Ms. Xie cried for several hours in front of Xie Fenghuang. Xie Fenghuang couldn't stop her, so she almost wanted to cry with her aunt!

In the end, her cousins returned from the banquet, and rushed to persuade Ms. Xie to stop crying before she went to the backroom.

"Sis, this situation..." Ms. Lan, the wife of Xie Fenghuang's eldest cousin, winked at other irrelevant people to go away, only leaving a few sisters-in-law to join her, apologizing to Xie Fenghuang. According to them, Yun Ju, their father-in-law, didn't mean to do harm to Xie Fenghuang. Because of him, however, Xie Fenghuang had to join the Imperial Harem in the end. They felt guilty about this, so they begged her for mercy for the sake of their blood relations.h.i.+p.

The apology was half sincere to some extent. On the one hand, Xie Fenghuang was only their cousin, but she got along well with them and played an important role to balance and perfect their relations.h.i.+p with their mother-in-law, so they couldn't bear to let her go through sufferings in the palace. On the other hand, they worried that Xie Fenghuang would hate them for this.

Since Xie Fenghuang had been declared by Duke Yi as the daughter of Yun Ju and his wife, they would share the glory and risks together. If Xie Fenghuang resisted the imperial decree or revenged them after being favored, Ms. Lan and others would get involved.

Luckily, Xie Fenghuang acted clear-headed, and didn't even cry to show her grievance. She said what's done was done. For the sake of Yun's Family, they should ask about the rules in the palace for her so as to avoid offending the n.o.bles and getting the family involved.

"Don't worry about this, sis. Although our family is not that rich and n.o.ble, at least we share the same surname with n.o.ble Consort Shu." Ms. Lan promised immediately, "Duke Yi has surely prepared for a long time because the Fourth Miss also needs to join the Imperial Harem. We have already asked Mrs. Duke Yi about it and will prepare the same for you."

She also said euphemistically that they would soon pack up the dowries prepared by Xie's Family. She added, "My father-in-law has told me if time is too limited, we should use our treasures instead. Anyhow, we can't let you feel aggrieved."

Xie Fenghuang nodded calmly, and didn't intend to reply. Seeing this, Ms. Lan could not think of other topics immediately, so she left after an embarra.s.sing short chat. She said, "We will leave you to rest."

After leaving the house, Ms. Lan asked her sisters-in-law nervously, "Any ordinary girl who encounters such a thing would cry heartbrokenly. Fenghuang is not the kind of confounded person who admires the wealth of the palace, but why was she so calm? Is it possible that she has already hated us so deeply that her heart is like dead ashes?"

Xie Fenghuang, however, was paralyzed and sitting on the couch. She asked Nian Xuan to knead her legs, and said angrily, "My sisters-in-law followed my aunt to persuade me about this. They do share the same characteristics... Since they know I'm not happy now, why don't they let me have a rest?"

She didn't feel heartbroken at first, but after being comforted by Ms. Xie and her sisters-in-law, her heart was broken deeply.

Nian Xuan was not as calm as her, and she burst into tears, "Miss, you really have a bad luck..."

Seriously? Again!!!

Xie Fenghuang could not bear it. She leaned her head on Nian Xuan' shoulder, and asked, "Could you stop this for a second, okay?"

"I really feel that you are so ill-fated, My Lady. You did nothing wrong. Why are you always involved due to others' faults?" Nian Xuan sniffed and cried, "When we were in the north, your engagement that had settled when you were a baby was ruined. After two years of peaceful life here, I thought things would be fine. Maybe Ms. Xie will find a good husband for you soon. Who knows that...?"

No wonder she felt sad. In the north, Xie Fenghuang was a legitimate daughter loved by all her family members, because she was born after her parents had four legitimate sons. What's more, she was clever and hardworking, being allowed to read books and share the same family tutor with her youngest elder brother. The tutor often signed why she was born as a girl.

When she was 12, she was known for her beauty and talents in the local area. The family of her fiancé was complacent about the early-made engagement, and repeatedly mentioned that she should get married as soon as she became an adult, i.e., the year when she turned 15. Unexpectedly, Xie Fenghuan, her elder sister born by a concubine of her father, was captured by her husband's family for having an affair.

The reputation of girls from Xie's Family was inevitably ruined!

As Xie Fenghuan's closest sister, Xie Fenghuang was involved. Not only did her fiancé break the engagement, but no one in the local was willing to marry her!

Her parents loved her so much that they couldn't bear her to marry someone inferior or so to stay in the family temple at will, so they contacted Ms. Xie to foster her in Dijing City. They thought Dijing City was far away from the north, so the people there couldn't know what happened to their family. When Xie Fenghuang got married and had children, she could contact Xie's Family again. At that time, her husband's family should know her personality well and wouldn't suspect her just because what happened to Xie Fenghuan... If so, the storm could pa.s.s!

Xie Fenghuang and her maid had lived a peaceful life in the past two years, and she was prepared for the marriage interview, but Yun Ju made it hard for her... Thinking of that, Nian Xuan felt very angry. She said distrustfully in a low voice, "Don't you think that Mr. Yun did it deliberately and said it was Duke Yi's idea because he admires wealth? After all, we dare not to ask Duke Yi about it."

"Stop." Xie Fenghuang actually had such a guess as well, but she immediately warned the maid, "We are still depending on them for living, so it's useless to say this. Besides, there isn't a wall which hasn't a rack. Even if I marry someone like others, things might be as bad as now. If not, there wouldn't be such a saying that it is easier to find priceless treasures than a true lover."

Nian Xuan choked, "But if you marry others, at least you are the legal wife. If so, you are the normal couple. Even if you can't get along well with each other, you can meet less. But once you join the Imperial Harem, you will suffer a lot and even be killed by others."

... Xie Fenghuang wanted to change a maid.

She stared at the crying girl, thinking expressionlessly that she tried so hard to comfort herself, but what the girl said really hurt her.

Nian Xuan knew Xie Fenghuang's temper, so she dared not to cry for too long. Later, she sat up and continued her ma.s.sage.

After a while, Ms. Lan came again, and brought a message from Duke Yi's Mansion, saying that the palace would send someone to teach Xie Fenghuang the etiquette and rules to get her prepared.

Early the next morning, the palace really sent a sedan carrying a maid in cyan, who was in her 30s, but looked pretty and stern. Yun's Family treated her very uneasily. Ms. Xie wanted to say more good words for her niece, but this maid called Xiu Fu politely stopped her, saying that she did not dare to break the order of n.o.ble Consort Shu, and she had to teach the rules as quickly as possible.

Ms. Xie didn't dare to stop, saying with a smile, "My niece has always been spoiled. If she does anything wrong, please..."

Before her trusted maid handed the silver for bribing, Xiu Fu corrected her indifferently, "Madam, you said it wrongly. I'm here to teach the daughter of you and Mr. Yun, not somebody like your niece!"

Ms. Xie forgot the fact that her niece had become her daughter in the list, so she immediately said, "... Yes, you are right. I made a mistake."

When Xiu Fu led Xie Fenghuang to the side yard, she began to wipe her tears, "Poor girl! This one is just a maid of n.o.ble Consort Shu, but she dared to embarra.s.s me in public, not to mention how will she treat Fenghuang? How can I face her parents?"

Hearing this, Ms. Lan and others rushed to comfort her quickly. However, the more they said, the more sadly Ms. Xie cried. In the end, they all cried with Ms. Xie. Yun Ju, who had not dared to go home for a whole day, saw the scene right after he came back silently. He was frightened to sit down on the ground, "Did…Did Fenghuang commit suicide? And dead?"

"How dare you come back?!!!" Hearing the voice, Ms. Xie looked up, and suddenly became furious. She grabbed the horsetail whisk to whip Yun Ju, causing him running around the house. Ms. Xie said, "Why did you get Fenghuang involved? I'll kill you today to make up for her!"

Although Ms. Lan and others felt that their father-in-law deserved to be beaten, as a junior, they couldn't just be onlookers. Therefore, they tried to stop the couple at a proper time so that Ms. Xie could vent her anger and Mr. Yun could avoid getting hurt... When they were doing these, Xie Fenghuang was again corrected for the greeting manner (A form of greeting for women. They would fold their hands in front and moved their body at the lower right side), "You saluted too fast just now, and it is not dignified. You should do it in this way."

Xiu Fu made an example for her with no expression. The one she did was neither quick nor slow, solemn and elegant, showing the peculiar sternness of the palace, which made Xie Fenghuang swallow her pain again.

In the next few days, Xiu Fu got up early and trained Xie Fenghuang on every respect, trying to make her a perfect concubine that met all the requirements of the palace.

During this period, Xie Fenghuang wanted to take a leave to meet Yun Qingman, but Xiu Fu refused her, saying that since Yun Qingman also needed to be trained, she wouldn't have time to meet her. Moreover, both of them were sisters of n.o.ble Consort Shu. After entering the palace, they could spend more time talking. Why bothered to meet now?

What if Xie Fenghuang failed to learn the rules due to the lack of training right now, and offended the Empress Dowager, the Queen Mothers, the Emperor, the Empress and other Consorts after she joined the Imperial Harem?

Xie Fenghuang was speechless to refute her. After learning about this, Ms. Xie embraced her and cried again, saying firmly that n.o.ble Consort Shu was truly hostile towards her sisters, because the maid she sent didn't allow the girls to meet, not to mention their sufferings after entering the palace... Xie Fenghuang ... Xie Fenghuang was helpless and even wanted to ask her aunt to stop feeling sorry for her, because the more her aunt said, the sadder she would be! She would rather hang herself now!

Although Xiu Fu did not allow Xie Fenghuang to go to Duke Yi's Mansion, she did not embarra.s.s Xie Fenghuang on other aspects. Xie Fenghuang tentatively asked about the things in the palace, and she was also willing to say something, "In the past few years, there were no new concubines joining in the palace. Among those who entered the palace when the Emperor got married, a few died. Besides the Empress, there are n.o.ble Consort Gui and n.o.ble Consort Shu who rank the First-Grade, and Consort Yue and Consort Xin ranking Deputy First-Grade."

The rules of the current Imperial Court reigned from the former regime, but changed slightly.

The master of the harem was the Empress, the Super-Grade. After that, there were n.o.ble Consort Gui, n.o.ble Consort Shu, n.o.ble Consort De and n.o.ble Consort Xian, ranking First-Grade; Consort, Deputy First-Grade; Fu Ren, Second-Grade; Jiu Pin, Deputy Second-Grade; Jie Yu, Third-Grade; Gui Pin, Deputy Third-Grade; Pin, Fourth-Grade; Gui Ren, Deputy Fourth-Grade; Mei Ren, Fifth-Grade; Cai Ren, Deputy Fifth-Grade; Cheng Gui, Sixth-Grade; Bao Lin, Deputy Sixth-Grade; Yu Wan, Seventh-Grade; Feng Yi, Deputy Seventh-Grade; and Cai Nv, Eighth-Grade, which was the lowest.

There were really few concubines in Emperor Chunjia's harem, not to mention those ranking the upper positions.

The main reason was that there were not enough concubines when he got married. During the past eight years, some died for various reasons. Therefore, the number was quite limited. After the n.o.ble Consorts and Consorts, there were only Fu Ren Yaoning and Jiu Pin Zhaoyuan. Zhaoyuan was also from Ji's Family, sharing the same surname with the Empress Dowager, Queen Mother Ji and the Empress.

There were no Jie Yu, Gui Pin, Pin, or Gui Ren, and only two Mei Ren, ranking Fifth-Grade, Yun Qingman included.

After that, there were a few low-ranking concubines. However, Xiu Fu said little about them. From her indifferent expression, Xie Fenghuang guessed that those might not be favored by the Emperor and shared poor family background, so she didn't need to pay any attention.

... Of course, it was n.o.ble Consort Shu who didn't need to pay any attention to them. As for Xie Fenghuang, however, she dared not treat them randomly.

Xiu Fu was unwilling to talk about them, so she did not dare to ask more. She only wondered silently that if n.o.ble Consort Shu embarra.s.sed her as Ms. Xie said after she entered the palace... What could she do?

As soon as the days pa.s.sed, it was time for them to join the Imperial Harem.