Get the resurrection scroll, and eat melons and meat after entering the book

"Then let's first tell you how many palace gates there are and what they are called!"

He Cui looked at Wu Qing worriedly, and without asking any more questions, she began to speak directly, "There are four main palace gates: the East, South, West, and North. They are: the East Xi Qi Ming Gate, the South Xun Feng He Gate, the West Chui Rui Jing Gate, and the North Chen Gong Wei Gate. In the palace, we usually don't say the full words, just the first two words, or just the East, South, West, and North Gates."

Wu Qing nodded. "How did you write it? Can you write it for me to see?"

He Cui took out a pen and paper and wrote for Wu Qing to read.

Wu Qing looked at He Cui writing and asked again, "When the Seventh Princess said West—Western Ruijing Gate, was she referring to its full name?"

As He Cui wrote, she said, "The princes and princesses have been brought up very strictly since childhood. They are used to it."

After watching He Cui finish writing, Wu Qing mentally memorized the names of the various palace gates twice before asking, "Then why is being a palace maid a career option? What kind of people enter the palace as slaves?"

He Cui: "Let's talk about the latter matter first. First of all, you have to come from a 'good family'..."

Wu Qing: "A good family: if they are not from a brothel, then they are a good family!"

He Cui was shocked, her eyes widening. "What are you talking about, sister? It's really broken. A good family is one that doesn't involve doctors, witches, merchants, or laborers."

"Scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants," Wu Qing held up four fingers and pointed at them one by one. "Merchant," she bent her pinky finger. "Even workers don't qualify." She bent her ring finger again. "Daughters of farmers can't read," she bent her middle finger again. She looked at her only raised index finger in disbelief. "You... we're all from scholar families?!"

Cui Er nodded, "Sister, you don't even remember anything?"

Wu Qing touched the now-smoothed bump on the back of her head. What she said wasn't entirely false. She truly had lost all memory of the injury.

"So, the lowly ones are even worse!" Wu Qing knew that the lowly ones included not only slaves, but also yamen runners, coroners, executioners, butchers, midwives...

People of low status were not allowed to take the imperial examinations, could not become officials, were not allowed to purchase land or property, could not marry ordinary people, and could not engage in what was called "lowly occupations" in society at that time, and would never be able to turn their lives around.

She knew about the restrictions and discrimination against the untouchables who worked in menial occupations, but she had not expected that medicine, witchcraft, business, and crafts were also considered low-class in the eyes of the upper class.

What are palace maids? They are just slaves. The imperial palace cannot tolerate people of low status as slaves, but they allow girls of scholarly origin to enter the palace as slaves. What the hell is this?

It's just like using your own spear to poke your own shield.

In other words, I was finally reborn into a good family, but ended up being a slave in the palace.

It would be fine to enter the palace as a slave. After all, when you turn 25, you can get a sum of money and leave the palace. It's like having a job and then being fired.

You are so good, Helian Han, you still want to take me as your concubine.

What is a concubine? It's a slave!

Wu Qing laughed coldly. Even if you, Helian Han, are a male model, it was I who chose you. I will never be a slave in your palace!

He Cui looked at Wu Qing's changing face and asked, "What's wrong, sister?"

Wu Qing waved her hand, "It's okay! Then tell me about your time as a palace maid!"

"Yeah." He Cui nodded, "My mother and I were bullied at home, and sometimes ruffians came to our house to cause trouble. Someone from the clan even came to act as a matchmaker, hoping to get my mother another chance.

If it was a good family, she could be considered kind-hearted, but she was actually talking about that vicious man who beat his two wives to death. How could I let my mother marry him? That would be a death sentence!

My mother took me back to her parents' home, hoping that my family would help make a decision. However, my uncle said: They shouldn't interfere too much with a married girl, so why not let me get married as a child bride.

"Being a child bride sounds nice, but in reality, I'll just be a slave for nothing. When I've taken care of my young husband and he starts to think I'm old, then my future will be hopeless and truly miserable. Mother naturally couldn't bear to let me go and cried and disagreed..."

Tears welled up in He Cui's eyes as she spoke. Wu Qing sat down next to her and gently wiped her tears with a handkerchief. He Cui looked up at Wu Qing and continued, "I didn't know how to survive at that time..." He Cui took the handkerchief and wiped her tears herself.

"Don't you and your mother have any other way?" As a modern person who grew up under the red flag, Wu Qing couldn't quite understand this. In her mind, people can be self-reliant.

He Cui shook her head, "There was no way out. We pretended not to hear all the scoundrels' harassment and rumors, but the man who wanted to marry my mother as his second wife was powerful. Once he said a word, no one dared to wash clothes for my mother. The job we had agreed to help in the kitchen was also canceled..." Thinking of what happened, He Cui couldn't stop crying.

"Oh my god!" Wu Qing had never expected this to happen, and He Cui was still talking.

"At night, someone came to pry open the gate. My mother rushed out with a kitchen knife and scared the man away. But the scoundrel said he came in because he saw a man leaving our house. The neighbors began to suspect that my mother was the one who opened the secret door..."

Wu Qing held He Cui in her arms with one hand to comfort her. Her nose was also sore, and her heart felt uncomfortable and painful.

She hadn't expected that it would be so difficult for a woman to be self-reliant in this world.

He Cui cried for a while before saying, "I had already decided to become a child bride. It was when the palace came to select palace maids that I was given a chance to survive." She raised her head, her eyes shining, and wiped away her tears. "Once I entered the palace, I was someone used by the royal family. Those people couldn't make things difficult for my family. After all, no one knew if I could speak in front of the real master. What if?"

Wu Qing patted He Cui's back before letting her go. "Everything will be fine." She suddenly remembered something.

She could see that He Cui wanted to be strong, to support the family, to support her mother, and that required money. She suddenly remembered that her original self should have savings, but where were they?

Wu Qing stood up and walked out, "Let's go to the west duty room and take a look."

He Cui had just stopped crying and hadn't reacted yet. She stood up and followed Wu Qing out.

When she walked outside, she found that it had started raining without her noticing, but it was not heavy. He Cui remembered that she had not washed her face, so she came out with tears on her face. The rain made it invisible.

He Cui tugged at Wu Qing and said, "Sister, wait a minute. I'll go back and get an umbrella."

Wu Qing felt it was troublesome and looked outside. "I won't get wet much if I walk all the way under the corridor. Forget it!"

The main reason is that the emperor is not in the palace now, so they don’t have to worry about going to places they shouldn’t go and making their master unhappy. They are much freer to go wherever they want.

He Cui had no choice but to walk outside and use her body to block some of the slanting rain for Wu Qing.

The two came to Wu Qing's house, and Wu Qing said, "I forgot where I put the monthly silver. Cui'er, help me find it. If I find it, I'll give you half."

He Cui made Wu Qing laugh. "Sit down then, sister. I'll find it."

Just as Wu Qing had thought, He Cui found a bag of silver in just a cup of tea. "Sister, this is it!"

As soon as Wu Qing took it in her hand, she knew it was the right one. After all, the feel and appearance of the silver were almost the same.

She untied the small bundle, revealing three large ingots of silver and some broken pieces. She weighed them in her hand; the broken pieces together were no heavier than a large ingot, yet they were still quite heavy in her hand, each weighing more than half an ingot.

Wu Qing pushed the two big ones to He Cui and said, "This one is for you."

He Cui was shocked. "How can this be possible?"