Chapter 47 Selection? I Don't Want to Work This Broken Class
The temporary viewing platform erected in the palace garden was covered with bright yellow brocade.
Emperor Kangxi sat in the center, and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang sat on his left.
The Empress sat on the right, her posture impeccable, her hand secretly clenching her handkerchief, revealing a hint of tension.
Jiang Nan's seat was located slightly behind and to the right of Kangxi, allowing her to have a clear view of the audience.
Below the stage, the young women were arranged in rows of six according to the Eight Banners, guided by eunuchs.
They stepped forward one by one, stood before the emperor, announced their family background and names, and were then greeted loudly by a eunuch.
Jiang Nan was initially very interested in watching it; this was a real-life version of the "Empresses in the Palace" talent show!
Her eyes were bright and sparkling, and she leaned forward slightly.
He looked at each of the young women dressed in the same national costume, heads bowed, so nervous they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet.
After watching three rows, her interest deflated like a balloon punctured by a needle.
My inner吐槽 (tu cao, meaning to criticize or complain) comments kept scrolling wildly.
No way, really?
Is this the Qing Dynasty's large-scale talent show?
She's so young! She's so petite, it looks like she could be blown away by a gust of wind.
Some of them had something done on their faces, making them look deathly pale.
Her hair was combed tightly, and her eyes were either blank or timid...
She yawned widely, tears welling in her eyes, and muttered to herself.
No wonder the chubby orange cat complained during the talent show at the beginning of The Legend of Zhen Huan.
I feel pity for them (It's windy today, it must be tiring for everyone to stand).
But it's all for naught (they're all just mundane things).
In this day and age, without plastic surgery or makeup techniques, naturally beautiful women are indeed a rare resource everywhere.
Most of them are ordinary people.
It's so boring, really boring. Even a woman like him got sleepy watching it. I feel sorry for Emperor Kangxi.
As I was resting my head on my hand, lost in thought, I suddenly felt a light touch on the back of my hand.
She turned her head and saw Kangxi smiling at her, seemingly noticing her boredom.
"Consort Jin's yawn is making me sleepy. Are you tired?"
Jiang Nan sat up straight, but still couldn't help but smirk and waved her hand weakly.
"Your Majesty, I'm not sleepy, I just feel a bit stuffy. How many more ladies-in-waiting are there?"
"They've only just arrived at the Plain Yellow Banner; there are over a hundred of them in total."
Emperor Kangxi tapped the armrest with his fingertips, a smile hidden in his eyes.
"What, Consort Jin, would you like to leave early?"
"Hundreds of people?"
Jiang Nan's shoulders slumped completely, and she leaned against the back of the chair like a rag doll.
My mind is already contemplating whether or not to have sweet and sour pork ribs for dinner, and even whether I can find an excuse to sneak off to the Imperial Garden to feed the fish.
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang noticed her appearance and couldn't help but laugh out loud, her voice gentle.
"This girl, Consort Jin, is more vibrant than the flowers in the palace. When I look at her, I am reminded of the days when I was young, riding horses on the grasslands, carefree and wonderful."
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang truly admired her unrestrained and radiant personality.
This reminded her of the days when she rode freely on horseback in her childhood home on the grasslands.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Nan immediately sat up straight and smiled at Xiaozhuang with a hint of ingratiation.
"If Your Majesty is pleased, after the imperial concubine selection is over, I would like to accompany you for a stroll in the Imperial Garden. The peonies are in full bloom right now, as vibrant as the wildflowers on the grassland."
Empress Xiaozhuang was so pleased with her that she smiled broadly and kept saying yes.
The empress, who was standing nearby, looked even more sullen as she listened, and the handkerchief in her hand was almost torn to shreds.
This Consort Jin, how can she win the favor of the Empress Dowager like this? She's really an eyesore.
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Just as Jiang Nan and the Empress Dowager were chatting quietly, a eunuch in the audience suddenly shouted "Greetings!"
"The Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, daughter of Dai Jiaku Zhuoqi, is fourteen years old."
Jiang Nan's ears twitched. Dai Jiashi?
Dai Jiashi? She seemed to vaguely remember her…
Kangxi had a concubine named Consort Cheng, of the Daijia clan, who gave birth to the seventh prince, Yinyou, who was born with a leg disability.
She forced herself to stay awake and looked up at the audience.
A young girl stepped forward in response, her curtsy a little awkward.
Unlike other girls who were flustered and panicked, she displayed a rare composure.
When she looked up, Jiang Nan's eyes lit up.
"Oh, this one is not bad. This must be the historical Consort Cheng, right?"
This Dai Jia has fair skin, delicate eyebrows and eyes like an ink painting, and a straight nose.
The lip color is a natural light pink, not stunning, but it exudes a gentle and tranquil temperament.
Among the previously nervous or dull young ladies-in-waiting, she was like a quietly emerging white jasmine, incredibly refreshing.
Jiang Nan pondered to herself, "She looks really pleasing to the eye, why don't I take her in as my younger sister?"
Not only do men like beautiful women, she likes them too.
I wonder how brave he is? Will he be able to gain a foothold under the Empress?
Or do you dare to stand up to the Empress?
Remembering that Emperor Kangxi had said he wanted to select a few capable people, Jiang Nan suddenly had a mischievous idea pop into her head.
Let's test her reaction time?
If she is useful, then take Yongshou Palace as your younger sister.
Even if she reacts poorly, it doesn't matter; she can always smooth things over. We can't let her get hurt for no reason.
With a quick glance around her eyes, she took advantage of the fact that everyone on the stage was staring at Dai Jiashi and quietly reached out her hand.
I gently pinched the soft belly of the chubby orange cat that was dozing in my arms.
"Meow—woof!"
The big, fat orange cat was instantly jolted awake by the pain, and immediately bristled and barked.
The meow was filled with anger.
It thrashed its paws wildly a couple of times, trying to jump out of Jiang Nan's arms.
Jiang Nan let out a cry of surprise, pretending she hadn't held on properly, and tossed the bag aside.
Fat Orange was like a fluffy cannonball, rushing straight towards Dai Jiashi in the audience.
The sudden turn of events startled the Empress Dowager, who trembled slightly and reached out to steady herself on the armrest.
Kangxi frowned and subconsciously tried to get up, but then he caught a glimpse of the mischievous look in Jiang Nan's eyes and stopped.
The Empress gasped in shock, almost letting out a cry.
She quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, but her eyes held a hint of schadenfreude—let's see how Consort Jin gets out of this mess.
The young women below the stage were thrown into disarray; some were so frightened that they hid back, while others even cried out softly.
However, Dai Jiashi was standing at the center of the storm.
Although he was also startled by the oncoming bomb, his heart pounded wildly and his face turned pale for a moment.
But she gritted her teeth and persevered, relying on the strict upbringing and strong self-control ingrained in her from childhood.
His feet were rooted to the ground, not moving an inch.
But the hand hidden in the sleeve was clenched into a fist.
The fat orange cat was just bluffing; it actually landed safely.
It rolled around due to inertia, and then, feeling dizzy, it lifted its head and shook it.
Looking at the human in front of him who was still motionless despite being attacked, he turned around.
Those amber cat eyes looked at Jiang Nan, filled with confusion and a hint of grievance.
It tilted its head and let out a meow that sounded like a complaint. Its silly and cute appearance eased the tense atmosphere a bit.
Seeing that nothing went wrong and that Lady Daijia had regained her composure, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang smiled and looked at Jiang Nan.
"You little cat, you were being so well-behaved just now, why are you suddenly throwing a tantrum?"
Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang didn't see through Jiang Nan's little scheme, but she had a good impression of her and helped her make amends.
The implication is that this has nothing to do with Jiang Nan; it's just that the cat suddenly threw a tantrum.
Jiang Nan was secretly praising Dai Jia.
Not bad, not bad. As expected of a woman raised by a high-ranking official of the third rank, she remains calm in the face of danger and is capable of accomplishing great things.
When he heard Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang ask him a question, he put on a surprised and innocent expression.
Pointing to the cat and Dai Jiashi in the audience, he said in a serious tone.
"Your Majesty, you see, this cat must like Miss Daijia, otherwise why would it pounce on her? It's fate."
She then turned to Kangxi, her tone carrying a hint of "it's for your own good."
“Your Majesty, look at Lady Daijia. She is beautiful and has a calm temperament. She didn’t even panic when a cat pounced on her, which shows that she is a composed person. I think she is quite good. Why don’t you keep her nameplate?”
As she spoke, she caught a glimpse of the Empress out of the corner of her eye.
She wanted to scold him, but for fear of being rebuked, she forcibly held back, causing her face to turn pale and then red.
Jiang Nan suppressed a laugh.
Hmm, so you're scared now? Good thing you've learned your lesson.
She said to Zhao Deyi behind her.
"Zhao Deyi, what are you standing there for? Quickly bring this troublesome cat back to me. It's always causing me trouble."
Zhao Deyi quickly agreed and jogged off the stage.
I carefully picked up the chubby orange cat, who was still in a daze and had a look on his face that said, "What's it to me?"
The chubby orange cat was returned to Jiang Nan's arms, and it even swatted her hand with its tail in dissatisfaction.
It seemed as if it was protesting against its owner's framing and slander.
Emperor Kangxi saw all of this and shook his head with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
However, he also thought that Dai Jia was quite beautiful and of good character, so he went along with it.
"Since Consort Jin thinks it's good, then let's keep the plaque."
The eunuch immediately began to sing.
"Dai Jia, leave your nameplate here, and bestow upon me a sachet—"
Daijia was overjoyed, but still bowed respectfully.
"This servant thanks His Majesty for his grace, thanks the Empress Dowager for her grace, thanks the Empress for her grace, and thanks Consort Jin for her grace."
His voice was clear and crisp, neither humble nor arrogant.
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As the sun rose higher and approached noon, the selection process in the Imperial Garden Palace came to an end.
After a whole morning, Kangxi only kept the nameplates of three candidates for the imperial concubine selection.
Besides Lady Daijia recommended by Jiang Nan, the other two came from distinguished families, indicating that Kangxi was trying to win over important officials from the previous dynasty.
Jiang Nan idly played with the soft flesh of Fatty Orange's belly.
Kangxi glanced at the sky and then at Jiang Nan, who was clearly lost in thought.
He shook his head helplessly and spoke.
"It's getting late, let's stop here for the morning. We can talk about the rest in the afternoon."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Nan jumped up from her chair as if a spring switch had been flipped, abandoning the lazy cat.
A bright, slightly ingratiating smile instantly spread across her face.
He curtsied to Emperor Kangxi, his voice clear and crisp.
"Your Majesty is wise. Um... Your Majesty, I am a little tired today. I have other things to do this afternoon and tomorrow, so I won't be coming."
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
It showed no sign of seeking instructions; it was more like a notification.
Are you kidding me? These boring, tedious work meetings that last for most of the day are not for anyone to come.
Wouldn't it be better for her to go back to Yongshou Palace, pet cats, and sleep instead?
Emperor Kangxi frowned as he watched her resignation.
"Oh? Who was it that vowed to help me vet the candidates a few days ago, and now they're backing out after only half a day?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Jiang Nan's face, but she immediately covered it up with an even more exaggerated innocent expression.
She rubbed a waist that wasn't actually there, her tone sweet and innocent.
"Your Majesty, as you can see, with the Empress Dowager as our pillar of strength, why would we need a half-baked concubine like me to meddle? My presence here is nothing but trouble; I might even accidentally throw the cat out again."
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at the audience.
It seems they're looking for their next target on Mop.com.
Emperor Kangxi was amused by her stubborn and mischievous behavior, which made him want to cause trouble if she wasn't allowed to leave.
"Alright, alright, I understand. Go back to your Yongshou Palace and stay there quietly. Just don't cause me any trouble."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor."
Jiang Nan felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and the smile on her face instantly became genuine, her voice even becoming several degrees lighter.
She quickly bowed and scooped up the still bewildered chubby orange.
He gave instructions to Fang Ruo and Zhao Deyi behind him.
"Let's go, let's go back to the palace."
He looked exactly like an office worker who had finally made it to the end of the workday.
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Empress Hesheli suppressed her anger as she watched Jiang Nan act so recklessly.
Her behavior of completely disregarding the important matter of the imperial concubine selection and her status as empress finally made her lose her temper.
She tried her best to make her voice sound steady and composed.
"Your Majesty...isn't Consort Jin's behavior far too disrespectful? The Empress Dowager and Your Majesty are still here, yet she has already left. What kind of conduct is this?"
However, before Kangxi could speak, Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang spoke first in a calm tone.
She rubbed her temples, her face showing genuine exhaustion, her tone calm yet undeniably authoritative.
"Alright, Empress. What does it matter whether Consort Jin is here or not? She's lively and would feel constrained staying here. Xuan Ye, I'm tired. Come with me back to Cining Palace for lunch."
As she spoke, she slowly stood up, and Kangxi immediately stood up and respectfully helped Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang up.
"Yes, Grandmother, your grandson will accompany you back."
The Empress was so choked by Xiaozhuang's words that she felt a lump in her throat, her face turning red and then white.
But he dared not disobey in the slightest, and could only force a smile and bow.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I respectfully see off my grandmother and Your Majesty."
She watched as the Empress Dowager and Emperor Kangxi left hand in hand, and stood alone in the same spot, feeling an unprecedented sense of suffocation and loneliness welling up in her heart.
Guarjia Jiangnan, you just wait.
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Here's a long chapter as a bonus, but it's a bit excessive. The fighting can't stop starting in the next chapter.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
