The eldest aunt and her ladies stood in the front yard to greet her.

In the bleak cold wind, Concubine Rong was dressed in gorgeous clothes, with dazzling golden hairpins, which was the brightest color in this gloomy sky.

She held the hand of the palace maid, got down from the soft sedan chair, and walked with the Ninth Prince in front of everyone.

Everyone saluted, and Concubine Rong raised her hands, looking dignified and smiling friendly.

"There is no need to be polite. Looking at you, I feel like I am seeing my own children."

"This time I invite you to the palace to select female officials for my children. It's a hard work for you and my aunt."

"The weather is cold, so I have asked people to cook ginger soup to ward off the cold. Please try it."

She has no airs at all and makes people feel very approachable.

Several ladies dared to secretly raise their eyes and take a peek at Concubine Rong's appearance.

However, the eldest aunt always lowered her head dutifully and said with respect as before: "Thank you for your kindness, my servants are not worthy of it."

Then, she raised her head and asked the maids to collect the ginger soup.

Concubine Rong looked at Xie Yuanjiu and expressed concern in public: "Miss Xie, what happened last time when you shared your scriptures didn't involve you being punished when you went home, right?"

"I was in a heavy mood and passed out. When I woke up, I heard from the palace attendant that you went home crying."

"For this reason, I have always felt guilty in my heart, and I always want to find a suitable opportunity to appease you."

When Xie Yuanjiu mentioned the matter of sharing his scriptures again, his heart was still clenched.

She took two steps forward, lowered her head and replied: "Thank you for your concern, I am already fine."

"I cried in the beginning because I felt that I had failed my mother-in-law."

Concubine Rong smiled warmly: "It's all over. You don't need to take it to heart anymore. Buddha is the most tolerant and will not care about us."

After this conversation, Xie Yuanjiu felt that she had more hope.

She thought that Concubine Rong no longer wanted to see her.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Rong didn’t care at all!

She was a little elated, suppressing the smile that was about to well up at the corner of her mouth.

Concubine Rong called Qi Xiuwei to talk again.

Qi Xiuwei was not as reserved as others, and seemed quite cheerful when talking softly to Concubine Rong.

After she finished speaking to Qi Xiuwei, Concubine Rong's eyes swept around the crowd and finally landed on Shen Ningning.

She waved her hand: "Princess, I have something I want to give you."

Shen Ningning walked forward and asked curiously: "Mother, do you want to give me something?"

The next second, the Ninth Prince took the initiative to take out a palm-sized round wooden sign from his sleeve.

Shen Ningning took a closer look and saw that the wooden sign was made with excellent craftsmanship and was engraved with the head of a sika deer.

She was startled, then raised her head and looked at the Ninth Prince with her big eyes blinking.

He gave her a gentle look.

Although she didn't say anything, the ladies next to her felt that the Ninth Prince's attitude towards Shen Ningning was different!
Concubine Rong said it was given by her, but she made it clear that it was given by the Ninth Prince.

She took the wooden sign and handed it to Shen Ningning's little hand.

"I have some fate with you. I haven't congratulated you on your admission to the National Academy of Chinese Studies yet, so I will make up for it today."

"This is fine sandalwood. The deer symbolizes good luck and good fortune. Take it and when you go back, help me say hello to Mrs. Qin."

After saying that, Concubine Rong looked at everyone again, said a few words of gentle comfort, and left with the Ninth Prince.

Shen Ningning stared blankly at the wooden sign in her palm.

What do Concubine Rong and the Ninth Prince mean?

Could it be that he was hinting to her that he wanted her to be a female official?
Not long after Concubine Rong left, everyone was still immersed in excitement.

They said with envy: "Concubine Rong only talked to three people."

Everyone is secretly guessing that the Ninth Prince's female officer must be selected from these three people.

Ye Changyi has the highest family status, but she doesn't get a word of concern from Concubine Rong.Seeing everyone either praising Xie Yuanjiu or surrounding Qi Xiuwei and Shen Ningning.

She couldn't bear it anymore and took the initiative to walk among the crowd and reprimanded her loudly: "I think this is not fair at all!"

The eldest aunt and the others heard these words when they came back with ginger soup.

Everyone's eyes were attracted to Ye Changyi.

Someone asked: "What's wrong?"

Ye Changyi gritted her teeth: "The selection of female officials this time was said to be fair. We were asked to recite the palace rules and remember His Highness Ninth Prince's preferences. They also said that we would be assessed."

"However, while we were working hard, someone had already deliberately taken shortcuts to please Concubine Rong!"

Everyone was startled.

Qi Xiuwei frowned: "You don't mean to say something about me, do you? Miss Ye, please be careful what you say!"

Ye Changyi just looked at her and snorted, but finally pointed at Shen Ningning angrily.

"I'm talking about Princess Funing. In the past two days, she didn't come to class because she slept late. Everyone thought she didn't care."

"Actually, Princess Funing skipped school and secretly met the Ninth Prince in Plum Grove. They even fed a sika deer together!"

Everyone was shocked and looked at Shen Ningning.

A pair of black boots with auspicious cloud patterns had just walked to the door of Shuixie Huawu, and suddenly stopped when they heard the movement inside.

In the garden, the eldest aunt could no longer bear it any longer and stepped forward to seriously dissuade her.

"Miss Ye, be careful what you say, it is taboo in the palace to slander someone."

Ye Changyi sneered: "I saw it with my own eyes this morning. If you don't believe it, let Princess Funing tell herself whether she met the Ninth Prince in private?"

Everyone's eyes were focused on Shen Ningning.

The little guy stood up slowly, and her voice was soft: "I did meet the Ninth Prince, but I didn't discuss it with him."

"I just went to pick plum blossoms in the plum forest and met him by accident."

Ye Changyi didn't believe it and mocked: "The Jiaotai Palace where the Ninth Prince lives is far away from us. Why does he have to come to Meizilin?"

Shen Ningning stamped her foot: "You said it yourself, it's a sika deer!"

"His Royal Highness Ninth told me that he rescued a sika deer from the imperial kitchen that was about to be slaughtered, but there was no place to hide it, so he had to take it to a remote location."

Ye Changyi pointed at Shen Ningning angrily: "You are sophistry!"

Then, she looked at the ladies with different expressions around her.

"Concubine Rong's behavior just now has clearly told us that she has identified Princess Funing as the female official of the Ninth Prince."

"We have become fools who accompany her. We have been suffering from the cold and being trained these days just to set off her."

This sentence completely aroused the dissatisfaction in the hearts of other ladies.

Why do they work hard and learn the palace rules step by step, but they can't compare to Shen Ningning who takes shortcuts?

So, is this selection of female officers fair or unfair?
Just when Shen Ningning was about to explain, a cold voice came from outside——

"The sika deer was sent to Merlin by my ninth brother by my prince. It was originally a thing to make Shen Ningning happy. Why is it so serious in your mouth?"

Everyone's expressions suddenly changed, and Shen Ningning also looked slightly shocked.

Everyone looked at the door together.

The first thing he saw was the golden dragon on the chest of Mo Lingwei's black robe.

The emperor's greatest love for the prince was to allow him to wear the six-clawed golden dragon suit.

The golden crown tied with a ponytail shows off the long and sharp eyebrows as black as crow feathers, and a pair of thin eyes with an intimidating coldness.

He opened his mouth to prove to Shen Ningning that she had not met the Ninth Prince in private.

There is no need to take shortcuts!

Because Mo Lingwei's appearance forcefully expressed to everyone that the relationship behind Shen Ningning was his prince, not the ninth prince.

Dear friends, it’s almost the Mid-Autumn Festival. I’ve prepared a lottery in the scarf. You can check it out. Big Eyes ID: Fubao’s white peach sweet porridge. Draw five cute little ones to give away domestic biscuits. The prize will be drawn in the early morning of the 18th~

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