said, "Stop talking nonsense. It's not that bad yet." After saying that, she grinned and said, "Find out what Concubine Hui doesn't like and make her dislike it!"

What was there to be afraid of? She finally thought of this person she'd never met. While the position of the first wife wouldn't be hers, Concubine Hui had a lot of say in matters like the concubine. As long as she was unhappy and whispered something in Kangxi's ear, wouldn't Kangxi care? With newly-minted maids serving as teachers, wouldn't it be easy to ask? So, she inquired about the preferences of the various palace ladies in a roundabout way.

The aunts said, "Master Hui is a very good person. Don't worry. Even if there are some minor unsatisfactory things, she will not make things difficult for you for the sake of the mansion's reputation."

This road is blocked!

Shujia even saw despair in her eyes. How old is she? How can she be like this when faced with difficulties? That's not right. Teenagers love to get stuck in corners. It's a good thing she didn't openly rebel.

Forget it, I'll just die, Shujia made up her mind and went to find her brother. She said it was to thank Fu Dali for his brotherly love and for bringing all kinds of good things to her sister.

Fu Dali was a good brother, but as he got older, he ran to the back less and less, especially with the arrival of his aunts. He became even more cautious, and even Qingde, who didn't care much, became much more obedient. He only mustered up the courage to run to the back twice every few days when he had an excuse.

Fu Dali was just sitting at home writing. When he heard Shujia was here, he teased her, "You've been thinking about your sister all day, and now you're thinking about your brother?" Shujia was getting anxious, but fortunately the aunts' training had paid off, so she didn't bring out too much. She glanced at him and said, "You're becoming more and more like your second brother."

Fu Dali almost choked on his saliva. Like Qingde? That's not a good thing. "Speaking so harshly? What's wrong?"

"I wonder if you would be less like the second brother if you had an older sister-in-law."

"You girl."

"Honestly, I've seen a few of the candidates running for election next year, and some of them are really not that good. You better be careful. Oh, I almost forgot."

Fu Dali wiped his hands and walked over: "You have something important to say? Come on, tell me."

Shujia said, "She's my elder sister, a little bit..." Fu Dali said directly, "She's too thoughtful!" Shujia told Fu Dali about Shuxian's thoughts hesitantly. Fu Dali laughed and said, "Would our family lower their status like this?"

"If it really were the eldest prince..."

Fu Dali rubbed her head and said, "Why worry about it? My family will take care of it."

Huh? Looks like you've figured it out?! You're still being so secretive, you know how worried we are! I was trying to figure it out, coming over to explain it to you, wanting you to tell your parents, but before I even said anything, you all figured it out.

Shuxian was very happy when she received Fu Dali's reply. Her expression was very happy and she was very cooperative. This made her family confused. Fu Dali told Xiluotai what he meant. Xiluotai was in a complicated mood and said to Shi Wenbing, "Does she need to be like this? She is thinking too much. This is not good."

Having said that, he was still busy preparing clothes for Shuxian to wear for the election.

During the first round of the selection, candidates had to wear a blue cheongsam, no makeup allowed, and go in with their hair in a braid. After passing the preliminary round, candidates were then invited to enter the palace for selection. Those who passed had to stay overnight, which required them to prepare various daily necessities, including jewelry, red envelopes for rewards, and so on.

Shi Wenbing smiled. "I didn't tell her because I was afraid the child would blame us, but I didn't expect we'd agree. Father just came up with a plan, and it won't work without telling her. If Father gets too proud, we mustn't tell her."

Mrs. Xiluo said, "How could a child blame his parents?" At the same time, she added, "Fu Dali knows what he is doing. He's a thoughtful child. He was the one who told us Shuxian's worries."

The current priority wasn't Shuxian's marriage; she was still young, so she could stay home for two years before marrying. Fu Dali, however, was already quite old, and Xiluotai would definitely choose one for him from among the selected beauties. As for wedding preparations, the Shi family had a strong financial foundation, having accumulated wealth since their time in Hangzhou, so they had more than enough.