Chapter 438

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Protagonist:

Shen Yao

The attire and jewelry for the final selection have already been sent over in advance; later, Shen Yao will change clothes and go through the motions.

It truly is just going through the motions, because the Emperor will sit behind a screen, and the only consorts the candidate ladies can see are the Empress, the Noble Consort, and the Virtuous Consort — three in total.

Moreover, judging by the Empress's years of devout Buddhism and disregard for harem affairs, whether she will even show up this time is questionable; whether one gets chosen depends entirely on the daily records from the nainais of Weiyang Palace and the Emperor's weighing of the candidates' family backgrounds.

The reason Shen Yao is confident in herself is because of the back channels she previously mentioned to Shen Chunbai, as well as her own speculation regarding the Emperor's tastes and aesthetics.

Shen Yao is beautiful, yes, but this body's appearance is overly harmless and pure — the type the harem lacks least and the Emperor feels most at ease with.

A person's preferences are usually for a category, not a single individual; moreover, Shen Yao has performed well in Weiyang Palace for half a month, and the nainais' daily reported records constantly feature her presence (thanks to the system secretly informing), so there is a ninety percent chance the Emperor will keep her.

As for the remaining ten percent, there is the previously arranged outside assistance.

"Miss Shen, it is getting late; we should head to Changxin Palace."

The palace maid waiting outside spoke up to remind her; the same words echoed in different rooms of Weiyang Palace, bringing the entire palace to life.

Far from Weiyang Palace, Fengyi Palace presented an entirely different scene.

"Niangniang."

Gui Mama stood beside the Empress, her eyes full of helplessness.

"Mama, just say this palace is feeling unwell today; let the Noble Consort handle this matter."

The Empress held her back straight, expressionless, kneeling before the Buddhist shrine reciting scriptures and praying for blessings.

This has been her constant routine since the premature birth; it seems only this can soothe the void in her heart, only this lets her sleep soundly at night.

Gui Mama's mouth opened and closed, but in the end she could only sigh helplessly, "Yes, this servant understands."

Turning to leave the small Buddhist hall, Gui Mama waved a hand to summon a maid waiting not far off, "Go to Yongning Palace; just say the Empress Niangniang's body has not yet fully recovered, and trouble the Noble Consort Niangniang with today's final selection."

Maid: ……

"Mama, the Niangniang she..." The maid looked in disbelief at the back kneeling in the Buddhist hall, thinking to herself that the Niangniang truly has a good temper; nowadays the palace only knows the Noble Consort, not the Empress, yet the Niangniang doesn't care in the slightest.

"The Niangniang has her own thoughts; you go quickly and return, do not delay."

Gui Mama signaled with words for the maid to hurry away, not to waste effort.

The maid nodded repeatedly in agreement, grumbling inwardly that the Empress Niangniang is too easygoing, causing Yongning Palace's people to constantly climb all over her.

Sigh, hope this trip goes smoothly; otherwise, if I suffer deliberate difficulty, I can only swallow my anger — who told the Empress Niangniang not to care about these things.

Even as the honored Empress of Yu Guo, mother of a nation, it is not easy without favor.

"Heh, this is the Empress Niangniang's own choice; who else can be blamed?"

In Yongning Palace's main hall, the Noble Consort sat on a round stool while maids attended to her toilette; hearing the report from outside, her face showed complete indifference.

"Niangniang, why does the Empress Niangniang always love to immerse herself in the past?"

Things like this being pushed onto our master happen too often; we servants cannot understand. Not doing one's own work and always wanting to shove it outward — what significance is there in being Empress then?

"Lian Xiang, this isn't the Empress Niangniang loving to immerse herself in the past; it's that she fundamentally cannot walk out of it."

The Noble Consort covered her mouth and laughed foolishly, gold hairpins chiming on her head, paired with large embroidered peonies on her robes, looking thoroughly imposing and noble.

"Our palace has few old hands; some things you young ones don't know."

The Noble Consort was among the first batch of the imperial selection to enter the palace after the current Holy Emperor ascended the throne; of high birth and accomplished in talent, if not for her father clashing with the Emperor politically a few years ago, the Empress's position would have changed hands by now.

Coldly snorting, the Noble Consort let the maid tidy her collar.

The chief culprit still has the face to play the victim there; she can only fool newcomers who understand nothing — the Empress? Just a living dead person.

Thinking of something, the Noble Consort's expression suddenly turned ugly, "Let's go, don't keep those younger sisters of mine waiting."

With a flick of her sleeve, the Noble Consort boarded the sedan chair outside the door, leading her palace retinue out in grand procession.

On the road, she encountered the Virtuous Consort also rushing to Changxin Palace; the Noble Consort still mocked her with sharp words.

Both their families have high court officials, and both walk the talented woman path; meeting each other always brings a hint of red-eyed rivalry.

In recent years, the Virtuous Consort's grandfather retired and returned home; on the surface she could not match the Noble Consort, so the two eased up a little.

"Greetings, Noble Consort Elder Sister."

The Virtuous Consort's features were pale and plain, her aura rare; speaking with her felt like basking in a spring breeze.

Pity the Virtuous Consort's little skill hits a wall before the Noble Consort, to no effect.

"I dare not accept the Virtuous Consort's greeting; this palace cannot compare to the Virtuous Consort's eloquence, fearing a slip might cause the Virtuous Consort to misunderstand and draw the Emperor's blame upon this palace."

Casually flicking nonexistent dust from her clothes, the Noble Consort waved her hand urging the palace staff to hurry, "Today's outing, why didn't I check the almanac.

Lian Xiang, next time we run into this sort of thing, remember to definitely take another path."

Virtuous Consort: ……

Although both are proper first-rank consorts, the Virtuous Consort ranks last among the Four Consorts, while the Noble Consort stands at the head of the Four Consorts — a difference of half a rank, so every meeting the Virtuous Consort must tolerate the Noble Consort.

Yet the Noble Consort acts entirely on her own whims, truly knowing no restraint.

Hmph!

This also qualifies as a talented woman?

A waste of Grand Tutor Zhou's fine upbringing, but then again, she's just a stepmother's daughter.

Only after the Noble Consort's sedan chair went far did the Virtuous Consort order her palace staff to follow.

Yunxiang, the maid serving the Virtuous Consort, constantly watched her master's state; seeing her master's mood was poor, she hurriedly used the people nearby to indirectly scold and vent for her master.

The Virtuous Consort smiled faintly, "No matter; so many years as old opponents with the Noble Consort, this palace is long used to however she speaks." Pity that when Consort Shu died at the end of last winter, the Noble Consort didn't go with her — all my own fault for being too soft-hearted, hesitating over a single packet of medicine.

Lowering her head to look at her beautiful, slender fingers, the Virtuous Consort abruptly asked Yunxiang, "The one recently gaining favor is Tang Meiren of Changle Palace?"

Yunxiang froze for a moment, then nodded along, "Master, it is Tang Meiren, and she also came out of Noble Consort's Yongning Palace as an old servant."

She entered and was assigned to Yongning Palace, then fell ill afterward, recuperated for nearly two years, and only recently saw the Emperor and was promoted to Beauty; currently she counts as a new favorite in the palace, and it is heard there are faint signs of promotion to Jieyu.

Virtuous Consort pinched her handkerchief and covered her mouth with one hand, "Besides Tang Meiren, this pearl lost in the vast sea, Yongning Palace still has a few others said to have decent looks, merely lacking a bit of luck and opportunity," after all Yongning Palace is Noble Consort's territory, and Noble Consort's temperament is both domineering and ruthless, vengeful over the slightest grievance; who would dare vie for favor in Yongning Palace.

Yunxiang's eyes turned, and she immediately understood what scheme her master was hatching. She smiled broadly, saying Yongning Palace indeed has a few pitiable consorts, born of small gate small household, not one of them even managed to scrape a proper Fifth Rank Talented Lady position.

If our master wishes to stretch out a hand to help, those Baolin and Nushi will certainly be willing.

"Find an opportunity to help them; fellow sisters, this palace also does not wish to see them lonely and destitute with no one to rely on," and it can also cause trouble for Noble Consort; Virtuous Consort is quite pleased.

Yunxiang lowered her head and answered yes, committing her master's words to heart, while simultaneously pondering how to select a suitable opportunity to push the person out.

This master-servant pair is also rather interesting; most of their attention is on Noble Consort, and they do not value favor all that much.

'Not valuing it is perfectly normal? Noble Consort and Virtuous Consort are not two years different in age from the Emperor,' with the Emperor's peerless skill at liking the new and tiring of the old, Noble Consort and Virtuous Consort vying for favor would only bring humiliation upon themselves.

After changing clothes and putting on ornaments, Shen Yao stood outside Changxin Palace with a calm expression.

All around were Xiu Nu dressed the same as Shen Yao, everyone in groups of several, lined up in long queues; not far away stood the giant screens that had been set up.

The Emperor and his party had not yet come over; Shen Yao, idle with nothing to do, chatted idly with the System.

As a System that has overheard much harem gossip, the occasional few sentences it pops out can help Shen Yao roughly sort out the harem situation.

For example, the Empress stays aloof on the outside, Noble Consort and Virtuous Consort have always been at odds, last year the newly offline Consort Shu hid bitter secrets, the new favorite Tang Meiren is an old hand from Noble Consort's palace...

'Host, the palace feels very hard to navigate,' the System stroked its non-existent chin, 'even if Host gives birth to offspring, raising them peacefully to adulthood will also consume much heart and blood,' even the Emperor cannot be trusted, tsk tsk tsk, how miserable.

'Ancient times simply have no easy inner chambers,' otherwise where would palace intrigue and household intrigue come from?

Human hearts are never easily satisfied; no matter where, one cannot avoid striving for victory and defeat.

One person and one System stood in the original place chatting; as time drew near bit by bit, Noble Consort's and Virtuous Consort's sedan chairs appeared one after another; as for the Empress and the Emperor, one did not come, the other came later.

Noble Consort's attire has always been splendid and flamboyant, completely opposite to her name and origin.

In fact, Noble Consort was not like this when she first entered the palace; like her name Zhou Shuyun, she naturally carried a divine charm, radiant elegance not tainted by vulgarity.

What made her become like this now, dressed in red and green, gold hairpins filling her head?

Perhaps after her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage? Or because her birth father Zhou Taishi repeatedly confronted the Emperor? Or because new people frequently entered the palace, the Emperor lingered in the harem yet never came to Yongning Palace?

Virtuous Consort looked at Noble Consort, so changed she was like a different person from before, and her heart actually had a moment of trance.

She abruptly curled her mouth into a smile; Virtuous Consort secretly despised herself for thinking too much.

In the harem, who is not pitiable? If Zhou Shuyun counts as pitiable like this, then the other consorts — are they not even more miserable, including herself; who has Zhou Shuyun's kind of confidence and background.

The stray train of thought lasted only a blink before returning to normal; Virtuous Consort drooped her eyes and stroked the auspicious cloud pattern at her arm bend, listening to Noble Consort impatiently ordering the Xiu Nu to step forward for questioning one by one, coldness seeping out in her gaze.

As expected, the palace consorts are unlikable, and the younger sisters from outside are also very annoying.

The Emperor is truly a greedy person; having this bunch of elder sisters and younger sisters is not enough, he actually wants to select consorts into the palace again, truly making one feel uncomfortable at heart.

The lined-up Xiu Nu bent at the waist and saluted, displaying the palace rules they had learned meticulously to the letter; even those with solid family backgrounds and Grand Secretary fathers had to obediently submit to the arrangements of the two above.