In the spring of the sixth year of Emperor Yunwu's reign, the selection ceremony, which had not been held for three years, was held in Jianzhang Palace. The emperor presided over the selection, with the empress dowager and the queen at his side. The scale of the selection was unprecedented.
Imperial Concubine Jin sat in her sedan chair, watching the new arrivals from afar in Chuxiu Palace. "Right now, the Fifth Girl's issue hasn't been resolved yet, and now a group of strangers have arrived. I wonder if they're my right-hand men or my enemies?"
Qian Dai said auspicious words beside her, "Your Majesty, your reputation for virtue spreads far and wide. If I were one of them, I would surely be eager to befriend you. They have brains too. Why would they choose the unloved Empress or the ruthless Consort Zhaoyi?"
In the following few sentences, her voice was very soft, but it was just right to please Concubine Jin.
"Alright, let's go back to the palace! After all, you are not qualified to sit in the palace. I might as well go back and wait for news."
After the group left, Rong Zhaoyi also stepped onto the high platform here: "It seems that everyone is uneasy today?"
"To answer your Majesty, during the selection at Jianzhang Palace today, the Imperial Concubine's favor has been declining due to the arrival of Noble Lady Wen. Now, I'm afraid..."
"With so many women vying for Your Majesty, I disdain to fight them all." Rong Zhaoyi frowned, her tone impatient, "It's just that I've always been upset about missing out on Princess Zhaohua!"
The head maid Qingtan asked tentatively, "Does your Majesty want to take revenge on that person?"
"This palace holds her in such high regard, intending to promote her and even planning a future for her child, yet she is so ungrateful! Everyone thinks the Queen Mother loves the little princess and is deliberately snatching her away to raise. This palace refuses to believe such tricks!"
When Qingtan saw that his master was angry, he immediately stopped talking.
I was afraid that if I made a mistake in my words, I would become an outlet for my emotions.
"My Lady, you are right. So, what should we do?"
"Hmph! Women hurting each other and scheming against each other is boring to me. You have to hit the snake at its weakest point! Since she can bear the pain and hand over the princess, I must make good use of her."
After saying this, Rong Zhaoyi glanced into the distance again and left in a huff.
The busy man today is Eunuch Yang.
He looked at the list and called out the names of the girls one by one.
"Su Fangruo, the third daughter of a sixth-rank official in the capital, is sixteen years old."
The appearance is not good, and the brand is abandoned.
"Li Shichan, the eldest daughter of a fourth-rank official, is sixteen years old."
The behavior is inappropriate and it is embarrassing.
"Liu Yanqing, the youngest daughter of the seventh-rank Taichang Temple, a bookkeeper, is seventeen years old."
Seeing people being stage fright, I was quite disappointed and gave up.
…
As the number of selected ladies dwindled, the Empress Dowager grew increasingly anxious. "Emperor, those who are almost suitable should be kept. At worst, they can be made concubines of a lower rank. If this continues, I'm afraid there won't be many new women entering the palace this time."
"Yes, I know what's going on."
Eunuch Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued reading the list.
"The youngest daughter of the Fourth Rank Minister of the Honglu Temple, Sheng Linghuan, sixteen years old."
This woman was charming and charming, and had a graceful manner. When questioned by the Queen Mother, she answered seriously and behaved in a dignified manner.
Xie Yanci glanced at the more detailed introduction on the imperial desk again, and finally nodded: "Stay."
"Your Majesty, I thank you!"
It seemed as if it was God's intention that the next few young ladies from official families who came out were all graceful and elegant, with both good character and good looks.
The Queen Mother finally put down her worries. Hearing that the emperor was no longer just a bunch of empty talk, she closed her eyes and said, "I wonder how Zhaohua is doing in Shoukang Palace?" As soon as she finished this important matter, she would hurry back to visit her beloved little princess.
The queen also forced herself to sit aside, her eyelids repeatedly fighting, and then reluctantly opened: Next time, you must not stay in Shoukang Palace for too long! However, the little princess was so beautiful and lovely that she was reluctant to leave early.
After much difficulty, the audition was finally concluded, and a total of seven girls were selected.
The Queen was the first to rush out of Jianzhang Palace, holding the list. "Quick, prepare the sedan chairs! The sooner we can arrange for their respective palaces, the sooner we can go see the princesses!"
——
"Miss, this is what the Queen asked Aunt Jinhan to bring." In the afternoon, Wen Yu placed a piece of letter on the table. "Would you like to see it now?"
"Since it was sent by the Empress, we must not delay."
Wei Shuyi curiously opened the letter, and inside was the new concubine's residence?!
"Why is the Queen showing me this?"
Wen Yu also didn't understand: "Aunt Jinhan said that the Queen thinks you are very careful and will definitely find flaws that she can't notice. She asked you to help take a look so that she can make the final decision."
Wei Shuyi stared at the names listed above. "The one with the best family background in this selection is undoubtedly Bai Yu, the legitimate daughter of a second-rank provincial governor. However, the one with the highest initial rank is Xu Jing'an, the second daughter of a fifth-rank councilor of the Ministry of Civil Affairs..."
"Yes! The former only got a Changzai. Although she has the word Zhen as her title, it is still lower than a sixth-rank beauty."
The Empress naturally had similar considerations, placing the concubines who might be favored in the palace gardens closer to the Hall of Eternal Life. Meanwhile, those less prominent ladies from less prestigious families were scattered around the four corners of Yonghua Palace.
Her gaze finally fell on the three words "Sheng Linghuan". She was an eighth-rank concubine, given the title Xin, and was assigned to the Yanx Palace.
"Change this selected concubine!"
Wen Yu turned her head and asked, "Miss, why is this happening? Which palace do you want to transfer her to?"
"The west wing of Lin'an Palace is no longer inhabited. It's time to liven it up." Wei Shuyi took out a brush and made a mark on it. "Let her come to our palace."
"Why don't you choose someone with a good family background or one who has many favors?"
"With Prime Minister Meng and Lord Qu standing in the way, those noble ladies will naturally follow their families' instructions and strive to find a high-ranking patron. Why would they consider me?" Wei Shuyi pointed at Concubine Xu's name. "As for the one who won first place, if she can maintain her temporary favor, she will naturally look down on me. Even if she wants to befriend me, there are so many eyes watching. I don't want to bring myself into any more trouble before Zhaohua grows up."
"Yes, I understand. The young lady thought that this selected concubine's family background was neither high nor low, and her position was also of the same level, so she would not attract attention, so she chose her?"
She didn't deny it. "I have no way of intervening to win over the newly promoted concubines in the Eastern Palace. I can only maneuver among them and seek stability. This group of newcomers is an opportunity. I must choose one and cultivate my own power. I hope that God will protect me and not let my efforts go to waste."
Wen Yu also clasped her hands together and prayed to the heavens: "It will definitely happen! God has always been kind to you, young lady. The good fortune of escaping death several times is not something everyone can ask for!"
As the two were talking, they saw Jing'an stumbling in.
She has always been steady and generous, and rarely loses her sense of propriety, such as entering the inner room without permission.
Wei Shuyi felt uneasy: "What's wrong?"
"My lady... My lady, please go to Shoukang Palace! The Empress Dowager sent someone to tell me that the little princess..."
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