After all the envoys had made their contributions, Ying Zheng gave another reward, and other matters were left to Lu Buwei to handle.
Next, is the concubine selection ceremony.
The time arrangement could not have been so tight, but all members of the mission lived outside the city. If the time arrangement was not tight, additional accommodation would have to be arranged for these people.
The envoys were all arranged to rest. It was time for the princesses from various countries to show their talents and win the favor of King Qin, so it was not appropriate for the envoys to be present.
Princesses from various countries bring with them a large number of entourages. In addition to personal maids, there are also dancers, musicians, and even tailors who are responsible for everyone's clothing.
The Queen Mother and Mrs. Huayang also came to the main hall and sat beside Ying Zheng. Lu Buwei led several important ministers on both sides.
It is not difficult to see from everyone's eyes how much they are looking forward to the concubine selection ceremony that is about to begin.
The princesses from the Six Kingdoms began to appear one after another.
Zhao Gao read out the list of princesses from various countries who came to choose concubines this time, and they were also arranged in the order of appearance. The order of appearance of concubines is that small countries come first and big countries come last.
Princess Wenxuan of South Korea was the first to appear.
Next are Princess Minruo of Yan State, Princess Caiyun of Wei State, Princess Lanting of Qi State, Princess Nansu of Chu State, and finally Princess Hu Yu of Zhao State.
After each princess appears, a dedicated person will briefly introduce the princess's name, age, origin and other basic information. Then Ying Zheng will ask some simple questions to communicate with the princess, and then the princess will show her carefully prepared talents.
What the princesses from various countries displayed were mostly their country's unique songs and dances, which were very beautiful.
Some are slow in rhythm but full of charm. Although there are not many people, they cooperate skillfully. Some of the costumes are cumbersome, but they are magnificent.
In order to highlight the extraordinaryness of the princess, the princess's clothes are very luxurious and gorgeous.
This is definitely a visual feast, and it is held for Ying Zheng alone. No wonder the ministers are looking forward to it so much.
The princesses from the first four countries had finished their performances, and Ying Zheng, Mrs. Huayang and all the ministers were filled with admiration. Except for the dances of Chu and Qin, he had basically never seen the dances of other countries. Now that he saw so many countries at once, and even songs and dances with foreign elements, it really made him dazzled.
Next is the appearance of Princess Nansu.
What was different was that Princess Nansu was alone and had no one dancing with her.
I saw that she was wearing a pink dress, which was quite elegant, but compared with the grace and splendor of the princesses from several countries just now, it seemed fresh and refined.
Under the expectant eyes of everyone, Princess Nansu sat alone in front of a Chuqin. With her fingers moving lightly, the sound of the piano sounded melodiously. Although the rhyme was gentle, it was full of emotion and refreshing.
After the long song, everyone had endless aftertaste and the lingering sound lingered.
Princess Nansu changed to a pair of Chuqin, and then played another piece of music. And this song was not only played, but Princess Nansu also sang softly along with the sound of the piano.
The sound of the piano is beautiful, and the singing is even more beautiful. The melodious sound of the piano becomes the accompaniment of the bright singing, which makes the soul tremble, just like a dream.
Although the track is not very long, Ying Zheng is still savoring it, immersed in it, as if time has frozen, and all disputes and worries have nothing to do with him.
"My little girl has made a fool of herself." Princess Nansu said softly, breaking the silence in the palace.
Ying Zheng came back to his senses and looked at Princess Nansu slightly infatuatedly. He actually forgot to talk to Princess Nansu. This is not the first time that the two have met, and Princess Nansu lives in the palace, so there will be many opportunities in the future.
Princess Nansu smiled and bowed before everyone looked at her in amazement.
Zhao Gaodao rarely saw Ying Zheng like this, and he couldn't help but be surprised.
"Your Majesty," Zhao Gao said softly from behind Ying Zheng, "The princesses from the five kingdoms have finished performing, and only Princess Hu Yu from the Zhao Kingdom is left."
Ying Zheng composed himself and asked: "According to convention, Chu State should have appeared last in the past. Why is Zhao State ranked last this time?"
Zhao Gao cupped his hands and said: "Your Majesty, in this selection of concubines, Princess Hu Yu of Zhao Kingdom's offering is said to be not singing and dancing, so she is ranked last."
"Oh? It's not singing and dancing, what is that?" Ying Zheng thought of Princess Hu Yu in Hu costume, seemed to have thought of something, and asked with interest.
Zhao Gao said: "I don't know about this. Why don't we just invite Princess Hu Yu out and we will know."
Ying Zheng nodded, Zhao Gao raised his voice and called Princess Hu Yu.
A series of brisk footsteps came, and Princess Hu Yu entered the palace gate. She was indeed wearing a Hu suit, and she looked very heroic. She is a little more determined than in the painting, a little less shy than the other princesses, but a little more heroic.
This is the first meeting between Ying Zheng and Princess Hu Yu. Ying Zheng didn't even feel it himself. He had actually been expecting this moment for a long time.
Princess Hu Yu did not bow down to Ying Zheng as a princess, but instead bowed her hands.
"My little daughter, Hu Yu, has met His Majesty the King of Qin." Princess Hu Yu said with a somewhat free and easy tone.
"No need to be formal." Ying Zheng looked at Princess Hu Yu and said, "Give me a seat."
Since there are no singing and dancing performances, we can only offer seats and chat slowly.
"Your Majesty, Hu Yu hasn't performed his skills yet, why should he be given a seat?" Hu Yu said with a smile, quite playfully.
"I heard that the princess is not planning to sing or dance." Ying Zheng said.
"Your Majesty, Hu Yu is indeed not ready to sing and dance." Princess Hu Yu said, "Compared with the songs and dances of princesses from other countries, what Hu Yu has learned is inferior. But Hu Yu has been martial arts since he was a child, he also likes Hu clothes, and is good at riding and shooting. . What Hu Yu wants to offer to the King of Qin is sword dancing."
"Oh?" Ying Zheng really did not expect that Hu Yu would choose sword dancing when choosing a concubine. It is not surprising that Hu Yu loves to wear Hu clothes, and he likes to practice martial arts so much. He only performed sword dance when choosing a concubine, which has never happened since ancient times.
"Your Majesty," Zhao Gao said from the side, "Sword dancing in the main hall will be very inconvenient for the safety of Your Majesty."
"It doesn't matter." Ying Zheng said loudly, "Come here, give Princess Hu Yu a sword."
A guard took off his sword and handed it to Princess Hu Yu.
Princess Hu Yu took the sword and weighed it. It was heavier than what she usually used, but not much.
"Hu Yu has made a fool of himself." Hu Yu said with cupped hands.
After showing a hand gesture, Hu Yu started to dance his sword.
Steady steps and quick shots. It is not difficult to see that Princess Hu Yu is not a show-off, but she has a lot of skills.
After performing a set of smooth moves, Princess Hu Yu closed the move, cupped her hands and said: "Your Majesty, my little girl has shown her embarrassment."
His breath was not messy at all, but his face was slightly rosy.
"Okay." Ying Zheng cheered, "I didn't expect Princess Hu Yu's kung fu to be so good. I guess my close bodyguards may not have this level of cultivation."
Princess Hu Yu cupped her hands and said, "Your Majesty, this is a great compliment. I just like it and can stretch my muscles when I have nothing to do."
"Haha, maybe the princess is too modest." Ying Zheng asked with a smile, "Just now, the princess said, can you still ride and shoot?"
Princess Hu Yu nodded and said, "My little girl likes to wear Hu clothes, so naturally she also likes riding and shooting."
Ying Zheng said: "If you want to ride and shoot, you don't need it today. In a few days, I will go on a spring hunting trip. Then, you can go with me. I would like to see you show off your skills."
"My daughter is ordered by the king." Princess Hu Yu looked at Ying Zheng and said.
If they did not come to Qin to choose a concubine, the princesses from various countries would choose their husbands in their own countries, and the standard of judgment may be even higher. Especially Princess Hu Yu who loves martial arts. If she were not a monarch of a country or a general in Yang Wei's battlefield, she might not be able to catch her eye.
So when Ying Zheng mentioned that he would go hunting with him in the spring, Hu Yu subconsciously wanted to see Ying Zheng's skills.
The concubine selection ceremony is now over. For a while, Ying Zheng, Mrs. Huayang and others would not make a decision immediately, so the princesses from various countries were escorted back to their bases.
Lu Buwei sent off the princesses and envoys from various countries, and Ying Zheng also sent Mrs. Huayang back to Huayang Palace.
The display of talents only deepened Ying Zheng's impression. What really determines the choice of princess is the strength of each country and which country or countries Qin wants to have a good relationship with.
Queen Mother Zhao Ji has already left the palace, otherwise Zhao Ji will definitely attend the concubine selection ceremony, and Ying Zheng will definitely have discussions with Zhao Ji.
But now, Ying Zheng can only discuss with the Queen Mother and Lu Buwei. But what makes Ying Zheng a headache is that Mrs. Huayang must choose Princess Nansu of Chu State, while Lu Buwei prefers Princess Hu Yu of Zhao State.
The ones who really put Ying Zheng in trouble were the two princesses Nansu and Hu Yu. He liked both of them, one literary and the other military, each with their own strengths. If he had to prioritize them, Ying Zheng didn't know which one to choose.
The next day, the Queen Mother came to the meeting hall and sat beside Ying Zheng.
"Lu Xiangbang, the concubine selection ceremony was completed yesterday, what do you think?" Mrs. Huayang asked.
"Back to the Queen Mother, the choice of concubine is a matter of the King's family. You can make the decision." Lu Buwei said.
"Zheng'er, during the concubine selection ceremony yesterday, did you have someone you liked?" Mrs. Huayang asked.
"Grandma Wang, I think that the princesses from all over the world yesterday were all good." Ying Zheng said.
"Which one do you think is your favorite?" Mrs. Huayang asked.
"Comparatively speaking, I like the princesses of Chu and Zhao the most," Ying Zheng said.
"Da Qin and Chu have been married for generations. Since you like the princess of Chu, that's fine. Just choose a day to get married." Mrs. Huayang said.
Before Ying Zheng could speak, Lu Buwei said: "The Queen Mother, your Majesty said that both the princesses of Chu and Zhao are in love with each other. Your Majesty grew up in Zhao, so he must have more affection for Zhao. Just marry Princess Hu Yu."
Mrs. Huayang said angrily: "You just said you wanted to follow my arrangements, why did you have objections so quickly?"
"I just listened to what the king said and considered it for the king." Lu Buwei said.
Ying Zheng had known this was the case. Talking and arguing is already very peaceful. In history, it is not uncommon for people to draw swords against each other when encountering this kind of situation.
"Okay, let's stop fighting." Ying Zheng said to Mrs. Huayang and Lu Buwei, "Just get married."
Mrs. Huayang and Lu Buwei looked at each other and seemed to be communicating with their eyes.
"If the king likes her so much, it would be okay to marry both princesses." Lu Buwei said.
Mrs. Huayang also nodded. She and Lu Buwei both understand the principle of retreating to advance.
"It's just..." Lu Buwei said again, "Marrying the princesses of both countries at the same time without prioritization, I'm afraid the monarchs of Chu and Zhao will have objections, and the envoys of each country will also be unwilling."
Ying Zheng said with a smile: "When I say marry them all, I mean to marry all the princesses who come to choose concubines. This way there will be no criticism."
"This..." Lu Buwei thought he heard wrongly, "What does the king mean by marrying all the princesses from the six countries into the palace at once?"
"That's right." Ying Zheng said with certainty, "Only in this way will we stop fighting and cause less trouble among various countries."
Mrs. Huayang and Lu Buwei looked stunned. They didn't expect that Ying Zheng, who had always acted like it had nothing to do with them, would make such a decision. However, what Ying Zheng said made sense, and it was a solution.
Choosing a concubine widely and not establishing a queen was the strategy taught to Ying Zheng by Li Si, so that's how it was done.
