First place (down)

  After meditating for half an hour, Yunzhu opened her eyes and felt that her mind was clearer. Anyway, since she couldn't sleep for a while, she decided to go over the recent events again.

  The Wei Yong Hou Fu (the natal home of the Gua'er Jia Shi family, now demoted to a first-class Wei Yong Hou Fu) and the Zhen Guo Gong Fu sent over several instructresses who were well-versed in the rules for surviving in the inner palace. They came and went hastily, familiarizing themselves with the rules and information about the various masters of the harem, as well as the information about the秀女 (imperial consorts). The rich and powerful Fu family's influence within the palace and the Imperial Household Department was also smoothly taken over by their own people. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the right moment to take action. According to historical precedent, if nothing unexpected happened, she would be assigned to live in the Qian Xi Er So (the second residence of the Qian Xi Palace) with Hong Li. She had already arranged for many of her own people to infiltrate the palace beforehand. However, as the legitimate Fu Jin (imperial consort) of the crown prince, she also needed to bring her own entourage on the surface.

  Guo Mama is the nanny who took care of me since I was young, and she's in charge of all the household chores. She has no children of her own, so it's only natural that she follows me to the palace. Nai Mama Zhu Yan Shi has always been in charge of purchasing for the estate, and she helps Yi Ya with managing the small kitchen. As a member of the household staff, she probably won't follow me into the palace. As for the other talented masters and nannies we've hired over the past decade or so, many of them are supported by the Fu Cha clan, but I don't have deep feelings for them either. They've been away from the palace for too long, so it's better to use the experienced nannies assigned by the palace instead, which will also put the palace staff at ease.

  There are six personal maids around her, all of whom she carefully selected and trained from a young age: Suwen and Lingzhu who specialize in medicine, Jinyu who excels at needlework and embroidery, Yiyu who is skilled at cooking, Lingluo who is quick-witted and sweet-tongued and responsible for delivering messages and running errands, and Shuxiao who secretly gathers information from outside.

  Among these six people, Su Wenling is calm and meticulous in handling matters. On the surface, she is responsible for her own affairs as a second-class maid. The two of them, along with their uncle's niece, were chosen by themselves to become lifelong companions and not marry. They have put the most effort into training these three people, so they must be brought into the palace. Yi Ya and Ling Long chose to become their own housekeepers at the time. If they enter the palace, they are not suitable to follow, but they can be arranged to manage the dowry industry on their behalf. Only Jin Xiu didn't choose anything and said she would take charge of herself, but in fact, she had already seen that she wanted to become a "married maid" and become a madam.

  In this mansion, Wang Yiniang and Liu Yiniang were also brought up by the Guwalgiya family from their own dowry maids. Wang Yiniang gave birth to Li Rongbao's 24th chapter related to her information, which is limited but enough to make him deeply fascinated. She was an extremely rare beauty with both inner and outer qualities. She was gentle and kind, had excellent cooking skills, served her parents with filial piety, loved her brothers, was good at poetry and calligraphy, and wrote two stunning chrysanthemum poems in the Zhuang family's mansion; she was also skilled at needlework and made beautiful clothes for Chunhe...

  I thought that after understanding, there would be an idea of "nothing more than this". Most of the noble ladies in Manchu can speak and write Manchu and Chinese languages, which is already good enough. After all, the Manchu ladies value horseback riding and household management skills more, and at most, they will add some needlework... Moreover, being born as a woman, their vision and education cannot be compared to men's, and having some talents that can be shown off will be passed down as "talented women". Just like the Manchu and Han Chinese do not intermarry, those who are slightly more beautiful will be passed down as "Manchu beauties". After Emperor said that this year's selection of imperial concubines would be held in advance in April, things started to get a bit urgent.

  In daily life, the master may have enjoyed her gentle care, but now that there is that person in his heart... it's hard to say. It can't be said that he likes new things and dislikes old ones, but there is always a sense of coldness, and this one is even more eager to get close, isn't it annoying?

  "Father?" Fuling softly called out, her eyes filled with tender affection as she gazed at Hongli, just about to put the food box on the desk...

  "Wait."

  It's too dangerous, what if the water splashes onto the painting? Hongli stopped her action and gently rolled up the painting and put it in a vase.

  Fuling was startled by his sudden shout, and seeing him so carefully roll up the painting covered with white paper, she couldn't help but feel suspicious. Her beautiful eyes stared unblinkingly at the back of the rolled-up painting - seemingly a portrait of a woman?

  Who is it?!

  She narrowed her eyes, thinking that since he was so serious about it, he must have taken a liking to the person. She placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, took out a yellow-bottomed porcelain bowl with floral patterns, scooped out a bowl of soup and handed it to him, asking in a soft and admiring tone: "Was that your painting just now? I've long heard that you're elegant and refined in both literature and art, but I didn't expect you to be skilled in painting as well... unlike my own rough and shallow skills. Would you be willing to instruct me sometime when you have the time?"

  His deep and dark eyes scanned the view, stopping briefly on the pretty face in the painting. Hong Li hooked his lip and said, "I'll send a few paintings for you to practice copying later..."

  "Thank you so much, sir." Fuling Ah curtsied with a joyful face, her expression and lithe figure, as revealed by her movements, were full of youthful vitality and beauty. Her quick actions and words made people fully feel her sweet surprise, if not for Hongli's sharp eyes catching a glimpse of melancholy in the bottom of her eyes, he would have thought she was truly delighted with his decision...

  Thanks to her young and inexperienced disguise, and the fact that it was related to Yunzhu's portrait, he became vigilant. Otherwise, he would have really thought she was a woman who loved him wholeheartedly and had no ulterior motives.