Chapter 1: Think Twice Before Acting

“Miss, there are no guests in the mansion today, only the First Madam in the Mingzhao Hall.”

“From the Xihe Courtyard to the Mingzhao Hall, you have to pass through a garden and two winding corridors. I have walked this path three times, everything is as usual, and there is no suspicious person lingering.”

“The flowers in the garden are the same as yesterday, and there are no strange flowers or plants. The grass has been swept twice, and snake repellent powder has been sprinkled along the way.”

“The weather is clear today, with a gentle breeze, and there is no sign of rain.”

Four maids in green clothes reported one after another.

The girl sitting in front of the dressing table listened quietly, eliminating one hundred possibilities of being harmed, ensuring that everything was as usual.

After thinking three times, she opened her lips slightly:

“Let’s go, go and greet Mother.”

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

She was wearing a goose-yellow Shu embroidery waist-tied flower skirt, her figure was graceful, her steps were elegant, every move was impeccable elegance and dignity.

She had a delicate and pretty face, bright eyes and white teeth, her eyes were full of charm. As bright as the sun rising from the morning glow, as dazzling as a lotus emerging from the green waves.

A group of servants immediately set up the travel procession.

Eight third-class rough maids led the way, four second-class maids guarded Ning Wanyin nearby, the senior maid Lianrui held a cloak and followed closely behind.

Another four maids and eight maids stayed in the boudoir.

Ning Wanyin, the eldest daughter of the Shou’an Bo Mansion, was known for being pampered and difficult to serve.

Every time she went out, it was only a quarter of an hour’s walk from her own courtyard to greet her mother, but the procession was always grand and imposing.

But for Ning Wanyin, this was all necessary precautions.

An extra poisonous flower in the garden, an extra poisonous snake in the grass, a stranger bumping into her at a corner, could all ruin a boudoir girl.

If she wasn’t careful, how could she live a long life?

All the way to the Mingzhao Hall smoothly.

A dignified noblewoman sat on the main seat, her brows were filled with anxiety and worry.

Ning Wanyin bowed and saluted, “Greetings to Mother.”

“Come and sit beside me.” Cheng Shi beckoned her with a wave of her hand, suppressing her worries slightly, and squeezed out a smile as she looked at the person who came:

“I still don’t know what the imperial decree is today.”

This was the first time the new emperor held a grand selection of concubines after ascending the throne. According to the rules of the Great Yan Dynasty, the final round of palace selection would not be announced on the spot, but would be announced seven days later at the homes of those who were selected.

“You have a heart for His Majesty, and you have spent three years diligently studying the chess and painting that His Majesty likes, and you have put in a lot of effort. Mother only hopes that your efforts will not be in vain.” Cheng Shi sighed, her brows and eyes filled with undisguised worry.

Ning Wanyin did not explain.

A heart for him?

She just didn’t want to be like her elder sister.

Her elder sister was the daughter of her uncle, and she married the son of the Minister of Rites.

This was originally a very happy marriage.

But the Minister of Rites took the wrong side in the struggle for the crown prince, and was imprisoned in the party struggle, all the male members of his family were exiled, and the female members were sent to the brothel.

Noble daughters of aristocratic families could never go to such a place.

On the day of the raid, her elder sister died to preserve her reputation.

As a daughter of a noble family, Ning Wanyin’s future would also be like her elder sister’s, marrying a son of an official family who was a match for her, if nothing unexpected happened.

Her life was not in her own hands.

Her husband, her in-laws, uncles and aunts, if any of them committed a crime, she would not escape the fate of being implicated.

Ning Wanyin thought…

She thought and thought, rather than gambling on whether others would offend the emperor and implicate her in her death, it was better to take matters into her own hands.

Life and death, glory and shame, at least, were in her own hands. Rather than being cooped up in the backyard, not knowing when misfortune would strike.

The Shou’an Bo Mansion had been in decline for a hundred years, and they were determined to send their daughter into 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 immediately.

Over the past three years, Cheng Shi had seen all of Ning Wanyin’s efforts, and she couldn’t help but misunderstand that her daughter had fallen for the young emperor.

Ning Wanyin gently comforted her, “Mother, don’t worry. If I don’t succeed, I’ll make other plans.”

In this world, nothing goes smoothly.

Even if you have done your best, you still need a little bit of fate to make it happen.

If she couldn’t be chosen, she would carefully choose a husband with less risk.

“You will, you will, you will definitely succeed! Don’t say such unlucky things!” Cheng Shi quickly cut her off.

As the mother and daughter were talking, Zhou Mama, who was guarding outside, came in and reported, “The cousin is here.”

Cheng Shi’s willow eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she said, “Please invite Miaoling in.”

Tang Miaoling.

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

The Tang family had been stationed in the northwest for generations. This time, she had come all the way from the northwest for the draft.

Although the Tang family’s Hou Mansion was in the northwest, they also had a villa in the capital.

But Old Madam Ning, in order to curry favor, specially invited her to stay at the Bo Mansion.

Tang Miaoling had a domineering and arrogant personality. Since she came to the Ning family, she had been bossing people around, not treating the Ning family as relatives, but as servants, taking whatever she wanted.

Perhaps because Ning Wanyin’s father worked under her father, in her eyes, the Ning family were all her family’s “servants”.

Some time ago, she had taken a fancy to an embroidered fan that Cheng Shi had placed in her room, and she had forced Cheng Shi to “give” it to her.

It was a birthday gift that Cheng Shi had specially prepared for her daughter, and she had spent three months embroidering it by candlelight.

Furthermore, Ning Wanyin was participating in the draft this year with her, and she had been looking down on Ning Wanyin, constantly making sarcastic remarks.

Cheng Shi disliked her very much.

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

A woman in a sapphire blue double-breasted gold-embroidered magpie branch brocade skirt walked in. Unlike her usual arrogance, Tang Miaoling was very polite and bowed to Cheng Shi:

“Greetings to my aunt.”

Cheng Shi was surprised by her sudden politeness, she was slightly stunned before she reacted, and she smiled warmly, “Come and sit down. Zhou Mama, bring some tea.”

But Tang Miaoling didn’t get up, she carefully said word by word, “Miaoling saw my aunt’s fan the other day, and I was so happy that I borrowed it to take a look. I’m here today to return it.”

Her personal maid immediately presented a brocade box.

Inside lay an intact fan.

Cheng Shi couldn’t figure out what she meant, so she asked tentatively, “If you like it, just keep it.”

Tang Miaoling immediately became anxious, “I just borrowed it to take a look! This is a birthday gift that my aunt prepared for my cousin, how could I compete with my cousin for it.”

Everyone was silent.

Didn’t you know that this was a birthday gift for her daughter when you were snatching it before?

Ning Wanyin’s gaze fell on Tang Miaoling, her autumn-like eyes were deep.

Her cousin was not right.

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

Her palms were sweating with fear, but in order to cover it up, she pretended to be calm and looked at Ning Wanyin, squeezing out a very amiable smile:

“Cousin, you look really beautiful today.”

Ning Wanyin smiled faintly in return, but she was even more certain that Tang Miaoling had changed.