Chapter 53 The Draft (Part 1)

Time flies like water. In the fifth year of Yongzheng's reign, the long-quiet court and harem were stirred up by the selection of three princes.

It's called a talent show, but it's more like a preliminary selection process.

Practicing strict frugality, the Emperor himself hasn't held a selection of concubines for several years, allowing members of the imperial clan to choose their own wives, who are then betrothed by the Empress. Therefore, it's understandable that the marriages of the three princes would involve only inviting eligible princesses to the palace for selection at Jiangxue Pavilion…

"Bang!"

"What is this, so stingy!"

Nian Shilan, who had been recuperating from illness for many years, paced angrily in the hall, growing increasingly displeased. "What kind of shabby selection of concubines is this? The old woman is really getting older..."

"Your Majesty!"

Songzhi was terrified and rushed over to stop Consort Hua, fearing that she might say something even more outrageous.

"What's the panic!" Nian Shilan rolled her eyes at her. "In Yikun Palace, can't we even speak the truth? This is absurd, and people aren't allowed to talk about it?"

"Your Majesty, I know you feel wronged for the Fourth Prince, but the Emperor's decree has been issued and cannot be changed. Why don't you investigate those candidates for the Fourth Prince?"

Songzhi changed her approach to persuading, and Nian Shilan, upon hearing it, agreed, "That's right, that old man is so stingy, I don't know what kind of people he's chosen. I should take a look for Hongli. Songzhi."

"This servant is here."

"Get everyone in the palace moving, and also send a letter to my elder brother, asking him to investigate the backgrounds of these young ladies-in-waiting."

...

In Jingren Palace, Jianqiu gently rubbed the Empress's head, "Your Majesty, please rest assured, I believe the Emperor has his own considerations."

"Consider? Hmph—"

Yixiu sneered, "Isn't His Majesty supposed to be the most particular about rules? How can you arrange the selection of princes like this? He bypassed me, the Empress, and issued the decree directly. I suppose he felt it was inappropriate and was afraid I would point it out."

"This... This servant has noticed that His Majesty has been paying a lot of attention to the Fourth Prince these past few years, so why would he do this?"

"Back then, even though the late emperor valued that girl in Xian'an Palace so much, he still delayed her marriage. Once she was married, she would be an adult..."

Yixiu pondered for a moment, “The Emperor’s health… so he won’t prevent Hongli from marrying a consort. But no matter how much he values ​​Hongli, what matters more to him is his imperial power. This whole thing is just to prove that he is the emperor who holds the power of life and death.”

"Could it be that His Majesty is wary of the Fourth Prince?"

Jianqiu was a little worried. Yixiu frowned and thought for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "It shouldn't be to the point of being wary yet. It's just the emperor's mind. He's just subconsciously trying to maintain balance, which is why he arranged for the three princes to have a three-day selection of princes."

...

In the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Yongzheng had been turning the Buddhist prayer beads with his eyes closed for a long time.

The atmosphere was tense, and my mind was filled with conspiracy theories.

That shouldn't be happening. How could he issue such an imperial edict? Whose face is being slapped?

He didn't hold a talent show because he... couldn't do it. He didn't want to waste money or ruin the daughters of the court officials, but there was no reason not to hold a talent show for the princes.

Hongshi and Hongzhou are one thing, but for Hongli's sake, he wouldn't do such a thing, would he? The Jiangxue Pavilion—who is this supposed to be? How could he issue such an edict? What will the court officials think of him as emperor?

Who influenced him? Or is it the aftereffects of the epidemic affecting his brain? Zhang Mi is useless!

...

Seeing the oppressive atmosphere in the palaces, Hongli, as the person involved in the selection process, was quite relaxed, petting cats and dogs, and unusually, a bit of curiosity arose in his mind.

"Shuanghua, what's going on?"

The little white cat wagged its tail. [Meow - Because we've entered a derivative world of "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace," the plot has its own world-line convergence ability.]

The Jiangxue Pavilion selection is the origin of all the entanglements, so it's bound to occur due to the plot's influence. The Emperor, Empress, and Consort Hua, as main characters in *Empresses in the Palace*, are initially unaffected. Therefore, they will awaken different consciousnesses, but the closer we get to the beginning of *Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace*, the more they will be affected.

Frosty Orange wasn't to be outdone, [Woof - I get it, I get it, it just means it's time for the NPCs to go on duty—]

Hongli patted the dog's head and asked with a smile, "You were secretly playing games again, weren't you?"

The puppy's wagging tail paused for a moment, then began to wag rapidly again like a propeller.

[Woof woof - Just a little while, really just a little while—]

Previously, she was sent to Hongzhou and suffered "torture" at his hands. In order to escape reality, when Hongzhou went to class, Shuangju would sneak back into her consciousness to play games, and from the outside, it would look like a puppy sleeping.

As a result, he became more and more addicted to the game, and one day he accidentally played too much. So when he returned to the courtyard, Hongzhou couldn't wake Shuangju no matter what he did, and because it was dead, he held it and cried all the way to Hongli.

Because of this misunderstanding, Frost Orange's game time was strictly limited. But games are like that—the more you're forbidden to play, the more you want to play, so it always sneaks in a game—

Leaving it aside for now, Hongli pondered, recalling the previous world, "Is this the difference between rigid rules and world consciousness?"

Yes, worlds like this are born from the rules of the storyline. Before a world consciousness develops, it will continue to develop according to these rules. Therefore, whether it's the world consciousness wanting to elevate itself, or a character's awakening wish, both require breaking free from the constraints of the storyline.

The training courses from the System Bureau were not for nothing; when it came to the areas it had mastered, Shuanghua spoke fluently and confidently.

[In reality, you've already altered many related plot lines. However, because Jiangxue Pavilion is the starting point of the story, the power of the rules still exists, forcefully controlling its appearance. But the control is also very weak, which is why scenes like this, where key characters begin to have doubts, occur...]

Hongli nodded, showing no displeasure at the influence of the rules; on the contrary, he found it even more interesting. After all, over the past few years, he had gradually become bored. With so many followers, he could easily overthrow Yongzheng and seize the throne at any time.

But he just wanted Yongzheng to work for free for two more years. Once he had sorted out all the affairs of the court, he could then ascend the throne and have more fun.

But life was so boring that he occasionally had thoughts of rebellion.

The rules still held sway, and he suddenly felt less anxious—the real fun was about to begin! Before, the plot was already so chaotic even without his involvement. Now, he was even more curious: how would the altered storyline unfold?

...

"Princess, do we really have to do this?"

Aruo hesitated for a moment.

Qingying tilted her head back, her eyes gleaming with affection, and said with a wise expression, "We gaze at each other from afar, and a single glance is enough to break our hearts. Since Hongli and I are so in love, the selection of concubines cannot be disrupted. Our household has produced two empresses; what if the Third Prince chooses me instead of me if I participate normally?"

"The princess is intelligent."