Historically, the failure rate in the second round of the imperial concubine selection is the highest. The reason is simple: the second round is the closest to the final selection and the easiest opportunity to manipulate the results. Ambitious families and individuals will not give up this opportunity.
It was clearly within Xiu Ning's expectations that Shu Mulu Yixuan would get into trouble.
Xiu Ning just didn't expect the incident to take so long. After all, according to her calculations, Shu Mu Lu Yi Xuan should have been sent out of the palace long ago for breaking the taboo.
'Host, you don't seem worried at all.' Five people lived in the room, but two of them left at once. It looked at the remaining Guarjia Yuxi and Yiergen Jueluo Yiyun and they were a little flustered. Only its host didn't even pretend to be worried.
Is worrying helpful? The best approach is to be careful and avoid these traps.
As for finding an opportunity to retaliate, unless Xiuning has already entered the palace, she has no connections whatsoever, so she can only passively endure the beating.
The three of them have returned to their rooms to calm down, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, they will not be able to miss the afternoon's lesson on etiquette.
'As expected, you need a strong heart to succeed in the second round of selections,' otherwise, if something unexpected happens every time, even the strongest heart won't be able to withstand it.
...
Ultimately, Shumulu Yixuan was just a relatively familiar roommate to them. Once she left, she was gone. Except for Guarjia Yuxi, who was particularly sad, the other two calmed down and put the matter behind them, throwing themselves wholeheartedly into their new studies.
They did not forget their ultimate goal in entering the palace; being selected and having their nameplates kept was their ultimate aim.
On the other side, the main hall of Shou Kang Palace
The weather was perfect, so the Empress Dowager had a rocking chair brought out. She lay half-reclined in the rocking chair, basking in the sun, with a maidservant fanning her beside her.
"My lord, the young ladies of the Shumulu clan have already left the palace."
Footsteps approached, and a maidservant bowed slightly, delivering a message to the Empress Dowager in standard Mongolian.
"Yes, it's good that she got out. If anyone is to blame, it's her surname and bloodline."
The Empress Dowager did not open her eyes; she lay back comfortably in the rocking chair.
"Your Majesty, there is one more thing. The Empress Dowager of Cining Palace requests that you visit her when you have time."
Before the maid could finish speaking, the Empress Dowager suddenly stood up, opened her eyes, and her leisurely expression vanished.
After regaining her composure, the Empress Dowager's expression softened again. "No need to go. Just convey my apologies and say that I will never do it again."
She didn't need to go to know that her great-aunt was looking for her because of Shumulu's matter. If she left the palace smoothly, then the things she had done before would no longer be pursued.
Of course, the premise of not pursuing the matter is that there is no opportunity to cause trouble again. My great-aunt is very hard-hearted. Even if she feels guilty, she will not allow her to cause trouble and make mistakes again and again.
She felt a moment of resentment, but she quickly came to her senses.
She sat up and then lay down again, closing her eyes once more. "There's no need to inform me of this matter any further."
...
"Never do it again?"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang shook her head, disbelieving the message sent by the Empress Dowager.
As expected, we are all human, and everyone has their own stubbornness.
"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager entered the palace at a young age and had a difficult time during the late Emperor's reign, so she naturally has more worries than others."
In this matter concerning Princess Shumulu, the Empress Dowager was unable to control her emotions, which led to her making a mistake.
Presumably, after this incident, the Empress Dowager was already aware of the problem.
The harem is no longer the same as the late emperor's harem; the empress dowager hadn't realized this before.
Now that the master has pointed this out, as long as the master is ruthless and teaches the Empress Dowager a lesson, the Empress Dowager will certainly not act recklessly again.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang held the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, paused for a long time, and then added, "I hope so."
She was the Empress Dowager of the Qing Dynasty, and all interests naturally had to be based on the interests of the Qing Dynasty. If the Empress Dowager's actions harmed the interests of the Qing Dynasty, then even she could not save her.
Shu Mulu Yixuan's affair was like a passing breeze, just like Dong E Jingxin's before.
When the wind rises, it brings noise and bustle; when the wind goes, it leaves behind only loneliness and desolation.
Apart from Xiu Ning and her two roommates, the other young ladies of Chuxiu Palace didn't pay much attention to them. They were just like a handful of clear water in the long river of time, disappearing without a trace once they were absorbed into it.
In the remaining days, Xiuning became more cautious, adhering to the principle of avoiding unnecessary social interactions and staying home unnecessarily, and thus lived a peaceful life.
There were several traps deliberately set for her, but Xiuning not only dodged them all, but she even handed the people she caught back to the head maid.
Of course, she didn't know the outcome of the matter, since it was a private matter within the harem, but Xiu Ning could clearly feel that she was being watched more closely.
Is this an assessment or a test?
Xiu Ning muttered a few words to herself, then continued to calm herself down and show her best side.
Qianqing Palace
After a long day of official business, Emperor Kangxi finally had a rare moment to rest.
With frequent affairs in the court lately, Emperor Kangxi had no interest in visiting his concubines and spent most of the month sleeping alone in the Qianqing Palace.
Tonight was no different. After washing up with Liang Jiugong's help, Kangxi sat comfortably on the couch and read some ancient books and classics to pass the time.
Seeing this, Liang Jiugong took a small step and placed the brewed tea next to Kangxi, then quickly stepped back to avoid blocking the light.
Hearing the noise, Kangxi put down the book in his hand, picked up his teacup to moisten his throat, and said, "The newly selected ladies will soon be chosen for the final selection."
Liang Jiugong was taken aback, then nodded, "Would Your Majesty like to see the list of names sent by the palace servants?"
The news register refers to the daily trivial matters of the imperial concubines. These are recorded by the palace servants who recount them bit by bit. In addition to being sent to the Cining Palace where the Empress Dowager resides, a copy of the news register is also sent to the Qianqing Palace.
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