ebookland Chapter 274 The Palace Selection
Chapter 274 The Palace Selection
The allocation of governesses alone is a complex matter.
The list of training matrons submitted by the Shanggong Bureau consisted of experienced old matrons, many of whom had served the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Concubine. They were not only knowledgeable about the rules and etiquette, but a few casual words of guidance could give the young ladies a head start after entering the palace.
Just like when Madam Yun invited Granny Gao back in Lin'an, even though she only trained Hua Yan for a few days, she benefited greatly from it.
Normally, the rank of a young lady selected for the imperial concubine selection is usually Imperial Lady or Baolin, but according to Huayan's analysis, it is quite possible that this time a young lady selected for the imperial concubine selection will be directly promoted to the rank of Jieyu, a fourth-rank official.
But will these senior officials, with their long service, be given priority in being assigned to high-ranking young women?
actually not.
Each young woman's rank upon entering the palace was determined by various factors, not solely by family background. It would be a grave mistake to assume that the selection process was merely about filling the harem; every aspect was driven by self-interest, and every step was steeped in the bloody power struggles.
Why is a general election held every three or five years? The final list of imperial concubines must involve various parties. Is it to counter the powerful clans, or is it to take advantage of the families of civil and military officials for some future measure, or is it for financial alliances or the rehabilitation of disgraced officials?
Someone as short-sighted as the eldest son-in-law, a concubine's daughter who was a minor official of the eighth rank and registered under the mistress's name, would have been eliminated in the initial selection long ago if she didn't have a real background. It was only because she was afraid of involving Consort Chun in the palace that the old lady was truly furious.
When the Ninth Prince chose the Second Miss, he was actually choosing Tang Xian, which can be attributed to a financial marriage.
Consort Mei's entry into the palace can be seen as bringing "disgraced officials" under her control. There may be some old feelings involved, but the most important thing is to reinstate and appease the Duke of Qing.
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Consort Chun was simple-minded and could not have thought so far ahead. After the incident of Empress Dowager Zhou leaving the palace, Hua Yan felt guilty and devoted herself to making arrangements for Consort Chun in advance, thinking of things that ordinary people could not think of, and striving to be thorough.
With Aunt Mei by her side, she used the matter of assigning governesses as an example to give everyone detailed advice.
"Consort Chun is in charge of coordinating and arranging things. The first and most important thing is the assignment of the governesses. If this is done well, the young ladies will be grateful for this favor after they enter the palace."
Aunt Mei is familiar with several of the palace ladies in the Imperial Household Department. Please verify this list of governesses one by one and select several candidates who are both qualified and of good character. No detail should be overlooked.
Aunt Mei accepted the order.
"Mengzhu, you might want to consider a gift for our meeting in the next month or two. It doesn't have to be cloth, jewelry, or jade ornaments. Just remember the key points I just mentioned."
Mengzhu nodded, secretly pondering to herself.
Ruizhu hurriedly asked, "What do you need me to do?"
Hua Yan smiled and said, "Rui Zhu'er, you should ask Xiao Nianzi more about the gossip among the palace servants and tell us about it to amuse us."
Ruizhu chuckled; this was something she was very good at. "I was just about to tell you, my lady. Granny Yu from Zhaoqing Palace has been looking for Chun'er and Xia'er several times recently. Xia'er made excuses not to go each time, but Chun'er did go, and she always seemed restless when she came back. However, Xia'er often talks to her. Although I didn't hear her, Chun'er always seemed very well-behaved."
“Dong’er went to find Xingyu, who was by the Empress’s side, but Xiao Nianzi overheard her and Dong’er complained to Xingyu a few times.”
Hua Yan said, "She complained that her job was hard and tiring and wanted to be transferred to another place."
"How do you know? She really said that."
"Dong'er always puts on a simple and honest face, but she is actually greedy and thinks she is clever. Qiu'er was fooled by her." Hua Yan sneered and instructed Rui Zhu: "Xing Yu must have given her a warning. I will keep her around for now because she is useful. Just keep an eye on her."
Ruizhu nodded in agreement.
After the three of them left, Hua Yan said to Lü Liu, "Tell Chun Tao to pay close attention to two things: first, to keep a close eye on Consort Guo's diet, especially the food sent by Consort Mei. Dieqiong Pavilion is currently under renovation; second, to be aware of any potential hazards in the various items that come in and out."
Green Willow noted everything down and asked, "With that string of coral beads, Her Majesty the Empress shouldn't resort to any tricks, right?"
Hua Yan raised an eyebrow. "If we count the days, the day the Empress miscarried was the day Xiu Rong conceived. Do you think our 'ruthless' Empress could tolerate her?"
Green Willow seemed lost in thought, while Flower Face continued:
"Consort Guo knew that she would become a thorn in the Empress's side after becoming pregnant, so she used the coral bead necklace to bewitch the Empress and gain a chance to survive. That's why she sided with Consort Chun. If she were more clever, she would have found an opportunity to prove that she was weak again, so that she could legitimately recuperate in Dieqiong Pavilion."
Green Willow stared in disbelief. "If that's the case, then it will be very difficult for Consort Guo to have a safe delivery."
Hua Yan hesitated for a moment, "Empress Dowager Zhou once sent a congratulatory gift through Granny Kong, which was precisely the opportunity given to her, but alas..."
Green Willow quickly understood what Flower Face meant: "Shu'er means that Empress Dowager Zhou intends to take Consort Xiu to Shanglin Garden?"
Hua Yan nodded. Guo Xiurong was indeed intelligent, but her weaknesses were also obvious. Because of her arrogance, she couldn't grasp the meaning of "willingness to give up something."
......
On the eighth day of the third month, the day of Jia Chen, the day for the selection of imperial concubines finally arrived.
Three days after Grain Rain, the earth's energy rises, and all flowers bloom in competition, like beautiful maidens vying for attention. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau had already reported that on this day, the stars shine above, the earth's energy flows below, and human harmony prevails, surely bringing auspicious omens to the palaces and the arrival of phoenixes.
At Chenshi (7-9 AM), the Shenwu Gate was opened to welcome the candidates. At the beginning of Sishi (9-11 AM), their certificates were verified. At Wushi (11 AM-1 PM), they arrived outside the Linde Hall. Five people entered the hall together. The Emperor and Empress, along with Empress Dowager Jiang, reviewed the selections. Consort Chun and Consort Mei sat on either side to watch. One stared at the embroidery on the candidate's skirt, while the other smelled the styrax in the gilded incense ball, as if the selection had nothing to do with them.
Taking advantage of Consort Chun's position, Hua Yan arranged for Xiao Nianzi to join the eunuch team, and also transferred Rui Zhu and Ming Yue there. They went to Shenwu Gate early in the morning and accompanied the young ladies all the way to Linde Hall in order to observe their demeanor and temperament.
The young women who participated in the palace selection could be called the pride of heaven. They all underwent examinations of family background, age, and physical appearance. It is worth mentioning that from the moment they stepped into the Divine Martial Gate, regardless of whether they were "retained" or not, they had no chance to return home.
There were only three possible fates for women who failed to be selected in the imperial concubine selection: one was to marry into a distant branch of the imperial family; another was to be married to a military general of a regional military command; and the last was to become a palace maid or enter the Yuzhen Temple to practice Buddhism, where they were required to get tattoos to express their resolve.
The competition was so fierce that most families were unwilling to send their daughters to participate in the imperial concubine selection unless they had a very high chance of winning.
Hua Yan was not qualified to attend the selection at Linde Hall. When Green Willow brought in tea, she was staring blankly at the list of participants in the selection in her study.
"The outcome should be clear in about two hours. Just now, Aunt Mei had Donggua make some milk tea and personally delivered it to Linde Hall."
Hua Yan responded and asked Lü Liu, "Is there anything unusual about Consort Guo?"
Chun Tao said that the Empress Dowager (Empress Dowager Jiang) sent Granny Gong over to take care of Consort Guo until she gave birth. Although Consort Mei did not know why she was close to Consort Guo, she only sent some gifts to congratulate her and did not go to Dieqiong Pavilion.
All the congratulatory gifts sent by the ladies were registered by Shuyao and locked in the storeroom.
Chun Tao is clever and gets along well with Shu Yao and Hua Jin. Even Guo Xiu Rong is now willing to entrust her with some tasks.
Hua Yan praised Lü Liu, saying, "Chun Tao is useful, and that's all thanks to you. Consort Guo is still favored, and who knows how the situation in the palace will change when the new ladies enter. It's always helpful for her to rely on the Empress."
When the evening drum sounded, the list of selected candidates had already been circled in vermilion ink, and Ruizhu returned to Huining Palace first.
"Ninety-eight women participated in the palace selection, but only nine were 'retained.' Among them, two held the most prestigious positions: Li Mingzhen and Xie Ruxuan, whom the beauty had originally chosen..."