Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Lan Qingwu knelt down and bowed three times devoutly. Then he heard his grandfather say, "Do you know when I first noticed you?"

Lan Qingwu shook her head. Except for her eldest brother Lan Qingbai, the old man seldom cared about other grandchildren. Therefore, her grandfather's special treatment of her and his concern about her marriage made her sisters feel dissatisfied.

The old man continued, "That year, when you were six years old, your mother punished you by making you kneel in this very ancestral hall. You used ten taels of silver to save a few little girls. Ten taels might not be much for an adult, but for a six-year-old, it was a lot. Yet, you dared to act on your own, using your mother's name to investigate their backgrounds and decisively saving them. Your mother made you kneel and reflect on your mistakes, yet you, with a few words, left her speechless. And in the end, she even thought you had accumulated good karma for her."

Lan Qingwu certainly remembered this incident. "Grandfather was just outside the door at the time?"

The old man nodded and said, "That's right. I was looking at this little girl at the time. Although she was kneeling, her back was straight. Although she was young, her words were meaningful and convincing, neither humble nor arrogant."

The old man turned to look at her. "Although you were kneeling half a body shorter than everyone else, Grandfather saw that you were standing taller than your mother. Although you were small and at a disadvantage compared to everyone else, Grandfather saw that you were prouder than anyone else."

The old man sighed and said, "Qingwu, you were born in the wrong era. If it were five or six hundred years ago, women would have a relatively high status. They could practice medicine, engage in business, become female officials, and even have their own households."

The old man's tone suddenly changed: "But not now! Qingwu, you sympathize with those women, right? You want to change their fate, you want them to be self-reliant, you want to speak up for them, you think this world is unfair to women, you want to change this world!"

Lan Qingwu was already filled with shock. She had never expected that her deepest thoughts had been seen by this wise old man. She said timidly, "Grandfather..."

The old man said solemnly, "A person's actions are judged by his appearance. Qingwu, you are in this border town. If you want to save people, I can support you and even help you secretly. But from now on - no! This will bring you into an irretrievable disaster! If you still marry into a border family, I can guarantee you a worry-free life and save as many people as you want. Now - put away your pride, bend your spine, and become a true noble lady from a Dasheng family!"

The old man continued his instruction, "The struggle in the harem is like a battlefield. Your actions will be exploited by the enemy, who will stab you in the back. And you, on the other hand, are facing the rules and regulations, even the laws, that have been followed by this noble dynasty for centuries. You cannot change them; you can only adapt to them and assimilate into them."

Lan Qingwu felt deafened. She whispered, "Grandfather, I am so weak, but I saved a few people by chance. I don't dare to go against the imperial ethics and laws."

The old man said: "Grandfather said not only for the present, but also for the future. Can you do it?" In the future, it may have an impact on the emperor.

Lan Qingwu said respectfully, "Qingwu will follow grandfather's teachings and never do anything beyond his ability!"

"Okay!" The old man looked at the ancestral tablet and said, "Remember what you said today. Grandfather has only one expectation for you - after you enter the palace, you can only survive if you are favored. So go and win favor!"

"If you can still survive even without favor, then you don't have to fight for favor. Live freely. Even if you go to the palace, Grandfather will make arrangements for you! Grandfather only wants you to live well!"

After hearing the last part, Lan Qingwu felt bitter in her mouth and her eyes were slightly red. She was touched by her grandfather's protection of her, but also felt anxious because she couldn't listen to her grandfather and treat the emperor like that. They had such a secret past. Back then, she had dealt a heavy blow to the most noble man in the world. The love of youth was the most sincere, and the hurt she suffered was the deepest.

Now, the initiative has completely returned to the hands of the young emperor, and Lan Qingwu is completely passive.

Her situation was different from that of other women officials who entered the palace. Even she herself could not control her own situation after entering the palace. It all depended on that person's mood and past.

After that day, Lan Qingwu spent another day in her courtyard listening to the two maids discuss palace affairs. The days flew by. One day, Lan Qingwu heard a commotion outside the door. A moment later, Ruoyin came in and said, "Miss, it's the Fourth Miss who's dragged the Third Miss here. They insist on learning palace etiquette with you, Miss. They say you can't just focus on yourself and ignore your younger sister."

Lan Qingwu's face was as gloomy as water and he said coldly, "Since that's the case, Ruhan, go and tell her, do you want to enter the palace in my place?"

Ruhan took the order and left. His sharp and aggressive words made the fourth lady Lan Qingtong scream and run away crying with her face covered. The third lady Lan Qingyu also ran away with a red face.

At dinner time, Lan Qingwu went to Madam Lan's room to eat with her. Afterward, Madam Lan dismissed everyone and pulled Lan Qingwu to sit on the bed. She hesitantly asked, "Qingwu, what do you think about your mother preparing two maids for you?"

Lan Qingwu was stunned for a moment, then instantly understood what Madam Lan meant: "Mother, how many people do you think your daughter can bring into the palace? Two at most, and besides..." Besides, she felt that Yun Heng would kill her if she did so. She could never do what other concubines could do.

Lan Qingwu said sternly, "Mother, the palace has its own set number of people to bring in. You don't have to worry about it. I've already made up my mind to bring only Ruping into the palace!" What good was the palace for? She was confused about her own future, so there was no need to burden others.

Back at Qingwu Courtyard, she sat on the bed, her mind unconsciously empty. Ruping from the outer room asked quietly, "Have you made up your mind? You want to follow the young lady into the palace? I don't think she has such intentions."

Ru Han said, "Don't worry about it. I will definitely follow you into the palace."

Ru Ping frowned: "What about Lan Hao? Once he enters the palace, he has no control over his own life. Are you going to let him wait for you forever?"

Ruhan's eyes were slightly red, and she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She said, "I will explain it to him clearly and tell him not to wait for me."

"No!" Lan Qingwu said firmly as he came out of the dormitory.

"I have decided to take Ruping with me. You will stay at the Lan family with mother. She will make plans for you later."

Ru Han knelt down with a thud and said, "Young lady, do you no longer want me?"

Lan Qingwu said, "Lan Hao is a rare man. Ruhan, I hope you can live your own life well. There is really no need to follow me to the deep palace and waste your years."

Ru Han choked up and said, "Miss, are you asking me to watch you go to the palace? Miss, I'm really worried. I've just entered the palace and I don't know what it's like. How can I take care of myself first? Miss, please take me with you. I know how to take care of you. I know what you like to eat and what you use. If you're sick, no medicine will help. I can only feel at ease when I'm by your side!"

Lan Qingwu looked at Ruhan's determined gaze and said softly, "How could I bear to leave you? I saved your life, and you also risked your life to make me recover."