Deep Palace Pet Peach Blossom Flawless

Wei Yanting continued, "The Ministry of Revenue has begun the nationwide selection process. This is the first since Your Majesty ascended the throne, and the Empress Dowager attaches great importance to it. It will take two months. You, the noble lady, have been specially appointed a concubine and do not need to participate in the selection process. You can stay at home for another month and learn the palace rules and etiquette with the palace maids. You will set out again in April. The journey to the imperial city will take only twenty days, and you can enter the palace with the selected candidates in early May."

Lan Youchen raised his glass again: "Thank you for telling me, General. Come, let me toast you again." Several people toasted each other, and both the host and the guests were in great joy.

Sure enough, five or six days later, the palace's teaching nannies, Nanny Ye and Nanny Wang, arrived. After resting for two days, they began to teach Lan Qingwu.

Lan Qingwu greeted the two maids first, who said they dared not. Matron Ye had spent the previous few days teaching the various ceremonial etiquette between the concubines. The complexity of it all was so tedious that even Ruhan was overwhelmed. The young lady watched and listened patiently, and Ruhan, feeling she wasn't putting in enough effort, dragged Ruping along to find two other aunts from the palace for etiquette lessons.

After a few days of this, Nanny Ye felt that everything was done correctly and said to Lan Qingwu, "My lady, I think you can demonstrate it yourself. I will then see where you are weak and teach you more."

Lan Qingwu glanced at her and said, "Alright."

Lan Qingwu then walked to the prepared futon and heard Nanny Ye begin to chant: "Pay homage to the Empress...Pay homage to the Imperial Noble Consort...Pay homage to the Noble Consort...Pay homage to the Four Consorts...Pay homage to the Imperial Concubine...Pay homage to the peers...Mid-Autumn Festival ceremony...New Year's Eve ceremony..."

The closer it got to the end, the more surprised Nanny Ye was. Ruhan beside her was stunned, Ruping's eyes were shining, and a flash of surprise passed through Nanny Wang's eyes. This was because Lan Qingwu's etiquette was as smooth as flowing water, without any sense of stagnation. When it came to the complicated and tedious ceremonies, it was even more of a pleasure. Lan Qingwu's every move, every bow, every gesture, every gesture was like the return of wind and snow, and the rhythm was natural and beautiful, making people feel that it was a beautiful painting.

At the end, Lan Qingwu completed the final ceremony. The room was silent. Lan Qingwu turned to look at Madam Ye. Madam Ye came to her senses and said, "Very good! The young lady has understood everything."

Nanny Wang seemed to be thinking about something.

Lan Qingwu said, "In this case, Madam Ye can breathe a sigh of relief. I'll have to ask Madam Ye to review the etiquette in the last few days."

Madam Ye hurriedly said, "This is my duty."

Nanny Wang then said, "Let's stop here this morning. This afternoon, I will explain to you the etiquette for concubines serving the emperor."

Lan Qingwu nodded slowly. In the afternoon, as soon as Nanny Wang spoke, she understood why Nanny Ye wanted to talk to her alone.

Nanny Wang spoke gently, "A wife in the common people pays three courtesies and four respects to her husband; a concubine pays four courtesies and four respects to the head of the household; and lower-ranking concubines in the palace pay five courtesies and six respects to the emperor. First, they greet him with a bow, a blessing, and a kneel. When called, they thank him. After entering the palace to serve, concubines below the third rank kneel. Only those above the third rank are qualified to serve standing. They present gifts respectfully, bow, a blessing, and a kneel, and then bow their heads to the ground. They may not raise their heads until the dragon chariot disappears."

"There is also the bed-serving ritual. When a concubine of lower rank is summoned by the emperor, she must prepare an hour in advance and kneel on the dragon bed to await the emperor. When the emperor arrives, she kowtows. While on the dragon bed, she must not straighten her upper body, must not look directly at the emperor, must not straighten her legs, and certainly not stand up. Her entire body must be lower than the emperor's. When the emperor asks her to serve, she must kneel and walk past the emperor's feet, never going above his knees."

Lan Qingwu felt a little bitter in her mouth. She was also a low-ranking concubine. Although her initial title was not low, she was still a low-ranking concubine who had to kneel when she saw everyone in the harem, not to mention meeting the emperor. She was really low to the ground.

When the emperor comes to your palace to drink tea, eat, or talk, he must kneel and serve. Now Lan Qingwu wishes he were a member of the Dasheng Dynasty in his bones. What use is it to have the soul of the original world, except to seem out of place?

Nanny Wang continued, "My lady, I noticed that your manners and demeanor were perfect this morning. However, there was one thing that reminded me of some old palace rumors."

Lan Qingwu asked doubtfully, "Oh? What rumors?"

Nanny Wang replied, "Those are secret palace records. I've occasionally heard a few lines. About two hundred years ago, during the Dasheng Dynasty, an empress emerged from the imperial harem. This empress was also impeccably well-mannered and well-behaved. The emperor of the time jokingly remarked, "Though her manners were impeccable, her heart was truly standing, even though she was kneeling."

Lan Qingwu's heart skipped a beat: "I dare not compare myself with this lady." But he thought to himself that the people in the palace have sharp eyes.

Nanny Wang said, "I was just saying something off topic."

Lan Qingwu knew this was a warning to her, implying she lacked a reverent and reverent heart. She said nothing more, only thanking Nanny Wang.

That night, she went to Zhongfangyuan to pay her respects to Madam Lan. Madam Lan kept her in the room and began to give her detailed instructions, repeating the rules for women from childhood to adulthood over and over again. She listened with a smile without showing any expression. This kind of day would not last long.

Madam Lan stopped talking, looked at her, and said, "Qing'er, I know you're impatient to hear these words, but this is a woman's fate. Especially since you've entered the emperor's harem, it makes my heart ache even more. Just look at me. I'm actually much better than most women in this world. In fact, after all, a woman's life depends on a word."

Lan Qingwu couldn't help but ask, "What are you talking about?"

Madam Lan said, "In today's world, this is a woman's fate. Just accept it!"

Lan Qingwu was speechless, then came to her senses, "Mother, please tell me more. I think everything you say is right."

As a typical noble lady of the Da Sheng Dynasty, Mrs. Lan has done a good job. She thinks that she should listen to her mother's words from now on and stop letting her soul waver and struggle.

A few days later, the old man heard that his granddaughter had learned etiquette very well, so he called Lan Qingwu to his study. After watching her perform the formalities, he said, "Grandfather called you here today to give you some instructions. I also want you to understand the situation of the various masters in the palace so that you won't be at a loss when you arrive."

"The Empress Dowager is the biological mother of the Emperor. She has three sons and one daughter. The Emperor is the youngest son. Currently, there are three concubines in the harem: Concubine Jiang, who comes from an aristocratic family; Concubine Chen, the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites; and Concubine Wan, who comes from a Jiangnan noble family. It is said that Concubine Wan's biological mother was a thin horse from Yangzhou. She is the most favored of the three concubines. The Emperor now has three sons and two daughters. The eldest princess is the daughter of the previous Empress. She is currently being raised by the Empress Dowager herself in the Cining Palace, so her status is the most precious..."

Lan Qingwu slowly lowered his head, trying to hide his emotions. When he had finished listening to his grandfather's words, he said, "Thank you for your advice, Grandfather."

The old man looked at her silently for a while, then suddenly said, "Qingwu, come with grandpa."

Lan Qingwu followed the old man, only to see him lead her to the Lan family ancestral hall. He then pointed at the cushion in the middle and said, "Kneel down!"