Only after the rebellion succeeded did they realize that this place was...

"Sixth Miss is too modest."

Granny Kong leaned down to look at the cup of tea, raised her hand and gently fanned her nose, a hint of satisfaction in her slightly narrowed eyes. "This tea is slightly weak, but just right. It is truly a superior tea, a top-grade tea."

"The tea used is made with the spring water from the bamboo well that His Majesty loves to brew, which shows that the Sixth Miss has really put her heart into her lessons these past few days."

After saying that, Granny Kong walked to Minglan's side, glanced down and seemed to have discovered something. She reached out and gently picked up a neatly folded piece of Xuan paper from the corner of the table. After carefully examining it, she nodded repeatedly: "Sixth Miss has really put her heart into it. She has recorded every word I have said these past few days on it."

"Others forget what they say as soon as they open their mouths, but Sixth Miss can write it down and engrave it in her heart. Her self-deprecating words just now seem to be a sign of great wisdom and skill without artifice."

"what?"

Minglan blinked in bewilderment; the scene was completely different from what she had expected.

Seeing Granny Kong turn to leave, she subconsciously took two steps forward and hurriedly explained, "Granny, I'm afraid you're mistaken? It's fine if my elder sister gets top-grade tea, but my tea is coarse and crude, not even good enough to be considered a beginner."

Upon hearing this, Granny Kong chuckled softly, her attitude towards Minglan unexpectedly gentle: "In the palace, if you forget His Majesty's preferences, you'll be punished."

"How could I, at my age, be so tactless? Sixth Miss, there's no need for further words."

Minglan was speechless and could only silently retreat to her original position under the watchful eye of Granny Kong.

"Alright, that concludes today's review."

Granny Kong stopped and announced in a loud voice, "The eldest and sixth young ladies are of superior quality, the fourth young lady is of upper-middle quality, and the fifth young lady is of middle quality."

After saying this, Granny Kong did not linger in the school any longer and left slowly with her maid.

No sooner had she left than the school erupted in chaos.

Mo Lan couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out sarcastically, "Great wisdom disguised as foolishness? Sixth Sister has been hiding it very well. If it weren't for Granny Kong pointing it out today, Sixth Sister would probably have continued to act like this forever."

"It's one thing for the eldest sister to achieve a top-grade rank, but for the sixth sister to also achieve a top-grade rank shows that I really underestimated her in the past."

This time, Rulan didn't bicker with Molan as usual. Instead, she leaned closer, looking at Minglan with curiosity, and whispered, "Minglan, when did you become so amazing? I had no idea!"

Minglan looked timid and spoke softly, with a hint of bewilderment: "How would I know these things? My grandmother never taught me these refined matters when we were in Shou'an Hall."

"Understood."

Rulan clapped her hands, nodded with certainty, and then smiled with relief, "It must have been a blind cat catching a dead mouse, it was all luck."

With this in mind, Rulan was completely relieved.

At least she wasn't the worst among the Sheng family girls, so she wasn't at the bottom. She always comforted herself like this, and today was no exception. The surprise she had just felt vanished.

"Alright, stop fooling around."

Hua Lan gave a soft shout, carrying the authority of an elder sister, and the school returned to silence.

Before long, the crowd dispersed and returned to their respective courtyards.

……

On the other side, Granny Kong was secretly pondering, a hint of smugness on her lips: "That little girl, the sixth young lady of the Sheng family, has some skill and has quite a bit of experience, but unfortunately, she still can't escape the eyes of this old woman."

Thinking to myself.

She has also returned to Shou'an Hall from the school.

But as soon as she entered, she saw that Old Madam Sheng had an unpleasant expression and her eyes held a hint of resentment as she stared at her intently.

Granny Kong's heart tightened.

The comments from the classroom must have reached the older sister's ears by now.

Yet she showed no sign of panic, calmly taking her seat, raising her hand to pick up her teacup and drink tea, every movement exuding the dignified and noble air cultivated in the palace.

"What's wrong? Dear sister?"

Granny Kong put down her teacup, smiled faintly, and said, "Today, I, as your younger sister, have been very considerate, praising your little maidservant to the skies and letting her steal the spotlight. And yet, your older sister isn't happy about it?"

"You've really caused me a lot of trouble this time."

Grandma Sheng sighed heavily, her tone tinged with annoyance, completely lacking her usual calmness.

Upon hearing this, Granny Kong's eyes widened slightly, a hint of resentment rising within her: "Sister, could it be that praising this maid of yours is a mistake? Besides, I'm not being dishonest; it's all genuine praise."

"These young ladies of the Sheng family are all of marriageable age."

"The eldest daughter, Hua Lan, goes without saying. To be chosen by His Majesty at first glance, she is gentle, considerate of the overall situation, and intelligent. In particular, her face is beautiful, with a full forehead, which is a first-class sign of good fortune. The only flaw is that her temperament is a little gentle. If she can make up for this, she will have a great chance of becoming the Empress in the future."

"And the Minglan you keep by your side, the sixth daughter of the Sheng family, is no less impressive. She may seem mediocre, but in reality, she has not forgotten a single thing that she should learn or remember. She has written everything down on paper, word by word. Others who come to listen to the excitement will forget it as soon as they turn their heads."

"But she used this most basic method to memorize all the tricks. Is this stupidity? This is diligence and dedication."

Granny Kong got more and more excited as she spoke, completely disregarding Old Madam Sheng's expression. She continued to praise her, and in the end, the two almost started arguing.

"Good sister, now I really don't know what you're thinking."

Granny Kong looked aggrieved and spoke with a hint of urgency, "This girl by your side is the best of the best. If she marries a certain young man in the future, it will be a blessing for that family."

Although her appearance is not as outwardly auspicious as Hua Lan's, it is subtle and reserved, suggesting she will be a virtuous woman who will bring prosperity to three generations. Perhaps there are other hidden secrets within her.

It's not that I can see through it all at once, but I can vaguely sense its extraordinary nature.

I was just trying to help her out; could it be that I made a mistake by helping her today? If so, then I, a palace maid, really shouldn't have come."

"Does His Majesty's decree allow you to act arbitrarily?"

Grandma Sheng was also a little angry, and her voice rose slightly.

"Sister, I swear to God!"

Granny Kong slammed her hand on the table in her haste.

Looking at her like this, Old Madam Sheng finally sighed heavily again, pointing at her with a tone full of helplessness and heartache: "Everyone used to say you were the most intelligent, how come you can't even see the trick now?"

She paused, her gaze drifting to the window, as if she could see Minglan's usual cautiousness through the windowpane. Her voice softened: "Minglan is raised by my side. Everyone in this mansion treats me like an ancestor, a sage. They all respect and fear me. But can this old woman stay with her forever?"

"The other girls in the Sheng family are either legitimate daughters, protected by the eldest daughter-in-law; or born to favored concubines, pampered by Lin Qinshuang. Each of them has someone above them to protect them."

Only Mingya is left, and only this old hag is left.

She's always been so considerate, never wanting to involve me in even the slightest trouble. How could I bear to make her suffer like this?

Grandma Sheng turned around and looked at Granny Kong, her eyes full of worry: "If she were to remain ordinary and live a peaceful life, she could avoid a lot of trouble."

But now that you've praised her like this, she's stood out. In this inner quarters, will the mistress let her off the hook?

Not to mention Lin Qinshuang, who is petty and calculating. How could everyone not keep an eye on her, resent her, and try to suppress her?

I can protect her for a while, but can I protect her forever?

It seems these people will ruin her future marriage prospects.

Only now did Old Madam Sheng fully explain her painstaking efforts.

Upon hearing this, the grievance and anxiety on Granny Kong's face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of utter bewilderment and guilt.

She stood there, speechless for a long time, before she realized that Old Madam Sheng did not dislike Minglan being praised, but rather feared that this "outstanding" quality would become the root of her future troubles in the inner quarters.

But then he thought about it again and suddenly felt confident, and a smug look appeared on his face.

She strolled over to Old Madam Sheng's side, gently placed her hand on her arm, and softly comforted her, "Older sister, is it because you're getting old that you've become so forgetful? Think about it, why have I come to the Sheng family?"

"If nothing goes wrong, all the girls in the Sheng family will be entering the palace."

"It's not that easy."

Old Madam Sheng refused to believe it and glared angrily at Granny Kong. At this moment, she was acting like a little girl, arguing with her old friend, completely losing her usual composure. "You were once as outstanding as me, but when you went to the palace for the selection of concubines, you were rejected, weren't you? Otherwise, how could you have become a nanny? You would probably have become a concubine long ago."

Not to mention us girls, even Ming.

She is a treasure in my heart, but once she's in the palace, which daughter of an official in the capital isn't a top-tier beauty? I'm afraid that even if the other girls from this household, besides Hua'er, were selected, it might not be a good thing. They might be better off living a peaceful and stable life outside.

"Just like my expectations for you back then."

Granny Kong comforted Old Madam Sheng, and Old Madam Sheng's words also soothed Granny Kong's heart, which had been hidden deep for many years.

This consideration for each other in everything they do is the reason why these two old sisters, who haven't seen each other for years, still have such a deep bond when they meet again.

Faced with Old Madam Sheng's honest advice, Granny Kong simply smiled without saying a word and stared at her intently.

Old Mrs. Sheng was intelligent to begin with. After a slight pause, and recalling her understanding of this younger sister, her heart skipped a beat, and a bold guess suddenly came to her mind.

However, she absolutely couldn't bring herself to say what she was thinking, as that would be inappropriate. So she could only pretend to be impatient and urge, "Hurry up and tell me! I'm about to die of impatience, why are you being so coy? Trying to be mysterious like those rich men outside."

Seeing her dear sister so anxious, Granny Kong smiled faintly, her smug little expression making Old Madam Sheng curl her lips and ignore her.

But for the sake of my Minglan, I must ask her about this today.

She would never let Granny Kong leave, otherwise her old body would probably toss and turn all night and not be able to sleep.

"Sister, your concerns just now were all true."

Granny Kong's smile faded, and she lowered her voice, "But what if His Majesty is willing and has personally given his word?"

"To be honest, my sister, His Majesty sent me, a palace maid, to the Sheng family not only to take care of the eldest daughter, Hua Lan, but also to personally instruct that His Majesty should take extra care of the sixth daughter, Ming Lan."

Is this true?

Grandma Sheng was instantly flustered and gripped Granny Kong's hand even tighter.

"Is that even possible?"

Granny Kong gave her a reproachful look, her tone firm, "Falsely conveying His Majesty's decree, dear sister, that's a capital offense."

As she spoke, she deliberately made a throat-slitting gesture, which looked quite frightening.

"That's good, that's good."

Grandma Sheng breathed a long sigh of relief, her heart finally at ease. She subconsciously expressed her feelings, "For Ming'er, this is indeed the best way out she can get."

This statement is also closely related to the unprecedented prosperity of the new Han Dynasty.

Throughout history, the peace and tranquility of the emperor's harem have been closely linked to the integrity of the court, the soundness of the legal system, and the overall fortune of the nation.

For example, during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing in the Western Han Dynasty and Emperor Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, the emperors were strict with themselves and regulated the palace system, so there were almost no major disturbances in the harem. Similarly, Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty used rites and laws to regulate the palace etiquette, and the harem was also very stable.

While the current emperor of the new Han dynasty, Liu Hong, is ruthless in his external dealings, he is quite benevolent at home.

Especially when the new Han army entered the city, they did not harm the people of Bianliang in the slightest and treated them kindly.

These details reveal not only the future prospects of the new Han dynasty, but also the emperor's style of conduct.

Moreover, there's Hua Lan in the harem to support each other.

Given Hua Lan's friendship with the Emperor, even if Ming Lan were to enter the palace in the future, it wouldn't be difficult for her to seek only a peaceful and stable life, without any desire for wealth or honor.

That is why Old Madam Sheng expressed such heartfelt sentiments.

"Good sister, can you rest assured now?"

Granny Kong asked with a smile.

Grandma Sheng gave her a rare glare and said irritably, "Why didn't you say so earlier? You've made me worry about so many things at my age."

"Didn't my sister ask that before?"

Granny Kong spoke, feigning grievance.

Just as the two old sisters in Shou'an Hall were returning to their cheerful conversation, the turmoil that had arisen in the entire Sheng family due to the school's evaluation was only just beginning.

……

Inside the Wei Rui Xuan.

Wang Ruofu held the handkerchief, her lips curving upwards involuntarily. Her eyes were full of satisfaction as she looked at Hua Lan: "Excellent! Hua'er has truly put her heart into it and has thoroughly learned all these rules. When she arrives in the harem in the future, she will be able to maintain the demeanor of a concubine and will certainly not be looked down upon by others."

"Yes, Mother."

Hua Lan smiled, thinking the same thing. Her hard work over the past few days had finally paid off, and all her efforts had been worthwhile.

But the next moment, Wang Ruofu's gaze swept over Rulan, who was standing to the side with her head bowed. Her face instantly darkened, and her tone turned cold: "Look at your eldest sister, and then look at you. We're both children born from my womb, so how come your eldest sister is only of the upper grade, while you're only of the middle grade?"

"It's so much inferior to that little slut from Linxi Pavilion."

At this moment, Wang Ruofu seemed to have two faces: one was kind and gentle to his eldest daughter Hualan, and the other was cold and ruthless to his youngest daughter Rulan.

"Then...and what about Minglan?"

Rulan shrank her neck and subconsciously began to defend herself.

Wang Ruofu then calmed down and softened his tone, glancing at Rulan and saying, "Fortunately, there is such a bright girl who can be at the bottom with you, otherwise you would have completely disgraced the Sheng family's legitimate children."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but point sharply at Rulan's forehead.

"Mother, this time Sixth Sister didn't just get a mid-grade, she got a top-grade one."

Hua Lan gently corrected her from the side, her expression showing no trace of jealousy, but rather a genuine happiness for Ming Lan.

"She also got a top-grade ranking?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruofu's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with disbelief, and she asked in a trembling voice, "That Ming girl?"

Hua Lan smiled and nodded, saying, "Mother, Sixth Sister is quite talented; she just doesn't like to show off."

"What talent? It's probably just a bit of luck, a stroke of pure good fortune."

Rulan muttered quietly to herself, feeling indignant on her behalf, "I've seen her skills these past few days. It's just that she happened to be able to match Granny Kong's preferences and coincidentally, His Majesty likes to drink light tea, which is why Granny Kong praised her so highly. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't even have gotten a mid-grade tea."

Although Hua Lan suspected that Ming Lan might not have been lucky, she was ultimately biased towards her younger sister Ru Lan. At this point, she could no longer defend Ming Lan and could only remain silent.

Even so, Wang Ruofu was still shocked. He gasped, unable to recover for a long time. His fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of the table as he muttered to himself, "When did that Ming girl become so amazing? Could she really be outwardly dull but inwardly exceptional?"

"We've been fooled all along?!"