The day I first entered the palace was a very sunny day. Swallowing Novels www. The 20th day of the eighth lunar month in the twelfth year of the Qianyuan Period was an auspicious day. Standing in the empty courtyard of the Forbidden City, you could see an extremely clear sky, with clear blue sky.

It is like a puddle of jasper, without a trace of clouds, and occasionally geese fly by in groups.

The geese flying high are said to be a very good omen.

Outside the Yuxiang Gate, there were countless carriages specially designed for beautiful women. Everyone was silent and kept an unusual silence. I stood with beautiful women from all over the world, a dark group of people, carrying green, fat, red and thin dishes.

Their faces were trimmed, and their noses were fragrant with makeup. Few people spoke, and they only focused on taking care of whether their makeup and clothes were in good condition, or curiously peeking at the beautiful women nearby.

The draft is the destiny of every official girl. There is a selection every three years. After layers of selection, unmarried women with both talent and beauty are selected into the palace to enrich the back court.

This draft doesn't mean much to me. I just came here to make up the numbers and then go back. Dad said, our daughter is so pampered that she can't stand the constraints of the palace. That's all, I'll marry a good husband in peace.

That’s it.

My mother-in-law said that with my daughter’s appearance and family background, not to mention his character, talent and learning, she must choose the best husband for me. I have always thought this way, I, Zhen Huan, must marry the best man in the world, and

If he gets married and grows old safely, he will be happy. I can't let myself down easily.

The emperor, who is in charge of the world, may not be the best man in my heart. At least, he cannot concentrate on me.

Therefore, I don't dress up carefully. I have a light makeup on my face, and I wear a light green silk double-combed Yunyan's fashionable palace dress. It is tailored according to the rules, with upper skirt and upper skirt, ordinary style and color that are lost in the public.

, not showing off in any way, nor being stingy. A freshly picked white hibiscus is tied on her head. In addition, she only has an exquisite jade hairpin with seven treasures, decorated with thin silver beaded tassels. She is a little proud of her status.

Yi Xian is not an ordinary Xiaojiabiyu and can be easily underestimated.

Being so unwilling to put in any extra effort, all I had to do was wait for the emperor to "drop his flag" and let me lose the election.

The place to select the show girls is Yunyi Hall, the main hall of the Changchun Palace in the Forbidden City. The show girls are divided into groups of six, and are led in by eunuchs to be selected for viewing. The rest wait in the East and West Pavilions of the Changchun Palace. The selection is very simple.

Kowtow to the emperor and queen, and then stand and wait for instructions. The emperor may ask someone a few words, or he may just thank someone without asking. Then the emperor decides whether to "put down the sign" or "keep it." "Put down the sign."

It means being eliminated, while "retaining" means being selected, staying in the family temporarily, and choosing an auspicious day to enter the palace as a concubine.

The emperor is already married and has many favorites. This draft is just a way to select concubines to enrich the family and create heirs for the emperor.

There was a room full of beautiful girls, and the only one I knew well was Shen Meizhuang, the daughter of Shen Zishan, the governor of Jeju. My house was located next to her ancestral home in Beijing, and she and I had grown up together since childhood, and our friendship was extraordinary.

When she saw me from a distance, she smiled, came over, held my hand, and said with joy and concern on her face: "Huan'er, I feel relieved that you are here. Last time I heard my grandma say that my sister has caught the cold, is she better?"

I got up Yiyi and said: "I just coughed twice and I've been fine for a long time. Please worry about it. The road is bumpy, and my sister has suffered from the dust."

She nodded, looked at me carefully, smiled and said, "I'm much better after two days of rest in Beijing. My sister is dressed so neatly today, and she looks more and more outstanding in appearance and outstanding."

My face turned red and I said shyly, "Isn't my sister a beauty? Don't you want to shame me by saying this?"

She smiled and said nothing, lightly scratching my cheek with her fingers. Only then did I look at her carefully. She was wearing a rose-purple top with a thousand petals and chrysanthemum patterns, a moon-white pleated Ruyi moon skirt, and her jet-black hair was combed into an inverted bun with a bun at the edge.

A silk golden phoenix, with a gold-encrusted flower on her forehead, and ruby ​​earrings swaying in her ears, showing a graceful and calm demeanor.

I smiled and couldn't help but admire: "I haven't seen you for a few days, and my sister has become more and more beautiful. The emperor must have never forgotten her when he saw her."

Meizhuang put his finger on his lips to silence me, and whispered: "Be careful what you say and do! There are many outstanding girls in this year's show. My sister may not be selected because she is just beautiful."

I realized I had made a mistake, so I stopped talking and just chatted with her about domestic matters.

I only heard a "clang" in the distance and the sound of a tea cup being turned over. Meizhuang and I stopped talking and looked up. I saw a woman wearing a dark green satin dress with a head full of pearls, holding the hem of her skirt with one hand and tugging hard with the other.

Another beautiful girl lived there and shouted: "Don't you have eyes? Pour such hot tea on me! Do you want to die? Which beautiful girl are you from?"

The beautiful girl who was pulled by her was not outstandingly dressed, but her appearance was delicate and charming. She huddled up in a ball and didn't know what to do with herself. She could only lower her eyebrows and replied in a low voice: "My name is An Lingrong. My father...

My father...is...is..."

Seeing that her clothes were ordinary, the beautiful girl no longer took her seriously, and became even more fierce: "Can't you even tell me about your father's official position?"

An Lingrong was forced to do nothing by her, her face turned purple, and her voice was as quiet as a mosquito: "Father... the magistrate of Songyang County... An Bihuai."

The beautiful girl raised her face with a look of contempt and snorted: "She is indeed from a small family! Such disrespect for etiquette."

Someone next to him interrupted and reminded An Lingrong: "Do you know that the person you offended is Xia Yuejing, the daughter of Xinfu Sushi who joined the army?"

An Lingrong was frightened, so he had to bow down and apologize to Mrs. Lin: "Lingrong just thought about meeting the Holy Master later, and felt uneasy, so he accidentally spilled the tea on Sister Lin. Lingrong was here to apologize to Sister Lin.

Please forgive me and hope that my sister will forgive me."

A look of disgust appeared on Mrs. Xia's face, and she frowned and said, "Why do you want to see the Holy Master? It's really unreasonable! You can give up what you have done today, you just need to kneel down and kowtow to me to apologize."

An Lingrong's face immediately turned pale, and tears rolled in her eyes. She looked very fragile and helpless, which made people feel pity. No one of the beautiful ladies around her was willing to say a word of advice to Xia. Everyone thought of it.

, How could the emperor choose a daughter of a county prime minister to be his concubine, but this Xia family has a slight chance of being selected. The power gap is huge, who would be willing to offend the daughter of a military officer who joined the army for a small county prime minister's daughter. Seeing that the An family is

You must suffer this humiliation.

In my heart, I looked down on such bullying, and I frowned unconsciously. Seeing me like this, Meizhuang held my hand and whispered, "Don't just cause trouble."

I couldn't agree to it, so I broke away from her hand, stepped forward, raised my hand to lift Anshi and pulled her to her side, then turned to Lin and said softly: "It's just a piece of clothing, sister Xia, don't be angry. Sister, take care of me."

If you have a change of clothes, sister can go to the back compartment and change. Today is the election. If sister is so noisy, I am afraid it will alarm the Holy Master. If Long Yan becomes angry because of this, how can you and I sisters bear the responsibility? Moreover, even if the Holy Master today

"I'm not surprised. If it spreads to other people's ears in the future, it will ruin my sister's reputation as a virtuous person. It's not worth the loss for a small piece of clothing. I hope my sister will think twice."

Xia thought for a moment and looked hesitant, but in the end she didn't have an attack. She left with a "hum". The beautiful ladies onlookers dispersed, and I smiled at An again: "Zhen Huan is talking too much here today. Sister An must not laugh. Huan."

I see that my sister is alone, can you come over to keep me and sister Meizhuang company? I hope everyone can take care of me so that I don't feel panicked and don't know what to do."

An Lingrong's face was full of gratitude, and she bowed her head timidly and said thanks: "Thank you very much, sister, for your help. Although Lingrong was born in a humble background, the kindness he received today will be unforgettable."

I smiled and said, "It's just a matter of effort. We are all sisters waiting to be chosen, so why worry about it like this." She hesitated slightly: "It's just that if my sister offends others for me like this, she is causing trouble for herself."

Meizhuang came up to me and said, "This is a forbidden area within the palace. You are so lawless! It worries me." He then smiled at An and said, "Look at her nonsense. How could she be so determined to be selected?"

And I’m not afraid of offending anyone.”

I took a look at An's clothes. They were brand new, obviously newly made, but the material was ordinary. They were obviously made from common ingredients and lacked elegance. In addition to two plain silver hairpins without jewels and velvet flowers in her hair, her hair and face were embellished.

On my hand was an ordinary gold bracelet with no other accessories, which made it look a bit shabby among the beautiful ladies all dressed up in flowers. I frowned slightly and saw a pot of begonias in full bloom in the corner, and I followed the case casually.

He took a pair of scissors and cut off three hairpins on Lingrong's temples, which immediately made her more charming. He also took off a pair of jade rings from her ears and put them on for her, saying: "People want clothes, Buddha

I want a gold outfit. My sister's clothes are ordinary, and those who judge others by their appearance will look down on her. This pair of earrings is a gift for meeting today. I hope it can help my sister to be successfully selected."

An was moved and said with tears: "I have spent so much money on my sister. My sister is from a humble background. Naturally, she will be 'disregarded'. Instead, I will live up to my sister's good intentions."

Mei Zhuang consoled him: "Heroes never care about their origins. My sister is beautiful, why should I belittle myself."

Just as I was talking, a eunuch came over to tell An Lingrong and several other beautiful ladies to enter the palace. I smiled at her to encourage them, and then I held hands with Meizhuang and returned to our seats to continue waiting.

As soon as she sat down, a young maid came up to serve tea. Meizhuang and I each took a piece of silver from our purses and rewarded her. The maid thanked her with a smile. When Mei Zhuang saw the maid retreating, he said sadly: "What a wonderful day just now.

Open your mouth and don't worry about offending the newly promoted concubines."

I took the tea bowl and slowly blew away the hot air in the cup. Seeing that no one was paying attention to us, I said leisurely: "How could I not know that you care about me? Just think about it, sister, for the emperor's draft, family background is of course important, but

De Rong's speaking skills are also indispensable. Although Xia Yuejing is from a lowly background, she will never get into the eyes of the emperor with such virtuous behavior. Even if she enters the palace, she may not end up well. So why should she be offended?"

Meizhuang nodded and said with a smile: "What you said does make some sense. No wonder your father has looked at you differently since you were a child and praised you as 'the best among women'. Of course, An's family is indeed pitiful."

I smiled and said, "This is the first level. It is expected that my sister will be selected because of her family background and beauty. Although An's family background is not good, she is polite and has a unique charm. She may be older than Xia. My sister has no intention of entering the palace.

, if An is chosen, my sister will have many people in the palace to take care of her. Of course, there are many beauties nowadays, whether An will be chosen is another matter, it is just Huan'er's humble opinion."

Mei Zhuang was moved, reached out to hold my hand and sighed: "Huan'er, thank you for taking such trouble for me. It's just that you are so beautiful but have no intention of entering the palace. If you fall into an ordinary family, it will be a secret."

I didn't comment, just smiled lightly and said: "Everyone has his own ambitions. Besides, Huan'er is dull and not used to life in the palace. I only hope that my sister can rise to the top."

There are a large number of women in this year's draft, and when it was Meizhuang's turn to enter the hall to meet the saint, it was already dusk on the willow trees above the moon. Most of the contestants had already gone back, and only a dozen or so were still waiting anxiously in the Nuan Pavilion. Inside the hall

I put on the lamp in my hand, and lined up two rows of Heyang flower candles from the throne to the entrance of the hall. There were hundreds of branches, with branches as thick as arms. The candles were filled with agarwood chips. The flames were bright and the fragrance was refreshing.

Meizhuang and four other beautiful women and I walked in dressed solemnly. We knelt down and saluted at the instructions given by the supervisor, and then stood up together. We stood aside with our hands hanging, waiting for the chief of ceremony and the supervisor to call the names, and then they came out one by one to attend.

I just heard the hoarse, high-pitched voice of an old eunuch shouting one by one:

"Ye Fangchun, daughter of Ye Jian, Yandao, Jiangsu, was eighteen years old."

"Sun Miaoqing, the sister of Suzhou weaver Sun Changhe, is seventeen years old."

"Fu Xiaotang, daughter of Fu Shuping, the prefect of Xuancheng, is thirteen years old."

I lowered my head and stared intently at the ground. The three-foot-square large bluestone tiles were seamlessly collaged. The middle was as smooth as a mirror, and the four-joy moire pattern was carved around it. I listened to the first few beautiful ladies kneeling in obeisance.

As expected, the hem of the clothes and the jade jewelry on the head made a slight clanking sound. I glanced curiously at the side, and saw that several beautiful ladies were so nervous that their hands were shaking slightly, and I couldn't help but laugh secretly in my heart.

I couldn't help but peek at the emperor and empress on the throne. The Yunyi Palace is large and spacious. The walls, beams and pillars of the palace are all decorated with cloud patterns. They are colorful and colorful. There are no dragons, phoenixes and other commonly used flower decorations in the palace. Red gold

Sitting above the dazzling throne of Kowloon gold treasures is Xuan Ling, the fourth generation monarch of the Zhou Dynasty. The man wears a crown that reaches the sky, with twelve white jade beads hanging in front of him, covering the dragon's face, and his expression cannot be seen clearly.

Her appearance is just slightly slanted, with a hint of exhaustion. She seems to have been dazzled by the beautiful ladies who have been watching them all day. When hearing their greetings, she just nodded her head and waved her hand to let them leave without asking any questions. Poor these beautiful ladies.

After a tense day, she didn't even dare to have lunch in order to cherish her beautiful face. She came to run for the election with trepidation, but was easily "rejected". The empress sat on the right side of the emperor's throne, wearing a beaded crown and a phoenix. She looked very majestic.

She is also dignified and beautiful, with kind features. Although she is tired after a day's work, she is still sitting strong and her momentum has not diminished at all.

"Shen Meizhuang, the daughter of Shen Zishan, the governor of Jeju, is sixteen years old." Meizhuang stood out with a light figure. She lowered her head and blessed her with a voice like an oriole: "My daughter Shen Meizhuang comes to see the emperor and empress. May the emperor live long and the queen live a thousand years."

auspicious."

The emperor sat up straight and asked in a rather interested tone, "Have you ever read anything?" The hall was empty, and the emperor's voice was filled with vague and empty echoes. It sounded unreal from a distance, buzzing like a dreamland.

Meizhuang replied politely and politely: "My daughter is dull and rarely reads. She has only read "Nu Principles" and "Nu Xun" and knows a few words."

The emperor said "Hmm": "These two books emphasize the virtues of women, which is good."
To be continued...