Chapter 438 Zheng Jiaojiao Enters the Palace for Selection
Qian'er, who was originally unhappy, immediately calmed down after hearing this.
Just take it, she can get an extra piece of fabric.
After getting the fabric she was satisfied with, Zheng Jiaojiao hurried to find the embroiderer and spent more money to have her make the dress according to her wishes. She dreamed that with this dress, she would win the first prize in one fell swoop, enter the palace, be favored by the emperor, and enjoy unlimited glory.
She had heard in her early years that the late emperor's concubine had enjoyed immense glory since entering the palace.
Then she gave birth to Prince Yu and Princess Le Yi. It was just a pity that she failed in the last step.
Zheng Jiaojiao thought, if she were the Imperial Concubine, she would definitely let herself become the emperor, she is the honorable empress dowager. The Imperial Concubine is really too stupid.
She felt very happy. After the clothes were made, she checked them carefully and matched them with a set of jewelry with He. Only then did she wait contentedly for the day to enter the palace to meet the emperor.
Although the emperor will be selecting the candidates himself this year, they still need to be interviewed several times before passing the preliminary selection.
The so-called preliminary selection first checks whether the girls are still virgins. They also examine their bodies, checking for any problems with their hands and feet, the alignment of their teeth, and whether their bodies are smooth and have any obvious scars. They also check the size of their hands and feet.
Only after completing all these levels can you meet the emperor.
Zheng Jiaojiao was very confident. After all, she was a well-known beauty in Beijing. How could she fail the preliminary selection?
Arriving at the palace gate in a carriage, she attentively stuffed a purse that He had prepared in advance into the nanny's pocket. The nanny weighed it and smiled with satisfaction.
Mammy: "Whose family are you from? You are a very good person."
Zheng Jiaojiao smiled, "I am the daughter of the Duke's Mansion. Madam, you have worked hard these days. This money is for Madam to have tea."
The nanny glanced at her with a smile and couldn't help but say a few more words, "You dress well, but the jewelry on your head is a bit too much. The emperor doesn't like fancy things."
Zheng Jiaojiao choked and nodded slightly, "I understand."
The nanny nodded and said that the silver she gave was enough for this advice.
Immediately, the beauties who came to participate in the selection lined up in two rows and followed the nanny into the preliminary selection.
Today, for some reason, Zheng Jiaojiao kept feeling an itch on her wrist, and she kept scratching it when no one was paying attention. This was in the palace, and if she moved too much, everyone would warn her, so she could only scratch secretly.
But the itch on the skin feels like millions of ants crawling on it.
She wanted to find out what was wrong with her skin and why it was so itchy. She hadn't eaten anything.
"Stand still, why are you moving?"
A new nanny was replaced in the primary election. She had a long face and looked serious. She was not as approachable as the previous nanny.
Zheng Jiaojiao smiled and said, "Mammy, the people ahead are still checking. I wonder if we can take a break."
She wanted to find a place quickly to see why she was itching. Could it be because of her clothes?
The nanny's face turned serious. "Why are you taking a rest? You're being so lazy. Today is the election. If you can't even handle this little hardship, why not leave now?"
In front of all the other concubines, Zheng Jiaojiao was severely scolded by the nanny. Her face turned blue and red, and she felt so humiliated.
But it was not easy to offend the nanny, so she endured it again and again before she reluctantly said "hmm".
Seeing this, the nanny snorted coldly.
Every year, there are so many girls from noble families who are so arrogant and look down on others. Even if they enter the palace, they will never have a chance in their life. But she is not afraid.
After waiting for a long time, Zheng Jiaojiao's feet became numb from standing, she finally heard her name being called.
"Ms. Zheng Jiaojiao, Duke of Zheng."
"Hey, it's me."
As she said this, she glanced at the nanny proudly and walked inside.
A maid standing behind the curtain pointed at the chair and said, "Miss, please take off your clothes. I will examine you."
Zheng Jiaojiao took off her clothes without any concern. She had already inquired about the steps of the primary election and knew that there would be a physical examination, so she had already prepared herself mentally.
He quickly took off his outer robe and was about to unbutton his inner garment when he heard the nanny yell, "Wait!"
Zheng Jiaojiao was stunned and stood there, at a loss as to what to do.
"Mammy...what's going on?"
"Don't move." He shouted outside, "Someone come quickly and take her away."
Zheng Jiaojiao panicked, her face filled with fear. "Mammy, what do you mean? Why are you chasing me away?"
Even if they were rejected, they would just be told they were unqualified and sent away. But why was she sent away without a word? Zheng Jiaojiao was not willing to accept this and questioned her desperately, stepping closer to the nanny, wanting to get an explanation.
The nanny kept backing away, saying angrily, "There's something wrong with your clothes. How could you have been selected with such a problem? If it weren't for the Duke's Mansion's face. You will be held accountable for concealing your illness. Now I'm just asking you to leave. Go quickly."
He said it with a look of disgust.
Zheng Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, then her eyes dropped down to her wrist.
The wrist that was once snow-white and tender was now covered with dense red spots, which were the scratches left by Zheng Jiaojiao.
Why? Why did she suddenly have these?
This discovery was like a bolt from the blue.
She had been preparing for the selection for a long time and pinned all her hopes on it. Why did it suddenly become like this?
She stood there in a daze, unable to come back to her senses for a long time.
Several maids came and put some clothes on Zheng Jiaojiao, then dragged her away.
The concubines who were nearby began to whisper to each other. They all heard what the nanny had just said, that Zheng Jiaojiao actually had a chronic illness.
That's really big news.
It was not until they left the palace and got on the carriage that Zheng Jiaojiao finally came to her senses. She quickly drew aside the curtain and looked at the palace gate that was getting smaller and smaller. She couldn't help but burst into tears.
The crying was filled with endless grievance and hatred.
Why, why couldn't she pass, why did she have these red spots! Why couldn't her wish be fulfilled? She just wanted to be selected, to become a concubine, to bring honor to her family, to be looked up to by others.
When they returned to the Duke's Mansion, everyone in the Zheng family knew that Zheng Jiaojiao had failed the selection and had returned home, and they all had different thoughts.
Zheng Langcai came back from outside and heard Zheng Jiaojiao crying loudly as he entered the yard. Then the mother and daughter started talking about failing the talent show.
"You are a useless thing. You told me that you could be selected and bring honor to me, but in the end you were eliminated in the first round." Zheng Lang, the second son of the Zheng family, walked in with a mocking tone.
Zheng Jiaojiao was already sad, and when she heard these words suddenly, she cried even louder.
"Cry, just cry. Useless thing."
Zheng Lang sat down and gulped down a cup of tea.
He had originally thought that by pinning his hopes on Zheng Jiaojiao, he could use his daughter to rise up the social ladder, but ended up like this. It was all for nothing that he boasted about his daughter's chances of entering the imperial selection, which was a sure thing.
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