Yesterday I bowed to you; today, you bow to me.

Pan Residence

Today was a day of rest, and Master Pan had gone nowhere, waiting anxiously at home for news since early morning. In the main hall, Madam Lin sat quietly, turning her Buddhist prayer beads in her hands while silently chanting. Behind her stood Concubine Zhang and Concubine Wang. Below the hall, Concubine Xu clutched a handkerchief tightly, frequently glancing toward the entrance.

Pan Nianyao and Pan Fangyan were also present, sitting quietly to one side, occasionally casting looks toward the door. The hall was eerily silent, a stillness almost unsettling.

Suddenly, a sound came from the entrance. Everyone immediately turned their gaze outward to see the steward entering with a beaming smile, accompanied by others bearing news.

“Master, Madam, great joy, great joy!” he announced. “Our young lady has been selected!”

Hearing this, Madam Lin’s prayer beads nearly snapped in her grasp, while Concubine Xu turned pale with shock. Master Pan’s face brightened instantly; he sprang to his feet. “Is it true?”

“It’s true, Master, absolutely certain,” the steward replied eagerly, nodding repeatedly. “Our young lady is already riding back in the palace sedan chair.”

Today, besides the servants who had gone to the palace gates to await the return, there were those assigned to bring news first. Pan Yulian was escorted into the sedan chair by palace eunuchs, and one of the swiftest runners had already come back to deliver the joyful tidings.

Concubine Xu, who had stood up in shock, looked at the steward but hesitated to ask more. On the other side, Pan Fangyan could no longer contain herself and hurriedly pressed, “Steward Qian, can you be sure which sister it is?”

All eyes in the room fixed intently on the steward, even Concubine Wang and Concubine Zhang listened with unusual seriousness. The steward looked at Pan Fangyan and smiled, “It’s the Fourth Young Mistress.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Lin exhaled deeply. Concubine Xu, however, seemed struck down by a heavy blow.

Though she had previously discussed the matter of entering the palace with Pan Yulian, during the past fortnight since Yulian left the residence to await selection, Concubine Xu had been restless, barely eating, her heart heavy with worry—and she had secretly regretted it more than once.

Now, upon hearing that Pan Yulian had been chosen, she was speechless, tears streaming down her face, her legs trembling so much she could hardly stand. It was Concubine Wang who swiftly came to steady her.

Master Pan’s expression darkened as he witnessed this scene. On a day of great joy, such misfortune!

Yet, recalling the relationship between Concubine Xu and Pan Yulian, Master Pan’s lips curved into a smile, speaking warmly, “Look at you, having our young lady selected is a blessing. Shu Zhi, you mustn’t be too overjoyed.”

Those with clear eyes immediately understood Concubine Xu’s true state, but no one dared expose it.

Pan Nianyao observed Concubine Xu, who was trembling and silently weeping behind her hand, and though she still wore a smile, she sighed inwardly.

Pan Fangyan, feeling a pang of sympathy, instinctively glanced at her biological mother, Concubine Wang.

With the news received, Master Pan prepared to go out to the gate to greet the arrival. Before leaving the main hall, he glanced at Madam Lin, who nodded. She left Concubine Zhang behind to look after Concubine Xu, then accompanied Master Pan outside.

Outside the residence, a pale blue sedan chair and a horse-drawn carriage arrived one after the other at the main gate.

Inside the sedan chair, since being chosen, Pan Yulian had not indulged in idle thoughts. Instead, she maintained a cheerful, spirited attitude and even found leisure to compare—

Indeed, the palace sedan chair felt steadier than the carriage.

Upon stepping down, Pan Yulian immediately saw Master Pan smiling broadly, standing with the family waiting at the door.

Usually, when there was good news at home, Pan Wenjun would always be at the forefront, shining brightly, followed by Pan Yulian and her two sisters as a sort of ‘clown troupe’ in the background.

But this time, the carriage was no match for the sedan chair, which led the way, swaying gently behind it.

Seeing Pan Yulian emerge from the sedan chair, Master Pan quickly led everyone in bowing.

Ha ha ha, hee hee hee—only in such a twisted world of rigid hierarchy and distorted human nature could one witness the absurd scene of a father bowing to his children.

Yet, one could not deny that watching Master Pan, who usually required constant caution, reverence, and polite flattery, now humbled and servile in demeanor—

Was truly satisfying!

Pan Yulian suppressed the corner of her mouth to keep from laughing out loud in triumph.

But at the thought that her mother was among them, her grin faded.

She quickened her steps, helping her parents up, speaking sweetly, “Father, Mother, what are you doing? Please stand up quickly.”

Everyone present could see through Pan Yulian’s disingenuous arrogance.

Master Pan and the others still smiled, but Pan Fangyan lowered her head and subtly rolled her eyes.

Seeing Pan Yulian’s eyes dart among the family, Master Pan understood whom she was thinking of and said hurriedly, “Concubine Xu was overjoyed upon hearing of your return and is waiting inside.”

Madam Lin looked toward Pan Wenjun, who had just alighted from the carriage behind. She held her handkerchief to her mouth, nearly bursting into tears.

Master Pan tugged at her sleeve; she quickly wiped her eyes and smiled warmly at Pan Yulian, “Look at me, I’ve lost my composure in my joy.”

Today’s protagonist was the chosen Pan Yulian, an unspoken truth among all.

Everyone knew Pan Yulian to be simple-minded, strikingly beautiful yet crude in manners and shallow in character. Such a person soaring to prominence deserved some extra face.

Thus, although Madam Lin worried deeply for Pan Wenjun, outwardly she gave Pan Yulian due respect.

Without concern for Pan Wenjun, who walked beside her, Madam Lin smiled and took Pan Yulian’s hand, surrounded by the crowd as they went inside.

Master Pan stepped outside the gate, laughing as he slipped a purse into the hands of the young eunuchs carrying the sedan chair.

The Pan family’s standing was modest at best, with no connections inside the palace.

Usually, when officials from the cabinet held small meetings at the palace, they could deal with eunuchs, but Master Pan, even if he wished to bribe the young eunuchs, could find no suitable channel. Now, smiling and handing over silver, the eunuchs were most courteous.

After sending off the eunuchs, Master Pan reentered the residence still smiling.

Inside, Concubine Xu was speaking with Pan Yulian, Madam Lin was holding Pan Wenjun’s hand, and several other concubines and young ladies gathered around with concern, creating a lively atmosphere.

Knowing how hard Pan Wenjun and Pan Yulian had worked in the palace these days, after some conversation, they urged the two girls to rest, planning to reunite at the evening family banquet.

Back in the Ninglan Courtyard, Pan Yulian lay on the couch with Concubine Xu beside her. Knowing her mother’s worry, Pan Yulian kept talking, choosing only kind words.

“Auntie, the Ming Palace is truly vast, with a pavilion every five steps, a tower every ten, carved beams and painted rafters, winding corridors, and soaring eaves that dazzled my eyes.”

“Auntie, the palace attendants are all so beautiful and speak so sweetly.”

“Oh, Auntie, among the three girls I shared a room with during the selection, both I and Miss He were chosen. I wonder how Miss Zhong is faring...”

Scenting the familiar fragrance on Concubine Xu, Pan Yulian, who had been restless and sleepless since meeting the Chong Emperor, slowly drifted into sleep.

Concubine Xu listened with a smile until Pan Yulian fell asleep. Seeing the bruises on Pan Yulian’s face, she trembled as she reached out but dared not touch, turning away to silently weep.

Yuanxiang Courtyard

At this moment, Master Pan and Madam Lin were there.

Since confirming that Pan Wenjun would not enter the palace, Madam Lin’s joy was unbounded. Smiling, she listened as Master Pan inquired in detail about Pan Wenjun’s days in the palace.

“Father, regarding our fourth sister, I recall something else,” Pan Wenjun said.

Master Pan leaned forward slightly. “What is it?”

Pan Wenjun straightened her expression and then carefully recounted the entire episode of Pan Yulian’s sudden change in demeanor.

Seeing Madam Lin’s increasingly furrowed brow as she listened, it was clear that if Pan Yulian had not been selected, she would have paid dearly upon her return.

Master Pan remained composed, relaxing his brows and stroking his beard. “Yulian is young. I worried that once inside the palace, her naïveté might make her vulnerable to scheming. Now it seems she has some hope of success, which is good.”

He then looked at Pan Wenjun. “Wenjun, you have always been steady and reliable. I trust you most.”

“Yulian... your younger sister is indeed young and rarely leaves the residence, so her temperament is unstable. Especially in front of our own family, she is bound to be reckless and shallow. I will speak to her later; as her elder sister, you must not take it to heart.”

Absurd!

Madam Lin’s face tightened in anger at Master Pan’s words. Just as she was about to speak, Pan Wenjun smiled and nodded, “Father is right. We are all blood relatives. As her elder sister, why would I hold grudges?”

Her expression grew serious. “But now that Yulian will enter the palace, with its powerful nobles and countless rules, it is far less lenient than home. I hope she will rise swiftly, but I fear that if she continues to act carelessly, she will suffer.”

Master Pan nodded thoughtfully. Pan Wenjun then frowned slightly and spoke of the selection process.

In recent days, Pan Wenjun had overheard many things about the selection and the Chong Emperor’s preferences.

Honestly, Pan Wenjun had never wanted to enter the palace, let alone feel jealousy over Pan Yulian’s selection.

To put it bluntly, having a sister become a consort was, for the household, undoubtedly a beneficial matter.

Yet Pan Yulian’s selection felt suspicious.

“In these days at the palace, I’ve heard much. Those selected are usually daughters of noble families in the capital. The high-ranking ladies favor those who are graceful and gentle.”

Pan Wenjun’s face conveyed confusion. “But soon after Yulian entered, she quarreled with the other maidens in the room and caused a scandal known throughout Yong Alley. Yet the palace matrons and other supervisors offered no advice or reprimand.”

“At first, I thought Yulian was unwilling and had unseemly thoughts with Miss He... but later, both Yulian and Miss He were chosen.”

Pan Yulian’s public scolding and ‘disciplining’ of He Yushan had yet to spread.

During the journey home, Pan Wenjun pondered long and hard but could not unravel the mystery.

Pan Yulian’s selection was good news, but there was fear that she had unwittingly stepped into a far greater trap.

Master Pan’s expression turned grave. He questioned carefully, one point after another.

Only when the sun began to tilt westward did Master Pan leave the Yuanxiang Courtyard.

...