Mo Xiang continued, "The other young ladies in this competition—the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Pingyuan, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Yongning, the eldest daughter of General Sun, the eldest daughter of General Huang, and the eldest daughter of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel—are, in my opinion, unfit for the position of principal wife."
Jasmine was completely unaware that the young lady's gaze towards her was growing colder and colder, to the point of looking at a dead person: "Among the remaining candidates, either their family backgrounds are too low, or they are illegitimate daughters. Apart from our third young lady, none of them are worth fearing."
Zhao Xueqi's voice grew even gentler as she patted Moxiang's hand and said, "Very good, thank you for your hard work. Go and rest for a while."
Jasmine didn't know what the young lady meant, but she obeyed the order and returned to her room.
After Zhao Xueqi watched her leave, she clapped her hands. A woman in black leaped down from the roof beam. This was the secret guard legion she had formed since her rebirth. Her code name was Dark Nightingale. "My lord, what are your orders?"
Zhao Xueqi: "Go and interrogate Moxiang thoroughly, but don't make a fuss. Deal with her in a dark room."
Zhao Xueqi: "Tell An Que to find out the real reason why the Third Miss was sent back. Also, have An Yi and An Xiang prepare their identities, follow me openly, and come to the palace with me in the future."
Dark Nightingale replied, "Yes, my lord."
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On the day of the draft.
One after another, mule carts and horse-drawn carriages carrying beautiful women arrived at the imperial city and lined up neatly outside Yuxiang Gate.
Not all women of marriageable age were fortunate enough to be chosen by the Emperor and Empress Dowager; they had to go through layers of selection.
The Dasheng Dynasty talent selection process has nine steps.
The primary condition was social status and family background, which was a very important threshold. Most of the emperor's concubines came from prominent families. Merchant families were not eligible to participate. The girls who participated were generally from respectable families and were between 13 and 17 years old, but this could be relaxed to some extent.
After passing the first test, the young women would travel by carriage to the palace. The order of entry into the palace was also arranged according to their rank, with relatives of the empress and concubines generally given priority.
The second step is to look at the hair requirements, which are black hair and smooth hair, with the hair around the ears as thin as cicada wings.
The third step is to have bright eyes and white teeth. The eyes should be large, and the teeth should be neat and white. There should be no messy or yellow teeth, as this would affect the next imperial heir. This is strictly controlled by eunuchs.
The fourth step was to refine the eyebrows, as the palace placed particular emphasis on eyebrows. The above focused on facial features; the next step was the assessment of the figure.
The fifth step required a slender waist and fair skin. The candidates had to have a slim waist, with a graceful, willow-like figure. Their skin had to be snow-white, which was even more pleasing to the eye, and they also had to have delicate, jade-like fingers. At this stage, the eunuchs would take a ruler and measure the candidates from head to toe, not even missing their fingers. If they were even a fraction too fat or too thin, they would be eliminated.
The sixth step is to check if the young ladies have any body odor. In this step, all their clothes must be removed, and the matrons will conduct a strict inspection of their bodies. If they have any body odor, they will be eliminated.
The seventh step required that all the candidates be virgins, and experienced palace maids could verify this.
The eighth step involves training and assessment. At this stage, the young women undergo training in court etiquette for approximately one month. After the training, they are assessed by a special female official.
The ninth and final step involves the Empress Dowager and the Emperor selecting the final candidates. The women who reach this stage are all exceptional, so the Emperor will choose the one he finds most pleasing. Ultimately, some of the selected women will enter the Emperor's harem, while others will be betrothed to members of the imperial family.
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