The Crown Prince quickly waved his hand, "No need, it's better for Third Sister to make such a selection. I want to see the true nature of these noble ladies so that we can get along better in the future."
The emperor coughed twice, took a sip of tea, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately did not speak.
Although this was improper, my daughter had been heartbroken for several days and was unusually smiling.
These noble ladies made a fool of themselves, but that can be considered as them fulfilling their loyalty.
The quotas for the Crown Princess, Consorts, Beauties, and Attendants have all been decided; today is merely a formality.
The selection of imperial concubines lasted from midday until noon.
The third princess laughed until her stomach hurt. The young ladies from noble families went from being angry and embarrassed at the beginning to becoming numb, and eventually even joined in the laughter and madness. It was a chaotic but joyful scene.
Outside the palace gates, parents and relatives from all families waited with their necks stretched out two feet.
Some were worried that their daughters might underperform, while others were concerned about whether their noble daughters could attract the attention of the Crown Prince.
Finally, the palace gates opened, and the girls from various families came out, each with a strange expression.
Unable to guess, the crowd hurriedly pulled their daughter onto the carriage and rushed home.
"So, what happened, young lady? Did the Crown Prince speak to you? Besides your talents, did he ask you to compose poems?"
"Yes, yes, you haven't forgotten those poems I wrote for you before, have you?"
Inside the carriage, the family couldn't help but keep asking questions.
As a result, the young lady was at a loss for words, not knowing where to begin.
In the end, it was her mother who had the best idea; she gave the girl half a pot of sour plum juice, which was icy cold, sweet and sour, and very refreshing.
After the young lady calmed down completely, she finally spoke her mind.
"Waaah, Mother! We didn't even see the Emperor and the Crown Prince! It was the Third Princess who treated us to tea and snacks! She even asked us to perform some talents!"
"The Third Princess?"
The family frowned. The Third Princess had a bad temper and didn't get along well with the young ladies of Xindu. Could it be that she was making things difficult for their daughter?
"What's wrong with performing a talent show? Didn't you prepare a flying dance? Even if you can't win first place, you should at least be in the top three, right?"
The young lady burst into tears, clutching her handkerchief and shouting, "The Third Princess said she wanted to see another side of us, but she didn't call on us according to the talents we reported. She messed everything up! I was asked to draw!"
"I painted a picture of bamboo and rocks, and the Third Princess said the bamboo looked like chicken feet, and they all laughed at me!"
Upon hearing this, the family members all turned pale.
Those who know their own family know their own affairs. Their own daughter is beautiful, likes clothes and jewelry, and loves dancing the most.
However, there is one small drawback: he gets extremely sleepy when he gets around with books and ink, and he can't concentrate on studying at all.
So, this painting isn't about showing another side at all; it's clearly about exposing their shortcomings!
"No, I must go see the Emperor! How can the Third Princess treat such an important matter as the selection of concubines so lightly!" The young lady's father said, about to go to the palace to protest.
However, the young lady quickly stopped her father.
"Dad, don't go. It wasn't just me who embarrassed myself; everyone else was even worse. Someone was supposed to paint, but they were switched to dancing, and their shoe flew off and got stuck in someone else's hair. Another person was writing, and ink spilled all over their dress! And..."
The young lady became more and more excited as she spoke, completely losing her previous frustration.
Indeed, it's shameful to make a fool of yourself, but it's truly a joke when others make a fool of themselves!
Similarly, this happened in many carriages, and then the carriages were scattered to various corners of the new capital.
As a result, the Third Princess's antics and the young ladies' embarrassment quickly became known to everyone.
Those who were strict with their manners would privately curse that it was improper, while those with a narrow mind would jump up and down, complaining about why they weren't there. The girls who didn't get a chance to be chosen as concubines, on the other hand, were gloating.
In short, Xindu became lively again, filled with laughter everywhere.
Jiayin has nothing to do right now, so she's at home thinking about how to make sweet and sour cold noodles.
I promised Mu Xu before, and the weather is too hot. My family members don't have much of an appetite, so changing the menu will help them eat more.
But Tianwu's craftsmanship is flawed; they don't make cold noodles.
Jiayin could only try using rice noodles as a substitute, making them more chewy, which was barely usable.
The braised beef, simmering in the large stove, was ready. Shuiyun quickly ladled it out, rolled it up in cheesecloth, and waited for it to cool completely before slicing it.
The rest—cucumber shreds, tomato slices, roasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and boiled eggs—are all easy to prepare.
Spicy kimchi and bellflower root are always on hand at home.
Finally, the most popular Korean cold noodles from their previous summer were served fresh, immediately winning over the hearts of the three, master and servant.
Shuiyun's eyes sparkled as she ate, and Shuiling danced with joy as she held her bowl.
Jiayin ate more than half a bowl, but was somewhat disappointed that the rice noodles were not as good as the cold noodles.
But to achieve this is already quite good.
So she immediately started distributing them.
One portion should be sent to each of the three princesses, but braised beef is not allowed.
The Earl's mansion sent one, and the Liu family couldn't be left out either.
Even in Luo'an, Uncle San and Brother Qi haven't returned for several days. Send a copy over and ask how they are doing.
Also, let my second brother try the cyclamen. If it's good, we can promote it in the restaurant and make a profit.
The main advantage is its simplicity. Simply prepare the broth, chop the side dishes, and arrange them in a bowl – it's incredibly time-saving and labor-saving.
Soon, all the servants in the house were mobilized, each carrying a new willow basket, and they all set off in the carriage.
Of course, Shui Ling still had to personally make the trip to send the portion to the palace.
Since it's food that goes into our mouths, caution is the top priority.
Shui Ling went to the palace almost every day, and became familiar with the guards and eunuchs at the palace gate.
Moreover, Caiyun had already sent a young palace maid to wait inside the gate.
"Sister Shuiling, you've finally arrived. Her Highness the Princess is choosing a consort for the Crown Prince, and it's so hot that she doesn't have much of an appetite. She's been wondering what delicious food the Princess has prepared for her."
Shui Ling took out a packet of amber walnut kernels from her handbag, handed it to the little palace maid, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, there will be something delicious to eat today, I guarantee the princess will be satisfied. These are amber walnut kernels that I brought from home. You can secretly hide them and eat a few when you are hungry. They are fragrant and sweet."
"Thank you, Sister Shuiling!" The little palace maid was overjoyed, but then a little dejected. "Sister, the palace has been so quiet since you and the princess left. Her Highness doesn't talk much and eats less. We feel like we have to carry ourselves on our backs when we walk, and we don't even dare to cough. We're all looking forward to the princess coming to the palace. When you were here, Zhilan Palace was so lively."
Shui Ling sighed inwardly, wondering how she was going to explain this to the little palace maid.
Broken Gold Beach is a million times better than the palace!
At Broken Gold Beach, you don't need to speak cautiously or think twice before acting.
Everyone got along well, working together and sharing meals.
Eat heartily and sleep soundly.
The palace is like a quagmire; anyone who enters feels like they're suffocating.
Who would willingly give up the Broken Gold Beach and go to the palace to suffer?
But she couldn't say that out loud. Instead, she advised, "The Third Princess is getting married soon. You'll all be leaving the palace with her, right? Once you're out of the palace, you'll be free. I'll ask you to go shopping."
"Really?" The little palace maid immediately perked up again; the world outside the palace walls was something she longed for.
The two chatted all the way and soon arrived at Zhilan Palace.
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