Chapter 27 Final Selection Positions to be Determined

The entire capital was anxiously awaiting the results of the imperial selection, while the palace continued to systematically instruct the young men on palace rules and regulations.

Although the noblemen had all learned the palace rules from the old maids outside the palace, they still had to study them carefully at this time, because the male officials of the Six Palaces were observing and testing them.

By practicing kneeling, bowing, and curtsying every day, the already limited arrogance of the noblemen in the face of the palace completely dissipated.

As a man, being respectful is a virtue.

Regardless of their original temperament, they had to be subservient to the imperial power and their future wives.

During this period, several candidates with questionable character were eliminated, and the remaining noblemen immediately restrained all their underhanded actions.

Time passed slowly but surely, and soon it was time for the second round of selection.

After all, it was a matter of choosing 'brothers' to spend a lifetime together. Even though Shen Mingyue was exhausted from the torment of the fetus in her womb, she still managed to stand up and preside over the ceremony with the master.

As the saying goes, "fair skin covers a hundred flaws."

These noblemen were raised in seclusion from a young age. When they occasionally went out, they all wore veils. Their skin was as white as snow, and when they were dressed up in their finest clothes, the entire Chuxiu Palace was like a garden in full bloom.

Looking at these vibrant young men, the Queen smiled politely, but her hand clenched tightly in her sleeve.

Faced with his uncle's trusting gaze, he had no choice but to brace himself and select the most handsome and outstanding man among them to serve His Majesty alongside him.

This day felt incredibly long for Shen Mingyue.

He maintained a polite smile and used a gentle voice to win over one handsome man after another.

More than ten years of cultivating male virtues allowed his rationality to suppress his emotions.

...

"There are too many outstanding men. I've chosen again and again, and there are still 120 left." Shen Mingyue, protecting her lower abdomen, handed the booklet to the emperor with a light laugh. "Your Majesty, please take a look and see if there are any you like?"

Si Ze didn't take it, but instead stroked his belt and made him sit down: "You're pregnant now, taking care of yourself is the most important thing. The Grand Chamberlain can handle these things, why worry about them?"

Seeing that His Majesty's cousin didn't care about the list, Shen Mingyue's gentle smile brightened a bit.

"My cousin's harem is currently empty, and I am pregnant. I need to select some good younger brothers to take care of you so that I can feel at ease." He smiled gently, his voice soft, just like when he was a simple older cousin.

As he spoke, he seemed somewhat dazed, as if that was truly what he was thinking.

Reason and emotion reconciled once again, and he submitted to the male virtues ingrained in his bones. He felt that he had been sublimated and become more noble.

Only in this way can she be worthy of His Majesty's cousin's affection and the status of Empress.

With this thought in mind, his smile became even more gentle and captivating.

Seeing that Zitong had reverted to her cousin's behavior, her dormant heart began to stir again: her innocent cousin always made her want to bully him.

But no, her cousin was pregnant, so she forced herself to endure it.

Shen Mingyue, however, keenly sensed her needs. While touched by the Emperor's cousin's care, she couldn't bear to see her mistreating herself.

He knelt beside his cousin's legs, protecting his lower abdomen: "The imperial physician said I cannot do that, but I can serve His Majesty."

My pregnant cousin knelt down at her feet and said he would serve her!

Si Ze's heart pounded, his blood began to churn, and he was almost ready to agree.

But she simply bent down and carried him to the bed: "There's no rush now. Even if you beg for mercy later, I won't let you off the hook."

Shen Mingyue's face immediately turned bright red, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she didn't dare to look up at her imperial cousin.

Si Ze stayed with him until he fell asleep before returning to Zichen Palace.

The moon was already high in the sky, and without caring whether anyone was asleep, she summoned Gan Cao to attend to her in bed.

She was the emperor, and while she was willing to be patient with her frail cousin, she could do whatever she wanted with the young palace servants.

Gan Cao was dug up from her sleep and carried to the Zichen Palace in a carriage before she was fully awake.

After a quick bath at the hot spring palace, I was ushered into the bedroom.

At this point, he was fully awake and realized something was wrong. He didn't dare to think too deeply about it and just tried his best to please her with his body.

The beautiful brides are already waiting at Chuxiu Palace. I wonder if His Majesty will still remember them in the future.

When he was serving, he exerted himself as if he were burning the last embers of his life.

...

Even after some training, he was no match for His Majesty and was eventually forced to beg for mercy while crying.

After venting his frustrations, Si Ze felt much better and rewarded him with some jewelry before sending him back.

Although she was feeling terribly unwell, Gan Cao felt somewhat at ease: those noble men were too pampered and delicate to bear His Majesty's favor.

He will have another chance in the future.

After the second round of elections, the final round will come soon.

This time, Si Ze was also present.

Originally, she was indifferent to the talent show, but seeing all the handsome young men in the room was pleasing to the eye, and she began to consider making a selection.

All the candidates had been preparing for this day for months, and some had even been preparing for years or more. Naturally, they would do everything in their power to win His Majesty's favor.

Each one displayed their most beautiful side: their black hair was combed perfectly, their faces were made up just right, and their clothes complemented their exquisite figures.

When they met His Majesty, they all displayed the most docile demeanor: when bowing, their palms were flat on the ground and their waists were bent low; when answering, their voices were soft and their eyes were full of smiles.

Not to mention Si Ze, even the Emperor was pleased to see this and generously kept more than ten cheerful young men.

Shen Mingyue also carefully selected ten handsome men of moderate status, and together with the sons of important ministers who had a tacit understanding with her, as well as the men who were favored by the emperor, a total of forty-six men were selected for this selection.

The men who were not selected were all dejected, and some even couldn't help but cry.

Those who were chosen were overjoyed: from then on, their lives would be different from those of ordinary men!

Immediately afterwards, all the male candidates were sent out of the palace.

Those who were not chosen would naturally return home, and their mothers and sisters would select wives for them to marry into the family.

They made it to the final selection and are now seen as reasonable men by the public, so many women would be willing to hire them.

The selected young men must also go home to await their return.

Although they were not the emperors upon entering the palace, they were still ranked palace attendants. First, His Majesty would issue an edict to determine their status, then the Ministry of Rites and the imperial clan would present gifts, and finally they would be brought into the palace through a side gate in a sedan chair, officially becoming palace attendants.