In July, the weather was hot, and the capital was bustling with people. Mule carts lined up one after another at the palace gate, all carrying women who would be participating in the imperial concubine selection this year.
Several teams are key players in this year's draft.
The first one is a princess from the Dong'e family. This Dong'e princess is the daughter of Peng Chun, the commander-in-chief and the brave and diligent duke. Her father is Peng Chun, the commander-in-chief of the Plain Red Banner and the first-class brave and diligent duke. Her grandfather is Zhe Erben, the first-class duke.
Her family background is quite illustrious; she could even be considered a contender for the position of Crown Princess.
However, the decision to make Consort Dong'e the Crown Princess because of the late Emperor's favoritism towards her requires careful consideration, as no one knows whether this matter has been properly addressed within the royal family.
The second was a princess of the Guarjia clan, the daughter of Shi Wenbing.
Shi Wenbing, of the Guarjia clan, was a member of the Han Chinese Plain White Banner. His ancestors were Manchus, and he was the eldest son of Shi Huashan, a prince consort.
In the eighteenth year of the Shunzhi reign, after the death of his grandfather Shi Tingzhu, Shi Wenbing inherited the title of Third-Class Earl. In the twenty-first year of the Kangxi reign, Wenbing was promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief and stationed in Hangzhou. In December of the twenty-third year, he was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Plain White Banner Han Army. In the twenty-eighth year, he was appointed General of Fuzhou. He was well-managed and the people of all walks of life admired and respected him.
This person is quite capable, and her status is similar to that of the Dong E family. She is also one of the candidates for the Crown Princess.
The third was a member of the Bordered Yellow Banner Manchu, and the daughter of Minister Korkun, of the Irgen Gioro clan.
This woman from the Irgen Gioro clan had an unremarkable family background, but her father was quite capable, holding the position of Minister, which was enough to give his daughter a chance to compete. However, she was not of a high enough status to compete for the position of Crown Princess, but she could consider becoming the wife of a prince.
These three are quite outstanding, both in terms of family background and appearance.
There were quite a few other women left, but they were slightly inferior to these three.
"Your Majesty, the young ladies-in-waiting have all entered the palace."
The talent show was giving Youqing a headache, but she couldn't ignore it.
"Just arrange it according to the rules."
"Yes, Master."
When Kangxi came over that evening, he was about to get close to her when Youqing pushed him aside, saying, "Don't come any closer, it's too hot today."
The manor in the Forbidden City, which was not a place to escape the summer heat, was in the sweltering heat of July and August. Youqing wished she could live in an ice cellar, but she didn't want to be touched by him.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Kangxi felt quite aggrieved: "I will have some more ice prepared."
"It's not about the ice; no matter how much ice there is, it's still hot in this weather."
"It's hotter this year than usual, otherwise we'll go out to escape the heat in a couple of days."
"The palace is holding a selection of candidates, and you can even say that you want to leave the palace to escape the summer heat."
"Taking a talent show and leaving the palace to escape the summer heat are not mutually exclusive."
"This selection process is for the Crown Princess and two princes' wives. If I were to take you out of the palace to escape the summer heat, just you wait and see. The court would surely accuse me of bringing disaster to the country and its people. I can't afford such a charge."
"With me here, let's see who dares to say that."
"Alright, it's only a month, just bear with it and it'll pass."
Kangxi felt he could no longer tolerate it.
He wasn't allowed to touch it for a month.
Then the court officials discovered that Kangxi was unusually difficult to talk to during the selection of concubines. If anyone made the slightest mistake, they would be severely reprimanded. Those on duty were trembling with fear, afraid that they would be scolded if they were not careful.
"Eunuch Liang, give me a straight answer, has His Majesty encountered something unpleasant?"
"Lord Cheng, what could possibly be wrong with His Majesty? Please don't talk nonsense."
Although Liang Jiugong said this, he was actually very aggrieved. As Kangxi's close attendant, he had to endure more of Kangxi's temper than others.
He did know why His Majesty was unhappy, but the reason was not something he could tell him.
If it's true that His Majesty acted this way because the Empress wouldn't let him get close, then he shouldn't be the chief steward anymore.
August has arrived, and after a month of selection, the talent show is finally coming to an end.
Youqing: "What conclusions do you have for tomorrow's selection?"
"Is there anyone you've got your eye on?"
As the Empress, Youqing should have been fully responsible for this matter, but she was reluctant to take it on. This was a difficult task: choosing wives for the Crown Prince and the two princes. If she chose well, no one would thank her; if she chose poorly, she might end up with a lot of complaints. It was simply not worth it.
"Are you referring to the imperial concubines, or the crown princess and the prince's wives?"
Kangxi: "You heartless little thing, I've already dismissed the harem for you, do you expect me to bring in more? Naturally, it should be the Crown Princess and the consorts of the princes."
"No, you can choose yourself."
Emperor Kangxi knew what she was thinking and didn't force her.
"I have a few candidates in mind, let me tell you about them."
Kangxi then mentioned several candidates he thought were good, which were similar to Youqing's ideas.
Historically, the First Consort of the Irgen Gioro clan, the Crown Princess of the Guarjia clan, and the Third Consort of the Dong'e clan were among them.
Of course, there were a few others, but these three were particularly outstanding, and Kangxi emphasized them.
"Okay, I understand."
The Empress Dowager did not attend the talent show on the second day, saying she was feeling unwell.
Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Youqing were sitting on the upper floor, and the two began to watch the videos one after another.
These young ladies were all from respectable families, and their appearance and demeanor were all quite good. Some were selected and others were rejected. The process was very fast, but by the time it was over, it was already afternoon.
"It's finally over. The imperial edict will be announced tomorrow or the day after. We'll go to the estate the day after tomorrow. It's getting hotter and hotter in the Forbidden City."
It's simply not a place for a human to live.
"Alright, we'll leave the palace the day after tomorrow."
Emperor Kangxi didn't want to stay in the palace any longer and was eager to leave as soon as possible.
While the Emperor and Empress were in perfect harmony, the First Prince, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince were extremely nervous. They all knew that their wives were among the selected women for the imperial concubine selection, but they didn't know exactly who they were.
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