Chapter 1880 The Grand Finale
Twenty days later, as the imperial procession approached the capital, the officials who had remained behind rushed over, bringing their wives with them, and knelt on either side of the city gate.
Two imperial carriages entered the city gate one after the other. The officials knelt down to pay their respects. Qingyan sat beside Yinzhen, feeling the warmth that was different from when he left.
"Fourth Brother, we're back!" Qingyan exclaimed with great emotion.
When she went to the Northeast, she was the Fourth Prince's wife; when she returned, she became the Empress.
"A lot of emotions?" Yinzhen had grown up with Qingyan, and the two knew each other very well.
“Of course, Fourth Prince, when you go you will be the Fourth Prince, but when you come back you will be the Emperor.” Qingyan leaned on Yinzhen’s shoulder and said directly.
The carriage entered the Yuanmingyuan Garden, the gates closed, drawing everyone's attention. Qingyan returned to the courtyard, personally carrying Hafeng and the twins behind them, and together they entered the main hall.
"Yiken'e, Hutulifengshengzhalafen, you two need to get some rest, understand?" Yinzhen looked at the head nanny and told her to take the two children to the side hall first.
Qingyan placed the drowsy Hafeng in the crib and let him fall asleep first.
After she stood up, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, then quickly turned and walked out.
Inside the main hall, Yinzhen sat in a chair, flipping through the newly arrived memorials, which recorded the details of the candidates for the imperial concubine selection. The first page listed two candidates from the Jue Luo clan.
"Is our son asleep?" Yinzhen asked as Qingyan came out, raising his left hand to pull her over to sit down.
Qingyan nodded: "I just rested well, but what are these?"
She had just sat down next to him when he reached out and handed her a folded book. After she opened it, she saw that it contained detailed information.
By March, the young women from other regions had arrived and were all staying in inns in the capital. Qingyan already had quite a few lists, mostly from those from other regions.
Some of the officials had asked their families to take care of them, and in less than a month, the selected ladies-in-waiting would be entering the palace.
"Fourth Prince, where are we holding the selection? Is it inside the palace or in the garden?" Qingyan asked curiously.
“Choose from within the garden,” Yinzhen said, picking up a pen and circling several names on the memorial.
These names all represent noble ladies from prominent families, whose families all hope that these ladies will enter the palace. Yinzhen took out a sheet of Xuan paper and even wrote down the private actions of these families on it.
After the Dragon Raises Its Head ceremony, the Imperial Household Department officially began preparing for the imperial concubine selection. Qingyan was very busy every day, and even Hafeng rarely saw his mother.
At lunchtime, Qingyan was finally able to return to the palace and saw Yinzhen holding Hafeng, sitting at the table. The twins had been hungry for a long time.
Su Zhu had notified them in advance that Qing Yan had already prepared for the talent show and could come back for lunch.
"Mother...you haven't come back for lunch in so long," the group said directly.
It was a rare occasion for the family to have a meal together. After lunch, Yinzhen and Qingyan coaxed the three children to sleep before going to the study.
"Little Darling, how are the preparations for the talent show going?" Yinzhen asked.
"Everything is ready, Fourth Prince. According to Father Emperor's wishes, all those young ladies will be betrothed to the princes below." Qingyan asked curiously.
Yinzhen nodded: "My younger brothers are all unmarried, so of course I have to be extra anxious."
Inside Changchun Garden, Emperor Kangxi received the list of betrothal partners personally written by Yinzhen, and almost all of his princes were listed.
"My little darling, I need to thank you tomorrow," Yinzhen said, patting Qingyan.
The next morning, after breakfast, Qingyan, dressed in a royal blue empress's everyday robe and wearing a phoenix hairpin, walked directly into Wanfang Anhe with Suzhu by her side.
Inside the courtyard, the young women had already lined up in rows of six according to their assigned flags.
After Qingyan was seated, the Empress Dowager and Consort Tong arrived. Qingyan rose to greet them. The young ladies-in-waiting were naturally pleased to see the three highest-ranking women in the palace appear. They all wore light green palace dresses and prepared to present their best selves.
As the sun set, Qingyan, her back aching, rose to see off the Empress Dowager and Consort Tong.
"My dear, take a few days to rest. The imperial concubine selection is quite tiring," the Empress Dowager comforted Qingyan.
During the New Year, the Empress Dowager's health deteriorated. As spring arrived, she gradually recovered under the care of the imperial physicians. The young women selected for the imperial concubine selection were all preparing to go home or stay at inns to await the imperial decree.
Three days later, with the issuance of the imperial edict, many of the young women began to read it. When everyone learned of it, their schemes had all failed.
Qingyan heard many complaints from the officials' wives and smiled.
From today onwards, the first round of the imperial concubine selection has concluded, and the young women have begun preparing their dowries. In accordance with the timeframe stipulated by Yinzhen, they have married the princes.
In the third year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, the Empress Dowager's health deteriorated further. As her children grew up, Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen often stayed by her side. The Empress Dowager arranged for Narentuya to go to Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen's side, intending for her to become a governess after Hutuli Fengsheng Zhalafen got married.
Kangxi had already selected a son-in-law for Hutulifengsheng Zhalafen and sent him to Yiken'e's side as a study companion. It was Zhangjia Agui. After careful consideration, Kangxi and Yinzhen decided to make Agui the son-in-law.
Previously, many people hoped to become the son-in-law of the legitimate daughter, and the few people selected earlier were repeatedly eliminated.
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