There was nothing that could be done about it. The Hittara family was not a wealthy or noble family, and they simply couldn't afford to send three teachers. Therefore, the teachers who taught Xiu Ning also had other tasks on weekdays.
"Princess, the zither teacher has left. Would you like to go back to the courtyard to rest? There's a calligraphy class this afternoon," Chunyu asked softly as she approached Xiuning.
“No need,” Xiuning shook her head, pondering what the female chef had just said. “Go and fetch the food here. Let’s have lunch here.”
Anyway, the calligraphy class is here in the afternoon, so she can just take a short break then.
Seeing this, Chunyu didn't try to persuade her any further, but instead went back to get her meal.
Xiuning was left alone again.
Xiu Ning lowered her head and simply moved her fingers to pluck the strings. Bystander, bystander, bystander, bystander... that's right.
With a snap, Xiu Ning immediately withdrew her hand, and her expression became lively.
After more than three years here, Xiu Ning finally realized that something was wrong with her. Just as her female master had said, despite trying her best to imitate the original owner's every move, she had not truly integrated herself into the story. She was always like an observer, detached from the environment.
This is not Xiuning's fault, because she hadn't done any missions for a long time before accepting this task, and she had completely forgotten the most basic aspects of mission integration.
This is not good, very bad. At least for Xiuning, who is going to live for the next few decades, it is a huge flaw.
Whew~
Fortunately, someone reminded her, and she discovered it early herself. As long as she corrects it, she will be the real Xitala Xiuning.
Once Xiuning understood all this, she instantly felt her mind clear and her whole being became more transparent. Even Chunyu, who came to deliver the food, inexplicably felt that her princess had become much more affectionate.
Of course, this is not to say that the previous princess was bad, but she was still a little afraid of her before and didn't say too much. Now, Chunyu has been chattering away, telling Xiuning all the gossip in the mansion.
Xiuning: ...
Goodness, it turns out that her maid Chunyu is quite the chatterbox.
Amused, Xiu Ning tapped Chunyu's little head, reminding her to inquire about the gossip surrounding the mansion. Hmm, she loved listening to that when she had nothing else to do.
“Princess, what is our Xitala Mansion compared to the Dong Mansion not far away?” Chunyu’s eyes darted around. As a servant born into a family, Chunyu’s mother was a trusted confidante of Lady Fucha. Whenever Chunyu went back to visit her mother, she would hear her gossip about the neighboring mansion, such as the matriarch and her concubine not getting along, the old lady making things difficult for her daughter-in-law, the eldest and youngest sons fighting over the family property, and so on. In short, it was always quite a lively affair.
Xiuning: ……
"The Dong family next door?" According to the rules of quick transmigration, it couldn't be the Dong family member who was made a concubine in Kangxi's harem, could it?
"Your Highness, you may not know this, but it's not next door, though it's not far. It's just that the master of that family, although he is a fifth-rank official, comes from a family of bondservants, which is nothing compared to Your Highness," Chunyu said, curling her lips with a hint of disdain. It was only the early years of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and the Manchu and Mongol nobles still carried an air of superiority. Moreover, Uya, as a member of the bondservant banner, had not yet successfully become the Empress Dowager through her son. Therefore, bondservants, who were servants of the royal family, were not well regarded by the Manchu and Mongol families.
Well, according to Xiuning's understanding, although everyone is a servant, they are still divided into different classes, and the bondservant banner is considered the lowest class, only slightly higher than the Han army banner.
After listening to Chunyu's few simple words, Xiuning became even more certain that the Dong family was very likely the maternal family of the future Consort Duan.
It's important to know that Consort Duan was able to be promoted to the rank of Consort in the sixteenth year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign. Although she only gave birth to one daughter who died young, Consort Duan's father, Dong Deqi, and uncle, Dong Degui, were both very capable. Moreover, it is said that Dong Degui was a person of Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. This is the main reason why Dong Degui, who entered the palace through the selection of palace maids, was able to serve the Kangxi Emperor and successfully become a Consort in the sixteenth year.
Tsk tsk
In short, this person will be a formidable rival for Xiuning in the future.
However, there's no need to be too afraid. Once Consort Duan is granted the title of Pin, she loses her presence in the harem. If Xiu Ning enters the harem in the future, she only needs to steadily become one of the Seven Consorts in the sixteenth year of Kangxi's reign (because a total of seven Consorts were granted the title at that time, but one unlucky one did not receive the title and seal). Then, she will have a chance to compete for the title of Fei in the twentieth year of Kangxi's reign.
It's decided that Chunyu will find an opportunity to thoroughly investigate the key figures in Kangxi's early harem so that she can prepare in advance and be prepared for any eventuality.
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