School registration begins tomorrow.

Yan Qingqing shook her head. “There’s no such thing. The imperial harem of the Dayan Dynasty is actually quite humane. Regardless of whether a mother’s status is noble or lowly, her child is raised by her side—unless the mother commits a grave offense. In such cases, the emperor will assign the child to another consort with a spotless reputation to be their nominal mother.

However, there is a requirement: princes must begin formal schooling at six, and princesses start attending the female academy at six as well. At that age, they are expected to be independent and move into the residence set aside for princes or princesses.”

Liu Xiang’er found this practice of the Dayan Dynasty quite commendable. “It sounds good, but the harem is complicated by nature. It’s always been the case that a mother’s status enhances her child’s, and a child’s status elevates the mother—they’re mutually reinforcing. If you lack the ability, once your child leaves you, they may be doomed as collateral damage. You may wish to avoid conflict, but you won’t be able to. Don’t be fooled by those novels that preach ‘not fighting is fighting’—in the harem, not fighting just invites bullying. Remember that.”

Yan Qingqing had originally intended to keep a low profile, but she fell silent at Liu Xiang’er’s words. She knew that sooner or later she’d be drawn into the harem’s power struggles, though she’d always hoped to delay it as long as possible. Now, after hearing Liu Xiang’er, she realized she must first create a safe environment for herself, so she wouldn’t have to worry about her future children’s well-being.

Yan Qingqing sighed, feeling as though there was nowhere for her hopes to take root. “But neither the Empress nor the Noble Consort is easy to deal with.”

Liu Xiang’er thought for a moment and could only offer comfort. “Remember, neither the Empress nor the Noble Consort means much before the Emperor. Even the Empress, who can walk side by side with the Emperor, must step back half a pace in his presence. That’s why the Emperor is the CEO of the entire harem. At most, the Empress is the executive director, and the others are just department heads. Do your job well, complete the tasks assigned by the executive director, and be loyal to the CEO. There’ll be no problems.”

There was no help for it—being suddenly confined to the rigid rules of the harem was truly terrifying for someone brought up in the twentieth century. At the very least, Xie Yihuang felt she couldn’t handle it. “Qingqing, you’re amazing. The harem is such a dangerous place, yet you’re going to survive there—impressive.”

Liu Xiang’er chimed in, “We’ll be waiting to hear about your triumphant comeback, Qingqing.”

Yan Qingqing could only give a bitter smile. “You really think highly of me.”

Xie Yihuang laughed. “Keep at it. But I’m also impressed by Xiang’er, who can actually manage the harem like a company.”

Liu Xiang’er wore a look of pride. “Of course. I’m a female CEO in my own right. The imperial palace is, at its core, just another kind of conglomerate. There’s only one true boss—the Emperor. Even the Empress is just a vice president. As a consort, as long as you fulfill your responsibilities and demonstrate your value, that’s enough.

In fact, Qingqing, your starting position isn’t bad. First, your father is favored by the Emperor, which is why he was appointed to the Ministry of Revenue. Second, your brother is a trusted confidant of the Emperor. With these two backing you, you won’t suffer in the harem as long as you develop steadily and cautiously.

As for the Empress and the Noble Consort, if the Empress is as you say—a good person—then as a good employee, when the CEO isn’t managing the harem department, you just have to obey the orders of the vice president, the Empress. That’s all.”

Yan Qingqing thought it over and had to admit that Liu Xiang’er’s words made perfect sense. “Now that you put it like that, I understand. I have only one boss—the Emperor. The only other person I need to answer to is the vice president, the Empress. As for the other consorts, there’s no need to antagonize them or go out of my way to please them. In the workplace, it’s better to use my strengths to demonstrate value; that’s more effective than currying favor.”

Liu Xiang’er looked at her approvingly. “Smart girl. Oh, by the way, I bought quite a bit of ‘happy otaku soda’ these past few days. I’ll send some to you all.”

During this period, the members of their special group were all working hard to adapt to their new circumstances. Only they understood their experiences, and they couldn’t share them with outsiders, so they cherished each other’s company in the group.

Xie Yihuang also received a bottle of the ‘happy otaku soda.’ She drank it quietly when no one was looking. In her previous life, she didn’t care for this junk drink, but now, in an era with scarce resources, it was a rare treat.

Indeed, the environment shapes a person’s state of mind.

“School starts tomorrow. Aman and Asheng, take the money and register yourselves. Ayi, it’s your first time, so I’ll take you to pay your fees. Starting next term, you’ll have to learn to do it yourself,” their mother said cheerfully, her mood buoyed by the good business in wontons and buns these past few evenings.

Xie Yihuang didn’t mind going herself, but since it was her first time, it would seem abrupt to go alone, so she said nothing. Xie Yuanfeng and Xie Yunfeng, naturally, had long been used to handling their own registration fees.

“Study hard in junior high, and aim for a good high school. Even if you get into an ordinary teachers’ college, that’s good. As farmers, we’re not eligible for the technical secondary schools or vocational colleges, but you can try for the teachers’ colleges, early childhood education, or nursing schools,” their father advised, sincere in his concern. “Nursing school is good, too.”

Xiezhang Village belonged to a county-level city called Tianhua. As a coastal area, the population was mixed and political screening was difficult, so there were specific regulations for employment.

In this era, stability had only recently been restored, and hidden troublemakers still lurked, so every student admitted to any school had to obtain a certificate from the local police station or public security bureau, verifying that their household registration was genuine and that their family background was clean for three generations.

The coastal regions had always had a complex mix of people. In feudal times, remote coastal islands were places of exile, so there had been much population movement. For better management and to guard against troublemakers, there were certain requirements for school admissions.

In the Tianhua area, only those with urban household registration could test into technical secondary schools and vocational colleges, which were highly sought after at the time. Graduates from these schools were guaranteed job placement. Those with rural household registration could only test into high schools, teachers’ colleges, early childhood education programs, or nursing schools.

Graduates from nursing schools became nurses, while those from teachers’ colleges and early childhood education programs (the latter usually taken after junior high) entered those professions. These tracks were phased out by the mid-1990s, but at this time, they were highly regarded.

Moreover, the requirements for admission to these schools were very strict.