Chapter 69: The Grand Selection of Daughters

Youzhou, Yan area.

The fake King of Yan, Zheng Yuantao, looked at the letter in his hand, his young and sinister face full of murderous intent.

"You rejected my kindness? If I want to be king, why do I need the Great Yu court to recognize me?"

"The world is in chaos now, and the ruler of the world must be the one with the strongest army and the most powerful horses!"

He is the third son of King Yan, but he is gifted and his martial arts skills improve by leaps and bounds, and now he has reached the first-class level.

He has the support of several martial arts sects and aristocratic families behind him, and has long harbored the ambition of usurping the throne.

Rebellions broke out in the six northern states, and the court of Dayu was extremely corrupt. At this time, a leader was needed to revive Dayu.

Zheng Yuantao believed that he was the leader of Dayu's revival.

To this end, he secretly won over many officials and soldiers in Yan, granting high positions and generous salaries to those who surrendered, and directly killing those who opposed him.

Under his instigation, his father's ambition continued to grow.

Who would have thought that he was actually assassinated!
It is no longer realistic to trace where the assassin came from.

On the day his father passed away, he immediately summoned his subordinates and killed his eldest and second brothers with thundering means. He monopolized the entire Prince of Yan's Mansion and became the true protagonist of Yan from then on!

The capital city is only three days away from Yan!
As long as he wanted, he could rush to the capital on horseback in three days and execute the emperor.

What a pity...the mountain is blocked by heavy snow!
More than half of the troops under his command were northern cavalry.

With the mountains blocked by heavy snow, it was impossible to march quickly, so they could only keep sending spies to explore the environment around the capital.

Soon, a general in armor walked in quickly, stirring up a gust of wind and snow.

"Your Highness! Scouts have sent word that there is heavy snow at Hushan Pass, Baisha, and Fenghe Ferry, so the cavalry cannot attack."

"It's not realistic to reach the capital in a short period of time."

Zheng Yuantao stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the heavy snow and said, "It's snowing heavily. Is this a warning from God to me?"

"Is this step too dangerous?"

"If it were according to my opinion, it would take at least three years before we could start the rebellion. I didn't expect you to be so impatient?"

"Your Majesty!"

An aide behind him suddenly said, "As the saying goes, man proposes, God disposes. Yu Jian Villa was suddenly closed down by the court. This time we have no choice but to start the rebellion ahead of schedule."

"Moreover, the old prince died suddenly. I guess it has something to do with Emperor Zhengyong."

"Otherwise, something happened at Yujian Villa just now, and the old prince was assassinated. I really can't understand who else is so capable of doing such a thing?"

Then someone else said, "That's right, my lord. There is a new spy organization under the command of Emperor Zhengyong, called 'Jinyiwei', which gathers people from the underworld of Dayu and lures them with money."

"And to be able to assassinate the old prince in the heavily guarded palace, his martial arts cultivation must be at least at the Grandmaster level!"

"In the entire world, I really can't think of anyone other than Emperor Zhengyong who could have asked a Grandmaster to carry out that assassination."

“Emperor Zhengyong…!”

Zheng Yuantao gritted his teeth and said, "I didn't expect that the Emperor of Dayu, the ruler of the world, would actually do what that villain did and assassinate my father!"

"This hatred... is irreconcilable!"

"Cheng De!"

An aide immediately stood up and said, "I'm here."

"You write an article to denounce the emperor, based on the fact that Emperor Zhengyong assassinated my father. I want everyone in the world to recognize the true face of Emperor Zhengyong."

"After the heavy snow stops, we will send out 20,000 dragoons to attack the capital!"

"promise!"

Cheng De agreed, and then said: "Your Highness, as the saying goes, auspicious snow means a good harvest. Although this snow is a hindrance to us, it is a good omen for the people of the six states in the north."

"This sign also indicates that your raising of troops is righteous and supported by the people."

"Otherwise, why is it snowing in most of Youzhou and Binzhou, but only the capital has no snow at all?"

After hearing this, Zheng Yuantao laughed loudly: "Hahaha, you are worthy of being my first aide. Cheng De's words are exactly what I want!"

"This is God's will. Emperor Zhengyong will definitely die."

"I am Dayu, the real emperor!"

The entire Yancheng began to move along with Zheng Yuantao's orders.

It was in this situation that several carrier pigeons took off from the darkness and flew far to the south.

Capital city, Qiankun Palace.

Zheng Yi looked at the secret letter handed to him by the Jinyiwei, and a murderous intent flashed across his eyes.

"When the snow stops, will the fake Yan take action?"

"Twenty thousand dragoons!"

"Gongsun Bo, the warlord of Youzhou, only has 6,000 dragoons under his command!"

"Is the fake Yan so strong?"

"Lu Lian."

"The humble position is here."

"Continue to monitor the movements of the Pseudo-Yan army. If there is any unusual movement, send a pigeon letter immediately."

"promise!"

Lu Lian retreated quickly, but Zheng Yi stood up and looked towards the direction of Pseudo-Yan.

"Want to launch a blitzkrieg attack on the capital? Unfortunately, you made a wrong calculation. I am waiting for you!"

At this time, Liu Chengen quietly walked in again and whispered, "Your Majesty."

"What's the matter?"

"Shu, Shu Fei sent someone to ask for an audience..."

"Shufei?..."

Zheng Yi murmured, this person Zhai Fang is a remnant of Yang Xuansu, would Concubine Shu know Zhai Fang?

She has been imprisoned in Yonghe Palace for nearly two years. Why does she suddenly want to see me again?
Could it be that...she knows Zhai Fang?

Do you know about Zhai Fang and the Queen Mother?
For a moment, Zheng Yi was actually a little upset.

Concubine Yang Huan was the first woman he fell in love with, and she also gave birth to his first child.

But her father had made a terrible mistake, and nothing she did could erase that fact.

After thinking for a few breaths, he shook his head and said, "Just say that I have something important to do and will go to Yonghe Palace in a few days!"

"Go to Xianfu Palace!"

"promise!"

Zheng Yi's sedan chair was heading towards Xianfu Palace. Behind the rockery behind him, there were palace maids from Yonghe Palace who were stopped. Zheng Yi pretended not to see them.

These days, he has newly accepted Jian Yu as his noble wife, and she is also carrying the "Hundred Battles Blood Sword".

When three people practiced together, their progress was several times faster than that of a single person.

His proficiency in "Hundred Battles Blood Blade" is increasing at a rapid pace.

Yonghe Palace.

Seeing her personal maid returning with nothing, Yang Huan couldn't help but feel a little desperate.

"Your Majesty, are you really so ruthless?"

"Empress~"

The maid knelt on the ground and cried, "It's my fault that I can't see Your Majesty. I've been there seven or eight times, but Your Majesty still refuses to see you..."

"No, it's none of your business. It's my fault..."

She staggered to the bedside and gently stroked the little girl on the bed: "Yao'er, your father is so heartless, what should your mother do..."

"Yeah~"

Yao Chi seemed to be dreaming. Her delicate and pretty face suddenly smiled like blooming flowers. Yang Huan also caressed Yao'er's little face with great love.

A few days ago, Yao'er had a high fever and she almost knelt down in front of the eunuchs and palace maids outside the door. After giving her last piece of jewelry to the eunuch guarding the door, she called the imperial physician.

Otherwise...something bad might happen to Yaoer.

"The selection... the selection after the Lantern Festival is my last chance."

"On that day, most of the eunuchs and palace maids will go to the Imperial Garden to serve. Only then can I sneak out of the palace and find a chance to see His Majesty."

"For Yao'er, I don't care even if it means offending the emperor!"

The Lantern Festival is the last important festival in Dayu’s annual customs.

That night, bright lights were lit throughout the capital, illuminating most of the city as bright as day, which was extremely magnificent.

There were crowds of people walking around, bustling about, enjoying the party with the people.

The imperial city was also bustling with activity. Palace maids and eunuchs all lit lanterns and prayed for blessings under the orders of their respective masters.

A large number of palace maids gathered by the streams of their respective palaces, placing river lanterns and laughing and making noises.

Zheng Yi also summoned the empress dowager, concubines and others to gather in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, hosted a banquet for all the ministers, and had fun until midnight.

The night was peaceful and nothing happened.

After the Lantern Festival, the weather was unusually clear and breezy, but still a little chilly.

But even so, it cannot extinguish the enthusiasm of a group of girls with fluttering sleeves and beautiful faces like flowers.

Early in the morning, at the urging of their respective teaching aunts, they washed, dressed, and went to the Imperial Garden to wait.

Today is His Majesty's beauty pageant.

After more than half a year of selection, training and secret struggle, more than 500 beauties finally reached this step.

Among the more than 500 of them, no one knows how many will stay in the palace?
Even if she cannot stay in the palace and become the emperor's favorite concubine, she can be allocated to other members of the royal family.

A lifetime of wealth and glory, endless enjoyment!
If the mother's family is strong enough and the woman herself is likable, or has a special skill, and is favored by His Majesty, she may be promoted to a concubine overnight!

This is a blessing that countless women cannot obtain in their entire lives.

The imperial garden is full of colorful flowers, which are tender and juicy.

It is early spring now, and there are many flowers in bud.

But compared to so many flowers, these more than 500 girls look more delicate.

Some are majestic, some are delicate, some are pure, and some are innocent, naive, and naive...

"Sister, your clothes are so beautiful."

"My sister is also very beautiful. I wonder how many men will like her when they see her."

"What's an ordinary man? I just want to be His Majesty's woman~" "Hehe, how old are you? Do you know what His Majesty's woman is?"

"Huh! Of course I know! Mother taught me a lot of things secretly."

"what?"

"Hmph! I won't tell you~"

"Mother, please bless me. I will definitely be chosen by His Majesty!"

"Your Majesty is a rare talent. Don't worry, mother. I will definitely work hard!"

"It's a bit cold. Look at those women. Why are they wearing so little clothes? How can that be decent?"

"Hush...keep your voice down. They are from the Baihua Sect. They are all warriors and are not afraid of the severe cold."

"Huh? Why is there a Taoist priest here?"

"What Taoist priest? That's a female priest from Taiyi Dao! I heard she's an inner sect disciple of Taiyi Dao. I didn't expect she'd come too~"

"so many people……"

In the entire imperial garden, more than 500 beauties were chattering like a flock of birds, talking a lot and making a lot of noise.

But the teenage girl's voice was as clear as a lark, making you want to listen to it more.

However, these more than 500 people were vaguely divided into several organizations according to their identity, power, maternal clan power, etc.

Among them, they are further divided into dozens of smaller groups based on their mother's clan official positions, their own preferences and relationships, etc.

The most powerful and numerous groups are the daughters of the civil service group and the aristocratic families.

They were taught royal etiquette from a young age, and were proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, all for the purpose of becoming the emperor's women overnight.

The second organization is composed of military households and military daughters.

They are like the children of the civil service group, but they are also vaguely excluded.

The third organization is the women in the folk.

Their mother's families have no power, and they are often discovered by local officials because of their beauty, virtue and reputation, and sent to the capital city in the hope of a chance for advancement.

The fourth one is the organization with the smallest number of people and is vaguely isolated by everyone.

Jianghu woman!

There were only seventeen of them, but their eyes were filled with cold disdain as they looked at the women around them.

The one with the lowest martial arts strength among these seventeen people is also at the third level.

If he gets ruthless, he can kill all the other 500 people present.

Of course, this group of people are all from famous and upright sects, and their character has been cultivated by their master since childhood, so it is impossible for them to do such a thing.

Some of them entered the palace as concubines willingly, hoping to gain wealth and glory.

Some of them had to enter the palace as concubines at the order of their master, while others did so secretly to gain some benefits for the sect.

The sects these seventeen people came from are Taiyi Dao, Baihua Sect, Cihang Temple, and the daughters of three other martial arts schools.

These sects are closest to the capital, so they were the first to respond.

Sects like the Zhenwu Sect, Longhu Mountain, and Shushan Sword Sect are too far away, so there are no daughters from these sects in this audition.

The sky gradually brightened, the sun rose, and the weather was still warm.

At this moment, a large group of eunuchs appeared at the gate of the Imperial Garden. Accompanied by Liu Chengen's loud voice, a series of huge and exquisite sedan chairs exuding royal majesty appeared.

"Your Majesty has arrived~!"

"The Queen Mother has arrived~!"

"The Queen has arrived~!"

"Empress Duan has arrived~!"

The four-person sedan chair entered the Imperial Garden one by one.

According to the ancestral system, Your Majesty will select the concubines, with Your Majesty and the Queen Mother as the main members, and the Empress as the auxiliary.

Due to special reasons, the queen was banned from participating in this selection, and all affairs were presided over by Concubine Duan.

So this time, His Majesty selected concubines, and Concubine Duan also participated in it.

"Join Your Majesty!"

"See the Queen Mother!"

"See the Queen!"

"Meet Empress Duanfei~!"

More than 500 girls knelt down and shouted "Long live the emperor!", which made Zheng Yi feel a little excited.

So many little beauties, they all belong to me!

As long as I want, any one of them can undress for him and make love to him.

"Stand up~"

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

He suppressed his excitement and took the Queen Mother, the Empress, and Concubine Duan to the stands that had been built long ago and took their seats.

In addition to them, there were officials from the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Household Department, the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites and other departments, who were specifically responsible for registering the concubines and verifying their identities.

"Thank you for your hard work, Concubine Duan."

After sitting up straight, the empress dowager, who looked a little pale and tired, spoke first, her tone normal.

Xu Qingluan immediately stood up and said, "It is my honor to be able to share the worries of the Queen Mother and Your Majesty."

"Don't be so modest. During this time when I was worshipping Buddha, I found that the palace was in good order under your management. The palace people were kind and there were no major incidents. You did a great job."

"Empress Dowager Liao Zan, I am ashamed to accept this."

"Sit down, sit down and talk."

"No~"

As the two of them spoke, Queen Lu Lin'er's eyes were filled with resentment.

She was supposed to be the one presiding over the selection of concubines!
And there is also the management of the harem, which is the queen's job!
It’s all her fault, it’s all Xu Qingluan’s fault!

Seeing Xu Qingluan's smug look, Lu Lin'er felt secretly jealous.

But on the surface, she seemed to admire him very much, and said with a smile: "Sister, you are so capable, I envy you so much~"

"Okay, it's about time, let's get started."

Zheng Yi's words interrupted the women's little thoughts and they immediately stopped.

However, the Queen Mother looked somewhat uneasy. She kept looking at Zheng Yi's face and muttering to herself.

"Hua Cao...did you deliver the letter to my eighth brother?"

An official stepped forward and said respectfully, "Your Majesty!"

"I am Zhuang Yunqi, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, and I am the host of your majesty's selection. All the beauties have already been prepared. I wonder if your majesty..."

"Okay, let's get started."

"promise!"

Zhuang Yunqi stood up, quickly came to the pavilion, took out the book he had prepared, and shouted, "Your Majesty, the selection... begins!"

"Bring the showgirl~!"

Led by the eunuchs, the five beauties standing in the front walked in one by one.

"Xia Ruhe, daughter of Jiaxing prefect Xia Zhengyun, 17 years old!"

The first lady, wearing a pink palace dress, smiled as brightly as a flower and bowed.

"The daughter of Fu An, deputy envoy of the Ministry of Public Administration, is Fu Huanian, sixteen years old!"

The second beauty was obviously younger and didn’t dare to look forward. She just bowed slightly with a flushed face.

"Tian Ruyu, the younger sister of Tian Zhengyun, the head of the Ministry of Personnel, is fifteen years old!"

The third beauty was even younger, just like a little child. Although she was taught by her brother, she still secretly looked in the direction of the emperor, like a clever little ghost.

"The daughter of Cao Yinghe, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, Cao Xiangyu, is eighteen years old!"

The fourth beauty was obviously more dignified and tactful. She bowed in a very formal manner, like a lady from a noble family.

"Lin Qinghe, daughter of Lin Dajun, deputy commander of the Infantry Battalion, is seventeen years old!"

The last beauty was a descendant of a military family. She had a tall figure and bright eyes. She saluted His Majesty, the Queen Mother and others very generously.

Sitting on the stage, the Queen Mother said, "Emperor, these are the daughters of court officials. They are all well-educated and beautiful. I wonder which one the Emperor likes?"

"If you like me, I will give you a scented sachet and let you stay in the palace."

Zheng Yi also nodded slowly. The first five people who appeared were not stunningly beautiful, but they were also good-looking.

In her previous life, she would be called the class beauty.

He also knew that the purpose of selecting the most beautiful and charming women in the harem was not to pick out the most beautiful and charming women, but mostly those with dignified looks and mature personalities.

What I’m afraid of is someone seducing their master!
Moreover, the families of these first few women who appeared were not very prominent.

Those first and second rank officials in the court and the daughters of aristocratic families are still behind.

These people are just the women who take the lead.

Zheng Yi nodded slightly and said, "All of you stay."

"W-what?"

The Queen Mother was stunned for a moment, but she quickly reacted and nodded slightly.

"It seems that Concubine Duan did a good job this time. These women are in line with your majesty's wishes~"

Zhuang Yunqi immediately said, "Give me the sachet!"

Five eunuchs stepped forward and gave five red sachets of similar shapes to the five people.

The five ladies immediately knelt down in excitement and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Majesty! Thank you, Queen Mother..."

"Great! I was chosen!"

"Hehe, from now on I will be your Majesty's woman, concubine~"

"Mother! I did it! I entered the palace!"

The five excited people were taken away, and immediately five beautiful girls came up under the leadership of the eunuchs.

Zhuang Yunqi turned a page of the document in his hand and shouted, "Lan Lingrong, daughter of Shanyang County Magistrate Lan Huai, is seventeen years old!"

(End of this chapter)