When Nanny Sun returned to Chaoyun Court that day, she no longer dared to act as arrogantly as she did the day before.

The servants of Chaoyun Court saw Nanny Sun go out arrogantly, threatening to seek justice from the Madam, while Chu Jinyao went out calmly. After she came back, Nanny Sun became obedient and dared not be rude to Chu Jinyao again. Several maids were a little surprised, and they also respected Chu Jinyao and put away their contempt.

Although the fifth lady has a shallow foundation, she is not someone who can be bullied by others.

Chu Jinyao dealt with Nanny Sun that day, and went to learn poetry with Nanny Deng. When she returned to Chaoyun Court, she was exhausted again.

But even so, she still insisted on practicing calligraphy. Qin Yi looked at her and frowned, saying, "You've stood for so long today to learn the rules. Take a break first."

Chu Jinyao shook her head without even looking up, "This is a daily homework. How can I miss it? I'll just bear with it. There's such a big gap between me and Chu Jinmiao. If I don't work harder, I'll be left further and further behind."

"She's just a show-off." Qin Yi came out of the jade pendant, sat opposite Chu Jinyao, picked up a book and said, "What she relies on now is nothing more than that she has spent more time learning poetry than you, while other women spend most of their time on needlework and are too lazy to use their brains to read books, which makes her literary talent so outstanding. You have similar talents to her, but your character is more tenacious than hers. It's only a matter of time before you catch up with her."

"Really?"

"Really."

Chu Jinyao chuckled. While writing, she said to Qin Yi, "Although I think you are teasing me, I am still happy to hear it. But no matter how much I dislike her, I have to admit that Chu Jinmiao is better at talking and charming than me. You see, I have been back for so long. My grandmother, sisters, and mother in the mansion all like Chu Jinmiao more. Not to mention my brothers at home, I think my two cousins ​​like her more too."

"I don't think so." Qin Yi said, "You can't just look at the surface. In fact, Chu Jinmiao is not popular among women. For example, your eldest sister doesn't like her. Your sister is the eldest daughter of the family who has been carefully raised. Her vision represents the preferences of the female elders in the family. You are still young now. It will be more obvious in a few years."

Chu Jinyao was skeptical: "Are you serious?"

"Of course." Qin Yi glanced at Chu Jinyao coldly, "Do I look like someone who would make a mistake?"

"Although I always feel that you are comforting me, I also hope this is true." Chu Jinyao sighed, "I don't expect other female elders to like me. As long as my mother is fair to me, that's enough." Hearing

this, even Qin Yi felt speechless: "Your mother... I didn't expect that the wife of Marquis Changxing would be so biased. If she is still like this in the future, I can only find someone to advise her."

Chu Jinmiao was stunned for a moment, and immediately asked: "What do you mean?" Qin Yi's words were too strange, and Chu Jinyao couldn't help but doubt his identity again.

"Nothing." Qin Yi calmly turned a page of the book and asked, "Why did you talk about two cousins ​​just now?"

"You changed the subject again!" Chu Jinyao was so angry that she reached out to slap him. Before she could find out the reason, she suddenly heard Dingxiang reporting outside: "Girl, the sixth girl is here."

Sixth girl? Why did the sixth girl come to her? Chu Jinyao was puzzled, and Qin Yi's strangeness was also put aside. The sixth girl is the legitimate daughter of the third room. She is not very liked by the old lady. She is also cautious in her words and deeds on weekdays. Chu Jinyao secretly thinks that the sixth girl is a person with a plan. But even so, Chu Jinyao will not take the initiative to approach the third room. What did she do to displease the old lady for no reason? The sixth girl and Chu Jinyao have no intersection. They usually just nod and smile when they meet. What is she doing in Chaoyun Courtyard?

Chu Jinyao felt strange, she lowered her voice and asked Qin Yi who was sitting opposite: "What do you think the Sixth Miss is doing here?"

Qin Yi put down his book and said: "Wait and see, let's go out and take a look first."

Chu Jinyao put down her pen and walked to the main hall, and sure enough, she saw the Sixth Miss standing in the hall. The Sixth Miss saw Chu Jinyao coming out of the east side room, and her eyebrows moved slightly: "Fifth sister is really diligent, she went to the study room to practice as soon as she came back."

Chu Jinyao smiled and said: "No, I just took a look." Chu Jinyao led the Sixth Miss to the west side room, and after the two sat down, the maid replaced the fresh fruit plate. After the maids stepped aside, Chu Jinyao asked, "Why did you think of coming here?"

"I made some snacks and came to see Fifth Sister." Sixth Miss said, and asked her maid to present the snack box. A maid with double spiral buns took two steps forward with a red lacquer box, slightly opened the lid, and took out a stack of small plum blossom cakes from it. Sixth Miss smiled and said, "I just made it casually, Fifth Sister, please don't dislike it."

"How could it be." Chu Jinyao smiled and asked the maid to put the plate of plum blossom cakes over, and put away the other snacks one by one. Chu Jinyao glanced at Sixth Miss's plum blossom cakes and then retracted her gaze.

Sixth Miss said that these were made by her own hands, but in fact, her maids made them, and Sixth Miss passed them on to her, and it was considered that she made them by herself. Chu Jinyao only took a look and felt that these pastries were more than delicate and not difficult to make. If she had a plum blossom mold, she could make them herself.

However, she thought so in her heart, but she couldn't say it for the sake of face. Chu Jinyao's maids were all praising: "Sixth Miss has such a skillful hand." Chu Jinyao also smiled and said: "Sixth sister is thoughtful."

Sixth Miss pursed her lips and smiled, and said: "I hope Fifth Sister doesn't mind."

Chu Jinyao watched Sixth Miss being polite with everyone, but she refused to talk about the main topic. Chu Jinyao didn't remind her, and chatted with her calmly.

Sixth Miss waited for a while, but Chu Jinyao didn't ask about it. She secretly thought that Chu Jinyao was really patient. The Sixth Miss had no choice but to reveal the mystery herself: "Fifth Sister, I came here today not only to bring you cakes, but also to tell you something private."

Chu Jinyao glanced at the maids around her when she heard this. Kikyo and the others immediately excused themselves: "I will go to prepare fruits for the girls."

When the idle maids had almost left, the Sixth Miss lowered her voice, rested her elbows on the table, and leaned towards Chu Jinyao slightly: "Fifth Sister, I came here today to tell you quietly that the Fourth Miss wants to plant a spy next to you."

Chu Jinyao raised her eyebrows in surprise and asked: "Oh? What do you mean?"

"I have a maid who was born in my family and has a good relationship with people. She went to talk to her little sister that day and heard the maid who was sweeping the yard of the fourth lady talking about it. When the fourth lady was talking to someone, she didn't notice that there was someone standing behind the bushes, so the little girl heard it. After my maid knew about it, she came back and told me. I thought about it and felt something was wrong, so I came to tell the fifth sister."

Chu Jinyao smiled after hearing this, but she was concerned in her heart. Let's not talk about whether the maid's eavesdropping is true. Even if it is true, why did the sixth lady tell her? Chu Jinyao did not express her opinion, but said: "It's hard for you to think about me, but we are sisters from the same mansion. If someone hears it, they will probably gossip about it. I feel very sorry that the sixth sister took such a risk for me."

The Sixth Miss said, "Fifth Sister, you don't know, but when I saw you, I felt that we were very compatible. In fact, I am the same as you. I am not very favored in the Marquis' Mansion. I am not as pampered as the Fourth and Seventh Misses. I also have to be careful to survive in the cracks. Seeing you being embarrassed everywhere, I feel sympathetic, so I always want to do something to help you. But I am not favored either, I am afraid that I am willing but unable to do it."

Chu Jinyao smiled and said, "Sixth Sister, I am very touched that you think so. Sixth Sister, you don't need to do anything for me, I know your heart is enough."

Seeing that Chu Jinyao refused to say anything, the Sixth Miss had to show her trump card and said, "Fifth Sister, do you know why the Marquis's wife suddenly thought of sending you a tutor?"

Chu Jinyao asked calmly, "Why?"

"That was the fault of that girl. Although there are maids in the courtyards of the girls, nominally to discipline them, in reality it is not the case at all. If it were a legitimate girl, her mother would have arranged everything for her long ago, and the girls would be in charge of the courtyard affairs themselves. The maids in charge would just play the villain for the girls and scare the maids. But your maid is not right. With such a person, everything you do has to go through her hands. Not only can you not accomplish anything, but your every move will also be spread by her. Tell me, who will benefit if this continues?"

"You mean, the fourth girl?"

"Yes. Fifth sister, now is the critical moment to choose a study partner. Aunt, the prince, and the nanny in the palace are all in our house. After they go back, the princess will definitely ask aunt and the nanny about us. Aunt won't say anything, but the nanny's evaluation of us is what matters. If they say one good thing, it is equivalent to us saying a hundred words ourselves, but as long as they say one bad thing, then our thousand or ten thousand excuses will be useless. Fifth sister, don't you think this makes sense? The fourth lady has placed a foster nanny by your side. If she uses this nanny to secretly replace something of yours, or lets the nanny make up something about you, and when it gets to Nanny Hua and Nanny Deng, then everything will be over."

Chu Jinyao thought to herself. She didn't plan to choose this study partner in the first place. Now she is just learning from the nanny in the palace. Chu Jinyao didn't care what the nanny thought of her, so in this way, Nanny Sun was not as serious as the Sixth Miss said.

Seeing that Chu Jinyao didn't say anything, the Sixth Miss thought she was frightened, so she continued: "Sister, you see, the palace wants to select two companions for the county lord. We are in the same boat, shouldn't we unite? If we do nothing, Chu Jinmiao will become more rampant, and who knows how she will plot against us. If we unite, more people means more strength. Even if we encounter any problems, at least we have someone to discuss with."

Chu Jinyao said "Oh" in her heart. It turned out that this was the Sixth Miss's idea. She came to her to form an alliance. Chu Jinyao had no intention of being a companion in the palace, and she did not want to get involved in their internal strife. She was about to refuse when she suddenly felt the jade pendant on her chest vibrate.

Chu Jinyao's expression remained unchanged, but her words took a sharp turn: "I am touched that you care about me like this. I am new here and I don't know anything. If Sixth Sister doesn't mind me and is willing to help me, I will be very grateful."

Sixth Miss finally showed a sincere smile: "We two sisters are both pitiful people. As long as we unite, there will always be a way."

Chu Jinyao chatted with Sixth Miss for a while. After Sixth Miss left, Chu Jinyao quietly asked Qin Yi: "Why did you stop me just now? It's still uncertain whether Sixth Miss's words are true or false. What should we do next?"

"She is here to seek an alliance. Since we don't know her intentions, let's stabilize her first and then see what happens next."

"But I don't want to get involved in this mess with them, so why should I agree to form an alliance with her?"

Qin Yi said, "If you don't agree, she will find two other people. Then three people will be against you alone. Do you think it's fun?"

"..." Chu Jinyao was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth, "Is it like this?"

"Why not?" Qin Yi reminded Chu Jinyao, "When dealing with things, the most taboo is to please both sides. If you want to please both sides, the final result is that neither side will be pleased. Especially since there are only four of you, it is necessary to form alliances in pairs, otherwise you will be squeezed out by the other three. You should form an alliance with her, and keep some thoughts when calculating the other two people, so that you can use it as a handle to threaten the sixth girl in the end. This is the way to survive in the harem... No, this is the way to survive in the harem, do you understand? Don't always think about being alone, without enough "If you don't have enough strength, the result of keeping to yourself is often that others will join you. If you have enough strength, then someone will come to you and you will not be able to keep to yourself."

Chu Jinyao listened for a long time and was in awe of Qin Yi: "What kind of environment did you cultivate to become a master? You have a lot of tricks to use against people." First, he formed a clique and killed another gang, and then he immediately attacked his allies. Chu Jinyao suddenly felt that Qin Yi was a terrible person, and it was too dangerous to be his ally.

Chu Jinyao suddenly said "ouch", and her voice became weak: "You are so ruthless to your allies, so am I your ally?"

Qin Yi was originally teaching Chu Jinyao the way to survive seriously, but when he heard her words, Qin Yi couldn't help laughing. "You think a lot. Don't worry, with your level, you are not even worthy of my attention. I even think it's a waste of time to plot against you."

After hearing this, Chu Jinyao's face was long and he said in a bad tone: "Then should I thank you, old man?"

"You're welcome."

"Go away! I don't want to care about you."

Chu Zhu can rarely go back to her parents' home. After staying there for a few days, she didn't want to go back. In the palace, she is a daughter-in-law. She has to be careful when she speaks and walks. She can't make any mistakes. But in her parents' home, it's very easy. Her own mother is the head of the family, so whatever she does is right. However, no matter

how much Chu Zhu misses her parents' home, she can't stay there for long. What kind of thing is it for a married woman to live in her parents' home? Chu Zhu reluctantly set a date to return to the palace. When Chu Zhu returned, Lin Xining, Lin Xiyuan and the two maids in the palace naturally had to leave together. Old Madam Chu was reluctant to let her only daughter go, so she kept the children by her side these days and let them spend more time together. Once Chu Zhu left, it would be unknown when the cousins ​​would see each other again.

This morning was Aunt Deng's class. Aunt Deng talked about "A New Account of Tales of the World", which Chu Jinyao had never studied before and was completely confused. However, after class these days, she could not return to her own courtyard as usual, but had to stay with the old lady with her sisters. Chu Jinyao was

confused by what she heard. With a head full of questions, she walked towards Rongning Hall, intending to ask Qin Yi when no one was around. Chu Jinmiao deliberately dawdled and walked at the end. When everyone had left, she smiled triumphantly and turned around to walk back.

Others don't know the details of the so-called selection of study companions, but she knows it. If a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Since God intends to let her know the affairs of the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess, she can't be blamed for being cruel and ruthless. Even if one or two people are sacrificed, there is nothing she can do.

Chu Jinyao was unaware of Chu Jinmiao's little trick, and she went straight back to the old lady. After lunch, she asked the maid to move the books to the back room, and she hid from people to read.

While there was no one around, Chu Jinyao quietly asked: "The luminous pearl, what's behind it?"

"The luminous pearl does not have to come from the Mengjin River; the jade that fits in the palm of your hand does not have to be mined from the Kunlun Mountain." Qin Yi replied in a low voice. Chu Jinyao picked up her pen and wrote on the paper. This was today's homework, which she did not understand at all. She could only copy and recite it in private.

Qin Yi watched Chu Jinyao writing. After a while, he couldn't help but say, "Why do the books that Huailing Palace picked for you look so familiar to me?" A few days ago, "Zhaoming Wenxuan" and today's "Shishuo Xinyu" were all books he often read in his spare time. These were not the contents of the imperial examinations, and few ordinary men would read them. Why did Aunt Deng pick these books to teach Chu Jinyao and others?

Chu Jinyao shook his head: "I don't know."

Chu Jinyao and Qin Yi were talking quietly in the back room, but there was a sudden noise outside.

Chu Jinyao frowned, called a maid and asked, "What's going on outside?"

The maid replied with a smile, "Miss, Prince Huailing said he will leave tomorrow, so he came here specially to pay his respects to the old lady today!"

It turned out that Lin Xiyuan had come, and Chu Jinyao understood. No wonder it was so lively outside all of a sudden. Now Chu Zhu, people from the Huailing Palace, the old lady Chu, and several girls from the Chu family were all here. Basically, everyone in the palace was gathered together. With so many people here, it would be lively enough if there was just a little noise. Chu

Jinyao didn't take it seriously at first. She wrote two words and suddenly realized, why didn't she see Chu Jinmiao?

The author has something to say: The luminous pearl does not have to come from the Mengjin River; the jade that can be held in one hand does not have to be picked from the Kunlun Mountain. ———《Shishuo Xinyu·Yanyu》