After being quarreled with by Lu Yunying in the carriage, Lu Yunshang suddenly realized that Mrs. Hu was the head of the house and that half of her marriage was in her hands. A lot of things happened, and even her father was dissatisfied with her.
What if, what if I can't enter the palace... No, it's impossible.
She suddenly didn't dare to think about it.
In this suffocating silence, the carriage quickly arrived at the palace gate. In the past, except for going to court, this place was very solemn and solemn. Now there are pretty ladies in bright clothes coming and going, which makes it a bit more lively.
But after all, it was an election in the palace, and the whole scene was noisy but not chaotic. The carriages of each family and the ladies of each family were all handled by palace personnel to handle the reception, and there was no mistake or omission.
Just after arriving at the gate of the palace and being allowed to get out of the car, Lu Yunshui jumped out of the car as if he was relieved. Before leaving, he glared at Lu Yunying as if he refused to admit defeat. Not long after, he found his familiar little sister and kissed her warmly. They stood together, clearly leaving behind the sister Lu Yunying.
Lu Yunying didn't mind when he saw this.
She is a little transparent in the house, not to mention showing that kind of character. It is normal for her to be unpopular. She also doesn't like to socialize, which makes her have less energy to go out.
But this is the palace.
Observing the surroundings and looking at this gorgeous palace, Lu Yunying secretly sighed that no matter what era, the people at the top of the pyramid would have a good life.
Then she looked at the group of chattering little girls. Not to mention their future relationship, just looking at the present, these fresh and cute little beauties made people feel happy just standing here. The emperor was really lucky.
While Lu Yunying was looking around, there was still a steady stream of carriages arriving at the palace gate. Because Lu Feng's official position was not high, it looked like he would have to wait for a long time, so the palace gate became more and more lively.
"Sister, are you also a selected show girl?"
Suddenly, a strange voice sounded in my ears.
Lu Yunying didn't know that because she was standing here alone and had deliberately trained her manners, she was not very obvious among this group of people. However, at this delicate moment, no one took the initiative to talk.
Now there is an exception.
"No, my father is an assistant to the Imperial Academy and lives in the capital."
"Is that so? I'm really sorry. Seeing my sister here alone, I thought she was selected just like me. I am Chen Xingyue, and my father is the magistrate of Rongyang County."
It would be fine for the official ladies from Beijing to wait at home to participate in the election, but this is to select concubines for the emperor. Of course, it is not just the selection of ladies from Beijing. Therefore, special flower and bird envoys will be sent to all parts of the country to select young ladies with innocent family backgrounds and beautiful looks. Beijing and China participated in the general election together.
It's just that just as all the ladies from official families in Beijing have their own circles, most of these selected ladies stand together with their companions from their hometowns, and few of them are alone.
Therefore, Lu Yunying didn't believe that she was alone because she was selected, so she secretly speculated that Miss Chen should have something for her.
Of course, she didn't directly reject Miss Chen Xingyue and Chen at this time. Standing alone was indeed too abrupt. Maybe she could have such a plastic sister, so Lu Yunying nodded as if she was shy.
Sure enough, seeing that she was introverted and shy, Ms. Chen took the initiative to start the topic:
"What's Sister Lu's name?"
"My maiden name is Yunying."
"Sister is indeed a young lady from the capital. She speaks so elegantly. My name is Chen Xingyue. When I saw my sister just now, I was shocked. She is so beautiful. She is really the most beautiful person I have ever seen in my life. "
The words were spoken loudly, causing many ladies to look over and then frown slightly.
Dalin regards beauty as being upright and dignified. If a girl from any family has a round face and a plump figure, it is a blessing.
Lu Yunying is not so lucky. She has a slightly pointed chin and a figure as delicate and frail as Aunt Zhang. She does not conform to the mainstream aesthetics. People with a meaner mouth just call her coquettish.
She also knew her weakness. She could not meet the emperor in the primary election, but the empresses of each palace retained people, so she deliberately made her eyebrows thicker this time. In addition, she was only fifteen or sixteen years old and still had some baby fat on her cheeks. So she only looks delicate rather than coquettish.
Now that she was suddenly praised by Chen Xingyue and attracted countless attention, Lu Yunying immediately lowered her head, knowing that she couldn't afford this plastic sister, and stirred up her handkerchief and said:
"Ms. Chen is from the county town, so she thinks I'm beautiful. In fact, she has never seen a more beautiful girl."
"Sister, do you think I am short-sighted?"
"No, no, no, I didn't mean that. This is Miss Chen's boasting too much, and she deserves it."
As he said that, Lu Yunying took a step back.
Chen Xingyue didn't want to frame Lu Yunying or anything, but she just felt that Lu Yunying was so good-looking that she could definitely be chosen. She wanted to sell her well in advance, but she didn't know that showing off too much would cause trouble for others.
In addition, seeing that she was alone, I felt that she was being squeezed out, so I wanted to "provide help in times of need" and get information from the capital. They came from a remote county. How could they know the preferences of the emperor and the ladies like the girls in the capital?
Chen Xingyue was also ambitious. She felt that since she was chosen by the Flower and Bird Envoy, she naturally had no intention of going back.
At this moment, the two sides almost fell out after a disagreement, which made people forget Chen Xingyue's previous praise of Lu Yunying, which made many people wait to see the good show.
"Pfft, my sister is such a clumsy-tongued character. Sister Chen, don't be angry."
Lu Yunxuan separated from Lu Yunying early, but he has been observing Lu Yunying. The more he watched, the more angry he felt in his heart. She, why did she feel that her naive and stupid sister became more and more beautiful? That look, that temperament... it wasn't like this in the mansion in the past.
Could it be that he is hiding his clumsiness on purpose? But after so many years, does she have this intention?
Just when she was confused, she saw Lu Yunying and Chen Xingyue quarreling. Based on the stereotypes of the past ten years or so, Lu Yunshui suddenly felt that she had thought too much just now, and proudly interjected:
"My sister didn't know how to speak when she was six years old. She didn't know how to read until she was eight years old. When she was ninety years old and working as a female worker, she still pricked her hands from time to time... Sister Chen, if you feel that your sister is deliberately bullying you, that's absolutely impossible. .”
"But even though you are clumsy and tongue-tied, it does hurt people's hearts. Sister Chen, come here. As the biological sister of Third Sister, I will apologize to you on her behalf."
When Chen Xingyue saw everyone looking over, she was a little panicked. Now when she heard Lu Yunshui say, who should she ask for news? Lu Yunsuan had a group of little sisters over there, and I'm afraid they were better informed, so they passed away immediately.
Now Lu Yunying was standing there alone again.
Lu Yunying: .....that's okay.
If Lu Yunshui exposes her shortcomings in public, will others think she is a good person? You know, they come from the same family.
Fortunately, these things were considered "shortcomings" at most and were not fatal. Lu Yunying was too lazy to refute and just stood in the corner again. In the eyes of everyone, she really looked like an idiot beauty.
Suddenly, Lu Yunying's threat in everyone's minds was greatly reduced.
So what if such a beauty is chosen? Even if she is pampered, can she last long?
With this mentality, things went very smoothly from now on. Almost no one talked to Lu Yunying anymore, and Lu Yunying became completely pure.
During this time, she was also thinking about the election, thinking about today's makeup, thinking about the emperor's preferences, thinking about the ladies' "preferences" for her future colleagues, and also thinking about whether she wanted to form a clique or something.
The harem is like a river and lake, there are some who fight alone, but more often there is strength in numbers.
Lu Yunying's love is not guaranteed, and his family background is definitely not good enough, so it is okay to get together with a group of concubines and make a living.
But what happened just now made her feel a little tired. It was so troublesome to communicate with someone who knew that he had small calculations. If she had more contact with him in the future, then... it would really be difficult to make a living.
"Lu Yunying and Lu Yunsuan are the daughters of Lu Feng, the sixth-grade imperial concubine's assistant teacher!"
Just as he was thinking about it, the eunuch called his name over there. Lu Yunying realized that he had been in a daze for a long time. He quickly stepped forward, but was bumped into by Lu Yunying.
"I'm sorry sister, I didn't mean it."
Lu Yunsuan smiled:
"I just explained it to Sister Chen. She won't misunderstand you now."
Lu Yunying paused for a moment. She actually didn't think she was that smart. What was stronger was that she was self-aware and had a calmer mind than the fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl she is now.
But this does not mean that she can tolerate Lu Yunsuan's repeated provocations.
"Oh, thank you very much."
"And Yun Sui, you are standing in the wrong position. I am your sister, so I am standing in front. Please give way."
The young ladies nearby were not stupid. Seeing Lu Yunsuan provoking his own sister again and again, they naturally understood something and watched all this as if they were watching the fun.
Under the public gaze, Lu Yunshui felt the eyes of others as if they were watching a joke. He felt that his cheeks were hot and he was so embarrassed that he could not speak. But this was not at home, and it was not as if she would get her way just by making trouble. Yes, I could only grit my teeth and stand back looking ugly and embarrassed.
.............................
The fresh and young girls stand in a row and let you choose. This is a beautiful scenery for many people, but it is not necessarily the case for the ladies who sit upright and personally select their husbands.
This is not a cute girl, she is an enemy who will touch her favor and carve up her own interests.
He was obviously very unhappy in his heart, but on the surface he still had to maintain a posture and pretend to be virtuous and generous. What's more, it was still somewhat novel at first, but now people are tired of the choices, their aesthetics are tired, and they are even more irritated.
Even when I saw the girls walking in side by side from the entrance of the temple, I felt like I was going back in time.
This time the primary election is held by the Queen Mother, the Queen and the two noble concubines.
The Queen Mother is just a mascot and does not interfere in specific affairs. The Queen is mainly responsible for it, and the two noble concubines Yu and Yang assist in management.
However, Concubine Yu was ill some time ago, so she chose Concubine Xian to fill this position. Now naturally, the people sitting at the top are the Queen Mother, the Queen, Concubine Yang and Concubine Xian.
Concubine Yang was quite favored and was the niece of the Queen Mother. The impatience on her face was very obvious when she was tired. Sometimes she would even go out of her way to embarrass the beautiful lady.
Anyway, the ones with more powerful family backgrounds have already been selected, and the rest are just playthings chosen for the emperor because of their good looks. It's enough to get angry at them. Do these people still want to find reason with her?
The Queen Mother didn't say anything about this, and the Queen found it even more difficult to speak. As for the Concubine Xian, she was just a candidate. Although she was a high-ranking concubine, she was still not qualified to speak in this place.
Therefore, the official ladies waiting outside suddenly discovered that many of the unsuccessful women had red eyes or shed tears, and occasionally a sob could be heard.
This discovery made everyone's hearts tighten. The election was already an extremely tense occasion. If you lost the election and couldn't help crying, it would not be a good thing to be seen. The atmosphere became more and more depressing.
Unlike others, Lu Yunying started to observe secretly after scorning her cheap sister again.
She did find that the appearance of the unsuccessful show girl was indeed not outstanding. She was either not good-looking, or just a middle-aged beauty. Not to mention extremely outstanding, she was not even slightly outstanding.
This is slightly in line with the rumors. The emperor likes beauties. For the emperor's liking, the queen mother took care of his mood. Most of the people retained in the draft were beauties.
This made Lu Yunying relax a little. The draft is like gambling. You can never rest assured until the last moment, so she dared to confront the fourth sister, but she was still respectful to the wife during this period, and she did not dare to let the main hospital discover her. Something's wrong.
If we really can't follow this trend, we can only stabilize the Hu family first.
Jiangnan is far away from the capital. If you want to discuss marriage, you first have to wait for the draft to end, and then exchange letters back and forth, and the two parties will get married. The whole process takes a long time, and she has a lot more room to intervene.
While thinking about it, Lu Yunying tried to remember the good-looking candidates among the two or three batches of beautiful women in front of her, and confirmed the rumors she heard with actual actions.
But the time given to her was not much. The showgirls in the front could still show off their talents, but the showgirls in the back almost left without seeing the outstanding ones. Even if they entered in two or three waves, they might not be able to keep one person. At most, they would give a few words to the queens. When she said which family she was a daughter of, of course those in higher positions didn't listen and just said something else.
Therefore, when the eunuch chanted Lu Yunying's name, her mind was a little numb, just like when she was clearly prepared for her graduation defense, but when she came to the stage and saw the teacher sitting below, her heart was still racing into her throat.
Ten people entered, stood in a row in the hall, and then bowed and saluted with low eyebrows. However, they were not trained, so the saluting movements were not neat.
Lu Yunshui had just been humiliated, and he was very angry. He also thought that if she was not selected, she would not be able to reap the benefits at home. Under various emotions, in the end, only her aunt's words about the imperial concubine were left in her mind.
She wanted to become the imperial concubine, and no longer wanted to be a concubine's daughter. People in the palace said that Aunt Qin was very capable and would not suffer any loss when dealing with his wife. However, she was Aunt Qin's biological daughter, and she knew all too well the pain and suffering of being an aunt. I must not let my aunt, brother and sister suffer any further injustice.
She made some determination, and at the same time, Lu Yunying was also thinking of ways. At this time, the ladies may be tired of choosing people. She needs to stand out and need more opportunities.
"Keep your head up."
To look at the face, of course you have to look up, but you have to lower your eyes and you are not allowed to look directly at the person in charge.
Everyone directed one action at a time, and suddenly:
"Tsk~"
"I told you to look up, and your eyes would roll around."
"The daughter of Guozi's assistant coach Lu Feng? She is said to be from Qingliu, but is this your rule?"
It was a vague voice that he heard when he was approaching the entrance of the palace. Lu Yunying was sure that he did not move his eyes around, but deliberately slowed down his movements when he raised his head. Then - Lu Yunying beside him knelt down solidly, and Lu Yunying was shocked. , hesitated for a second, and then knelt down.
This seemed to touch some switch. The ten girls in their group knelt down like dominoes, and then:
"Your Majesty, please forgive me."
"Your Majesty... forgive me?" He sounded panicked but also a little confused.
"Huh? You guys are... pfft."
Looking at the little girl below who seemed to be trembling with fear and suddenly asking for forgiveness, the originally irritable Concubine Yang couldn't help but laugh:
"Why are you all kneeling down? I didn't say anything, so why are you so scared?"
After she finished speaking, no one dared to answer. Concubine Yang seemed to be angry again. Concubine Xian spoke. The relationship between Concubine Yang and the queen was not very good. The queen was determined not to do this kind of rescue. She could only Come, otherwise the Queen Mother will blame her for her lack of expression.
"Okay, okay, they are all little girls. They have never seen anything before, so they panicked."
"that....."
Lu Yunying's face is indeed good, and her delicate and timid look makes her, a woman, unable to help but feel a little soft-hearted:
"The imperial concubine just said to her, what are you doing when you kneel down?"
In Concubine Xian's view, Lu Yunying was the second one to kneel down. If she didn't kneel down, other beautiful ladies would never follow suit.
"My daughter is also the daughter of Guozi's assistant coach Lu Feng, and the person next to her is my sister."
"oh?"
The talent show has been going on for a day, and the talents are pretty much the same, so I don't bother to let anyone show them off later, but this is too little fun, and I'm very surprised at the ladies who just sit there for this whole day.
"You don't look alike."
It was the Queen Mother who spoke.
The first time Lu Yunying came in, she felt that she wanted to stay. Without him, his temperament was quite unique, and she was even more sure when she saw his face.
The rumors are true, she just likes to choose beauties for the emperor.
"The Queen Mother is right."
Seeing the Queen Mother speak, the imperial concubine quickly answered:
"My sister is so beautiful. It really makes her look like a maid. Tsk, tsk, tsk, you are not the same mother."
"Concubine!"
These words were meant to provoke feelings between sisters. The queen frowned, but Concubine Yang was not afraid at all.
"What's wrong? Isn't it okay to ask out of curiosity? Huh?"
She looked at Lu Yunying, who was next to her, and brought the topic to her again.
How dare Lu Yunying refuse to answer? She couldn't afford to offend anyone at this moment:
"My fourth sister and I are the daughters of concubines in the mansion. Our mother manages the household well and treats the aunts very well." The word "aunts" was emphasized very strongly.
"Look, I guessed it right."
Concubine Yang clapped her hands:
"Then you can stay and you can talk to me in the future. As for your sister, huh, those darting eyes are not suitable for the palace."
In just a few words, Lu Yunsuan's hope was killed. She wanted to refuse, but now she was too scared to speak.
She was just curious just now. Her aunt said that the imperial concubine in the palace was similar to her, not to mention it was just a glance. How could she have thought that the imperial concubine was so sharp?
It is true that Lu Yunshui was unlucky. There were bold young ladies before, but because those young ladies were young and the ladies were in good moods, at best these young ladies would be defeated. Now Lu Yunshui happened to bump into the irritable imperial concubine.
Fortunately, Lu Yunying knelt down at the same time. Otherwise, Yang Guifei would have to kneel down when she grabbed her pigtails. If she then said something about Lu Yunying's poor tutoring, the reputation of the Lu family's daughter would be even worse. .
At that time, outsiders didn't care whether the imperial concubine was in a bad mood and venting her emotions at will. They would only say that the Lu family's goddaughter was incompetent.
But now none of this will happen, and it has nothing to do with Lu Yunying. After the primary election, the remaining one can be called a show girl. As for the others...looking at the rest of the show heading towards leaving the palace Girl, Lu Yunying knew that she didn't have to worry for the time being.
