Miss Chu's actions did indeed have an effect; many families sent messages to their daughters, warning them not to do anything foolish, and the seven-day training proceeded smoothly.
Rou Niang was surprised to find that Liu Ping'er was still among them. She thought that Liu Ping'er would be eliminated because her dance at the princess's mansion that day was really mediocre. She checked and found out that this time, she had chosen the less common cooking method.
This young lady from a sheltered family was the only one who chose this. It wasn't that others couldn't do it, but most only knew how to do it, what the process was, but few actually studied it in person. After all, cooking involves a lot of oil and smoke, and it also affects one's skin.
Liu Ping'er's situation forced her to do this, which ironically led to her success.
It seems that everything in this world has its advantages and disadvantages, and they are mutually reinforcing and complementary.
Liu Ping'er knew she was ordinary and feared she would fail the palace selection, so she inquired about how to dream of entering the palace and becoming a maid.
Yes, she didn't want to be forced by her father to marry someone as a concubine, so she had to find her own way out. She heard that a palace maid could leave the palace after serving for twenty years and would receive a monthly stipend. There was food and drink here, and she saved it all so that she could support herself when she left the palace and wouldn't have to be controlled by her father.
She knew herself very well; all she could do was cook a few dishes. She had studied hard for a period of time when she was young in order to please her father, but apart from that, she had nothing else to offer. That's why she wanted to work in the imperial kitchen!
Of course, it's difficult, but anything is possible!
Therefore, Liu Ping'er took the initiative to help the young ladies-in-waiting fetch their meals for the past seven days, getting to know the eunuchs and maids in the imperial kitchen and looking for opportunities.
Persistence pays off. One day, an opportunity arose when a dishwasher in the imperial kitchen fell ill. She offered to help him and won his favor.
The head of the Imperial Kitchen finally spoke up: "To get into the Imperial Kitchen, you need to have a clean family background and be a veteran of the palace. Newcomers won't be allowed in unless they're specially selected. If you really want to stay in the palace, you can start by cleaning the chamber pots, which nobody wants to do, or you can be admitted through special arrangements. We'll figure it out later."
Liu Ping'er sincerely thanked the steward, as it was a rare favor to have him point her in the right direction. Having nothing of value to her own, she made him a bowl of noodles to repay his kindness before leaving.
Unbeknownst to her, the noodles never reached the steward's mouth.
The palace selection begins!
The group of five entered the main hall. The emperor and the crown prince were there, and those whose names were called stepped forward to greet them.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and Your Highness the Princess!" Wen Jingyi, the daughter of the Prime Minister, possessed refined features. While not strikingly beautiful, her family background and excellent education made her truly exceptional. The saying "a person's inner beauty shines through their knowledge" perfectly described Wen Jingyi.
"Imperial Jade Token!" The Emperor waved his hand.
Rou Niang and the Crown Prince had no objections; after all, the Prime Minister's daughter was destined for the palace. It was an unspoken understanding.
The Emperor naturally had his own considerations. He had heard that Miss Wen was dignified, elegant, and well-mannered. If she were to manage the harem for him, he could save himself some trouble. Therefore, he had long since taken a liking to Miss Wen. Of course, if she performed well, it was possible that she would become a Noble Consort or even an Imperial Noble Consort in the future. However, she would only have one Empress in her life.
Wen Jingyi bowed gracefully to express her gratitude, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow, her demeanor perfectly poised. This further increased the emperor's favor towards her.
The remaining four were all rather ordinary. They all came from good families, and their looks and manners were acceptable. However, the emperor did not want to select too many people at once for this selection. After all, the harem was originally quiet and deserted, and he just wanted some liveliness. He did not want too much chatter and noise.
The first three in the second group didn't attract the attention of the three in higher positions. When the fourth person stepped forward, she said, "Your subject, Wu Anran, greets Your Majesty!"
The Emperor glanced at Rou Niang and the Crown Prince, but neither showed any reaction. He sighed helplessly. What were these two doing accompanying him? So many people had passed by, yet they hadn't offered a single opinion. This person had to stay; General Wu had been privately mentioning him for days. If Prime Minister Wen's daughter stayed, then General Wu's daughter absolutely had to stay. Sigh, to avoid future grumbling, he had no choice but to bestow a jade tablet.
Wu Anran's face lit up with joy, and she happily expressed her gratitude. She had a somewhat innocent and endearing appearance.
Among the third group, one special case remained: Wang Ya Fu from the Wang family. This was because she was the late Empress's younger sister. The Emperor naturally expected his aunt to care for her nephew more than others. Wang Ya Fu did bear a resemblance to the late Empress, which is why the Emperor bestowed upon her a plaque.
In the fourth group, one woman caught the emperor's eye. It was Li Biyue, the most beautiful of all the women chosen. There was a saying: "Her beauty could topple kingdoms, eclipse the moon, and shame the flowers." Seeing Li Biyue reminded him of this phrase, and the emperor felt a little embarrassed for his initial attraction to her beauty. However, seeing that Rongniang and the Crown Prince showed no particular expression, he felt at ease. After all, this was a selection for him; what was there to be embarrassed about? He bestowed upon her a plaque!
Liu Lianxing in the fifth group also stood out. Her gentle and delicate appearance evoked pity and affection. Li Biyue led the way, and the emperor's bestowal of a plaque was quite convenient.
By the last group, everyone was experiencing visual fatigue. After all, sitting upright for a long time would be tiring, and at this point, the emperor just wanted it to end quickly.
And this last group was actually quite ordinary-looking. Perhaps it was because Li Biyue and Liu Lianxing, who stood out with their unique beauty, that he experienced aesthetic fatigue. He lost interest and was about to give up...
The crown prince pointed to someone and said, "Father, this one looks quite good. Why don't we keep him in the palace?"
The emperor looked around and saw that the person's posture was quite ordinary. She had just introduced herself as Liu Ping'er. Thinking that it was rare for the crown prince to be interested in people, the emperor bestowed a plaque upon her, but he was also a little alarmed. Did the crown prince have some kind of problem with his taste?
"Why didn't Rou Niang give me any advice?" the emperor asked.
"Your Majesty, Rou Niang believes that whatever can be brought before you is the best, so naturally, any choice would be fine," Liu Rou Niang said sincerely, and she truly believed it.
The emperor was pleased to hear this and said, "You've worked hard these past few days. Why don't you stay in the air and we have a simple meal together?"
Rou Niang smiled and nodded, "Then thank you, Your Majesty."
The prince pointed at Liu Ping'er and said, "Why don't you cook us a simple home-cooked meal?"
Liu Ping'er was also surprised and quickly bowed and nodded. The others secretly regretted that they didn't know how to cook and missed such a good opportunity.
"The Crown Prince ate her cooking," Rou Niang asked curiously.
The Crown Prince said, "I was hungry. I happened to see her making noodles at the imperial kitchen, ate some, and they tasted good."
The emperor understood now; so that was why he had kept Liu Ping'er.
He hadn't paid much attention at first, but when the simple six dishes and soup were served, the emperor found them delicious. They were just plain and unremarkable, but strangely familiar, and very comforting to eat.
"good!"
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