Qingyin stood outside waiting for the two to arrive. Before long, Lin Mengya and Lin Heyu came out with flushed faces. Although they were somewhat shocked to learn that Qingyin was waiting for them, it did not stop them from following her.
The three then waited for the eunuch's announcement, and unsurprisingly, all three were selected.
The three women clearly came together, and one of them was unusually close to Qingyin. The young ladies who wanted to befriend Qingyin couldn't find an opportunity. Meanwhile, the young ladies who had passed the selection process were all assigned to the Chuxiu Palace to learn etiquette and wait for the second selection.
Because of their relationship, the three were naturally arranged to share a room, and each of them was assigned a maid by the Imperial Household Department to serve them. They were Yunlan, Qiurui, and Zhimeng. Normally, the maids should have been assigned to Lin Mengya, the legitimate daughter, but because of Qingyin's presence, she deliberately left the assignment to Qingyin.
Looking at the expectant eyes of the three palace maids, Qingyin felt somewhat helpless. She casually assigned them to the two closest to her based on their distance from the palace. Yunlan followed Lin Mengya, Qiurui followed Lin Heyu, and the rest followed her.
The arbitrary allocation method was immediately apparent, causing the two palace maids who were assigned to look on with envy at Zhimeng, who was lucky enough to be assigned to the palace.
As her name suggests, Zhi Mengren was a refined-looking young girl. However, her uncontrollable silly laughter, which she had been assigned to stand next to Qing Yin, clearly ruined her refined appearance. Zeng Li secretly glanced at her with disdain and stopped staring at her.
Qingyin didn't care about their inner thoughts. After spending so much time in the carriage, the rare feeling of being on solid ground made her lazily sit on the wooden chair in the room. If she weren't still bothered by not having washed up, Qingyin would have already collapsed onto the big bed.
Meanwhile, Xu Yili, who was returning home, secretly made preparations and asked his mother for help.
Xu Yili's mother was named Guo Luoluo Minglan. She was originally a bondservant of the Plain Yellow Banner and later became a Manchu of the Bordered Yellow Banner. She was the daughter of Zuo Ling San Guanbao. She was also the younger sister of Consort Yi, the mother of the current Fifth Prince and Ninth Prince. Her (fabricated) status was undoubtedly noble.
"Mother~, your son misses you so much while he's away. Look, this is a gold-inlaid jade crane necklace that I specially brought from Baoyu Tower. Isn't it beautiful? Your son thought at first glance that it would be perfect for my beautiful mother!"
Madam Xu, Guo Luoluo, raised an eyebrow. Her son had always been unruly and sometimes so obnoxious that even she couldn't stand it. This sudden offer of kindness must have some ulterior motive; he must want something from her. That was what she thought, but who doesn't like being flattered? Madam Xu looked at her strong and healthy eldest son with a smile, her eyes full of pride.
"Alright, you're so good at sweet-talking me. Okay, what is it?"
"Hehe, I knew I couldn't hide anything from Mother. Mother, I have someone I like." Xu Yili said shyly. As a general who had fought on the battlefield, he believed that good things must be obtained quickly and decisively, and his wife must be no exception. Besides, his little wife was so beautiful that she must have attracted many suitors. He had to act quickly. He thought to himself, but when he talked about his sweetheart in front of his mother, his dark face still blushed unconsciously.
Madam Xu was shocked. She stood there in the distance, and after the shock, she was overjoyed. Heaven knows how long she had been looking for a daughter-in-law. This brat had always looked down on this and that, and would run away at the mere mention of blind dates. But now he had actually fallen for her. Hahaha, heaven has eyes! Let's see how arrogant this brat can be now!
Madam Xu's teasing gaze was so intense that even Xu Yili, who was thinking of his beloved, felt more agitated under her gaze.
"Mother!"
"Didn't someone say before that women were just tools that hindered his war efforts? Why aren't they saying that now?"
“She’s not,” Xu Yili retorted, his face flushed, no longer daring to look his mother in the eye.
Having seen enough of her son's miserable state, Madam Xu, feeling satisfied, said, "Tell me which family's daughter is the candidate for the imperial concubine examination. I'll ask Consort Yi to help introduce her to the Emperor."
"No," Xu Yili instinctively retorted without thinking, then softened his tone and explained as he looked at the surprise in his mother's eyes.
“Mother, the woman I’ve chosen is Lin Qinrou, the second daughter of the magistrate of Anqing County. She’s different from other women; she’s just too beautiful. I hope my aunt (Consort Yi) can help me secretly reject her so I can go and propose marriage.” Xu Yili looked at Madam Xu pleadingly, his eyes full of sincerity and love.
"Isn't this status too low? I won't even mention the status, since I'm not someone who cares that much about status. But Li'er, wouldn't it be better to let Miss Lin walk the runway and have the Emperor bestow this title upon you? Wouldn't that be a better reputation?" After much commotion, Madam Xu managed to sort out her thoughts and said.
Xu Yili didn't speak, stubbornly looking at his mother.
"Is she really that beautiful, even more beautiful than your aunt?" Madam Xu understood the truth in her son's words, but believing it rationally and believing it in reality are two different things. She simply couldn't imagine how stunningly beautiful the woman who was betrothed could be.
"In my son's opinion, Qinrou is far superior to his aunt, and there is no lady in the palace who is more beautiful than Qinrou."
Xu Yili's words were so sincere that Madam Xu also became curious about this Miss Lin. However, this curiosity was also accompanied by worry about her beauty. If she was so beautiful, she was afraid that it would cause some trouble. Madam Xu thought worriedly. After thinking for a while, she looked at her son's pleading eyes and her heart softened.
Forget it, her son didn't ask her for anything. She just couldn't believe that her son, at such a young age, could snag a fourth-rank General of Guide, and that the Lin family couldn't protect a daughter-in-law who was practically a done deal. Madam Xu subconsciously didn't consider whether Qingyin would reject their marriage proposal, after all, her son was a well-known eligible bachelor in the capital.
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