The next morning, after seeing Yinzhen off to the morning court, Yihua pulled Chen Mama aside and asked, "Mama, was there any news from Honghui yesterday?"
After hesitating for a long time, Granny Chen said, "Yes, there are some."
"Which one did he choose? The one with the slim waist or the one with the big breasts?" Yi Hua frowned and continued to ask.
“Your Highness, you’re making such a lecherous statement.” Granny Chen looked up at the doorway, where no one was paying attention. “Yesterday, Prince Honghui went there with His Highness the Fourth Prince.”
"ah?"
"The Fourth Prince took a fancy to a baby-faced palace maid named Mei'er, and Prince Honghui gave her to him on the spot. She is now serving in the Fourth Prince's courtyard."
"What?!"
Yi Hua stood up in surprise. She started to think about it and finally snatched a feather duster from a cleaning maid. She then went to Hong Yan's courtyard in a fierce manner.
Hongyan was naturally in the study at the moment, and she decided to wait there for him to return for lunch.
Of course, this kid won't be sleeping now; she's going to teach him why the flowers are so red!
Yu Ling struggled to suppress her laughter as she stood by. The young prince was completely oblivious to everything, and Prince Hong Hui, not wanting to disappoint the Emperor, conspired with the young prince to ruin the whole thing.
After court, Yinzhen was also curious about this matter. He privately asked Su Peisheng, "Who did Honghui favor yesterday?"
"Your Majesty, the First Prince gave one of the palace maids you bestowed upon him to the Fourth Prince. He then slept with the Fourth Prince for the night and went to the Imperial Study together in the morning."
Yinzhen lowered his head and smiled, saying nothing.
After reading several memorials, Yinzhen suddenly realized something: "Where is the Empress now?"
Su Peisheng lowered his head: "Her Majesty the Empress went to the Fourth Prince's place early this morning in a very aggressive manner, and she hasn't come out yet."
Yinzhen chuckled and shook his head, saying nothing more, and focused on reading the memorials.
At noon, Hongyan happily returned to rest. The story the palace maid had told him yesterday was very interesting, and he wanted to hear more, so he asked his elder brother for it.
As soon as he entered, Hongyan saw Yihua, his eyes lit up, and he ran over to her: "Empress Mother, did you miss Little Wolf too?"
Looking into Hong Yan's puppy-dog eyes, Yi Hua nodded subconsciously: "I did."
“Little Wolf also misses His Majesty the Empress.” Hongyan said with a smile.
"This child has such a sweet tongue," Yi Hua thought to herself, then looked at the feather duster beside her and immediately snapped back to reality.
Yi Hua raised her eyebrows: "Come here, your mother has something to ask you."
"Yesterday you asked your elder brother for a palace maid?" Yi Hua's tone was not good.
Hong Yan was somewhat surprised: "Yes, she's very good at telling stories, and Little Wolf needs her to serve him."
"You dare to ask for anything? That was a gift from your imperial father, you're really being ridiculous." Yi Hua was unreasonable, and the little wolf was too young to talk about matters of love.
“Empress Mother, if my elder brother didn’t want to give it to me, he could always find a reason to refuse. Since he has given it to me, he is prepared to explain to Father Emperor. I just need to accept it,” Hongyan suddenly said, displaying a maturity beyond his years.
Yi Hua looked at him and felt like she was being lectured by a child again: "Little Wolf, do you want to stay at Grandpa's house for a few days?"
"Really?" Hong Yan's eyes lit up. "Little Wolf learned a set of Snowdrift Sword Technique from his master, which is perfect for him to have a go at with Guo Luoma Fa."
"Please be gentle, your grandfather is old and his legs are not good."
"Little Wolf knows, Little Wolf will supervise Guo Luomafa to take his medicine."
Seeing Hongyan speaking so seriously like an adult, Yihua pinched his rosy cheeks: "Alright, tell your new palace maid to keep a low profile and not go out casually. We'll talk about it after this storm passes."
The official selection will be held in a few days. Xiao Lang loves to play and run around, and Yi Hua recently discovered that he has a fondness for pretty older women. Just then, his mother said that his father misses Xiao Lang, so she sent him away for a few days to avoid trouble caused by the selection of the young ladies.
******
Three cannon salutes rang out in the Forbidden City, marking the start of the talent show.
The preliminary selection was unremarkable; everyone wore identical clothes and simple accessories, with the most thoughtfully adding a small flower to their temples, making them look delicate and charming.
When you see a beautiful woman, you can't help but marvel at her natural beauty.
Looking at these five beauties, you'll find that each one has her own unique charm.
Looking at fifty beauties, Yi Hua felt a bit bored. These women were beautiful, but they lacked any special memorable features.
Yi Hua has come to understand those directors who held open casting calls in her past life. Some people are so good that you can tell who it is just by looking at them once, while the rest are just ordinary people.
There were three thousand beauties in the imperial harem. Yi Hua originally thought that three thousand was an exaggeration, but now she thought it might be an understatement.
No wonder emperors rarely live long lives; they just indulge in pleasure day after day, it's no wonder they get sick.
Consort Qi looked at Yi Hua, who was lost in thought and yawning, and sneered inwardly.
When it comes to selecting concubines and bringing new women into the harem, the one who receives the most favor is the Empress. Therefore, she is not in a hurry, as she has not relied on the Empress's favor for a long time now.
Whether the Empress was carefree or genuinely indifferent, she could still be distracted at a time like this.
As Granny Chen had said, those with special marks on the roster were selected for the final selection. Among them, a woman from the Han Banner caught Yi Hua's attention.
There's no other reason than that this Zhangjia is simply too beautiful. The same clothes really make it awkward for whoever looks worse. Some people look like they're wearing a bucket, while others manage to pull off an elegant and graceful look.
She had little facial expression, her serene beauty like that of a celestial being descended to earth. Her simple light-colored pearl earrings accentuated her jade-like complexion.
Not only did Yi Hua regain her senses, but Consort Qi and the others also had a dark expression. For them, who were old and losing their beauty, the entry of such a beautiful woman into the palace was a disaster.
The other young women accompanying her also sized up Zhangjia, occasionally flashing a hint of jealousy.
It's rare to be able to remain calm when you see someone your age who is so beautiful.
The first day of the preliminary selection ended uneventfully. Yi Hua returned to Yikun Palace and suddenly became interested: "Yu Xue, set up my easel."
"What's wrong, Your Highness? Did you come back from watching the ladies-in-waiting all day and want to paint?"
"Did something upset you?"
“That Zhangjia woman is really beautiful; she’s a threat.”
"Alright, stop talking and hurry up and get the paint for Her Majesty the Empress."
During her years in the Qing Dynasty, Yi Hua honed her skills in painting. She was more adept at portraiture than landscapes, perhaps because she had a foundation in sketching in her previous life. Yi Hua's portraits were so lifelike that even Yinzhen praised them highly.
Recalling the elegance of Lady Zhangjia, Yi Hua waved her hand, and in less than half an hour, the portrait appeared on the paper. Yi Hua colored the portrait according to the colors of the clothes worn by the ladies-in-waiting today. Looking at the blank space in the upper right corner, Yi Hua thought for a moment and then wrote two sentences.
"There is a beautiful woman..."
"Who is the beauty?" Yinzhen's voice came from behind.
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