The Qing Palace Never Meets Spring

When she left the palace, the people who had come with her were already waiting at the palace gate. The weather was so-so that Muxiang, who was with her, had just seen her and hurriedly squeezed over to look her up and down. She was relieved to see that Muxiang's complexion was good.

"Miss, let's go back to the carriage and wait. If we come in order, it might be a while before we can leave."

Originally, "Gege" was a very common title for Manchu girls. Later, after Emperor Taizong Huang Taiji ascended the throne, he followed the Ming system and changed the title of imperial daughters to "Princess".

Later, "Gege" gradually became a title for the daughters of princes and nobles. Although Manchu ministers would privately call their daughters "Gege," they would avoid using this title in public. Today, during the palace selection of concubines, Muxiang also deliberately avoided using this title.

Qingwan felt a little helpless seeing Muxiang's eagerness to get her into the carriage; she was cautious.

She wasn't a sickly beauty, so there was no need to be so nervous. However, Mu Xiang's actions did ease her tense heart a little, and she nodded with a smile: "Let's go, it's best to go back as soon as possible, so that Father and Mother won't worry."

The two returned to the carriage, and Mu Xiang quickly poured her a cup of water. Qing Wan drank it neither too fast nor too slow. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything the whole way because she was afraid of being impolite. She wasn't hungry, but her throat was practically parched.

Mu Xiang watched her movements before asking, "How did it go this time, young lady?"

Qingwan smiled helplessly: "I've registered your name. As for what to do next, go back and wait for news."

Mu Xiang peeked out and instructed someone to go back and report the news before returning to chat and joke with Qing Wan to keep her from getting bored.

It was a quarter of an hour before we set off again.

When Qingwan returned to the manor, Malhan and Li Jia were already waiting in the main room. Qingwan felt a little guilty and quickly stepped forward to curtsy.

"Greetings to Father and Mother. I apologize for causing you worry today because of my daughter."

Marhan waved for her to stand up:

"I didn't expect you to be selected. There's no imperial decree yet, and we don't know if there will be a second selection. If you are selected again, it will be a great favor from the emperor, whether you are betrothed to a prince, a member of the imperial family, or a son of a minister. You don't need to think too much about it; just accept the decree and express your gratitude."

Qingwan understood this principle and had thought about it a lot on the way back, so she simply said:

"Your daughter knows, so you can rest assured, Father."

Marhan had always trusted his daughter, so he didn't say anything more, only instructing her, "Speak with your mother, then come to my study to see me." With that, he got up and left.

Li Jia then pulled her to sit down next to her: "I was thinking that I could find you a husband after the talent show, but I didn't expect it to turn out like this."

However, the outcome was still unclear, and Li Jiashi did not want to say anything more, lest she worry Qingwan.

Moreover, if there were any other instructions, there was no need to rush to finish them all at once, since Qingwan's fate had not yet been decided. So, after the two exchanged some casual pleasantries, Li Jia said:

"Go see your father. He may have something to tell you. You don't need to come here anymore. Go back and rest."

Upon hearing this, Qingwan rose, bowed, and took her leave. She went directly to Marhan's study. When Qingwan entered, Marhan was reading. Seeing Qingwan, he immediately invited her to sit to his left before asking:

"If we were to choose again, I would still leave a plaque for you to guess whether you think you can enter the inner court or be betrothed."

Qingwan had thought about this question while in the carriage, so when asked it now, she didn't lie:

"Whether I can enter the inner court or not, I can't guess. Since Father hasn't been implicated by what happened before, if I don't enter the inner court because of Father, if I'm betrothed to a prince, it might be the Crown Prince, or the Third Prince. If it's you, it would probably be someone close to Father, like the Crown Prince or someone close to Father."

Marhan understood her implication and smiled with some relief: "You're quite clever. You're probably really going to be kept here this time. But if it really is one of those two you mentioned first, you'll just be a concubine. You might be disappointed."

Actually, there was another person, whom Malhan had also considered, but although he was a high-ranking official, his family background was still too humble, so he was afraid it wouldn't work.

Qingwan, upon hearing this, knew her guess was correct: "Father, if I'm rejected, it means you're choosing someone else. It's just that this time it's our family being chosen; I have no choice, and neither does Father."

Hearing the helplessness in Qingwan's words, Marhan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

Seeing the fatigue on Qingwan's face, and remembering that she hadn't had a proper rest since midnight and had been anxious all morning, he finally just waved his hand and said, "Fine, you're right, we can't choose. Go back and rest."

As Qingwan left, she was still thinking about her conversation with Marhan. She had only tentatively mentioned the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, but she hadn't expected it to actually be like this. It was fine with mentioning the Crown Prince, since he was the heir apparent, but the Third Prince already had a wife, and given her status, it was probably unlikely that she would be able to marry him. So, it would be her son, Chen Gong.

Ten days later, Qingwan was ready to run again. This time, she was confident and no longer nervous. She went through the motions according to the rules and was indeed given a place on the list.

Now all that remained was for the Emperor to bestow the marriage decree. After the Imperial Household Department sent a document to the Imperial Observatory to select an auspicious day for the marriage, Marhan received the imperial edict of marriage at the foot of the east steps of the Qianqing Gate. However, the choice of the betrothed was somewhat unexpected; it was none other than the thirteenth prince.

Not to mention Qingwan, even Marhan was somewhat surprised. This was the person he had thought of but thought was impossible. If it were an ordinary member of the royal family or a high-ranking official, it would be fine, but among the primary consorts of the princes, Lady Zhaojia's family background was rather low.

Moreover, the thirteenth prince was enjoying great favor with the emperor. Ever since he first accompanied the emperor at the age of thirteen, he had often accompanied the crown prince on every trip the emperor took.

After Marhan returned to the manor, he called Qingwan to his side:

"Even I misjudged her. I didn't expect her to be the primary consort of the thirteenth prince. But it's good this way. If it weren't for the death of Consort Min in the palace and his insistence on observing three years of mourning, the position of primary consort would probably not have been given to our family's daughter."

Besides, the thirteenth prince is an upright man with only one daughter. If you marry into the family now, you still have time to plan ahead.

"But Qingwan, that's the royal family. If you marry into that family and suffer mistreatment, your father can only watch helplessly; he can't stand up for you."

Qingwan looked up at Marhan and smiled, comforting him, "It's alright, Father. You yourself said that the Thirteenth Prince is of upright character. If it hadn't been delayed, this marriage wouldn't have been my turn. In fact, I'm climbing too high."

Besides, it's already much better than I had guessed. But I still couldn't help feeling a little lost.

Marhan looked at Qingwan's calm expression, but he knew that she must be feeling apprehensive. However, he and his daughter were not exactly close friends, so he simply told her to go back and rest.

After leaving, Qingwan didn't rush back to her room. Instead, she went to Li Jia's place. Betrothing to a prince was a great honor, and Li Jia could only be happy, but also worried:

"I've heard that one of the prince's concubines has given birth to his eldest daughter. If she is a favored concubine, Qingwan, what will you do?"

What should I do? Qingwan thought for a moment and said, "Let nature take its course. When my father married me, he asked for respect and the dignity of being a proper wife. That's all I ask for now."