Some of the women in the harem went to great lengths to compete for the favor. Some people don't even bother to compete for favor, they just want to grow old and die in the palace in peace.
Not every woman in the harem is smart and not every one is stupid.
Not every woman in the harem is beautiful, and not every one is so ugly.
The women in the harem are often beautiful but intelligent. The daily battle is endless.
Tan Rui is an example. She doesn't have a smart brain, but she's not stupid. She can't be all-round, but she can protect herself wisely. She doesn't have peerless looks, but that doesn't mean she's ugly. She doesn't have the fighting spirit to compete for favor, but that doesn't mean she is willing to live alone and peacefully for the rest of her life. She does not have a strong backing, but she is not poor. She's not proud, but that doesn't mean she has no self-esteem. She values harmony, but that doesn't mean she is weak.
Tan Rui is a very ordinary girl. But behind every ordinary person there is always an extraordinary destiny. Dan Rui's destiny is to enter the palace and live in the harem. Become one of the emperor's concubines.