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Yao Huang, oblivious to her surroundings, finished changing into her new clothes. She lowered her head to take a look. The pale yellow jacket with a front closure revealed a segment of a matching inner garment embroidered with peony patterns, and below that, the tightly cinched waist of a bright red skirt. She was already fair-skinned, and the red skirt accentuated her skin, making the area below her neck appear as dazzlingly white as snow.
After checking everything was in order, Yao Huang lifted her head and found Chen Ying staring at her dreamily. Their eyes met, and Chen Ying, feeling guilty, quickly looked away and awkwardly complimented her, “Yao Yao, you look so beautiful in that outfit.”
Yao Huang sighed inwardly. Beauty was definitely not a good thing today.
She then looked at Chen Ying, who looked as delicate as a peach blossom, and grabbed her wrist. “Let’s go. We’re still in the back row.”
There were nine rows of beauties in front, and perhaps the noblewomen had already picked enough people by the time they reached the back, losing interest. It was like the peonies in a flowerbed—the first few blooms were striking, but as more bloomed, the ladies began to tire of them.
When the two of them arrived at the small courtyard, they saw the ladies who had come out earlier standing in two long rows, lined up on either side of Matron Fang.
Yao Huang was momentarily stunned.
Matron Fang glanced at her and then called for the two of them to fill in the empty spots on the left row before saying, “Today, we’ll line up according to the order I call.”
The first two rows of ten were filled with the daughters of high-ranking officials and noble families from the capital, as well as daughters from influential families sent out to serve in various positions.
Just as Yao Huang was relieved that the lineup was based on social status, Matron Fang called out her name for the middle position of the third row.
Yao Huang could no longer hide the shock in her eyes.
Matron Fang gave her a stern look, signaling for her not to delay and to join the line.
Yao Huang forced herself to remain calm as she walked over.
The timid yet delicate Chen Ying stood slightly behind her.
Two quarters of an hour later, Matron Fang led the ladies out.
It took about two quarters of an hour to walk from the remote ChuxiuPavilion in the West Palace to the Imperial Garden.
On both sides were tall red walls. The ladies held their breath and carefully made their way, turning one corner after another and passing through moon-shaped doors, until they finally arrived outside the Wanchun Pavilion in the Imperial Garden.
The Wanchun Pavilion had red windows and a golden roof, with five levels of stairs at each of its surrounding gates. Peonies were planted all around the pavilion, their bright red and purple blossoms in full bloom.
The sun was shining brightly, but the noblewomen wouldn’t arrive for another half hour. Matron Fang led the ladies to stand under the shade of a tree, so they wouldn’t sweat under the heat.
On the small path diagonally opposite, there were palace maids arranged by Matron Fang, tasked with keeping an eye out for the approaching noblewomen. Since the emperor and consorts had not yet arrived, Matron Fang allowed the selected ladies to stretch their legs within a limited range to ensure they would be in good condition when meeting the emperor, avoiding the discomfort of numb legs from standing too long.
Chen Ying remained nervous, occasionally glancing at Yao Huang, hoping to find reassurance from her.
At this moment, however, Yao Huang had no energy left to comfort her, as her own mind was a tangled mess. It felt as though she were a fat duck slowly being placed into a pot of water— the water gradually warming up, and she could not wait to jump out. But not far off, Matron Fang was like the cook guarding the pot, giving her no chance to escape.
What was even more tragic was that while a real duck could flail its wings and struggle by instinct, she was human. She couldn’t even attempt to flee, because doing so would be an offense to court rules.
In the midst of the torment, the palace maid on the small path waved at Matron Fang. Matron Fang’s expression changed, and she quietly ordered the ladies to quickly stand in place and then form a line to move to a position where they could properly greet the emperor and empress.
After waiting for another quarter of an hour, the figures of the emperor and empress finally appeared in the ladies’ line of sight.
Taking advantage of the distance, Yao Huang secretly lifted her gaze.
At the very front, walking side by side, were undoubtedly Emperor Yongchang and Empress Zhou. Emperor Yongchang was dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, his imposing figure making him look even taller. Despite being in his fifties, he appeared to be in his early forties. As he moved, he blocked most of Empress Zhou’s figure, leaving only the luxurious hem of her skirt visible.
Behind the emperor and empress were three concubines, hard to distinguish from one another, but Yao Huang’s gaze moved to the wheelchair at the very back.
The wheelchair was pushed by a eunuch, and the person in the chair…
A low cough from Matron Fang came from the front, likely a warning to the ladies who had dared to sneak a glance.
Yao Huang immediately lowered her eyes, not daring to look any longer.
When the emperor and empress arrived before the group, Matron Fang led the ladies in kneeling.
Emperor Yongchang glanced over casually, said “No need to salute,” and, accompanied by Empress Zhou, walked along the stone path through the peony bushes and entered the Wanchun Pavilion.
Once the noblewomen had entered, Matron Fang led the ladies to the stone steps outside the main door of the Wanchun Pavilion, where they waited for their summons.
Inside the pavilion, Emperor Yongchang exchanged a few playful words with the empress and concubines before turning the selection over to Empress Zhou.
Empress Zhou had given birth to two princes in her youth, but both tragically passed away. Now, she only had a daughter. Therefore, for this selection of brides for the princes, she was simply responsible for overseeing the event and enjoying the spectacle.
Receiving a glance from Emperor Yongchang, Empress Zhou looked at the three concubines on her left and smiled, saying, “We will follow the ages of the three brothers. Shall my dear sister, Concubine Xian, begin by choosing a wife for Prince Kang?”