"Hurry up, we've reached Chuxiu Palace. Let's get inside quickly, or we'll get soaked and catch a cold, which would be terrible."
In the misty rain, a group of beautiful young women moved gracefully, some lifting their skirts, some shielding themselves from the rain, some running...
When they reached the covered walkway, they saw the Xuanwu Emperor and Jiang Xinyue standing nearby. The women hurriedly knelt down, saying, "We greet Your Majesty and Noble Consort!"
Their clear voices were pleasing to the ear.
Among them were a few faces that looked familiar, but Jiang Xinyue didn't have a strong impression of them.
Tang Shiliang stepped forward: "Your Majesty, Noble Consort, these are the ladies who entered the palace during the same selection as the Noble Consort."
Jiang Xinyue was startled. She had been in the palace for two years, yet these candidates were still living in Chuxiu Palace, which meant that until now, the Emperor had never favored them.
There were six candidates in total, their eyes shining brightly as they looked at the Emperor, completely ignoring Jiang Xinyue's presence.
"This concubine is Liu Xiaoxiao, daughter of the Jiangnan prefect. My sisters and I were feeding the koi in the nearby pond when we were caught in this downpour. We didn't expect Your Majesty and the Noble Consort to be stranded here as well. Why don't we all go to Chuxiu Palace to rest? It would be more comfortable than standing here."
The young woman wore an apricot-colored dress embroidered with flowers, birds, fish, and insects. She looked as fresh as a magnolia blossom in May. The rain had loosened some of her hair around her ears, with wisps falling around her face, giving her a clean and refreshing appearance that caught the eye.
She was bold. While others dared not take the lead for fear of drawing Jiang Xinyue's attention, she dared to be the first to speak up.
Either she was foolishly brash or had enough confidence in herself.
When the Xuanwu Emperor got a clear look at this candidate's face, his eyes also showed a hint of amazement.
He lowered his head to look at Jiang Xinyue: "Yue'er, you're wet too. It will take some time for them to bring clothes. Why don't we go inside and have them find a new outfit for you to change into?"
Jiang Xinyue nodded: "Then I'll trouble Lower Concubine Liu."
The six candidates who had yet to be favored all came from humble backgrounds, otherwise they wouldn't have been left until now.
This encounter with the Emperor might be their only chance in this lifetime.
Otherwise, when next year's triennial selection came, Chuxiu Palace would be filled with a new batch of young, beautiful, fresh, and innocent girls. These candidates who hadn't received the Emperor's favor in three years would be sent to become lowly palace maids, serving others.
They had entered the palace to become imperial consorts, not to do menial work. If that were the case, they might as well have not participated in the selection at all. Though their families weren't high-ranking officials, they were still pampered young ladies who had never done manual labor, not meant to enter the palace as maids.
So when the Xuanwu Emperor entered Chuxiu Palace, it was like Tang Sanzang entering the Spider Cave. Each of them used every trick they had, hoping the Emperor would remember them.
Liu Xiaoxiao, who came from the water towns of Jiangnan, even performed a soft Wunong-style song on the pipa for the Xuanwu Emperor while Jiang Xinyue was changing clothes.
Her glances were full of tender affection.
Jiang Xinyue, standing at the doorway, quite enjoyed listening to Liu Xiaoxiao's song, which was so sweet and soft it could melt one's bones. She paused her steps.
Xique and Shuangjiang, however, thought their mistress was silently grieving as she watched the Emperor being captivated by the performance. They both showed somewhat angry expressions.
Although they knew the Emperor already favored their mistress greatly and it was impossible for him to have only their mistress in this lifetime, but... but...
In any case, they were very angry.
As the song ended, Liu Xiaoxiao submissively approached: "Your Majesty, actually all the sisters in Chuxiu Palace have special talents. Lower Concubine An is skilled at playing the flute, Lower Concubine Ye is good at dancing, Lower Concubine Wang is an expert at sword dancing, Lower Concubine Bai excels at poetry, and when Lower Concubine Cheng plays the zither, even the butterflies in the Imperial Garden circle around her!"
"Oh?" The Emperor wasn't particularly impressed by the others, but the idea of butterflies circling someone as they played sounded quite intriguing.
The Xuanwu Emperor had never seen such a thing and felt quite eager to witness it. Just then, the rain stopped, and Wang Dequan, who had been sent to fetch clothes, finally returned, encountering Jiang Xinyue at the door.
The sound of greetings arose, and the Xuanwu Emperor realized she was standing outside. Fearing she might misunderstand, he quickly stood up, bypassing the group of candidates to walk to her side: "Yue'er, Liu Xiaoxiao says that Lower Concubine Cheng can play music that attracts butterflies. Would you like to see?"
The palace was monotonous day after day, but the Xuanwu Emperor didn't feel bored because he had to deal with so many state affairs every day and had no time to feel the tedium.
But it was different for the imperial concubines in the back palace. They spent their days waiting for the Emperor's favor, unable to leave the palace and with little entertainment. Most would find it dull and tedious.
Today, these candidates were like a bit of amusement for the Emperor, but he didn't take them seriously at all.
If they could make the Noble Consort smile, it would prove they had some real talent.
Liu Xiaoxiao was just a pawn pushed forward by others. It seemed that Lower Concubine Cheng, who had truly caught the Emperor's attention, was the real expert.
She hadn't even spoken directly to the Emperor once, yet she had outshone the other five candidates.
The Emperor was solely interested in her ability to attract butterflies with her zither playing.
But as Jiang Xinyue looked at the Xuanwu Emperor's expression, although he tried hard to conceal it, it was precisely because he smiled too much that it seemed unnatural. He didn't have such a cheerful personality.
With the Third Prince poisoned and unconscious, he must be very distressed inside. How could he have the mood to watch these candidates perform and compete for favor?
She shook her head: "I got a bit wet in the rain earlier and have a slight headache. Let's go back! When the weather is better, if Your Majesty still wants to see, I can summon them to perform at Hexi Palace. How about that?"
"It was my oversight," the Xuanwu Emperor said, supporting her as he turned to leave without any lingering attachment. He didn't forget to tell Xique to hurry back first: "Have the kitchen prepare a pot of ginger soup."
From the corner of her eye, Jiang Xinyue saw that Liu Xiaoxiao seemed quite dissatisfied, being held back by the other candidates to prevent her from speaking out of turn.
But after the Emperor's entourage had gone far, Liu Xiaoxiao still shook off her sisters' hands angrily: "We finally got to see the Emperor and made an impression, yet we still couldn't keep him here. Do you really want to become palace maids?"
Cheng Nianhe sighed: "We were just unlucky. If the Noble Consort hadn't been here today, with our beauty, we surely could have kept the Emperor here."
"It's all the Noble Consort's fault. She's already favored, and she acts like she doesn't even know us, her former companions who learned etiquette with her in Chuxiu Palace. She doesn't even put in a good word for us with the Emperor, and she wouldn't let Sister Cheng perform. It's clear she's afraid Sister Cheng will outshine her and steal the Emperor's favor."
Liu Xiaoxiao snorted coldly: "She might be able to keep him for now, but can she keep him forever? I don't believe the Emperor doesn't have times when he's alone."
She seemed to already have a plan, her eyes blazing with determination.
