The concubine is extremely cautious

"Miss, there are no outsiders in the mansion today. The eldest lady is the only one in Mingzhao Hall."

"From Xiheyuan to Mingzhaotang, one has to pass through a garden and two corridors. I walked back and forth three times along the way. Everything was normal, and no suspicious people stayed."

"The flowers in the garden are the same as yesterday, and no exotic plants have appeared. The grass has been swept twice, and snake and insect repellent powder has been sprinkled along the way."

"Today's weather is sunny, the breeze is still good, and there is no sign of rain."

Four maids in green reported in turn.

The girl sitting in front of the mirror listened quietly, eliminating a hundred possibilities of murder and making sure everything was normal.

After thinking for three times, she opened her red lips slightly:

"Go and pay your respects to your mother."

The maids lifted up the layers of brocade and pearl curtains, and Ning Wanyin stood up and walked out.

She was wearing a goose yellow Shu embroidered waisted skirt with floral patterns. She had a slender figure and walked gracefully. Every move she made was impeccably elegant and dignified.

She has an exquisite face, bright eyes and white teeth, and a graceful look. She is as bright as the sun rising in the morning and as dazzling as a lotus emerging from the green waves.

A group of servants immediately set out the ceremonial procession.

Eight third-class servants led the way in front, four second-class maids guarded Ning Wanyin nearby, and the head maid Lian Rui followed closely behind with a cloak in her hand.

There were also four maids and eight old women staying in the boudoir.

Ning Wanyin, the eldest daughter of the Shou'an Marquis's mansion, is famous for being delicate and difficult to serve.

Every time she went out, she only walked for a quarter of an hour from her own yard to pay her respects to her mother, and the scene was always extremely grand with a large crowd of people following her.

But for Ning Wanyin, these are all necessary preventive measures.

A poisonous flower in the garden, a venomous snake in the grass, or a strange man who bumps into a corner can all ruin a girl's life.

If you are not careful, how can you live a hundred years?

We arrived at Mingzhaotang smoothly along the way.

Sitting in the main seat was a graceful lady, her brows full of worry and anxiety.

Ning Wanyin bowed and saluted, "Greetings to mother."

"Come and sit next to me." Cheng waved at her, slightly suppressed her worries, and forced a smile at the visitor:

"I don't know what the palace's order is today."

This was the first harem election after the new emperor ascended the throne. According to the rules of the Great Yan Dynasty, the emperor's will for the final round of palace selection would not be announced on the spot, but would be announced in the palace of the selected candidates seven days later.

"You love His Majesty, and you have spent a lot of effort in the past three years studying chess and painting, which His Majesty likes. Mother only hopes that your efforts will not be in vain." Cheng sighed softly, her eyes revealing an undisguised worry.

Ning Wanyin did not explain.

Happy?

She just didn't want to be like her cousin.

Her cousin was the daughter of her uncle, and married the son of the Minister of Rites.

This was supposed to be a very happy marriage.

However, the Minister of Rites stood on the wrong side in the dispute over the crown prince, and was imprisoned in the midst of factional persecution. All the male members of his family were exiled, and the female members of his family were confined to the Music Bureau.

It is impossible for a noble lady to go to such a place.

On the day when our house was searched, my cousin died to preserve her reputation.

As the daughter of a noble family, if nothing unexpected happens, Ning Wanyin will marry a well-matched official son in the future, just like her cousin.

Her life is not in her own hands.

If any of her husband, parents-in-law, uncles or aunts committed a crime, she would be implicated.

Ning Wanyin thought about it and decided that instead of betting on whether others would offend the emperor and cause her death, it would be better for her to do it herself.

Life and death, honor and disgrace, at least, are in her own hands, rather than hiding in the backyard, not knowing when good or bad will come.

The Shouan Marquis's Mansion has been in decline for a hundred years, and they are determined to send their daughter to the palace to gain the emperor's favor. Ning Wanyin also took the initiative to say that she wanted to enter the palace, and the two sides hit it off.

Cheng had seen all of Ning Wanyin's efforts over the past three years, and couldn't help but misunderstand that her daughter had developed feelings for the young king.

Ning Wanyin comforted him softly, "Don't worry, mother. If you fail, you can make other plans if you fail."

Nothing in this world goes as planned.

Even if you have tried your best, you still need a little help from God.

If she is not selected, she will carefully choose a husband's family with less risk.

"You'll definitely win! And don't say such unlucky words!" Cheng quickly interrupted her.

While the mother and daughter were talking, Mrs. Zhou, who was guarding outside the door, came in and reported: "My cousin is here."

Cheng frowned slightly and said, "Please ask Miaoling to come in."

Tang Miaoling.

The daughter of the Tang family of Changping Marquis Mansion, and also Ning Wanyin's cousin.

The Tang family has been stationed in the northwest for generations. This time, she came all the way from the northwest for the selection.

Although the Tang family's mansion is in the northwest, it also has branch courtyards in the capital.

But in order to curry favor with her, Old Lady Ning specially brought her to live in the Earl's house.

Tang Miaoling has an arrogant and domineering personality. Ever since she came to the Ning family, she has been acting in a bossy manner. She doesn't treat the Ning family as relatives, but as servants, ordering them around and giving them whatever they want.

Maybe it was because Ning Wanyin's father worked for her father. In her eyes, the Ning family were all her family's "servants".

Some time ago, she took a fancy to an embroidered round fan placed in Cheng's room and forced Cheng to "give" it to her.

That was a gift specially prepared by Cheng for her daughter's birthday. She embroidered it stitch by stitch for three months.

Furthermore, Ning Wanyin participated in this year's talent show with her, but she disliked Ning Wanyin and kept mocking her.

Cheng disliked her extremely.

But her husband was still in the northwest military camp, and his life and future were in the hands of the Marquis of Changping. She couldn't afford to offend him, so she could only pretend to be nice to him.

A woman in a royal blue double-breasted skirt with gold embroidered magpie branches walked in. Unlike her usual arrogance, Tang Miaoling bowed politely to Cheng:

"Please be well, aunt."

Cheng was surprised by her sudden politeness. After a moment's pause, she responded with a gentle smile, "Please take a seat. Madam Zhou, serve the tea."

Tang Miaoling did not stand up, but carefully said, "Miaoling saw that my aunt's round fan was beautiful a few days ago, and I was so happy that I borrowed it from my aunt to have a look. I came here today to return it."

Her personal maid immediately presented her with a brocade box.

Inside lay a round fan that was intact.

Cheng was unsure of what she meant by this, so she asked tentatively, "If you like it, just keep it?"

Tang Miaoling immediately became anxious, "I'm just borrowing it to look at it! This is a birthday gift that my aunt prepared for my cousin. How can I snatch it from my cousin?"

Everyone was silent.

When you were snatching it away before, didn't you know that this was a birthday gift prepared for their daughter?

Ning Wanyin's gaze fell on Tang Miaoling, her autumn-water eyes deep and mysterious.

Something was not right with her cousin.

When Tang Miaoling felt Ning Wanyin's gaze, her whole body tensed up, as if she had encountered a wild wolf while walking in the forest, and her hair stood on end.

Her palms were sweating from fear, but to hide it, she pretended to be calm and looked at Ning Wanyin, forcing out a very kind smile:

"Cousin, you look really good today."

Ning Wanyin smiled faintly in return, but she became more certain in her heart that Tang Miaoling had changed.