Spring Drunk Chang'an

Emperor Yingwu's gaze passed over Liu Chang'an and Song Zhinian, and he fixed his eyes on Shi Xiaoyue. His brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of not-so-obvious disdain flashed in his eyes.

His attention was completely focused on Li Shuangshuang.

"Shuangshuang, you're so quiet today, looking like a lady, which shows you can follow the rules. Why were you so disobedient in the past? You only knew how to make trouble for me and your mother?"

Emperor Yingwu chuckled and pointed at his niece with an affectionate smile.

The attitude is very subsequent.

Li Shuangshuang grinned, raised her face, and said in a gentle voice that was both respectful and polite, "Your Majesty, there's an election today. My mother has been nagging me for a long time, telling me not to act too much, so as not to lose face for her and you in public!"

"I worked so hard to pretend, but you didn't appreciate my hard work. Why did you expose it?"

She pouted.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Yingwu laughed and pointed at her, "You little girl, I didn't say anything to you, but you have a lot of reasons waiting for me. I won't forgive you, so hurry home!"

"It's good that Your Majesty has exempted me from coming. I don't have to stay in the palace for two months and can go back to accompany my mother!" Li Shuangshuang tilted her head and said with a smile.

The uncle and nephew were chatting and laughing in front of many concubines and beauties in the main hall, and they were very lively. Queen Song was listening from the side and was not surprised. Li Shuangshuang's future had already been decided. Although her future husband was not a prince, he was from a well-established iron-hat prince's mansion in the royal family. The person specially chosen for her by Emperor Yingwu was also the prince of the prince's mansion and would play an important role in the royal family in the future!

Li Shuangshuang's future is better than that of an ordinary prince's wife. After all, not all princes can become princes, let alone an iron-hat prince!

Emperor Yingwu and Li Shuangshuang asked and answered each other in a very harmonious atmosphere.

The remaining four ladies, including Liu Changan, stood there with their heads lowered and faces drooping, looking a little embarrassed, but...

No one dared to interrupt.

Even Song Zhinian wouldn't do that. After all, the queen's niece and the emperor's niece, although both are "nieces", are essentially different.

She was not in the mood to be in the spotlight.

Fortunately, Emperor Yingwu did not forget his business. He chatted with his niece for a while and then returned his attention to the palace. However, he did not have the sincerity he had when chatting with Li Shuangshuang. His face was indifferent and he casually asked the concubines a few questions!

Such as: "How is your father's health?"

"What did you learn at home? How many books did you read? What are you good at..."

Etc., etc.

However, he only asked Song Zhinian and Han Shuyuan questions, and occasionally talked to Liu Changan. He ignored Shi Xiaoyue. But Queen Song, not knowing whether she was really interested or afraid of embarrassing Shi Xiaoyue, smiled and chatted with her for a few words.

Then...

Emperor Yingwu ordered, "Li Shuangshuang, Song Zhinian, Liu Changan, Shi Xiaoyue, and Han Shuyuan, all be granted jade plaques!"

Do they all have jade tokens?

No one was rejected?

Shi Xiaoyue raised her head for the first time since entering the hall, her eyes wide open. She didn't care about hierarchy and just looked around with confused and astonished eyes.

She was chosen again?

The third choice is to have Wansui read it personally. Really, does her father have such a big face?

Shi Xiaoyue was stunned.

However, it was obvious that no one in the palace could answer her doubts. The Emperor Yingwu bestowed the jade token, which meant that the time for this group of beauties to leave had come. The chief eunuch appeared and respectfully and silently signaled them to leave!

"Your Majesty, thank you for your grace!"

The five beauties knelt down in unison to express their gratitude, then stepped back respectfully and left the hall.

In the empty venue, the eunuchs continued to call out the names, and groups of beauties entered. The five who had been selected were directly led by the female officials to the outside of Chuxiu Palace.

They will stay in the palace for two months.

They learn the rules, observe their character, and after making no mistakes, they are arranged to marry each other and their destination is determined!

Liu Changan, Song Zhinian, and Shi Xiaoyue walked into the main gate of Chuxiu Palace and were temporarily seated in a side hall, waiting for the selection to be over and for accommodation to be allocated based on the number of people...

In the side hall, some of the beautiful ladies had already received jade tokens.

About eight or nine.

Han Shuyuan and Li Shuangshuang seemed to know someone. After entering the hall, they smiled and went to socialize. The three sisters were left looking at each other in confusion for a long while, "What a ghost!"

Shi Xiaoyue was stunned. She stretched out her hand and pointed at the birthmark on her face with a questioning tone, "Your Majesty must have good eyesight, right? He must have seen this. I saw it with all my heart. When he read my name, his expression was filled with disdain. Even if I was mistaken, his eyesight is not good, there are so many concubines in the palace!"

“They should be able to see it!!”

"I, I have a question! Why did they choose me? My father can't possibly have that much face. So, is there a master in the royal family who is sick or paralyzed and needs someone to bring good luck? They're using me as a scapegoat?"

She was so shocked that she started to have all sorts of wild thoughts.

"Xiaoyue, shut up! This is the palace, there are so many eyes watching us, how dare you say such nonsense?" Song Zhinian bared his teeth and hit Shi Xiaoyue hard. Seeing her hunched shoulders in pain, obviously frightened, he said angrily, "Alright, alright, we've already entered the palace. Don't think about those things. When there's a chance in a few days, I'll ask the Empress for you!"

"Is it some kind of wedding to bring good luck? Don't let your imagination run wild. The Emperor is not that kind of person!" Liu Changan also advised her.

Moreover, to put it more pragmatically, even if there was someone in the royal family who really needed a wedding, the royal family would not choose the daughter of a duke. How many petty officials in Daxia would cry and shout that they were willing to give up their daughter's lifelong happiness in exchange for currying favor with the powerful!

Wouldn't it be better for Emperor Yingwu to use them? Why did he have to chill the nobles' hearts?

"You, what you said makes sense!" Shi Xiaoyue pursed her lips and reluctantly accepted this statement.

The three of them waited obediently in Chuxiu Palace for more than an hour. In the Qiankun Hall, the three selections of more than one hundred beauties were finally over.

A total of twenty-nine people were selected to enter the palace and learn the rules.

After Emperor Yingwu and his concubines finished their selection, they patted their butts and left. These twenty-nine beauties were taught by the palace ladies-in-waiting and were taken care of and served by twelve palace maids on a daily basis.

Of course, they served the emperor personally, taking care of small matters such as meals, clothing, and folding the prison bed. The rest of the chores, such as fetching bath water, washing clothes, etc., were done by the palace maids.

but……

Even so, the concubines were very uncomfortable. After all, most of them came from extraordinary families, and at home... even if they were just personal servants, there were only a handful of them. Now, there were several people sharing one palace maid!

Enough for what?

The concubines felt quite uncomfortable, especially when the female officials started to assign rooms, the discomfort became even stronger!

They need to share a house with someone!