One after another, almost everyone arrived, and suddenly a bell sounded. The girls all sat up straight. Yao Niang looked towards the door and saw several concubines coming in from the inner room.

I heard the eunuchs singing: "The Empress, the Royal Concubine, and the Jing Concubine have arrived."

Everyone's heart sank. Yao Niang raised her eyes slightly and saw the concubines walking in. The one wearing a bright yellow phoenix robe should be the empress. This empress had no children and was already fat. Yao Niang had heard that although the empress had no children, she had a bad temper and had beaten several palace maids.

Slightly behind her was a beautiful middle-aged woman with bright eyes, long hair and a pearl on her forehead that looked dizzy. It was obvious that she was the emperor's favorite concubine, Consort Liao.

The young concubine who followed behind glanced over with a slight sense of oppression, but also a bit of arrogance. This person was Princess Zhaoping's biological mother, Concubine Jing.

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Empress, Her Majesty the Noble Consort, and Her Majesty the Quiet Consort. May Her Majesty live a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand years."

Yao Niang followed the crowd and performed the ceremony as usual.

The queen raised her hand and said, "Stand up, Miss Song, and read the message."

The female official Song stepped out and first talked about the rules of the examination room. If there are cheaters, they will be expelled directly. There are also three dictation tests today: "Chen Qing Biao", "Chu Shi Biao" and "Ji Shi Lang Wen". These three articles are very classic articles. There is a saying that those who do not cry when reading "Chu Shi Biao" are disloyal, those who do not cry when reading "Chen Qing Biao" are unfilial, and those who do not cry when reading "Ji Shi Lang Wen" are unkind.

They had heard from Luo Shilan that when they took the exam that year, they also had to write down three passages from memory, Sima Qian's "Letter to Ren An", Su Xun's "On the Six Kingdoms", and Song Lian's "Preface to Farewell to Ma Sheng of Dongyang".

Therefore, Yao Niang memorized almost every article in the anthology sold in the bookstore and actually used them.

Yao Niang thought for a moment and then started writing. She practiced the Feibai style. In her previous life, she had never practiced calligraphy and her handwriting was very average. Since she hired Mr. Shen last year, she has been studying hard almost every day, and finally her handwriting has become quite good.

She would first write it on a piece of rough paper and then rewrite it. Yao Niang would not allow herself to make any mistakes.

While she was transcribing, one girl's desk was blank. This was easy to understand, as not every family would hire a teacher to teach their daughters. It was good enough for them to recognize a few words. But despite this, Yao Niang knew that many of them wanted to show off their abilities.

There are also many who are good at writing poetry and painting.

After finishing the three dictation passages, there are ten sheets of large characters, five sheets of small characters, and two sheets of explanations.

Yao Niang looked at the explanation and nodded slightly. This was not difficult. Most of them came from the Book of Songs and the Analects of Confucius. Mr. Shen was just lecturing on the Four Books, and the Book of Songs was something they would recite silently during the morning classes.

Miss Ni next to her was in a dilemma. In fact, she had only been in school for only a year and was still learning "Three", "Hundred" and "Thousand". These were all things she had never learned before. So she wanted to steal a glance at Yao Niang, but Yao Niang was writing quickly and she had no time to pay attention to her.

As for Shi Yu, she also found it a little difficult. Her brother came back to teach her, but she was sick for a few days, so she couldn't keep up when Mr. Shen was explaining the later part of "The Analects".

This interpretation was probably only average, and Shigure was very worried.

She was more worried than Yao Niang. She had the expectations of her aunt and brother on her back. Unlike Yao Niang, even if she was chosen, it would be great, but if she was not chosen, she would still be at home.

But Yao Niang has long changed her mind. She must be chosen and work hard to become the support of her mother and brother. This way, her position will be more stable. If her position is more stable, the people below will be obedient, and she can take better care of Jinghao.

I will even be able to take care of my mother and younger brother in the future.

There was ice only for a few concubines in the palace. Yao Niang and others continued to write even though they were sweating profusely. She was even very careful. After writing each sheet, she put it in an envelope after it was dry. She was determined not to give anyone any chance to destroy her paper.

Sure enough, a girl in the first few rows stood up to hand in her paper, but she "accidentally" knocked over the inkstone of the person behind her, causing the girl behind her to cry in class. But there was nothing she could do about it, because there couldn't be any ink stains on the paper.

Yao Niang looked at the time and saw that half of the candidates had already handed in their papers. She checked them carefully one last time and stood up to hand them to the examiner, Concubine Liao Guifei's female official.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she walked out of Hanguang Palace.

Not far away, Yao Niang saw Luo Jingxi waiting, and her heart felt warm at this moment. No matter what, it felt good to see her relatives at this time.

"Big brother." Yao Niang shouted.

Luo Jingxi smiled and said, "How is it? Are you tired? There are some snacks in the carriage. You can get on and have a rest first. Oh, by the way, how did you do in the exam?"

Yao Niang said, "I have done almost everything I can do, and it depends on whether I can pass it."

Luo Jingxi would not care about the younger sisters on weekdays, but if the younger sisters have a future, he can't just sit there and watch. Yao Niang may not be unaware of this truth. When you have a position, all the people around you are enthusiastic.

She took a sip of tea in the carriage and closed her eyes to rest.

After a while, Shi Yu got on the carriage. Seeing that she looked unhappy, Yao Niang did not ask any more questions.

The results of the re-election came out very quickly, and Yao Niang actually ranked in the top three, which even Luo Zhizheng had never expected. Why do I say this? The higher your ranking, the better the person you are assigned to.

It’s just like a talent show. The higher your ranking, the higher your position. That’s the principle.

Shi Yu was ranked outside the top ten. This ranking was actually quite good, but Shi Yu was not satisfied. She cried to Aunt Qin, "If only I hadn't been sick those days, it would have been great."

Aunt Qin held her daughter's shoulders and said, "Good girl, don't panic. There is still the final selection. As long as you make the final selection, everything will be fine."

Mrs. Yu was very happy for her daughter: "The third place is the safest. Even if she doesn't choose to go to Princess Zhaoping, she can go to a certain county lady, which is also a good thing."

"That's what my daughter thinks." Yao Niang poked her brother's forehead again: "Mother told me that you have been very well behaved recently, so I am relieved. You, if I am at home, we will honor you together. If I am not at home, you must listen to mother's words."

Jinghao nodded: "I know, sister. When will you play with me again?"

"Little fool, you can't always think about playing. After you finish your studies and homework, you can play shuttlecock and jump rope and let the servants play with you. When you grow up a little, you can learn riding and shooting. In the future, if you become the top scholar one day, you will also ride a horse and parade in the streets." Yao Niang hugged her brother and kissed him suddenly.

Jinghao was still shy, and after a while he pulled Yao Niang's clothes again, and Yao Niang held Jinghao's hand.

Seeing that the two siblings were very friendly, Yu also hugged them in her arms.

"Mom, why can't I see Dad?" Yao Niang asked.

Yu's eyes flashed.

The news of Yao Niang's third child spread throughout the mansion. Old Madam Dou was also very happy for her and sent her a pair of red lotus bracelets. She also sent her a few plates of fresh fruits.

Young Jiang flattered Old Lady Dou, saying, "The Third Auntie said that everyone should be patient. If we are not selected, we will be laughed at."

"Your third aunt is just too cautious." Old Lady Dou shook her head.

Little Jiang smiled and said, "Third Auntie is so prudent. We are not afraid of being laughed at. Even if we can be ranked third, it is a good thing."

When the whole family is happy, there are of course some disharmonious people. Ren is one of them. Now that she and her daughter-in-law Zhou are no longer in charge of the household, she is no longer favored by Grandma Dou. Except for big occasions when she is allowed to go out, she can only stay at home.

She herself didn't care, but her daughter Shi Fang was sent back because she couldn't learn the rules, and now she heard that someone from the eldest house was likely to be chosen, she was so angry that her heart ached.

Zhou was different from her. Her husband was quite ambitious and she had a son to urge on, so she turned a deaf ear to what was happening outside.

It was very helpless to hear the upper room scolding chickens and dogs. The mother-in-law just wanted to fight for everything. Look at the third girl in their eldest room, she schemed in every way, but was still rejected because of the incompatibility of zodiac signs. She was still shy and went to her grandparents' house.

In life, many things are 70% human, 30% talent is important, but luck also accounts for the majority.

Yao Niang also thought so. Whether she could be selected would ultimately depend on her background and the preferences of her superiors. There were too many uncertain factors.

In the final round of selection, Luo Zhizheng personally escorted the two ladies to the palace. He did not say any words of encouragement, and was even a little impatient: "Just say a few words and come back."

Yao Niang, who was originally very nervous, immediately became less nervous after hearing what her father said. Everything I have is already here. If the emperor really doesn't choose me, then there is nothing I can do.

Shi Yu felt that her father didn't pay enough attention to them, and she didn't care.

"Dad, let's go in. You can rest here for a while." Yao Niang said to Luo Zhizheng with a smile.

Luo Zhizheng nodded slightly, still paying no attention to everyone else as before, but somehow Yao Niang turned back halfway through her walk and found that her father had actually been staring at them. She felt that her father was really weird.

He clearly cares about them.

Luo Zhizheng didn't notice Yao Niang turning around, and felt a little uncomfortable for a moment.

Compared to the re-election, the number of people in the final election was even smaller, about thirty people, including Xu Qingrong, Cheng Shaojian and others, and they were arranged according to their ranking.

There were eunuchs here to teach them etiquette. Yao Niang and the others learned it several times and waited here, but they did not dare to talk nonsense.

"Xuan."

Hearing the word "Xuan", Yao Niang knew that the person standing in front of her was the granddaughter of a great scholar and the daughter of an uncle, and Xu Qingrong was ranked fifth. Yao Niang suddenly felt that in her previous life, she thought they were of noble birth and invincible, but in fact, she might be able to surpass them through hard work.

If you have perseverance and persistence and move forward courageously, the road will not be as tortuous as you think.

Everyone climbed up the stairs in order, including Yao Niang. Although she was young, she was not weaker than them.

The emperor was already sitting in the Purple Palace, which was covered with a gorgeous canopy and flanked by concubines. The emperor was almost sixty years old, but he was still well-maintained.

This time, the Empress did not come, but Concubine Liao and Concubine Jing came instead. It seemed that Concubine Liao was the most favored in the palace, and it turned out to be true. Concubine Liao hated the eldest prince the most, so the eldest prince's wife probably couldn't arrange anything for her.

So we can only leave it to fate.

"Are you the first place Li Tianjiao?" asked the emperor.

"Although I am in the first place, I dare not claim myself to be the best." Li Tianjiao answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

It was obvious that the emperor was very satisfied with Li Tianjiao, and Yao Niang couldn't help but praise him. It seemed that Li Tianjiao would definitely be selected. Then there was the one mentioned above. It was said that his father was the governor of the Beijing Camp, and his grandfather was an earl. He also had a distinguished family background and was generous and generous.

This person really should not be underestimated, Yao Niang thought.

"Your Majesty, I, your humble servant Luo Shiwei, pay my respects to you. May the Emperor live long and long." Yao Niang kowtowed.

The emperor raised his eyebrows and listened to her voice which was as sweet as honey and her soft words. Then he looked at her appearance. This girl was like a jade-like beauty, with a radiant expression on her brows, as bright as the sun rising in the morning glow and as dazzling as the waves emerging from a lotus flower.

"It's rare for you to be able to read a word correctly at such a young age. It's really not easy. What are you reading now?"

"In reply to your Majesty, I am still studying the Four Books, and cannot be said to be very proficient in them." Her answer was obviously very conventional and not outstanding.

"Do you know what your name Shi Wei means?" the emperor asked, rubbing his beard.

Yao Niang smiled and said, "Shi is from our Luo family, and Wei is because my father hoped that I could conceal the bad things and turn disaster into good luck." In fact, it was because she was the real daughter who had been hidden for many years and was finally found. Perhaps many people would use the real or fake daughter to win the emperor's favor, but Yao Niang didn't want others to know who was the real or fake daughter.

To eliminate the impact of something, you don't have to keep addressing it, but rather, just don't mention it at all.

The first few emperors asked questions one by one, but the ones behind them just asked a simple question. Even so, many girls' voices trembled and some even stuttered. The emperor and Concubine Liao both smiled slightly.

After Yao Niang and the others met the emperor, half of them left the palace and the other half waited here.

Shi Yu was not so lucky this time and was not chosen. Yao Niang probably understood why. If Shi Yu was the only one who came to represent the Luo family, perhaps the emperor would care about the Luo family and she would be able to stay.

But there are two girls from the Luo family in this palace. Her rank is much higher than Shi Yu, and her appearance is even more outstanding than hers. To a certain extent, Shi Yu can no longer represent the Luo family, and His Majesty also has to balance the relationship.

Of course, Yao Niang couldn't help Shi Yu relieve the feeling of failure. If she lost today, she would have to relieve it herself.

Cheng Shaojin and Yao Niang were together during the preliminary selection. Now that she was left behind, at the very least she would be the princess's study companion, so her future was already decided. She was not so nervous anymore, so she said to Yao Niang, "Princess Zhaoping only selected two study companions, and you happened to be ranked third. I'm afraid this is not a good thing."

"Ah, I knew long ago that I was not talented enough and had given up hope." Yao Niang was not vying for the position of Princess Zhaoping's study companion, as it was too difficult and her family was not that powerful.

She then said to Cheng Shaojin: "Sister Cheng, what do you think is good about it?"

Cheng Shao smiled and said, "Speaking of the princesses, it would be Princess Xing'an, the eldest daughter of the eldest prince's wife, or Princess Yongqing of the Hengwang Mansion."

Princess Xing'an is the eldest daughter of the Crown Prince's wife, and Princess Yongqing is the biological daughter of Prince Heng's wife. They are both raised in the palace. Their fathers may ascend to the throne in the future. If the Empress is gone and Concubine Liao is crowned Empress, Prince Heng will be the legitimate son. But if Concubine Liao remains in the position of Concubine, then the one who ascends to the throne will be the eldest son.

"But according to your ranking, you are very likely to go to Princess Xing'an, and doesn't your family have some dealings with the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion?" Cheng Shaojian said.

Yao Niang nodded.

Cheng Shaojin added: "If your family has a good relationship with the Lin family, then don't go to Princess Zhenyang."

Princess Zhenyang is the daughter of Concubine Hong, and Concubine Hong and Princess Lin are just like water and fire!

But things often go against one's wishes. Concubine Liao was advising the emperor: "Xing'an is thirteen this year. If you want to choose a study partner, you should choose someone of similar age. Miss Luo is too young. I think Cheng Shaojin and Xu Qingrong are just the right age."

The emperor nodded after hearing this, but he said, "I think Cheng Shaojin should be eliminated. Xu Qingrong and the tenth place Wei Feng should be given to Xin'an. Cheng Shaojin should be left to Yongqing."

Princess Yongqing was the daughter of Prince Heng and the granddaughter of Concubine Liao, who was very happy.

Concubine Liao disliked Luo Zhizheng. Luo Zhizheng was one of the candidates for the title of the eldest prince, and Luo Zhizheng was demoted to a lowly official position because of this. She was also quite scheming. Luo Zhizheng's daughter was very outstanding. If she was dismissed, it would be better for her to serve Rong'an, the youngest daughter of the third prince, who was a sickly child.

She was about to speak, but then she remembered that the eldest prince's wife was from the Lin family. She heard that the eldest prince's wife had asked Concubine Jing and Concubine Wang to ask for the girl to go over. The Lin family and the Hong family had always been at odds. If someone from the Lin family went to the Hong family, the Luo family would be dragged into the internal strife between the two sides, and they would definitely be in trouble on both sides.

"Your Majesty, I think it would be better to choose Luo Shiwei as Princess Zhenyang's study partner. They are of similar ages, so it's just right."

The emperor also thought of Hong. Back then, Hong was the prince's wife, but she was forced to become a concubine. That was why Princess Zhenyang was always ranked behind him. He might as well give her a favor.

"Okay, in that case, Luo Shiwei will be given to Princess Zhenyang."

After a long half day, Yao Niang was already starving. Even though there was tea and snacks in the palace, everyone was very reserved and did not dare to eat too much.

At this moment, the imperial edict was issued. The two people in front of Yao Niang, Li Tianjiao and the earl's daughter, were chosen as the companions of Princess Zhaoping without any suspense. The next one was Xu Qingrong, who was chosen as the eldest daughter of the emperor's eldest son, Princess Xing'an, and Cheng Shaojin, who was chosen as the daughter of Prince Heng. Yao Niang thought, could it be that I was chosen to be Princess Rong'an like Shi Yu in my previous life? That princess died after only one year.

Just as he was thinking about it, he heard the eunuch say, "The third candidate, Luo Shiwei, the daughter of a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel, has been selected as the companion of Princess Zhenyang."

Princess Zhenyang?

Concubine Hong's biological daughter?

Yao Niang felt a little unsteady.