Chapter 26 Rookie Draft
Shen Mingyue had been feeling very tired lately. She was mentally exhausted and wanted to sleep, but her body was constantly experiencing various discomforts.
His chest became more sensitive and strange, his lower abdomen began to bloat, and although he had taken off his original corset, his palace clothes were still too tight. The Imperial Clothing Bureau was working overnight to make clothes of various sizes for him.
What I used to enjoy, such incense and food, gradually became an inducement to nausea.
Every little thing in life turned into a miniature torment, bringing endless suffering to Shen Mingyue.
This was his and his cousin's bloodline, the heir of the Great Xin Dynasty. Only by constantly repeating this thought could he add some sweetness and glory to his suffering.
When the Imperial Household Department presented the imperial edict promoting Gan Xiaoshi, he didn't have the energy to pay much attention. The slight displeasure in his heart was quickly overshadowed by his physical discomfort. He impatiently stamped the Empress's seal and then ignored it.
Compared to his mere promotion as a lowly servant, he was more worried about the upcoming talent show.
Yes, after more than half a year of tug-of-war in the court, the emperor agreed to the selection of consorts:
Male officials of the fifth rank or above who are of marriageable age and unmarried may apply to participate in the selection.
This is the first imperial concubine selection in the three years since His Majesty ascended the throne. Not only does the Empress attach great importance to it, but all ministers in their families and clans who have eligible men are also eagerly anticipating it.
The emperor is now in his prime, and the harem is empty. For ministers and unmarried men, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Within a few days, the Ministry of Rites was piled high with the birth charts of young men from official families. A month later, the regional officials of Daxin also sent people to send out the handsome young men of their clans.
Even though they had tried their best to narrow down the scope of this talent show, the number of male contestants was still extremely large, making the entire capital city several times more chaotic.
Even the young men from prominent families who used to stay secluded in their chambers have gained some fame.
Although the general public has never seen these men from noble families, their reputations, such as "the most handsome man in Jiang County," "a model of male virtue," "a virtuous man of the Wen family," and "born with a lucky fate to bring good fortune to his wife," are well-known.
Besides seeking fame, the male contestants are also busy making other preparations for the audition.
Virtue, appearance, words, and skills are all things that cannot be seen in a short time, and male skills cannot be mastered in a day or two. They all focus on their appearance.
Women have always loved beauty, and if they wanted to become His Majesty's concubines, they had to be outstanding in appearance and demeanor.
In an instant, the brocades of the Silkworm County, the jewelry of the Heavenly Craft Pavilion, the rouge and face powder of the Gentlemen's Workshop, and the maids from the palace all became highly sought-after commodities.
The young men not only tried their best to enhance their good looks, but also diligently studied palace etiquette in order to make a good impression on His Majesty.
They no longer parted with hair ornaments, waist sashes, and step belts, all vying to become graceful and elegant gentlemen.
As the audition date drew closer, the atmosphere in Kyoto grew increasingly tense. The male contestants, who had been busy with promotion, beauty filters, and etiquette training, all quietly went into hiding.
While the outside world was bustling with activity, the inside of the palace was also extremely busy.
As the Empress, it was Shen Mingyue's duty to select outstanding noblemen for His Majesty.
He originally intended to oversee the entire process, but the pregnancy symptoms were too much to bear, and his already poor health led to him falling ill from exhaustion. Si Ze persuaded him to stop.
The Empress Dowager, feeling sorry for her nephew, returned to the scene and urged the Grand Chamberlain and the Sixth Chamberlain to complete all the preliminary work for the talent show. All that was needed was for Shen Mingyue to appear during the final selection.
Time flies, and the day of the talent show is fast approaching.
The men to be selected were first verified by the Ministry of Rites, and then examined one by one by the ladies of the Imperial Household Department to confirm that they were all healthy virgins before they were brought into the Chuxiu Palace to await the next round of selection.
In the first round, appearance is not a factor, and most men can pass. Those who are not selected will lose their reputation and bring shame upon their clan, making it impossible for any of their sons to marry into the family. Their lives will be completely ruined.
Most of the candidates successfully entered the second round, and the entire Chuxiu Palace was packed to the brim.
Even though the young men only occupied Chuxiu Palace, Gancao still felt that the entire harem had become noisy.
The palace servants of Liu Shang were in a hurry. Sun Momo, who used to come and take care of him regularly, was so busy that she barely had time to breathe. The servants who brought him hot water were also more timely.
Although Anle Palace and Chuxiu Palace were far apart, he vaguely saw that they were filled with noble men.
"Master, the young ladies have all gone to Chuxiu Palace to see the newlyweds. Do you want to go?" Maogen asked tentatively.
A newbie, huh...
He also wanted to go and see the men who would serve His Majesty alongside him in the future.
See how beautiful and outstanding they are, and whether they are as rumored.
However, they are all from prestigious families. Although they are newcomers now, once selected, their rank will probably be higher than his.
When he goes past, the young men must bow to him; when they meet again, he must bow to the newlyweds.
How embarrassing.
He shouldn't go in order to avoid attracting the attention of those in higher positions in the future.
However, he couldn't calm his mind while practicing calligraphy. He sighed, put down his brush, washed his hands, and said, "I'm not going. I haven't done my exercise and maintenance for today."
The two young palace servants breathed a sigh of relief and quickly closed the door and made the bed so that their master could exercise.
After shedding their palace attire, they focused entirely on physical training, forgetting all the hustle and bustle of Chuxiu Palace.
Time passed little by little, and fatigue accumulated little by little. This weariness and pain would sculpt his physique into something even more perfect, which His Majesty would like even more.
Just thinking about this calmed his anxious heart.
Since his background and experience were inferior to those of noblemen, he could only rely on this one advantage.
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