Chapter 40 First Encounter at Linfang Pavilion
In the eighth month of the tenth year of Xuanren's reign, a cool breeze was blowing.
The current emperor has been on the throne for ten years, but the harem has always been empty, resulting in a lack of offspring.
Therefore, in accordance with the Empress Dowager's wishes and the advice of the officials, the Emperor selected eligible women to enter the palace in August in order to produce an heir.
It was late summer.
The scorching summer heat lingered in the cool breeze blowing from the north, and the two strings of wind chimes hanging from the corners of the carriage swayed crisply and cheerfully.
Fei Yue lifted the carriage curtain, and a clear halo of light refracted through the window and into the carriage door, landing on Pei Ningjin's embroidered shoes made of silk.
The driver quickly placed a footstool and bent down, saying, "Miss, we've arrived at the palace gate."
Coming to her senses from her chaotic thoughts, Pei Ning remained silent, only looking up outside...
Before me lay layers of glazed red tiles, rows of stationary horse-drawn carriages, and countless radiant smiles.
Despite the bustling atmosphere, there was an underlying loneliness that seemed endless.
Pei Ning suddenly remembered the question Wen Lingzheng had asked her a few days ago.
Even after two days, she probably still has no answer.
As soon as Pei Ning stepped off the carriage, the matron in charge of welcoming the ladies-in-waiting at the palace gate came to greet her.
She smiled gently and explained politely, "The ladies who are to be selected for the palace today are all resting in Linfang Pavilion. Miss Xiao arrived a little earlier and is currently waiting for you there!"
Upon hearing Xiao Shanghua's name, Pei Ning smiled brightly, and the melancholy she had felt while gazing at the deep palace seemed to dissipate somewhat. "Thank you, Granny."
Feiyue then handed over a bulging purse. The welcoming matron smiled and led the two of them, telling them about the good men who had arrived earlier.
Just as the old woman had said, Xiao Shanghua was already waiting by the door in Linfang Pavilion, eagerly anticipating her arrival. As soon as she saw Pei Ning, she ran over to her, exclaiming, "Good Ning! You've finally arrived!"
Looking around, Pei Ning saw that all the other young ladies were looking at them, and she felt a little embarrassed. She quickly pulled Xiao Shanghua inside.
"You're most afraid of the heat, and there's ice and a fan in this room. Why didn't you stay inside? Why did you come out to wait for me?"
Xiao Shanghua, unusually, didn't interrupt Pei Ning. Instead, she took Pei Ning's hand to wipe her sweat and lowered her voice, saying, "Oh dear! It's hard to explain in a few words. Come with me."
Now Pei Ning understood perfectly well.
"You crazy girl, what trick are you up to now? This is Linfang Pavilion..."
"This is still the palace selection!" Xiao Shanghua shrugged, nonchalantly pulling Pei Ning to find a quiet place to sit down. "Don't worry, I'm not stupid, I won't cause trouble for my old man."
Pei Ning clearly didn't quite trust her.
"Back then, I don't know who it was that first time they entered the palace to attend a banquet, and they plucked the Empress Dowager's flowers."
"Oh dear! You've said that a hundred times already. When did you become as long-winded as my older brother?" Xiao Shanghua pouted. "Besides, do you really think I am? ...Fine, I can't argue with you, Miss Pei. Just look to your right."
Pei Ning looked in the direction Xiao Shanghua pointed and saw a graceful and serene figure behind the clusters of blooming seasonal flowers.
"He looks a bit unfamiliar."
Pei Ning frowned, having memorized almost every name of the daughters in the capital, yet none of them seemed familiar.
"Today is the palace selection, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that a hundred beauties have gathered. Don't tell me you just think they're pretty."
Xiao Shanghua was speechless and couldn't help but spit out a "Pah!" "A'Ning! Is that how you see me?"
"When A-Shao came to the capital back then, I don't know who it was, but after only two days of getting to know them, he started going to their residence every day."
While drinking tea, Pei Ning recounted the past with a light smile, "It caused Brother Yun'an to come to the Ningguo Duke's Mansion to arrest people every few days."
Even with Xiao Shanghua's thick skin and eloquence, she couldn't help but stammer at this moment, and quickly changed the subject, "What are you talking about! How can A-Shao be the same as her! What I mean is, that's..."
Xiao Shanghua suddenly stopped speaking, dismissed the servants beside her, and then leaned close to Pei Ning, whispering, "That is the eldest daughter of the current generation of the Minister of Works."
The Dowager Princess's niece?
Pei Ning frowned.
Emperor Taizong was diligent in governing and loved his people. He worked hard from dawn till dusk, and the number of his concubines in the harem could be counted on one hand. Among them, the number of concubines who had children was even smaller.
—Apart from the current Empress Dowager, only Consort Xia gave birth to Prince Liang, Li Heng; and Princess He Ning's birth mother... Consort Wang.
Seeing Pei Ning frown, Xiao Shanghua reached out and poked her. "I heard that since Princess Ning went to Dayue, the Dowager Consort has never stepped out of the Buddhist hall of Changxin Palace."
Xiao Shanghua's subtle words stirred ripples in Pei Ning's heart.
Peace and tranquility, may your family be at peace...
From the beginning of the fourth year of the Xuanren reign, when Princess Hening went to Yue; to the end of the fifth year of the Xuanren reign, war broke out again between the two dynasties...
The Marquis of Dingbei's residence was always implicated.
Now, with the Great Zhou Dynasty in power and the imperial army pressing in, Dayue not only lost Wucheng, but was also forced to return the three cities it had previously plundered, and even offered huge compensation.
From the day Pei Lin returned in triumph, everyone probably knows what kind of life Princess Ning would lead in a foreign land.
Peace and tranquility? What kind of peace and tranquility is this?
Pei Ning's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and a vague unease spread through her.
She heard Xiao Shanghua say in a low voice, "I heard that this Miss Wang, like us, was chosen a long time ago."
What's meant to happen will happen eventually.
With a soft sigh, Pei Ning pulled Xiao Shanghua towards the inner room. "I understand what you mean, but some things... you can't avoid them."
Flowers are in full bloom, and their fragrance is intoxicating.
Behind the brocade, Wang Juanru suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze following the peony her fingertips had touched, looking into the distance.
—That was the direction Pei Ning and Xiao Shanghua had gone.
She smiled lazily, a slight upturn at the corners of her lips: "Liqiu, are these the two 'noble ladies from the capital' that my aunt told me to be careful of?"
The maid standing beside her stepped forward in response, wiping Wang Juanru's fingertips with a handkerchief as she said, "That's right, those are the two young ladies from the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion and the Duke of Jing's mansion."
“The Marquis of Dingbei’s residence…The Duke of Jing’s residence…One military…One civil…” Wang Juanru snatched the handkerchief from Liqiu’s hand.
She wiped the tiny specks of dirt from her fingertips, chuckled, and retorted, "How funny. So, you guys have moments of fear too?"
Upon hearing this, Li Qiu did not change her expression. She simply raised her eyes and looked directly at Wang Juanru, her voice calm: "Whether I am afraid or not, I do not know. I only know to do what I should do, as a princess and as a young lady."
After gazing at the Beginning of Autumn for a moment, Wang Juanru couldn't help but chuckle softly.
She shoved the handkerchief back into Liqiu's hand, glanced around at the walls surrounding Linfang Pavilion, and asked with a cold laugh, "Liqiu, do you think my sister will hate me?"
Liqiu: "Miss, Madam and the eldest young master are still at the manor..."
Hidden behind the nonchalant tone of Li Qiu's words was an obvious threat.
Wang Juanru instantly composed herself. She paused, her playful expression vanishing, and looked coldly at Liqiu. "Go back and tell Minister Wang that he will get whatever he wants, but don't forget his promise."
When Pei Lin returned to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence, it was already getting dark.
The results of the selection process within the forbidden palace were announced to the palace eunuchs well in advance.
"Now there is a lady of the Pei family, who is respectful, gentle, dignified, and intelligent. She comes from a family of scholars and officials, and is therefore appointed as a Jieyu of the third rank. It is hoped that she will go and assume your position, abide by the palace rules, and fulfill the duties of a concubine."
The eunuch who came to deliver the imperial decree left the mansion with an extremely generous reward, his steps almost unsteady.
The sound of firecrackers in front of the Marquis of Dingbei's mansion lasted for the time it takes to burn an incense stick before finally stopping.
Passersby would occasionally remark, "With an imperial concubine emerging from the family, the Marquis of Dingbei must be overjoyed!"
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Author's Note: I'm truly sorry. I work in the film and television industry, and since graduating in 2024, I've basically been working overtime every day. Writing is simply too difficult to support myself, but I will still continue as a hobby and will definitely not abandon this project. Thank you to all my darlings who have been waiting!
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