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Chapter 4
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Chapter 4
After meeting with those three mistresses and receiving their subtle instructions, Wu Shangyi felt the weight of a heavy heart. On her way back to the Bureau of Ceremonies, she reached the Zhong Hua Men and happened to encounter Chief Liu coming from the opposite direction.
Liu Quanyun had intended to greet her, but seeing her head bowed in deep thought, completely oblivious to his presence, he let out a playful "Yo!" and chuckled. "Official Wu's eyes are certainly set high today." Glancing at the paper-wrapped parcels in her hand, he added with a cheeky grin, "By the look of it, someone’s received a reward. No wonder you're ignoring people; I suppose you're afraid I'll snatch your treasures away."
Wu Shangyi finally snapped out of it and held the parcels out slightly. "What treasures? Just two bags of almond powder. If the Great Chief doesn't mind them, I’ll offer them to you as a token of respect."
As the General Manager of the Six Palaces, Liu Quanyun had skimmed enough profit over the years that two bags of almond powder meant nothing to him. He stepped aside to let her pass. "I was only joking, yet you took it seriously." He tipped his head toward the West Second Long Street. "You're coming from over there?"
Wu Shangyi, seeking his advice, pulled him aside and whispered the details of her recent encounter. "This is a significant matter, and I don't dare make the call myself," she concluded. "While rejecting a single candidate is just a matter of a word from us, that girl is a Shang. Surely the higher-ups know she's here? Yu Guifei hasn't said a word, yet Gong Fei from Yi Kun Gong has given her instructions. Tell me, how should this be handled?"
Chief Liu also found himself in a bind. "Ordinarily, we should follow the lead of Yu Guifei, but we can't ignore the face of the mistress in Yi Kun Gong either. After all, she is a favorite of the Empress Dowager."
"Then... should I send someone to probe Yu Guifei's thoughts?"
"Absolutely not," Chief Liu immediately shot down the idea. "If Yu Guifei says to keep her, would you dare go against Mistress Gong? When the high-ranking ladies start their power plays, we servants get caught in the middle. Why go looking for trouble? In my opinion, it’s best to find a middle ground—one that acknowledges Yu Guifei's authority without offending Gong Fei."
Wu Shangyi thought it over and nodded slowly. After a long moment, she let out a bitter smile. "At times like this, life is most difficult for people like us."
Liu Quanyun curled his lip. "When has it ever been easy for us? We'll just have to play both sides. We don't seek merit; we only seek to avoid fault." With that, he tucked his hands behind his back and sauntered away.
Wu Shangyi wasn't entirely without a plan. She had intentionally informed Liu Quanyun so that if things went wrong later, she would have someone to share the blame.
Of course, during the selection, any palace mistresses with relatives in the running were not idle. The threshold of the Bureau of Ceremonies was nearly worn flat by their visits. Everyone hoped for a trusted relative in the deep palace to support them. Even if the relative wasn't chosen as a consort, being assigned as a wife to a Prince or a Beyle was still a matter of great prestige.
After the second round, only about three hundred candidates remained for the final stages. Most of these three hundred would stay in the palace until the end; the only difference lay in the final inspection, which would sort them into different ranks. The top tier would become candidates for the harem; among the middle and lower tiers, those who were particularly unsatisfactory would be sent home, while the rest would be enrolled as palace maids.
The third round was set at Jing Yi Xuan, a pavilion five rooms wide and three rooms deep with a protruding porch. The numerous interconnected rooms provided the necessary privacy for investigating the "secrets" of the palace candidates.
On this day, Yi Xing and Yin Zhu entered together. Although they roughly knew the content of the inspection beforehand, undressing in front of people other than their personal maids was still an embarrassing ordeal.
In the next room, a candidate was being bashful. Yi Xing heard the nanny in charge say in a stern but weary voice, "What you have, we all have. What is there to be ashamed of? Which palace girl doesn't go through this? To serve the Master, one must first be complete in every way. Honestly, no one wants to look at this for no reason, but aren't we carrying out the Emperor's orders? We have no choice but to inconvenience you. Once you become a mistress in the future, you'll understand our good intentions. This meticulous check is for your sake, so you don't lose your composure before the Master."
Hearing this, Yi Xing knew there was no way to dodge it. She was quite straightforward, undressing in a few quick motions by the window.
The windows were covered with thick paper, so no silhouettes could be seen from the outside. However, warm light filtered through the frames, casting a soft glow over her silk-like skin.
To be honest, Wu Shangyi had never seen a girl so perfectly put together. Even the young wives of the Shang family who had been granted imperial marriages in the past couldn't compare. Was this delicate skin nurtured on celestial dew? To possess a figure that made even a woman unable to look away—that was the height of physical grace.
Naturally, observing the form wasn't enough; she had to touch. Some girls looked as slender as willows, but felt entirely different—like rough-textured porcelain that no amount of glaze could hide. But this Auntie was different; she was clean and smooth from the inside out, like mutton-fat jade warmed by the body, exuding an air of calm and poise.
What was to be done? If one wanted to nitpick, there was simply no flaw to be found. Her limbs were long and graceful, and she had exactly the right amount of fullness where it counted. If she were truly promoted to a high rank... tsk tsk!
Although Wu Shangyi appreciated talent, her years in the deep palace had forged a heart of stone. Even if you were a bronze statue, she could find a way to dig a hole in you.
With a cold face, she withdrew her hand, turned her head, and gave a meaningful look to the nanny beside her.
Unlike the first and second rounds, the third round didn't reveal the results immediately. You had to wait until everyone was finished and see which group you were sorted into to understand your fate.
Yi Xing wanted to ask about her prospects, but after hesitating several times, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
Wu Shangyi glanced at her. "Is something the matter?"
Because Yi Xing had heard other candidates discussing how to bribe the eunuchs and nannies, she had initially entertained the idea, quietly hiding banknotes in her stockings before entering. If she were thick-skinned and lacked a sense of integrity, a bribe could be passed in the blink of an eye, and the deal would be done. But when it actually came time for her to do it, she felt she couldn't lose face like that.
"No... it's nothing." She stammered for a moment, then quickly put on a smile. "Thank you for your hard work, Nanny."
Wu Shangyi maintained her unyielding expression and gave a perfunctory nod. "Wait outside, young lady."
Yi Xing complied, sheepishly put her clothes back on, and withdrew to the eastern side-rooms.
Entering the room, she saw the anxious faces of the other candidates, which made her feel uneasy as well. Yin Zhu hadn't come out yet, so she turned to look back toward the side-hall.
The candidate who had argued with Yin Zhu two days ago saw that Yi Xing was alone and finally seized the opportunity to mock her. "Whether one is a human or a ghost, we'll all find out today when the sun shines on us," she said with a weird, mocking tone.
After three rounds of selection, the candidates had already figured out everyone’s backing. A few sycophants surrounded the girl, flattering her intensely. "In any case, you're fine. Yu Pin Niangniang is your cousin; once you enter the palace, you'll have someone to look after you."
The girl immediately looked proud and, acting the part of a mistress, waved her hand in a gesture of shared bounty. "If I have a bowl of meat to eat, I'll surely share a bit of broth with everyone."
The crowd of candidates loved hearing this; even if it was just broth, they drank it up with pleasure.
Yi Xing didn't care to hear her boasting and walked away with her hands behind her back.
"Hey..." Someone still couldn't stand her and teased with a laugh. "You're from the Shang family. Out of respect for your father's face, surely the higher-ups will grant you a rank at the very least?"
Before Yi Xing could speak, Yu Pin's cousin cut in. "That’s not necessarily true. One can succeed or fail by the same hand. If I were her, I wouldn't go looking for such embarrassment."
Yi Xing had a mild temperament and rarely spoke harshly, but this person was aiming straight for her face. She felt a spark of anger.
"Since you know so much about wetting the bed, do you sleep on a sieve every night?" This playful, biting remark stunned everyone present.
"Look at her!" someone finally shouted. "She compared entering the palace to wetting the bed..."
"What are you screaming about!" Yin Zhu marched in through the door. The young eunuchs on duty were secretly laughing; since no one in charge was present, they didn't interfere. Yin Zhu scanned the crowd, her gaze landing on the candidate's face. "The results aren't even out yet, and you've already learned how to frame people. She called this 'fake mistress' a bed-wetter, yet you linked bed-wetting to the palace. So, according to you, this 'fake mistress' is the court? Is she the Emperor?"
Yin Zhu's ability to turn an argument on its head never disappointed. With a string of counter-logic, she pinned the blame back on the girl. Calling her "fake mistress" over and over again made Yu Pin's cousin flush with rage.
"You sharp-tongued brat! Who are you calling a fake mistress!"
"I’m calling whoever answers me," Yin Zhu said innocently. "Did I call you? If I didn't, why did you answer?"
In truth, there are many types of girls in the inner chambers; some are arrogant and domineering but have no brains. Having lost the previous battle, the cousin's old and new grudges flared up. Fuming, she stomped her feet and moved to tear into Yin Zhu, but the others pulled her back.
Yi Xing wanted to support Yin Zhu, but since she clearly didn't know how to bicker, Yin Zhu pushed her behind her back.
"What, you want to hit someone?" A cold smile appeared on Yin Zhu's round face. "The Year of the Pig hasn't even arrived, yet you're so busy charging ahead. Aren't you afraid of chipping your teeth on the door studs and being reincarnated as a rabbit in your next life?"
The girl across from her finally broke down, punching and kicking the air as if that could vent her hatred.
Just as the chaos reached its peak, Chief Liu appeared at the door.
"What is all this talk?" Chief Liu shouted, his gaze sweeping over the heads of the candidates. "Even teeth hit the tongue sometimes; bickering happens. But if you don't distinguish between private and public settings, that's a major taboo."
At his reprimand, the heated battle instantly cooled, and the room fell silent.
Chief Liu knew that where there are many girls, there are many rivalries. These girls, freshly arrived from home, were all pampered darlings who deferred to no one. But once in the palace, they had to follow the rules. A timely warning was necessary.
"Don't say I didn't warn you. This place isn't your bed at home. A small mistake might lead to kneeling or a beating, but losing your family's face is something you can't get back."
Not a single girl in the room dared to challenge him; they all obediently replied, "Yes."
Satisfied, Chief Liu cleared his throat with a high-pitched tone.
"I have a list here that concerns your futures. Perk up your ears and don't mishear a thing." As he spoke, he unfurled a scroll. "Those whose names are called, stand to one side. Those not called, stay where you are. Daughter of Bodun, Vice Minister of the Hubu; Daughter of Fengsheng, Banner Captain... Daughter of Jiahui, First-Class Duke..."
He called about seventy or eighty names, and one by one, the girls moved. When the scroll was finally closed, Yi Xing still hadn't heard her name.
This made the situation complicated. Those whose names weren't called would be sent to the training quarters to become palace maids, never even catching a glimpse of the Emperor or the Empress Dowager.
Yi Xing looked at Yin Zhu; they stared at each other. After a long moment, Yi Xing gave a dejected smile. "It seems our fate hasn't ended yet. Serving together from now on... that’s quite good, too."
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