The results of the final selection were announced.

The imperial edicts were not issued at the same time.

The first batch was for Lady Wanyan being matched in marriage to the Fourteenth Prince, with the wedding to take place within the year.

She first returned home with her elder sister.

Her sister’s name tag had been discarded, allowing her to marry freely, while she had been kept on the list, with the edict yet to arrive.

When they returned home, their grandmother and father asked them with concern whether they had suffered any grievances in the palace and whether she knew who she had been matched with.

Luo Yu didn’t know.

But she had a premonition. When facing her grandmother and father, she only said the greatest possibility was going to the Fourth Prince’s household, but when mother and daughter lay on one bed speaking in private, she spoke her true thoughts.

“Mother, most likely I’ll be going to the Fourth Prince’s residence.”

Yun Shuyao gathered her into her embrace, feeling the breath from her speech spraying on her neck. One hand slowly stroked her daughter’s smooth hair. Hearing these words, her movements didn’t change: “How do you know?”

Luo Yu closed her eyes, nestling closer: “Consort De summoned us over again. It was Cousin Yuan Chun who told us. I also guessed it myself.”

Yun Shuyao asked her: “Do you want to go to the Fourth Prince’s residence?”

Luo Yu fell silent for a while. “Mother, previously I thought like Grandmother, wanting my tag discarded, but after living there for a while, I discovered that power and influence truly are wonderful things.”

Yun Shuyao didn’t speak. Luo Yu continued: “Do you still remember Li Si’er that we saw when we went out that time? During this selection, there was a daughter of a minor official who lived not far from me. She’s the younger sister of that young woman who was slapped by Li Si’er.”

“Her sister was beaten by Li Si’er. Afterward, her brother-in-law’s family sent silver seeking Li Si’er’s forgiveness. Perhaps the silver didn’t satisfy her appetite—her brother-in-law lost his position.”

“Her sister was sent back home in divorce. Not long after, her sister hanged herself.”

“She and her sister had a very good relationship. She was the most diligent when learning the palace rules. Even after lights out at night, she would secretly practice. That’s how I came to know her. She wanted to remain.”

“She wanted to avenge her sister.”

“But given her family’s situation, her hope of revenge was very slim. Fortunately, she was also bannered, so she could participate in the selection. She succeeded—it’s already been decided that she’ll be granted the rank of Promise.”

“The Emperor is fifty years old, completely old enough to be her grandfather, but her purpose in participating in the selection was to aim for the Emperor, the person with the highest status. Having achieved her wish, she’s very happy.”

Yun Shuyao’s brow had been furrowed, but hearing these words, it relaxed slightly: “Do you think her approach is right or wrong?”

Luo Yu: “…I admire her greatly. She knows what she wants.”

Before entering the palace for the selection, Mother had told her that as long as she didn’t remain in the palace and could leave it, there would be much room to maneuver, so she shouldn’t be too anxious.

Those in the palace were the Emperor and the Crown Prince.

Each time she and her sisters encountered unhappy matters in the palace, Luo Yu would recall Mother’s words, and then her mood wouldn’t be so dejected.

She wasn’t made of iron either. Facing others’ probing, base tactics, and those false accusations, of course she would be unhappy and irritated. It’s just that her sister was already frightened—if she also followed suit in being afraid, the situation would become worse.

So on the surface she was steady as Mount Tai, but in the deep quiet of night, thinking about the day’s events would often keep her from sleeping.

It was only because she had a good constitution that she hadn’t fallen ill already.

They weren’t the only two selection candidates receiving special treatment, but as long as a family’s background was extraordinary, even if those people were envious, they didn’t dare do anything rashly.

Those of low status, even without doing anything, their words could stab straight to the heart, making one wish to throw them out.

Their situation wasn’t the worst.

After being summoned by Consort De the second time, even more people believed she would go to the Fourteenth Prince’s residence.

Even Lady Wanyan treated them with cold disdain.

Sometimes she really wanted to retaliate. If it came to fighting, she could take on ten at once.

But this was the imperial palace—she couldn’t do that.

Moreover, stepping on the low to elevate the high was something that, as long as one lived in this world, could not be avoided.

Even Father had to bow his head before those he couldn’t afford to offend.

After she married in the future, she would mostly face women, but it was actually the same.

Only by standing higher could it be avoided.

So she recalled Mother’s evaluation of the various princes.

She said if she wanted to strive for a future, who should be the most appropriate choice.

Mother first eliminated the Crown Prince and the First Prince, these two people most likely to compete for the throne.

If she wanted a prince’s peace and stability, she could go to the Fifth Prince or Seventh Prince’s household. These two princes had no intention of competing for the throne.

But their rear courts… already had people who were the apples of their eyes.

With so many years of affection there.

Mother hadn’t said whether the Fourth Prince was stable or not, but said if she wanted to climb upward and stand higher and more firmly, then the first choice was the Fourth Prince.

She didn’t know why Mother was so certain, but she still remembered Mother’s words.

So upon learning she would most likely be assigned to the Fourth Prince, she breathed a sigh of relief.

After entering the palace, she deeply felt Mother’s words. Mother said the imperial palace was the most powerful place in all the realm, and also the most complex place.

People living there must all have cunning to protect themselves properly.

Danger coexisted with opportunity.

If she could smoothly leave the palace and come out to marry under her family’s arrangements, not to mention anything else, stability would be no problem.

Only this stability also required paying a certain price.

Among scholarly families, people like her father who didn’t favor women were not very many. Counting them up, Father’s rear court also had quite a few people.

She was fifteen years old this year. Because she was participating in the selection, her family hadn’t arranged a betrothal for her, but many of her friends weren’t from the Han Army Banner.

The early ones were betrothed at eleven or twelve years old, married at fifteen or sixteen, and there were even earlier ones who married at thirteen or fourteen.

Before they married, no matter how much they said they would maintain frequent correspondence, it was useless. Once they became wives and daughters-in-law, they had to observe their husband’s family’s various rules and establish rules before their mothers-in-law to serve them.

Mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law were natural enemies, with mothers-in-law naturally standing above.

After the newlywed period passed, they still had to face their husband’s concubines and bedchamber maids.

Luo Yu had a friend who, before marrying out, bashfully and joyfully praised her betrothed for being pure and self-disciplined, but after marrying over, only then discovered that all the maids who had served her husband were no longer pure.

As soon as she married over, before even getting her footing, she had to fight with these maids, and her mother-in-law would also from time to time send maids over to challenge her.

Even if not a harsh mother-in-law, morning and evening rule observances were also very common. And facing a husband’s concubines, one also had to be virtuous and gracious, otherwise one would be called jealous, and this reputation could lead to being divorced and sent home.

Hence the saying: many years as a daughter-in-law endured until becoming a mother-in-law.

Of course, if one wanted to completely suppress everything, it wasn’t impossible—that would require marrying down.

When the other party needed something from the Lin family, she and her sister could live more freely.

But frankly speaking, such days had no meaning, because this required the other party to always be suppressed by the Lin family, unable to have any chance of rising.

Otherwise, once they rose up, however harshly they’d been suppressed before, the rebound would be equally severe.

Wouldn’t the Fourth Prince’s place, not being the imperial palace, also have intense scheming and plotting? Could she adapt? Could she live well there?

Luo Yu didn’t know.

Yet hearing Cousin Yuan Chun’s words, she felt no resistance.

Speaking of benefits, they were also obvious—becoming part of the imperial family, there would no longer be figures like Li Si’er who dared to casually humiliate her.

Each had advantages and disadvantages. The choice wasn’t in her hands. Regardless of which future it was, she would manage her little life well and make herself comfortable and at ease.

“Mother, truly going to the Fourth Prince’s place wouldn’t be bad either, would it?”

Moreover, she had seen the Fourth Prince before. When drinking tea, through the window she saw a group riding horses wearing yellow sashes and red sashes, among whom was the Fourth Prince.

Unsmiling and serious-looking.

He appeared to be a rather stern person.

But he also had fine features.

Among those princes, there were none who were ugly.

At that time, hearing Luo Yu speak this way, Yun Shuyao’s feelings were complicated.

Before entering the palace, she had specifically analyzed everything for her daughter.

Of her two children, her son’s path didn’t require much worry from her—following his father’s path was very good. With Lin Ruhai there, his future entry into officialdom wouldn’t be difficult.

But her daughter made her worry herself sick.

The saying that marriage was a second reincarnation wasn’t false.

In this era, many men treated women as appendages. People who respected their principal wives like Lin Ruhai did were not many.

After a daughter married, the beginning might seem good, but later deterioration wouldn’t be surprising.

At that time they could divorce peacefully, but then they’d have to face gossip and slander.

At the extreme end, there was also widowhood. After becoming a widow, one could return to one’s natal family, but what then?

This world was simply more harsh toward daughters than toward sons.

And the imperial family was another path.

The two paths encountered different difficulties and could obtain different results.

Her daughter’s life was her own.

If she truly didn’t want it, she could choose some “harmless” small tricks—feigning illness, injury—to escape those results she didn’t want.

The choice was in her hands.

Although she was only fifteen years old, Yun Shuyao wouldn’t treat her like a middle schooler from the later world.

In this environment, they matured earlier.

If she herself had the thought of striving for the chance to become an old titled lady in the future, Yun Shuyao wouldn’t forcefully stop her.

Now the imperial edict had arrived.

There were two—one was that Luo Yu was assigned to be the Fourth Prince’s Ce Fujin, with an auspicious date to be chosen within the year for marriage. The other was that Lin Ruhai became the new Lianghuai Salt Monopoly Censor, to assume his post on a chosen date.

Being able to enter as Ce Fujin exceeded Luo Yu’s expectations. Had Father done something?

Hearing this edict, Yun Shuyao only felt a heavy stone drop from her heart.

A GeGe was taken as a concubine.

A Ce Fujin was properly married.

These two were not the same.

It seemed Lin Ruhai’s previous efforts hadn’t been in vain.

And the position of Salt Monopoly Censor could directly reach the Emperor’s ears—only those who were the Emperor’s trusted confidants could obtain it. His status with Kangxi was somewhat more important than she had imagined.

Lin Ruhai, his face bearing a smile, received the edict. After sending off the eunuch, he looked at his daughter, feeling somewhat stirred in his heart.

Salt Monopoly Censor—managing all Lianghuai salt administration and salt affairs, concurrently managing lower river water conservancy, as well as supervising military police in various places and salt charity granaries everywhere.

One year per term, this was a famously lucrative position. People who weren’t corrupt could, just by collecting the three festival bonuses and birthday gifts, earn a full bowl. Because they dealt with those salt merchants, whose wealth was famous, and salt concerned all under heaven.

By rights, as population increased and salt usage increased, salt tax should also increase, but in reality the court’s salt tax had been decreasing year by year, which was why the previous Salt Monopoly Censor had been demoted.

His daughter, with her concubine-born status, was assigned as Ce Fujin—this was the Emperor’s regard for him, and also a spur.

If he didn’t produce good results, however much the Emperor could give, he could take back the same amount. Lin Ruhai’s heart felt heavy.

After sending people away, the Old Madam entered a dazed state.

Ce Fujin.

Lianghuai Salt Monopoly Censor.

Either one made her heartbeat irregular.

The current Ce Fujin, once the Fourth Prince ascended the throne in the future, would be a consort’s position. And as for Salt Monopoly Censor, she was even more familiar with it—this was her son’s position in the dream world, and also where he died.

How had they circled around only to return to the old path?

“Congratulations, Old Madam.”

“Congratulations, Master.”

“Congratulations, Second Young Miss!”

Lin Ruhai’s advisors all offered congratulations, breaking the Lin family members from their dazed state.

Speaking of it, these were all good things.

Ce Fujin—this could be entered into the imperial jade registry.

And it was the Fourth Prince. Given the Fourth Prince’s diligence, a princely title in the future was most likely assured.

And the position of Lianghuai Salt Monopoly Censor needn’t be mentioned—imperial favor was strong, the future promising!

The Fourth Prince also received the news.

He too had people in the palace.

He knew that this time Mother Consort had selected two people for him—one was the Lin family daughter, one was Lady Niuhuru.

He had previously thought they would both enter the household as GeGe. He hadn’t expected that Master Lin would be promoted to Salt Monopoly Censor, and the Lin family daughter’s rank would also change.

He nodded, wondering whether Master Lin could raise the salt tax.

Also, with Lady Lin entering the household, arrangements within the residence also needed to be made.

Thinking this, he walked toward the main courtyard to discuss wedding matters with Lady Ulanara.

Meanwhile, in a certain courtyard, hearing this news, Lady Li—”crash, clatter, smash!”

Porcelain shattered all over the floor of the room, yet the maids didn’t dare advise her.

The GeGe had already considered this Ce Fujin position her possession, but now it had been eliminated by an imperial edict—how could she not be angry?

Venting on the porcelain was better than later venting on them.

“Waaah—” Disturbed, the little prince struggled a few times in his swaddling clothes, his cries ringing out. Hearing her young son’s cries, Lady Li finally recovered some rationality. She ran over to hold him, tears streaming down: “How can the Fourth Prince be so heartless? If he had requested my ennoblement early, how would I be pressed down by a concubine-born girl…”

She had given birth to Second Princess, plus three little princes. Second Prince had died young in childhood, so the current Second Prince was actually ranked third. Even so, she had two sons and one daughter at her knees. After the First Prince passed, all the children in the household were born to her. By what right should she be subordinate?