The next day, while Zeng Xiwen was out of the room, Gao Xiyue secretly poured a very fragrant pollen onto Zeng Xiwen's clothes. When Zeng Xiwen returned, she noticed her clothes smelled wonderful. Although suspicious, she still wore them to the physical examination for the imperial concubines…
After Su Lufu and Gao Xiyue sprinkled perfume powder on Zeng Xiwen's clothes, they returned to their respective places, pretending that nothing had happened.
After a while, a palace maid came to inform Gao Xiyue: "Ladies, the matriarch asked me to inform you to gather in the main hall of Chuxiu Palace for the next step of the examination."
Gao Xiyue was already impatient: "Okay, let's go right now."
Zeng Xiwen took out her clothes and couldn't help but sneeze.
"What's going on? Why do my clothes smell so good? This won't do, the head maid will think I have body odor."
Zeng Xiwen wanted to change her clothes, but it was too late. The palace maid urged her on, and she had no choice but to put on her clothes and head to the main hall of Chuxiu Palace.
The young women all gathered at the designated place, and the main hall was packed with people. Although there had been two rounds of selection and two-thirds of the candidates had already left, there were still quite a few remaining, demonstrating the fierce competition.
Gao Xiyue and Su Lufu stood far away from Zeng Xiwen, secretly observing her.
As Gao Xiyue had expected, Zeng Xiwen exuded a strong fragrance. The ladies standing next to her were so overwhelmed by the scent that they covered their noses, and some even sneezed from the stench.
Zeng Xiwen was also overwhelmed by the smell on herself, but she couldn't change her clothes now. She guessed that someone must have deliberately harmed her. She wondered who was so bold as to do this. Zeng Xiwen was both ashamed and angry, and her pretty face turned red.
"If I find out who did it, I'll never forgive her," Zeng Xiwen thought to herself.
Gao Xiyue was secretly delighted to see Zeng Xiwen's embarrassed look.
Several matrons noticed the young women's unusual behavior and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you sneezing? Are you sick?"
The girl who sneezed immediately denied it, saying, "No, no, I'm not sick. I've always been in good health." She didn't want to be eliminated because of someone else's problem; she still wanted to become an empress.
She pointed at Zeng Xiwen and said, "It's all her fault. Why does she smell so good? I couldn't stand the fragrance on her body, that's why I sneezed."
The other contestants chimed in, saying that Zeng Xiwen's fragrance was too strong and unbearable.
Zeng Xiwen glared at the other women, especially the one pointing at her. She had already decided how she would punish her later.
A mischievous smile flashed in Gao Xiyue's eyes as she stood to the side, while Su Lufu winked at Gao Xiyue. The two of them hadn't expected so many people to speak up for them. They were saying that Zeng Xiwen was too arrogant and had offended so many people, and now she was getting her comeuppance.
Gao Xiyue silently hoped that the head maid would not let Zeng Xiwen off this time, and that she would be better off being driven away.
The head maid walked up to Zeng Xiwen, and before she even got close, she smelled a pungent fragrance. She frowned and thought, "Could this young lady have body odor? Otherwise, why would she be wearing such fragrant powder?"
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