Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

"Are the stories in the storybooks available now still the same as before?" Concubine Hui asked curiously.

Shen Chuning's forehead was soaked with sweat. How could she answer this? She was only eleven years old in this body and not even old enough to read storybooks.

"To answer your question, Madam Queen, I passed by a bookstore last month and bought a few storybooks for my second aunt. Judging from the titles, they should all be stories about poor scholars. I haven't read the specific content, Aning." Shen Chuning answered slowly and carefully, her face red to her ears.

"Empress Hui, Chuning is still young. She probably hasn't read any storybooks yet." Xiao Jinyu came out to rescue Shen Chuning.

"Hey, kid, why are you so shy? This palace and Shuxuan have been secretly buying and reading storybooks since we were eight or nine years old."

"Those storybooks are all about the same old routines, written by those pedantic, poor scholars to comfort themselves."

"In any family with a bit of respectability, which young lady wouldn't be surrounded by a bunch of maids and servants when she goes out? How could that poor scholar take advantage of this opportunity to get to know the young lady?"

"And the maid who delivered the letter between the young lady and the scholar must have a grudge against the young lady and wants to kill her. If you have such a maid around you, sell her out as soon as possible."

"The poor scholar married the young lady and became wealthy thanks to the resources of her family. All kinds of beautiful women appeared around him, including his unfortunate cousin, a maidservant who loved him, and concubines who were taken into his family one after another. How could he still remember the young lady who had shared his hard times?"

"When you choose a husband from now on, be sure to keep your eyes open and stay away from those poor scholars."

Empress Huifei's words left Shen Chuning and Xiao Jinyu stunned.

"Empress Hui has never told me these things before." Xiao Jinyu said with a blushing face.

"That's because you've been living in the palace and haven't been exposed to these things. When you leave the palace and build your own residence in two years, you'll have to pay attention to these things."

"Yes, I will follow Empress Hui's instructions."

Concubine Hui turned around and said to Shen Chuning, "A Ning, what do you think of these stories in the book?"

Suddenly being called, Shen Chuning was stunned for a moment before answering, "Since ancient times, marriages have been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Aning is still young, so naturally she listens to the elders in her family."

"You're not wrong, but your parents can't make all the decisions for you. If the elders choose something you don't like, you'll be unhappy for the rest of your life."

Shen Chuning suddenly remembered what her grandmother said about Xiao Jinyu's study companions being the candidates for the Crown Princess selected by the late Queen.

He understood and said, "Chu Ning and her family elders have no intention of letting Chu Ning marry into the palace. Since she has no sisters, she usually goes to school with her brothers, and the knowledge she learns is not what traditional women learn. That's why An Ning was sent to the palace as a companion."

"No wonder Shuxuan likes you. Such a smart and clever child is bound to be loved. In this dynasty, there aren't that many strict rules for men and women. You can get in touch with more young men from aristocratic families with similar family backgrounds and pick out the one you like."

When Concubine Hui said this, there was a hint of loneliness in her eyes.

Shen Chuning quickly changed the subject, took the Jiaoweiqin from Birui, carefully opened the silk cloth wrapped around it, and placed the qin on the kang table in the middle of the Luohan bed.

"Empress Hui, this is what my Second Aunt asked me to bring to you. She said this zither was originally yours."

Concubine Hui gently stroked the strings with trembling hands, and her eyes became red again.

The palace maid Amber saw this and quickly said, "Empress Hui, lunch is ready. Please enjoy it first."

"Let's eat." Concubine Hui said dejectedly.

Amber helped her to the eight-immortals table and sat down at the main seat, with Xiao Jinyu and Shen Chuning sitting on her left and right respectively.

The meal was extremely quiet. Concubine Hui was in a bad mood and put down her chopsticks after eating a few bites.

Xiao Jinyu and Shen Chuning ate a few bites in a hurry and said they wanted to go back to review their lessons, then got up and left.

Concubine Hui: "Amber, it's been almost twenty years. Shuxuan returned this zither to me. Does that mean she has forgiven me?"

Amber comforted Concubine Hui: "Miss Shuxuan is just speaking up for Young Master Yun. How can I really blame you?"

"I had no other choice. My father was framed that year, and entering the palace was the only way to break the situation. I had already lost my mother, and I couldn't lose my father as well."

"Over the years, you've been enjoying the glory in the palace, and even been given the title of Consort Hui. They've said you're kind and gentle, docile, and kind. Oh, you really think I don't know, you just want to get more benefits and advantages from my Mo family."

"Whenever the treasury is short of money, they would give me a promotion. The Mo family would eagerly send me silver. What a good plan."

Amber walked to the door, stuck her head out and looked around. Seeing that there was no one outside, she closed the door tightly.

Amber: "Your Majesty, please keep your voice down. If that ignorant person hears and spreads it, it will be disastrous."

Concubine Hui snorted indifferently, "What are you afraid of? As long as he wants the Mo family to pay out money, he can't do anything to me."

"You should be careful about these things. The Sixth Princess was confined to her house a while ago, and Concubine Qin was fined. They are just worried about where to vent their anger. Aren't you just rushing to give them a handle?"

Concubine Hui fell silent, carefully holding the Jiaoweiqin, and walked towards the inner room. "Jinyu and Chu Ning didn't eat much just now. Go and give them some snacks."

Amber replied "yes", cleaned up the tea bowl that Concubine Hui had accidentally knocked over, and went out.

……

The music class in the afternoon gave Shen Chuning a hard time.

When she was a child, Old Madam Shen asked her to learn the piano, but she refused after plucking only two strings, saying her fingers hurt. Old Madam Shen looked at her red fingers and nodded, agreeing that she no longer needed to learn the piano.

Mr. Bai Yu was hired by Concubine Hui at great expense, and was known as the Guqin Sage in the martial arts world. Therefore, the only people attending this class were Xiao Jinyu and her three study partners.

When Mr. Bai Yu arrived, the four of them were already sitting in the pavilion.

Mr. Bai Yu was wearing a light blue spring gauze robe with a belt of the same color tied around his waist. His long hair, like a waterfall, was tied loosely at the back. His pair of peach blossom eyes were gentle and affectionate, and he was truly a romantic man.

Several people stood up and saluted Mr. Bai Yu.

"Sir, this is Miss Shen Chuning, the ninth daughter of the Minister of Revenue, Lord Shen. This is her first visit today." Princess Nan Yan introduced Shen Chuning to Mr. Bai Yu.

"I don't care if she's the Ninth Young Lady from Lord Shen's house or the Eighth Young Lady from Lord Li's house. I'm just teaching my zither, and you guys just listen below."

Princess Nanyan must have felt humiliated, and replied with a slightly blushing "yes".

"Have you learned to play the piano before?" Mr. Bai Yu asked Shen Chuning.

Shen Chuning answered truthfully, "I studied at home for two days when I was young."

Bai Yu: "Then play it and listen to it."

Shen Chuning: "I haven't... I haven't learned the complete song yet."

Bai Yu frowned and said, "I haven't learned the complete song yet, so just play a few notes for me to hear."

hum-

"Chi..." Shen Chuning had just plucked the strings when An Zhiyao's mocking voice came from the side.