Want to maintain status and have more children

"What do you think of those girls?"

The one asking the question was Concubine Tong, and sitting opposite her was Shujia. The two were drinking tea and talking in Chengqian Palace, sitting opposite each other on a couch.

It was early April, and the preliminary selection for palace maids had already passed. Normally, palace maids were first selected by the Imperial Household Department and trained before being offered to their masters. It was quite rare for a palace master to have paid attention to the Imperial Household Department's preliminary selection process, as Shujia had.

"There are a few that I like, but we'll have to wait and see how they turn out."

Concubine Tong was a little skeptical of Shujia's meticulousness: "Even if you like someone now, you have to wait until the Ministry of Internal Affairs has trained that person before you can see them again. There are also people who seem good the first time, but then they become unattractive."

Shujia said, "It's important to see the difference between the beginning and the end so that we can see it more clearly."

Concubine Tong said, "I have to say one thing first. No matter who you like now and who you like later, you may not be able to get her."

Shujia smiled and said, "I save that."

Concubine Tong was curious: "You guys are going to send a few more people over, but why do you have to do it yourself? Could it be that you are planning to fill up the courtyard of the East Palace?"

"The courtyard of the Eastern Palace is already full," Shujia pointed out to Concubine Tong one by one. "They have five brothers, so there's no reason to ask them to squeeze together, right? We also have two people given by Khan Ama. Concubine Mother knows where we are. We have a small Buddhist temple and a place to entertain guests. We are still young, and we will have a few more children in the future..."

Concubine Tong glanced at her with a half-smile and leaned over: "Is it full already? You have such a petty mind."

Shujia also laughed: "What can I think about? Oh, mother, you are talking about something. Do you have any news? Tell me."

Concubine Tong glanced at Shujia, then reached out and pinched her cheek: "Do you think you'll feel proud if you tell me that?"

Shujia raised her eyebrows: "Is it good news? Then I must listen to it." Could it be?

"Your Majesty, this time, probably wants to give it to two people," Concubine Tong pointed out two fingers, "pointing at several people," retracted the middle finger, "one is the eighth prince," and raised the middle finger again, "the other is the one in the circle. Don't worry, your prince is not included." As she said this, she covered her mouth and laughed.

Shujia felt relieved and smiled with an unusual ease: "Is the news from the Concubine Mother true?"

Concubine Tong: "You don't believe it?"

"I would rather what you said was true."

Concubine Tong didn't keep the secret any longer: "Do you think every time there is a grand election, every master has to add a concubine? When the princes were young, they were first assigned one or two concubines, and then a wife. When they grow up, how can there be no elders to keep an eye on the affairs of the younger generations' rooms? How can there be fewer maids around them? Once they take a fancy to one, they will never let themselves be wronged, and others don't have to worry about it. Every three years, there are more than a hundred concubines left - you don't know how many yellow belts and red belts there are now? The concubines still have to provide for them at most."

"I don't remember exactly who Khan-Ama had appointed as a concubine," he said, making a circle with his finger to represent Yinzhi. "There was also the Eighth Prince, who was added last time, and there will be another one this time. I don't remember the others very clearly, but there must be some, right?"

"You have always been clear-headed. How come you are confused about this?" Concubine Tong said so, but she also explained enthusiastically, "At that time, his previous wife gave birth to four girls in a row, but not a son, and no illegitimate sons were born. Do you think His Majesty would not be anxious? The same is true for the Eighth Prince. It has been a few years, and he doesn't even have a daughter! He is even worse than that time." "You gave birth to a bunch of sons, so what are you afraid of?" "Having too many people in the room is not good for your health. Look at the Third Prince and the Ninth Prince. Their mothers did ask for concubines for them, but it was only once."

The younger ones of the now-adult princes were still newly married, so they still had to give their wives some respect. The older ones each had their own backyards, had been married for several years, had wives and children galore, and most of them didn't need anyone to take care of their needs in this regard.

Shujia nodded in agreement, "My mother is the one who sees things clearly."

"You are worried too much," Concubine Tong expressed her understanding, "You don't need to worry about other things, just take care of the prince, okay? As long as the prince has you in his heart, what does it matter if he has another wife? Besides, you still have a son, right?" If you want to maintain your status, have more children. If you don't want to have concubines, have more children!

Shujia did not argue with her and just listened quietly.

Concubine Tong opened up and began to talk a little more. "A woman still relies on her son. The Nineteenth Prince passed away a while ago, and Lady Gao Gui cried like a tearful person. I always envy those who have children, but seeing her in this state, I feel a little scared. Then I look at the one in Zhongcui Palace now, and I think if it's a grudge from a past life, then it's better not to have her. She has been implicated by her son these days, and her energy is not good enough. That's why His Majesty entrusted me with the task of finding them two girls who are easy to bear children."

Concubine Tong originally did not want to mention the eldest prince in front of the people in the Eastern Palace, but Kangxi had no choice but to give her this task. She needed to explain to the Crown Princess: I am not concerned about the eldest prince, this is what the emperor asked me to do, and I am following his orders.

"My mother has been troubled."

"Speaking of which, the Eighth Prince has a biological mother, but His Majesty chose me. I'm worried too! What if the one he chooses is also difficult to have children? And who is already in the circle? Which girl is chosen to go in, she will just be a companion. I really can't do it." The first sentence was said casually, and the second sentence was what I was thinking in my heart. Why should women make things difficult for other women? Especially women who pose no threat to themselves.

"Even if the concubine mother has chosen someone, she must report it to the Khan and get an order." Shujia had no choice but to comfort Concubine Tong by saying, "This matter is not your fault."

Concubine Tong took a sip of tea and gritted her teeth, saying, "I've already informed His Majesty that the women sent to prison will be women from the bannermen." If word gets out that Concubine Tong chose you to go to jail, it will also minimize the hatred. To judge someone, one must have some contact with the person being judged. There's no guarantee that someone clever enough will be able to detect the scent.

Shujia thought to herself, no wonder you looked at the palace maids with me this time, and looked so carefully: "My mother thought it through carefully." If she were to say, Yinzhi had already been trapped, and no matter who was pointed at, it would be a trap!

Concubine Tong had already revealed the news and didn't want to discuss this depressing topic any further. "Speaking of which, Third Lady must be lucky this time. The Empress Dowager said yesterday that she would ask her to come and talk in a couple of days."

Shujia said, "If good fortune really falls upon her, she'll have a long way to go! I'm afraid she'll have to continue to be trained."

"You were also taught by your mother, and you didn't have someone who married into the royal family to teach you. You became the Crown Princess as soon as you entered the palace. Aren't you living a good life?"

Shujia shook her head and said, "Just one thing is enough for her to bear."

"Which one?"

"Prince Yu already had a wife, and they were deeply in love—that's fine, since she's gone. But the former wife left behind several little princes, and I'm worried she won't get along well with them."

Concubine Tong tilted her head and looked at Shujia. "What's wrong with you today? You keep saying nonsense. I mean, how many of the gentlemen in and outside the palace aren't... ahem," she touched her nose. "You had a child before you got married? Isn't it the same as before?"

"Hongyang and Hongxi are both born to concubines. No matter how I discipline them, that's the rule. The princes left by Prince Yu's former wife are different. They are the sons of the first wife. What should she do?"

Concubine Tong said, "I'm not worried at all. You've already thought about it, so why wouldn't you tell her?"

"My mother is teasing me again."

"Ah, I've been seeing so many young girls these days, and I feel younger too."

I have to say, Concubine Tong has a really good attitude! Even though it was a big selection, and there was the possibility of more people sharing the husband, Concubine Tong was much calmer than Shujia, and even joked about the concubines. You know, the princes might not necessarily add more, but the emperor would... definitely add more.

Why is she so cheerful?

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The Crown Princess was deeply confused, but after the slight unpleasantness between the Qianqing Palace and the Yuqing Palace was eliminated through the mutual understanding between the father and son, the harem really became lively with the arrival of a group of young girls.

This grand selection was probably the most peaceful one in the history of the Kangxi Emperor. It was peaceful not because the concubines put friendship first and competition second, but because the concubines in the harem were very calm.

The emperor was over fifty, and the two recent selections had only been done with a few exceptions, with the newcomers being left alone. It wasn't easy for the newcomers to advance, and in the eyes of the concubines, they weren't serious competitors. The concubines had seen through it all: even if the old man favored someone, he wouldn't make an exception for them—the quota for exceptions had been used up when he was young. Concubine Wang had given birth to three sons, but her official title was still just a noble lady.

And the concubines who have the weight of words, and do not have sons who are of the age to be selected, what is there for them to care about? Not only do they not have sons of the age to be selected, they don’t even have sons of the age to be given as concubines before the selection! What are they worried about?

Furthermore, according to the Kangxi Dynasty regulations, even princes could only have two concubines, and those below the rank of county prince could have even fewer. The selected women were all from the legitimate Eight Banners, not bondservants. If there were too many, and they all gave birth to sons, who would be given the concubines? Wouldn't that just cause chaos in the family? They would rather their sons have two more concubines than have a fight between equals.

Liangpin was a little anxious, but due to her status, she had little say. She could have asked Huifei for help, but Huifei hadn't recovered yet. Fortunately, Tong Fei had confided in her and asked what she liked. Liangpin had only one condition: "It's up to the Imperial Concubine to decide. As long as she's fertile and fertile, it's fine."

Therefore, the most unhappy person this year was the Eighth Concubine. She had a place to vent her grievances, but she lacked supporters. She refused to be looked down upon and had to maintain the air of a prince's wife, scanning the concubines with a cold gaze.

The concubines thought to themselves, everyone in the palace is very kind, but it is the Eighth Lady outside the palace. Why does she look so disgusting?

The Eighth Lady's glares were selective. She had met some of the well-born concubines, and they were quite cheerful and friendly. For example, Shuyi was clearly not the Eighth Prince's concubine, so there was no need for her to openly offend anyone. Concubines of lower status were unlucky enough to be considered by the Eighth Lady as potential intruders, and thus faced immense pressure.

The concubines were quite idle, happily watching the performances of the concubines. Even the most experienced girls looked immature in front of this group of talented people. Although he couldn't see through everyone at a glance, he could definitely grasp the mentality of most of the girls. Add in the disruptive Eighth Lady, and this drama was truly fascinating.

Shujia's heart was filled with concern for Shuyi, so she wasn't quite as excited to watch the drama unfold. They didn't share the same mother, but they did share the same father. While the natural affection she felt for Shuhui might not be as deep as it was for her, she couldn't let it go. Ever since she knew her territory was safe, she'd been focusing more on Shuyi.

At least in most of the Ningshou Palace summons, Shujia would come to support her sister. Concubine Tong wanted to befriend the Crown Princess, but she didn't point it out. The Empress Dowager herself was happy to drag the Crown Princess along to play, so Shuyi's life in the palace was still very comfortable.

With the Crown Princess around, the other women who aspired to join the harem wouldn't consider Shuyi a rival: there was a generational difference. The remaining targets were too scattered, and no one knew who their rivals were, so they became much more polite to each other.

Shujia appeared more often but spoke less, to avoid being too obvious, and also because Shuyi was doing quite well. Many people already knew Shuyi was the chosen consort of Prince Yu, but she couldn't make it too obvious. She was still nominally a concubine, her fate uncertain. Shujia couldn't summon her to the Eastern Palace for tea at this time; how could a concubine enter the prince's quarters?

That day, the Empress Dowager summoned Shuyi and several other concubines to dinner at Ningshou Palace. Shujia also accepted the invitation. At the palace's gate, the two sisters met. Shuyi, like the others, bowed as a gesture of respect, and Shujia returned the gesture. A closer look revealed that these women all bore, uh, the standard appearance.

"The Empress Dowager is in a good mood today and called these people here. I wonder if she wants to try some delicious snacks and ask the kitchen to learn how to make them." Shujia invited everyone to come in together. No one dared to go past the Crown Princess and stood aside, waiting for Shujia to leave first.

Shuyi stood closest to Shujia among the other concubines. Shujia noticed a hint of familiarity on her face, yet she was not boastful, acting just right. She thought to herself, "She's quite a clear thinker." Once they entered Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager had indeed ordered some snacks to be prepared and invited everyone to taste them.

This kind of testing was a common practice in the palace, and Shujia was no stranger to it. To make it to the point of eating meant your future was already 70% assured. Not all the concubines knew this, but Shuyi did—it was good to have a sister who had infiltrated the inner circle.

Shujia's biggest worry was that Shuyi, with her advantage of familiarity with the terrain and the undertone of a secure future, would become complacent. Today, she saw her quietly savoring her pastry, wiping her lips, rinsing her mouth, and drinking tea. When the Empress Dowager asked, "How is it? Is it to your taste?" she chuckled, "It tastes great."

The Empress Dowager said, "Your sister once gave me a dish of cakes as a token of her filial piety. I tasted them and thought they were delicious, so I asked them to learn how to make them. You find them so delicious, it must be because they are your family's specialties."

Shuyi said, "I've never eaten cakes like this before, but the flavor is so similar to the ones I have at home."

"That's what I said!"

Shuyi smiled and lowered her head, saying no more. Shujia began to believe that although the environment Shuyi married into Prince Yu's mansion was a bit harsh, she could handle it. Shujia helped her sister divert the Empress Dowager's attention: "Old Ancestor is very calculating. She knew that she would like this cake, so she asked her first. Why didn't you ask these girls?"

The Empress Dowager was distracted: "What do you think?"

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When Shujia returned from Ningshou Palace, Yinreng had already arrived at the Eastern Palace.

Shujia asked as she changed her clothes, "Why did you come back so early today?"

Yinreng said helplessly: "Khan Ama said I was tired and asked me to rest more."

Since the two palaces had reconciled, or more precisely, since Kangxi had finally settled his feud, his obsession with his son has resurfaced and is intensifying. Shi Lin died, and Shi Wenying was required to observe a period of mourning. He had previously held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Han Army of the Plain White Banner, a prestigious position within the Shi family. Kangxi left it to the Shi family, and given Fu Dali's youth, he appointed Shi Wenbing to the position. He also bestowed upon the Crown Prince numerous gifts.

The poor crown prince, already suffering from a mild mental breakdown from the torture of menopause, dared not let his guard down, fearing that if he relaxed, Kangxi would catch him and give him a severe reprimand. Not only did he not dare to rest, but he also had to be even more dedicated. The early summer weather was already quite hot, and the crown prince, dressed neatly, was sweating profusely in the Qianqing Palace.

Kangxi was annoyed: "I have some ice here, and the room is not very hot. How did you become like this? Are you sick?"

Yinreng argued that it was simply because he was sweating from walking from the Yuqing Palace to the Qianqing Palace. However, Kangxi was still worried and had Yinreng brought back. He also instructed: "Tell Sun Zhiding to select a good imperial physician to examine him."

Shujia was also speechless. The old man was so cruel to people that it would be strange if they didn't get sick.

Yinreng had already changed into a long gown, unbelted, holding a fan in his hand. "Come to think of it, you're always looking at the concubines or the palace maids. Is this the one that pleases you this year?"

Shujia sighed, "I'm destined to worry! As long as you want to worry, you'll have endless worries! The third girl has been summoned by the Empress Dowager again today. Tell me, how can I not go?"

Yinreng threw himself into the rocking chair, which creaked. "How long can you protect her?"

"We can only protect you for a while, but we can't just give up now, right?"

"Is this what bothers you?"

Shujia changed into casual clothes and took off her flower pot bottoms. She walked over and squatted beside the rocking chair, leaning on the armrests and rocking with it. The rocking chair stopped, and Yinreng sat up and looked at her: "Didn't you get the letter? Is there something wrong?"

"That's not the case. The Empress Dowager also likes her."

"Then what are you worried about?"

"I just thought of Hongyang, who is the same age as these beautiful women. If he were still alive, we could have arranged for a marriage this year, which would have been another happy event."

Hongyang was Kangxi's eldest grandson. If he were still alive today, he would be fourteen (in nominal terms), and he could have a concubine and a wife. If he were still alive, Shujia would have become a mother-in-law before she even turned thirty. This feeling was truly too subtle. She had always considered herself relatively young, but this incident made her feel a little guilty.

Yinreng was silent for a long time before he said, "Hongxi is almost grown up. If you think about his affairs, you will feel happier."

"Yes, Hongxi will be old enough for the next selection. That's when I'll have to take a closer look!" Shujia seemed excited. "This year, I'll select two more palace maids to prepare for his wedding."

When a beautiful woman becomes an old woman, a handsome man will also become an old man! Yinreng, you have to accept your fate! We are all going to be grandparents soon! Shujia was furious and wanted to shout: I really am not old~~~

"But I don't want him to get married so early. It's not good for his health." Shujia said seriously.

"Just place a concubine first." Yinreng provided the common practice at that time.

Shujia shook her head. "That's not what I meant. What I meant was that he should keep a good girl for now, and there's no rush to get married, regardless of whether it's a wife or a concubine." Shujia's feet were numb from squatting, and she slowly stood up, unceremoniously using Yinreng as a human cushion. "I've looked around us, and most of the firstborn children whose parents are young can't keep their children. I think it's because their parents' energy and blood are not sufficient."

The crown prince was fooled again, and the focus shifted from the concubine to his son. He reached out and hugged his wife: "Let me think, let me think..." He repeated the three words while thinking carefully. It was true, at least this was a common phenomenon in the royal family.

Needless to say, Kangxi lost many sons in his early years. The prince named "Fuquan" was not blessed with many children either. After the eldest son and daughter, the second son and daughter, the third and fourth daughters died in infancy, only the seventh child survived, and this was Baotai.

The third son's eldest son, the fourth son's eldest daughter, and Yinreng's own eldest son Hongyang all died young. The only exception was the annoying Yinzhi. All of Irgen Jueluo's children survived.

As people get older, the survival rate of children born later improves significantly.

Yinreng was mostly convinced: "I will discuss it with Khan Ama when the time comes."

Shujia smiled and said, "Khan Amashi thinks so too. Think about the age at which the princesses married. One was delayed for some reason, and the other two were delayed for some reason as well, right?"

Yinreng agreed seriously: "That's right."

The concubines didn't have to worry, but the palace maids had to worry a bit. Before the concubines were sent home with their futures confirmed, the palace maids had already completed the pre-job training class at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Concubine Tong received the task and sent someone to invite Shujia to go with her to select the palace maids.

The two of them first met in Chengqian Palace. Concubine Tong said, "Ningshou Palace is also short of staff. We need to report to the Empress Dowager in Ningshou Palace before we can start selecting people."

Shujia said, "Of course. However, it is legitimate for the Concubine Mother to choose someone. Shouldn't I tell the other Concubine Mothers a thing or two? It was fine before I just took a look at the preliminary selections, but this time I'm taking someone away before them. I'm afraid it wouldn't be nice if I didn't tell them a thing or two."

Concubine Tong thought for a moment and said, "It's too troublesome to go to each one of them. Why not wait until we get to Ningshou Palace and tell them that you want to choose someone too. I tell you, I know everyone in the palace. None of them are old enough to leave the palace, and no one has been promoted, so there's no need to add anyone. Just mention it briefly to save face."

After the two finished their discussion, they went to Ningshou Palace together.

The Empress Dowager originally wanted to play the game of choosing people with the Crown Princess, but she had an important matter to do: Kangxi respected his biological mother in his heart, and the Empress Dowager, as a monarch under a constitutional system, should at least know something about the whole process of family affairs. Therefore, he gave the main task to Concubine Tong and told the Empress Dowager about it.

The Empress Dowager's impression of the Eighth Prince was neither good nor bad, but he was her grandson after all, and after many years of marriage without children, she was worried about him. After accepting the task, the Empress Dowager kept selecting and selecting concubines, and the matter of the palace maids slipped out of her mind. If Concubine Tong and Shujia hadn't come to her rescue, the incident might have been sealed in the corner of her memory, until a new face appeared in Ningshou Palace, which would have provoked her to recall it.

The Empress Dowager was rather simple-minded. It was difficult for her to handle two things at once, so she handed the less important things over to Concubine Tong: "Go and help me choose, and the Crown Princess, please help me take a look. Aren't you short of people too? Choose carefully." She couldn't help but say to Concubine Tong, "You should also pay attention to that matter." She also didn't mention the name of the witchcraft enthusiast in front of the Crown Princess.

Concubine Tong and Shujia took the order and left.

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The Imperial Household Department was very reliable in training palace maids. Rows and rows of young girls stood in formation, all wearing newly made uniforms, long braids, plain faces, and minimal jewelry. The minor selections were held annually, with each batch screened, leaving very few candidates untouched. The candidates were very close in age.

Speaking of palace maids, life wasn't exactly hard in the Qing Dynasty. They received a monthly stipend, meat, and seasonal clothing. Materially speaking, their lives were better than those of some bannermen who relied solely on government subsidies. Some less affluent families preferred to have their daughters enter the palace, providing them with a livelihood, alleviating the burden on their families and providing some financial support. Once outside the palace, if they were lucky, their mistresses would offer them a small reward and a modest dowry. Since they were from the palace, they could potentially find a second wife or be employed as a servant by a powerful family, ensuring a secure support in their old age.

So not all the little girls who entered the palace were miserable. Opposition to entering the palace was futile; it was better to accept your fate and fight for your own future. Even if you couldn't raise your status by pleasing the male master, you could still make the female master like you as a helper.

The eunuchs read the names of the candidates from the roster one by one, each one appearing and walking a few steps before their two masters. They then bowed and introduced themselves. Concubine Tong actually called each candidate over, examining their faces, figures, and demeanor. Not only did she scrutinize the individuals, she also carefully examined each person's green-headed lottery slip. The green-headed lottery slips for the minor selections were similar in appearance to those for the major selections. The cloud-shaped slips were dyed green, and the white main body read, "Daughter of so-and-so, ...

Based on this, we can determine whether it is a soft persimmon and whether it can be thrown into prison.

Shujia happened to be looking at the green slips with Concubine Tong. She was selecting potential confidants, so of course she needed to know their backgrounds. She noticed a few of the Zhengbai clan members and also noted their ages. She chose the youngest among those of similar age, so that they would be easier to assimilate.

The eunuchs were completely baffled. In previous years, the place where they needed staff would send eunuchs to request new ones, but this year, a royal concubine and a crown princess arrived? It frightened them terribly. The Eastern Palace was saying they had added new members and needed servants, but Chengqian Palace hadn't heard from them, right?

The demand for palace maids during this period wasn't particularly high. Aside from Concubine Tong's order to select two for Yinzhi, the Eastern Palace had a requirement for six to eight maids. Furthermore, the Ningshou Palace also had maids to be replaced. Furthermore, there were vacancies in places like the Zhaoxiang Residence, which also needed to be filled. These vacancies were caused by either being released, leaving the palace due to illness, or simply dying.

Concubine Tong chose honest maids for the Ningshou Palace and clever concubines for Yinzhi. She had a good grasp of Kangxi's thoughts and chose reliable women for the Empress Dowager, who was naturally naive and easily fooled. She couldn't afford to leave anyone with a past of gossiping. As for Yinzhi, Kangxi probably wanted him to have something to do; the number of children he could produce was secondary.

The eunuch was very upset. In the past, he didn't have to call out names. When there was a vacancy in any place, the eunuch in charge would come over and select the person and then take him away directly. Now, he had to sign up one by one, which was a waste of effort.

Concubine Tong and Shujia were also looking at people. They would pay more attention to those from the Zhengbai Banner, secretly memorizing the younger ones and comparing them with each other. After the eunuch finished reading the list one by one, all the palace maids had also looked at it. Concubine Tong and Shujia discussed again: "Which one do you think is good?"

Shujia laughed and said, "The Empress Dowager and Khan Amaden's mother have made the decision. How dare I go ahead?"

"I just want you to talk about the matter where I'm 'in charge'." Concubine Tong gave her a displeased look.

"I can't interfere in that person's affairs. From the Empress Dowager's side, honest and obedient children are the best. The Empress Dowager is lenient with her people and should give some blessings to obedient children."

Seeing that she had the same idea as herself, Concubine Tong said, "Let's do it this way. What about you? Have you decided what kind of person you want to choose?"

Shujia said, "I have many children there, and they are almost grown up. It's safer to keep them honest."

Concubine Tong thought that only Hongxi was about to grow up, and she was probably afraid that someone would lead the illegitimate son astray and bring shame to him.

Concubine Tong reached out and took two green-headed sticks, one for Li and the other for Guo, and put them aside first.

After taking six more sticks, Shujia remembered that there were only two vacancies in Ningshou Palace.

After Concubine Tong had chosen all these, she said to Shujia, "You can choose whatever you like."

Shujia thought about it and selected the ones she had previously chosen. She had originally planned to pick six and call it a day. With six properly trained and combined with the existing staff, they would be more than enough to handle the work. She did need a few more maids for minor duties, but there was no rush. With the exception of Hongxi, her sons were still young. After this year, there was always next year, and the selection of young women was done every year.

Seeing that Concubine Tong had chosen four more candidates for the Ningshou Palace, Shujia quickly changed her mind and chose the full eight. First observe, then eliminate. Although the change of leadership was approaching, she still had a few years to prepare.

Concubine Tong waited until Shujia had finished picking out her sticks before she asked, "Do you want to use another one?"

Shujia smiled and said, "These are enough for now. When we need more people in the future, we can just pick more."

Concubine Tong said to the eunuch, "These are the ones."

The eunuchs came up again, calling out the names one by one. Guo and Li stood alone in one area, the six candidates from Ningshou Palace stood in another, and Shujia's single choice stood in another—no one understood what this meant. Shujia saw that both Guo and Li were truly beautiful women, and she assumed they were destined for Yinzhi. She lowered her head slightly, unable to prevent the tragedy for various reasons, she had to look away. She'd cried crocodile tears so often... she could barely even shed a tear.

Concubine Tong said, "Alright, all of you follow me and the Crown Princess to Ningshou Palace."

Inside Ningshou Palace, the Empress Dowager had just concluded a new round of interviews, and the concubines filed out, meeting Concubine Tong's procession on the road outside. The maids had been trained not to look around; after all, they were still young and couldn't control themselves. They tried their best to stand straight, glancing at the concubines with a touch of envy. The concubines, standing in a corner, were taken aback when they caught a glimpse of the other maids on the same staff. They were all the same age, but some entered to serve, while others were served. It was truly fate's twist.

Concubine Tong and Shujia were quite calm. Concubine Tong even asked Shuyi, "How is the old ancestor in a good mood today?"

Shuyi replied, "The Empress Dowager is in a very good mood. She was just talking about the Imperial Concubine."

"I believe that, but you didn't tell me the whole story. The Empress Dowager must have been thinking about your sister."

Shujia said from the side: "My dear mother, it's not enough to tease me, you also want to criticize our honest children."

Concubine Tong said, "Oh, you're so protective of her, you won't let your sister suffer any injustice."

Shujia said: "The ancestors are waiting for us."

"Okay, okay, let's report back." Tong Fei stopped and said these words, also to support Shuyi and to save Shujia's face. This scene had happened several times, and everyone remembered it. Classmate Shuyi was not to be messed with.

As they walked together, Concubine Tong said, "Even though you are careful, you refuse to send anyone to see her, yet you keep complaining about her behind her back."

"Isn't it the same when my mother-in-law has a younger sister running for the election?" She didn't send anyone to see Shuyi, but she went to Ningshou Palace every time. She also asked Concubine Tong to ask people to pay attention to Shuyi's situation in the palace, and kept a pair of eyes on her sister.

The footsteps faded away.

In Ningshou Palace, the concubines hadn't left yet. Concubine Hui had received word from Concubine Tong that she was going to select a bride for Yinzhi: "His Majesty has asked me to pick two suitable brides for the eldest prince. I figured I'd send two eloquent brides to help ease the situation." Concubine Hui had no choice but to accept. Even though she'd accused her son of disobedience, he was still her son, and she was worried. Upon hearing that Concubine Tong had gone to select brides, Concubine Hui, despite her embarrassment, had taken up residence in Ningshou Palace.

Rong Fei and others were much more relaxed and had nothing to do if they stayed.

Concubine Tong and Shujia greeted each other and took their seats. Then, the emperor introduced them: "Grandma, these are the maids we've selected today. Those you use here, those used in the Eastern Palace, and those sent out—they're all here."

Seeing Concubine Tong and Shujia bringing so many people, Concubine Yi laughed first and said, "Are you bringing all the palace maids this year?"

Concubine Tong said, "If the Imperial Household Department dares to send only these few people, I will send people to cause trouble in their hall."

Shujia smiled and explained to the Empress Dowager, "My mother has picked out a few extra for you. You can keep any that you think are suitable, and return the rest to be assigned to other tasks."

Concubine Tong also brought their green-headed sticks and checked them one by one. The palace maids were also nervous. Li and Guo didn't know they were going to the confinement area to entertain people. They had already weighed their opponents along the way. Seeing that the other ten or so people were all less beautiful than themselves and looked a little dull, they thought they were lucky.

Concubine Tong first read out the names of the people who would fill the vacancies in Ningshou Palace. The six people couldn't help but feel nervous and excited when they heard Concubine Tong say, "These are the ones. The Crown Princess asked me to pick them for you first. Take a look, they are all excellent. You can choose the better ones and keep them." Ningshou Palace!

The young eunuch brought up a tray with the green lottery tickets for the six people on it.

The Empress Dowager took out her glasses and looked at the girls: "They are all good." She moved her fingers around in the plate, and finally randomly picked two, "These are the ones." Concubine Tong chose the people according to the Empress Dowager's thinking, and none of them was bad. The Empress Dowager was at a loss as to what to do, so she had to close her eyes and randomly pick.

Concubine Tong read out the two names again and announced in Chinese: "These two will stay in the palace, and the rest will be returned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for reassignment."

Those chosen cried tears of joy; since they were all destined for a palace service, it was naturally better to serve under a more powerful master. Those who weren't chosen also fought back tears; the sheer weight of failure was the most agonizing. Not only could they no longer serve in Ningshou Palace, but they were also being reassigned, and there was no telling where they would end up.

No matter how happy or sad they were, they had to endure it, kowtowed honestly, and retreated out of the hall in an orderly manner.

Concubine Tong pointed at the people standing near the door and explained, "There are new arrivals in the Eastern Palace. There are five princes alone, and the second prince is growing up. We can't just have maids and eunuchs. The Crown Princess has selected a few good children and trained them for a year or two so they can serve. They are all there."

The Empress Dowager also took a look, but still couldn't tell whether it was good or bad, so she simply changed the subject and said to Shujia: "You have a large population there, so if you need help, just ask for it. If they don't give it to you, just tell me."

Shujia thought to herself that Kangxi had been going crazy in recent years, raising the treatment of the Eastern Palace higher and higher, and the quota here was enough: "Then let me thank the ancestors first." He also winked, and the eight people came forward together, kowtowed, and retreated.

The Empress Dowager finally sighed and said, "Are these two for the eldest prince?"

Concubine Tong replied, "Yes."

The concubines were already somewhat suspicious. Just from their appearance, they could tell that these two were not on the same page as the others. Concubine Hui was even more attentive to Guo and Li. Guo and Li were somewhat clever, after all, being young, and they were still guessing. The first two groups were either for the Empress Dowager or the Crown Prince. Were they going to serve in the Qing Palace?

Their hearts pounded. The Empress Dowager spoke in Mongolian, which they couldn't understand. Their faces flushed with nervousness, and sweat broke out on their necks. When their superiors finished discussing their fate in Mongolian, they were still unaware of the situation until someone announced to them in Chinese, "You must serve the eldest prince well."

The two were momentarily stunned. Who was the eldest prince? Yinzhi had been gradually forgotten since he was imprisoned, so it was normal for them not to remember him. Blinking, they recognized the speaker as an elderly concubine. They hesitated, bowing as a courtesy. Then another concubine smiled and said, "You can rest assured that the person chosen by the imperial concubine is yours."

The Crown Princess also said, "Mother Huifei, these two were carefully selected by the Imperial Concubine."

Concubine Hui? The eldest prince?

This was a bolt from the blue, wasn't it? Compared to thinking he'd get a job at Ningshou Palace, but being sent to sweep the floor at Qixiang Palace, this was the real disappointment, wasn't it?

The two men kowtowed in a daze to express their gratitude, they were already terrified.

The selection of palace maids was over, and Shujia led the eight maids to the Eastern Palace. When they arrived at the palace, Hongxiu was greeted and startled: "Master, this is? A new one?"

Zichang followed Shujia out and answered on Shujia's behalf: "The master picked it out himself."

Arriving at the Duanyi Palace and settling down, the eight of them saluted again. Shujia said, "You've all been tired all day. This is your Aunt Wang and this is Aunt Xiu. From now on, you should learn the rules from them. Arrange accommodation for them and teach them some manners."

She made this arrangement out of consideration for them, and also because... the bondservants were deeply Manchu-ized, and their names were influenced by Manchu customs. A group of little girls were either called "Da Niu" or "Er Niu." This reminded Shujia of her own childhood, of the shiny black "Er Niu" on her green-headed sceptre.

A row of these two girls makes one feel as melancholy as a dogtail flower.

After Yinreng returned home, Shujia had them brought back for him to examine. After a quick glance, Yinreng let them go: "You can do whatever you want. They look like decent people who are not afraid of causing trouble."

"Are you tired today?" Shujia saw that he was a little listless.

"Another tour of the frontier is about to begin," Yinreng rubbed his forehead, "and there are a lot of people who want to go with us."

"Are you still going?" Hongdan must go, there is no need to ask.

"This time, Khan Ama ordered us to split into two groups and take turns going."

“…”

Since Kangxi had already planned to tour the frontier areas in early June, the selection process had to be concluded in May.

Kangxi acted swiftly, deciding everyone's future within a few days. Shuyi, unsurprisingly, became Prince Yu's consort. However, Kangxi himself didn't keep anyone. He planned another southern tour the following year. If he found any beautiful women from Jiangnan that he liked, he would bring one or two back to Beijing.

As the arranged marriage orders were issued one by one, the grand selection came to an end, but for many more people, life had just begun.

The Crown Princess was also busy summoning her sister to the Eastern Palace to discuss matters before she returned home, and this was permitted. The reason was quite valid: Shuyi would have to prepare for her wedding once she returned home and wouldn't be able to leave the palace again, and it would be extremely difficult for the Crown Princess to leave the palace. They had no choice but to discuss it while they were both in the palace. If the Crown Princess wasn't there for the next meeting, then it would only be after Shuyi's wedding.

The author has something to say: Embarrassing, I forgot what to say again...