Yunzhu didn't know the door was outside, Su Wen asked and Lingzhui's small movements. After they left, she stretched out her white and tender hand, puffed a breath into her palm, and a two-meter-tall yulan tree slowly appeared before her eyes. The emerald green leaves clustered between the branches, while the white and yellow yulan flowers were like fairies, some shyly hiding among the leaves, others proudly blooming on top of the branches.

  The refreshing aroma of the branches and leaves, and the fragrant scent of the jade orchid, intertwined as one, rushed into the surging mist. Yunzhu took a deep breath, feeling that the fragrance was like a substance that moistened her lungs, heart, and spleen, bringing unparalleled comfort.

  She opened her eyes and shifted her gaze to the magnolia tree. Under the leaves, strings of magnolia fruit hung quietly, some were tender green, some were green with red, some were ripe brown-red, and some even had slightly cracked shells, revealing the heart-shaped seeds inside.

  She plucked a string of green fruit, cracked open the shell, and a thick, milky white juice dripped into the water, slowly dissolving, disappearing without a trace. In its place was a rich, intoxicating aroma that wafted through the air, nourishing her skin.

  Next, she took a string of green fruit with red undertones, pinched open the shell, and inside, the milky white juice had coagulated into a gel-like pulp. She gently scooped it out and put it in her mouth, where the clear, sweet fragrance of jasmine tea mixed with the creamy aroma of milk, and the soft, smooth, elastic texture was like QQ candy, even more delicious than any sugar from past lives.

  The fully red蓇葖 fruit had already begun to show signs of life, its seeds starting to turn red and condense into heart shapes. Although it could still be eaten, the taste wasn't as good as the green-and-red ones. When the蓇葖 fruit turned reddish-brown, the seeds were ready to be taken out for planting.

  In her past life, before the end of the world, Yunzhu didn't know that the fruit of the jade orchid was edible. However, in the post-apocalyptic world, she survived by relying on the flowers and fruits of this very tree. At that time, apart from the six or seven square meters of land around the base of the tree, there was also a small pond about twenty square meters in size surrounding the tree... Unfortunately, after crossing over to the Qing dynasty, only this one tree remained. However, it might be possible for it to upgrade, because whether it was in her past life or when she first crossed over, this jade orchid only bloomed pure white flowers. But after ten years had passed, it also produced a second color of flower - an extremely beautiful pale yellow, almost shallow green, which would be hidden from view if one didn't look carefully among the leaves.

  She couldn't figure out how it came to the Qing Dynasty with her, and she had no idea why it changed. She only knew that whether in past lives or this life, she had benefited from it far too much.

  In the past two years, Li Rongbao was seriously ill. If it weren't for that, she might have lost this life's dignified and loving father.

  Without it, she couldn't have developed this exceptionally smooth skin and natural fragrance... Her virtues, speech, appearance, and skills will be her capital and reliance no matter who she marries in the future. Not to mention that she is going to marry the Emperor Qianlong, famous for his romantic escapades.

  Yunzhu also thought about using every trick in the book to get selected during the selection process, but later discovered that she was chosen as Hongli's di wife not just because of her performance during the selection, but more so because of other reasons.

  First of all, it's the family background. From Mi Si-han, the grandfather of Yunzhu, to Ma Qi, Ma Wu, Li Rongbao, and her cousins and brothers in this generation, whether in literature or martial arts, they have all performed exceptionally well, which shows the prosperity of a family. A suitable marriage for a daughter from such a prominent family with both literary and military achievements cannot be bad, can it? Giving her to a son who is expected to have great prospects would only increase his capital, wouldn't it?

  Secondly, Yongzheng was a person who loved and hated greatly. Those he appreciated would be forever trusted by him as long as they did not betray him, and he would generously bestow all kinds of favors upon them. He even naively hoped that such beautiful relationships could extend to the next generation.

  The emperor, when he was a young man, had a close relationship with Li Rongbao and greatly admired his character. When choosing a companion for his son, he even disregarded the fact that Li Rongbao was still in Chahar and directly chose his youngest son, Fu Heng, to be with Hongli. One reason was to save face for Ma Qi, but more importantly, he believed that Li Rongbao's son would not turn out badly. Similarly, he had a better impression of Li Rongbao's only daughter, Fucha Yunzhu, than the noblewomen from other families and had already recognized her as an excellent person in his heart. If such a person were to intentionally appear mediocre, wouldn't he go against his previous good impression and develop a psychology of disgust, thinking that she was not living up to the teachings of the Fucha family?

  Yunzhu dare not gamble.

  Furthermore, the sticky rod and blood drop during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng were notorious. Although she had never seen them with her own eyes, could she guarantee that there was no imperial spy in the Fuca Mansion? No. She sometimes felt like being spied on, but she couldn't be sure if it was definitely one of her father's concubines or maidservants who were sent to spy on her. Maybe they had dual or triple identities. It was also possible that there were even more cunning people who could transmit the news from the Fuca Mansion without her knowledge. Even if she could protect herself, could she protect her parents and brothers? If she dared to deceive, it would be considered deceiving the emperor, which would not only implicate the entire Fuca family but also bring disaster upon herself.

  It's better to rely on oneself than others. Anyway, she has decided to become an excellent lady of the past, so to some extent, she can't be humble.

  She can't change the road she's about to take, so she can only equip herself more fully.

  Family background, appearance, and talent, she cannot lack any of them. Even if time will eventually take away her beauty, she must plant the most beautiful side of herself in the heart of the elegant emperor, so that even if more young and beautiful women appear in his long life, he cannot forget his past self.

  As the royal daughter-in-law, as the emperor's imperial concubine, status and privileges are important, but what is most important is the emperor's maintenance and favor, she has to calculate this.

  As for love, talking about love with the emperor? That's something only a fool would do. Of course, she had to let the emperor know that she was just such a "fool".

  As long as he and his women do not threaten her life, status, or children, she does not mind being a "virtuous" wife; otherwise, she also has no objection to letting him die prematurely.

  Everything for the greater good.

  Everything for the sake of enjoying life.

  What a wonderful day, comfortable bed, delicious food, fulfilling artistic learning, planning for the future... Yunzhu thought, compared to the end of the world filled with hunger, betrayal, killing... constant vigilance and loneliness, this is the life of an immortal.

  Yunzhu led Yiya and Lingzhui to the main courtyard after they had finished dressing up, and it was about time.

  "Hui Zhu." Seeing her younger sister Hui Zhu, who was four years younger than herself, running out of the main courtyard with a bright red face, Yun Zhu was somewhat surprised, "What's wrong?"

  Hui Zhu glared at her: "Mind your own business!" Her gaze fell on the large pot that Yi Ya and Ling Shu were carrying, and she cursed them as "sycophants" before running away.

  Ling Xuan furrowed his brow and said, "What's going on with these two girls?" Normally, they were fine, although they envied and resented the eldest girl for receiving more attention from everyone. However, as a legitimate daughter, she had everything she was supposed to have, and the young masters didn't ignore her either. She shouldn't have any complaints, so why did she suddenly disregard even basic courtesy?

  Yunzhu thought for a moment and ignored him, continuing on her way.

  The second girl may be bad, but it's not something they can talk about, especially outside. Even Ling Shuo Yiyu, who was well-raised by Yunzhu, shut her mouth and followed closely behind.

  "Ah Ma, E Niang." As soon as she entered the main hall, Li Rongbao and Guwalgiya were talking, and when they saw her, both of their faces broke into smiles. Guwalgiya didn't wait for Yunzhu to finish her greetings before saying: "Come over quickly and sit down, we're discussing what birthday gift to give your older sister, do you have any ideas?"

  Although they saw displeasure in her eyes, they neither mentioned nor asked about it, thinking that it was probably related to Little Sister Hui Zhu and had nothing to do with this matter.

  "Just send something practical and thoughtful, isn't that what our family has always done?"

  Yunzhu rolled her eyes inwardly. Even if the title of her brother-in-law, Yunyou, was downgraded again in the second year of Emperor Yongzheng's reign, there were two reasons why she wasn't worried: firstly, their family wasn't one to only look at power and neglect their relatives; secondly, she believed that with her uncle (Ma Qi) and father (Li Rongbao)'s cunning and experience, they would be able to see through the Emperor's intentions of paving the way for the Third Prince. Her brother-in-law had two advantages: firstly, he hadn't participated in the struggle for the throne during the previous emperor's reign; secondly, he was a careful and steady person who had earned the praise of the previous emperor. Although he wasn't being treated with great favor by the current emperor, he was still trustworthy as a brother. Therefore, the cold treatment they were receiving now actually made it clearer to see who could be befriended and who were just fair-weather friends. There was nothing to worry about. "Mother, are you angry at those petty people for kicking us while we're down, or are you worried about our life in the sister's household?"

  It was really unnecessary to worry about that, even if they didn't have the county king's salary and her sister's incredibly rich dowry properties. Her thoughts were written all over her face.

  "Haha, still our Cloud Pearl's heart is transparent." Li Rongbao smiled with a pleased expression as he stroked his mustache. "I heard your mother say you had a great time playing at the Zhuang Prince's mansion today?"

  "Ah, very interesting." Perhaps due to the influence of Han culture, the Manchu noblewomen, although not illiterate or disdainful of artistic talents such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, did not learn them as deeply as one might imagine. Generally, being able to write a poem was already considered impressive, and most people only knew how to recognize characters, write, and recite a few poems from previous generations. Other artistic talents were also only superficially understood, with few truly mastering them. However, their skills in needlework, household management, and archery were not bad. Attending such gatherings would be beneficial for her to gain a deeper understanding of the lives of the Eight Banners noblewomen.

  "As long as you're happy, don't think too much about other things, with Ama and your brothers around. Li Rongbao truly loved his daughter and didn't have the idea that many Manchu people had, hoping their daughters would one day become noblewomen to elevate the family's status. On the contrary, he thought the family was a support and shelter for his daughter, while the honor of the Fuca family had always been earned by the sons themselves."