Chapter 122 The Draft (Part 1)
In July of the second year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, an imperial edict was issued to select candidates for the imperial concubine selection.
"I, Zhen Huan, though I cannot achieve great things like men, do not wish to easily betray myself. If I am to marry, I must marry the best man in the world, and grow old with him... I pray to the Bodhisattva for protection."
Inside the main hall of a bustling temple, a beautiful young woman with delicate features and elegant attire kneels before the Buddha, her hands clasped together, her eyes closed as she devoutly makes a wish.
"Everyone says the Bodhisattva here is the most efficacious; Miss's wish will surely be fulfilled." A pretty young maid standing beside her quickly spoke up as soon as the young girl stood up.
"With such an outstanding young lady, she will surely find a perfect husband." The cute little maidservant who was following on the other side chimed in.
"Shh, it won't work if you say it out loud."
The beautiful and intelligent young Zhen Huan was in the prime of her life, like a newly blossoming crabapple, displaying her youthful charm. Her girlish coquettishness was most captivating.
The thought of participating in the talent show stirred a faint ripple in my heart.
...
A kind-faced woman from the Jeju Shrine was pointing out the way to the young girl in front of her.
"Come on, walk a few steps and show me."
The young girl was graceful and elegant, exuding a dignified and refined air as she walked.
"Good, say something."
"Your subject, Shen Meizhuang, greets Your Majesty and Empress, wishing them boundless blessings and peace." The young girl's voice was melodious and pleasant, soothing to the ear.
“That’s good, very proper,” the woman nodded, pulling the girl close and explaining softly, “The current emperor’s mother has passed away, and the Empress Dowager is from Khorchin. She has always been detached from worldly affairs, and given her advanced age, she certainly won’t participate in the selection process. Therefore, you will only need to see the emperor and empress. Now, let me ask you, what if the emperor asks you what books you’ve read?”
"The Book of Poetry, Mencius, Zuo Zhuan..."
Before he could finish speaking, the woman interrupted him, “You’re wrong. The Emperor is selecting concubines today to enrich his harem and produce offspring, not to take the imperial examination or discuss academic matters. Besides, discussing scholarship with the Emperor in private is a matter of personal interest, but doing it in front of the Empress is just showing off. You will be living under the Empress’s jurisdiction in the future.”
"Yes, daughter understands."
...
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and all the young women who had come to the capital from all over the country for the imperial selection had arrived. On the first day of September, the palace selection officially began.
"The Han and Manchu banners are all lined up, and the two-person teams are all standing in formation."
"Let me remind you ladies once more that you have all been carefully selected to be personally inspected by the Emperor and Empress. This is an immense honor. So please don't be nervous, ladies. Just make sure you don't break the rules. If your mistress doesn't want to keep you, you'll be dismissed and sent home with flowers. If she does keep you, it means you've been chosen, or you'll be betrothed to a member of the imperial family on the spot. If you're even more fortunate, you'll become a concubine in the palace, temporarily residing at your family's home until your official rank is confirmed and an auspicious day is chosen for your entry into the palace. It all depends on your own fortune and destiny..."
In front of the palace gate, a well-dressed matron explained the process to the group of young women who had rushed over. After the explanation, she ordered someone to take the young women to the Tiyuan Hall for the selection of candidates. Each family's carriage and the maids serving them had to wait outside.
With the selection process about to begin, the messenger was about to turn and leave when she suddenly saw a young girl rushing over.
"Hello, Auntie." The girl hurried down from a dilapidated carriage and approached the old woman with an anxious expression.
The messenger looked her up and down, admiring her rough and simple attire, and asked with a hint of displeasure, "Why is this young lady so late? She almost missed her appointed time."
“I live far away and couldn’t get a fast carriage right away, so I’m late. Please forgive me, Aunt.”
Seeing the young woman's pitiful appearance, yet possessing a charming, delicate beauty, the nanny swallowed her rebuke, thinking she might as well make a good connection. Even though her clothes weren't great, what if she was selected?
"Alright, come in quickly. Stand at the back."
"Thank you, Auntie."
...
A group of beautifully dressed young women gathered together. Among them, Zhen Huan, who wore only light makeup and a simple jade hairpin, stood out for her fresh and elegant appearance, standing out from the crowd.
She stood alone in a corner, her leisurely demeanor suggesting she was merely visiting the palace. Her clear, lake-like eyes swept across the crowd, but suddenly she spotted a familiar face.
"Sister Mei?"
The crabapple blossoms turned from the young girl in the pink qipao, who was bowing her head and smelling the fragrance of the flowers, and looked at Zhen Huan who was approaching. She was first confused, then revealed a hint of surprise, "Huan'er?"
"It's me, Sister Mei. It's been a long time." Zhen Huan walked to Shen Meizhuang's side, and the two shook hands, feeling quite happy to be reunited.
"I heard long ago that my sister was selected, but I just haven't had time to see you."
"Sister, you must have had a long and arduous journey to come here. Now that we've met, it's all been worth the trip."
"Oh, so it was all for my selection."
"That's all for my dear sister."
The two of them got together, and the awkwardness of being apart for many years vanished in the midst of their conversation and laughter. They were so affectionate that it was obvious to onlookers that they had a very good relationship.
"Whose concubine are you? Pouring such scalding hot tea on me, are you trying to die?!"
The two were chatting when a loud rebuke suddenly came from the side, instantly attracting everyone's attention. Shen Meizhuang turned her head and saw a young lady dressed as a jewelry stand arrogantly reprimanding another young lady in front of her.
"In the royal palace, right beside the emperor, who dares to be so arrogant?" Shen Meizhuang tightened her grip on Zhen Huan's hand, clearly disapproving of the situation.
Faced with the woman's arrogance, An Lingrong couldn't help but shrink back and apologize softly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
"I'm asking you, which family are you from?"
"I, my name is An Lingrong, my father, my father is..."
“I am Xia Dongchun, the daughter of a bondservant captain. Isn’t it easy for me to say? Don’t you even know your father’s official rank?”
"I……"
"When did it become your place, a mere palace maid, to ask so many questions?" Just as An Lingrong was at a loss, a dignified female voice suddenly came from outside the crowd.
The young ladies watching the play snapped out of their daze, turned around, and couldn't help but feel uneasy as they heard the nearby eunuchs and maids calling out "Aunt Jianqiu." Xia Dongchun, who had just been furious and aggressive, also changed her expression, not expecting that she had even summoned the head maidservant of the Empress.
"Greetings, Aunt Jianqiu." Xia Dongchun glared at An Lingrong, who had soaked her clothes, then turned and greeted Jianqiu with a smile.
"What, you're not going to ask anymore?" Jianqiu didn't give Xia Dongchun a friendly look. Causing trouble during the selection was tantamount to slapping the Empress in the face. How could she tolerate that?
"Aunt, please forgive me. The selection of emperors is very important. My clothes are wet and I was afraid of offending the emperor and empress. I got angry and we had a few words. Please forgive me."
Jianqiu glanced at Xia Dongchun's clothes, then at the frightened An Lingrong, her expression serious. Seeing that Xia Dongchun had no intention of causing any more trouble, she gently put the clothes away.
"No noise is allowed in front of the palace. This is a one-time exception. Go and change your clothes."
"Thank you, Aunt." Xia Dongchun bowed gratefully to Jianqiu, passed by An Lingrong, and snorted at her again, which made An Lingrong tremble once more.
Seeing this, Jianqiu didn't say much. She didn't have much time to care about the girls' feelings; as long as they didn't cause trouble, that was enough.
"Alright, everyone, disperse. All of you ladies are here for the selection of ladies. Please allow me to remind you one more time not to break the rules."
"yes."
After seeing Jianqiu off, many people in the crowd breathed a sigh of relief, and the atmosphere returned to normal. However, everyone kept their distance from An Lingrong. Xia Dongchun was arrogant, but whether An Lingrong did it intentionally or unintentionally, she almost ruined someone else's future.
"As expected of the head maidservant by the Empress's side, she has an extraordinary demeanor." After watching the farce, Shen Meizhuang couldn't help but sigh.
"I actually think that young lady is a bit pitiful..." Seeing An Lingrong being subtly ostracized by everyone, Zhen Huan felt pity. She couldn't help but feel that Jianqiu was a bit heartless, and Xia Dongchun, who was so domineering, didn't seem to care about An Lingrong's feelings.
Zhen Huan thought about it and was about to go forward to offer some words of comfort, but Shen Meizhuang stopped her. "Huan'er, the palace is very particular about rules. I know you are kind-hearted. But whether that young lady did it intentionally or unintentionally, she did something wrong. Don't get involved in trouble."
Zhen Huan was taken aback, realizing that Shen Meizhuang's words made sense. Just as she was hesitating, she heard a eunuch announce: "Summon An Lingrong, Yi Bingqing, Jiang Rulin, Dai Ying, Liu Lianzi, and Qi Siqin to an audience!"
Alright, now Zhen Huan doesn't need to struggle anymore. An Lingrong has been summoned to the palace for the imperial concubine selection, so naturally, Zhen Huan doesn't need to worry about her anymore.
Watching An Lingrong lower her eyes and follow the procession into the hall, Zhen Huan murmured, "I wonder if she will be selected?"
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