In a blink of an eye, the time to select the fair ladies to enter the palace arrived.
Technically, this group should have arrived in the Capital City long ago. However, due to the Emperor’s feud with Qin Kun and his preoccupation with carrying out the imperial examination, there was a delay.
These selected fair ladies had been living outside the palace for quite a while. Other than the daughters of the capital officials, the rest of them stayed at the Yamen in the Capital City.
After multiple rounds of selection, there were still more than a hundred fair ladies who qualified to enter the palace.
These fair ladies were allowed to meet the Emperor. However, they still had to gain the consent of the Emperor to enter the palace officially. If the Emperor believed they were not attractive enough, even those with powerful connections could not enter the palace.
Nan Feng also heard the eunuchs discussing this matter in the gardens.
Some said: “There are so many women selected from various places. The remaining hundred or so fair ladies are already unique in their ways. It’s likely that the Emperor would have difficulty making a choice.”
“Why not just select them all?”
“I’ve heard that’s not possible. Only half can be selected. There’s already a hundred of them, plus the existing consort and concubines, doesn’t this amount to two hundred women? Could the Emperor be fair to everyone?”
“That’s true. I’ve heard that this kind of thing can’t be done every day. It could harm His Majesty’s health.”
“DeZi, what are you talking about? Where did you hear this from?”
“Hush, we aren’t fortunate enough to experience this. Let’s leave it be, don’t discuss the Emperor. Be careful with too many gossipy mouths around, one might end up not knowing how they’ll meet their end.”
“…”
Right after the group of eunuchs finished speaking, Eunuch Wan appeared.
“Lady Nan Feng, the Emperor requests you to deliver some fruits and vegetables to the Selection Hall.”
Nan Feng just returned from the vegetable field. She brushed the dust off her clothes: “Didn’t we already send some? We need to send more?”
“The weather is hot, and fruits and vegetables are consumed quickly. Please excuse us, Lady Nan Feng, and help prepare more.”
…
Nan Feng, along with several eunuchs, carried fruits and vegetables to the entrance of the palace.
From far away, she could see rows of fair ladies standing in front of the hall. They were dressed uniformly in thin pink silk dresses, which clung tightly to their bodies, accentuating their elegant figures.
Moreover, the fair ladies who were chosen to enter the palace were all beautiful. As the eunuchs had said, every one of the remaining ladies had their unique charm, making the selection an incredibly challenging task.
After watching for a while, Nan Feng reminded the young eunuchs behind her to maintain order.
Nan Feng then replaced the Emperor and the consorts’ finished dishes with fresh fruit.
The Emperor was seated among a large group of fair ladies, with Empress Dowager De and a group of concubines next to him. The weather was hot, and fruits and vegetables were in high demand. The Emperor seemed reluctant to start his selection, so everyone waited while they ate their fruit.
As Nan Feng bowed to rearrange the Emperor’s plate, she heard him whisper, “Nan Feng, why don’t you sit by my side and give me your opinion?”
Opinion?
Nan Feng looked up, glancing at the Emperor, and the consorts beside him.
If she stayed here, she would only get cold stares from everyone.
“Your Majesty, I do not have a lot of understanding on the selection process. I am not in a position to provide opinions,” Nan Feng said, intending to retreat.
But the Emperor looked at Nan Feng: “Are you misunderstanding, or are you unwilling?”
“…” Nan Feng felt that the Emperor didn’t quite understand what people were saying; did she need to spell her refusal out?
“Nan Feng, you e from the mon folks, and you are hardworking and simple. Therefore, I would like to seek your viewpoint. I want to know which women you think have a matching temperament with yours. The ones you find suitable will undoubtedly have a character as good as yours.”
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