Chapter Four: The Young Ladies Enter the Palace

Yes, Princess

It's fine, we just need to be a bit more careful. Don't tell the others in Xuan about this. Go find out the arrangements for tomorrow's draft and see if you can make some arrangements.

I am here, what are your orders, Your Highness

Bi Ye, when Xiao Shun Zi arrives in a while, you should have him help you with planting flowers and plants. As for me, just say that I caught a chill last night and need to rest in bed today, and that no one is to disturb me

Frolo, who had stretched her neck in anticipation, finally saw the beautiful maidens gracefully entering the long courtyard gate one by one

"Princess." Bi Ye's eyes widened in disbelief, unable to comprehend that Fu Luo would actually do such an outrageous thing. "In a few days, aren't you going to personally accompany the noble consort to select the candidates? What is there to see tomorrow?"

"You must be new here, as you look so unfamiliar," the young eunuch walking beside Fu Luo asked.

The aforementioned Zeng Xiaoyi turned his head and glared fiercely at Ru Pin.

Master, the servant—" the concubine's eyes turned red from grievance

After having breakfast in the inner chamber, Fu Luo, with the help of Bi Ye, slipped out of Han Dan Pavilion through the back door and joined the throng of eunuchs heading towards Chang Ting Gate.

However, to put it another way, according to the summary made by Fu Luo after reading, if there is no imperial palace in the harem, then only the four first-rank consorts of noble, virtuous, moral, and worthy status are qualified to select the palace maids. As for those of second rank, they should not have the qualification to assist the emperor in alleviating his worries. It seems that this Consort Yu is indeed very considerate of this younger sister.

The woman seemed to sense the intense gaze of Fuluo (in fact, she was admiring the beauty), and timidly glanced at Fuluo. As a result, her gaze was precisely captured by Fuluo, who responded with a courteous smile. Fuluo was still not accustomed to the atmosphere of the harem and continued to use modern social etiquette, offering a polite smile to everyone as a form of greeting. However, the woman appeared startled, her eyes resembling those of an injured fawn, and her body trembled as she quickly lowered her head. Fuluo was still not accustomed to the atmosphere of the harem and continued to use modern social etiquette, offering a polite smile to everyone as a form of greeting. However, the woman appeared startled, her eyes resembling those of an injured fawn, and her body trembled as she quickly lowered her head

Alright, today I am waiting for all the elder sisters and younger sisters to arrive, as I have an announcement to make. As everyone knows, the selection of candidates, which occurs once every three years, will begin this spring. Tomorrow, the candidates will be waiting at Changting Gate. Next, I will need the assistance of Sister Lanfei and Sister Fufei to help me alleviate the Emperor's concerns by selecting suitable candidates to serve him. All the younger sisters should also set an example as concubines of the imperial harem and not allow the newcomers to be ridiculed.

Sister Jieyu is right; one should also reflect on their own lowly status. While the appearance may be similar, the social standing is worlds apart. To harbor such delusions of receiving the favor of the dragon is truly shameless. If it were not for Zeng Xiaoyi's kindness, how could such a seductress take advantage of the situation?" The speaker is likely the noblewoman Jiang, who usually follows Lady Jieyu's lead.

The servant understood. However, it is against the ancestral rules for the princess to act this way. If other ladies were to see this, who knows what might happen

"No problem, my name is Xiao Dengzi. If you have any matters in the future, feel free to come find me. I am under the care of Grand Eunuch De in the Neishi Jian, and he treats me quite well." He appeared quite pleased with himself, suggesting that he had managed to establish a decent standing among the eunuchs. It seems that Grand Eunuch De is like the deputy chief eunuch of the Neishi Jian, although Fu Luo had never seen him, having only heard about him from the palace servants of Hantan Xuan.

Flora turned around in front of the mirror, "Green leaves, how is it? Still looks the same, right?"

These thousands of talented women must first be personally selected by Eunuch Wan, as he knows the Emperor's preferences best. However, this also depends on whether those talented women are respectful; those who are respectful may still be accepted even if the Emperor does not favor them, while those who are not respectful, no matter how beautiful, may not be accepted. Although this task is arduous, the rewards are substantial. When Eunuch Wan is in a good mood, he also rewards us lower-ranking eunuchs.

Yes, Xiao Shunzi has something to attend to today, so I will take his place for a while

Throughout the night, Fu Luo could not sleep peacefully. After enduring until dawn, she hurriedly called Bi Ye to help her dress up as a young eunuch. Since eunuchs are originally fair-skinned and have a feminine appearance, it was not difficult to achieve the transformation.

Great, Biye, you go tell Xiao Shunzi that I will have him come to Hantan Pavilion to help tomorrow. As for Eunuch Wan, I will speak to him myself. This way, I can use his waist token to impersonate him and go see the selection of the maidens tomorrow

It seems that the eunuch who is accompanying the princess is rather too delicate in appearance

Finally, a woman who arrived late ended the small group discussions characterized by individual agendas during the morning assembly. What particularly caught Fu Luo's attention was not the woman's appearance, but rather the attitudes of those present. Consort Yu cast a disdainful glance at her, showing no proper disdain for a consort who made everyone wait, which was unlike her treatment of the deliberately late Consort Li. Consort Lan looked at her coldly, her eyes filled with disgust. The other consorts displayed a mix of jealousy and mockery, with none showing any friendliness.

Flora pulled Biyue into the inner chamber, glanced around to ensure no one was present, and then whispered to her: "Biyue, I want to go see the selection of maidens tomorrow. Please help me find a set of eunuch's clothing, and don't tell anyone else."

They have arrived at the Changting Gate. Outside the Changting Gate is a long corridor, where the carriages of the talented women are parked in an orderly manner, stretching as far as the eye can see. Inside the Changting Gate is a larger square, where the chief eunuch Wan Quan has already taken his seat in the center. Fu Luo and Xiao Dengzi, along with about ten other young eunuchs, stand behind him. Other eunuchs are responsible for guiding the talented women, maintaining order, and keeping track of the names, noting who has been retained and who has been dismissed.

"As for you, Sister Pin, you are indeed precious, making everyone wait for you alone. The Emperor is not even here, yet you still pretend to be delicate and pitiful, fearing that no matter how you act now, the Emperor will not even glance at you, not to mention your lowly status. We certainly do not have a brother who is a eunuch." The speaker was indeed Li Jieyu, her cold sarcasm directed at the woman who had just entered, who turned out to be a fifth-rank concubine.

Finally, she has made up her mind; taking risks is worthwhile. However, she needs an accomplice, or rather, a helper, to go see the contestants.

My name is Xiao Luzi. What about you, big brother? I have only just entered the palace a few days ago and have encountered such a major event. Please remind me a little later, big brother.

Emerald leaves

Flora paced restlessly in the Han Dan Pavilion. What if she went to see the selection of the maidens tomorrow? It was indeed a bit risky, as there were countless people in the harem eager to seize any opportunity to bring her down, willing to go to any lengths. However, if she chose not to go, it would be a waste of her time in this world; after all, who knew if she would have another chance to see it again in three years? Perhaps she might be harmed during these three years, or even return to her original world. If she really did return, she would surely be infuriated at having missed such an interesting event. Yet, if she did not go, it would still be a waste of her time in this world; after all, who knew if she would have another chance to see it again in three years? Perhaps she might be harmed during these three years, or even return to her original world. If she really did return, she would surely be infuriated at having missed such an interesting event.

I was wondering why I haven't seen him today, what is your name?

Princess, many young eunuchs will accompany the chief eunuch, Master Wan Quan, of the Inner Court to Changting Gate tomorrow to serve the newly arrived talented ladies. A familiar acquaintance of mine, Xiao Shun, will also be going tomorrow

It is only tomorrow that one can see clearly. In order to conceal her true motivation of curiosity and having nothing to do, Fu Luo added, I am also here to investigate the authenticity of this year's candidates. They do not know my identity, which allows me to truly discern right from wrong.

Only after hearing this did Fu Luo gain a general understanding. It turns out that this Ru Pin was originally a palace maid, but unexpectedly gained the Emperor's favor. Many women in the palace felt that her status was lowly, yet she now occupies a position above them, which surely causes resentment. For instance, Zeng Xiaoyi, who held the fifth rank, was originally her superior, but now finds herself beneath Ru Pin, who holds the same fifth rank. The resentment in her heart is easy to imagine. As for why this Ru Pin gained favor, it is likely due to her resemblance to someone.

It is unexpected to encounter such a fortunate event; upon crossing over, I find myself at the grand selection ceremony. Moreover, I have heard that I can assist the emperor as a judge, which brings a wave of delight to my heart, akin to being a judge for a super girl competition. It is said that there were three thousand beauties from across the nation participating in the selection, but after being sifted through by the experienced eunuchs and matriarchs of the imperial harem, only three hundred remain. It is estimated that after the powerful figures in the harem (referring to the noble consort, the virtuous consort, and the consort Fu) make their selections, only a few dozen will be left. After the emperor makes his final selection, there will likely be very few remaining, making the chances of being chosen exceedingly low.

After Biye left, Fuluo eagerly stretched her neck, waiting for her return. It was not until dinner time that she finally saw the lovely silhouette of Biye.

"This humble servant pays her respects to Your Highness, the noble consort." The woman's voice was soft and melodious, exceedingly pleasant to the ears. Her eyes resembled autumn waters, her face akin to peach blossoms, fresh and elegant, a truly delightful beauty. Although she did not possess the grandeur of the noble consort, the enchanting charm of Fei Luo, or the delicate allure of Li Jieyu, she exuded a unique and refined grace. How could such a beauty evoke discontent among all the women in the imperial harem?