Su Zi saw Cui Ying's face was a bit off, thinking she was missing Wu Lang who was far away in the northwest. She couldn't help but gently pat her younger sister's shoulder, "Wu Lang is worried about you, if you're happy in Shengjing, he'll be at ease."

  She paused, pulled Shi Liu closer and smiled, "Grandma and Fifth Brother have told you, right? The Madam of the Mu Yang Bo Fu is our family's great aunt, the Yuan and Shi families are relatives by marriage, this is Shi Liu's cousin."

  Miss Shi Liu smiled and nodded, "My single name is Dan, Aunt Yuan can call me Sister Dan."

  She thought for a moment, then added hastily, "My fourth brother and Yuan Wuge have been growing up together since childhood, their feelings are particularly strong. This time my fourth brother originally wanted to go to the northwest with Yuan Wuge, but Yuan Wuge said he didn't know about the situation on the front line, so he'll go first and then talk about it later."

  Cui Ying suddenly remembered that the old lady had asked her to read a letter together a few days ago, and it seemed that Yuan Wulang had arrived safely in Xibei Pingsheng with the last barrier of Rouran, Xiangcheng, and sent several family letters along with the official report to Shengjing City.

  Apart from the one for Old Lady, Third Brother and Fourth Brother each wrote a letter to their own wives.

  Yuan Wulang also seemed to have left her a letter, but she had an unfavorable impression of him and didn't think he would say anything good about her, so she didn't even bother to open it and just pressed it into the box.

  It seems that Shi Si Gongzi's letter should have arrived around that time too.

  Cui Ling felt a strong aversion to Yuan Wulang's ubiquitous and sinister influence, but this did not hinder her interactions with Shi Liu.

  Miss Shi Liu was born with a white and tender baozi face, her skin smooth and elastic as if it could squeeze out water. Her figure is slightly plump, but this is called a prosperous and auspicious appearance. When she speaks, her eyes are full of sincerity, a very straightforward and direct person.

  Cui Ying likes it very much.

  She felt that her life after marrying into the Yuan family was like being in a different time and space from when she was at the Anning Bo Mansion, it was completely two different sides.

  In the past at Anning Bo's mansion, the relationship between the aunts was tense and strained, even when exchanging pleasantries, their words were full of hidden barbs.

  For example, although she didn't like her stepmother very much, the scene of the four aunts ridiculing and ostracizing her stepmother left a deep impression on her.

  Those trivial matters that led to the quarrel, usually ended up being dragged by the aunts to the fact that the fifth house had many children, their father Cui Chengkai was not doing well financially, and how much advantage the fifth house took in the family property.

  They were all talking nonsense, but the aunts were tireless.

  The most amazing thing is that the four aunts can form teams at will. The other day, the eldest aunt was scolding the fourth aunt with the second and third aunts, but today the fourth aunt joined forces with the second and third aunts to gang up on the eldest aunt.

  Song's words are right, the relationship between the sisters-in-law in the Anning Bo Mansion is entirely based on two words: interest.

  As for the sisters at home, it's even more unnecessary to mention.

  There were more than a dozen sisters and cousins, each wanting to gain Grandmother's favor. But how big was Grandmother's heart? How many granddaughters could she accommodate in her heart? Besides them, there were not a few great-granddaughters at home who were even more lovely and pleasant.

  To have a place in grandma's heart, you must make an effort to get close to her. Except for the biological daughter, everyone else is a competitor, and even everyday interactions are done with caution, where can you find any sincerity?

  Because she used to live in a family that was hypocritical and deceitful, Cui Rong felt all the more that the sisters-in-law of the Yuan family were precious, without mutual rivalry or secret struggles, even if each person had their own temper, but their hearts were kind.

  Even the young girls she met today, although they were all from prominent and noble families, had a simple and lovely temperament, not arrogant or proud.

  She suddenly envied Miss Bai Si.

  Today's birthday banquet, all the guests who came were true friends of Bai Si Miss, celebrating her birthday with sincerity. In their eyes, Bai Ronghua was just Bai Ronghua, not the future crown princess or the future empress of Sheng Dynasty.

  Cui Ling let down her guard and abandoned the vicissitudes of her past life. Now, she was just a fifteen-year-old girl.

  The girls in the house, who were about her age, had a lot of curiosity about her past seclusion. She was also born beautiful, so these girls all surrounded her and took turns trying to chat with her.

  It won't take long before you get used to it.

  Su Zihua and Bai Ronghua stood by the window, smiling as they watched a group of young girls who were all lovely and full of youthful vitality, like freshly bloomed flowers, a delightful sight to behold.

  Bai Ronghua smiled and said, "I knew that Wu Jie was such an interesting person, I should have made friends with her a few years ago. It's a pity that I only got to know her when I was about to enter the palace."

  Entering the Eastern Palace to become the Crown Prince's consort, although it is the highest honor, she obtained enviable nobility and boundless prospects, but was destined to lose some happiness that ordinary women can have.

  Although she had been aware of this for a long time, thinking that there might not be many opportunities to see these close friends in the future, it was inevitable that she would feel some sorrow.

  Su Zi had once instructed Bai Ronghua on etiquette and posture, and she was very fond of this younger sister. Now seeing her silent and still, Su Zi knew what she was worried about.

  Becoming the Crown Princess, although it brought her a lifetime of glory and honor, Empress Jiang also arranged for the Crown Prince to take in Consort Liangyu and Consort Liangyi. After Bai Ronghua's grand wedding, not long after, she would also have to welcome Crown Prince's Consort Liangyu and Crown Prince's Consort Liangyi into the Eastern Palace.

  Su Zihua married into the Yuan family, a household that did not take concubines. Nearly six years after their wedding, she and her husband, Yuan Yuan, were deeply in love, with a harmonious relationship like two birds flying together. She knew the benefits of being devoted to each other wholeheartedly. However, some of her sisters married into households with many wives and concubines, and whenever they exchanged letters, they would often lament their miserable lives.

  Not yet married, she knew that soon after, there would be two women with status who would compete with her for her husband's favor. Bai Ronghua must have had a hard time expressing her bitterness.

  But what can be done about it?

  That is the royal system, the harem of the prince is not only for procreation, but also to a large extent balance the power of the imperial court.

  Su Zi thought for a moment and said in a low voice, "I heard that Rong Jie has been reading the biography of imperial concubines lately. I wonder if she's read the story of the empress dowager from the previous dynasty?"

  Bai Ronghua nodded, "Xuan Emperor doted on Xuan Hou, among the three thousand beauties in the harem, the king favored only her, later, Xuan Emperor even dismissed the entire harem for her sake, now, within the grand imperial palace, there is only one woman left, Xuan Hou."

  Her face first showed some envy, but then suddenly became terrified, "But after Emperor Xuan's death, the courtiers all pointed to Empress Xuan as a demon, saying that she had bewitched the king and caused Emperor Xuan to die young. Later... later..."

  Su Zi's eyes flickered slightly as she continued White Ronghua's words, "Later on, Xuan Hou was blocked by the court officials in Chaoyang Hall and was burned to death by a big fire!"