Chapter 121 The Grand Selection of Concubines

In June of the first year of Zhaowu's reign, the new emperor held a grand selection of male candidates.

Young nobles from all seventeen prefectures of Hua Kingdom flocked to the capital upon hearing the news. The official road was crowded with carriages of all kinds heading to the capital for the selection, all making a grand and lively journey.

This was the first major event for the harem after the emperor's ascension to the throne. Everyone in the palace dared not be negligent and made preparations with great care and diligence.

With a new emperor comes a new atmosphere, and there have been many changes in the palace staff. The Imperial Household Department dismissed a number of older palace men and recruited a new batch of young men to serve in the palace.

As the most senior palace servant, Lü Gong was given the job of instructing new recruits.

At this moment, the sixty newly recruited palace men stood with their heads bowed, listening to the instructions and teachings of their seniors.

Lü Gong leaned back leisurely in his chair, fiddling with his teacup, proudly sharing his insights and experiences.

"As the old saying goes, 'In life, fate, luck, and feng shui are the three most important factors.' I don't even need to look at your birth chart to know that you, a servant in the palace, come from a poor family. But let me tell you, don't be afraid. There are poor people everywhere in this world; how many are born with a life of wealth and privilege?"

"Uncle, my family was poor when I was a child. During a famine, we survived by boiling tree bark to make soup. But I have one good quality. Although I wasn't born into wealth, I was born to be a servant. I know how to serve people and I'm naturally good at reading people's expressions."

"The moment the Emperor raises his eyelids, I know what she wants. If she coughs twice, I immediately replace the tea with pear soup. You must remember these things carefully and learn them diligently. Only by learning how to be a servant can you be a dignified servant."

"I'm a late bloomer. I entered the palace at fifteen, starting as the lowest-ranking servant, cleaning toilets for two years. I did all the dirtiest and most tiring jobs in the palace, and after twenty years, I finally made it to the Emperor's side as a head palace servant. When the late Emperor was alive, I wasn't exactly living a glamorous or respectable life. But I have a keen eye. Among all those people coming and going in the Imperial Study, I could tell there was one who was destined for greatness."

"Whatever she asked me to do, I did it for her meticulously. Whatever she asked me, I answered without reservation. I bet she'd become my master someday, and guess what happened?"

The young palace servants timidly raised their heads and asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Lu Gong grinned and said, "I won the bet; she became the emperor."

A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd. Just as Lü Gong was showing off, a person suddenly entered through the door, followed by several female prisoners.

Lu Gong hurriedly put down his teacup, immediately sprang up from his chair, and bowed deeply, saying, "Greetings, Grand Steward!"

The visitor smiled and said, "Please rise, there's no need for such formalities. You are a veteran of the palace, while I am new here and have much to ask you."

Lu Gong quickly smiled and said, "You're too kind, Chief Steward. Please feel free to give any instructions."

The chief eunuch, Xi Mo, said, "The young men will enter the palace tomorrow, and the first examination will be the day after tomorrow. When it comes to the strip inspection, it's inconvenient for us women to go in. His Majesty has asked you to bring people to be in charge of this part. His Majesty is still writing down the inspection standards. Go and get them tonight."

After handing over her tasks, Xi Mo left. Lü Gong bowed and escorted her to the door. Once she was out of sight, he straightened his back.

"See? The Emperor has entrusted me with another important task. The new master has to pass my eye before entering the palace. In this palace, I don't compare myself with the chief eunuch or the deputy chief eunuch, nor do I compare myself with the female eunuchs in charge. But among these eight hundred palace men, I am the most trusted and valued servant of the Emperor."

"You all work hard and try to make it to the Emperor's side in a decade or so. Xu Changban in the palace was originally a palace servant who worked in the Imperial Study. He was also my apprentice, and now he has won the Emperor's favor and become a concubine."

The young palace servants' eyes lit up as they listened. "Uncle, please tell us about the Emperor."

Lu Gong smiled, “The Emperor is the smartest person in the world, and what’s most precious is that she still values ​​relationships. You’ve all seen the newly arrived Grand Eunuch Xi Mo. Isn’t she young? In her early twenties, she’s already by the Emperor’s side, managing all the affairs of the harem. We old folks in our forties have to treat her with utmost respect.”

"Because she has served the Emperor since she was a child. She was a companion in the Emperor's household, a steward in the Prince's residence, and now that she has entered the palace, she has become the Grand Steward. The Emperor remembers their past relationship and has bestowed titles and rewards upon the husbands who served her in the Prince's residence."

"The Song family has become the Emperor's consort, the Xiao family has become the Emperor's secondary consort, and the Lou and Lu families have been granted the title of Imperial Noble Consorts. These four are all legitimate mistresses who have served the Emperor for many years and have contributed to the birth of imperial daughters. When you see them, you must serve them carefully. Especially the Emperor's secondary consort, he comes from a high social standing and is the most picky. You must serve him carefully and not let him find fault with you."

"As for the young men who are going to enter the palace, I don't know how many will be able to stay. Even if they are, they will start from the lowest ranks of Yingzi, Changban, and Guiren. They can only be considered as junior masters, not masters. They will just have to deal with them."

"The most important thing in this palace is to serve the Emperor well. The Emperor is the sky, the Emperor is the earth. If anyone displeases the Emperor, the sky will fall and the earth will collapse. Even the smallest things the Emperor assigns you must be treated as if they were a thousand pounds."

"Keep your eyes peeled and watch the Emperor's expression. If the Emperor is happy, you should try to make him even happier. If the Emperor is unhappy, you should keep your mouths shut and breathe in small, shallow breaths. Otherwise, you'll lose your heads."

A young palace servant asked curiously, "If we see the emperor doing something wrong, should we remind him?"

Lu Gong glared at him and said, "You, slap yourself twice. Fool, how could the Emperor do anything wrong? Remember, the Emperor is right whether he's right or wrong. Never try to be clever in front of the Emperor."

“If she says the moon is square, you reply: ‘Square, extremely square, even this servant finds those four corners piercing my eyes.’ If she says the sun is cold, you reply: ‘Cold, so cold this servant is shivering, if it shines any longer my old leg pain will flare up.’ In short, whatever she says goes. Even if she’s wrong, she has to admit she’s wrong. It’s not up to our Pope to do anything, understand?”

Throughout the palace, everyone obeys the emperor's orders. But of course, there are those who dare to say the emperor is wrong.

*

At this moment, in the Southern Study, Grand Commandant Yan Wuxin was arguing heatedly with the Emperor.

Lu Jinlan said loudly, "Five inches should be about right, don't be stubborn."

Yan Wuxin: "Oh dear, why don't you believe me? Five inches is not enough to look at, it has to be at least six inches."

Lu Jinlan rolled her eyes at her. "I wrote five inches or more, not just five inches."

Yan Wuxin persisted, "But those under six inches still managed to sneak in, didn't they?"

As the two were arguing, Prime Minister Xiang Ruzhen came in from outside and hurriedly asked, "What are you arguing about? Is there a problem with the dimensions of the tools recently produced by the Ministry of Works?"

Lu Jinlan: "Ruzhen, it's just in time. Wuxin and I have a disagreement, so come and take a look."

Xiang Ruzhen leaned closer to take a look, and the paper read: "Standards for the Examination of Male Candidates' Clothing in the First Year of Zhaowu".

In addition to the basic top-tier appearance and figure standards, there are many other detailed requirements, such as no body odor, no hemorrhoids, scars, or tattoos, and moles no larger than a grain of rice.

The document also lists the specific requirements and rating standards for each part of the male candidate's body. For example, if the candidate's chin and cervical spine are pressed against the tester's finger, it is considered excellent if the candidate's Adam's apple can touch the tester's finger when breathing. The rest can be rated as good, average, or poor based on the size and shape of the Adam's apple.

Below that are the grading standards for nipple color and abdominal lines, and further down... is the content that Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin were just arguing about.

Xiang Ruzhen rubbed her forehead. Yan Wuxin said, "Jinlan is the Emperor now. The Emperor should have high standards and strict requirements. The selection criteria for the Emperor's harem should be strict. Otherwise, if people go around saying that anyone can be selected, how can the majesty of the imperial family be reflected?"

Lu Jinlan chuckled, "You're kidding me. I've never heard of the imperial family having to take off their pants to compare sizes to uphold their dignity. As for the harem, everyone should have their own size. The most important thing is the face, followed by the figure, and then everything else. What if they decide that anyone under six inches can't be selected, thus eliminating the handsome men I want?"

Seeing that the two were about to argue again, Xiang Ruzhen quickly offered her opinion, "I think 5.4 inches is enough."

The two were taken aback. Lu Jinlan asked in confusion, "Five inches and four inches? Why five inches and four inches?"

Xiang Ruzhen said, "Aren't you talking about the length measured with a ruler?"

The two nodded. "Yes."

But Yan Wuxin added, "We only estimated it visually; we didn't actually measure it. How can you be so specific with the numbers you're giving? Did you measure it with a ruler?"

Xiang Ruzhen's face flushed red. "No...no, I was just estimating."

Seeing that the two were still staring at her with suspicion, Xiang Ruzhen quickly and awkwardly changed the subject, "By the way, I heard that there are more than 300 candidates participating in the selection this time. The emperor of Qu Kingdom and the new ruler of Jiang Kingdom each sent 20 handsome men. You have just ascended the throne, so don't go against their good intentions."

Lu Jinlan said, "Our spies in Jiang Kingdom say that Jiang Kingdom is not peaceful right now. Since the Second Princess ascended the throne, the other princesses have been making moves in secret, and there may be more changes. She is trying to please me in order to stabilize the situation. In short, I will leave one or two behind as a token gesture. As for Qu Kingdom, they are all my relatives, so it doesn't matter."

Whenever the name Jiang Kingdom is mentioned, Lu Jinlan always thinks of Chi Li, who is in the Jiang Kingdom's palace, and her daughter with Chi Li.

By now, her daughter is almost five years old, and she has never met her. According to the surname of the Jiang Kingdom's royal family, her daughter is named Helian Yang, and is nominally the daughter of the late Emperor of Jiang Kingdom and his consort Chi Li.

Lu Jinlan was somewhat unwilling. Her man and her child—she had been trying to find a reason to bring them over, but that reason was just too difficult to come up with.

In any case, a widow with a child coming to the side of this philandering emperor would inevitably be suspected of having an affair.

Before she became emperor, she didn't care about these things. So what if she stole it?

Now that he's emperor, it's harder to do it. After all, he has to consider the reputation of his subjects; it's not a good thing for a ruler to steal someone else's husband and child.

As she was thinking, a report came from outside: "Your Majesty, the people sent by the Jiang Kingdom have arrived at the post station. Among the envoys is one surnamed Chi, named Chi Moyao. She says she has brought someone for you and asks that you must take the time to meet her."

Lu Jinlan's eyes lit up. Could it be that the person she had been thinking about had arrived?

Lu Jinlan hurriedly said, "Have her take that person to the Imperial Garden to wait. I'll go see her right away."

She handed the pen to Wuxin, saying, "Write this for me, I need to go see this person."

Yan Wuxin hurriedly asked, "Then should we write five inches or six inches?"

As Lu Jinlan spoke, she walked out, "Didn't Ruzhen already take her measurements? She wrote 5.4 inches or more."

Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly retorted, "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't measure it."

Yan Wuxin quickly stopped her, "Shouldn't there be a limit to what's going on? What if it gets too long?"

Lu Jinlan turned around and said, "How long can it be? I've never seen anyone sit cross-legged on it."

Yan Wuxin was speechless for a moment.

When Lu Jinlan arrived at the Imperial Garden, she saw Chi Moyao standing under a flowering tree with a man dressed in white and wearing a veiled hat. He vaguely resembled the man she knew.

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Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! My short vacation is over, time to get back to work! This chapter sets the stage for the later plot developments by providing some background information about the palace. I won't go into details here, but I believe you'll understand if you're familiar with palace dramas. The next chapter will begin!