"Long live the Imperial Noble Consort..."
The young women chorused.
Bian Lingru's face lit up with satisfaction. She sat down with a flick of her sleeve, her demeanor radiant. Her bright red dress was embroidered with peonies, making her exceptionally beautiful.
She is the daughter of a military family, and even though she is no longer young, her fierce and powerful aura has not diminished in the slightest.
He sat there, his neck slightly raised.
With an arrogant gaze, he coldly looked down at everyone, exuding an invisible, arrogance and oppressive force.
"Get up, everyone."
After speaking, he withdrew his gaze.
When she looked at the emperor, her face had changed to a delicate expression, and her voice was as melodious as a nightingale's song.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for being late."
The emperor, a faint smile playing on his lips, lazily gazed at her.
"The Imperial Concubine arrived at just the right time, neither too early nor too late."
Empress Ru smiled charmingly and lowered her head shyly.
"Your beauty makes this humble hall shine, making everything else pale in comparison."
"With His Majesty seeing you, how can he still be in the mood for the imperial concubine selection?"
The Empress smiled and joked, but a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.
"Sister is joking. I'm already this old, how can I compare to these young ladies-in-waiting?"
“It’s different. In my eyes, the Imperial Consort is someone no one else can compare to.”
The Prince of Yuan stared intently at her.
Upon hearing this, Consort Ru smiled even more shyly.
She lightly brushed Yuan Wang's arm with her handkerchief, a gesture that seemed to carry a hint of flirtation.
"Oh, Your Majesty, you should take a look at this year's imperial concubines. If you see too many, you might forget to tease me."
The Empress saw this scene and her eyes dimmed even more. She forced a smile and said, "Since everyone is here, let's begin."
"Xia Ranxue requests an audience."
As the eunuch shouted, Xia Ranxue was the first to walk toward the emperor.
After bowing through the beaded curtain, she began her talent show.
Poetry recitation.
"..."
Her voice was melodious and pleasant, her demeanor was dignified and graceful, and her bearing was elegant.
However, her attire was too plain, and her performance was rather dull and uninteresting.
The Empress instinctively looked at the Emperor beside her, observing his reaction.
Seeing that His Majesty remained expressionless and listened to her recite the poem in a cold and indifferent manner, she noticed that His Majesty had no expression at all.
Even the Empress Ru couldn't help but laugh.
Is this the quality of the contestants in this year's imperial examination?
None of the items listed first could attract the emperor's interest.
The ones that follow must be even worse.
Aside from Qianzhong... Qianzhong was personally taught by her, and she's sure to win the Emperor's favor!
The emperor lazily lowered his deep, weathered eyes, each fine line at the corner of his eyes hinting at unfathomable scheming. He didn't even bother to change his posture, resting his cheek on his hand.
He glanced at Xu Ninghai.
Next one.
Mi Shan knew that Xia Ranxue didn't want to be selected, so she deliberately didn't show herself and hid her strength.
Otherwise, given her mastery of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, as well as her singing and martial arts skills, how could she possibly only recite one poem?
Feng Qianzhong was quite surprised to see her come down, staring at her in astonishment until his name was called.
Her performance was a dance.
Accompanied by a musician on the side.
Dressed in a bright red gown, she moved gracefully, her movements as elegant as a dragon in flight.
The Emperor was delighted and nodded in satisfaction.
He immediately clapped his hands and laughed, rewarding the recipient with the word "Stay"!
He was granted the title of "Talented Person"!
It symbolizes someone who is both talented and beautiful!
Feng Qianzhong happily accepted the plaque, thanked the emperor, and then went to the side amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the other young ladies.
So quickly, a candidate for the imperial concubine selection has emerged directly.
And he was immediately demoted to the rank of "Talented Lady" upon his arrival!
Although they knew she was a pre-selected candidate through connections, the other daughters of officials were still filled with unease and felt immense pressure.
The emperor glanced at Bian Lingru and smiled with satisfaction.
"Ru'er, does her dance look familiar?"
“Of course I remember. This dance was the one I performed for Your Majesty in your residence when we first met.”
"I never imagined that after so many years, I could still feel the same way I did back then. My beloved consort, you've gone to so much trouble."
"I would do anything to please Your Majesty."
By doing this, the Empress not only made the Emperor think she was magnanimous, but also showed her some sentimentality in front of him.
While the emperor had Feng Qianzhong in his eyes, he would not forget her, his former favorite concubine.
Bian Lingru subtly curled her lips into a smile, a hint of ambition flashing in her eyes.
really,
With the weapon Feng Qianzhong,
Everything will be different!
The Empress watched as the Emperor and Consort Ru conversed, exchanging words.
But he couldn't get a word in edgewise.
His expression became even more unpleasant, and he forced himself to keep the smile from disappearing and losing face.
"Next up, Qin Miaomiao."
"It's finally my turn!"
Qin Miaomiao was already ready to make her mark.
He went up and immediately started singing a song.
"In the north there is a beautiful woman, peerless and independent."
"One glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation."
"How can one not know the power of beauty to topple cities and kingdoms? Such a beauty is hard to find again."
She thought she sang perfectly, and her beautiful voice echoed throughout the entire hall.
But those in the high hall remained silent.
The emperor remained languidly leaning on the dragon throne, his face blurred and indistinct, his eyes half-closed as if he were about to fall asleep.
The Empress's eyes remained calm.
Only the Empress Dowager let out a soft sneer.
That laughter was disdainful and contemptuous.
It seems that her singing is completely mediocre and not up to standard.
Qin Miaomiao didn't understand, and she bit her lip, suppressing her anger.
Why?
She clearly sings this song very well; everyone who has heard it says it's perfect.
Where exactly did she go wrong?
"Her singing voice is quite good, but unfortunately, all she can do is shout; it's not very pleasant to listen to. Speaking of true beauties from the North, we must mention Sister Yu."
Empress Ru spoke languidly and slowly, raising her hand to cover her face with a round fan and yawning.
"It would be much more suitable for Consort Yu to sing this song,"
Empress Rouci nodded slowly, her eyes showing approval. "These lyrics and this melody seem to have been composed just for her."
Qin Miaomiao raised an eyebrow, her resentful jealousy almost burning her up. She clutched her skirt tightly, her eyes red, and went back to the queue.
Consort Yu!
She's nobody!
Sooner or later, she'll make Consort Yu kneel before her and call her "Your Majesty"!
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