Chapter 295

Chapter 295

The next day, the Emperor and Jiang Xinyue both woke up early.

With no ruler in the harem, and even the Dowager Empress Wu having passed away, Jiang Xinyue was the most senior figure aside from the Emperor himself.

The palace selection of concubines had to be presided over by her. If it weren't for this, the Emperor wouldn't have reluctantly allowed her to wake up so early while she was pregnant.

Jiang Xinyue's pregnancy made her particularly prone to sleepiness.

When she was awakened by Xi Que and Shuang Jiang in the morning, her eyes could barely open. The Emperor held her as she was getting dressed and made up in front of the bronze mirror.

The candidates woke up even earlier, before dawn, to choose their outfits and jewelry, trying out several makeup looks to maximize their beauty to its fullest potential.

Mu Qianqian, seeing the other candidates already dressed and adorned, looked down at her own washed-out old clothes and felt ashamed, stepping back slightly.

Wei Shu noticed her movement and whispered something to her maid, who soon after brought a bright and vibrant outfit to Mu Qianqian.

Through the crowd, Mu Qianqian gratefully glanced at Wei Shu, who smiled and nodded at her but did not approach to engage in conversation.

When Mu Qianqian emerged after changing into the new outfit, all the candidates waiting in line for the selection were astonished.

The looks directed at her were filled with jealousy, envy, dislike, and hostility...

She nervously returned to the waiting line, gripping the sides of her dress tightly, repeatedly encouraging herself: Mu Qianqian, don't be afraid, you can do it!

She couldn't afford to be rejected, to become a palace maid, or to be expelled from the palace.

Her father and brother were both gambling addicts, waiting for her to grow up so they could sell her for a good price.

If it weren't for the eunuch in charge of selecting candidates who had come to Tongzhou in search of beauties and accidentally saw her being forced by her father and brother to be sold to a brothel, her life would have been ruined.

If she became a palace maid, with her beauty, no mistress in the harem would be able to tolerate her.

Wait!

No!

There was one place that could accommodate her.

The thought struck her, and her mind raced through countless scenarios.

Matron Duan hadn't arrived yet, so she quickly rushed back into the room, changed out of the bright outfit, and put on her washed-out old clothes again.

She even undid her carefully styled hair, loosely tying it back with a wooden hairpin.

Her beautiful face was hidden behind heavy bangs, and the resemblance to Jiang Xinyue, which had been seven points before, was now only three.

Although the other candidates didn't understand what she was doing, the absence of a strong competitor made them happy.

Huang Yanyu disdainfully pursed her lips: "What else could it be? She's imitating my Imperial Noble Consort cousin, afraid of being noticed by my cousin, so she wants to hide her brilliance and avoid being noticed by my Imperial Noble Consort cousin!"

This explanation made sense to some.

The first day of the selection was held in the Yaotai Palace in the Imperial Garden.

Low Level Consort Yu and Consort Wen also joined.

After all, the Emperor had said that if the Imperial Noble Consort felt tired, they would take over.

Low Level Consort Yu had a feeling that she was about to be promoted, otherwise, why would the Emperor let her participate in such an important task?

Under the guidance of the palace eunuchs, the candidates lined up in groups of four in the courtyard of Yaotai Palace. Only those called would enter the hall for the selection.

"Does the Emperor have any candidates he must keep?"

Jiang Xinyue leaned sideways, whispering into the Emperor's ear: "If the Emperor doesn't tell me, I'll choose according to my own heart. Don't blame me later..."

"My heart is already entirely yours. Why do you still doubt my sincerity?"

The Emperor, with a serious expression, said: "If you keep this up, I really will get angry."

The guilty beauty pouted and chuckled: "I just wanted the Emperor to be mentally prepared!"

Prepared for what?

The Xuanwu Emperor reflexively wondered but didn't dwell on it, instead smiling and gently bumping his forehead against hers: "Choose candidates that please you, those you find amiable. If you like them, keep them. After all, these people will be here to keep you company."

As for him, he had Jiang Xinyue.

He also had the Sixth Prince and the soon-to-be-born Princess, plus his busy political affairs, leaving him with no time for new candidates or romantic games.

One Jiang Xinyue was more than enough to handle; dealing with several would be a direct threat to his life.

Announce - Daughter of the Hanlin Academy Scholar Meng Wanqing, Daughter of the Chancellor's Office Clerk Han Ruier, Daughter of the Yanzhou Prefect Shi Ruojun.

With the announcement by the Eunuch of the Imperial Household Department, the three-day selection of candidates began.

Several noble ladies were also present in the hall. Not all the candidates aimed to become the Emperor's concubines.

Some had already been promised to the high officials by their families, but the Emperor, to show his respect for these officials, would go through the formality of granting them in marriage to the officials' sons.

This was also a matter of great prestige for these noble ladies.

Having their daughters-in-law recognized and guided by Matron Duan in the palace would silence any doubts about their daughters-in-law's manners and virtues.

Wave after wave of candidates entered and exited, each with varying expressions, but all seemed somewhat distant, as if lost in thought.

"Were they rejected or accepted? Why do they all look neither happy nor sad?"

"What's the result?"

Announce - Daughter of the Prince of Ruyang Wei Shu, Daughter of the Yizhou merchant Huang Yanyu, Commoner girl selected by the eunuch Mu Qianqian, Daughter of the Hangzhou salt commissioner Su Hongliu.

Among all the candidates, the most beautiful were in this group, and so were the ones with the most prestigious backgrounds.

When "Yizhou" was mentioned, Xi Que carefully observed Huang Yanyu and then whispered something to Jiang Xinyue.

Wei Shu behaved confidently and gracefully, earning nods of approval from the noble ladies present. The Emperor also smiled kindly at her: "Your father often says you are mischievous and boyish, but today I see that your father is mistaken. You are clearly a little lady."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compliment."

Huang Yanyu, looking down, had a resentful expression. This Wei Shu was always showing off, stealing the spotlight, leaving nothing for the rest of them.

Fortunately, Mu Qianqian had gone mad, covering up her face that resembled the Imperial Noble Consort's by seven points, otherwise, with both looks and background inferior, they would have no chance.

Could it be that Wei Shu had already been chosen?

As Huang Yanyu was grinding her teeth in frustration, she heard a clear voice say: "I've heard your sister-in-law mention you several times, but I never had the chance to meet you. Indeed, as she said, you have a straightforward personality."

The Prince of Ruyang was the son of a cousin of the late Emperor. During the late Emperor's crisis, this cousin had protected him, so after the stability of the Great Yan, the cousin was granted the title of princess and was deeply favored by the late Emperor.

Later, when the princess married, the late Emperor bestowed the title of Prince of Ruyang upon her husband, allowing the title to be inherited.