I fought back after reselling my engagement

Concubine Wan was favored, but she only had one child, the Fourth Prince.

Although Concubine Zhou Shufei also held a high position, her status in the harem was not higher than that of the empress.

Princess Changle said: "The eldest princess married into the Dali Kingdom, the second princess married into the Xiliang Kingdom, and the third princess married into a southern family. If you think about it carefully, although Dali is a small country in the southwest, the Duan royal family is accustomed to the Central Plains culture, which is much stronger than the small countries in the northwest."

In comparison, these three princesses who got married early all married well.

Although the second princess married far away in Xiliang, she did not marry the king or the prince, but the king's brother, a prince of Xiliang. This prince only had the second princess as his wife and concubine, and the couple had a deep relationship.

Shi Jian bowed his head and said, "My princess, don't you find it strange? The Queen is very doting on the eldest and fourth princesses, but when it comes to the ninth princess, she has been very strict since she was a child, and has high expectations for her every word and action. I once heard some old palace servants in the palace talking about, 'She was brought up like that one.'"

"Who is that? Is it Empress Ciyuan?"

"Empress Ciyuan was gentle and noble. She died less than three years after giving birth to the eldest prince. I think the 'that' the old palace servant is talking about is most likely Su Wan. Eighteen years ago, there were two beauties in the capital, one was Su Wan and the other was Concubine Zhou Shu. Su Wan was known for her gentle temperament, kindness, talent and stunning appearance. She had countless admirers and was more famous than Concubine Zhou Shu."

Princess Changle said: "The two beauties in the capital are both equally outstanding people. They may seem like good friends, but they may not really be convinced."

Ten years after Su Wan's death, Emperor Dezhi still remembered their agreement and her trust. It seems that Su Wan was very important to him, and because of her love, he showed favor to her family and daughter.

Princess Changle said, "Be more respectful to Jiarou in the future." She said with a sad face, "The Ninth Princess seems to be loved by everyone all her life, but she is also a pitiful person. She has become a shadow of another person. The Queen is using her to consolidate her position. If she really treated her as her own daughter, she would never have done this."

"Which empress in the palace doesn't have her own thoughts?" Shi Jian replied.

The Ninth Princess was trained by the Queen to be the shadow of another person. The elders in the palace knew it, but the Ninth Princess still doesn't know about it.

Princess Changle tilted her head and said, "After returning to the palace, find out about the two beauties in the capital for me, especially Su Wan. The eldest daughter of the Su family is definitely not such a simple person."

"Here——"

*

Changle County will conduct another talent assessment for the noble ladies at Yaxian Manor. Those who pass the test can enter the Noble Ladies Society in the capital. The noble ladies who pass the test will go to Beijing to receive instruction from the maids and tutors in the palace.

Bai Ruizhu, Mao Liuniang, and Chu Lianyi were taken to Yaxian Manor by Princess Changle to be reviewers. Zhen Su did not go, using the excuse that he was too tired recently. Su Qiniang was eager to try and tested what she knew and thought was good enough.

Zhen Su was taking a nap in the tent, and in a daze she heard a strange cry: "Sister, sister, haha, I won the first place in the pair group, I passed the test, I passed the test, haha, Daddy asked me to recite the pairs, and it really worked, tomorrow is the final round!"

Zhen Su sat up. When he heard that it was a final match, he thought Su Qiniang had passed the test. It turned out that there was still one more round. "Let's talk about it after you get the name card."

"Sister, I will definitely get the name card. The girls from several branches of the Mao family, including Mao Yuanniang, have all participated. Mao Yuanniang's calligraphy and embroidery have both entered the finals tomorrow."

Zhen Su fell on the couch, "Do you really want to join the club?"

"I was just thinking about it! That's the Noble Ladies Club, where all the noble ladies gather. Now the nobles in the palace pay much attention to it, and they have sent palace tutors and maids to teach us. We can also have the opportunity to enter the palace to learn etiquette and appreciate flowers."

Zhen Su said: "You want to marry the prince?"

"The fifth prince is quite good, infatuated and noble. I heard that the sixth, seventh, and eighth princes are about my age, and their wives and concubines will be chosen from the members of the Noble Ladies Society."

"You should be ambitious. It's not good to marry the son of an official or a scholar as your wife. Otherwise, you will become someone else's concubine."

"Sister, how can she be a concubine? She is a wife, a principal wife or a concubine. She is a noble person with a title and status who has been included in the royal jade disc."

"To share a husband and be someone's concubine, does my aunt know what you are thinking? Will she agree?"

"I'll talk about it after I get the name card tomorrow. I'm going back to memorize the couplets now. I will definitely win the first prize tomorrow. Princess Changle is very happy to see that the noble ladies of Hunan Province are enthusiastic about taking the exam. She has decided to give more places tomorrow."

Zhen Su turned over and said, "I feel a little dizzy. Let me sleep for a while. I've been tired lately."

Su Qinnan passed the test relying on pairs, it would be strange for her to pass. Tomorrow's final will definitely be more difficult, so she decided not to join in the fun.

It was early afternoon when Princess Changle and her entourage returned.

Zhou Yiqing looked tired. "The noble ladies from Hunan Province are really enthusiastic. There are more people than last time, at least three or four hundred of them. They are divided into so many groups, and each group needs someone to monitor it. The government also has officials to assist. Six courtyards have been rented from Yaxian Manor, and the families who escorted the noble ladies are waiting outside for news..."

Zhen Su said: "Didn't you say that the talent show was cancelled? Why are there so many people here?"

"It's said to be cancelled, but it's stricter than before. People are selected based on their talent. When they arrive in the capital, they will have to go through the hurdle of Madam Gong. The winner will marry into the royal family, and the losers will be arranged to marry by the ladies. It's a huge gamble, and their lives and their fates are at stake. Isn't Mao Yuanniang engaged? The wedding date is March next year. She came to compete today and passed two competitions."

The Mao family is a noble family in Yueyang Prefecture. They are unwilling to accept this. Since they can marry someone better, why should they be content with mediocrity? It seems that the Mao family has reached some kind of agreement with Mao Yuanniang's fiancé's family. If Mao Yuanniang passes the test, she will go to the capital to study and learn the rules. If she fails the test, she will continue to marry according to the agreement.

Chunyue reported: "Princess, Master Mo bought your favorite snacks and is waiting for you in the pavilion in the back garden. Please go and taste the snacks."

Zhou Yiqing said, "I'm exhausted today. I'm going back to my room to sleep for a while."

Zhen Su took the maid to the back garden.

Uncle Su Qi stood by.

Su Mo sat in front of a stone table with several packages of snacks on it.

"Cousin Wen Jiang!"

"Cousin Mo!"

After they exchanged greetings, Zhen Su sat down and picked up a piece of dessert to eat.

Uncle Su Qi asked, "Cousin, is the Noble Ladies Club holding a talent pageant or a beauty pageant?"

Select wives and concubines for the royal men. Those who are selected will marry into the royal family, and those who are not selected will marry the sons of noble families.

Zhen Su hadn't asked Princess Changle yet, so he instinctively thought that this wouldn't be a good thing, "Is there anyone in the Su family interested?"

Su Mo asked, "Will the Noble Ladies Society come to Jiangnan for selection?"

"I can't answer you. I only hold a title in the Noble Ladies' Society, and I have never participated in any of its activities." Zhen Su replied.

Su Mo smiled and said, "My cousin is wary of me?"

"It's not something to be on guard against. It won't work just by guessing or conjecturing." Zhen Su argued.

She and Su Mo were always worried about gains and losses, sometimes close and sometimes distant, but she had him in her heart, and he also had her in his heart. Whenever it came to big things, he loved to test her, and she would never give a positive answer.