Riding the Wave (Part 1)

  "How did you come over? Didn't you go with your daughter to the Wangfu to attend the flower gathering?"

  When Ulanara entered the kitchen, Bai Mama's serious face immediately turned into a smile. The cooks and servants couldn't help but whisper to each other, secretly scolding her for flattering. However, everyone in the mansion knew that the eldest miss was going to be the concubine of the imperial prince, and would eventually become an imperial consort, or even empress... With her stunning beauty, it's unlikely that any man could resist her charms, no matter how virtuous his wife might be. Therefore, not just Bai Mama, but all the servants in the mansion, regardless of their position, welcomed the people from the eldest miss's courtyard with a smile and extremely good attitude, especially the two senior maids, Shan Yin and Shan Yan, who were by her side.

  "Yuxia and I are accompanying the young lady, I'll go get some ingredients to make something she likes." Xan said with a faint smile.

  The old lady also knew that the eldest girl was picky, and her favorite food was the crystal plum blossom bun and lotus bean curd made by Xian. She said: "Today's fresh ingredients are all here, let Miss Xian choose."

  "Thanks to you, White Auntie." Xuan spoke and picked out the ingredients she needed, then instructed White Auntie on several dishes that Wu Lan Niang loved to eat. After finishing, she smiled apologetically: "I was afraid that if Miss went to the Duke's residence, she wouldn't have anything she liked to eat, and would rather starve herself when she returned."

  "What's the point of being a servant if not to serve our masters? It's our duty." The nanny said a few more words, flattering and considerate for the young mistress, no wonder she valued her so much. With that, she sent her off.

  Shan returned to the Qingtian Temple where Ni Mengyi lived, carrying the ingredients. She went into the small kitchen and started stewing the supplement soup that Wu Lanniang drank every day. Then she began chopping and dicing to make crystal plum blossom buns. After finishing the filling, she added a few spoons of fragrant vegetable oil, as it wouldn't be delicious without oil, but too greasy was also not liked by Master...

  She was an orphan, adopted by a man named Li who used to work as a chef in a restaurant. He taught her many delicious dishes and also shared with her the beauty and health benefits of food. He often used high-quality fragrant oil that didn't have a strong "green" flavor, which could keep one's face clean and refreshed, not greasy or prone to acne, and also had the effect of dispelling fire and reducing swelling. When she was eight years old, Li died of illness, and the family's money had been spent on medical treatment, so she had no choice but to use the money from selling her body to bury him... As a young girl with no one to rely on, even if she wanted to find work, no one would hire her. The best option was to become a maid in a wealthy and prestigious household.

  And her craftsmanship successfully made her selected to serve the eldest daughter of this mansion, and slowly, she relied on her learned skills and the principles of beauty and beauty in food to gain the favor of Ulanara Nianmu Yi, and was promoted to a higher-ranking maid.

  These days, being favored by the master and respected by the servants, are really more comfortable and glorious than when she was with Old Man Li. When Master and Madam asked if she would be willing to sign a death contract to accompany Eldest Miss into the palace, she agreed without hesitation. Entering the palace will be even more glorious, right?

  Her mind wandered aimlessly, but her hands moved swiftly as she steamed the buns and then started making jade-green mung bean cake, another of the young lady's favorite pastries. As long as it was possible to use oil, she used fragrant vegetable oil, which was also a key reason why the young lady loved her cooking and baked goods. Although others also used vegetable seed oil, they inevitably brought a hint of "green flavor" into their dishes, while peanut oil may be fragrant, but the young lady, who was accustomed to eating vegetable oil, said it had a strange taste that she didn't like...

  When she heard that Xiaoyuan had come to report that the young lady was back, Shanyan hurriedly returned to her room to tidy herself up before going to the small kitchen to personally carry the food to the main house. Before entering the door, she heard Xiāo's mother say: "Fourth Brother and Fourth Furen are a young couple, Fourth Furen is not bad, naturally their feelings are harmonious. The young lady may be good, but if she hasn't experienced life, there won't be affection. To men, it's just like a flower in the mirror, water in the moon, how can they compare?"

  "Miss, it's Xia Yayi." Xuan Yan went in, put things down, and saw the miss sitting on a rose chair with a gloomy expression. Xuan also lowered her head and saluted, feeling a bit nervous, "I made some pastries and stewed soup myself, would you like to have some?"

  Xia Po let out a sigh and personally brought the soup over to give to Wu Lan Na Ni, "Miss is thinking about the future, it's not certain whether it's ten or twenty years from now. Miss can't afford to be impatient with herself. Have some soup, don't be too hard on your own body."

  "Mother, I understand, it's just that my heart feels uncomfortable. Is her whole life and everything she has only for the sake of the family and status? She also hopes that the man can think of looking at her, and have expectations for her in the knowledge of her existence."

  The summer aunt's eyes flashed a fierce color, and then restored the kind and gentle appearance, sighed: "...... Miss, a woman who lost her heart in the palace will not live long."

  They won't live long... Xian'er, who was standing beside her and could see clearly, felt a tremble in her heart. She had heard Shu Mama say before that on that day, they would be in the most noble place, and they must control their hearts and mouths, even when sleeping, they had to be vigilant. They had listened, but at this moment, they felt a chill, and a faint fear arose in Xian'er's heart towards Shu Mama.

  A girl with such a national beauty and four older brothers, wouldn't they like her? Even the servants who serve by her side can't help but be stunned sometimes.

  Especially Xian, who went to the Luqin Wangfu today and found that her previous idea that no girl in Beijing could compare to her was ridiculous. The Manchu, Mongolian, and Han noblewomen who were invited to the Spring Festival all had elegant temperament, dignified, gentle, and refined... Even if they weren't exceptionally beautiful, they must have come from a high-ranking family and had remarkable talents. Moreover, there were several girls whose beauty could be compared to Xian's, making it hard to distinguish between them. In the past, only two of her relatives and close friends received invitations, which shows that she was like a frog at the bottom of a well. When she heard her friends praising other noblewomen in the past, she thought they were just being polite, but now that she has seen them for herself, she realizes that they were telling the truth.

  But it's not just her, is it? The people in the Wu Lala mansion, from the old master and mistress to the lowest servant, who doesn't think this way?! Is everyone overestimating the young lady's prospects?!

  The moment she saw the fourth lady, she saw that she was lightly and casually suppressing her own daughter in all aspects, and she could feel the pressure on her daughter.

  That Fourth Mistress, her appearance and temperament are difficult to describe, she really can't think of any words to describe her, only remembering that she once saw a young lady from the Na family, who used a crystal plate to hold water, with a half-opened white orchid inside, the fragrance was elegant and refined, warm and delicate... Fourth Mistress seems to have that kind of transparent nobility and elegance.

  That kind of beauty cannot be made up for by external decorations.

  Niangniang had been taught by Xiaoyi for several years, so she quickly regained her composure and said, "Don't worry, I just feel a bit frustrated. Can I really compete with the Fourth Lady? I think my plan today was seen through by her... There's also Gao Shi in Qianxi Second House, who doesn't seem to be an easy person to deal with." As the warm soup entered her stomach, the stuffiness in her chest dissipated a lot, and she suddenly felt hungry. She smiled at Shanshan and started eating the baozi.

  "The four consorts are not easy to deal with, and if she were simple, how could the emperor and the fourth prince like her so much? However, in this harem, the most important thing is 'balance'. First of all, the emperor and the fourth prince will not let the Fuca family dominate, standing out alone in the harem. So, when necessary, even the noble consort will stand on your side, and you can turn the obstacles into advantages... The struggle in this harem has never been simple, if an enemy is easily defeated, it's either because they're seeking death themselves or someone else is pushing them to die, digging a pit for you to jump into." Xia Shixi said calmly. But in her heart, she sighed again, Empress, will the person you chose really succeed as you wish and restore the glory of the Ula Nara clan?

  After teaching Ulanara for several years, she still understood the girl's temperament, diligent but not clever enough, with a kind of naive persistence in her bones. If she didn't marry into the royal family, she would be a good housewife, and her appearance could also win her husband's favor. However, the imperial palace is the place where there are the most beauties and the least tolerance for emotional decisions.

  She had no other choice but to follow her into the palace and fight for the Ula Nara clan.

  "I understand." Nian Mengyi nodded obediently: "Grandma and Xianyin can go back and rest, don't overexert yourselves. It's enough for me to have Xianyan here."

  "Yes." Xia Mama and Shan Yin retreated with a bow, they were indeed tired and hungry, Xia Mama was still okay chatting and drinking tea with other noble ladies' maids, while Shan Yin followed Wu La Na Ra Ni Meng Yi throughout, she didn't dare eat anything her mistress wouldn't eat, let alone that she wasn't qualified to eat.

  She didn't say anything else, after finishing her meal, she let Shan Yan take the things away and sat quietly by herself. She knew that her parents had high hopes for her, and that the Ula Nara clan had paid a lot to cultivate and support her, but what really made her persist was the Fourth Brother, that elegant and noble man.

  It wasn't until today that she admitted this.

  What depressed her was not that today's splendor was overshadowed by the Fourth Imperial Concubine, nor was it that the painstakingly set trap had failed to materialize. It was the Fourth Prince's feelings for the Fourth Imperial Concubine, and the mocking gazes of those noblewomen in the garden, as if she had been showing off for half a day but no one appreciated her... In the end, all her efforts were for nothing.

  She is not reconciled!

  Fate made her take this path, fate made her fall in love with him, so she will fight to the end. One day, she will stand side by side with him, and they are husband and wife! His gaze will only stay on her!

  For this goal, she needs Xia Yuhe, she needs the power of the Ula Nara clan...

  In mid-March, Keen Sai Yee Soh and Foo Chee Koon's wife, Sue Booy Yook, found out she was pregnant during a routine check-up. Sue Booy Yook was three months pregnant, while Foo Chee Koon was more than one month pregnant.

  After five years, she finally became pregnant again. Fucha was overjoyed and wept with happiness, while Su Bao Rou's face flushed red with satisfaction. The fetus in her abdomen was already three months old, and after a little more carefulness, the pregnancy would be stable. Thinking of her daughter who still suffered from wind and cold, and occasional stomach upset, her body seemed even weaker than Fu Jin's triplets. She couldn't help but resent Jin Shi and Gao Shi. This time, she was determined to take good care of the child in her womb.

  Two people each had their own thoughts, completely unaware, on the face of Gao's family in the hall, who was smiling and congratulating with a bright smile, there was a twisted and jealous dark light at the bottom of her cold eyes. Korie Taylor also smiled without reaching the bottom of her eyes, and the handkerchief in her hand had been twisted into an unrecognizable shape.

  Yunzhu sat on the long couch in front of the screen, sipping tea. Her intuition had already told her that they were pregnant again. She didn't think much of it. Su Shi's previous pregnancy had been somewhat detrimental to her health, and she had even suffered from the poison of the moonroot grass. It was astonishing that she was pregnant again so soon... If she was doing this on purpose, then this woman was really foolish. At this rate, her body would collapse after a few more times.

  But perhaps others have a constitution that is easy to get pregnant, look at Ke'er Yuetuo and Guo Xin's deep envy and jealousy... If you say Hongli comes to their house several times, Su Bao Rou has not even served in the imperial bed for a while, but others are pregnant three or four times, Ke'er Yuetuo and Guo Xin are disappointed every time. Compared to Fucha Fulinga, she is more jealous of Su Bao Rou, the child that everyone longs for but cannot get, she gets it too easily.

  After Doctor Su had taken everyone's pulse and confirmed that only these two were pregnant, Yunzhu put down her teacup and said: "Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Su. Wang Jinbao, take Doctor Su downstairs to receive the reward."

  "Thank you, Fourth Master! I'll take my leave." Su Taishi bowed and followed Wang Jinbao out.

  "Take good care of your pregnancy, I and the prince are looking forward to you giving birth to two more elder brothers." Turning her head, she said to others: "Fucha Gege and Su Gege are now pregnant, you must serve the master with even more dedication."

  "Yes." The eyes of Jin and the others finally had some joy, Madam's intention was not to let them seize this opportunity to serve their master closely and help him have more children.

  "Older sister?"

  "Ah?" Gao Lu Wei came back to her senses, "What instructions does the mistress have."

  Yunzhu smiled, "After this selection, I estimate that the two schools of Qianxi will welcome another concubine. Originally, this matter should have been done long ago, but since High's body hasn't recovered well, I didn't want to let you suffer. In our Qianxi Second School, except for the main courtyard, only the Golden Wind Courtyard and Jade Dew Courtyard in the third courtyard are relatively large, built according to the specifications of a concubine. Take a look at the days and choose one to move over."

  Gaolü Weixīn happily said: "Thank you, Furen."

  If it's true that Ula Nara is moving in, wouldn't she be showing off her superiority by making me move out first? Gao Lü Mi didn't want to, but since the Fourth Prince and the Empress Dowager didn't speak up, she couldn't very well demand to move in herself. Now it's fine, the Empress Dowager is letting me choose first, this is giving me a bit of face.

  She was delighted, and suddenly heard Yunzhu say: "The bridal chamber for Ce Fu's wedding will be set up directly in that courtyard. You choose it well, and Guo Nainai can hurry up and add some decorations."

  Wedding? Bridal chamber? Gao Lu Wei was taken aback, this Wu La Na La was directly assigned to be his concubine by the emperor, she had a wedding, she had dowry... If she has another child, what about all these things he already has?!

  Yunzhu caught the flash of malice in her eyes, and a smile played on her lips. Even the closest alliance is just an alliance, after all, there are always gaps to be found. Although the secret chess she had laid out early on had damaged and reduced Ulanara's chances of giving birth to a child, it was not foolproof. It would also give the Gao family a chance to make their move. From the selection of the bride to the grand wedding ceremony, this process would take at least half a year, enough time for the Gao family to make arrangements.

  Fu Cha, Fu Ling and others noticed this, and they all felt a chill in their hearts. This Furen was obviously provoking them. However, if Gao wanted to argue about this, she had no choice but to follow her lead.

  The news was reported to the Emperor and Empress, but neither of them showed much reaction. It wasn't until that night, after Yunzhu and Hongli discussed it, that they rewarded the ladies and promised Fuca Fulinga and Su Baoju that if they successfully gave birth to a child, they would be promoted to Shu Fujin.

  Not to mention the surprise of Fulinga and Subao Rou, when Korileyte heard this news, she was both shocked and angry. Originally, everyone was a gege (princess), but now Gao Shi had become a side fu jin (consort) and she couldn't say anything. After all, she had given birth to the emperor's child and had "merit" towards the emperor and the empress, but if even Fucha and Su were promoted in rank, wouldn't she herself become the lowest of the low, losing all face?!

  She was both angry and hateful, threw herself on the bed and cried loudly, and fell ill the next day.