Chapter 7: How long can the Lord protect her

Here, after learning the rules from the old ladies for a few days, Nian Suxin's mentality has undergone a great change. After all, before this, she had no idea that the rules that once bound her could one day become a weapon against others.

"Where is your master?" suddenly came Nian Gengyao's inquiry from outside the room.

"Back to Second Master, my young lady is learning the rules with the old ladies. Second Master, why not have a cup of tea in the side hall first," Qiu Yan, who was guarding the door, said calmly and composedly as Nian Gengyao approached, not at all surprised.

"Alright." Nian Gengyao chuckled lightly and took the lead to walk towards the side hall.

Qiu Yan didn't know what Nian Gengyao was up to, but still welcomed him into the side hall. When the old ladies came out, Qiu Yan immediately went up to inform Nian Suxin of Nian Gengyao's arrival.

"Oh, then go ahead!" Nian Suxin, upon hearing Qiu Yan's words, didn't even raise an eyebrow, apparently not worried about neglecting Nian Gengyao.

When Nian Gengyao saw Nian Suxin approaching, he didn't play any tricks, but instead reached out and pushed the two sandalwood boxes placed on the table in front of Nian Suxin, saying in a low voice, "Early this morning, Prince Yong had someone send a generous gift over. These are specifically for you."

Nian Suxin looked at the two sandalwood boxes in front of her, feeling surprised, but then her face returned to calmness. However, her thoughts were churning. She had some vague speculations about how much Yinzhen valued the cooperation with the Nian family, but what she didn't expect was that Yinzhen could actually endure the provocation from the Nian family. Did this mean he was indirectly admitting that the Ulanara clan was at fault?

"What does Prince Yong mean by this?"

"Young sister, never mind what Prince Yong means. The fact that he prepared these things for you proves that Prince Yong values you greatly," Nian Gengyao carefully spoke, both explicitly and implicitly speaking in favor of Prince Yong.

Nian Suxin smiled involuntarily, raised her eyebrows slightly, and did not retort. Since the matter of entering the mansion was not up to her to refuse, she naturally had to find a way to make more plans for herself.

On the other side, Ulanara received the news of Yinzhen sending gifts to the Nian residence. At that moment, a sense of betrayal instantly filled her heart, and her hand holding the pen suddenly stopped on the account book, splattering ink everywhere, ruining all the calculations she had just made.

"Is His Highness going to trample me underfoot for a little vixen who hasn't even entered the mansion yet?" Ulanara's hands were on the table, her chest heaving, and her hands on the table were gripping the edge so tightly that not only did it leave several scratch marks on the table, but it also caused her previously painted red nails to split open, oozing a few drops of crimson.

"Fujin, don't be angry, your health is important," Guan Mama looked at Ulanara, who had lost control, and hurriedly spoke to comfort her.

"Not angry? How can I not be angry when he wants to use me as a stepping stone for that woman from the Nian family? He never thought that I am his legitimate wife, managing the backyard for him, giving birth to his children. But what about him? He's infatuated, willing to trample me into the mud for a woman who hasn't even entered the mansion. If I had known earlier... If I had known earlier, I wouldn't have bothered with the rules, the face, and just given her a bowl of poison..." Ulanara's voice was filled with hatred.

"Fujin!" Guan Mama, seeing Ulanara speaking recklessly, interrupted her words with a shocked expression.

With a deep drink, Ulanara suddenly came to her senses. She realized what she had just said, and her face instantly became extremely ugly.

Guan Mama noticed Ulanara's hands on the table suddenly tightening, and she looked at Dujuan and others standing by with a stern expression, saying in a deep voice, "Fujin didn't say anything just now, and you didn't hear anything. If I hear any rumors, I will pull out your tongues. Do you understand?"

"We understand. Please rest assured, Fujin and Guan Mama," Dujuan and Yingchun immediately expressed their stance upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Guan Mama waved her hand, indicating the two to go out and guard the door. After they left, she said to Ulanara, "Fujin, the walls have ears. If the master finds out about these things, it will bring disaster upon us."

Royal blood is not something to be trifled with. Fujin may appear humble and gentle on the surface, but in reality, she is proud and sharp in everything, and cannot tolerate others standing out. If not for this, she wouldn't have fought with Lishi to the death, ultimately causing harm to herself in the process.

Since then, the several deceased princes became a taboo in the mansion, and were rarely mentioned. However, Guan Mama always remembered the night when the eldest prince died, and the master, who was grief-stricken, had murderous intentions towards Fujin. If the master hadn't had a shred of reason left, Fujin would have become a thing of the past long ago.

Ulanara's face darkened upon hearing this, and it was clear that she also remembered the events of the past. She suddenly felt a little dejected and sat down heavily on the chair, muttering to herself, "He resents me, hates me, I know, but what can I do? And everything I do is for him."

"Fujin, the master still remembers the past affection after all. Otherwise, he wouldn't have taken action," Guan Mama looked at Ulanara, who was full of desolation, sighed, and spoke to comfort her.

Ulanara also understood the meaning behind Guan Mama's words. She fiercely pounded the table and said in a low voice, "According to Mama's meaning, I should thank him. Well, without a legitimate reason, I am a little less confident. I'll just wait for the Nian family to enter the mansion. Then I'll see how long he can protect her!"

On a scorching summer day, the day of the selection show arrived in the blink of an eye. At this time, young women aged thirteen to seventeen from all over the country gathered in the capital, making it the liveliest place.

On the evening before the grand selection, Nian Suxin, escorted by her father and brothers, boarded a mule cart and was arranged in order by the local officials to be sent to the Di'an Gate as night fell.

Nian Suxin was well aware of the selection process. After smoothly passing through everything, she would spend the night in a specific room for the young women and could leave the palace the next morning after the preliminary selection.

Due to the subsequent round of selection, Nian Suxin returned home for only half a day before being brought back into the palace at sunset. This time, she would need to stay in the palace for a whole month. The eunuchs would allocate rooms based on factors such as family background and origin, usually accommodating four people in a room of similar size and layout.

Although in this dynasty, the selection show emphasized family background rather than appearance, as far as Nian Suxin knew, except for a few young women, those who made it through the subsequent round were all kinds of beauties. After all, everyone loves beauty.

After the subsequent round, the selected young women were said to be required to relearn various etiquette and rules under the guidance of the palace matrons. In reality, these rules had been learned at home, with the only difference lying in the depth and meticulousness of the learning.