You get Lu Bu as your starting character.

Chapter 335 Raise your head
royal palace.

Cining Palace.

The nine young ladies-in-waiting are listening to the Empress Dowager's instructions.

They had been in the palace for several days and, after learning the basic etiquette of the palace, were brought to Cining Palace to see the Empress Dowager.

To the disappointment of these nine young women, the emperor never saw them a second time.

It's important to know that these nine women were chosen from hundreds of thousands of applicants, possessing exceptional qualities...

Unfortunately, no matter how beautiful they were, the emperor did not give them the opportunity to summon them to his bedchamber.

This left the young women with enthusiasm but nowhere to put it to use.

Especially when they heard that the current emperor doesn't even have a single concubine in his harem.

The young women were excited and filled with anticipation.

They knew that whoever was the first to serve the emperor in bed and won the first place had a chance to become the first concubine in the emperor's harem.

Don't underestimate the title of becoming the first concubine.

The advantages it holds should not be underestimated.

As the saying goes, "If you're one step ahead, you'll always be ahead," that's the principle.

The Empress Dowager sat in the main seat, gazing at the nine selected young women.

The Empress Dowager knew perfectly well what these young ladies were thinking.

After all, the Empress Dowager had been in and out of the palace for decades, and she had risen step by step from the bottom to her current position.

The old palace maid who had always served the Empress Dowager walked lightly to her side and whispered, "Empress Dowager, His Majesty is in the Hall of Mental Cultivation."

"There are no other officials in the Hall of Mental Cultivation..."

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager's eyes flickered.

"So good."

The Empress Dowager glanced at the nine young ladies-in-waiting.

"I have said everything I needed to say, and I have taught you everything I could. The rest is up to your own destiny."

The Empress Dowager looked at the nine young ladies-in-waiting and said, "His Majesty has some time now. I will have you go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation later. That is where His Majesty rests, and it is also one of the few opportunities for you to show yourselves in front of His Majesty."

"Let me tell you, if you perform well later, you know what you will get without me having to say it."

"I've given you this opportunity; now it's up to you whether you can seize it."

"If you can't handle this, you'll be stuck as imperial concubines for life."

As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, the eyes of the nine young ladies-in-waiting shone with fervent light.

Although the women selected for the imperial concubines had plenty of food and drink and did not need to work, they had fought their way out from hundreds of thousands of women, not just to secure a mere position as imperial concubines.

What they wanted was the position of concubine, the position of imperial consort, or even the position of empress, the head of the harem.

Afterwards, the nine young ladies left Cining Palace and, led by a eunuch, went to Yangxin Hall.

……

The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

Just as Zhou Chen was about to go out for a few steps, he saw a group of beautiful women walking towards the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

"What are they?"

Zhou Chen was slightly puzzled.

If Zhou Chen remembered correctly, these women should be the young ladies selected to enter the palace before!

Cao Zhengchun said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, these women are all selected ladies-in-waiting for the palace."

“These past few days, the palace ladies-in-waiting have finished teaching them the rules of the palace. The Empress Dowager just gave them another lecture and called them to the Hall of Mental Cultivation so that His Majesty could take a look.”

Upon hearing Cao Zhengchun's words, Zhou Chen suddenly understood.

If it weren't for seeing these young ladies, Zhou Chen would have completely forgotten about them and almost forgotten all about it.

Just as Zhou Chen was in a daze, nine beautiful young women had already arrived in front of him.

Nine stunningly beautiful young women bowed slightly to Zhou Chen and said in clear voices, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Zhou Chen sized up the nine young women.

These young women, now adorned with rouge and powder, were even more alluring and captivating than during the selection process. "Raise your heads."

Zhou Chen looked at the nine young women and spoke casually.

Upon hearing the emperor's words, the nine young ladies mustered their courage, looked up, and stole a glance at Zhou Chen.

They had met the emperor once before.

However, that time was during the draft.

When they first entered the palace, they were very cautious. Even when the emperor was in front of them, no one dared to look up.

Now, the nine young ladies-in-waiting can openly raise their heads and behold the emperor's countenance.

In the eyes of the young ladies, the emperor, though young, possessed an aura that seemed to encompass the vast land.

"Is this His Majesty?"

The young women couldn't help but puff out their chests, wanting to present their best selves to the emperor.

They were all exceptionally beautiful women, one in a million, otherwise they would not have been chosen to enter the palace.

At this moment, all they wanted was for this young emperor to glance at them.

Zhou Chen gazed at the nine beautiful and charming young women.

Zhou Chen knew that the Empress Dowager's reason for sending the nine young ladies to the Hall of Mental Cultivation was not simply to let Zhou Chen take a look.

Several days have passed since the young ladies entered the palace.

The purpose of selecting concubines to enter the palace was simply to fill the emperor's harem.

The emperor can't stay empty, lonely, and cold forever!

at this time.

A palace eunuch rushed to deliver a letter to Cao Zhengchun.

Cao Zhengchun dismissed the eunuchs and guards, and immediately whispered to Zhou Chen, "Your Majesty, there is an urgent message to send back."

"Oh!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Chen's spirits lifted.

It seemed like Zhou Chen hadn't received any urgent messages for quite some time.

Zhou Chen took the letter from Cao Zhengchun's hand.

I opened it and glanced at it.

Zhou Chen's brows immediately furrowed.

Zhou Chen closed the letter and waved to the nine young women, "You may all leave now!"

Zhou Chen understood the Empress Dowager's meaning.

But Zhou Chen had important matters to attend to and couldn't worry about the young ladies-in-waiting.

Upon hearing Zhou Chen's words, the young women's pretty faces paled slightly.

They originally wanted to make a good impression and seize this opportunity to catch the emperor's eye.

After all, the opportunity to meet the emperor was extremely rare.

If it weren't for the Empress Dowager, they wouldn't have had the chance to see the Emperor.

But who would have thought that they had to leave as soon as they met the emperor and hadn't even had a chance to make a move?

"The minister and concubine follow the order."

Even if the nine women were unwilling, they could only obediently withdraw.

In the imperial palace, the emperor was supreme.

If they displease the emperor, then these women selected for the imperial concubine selection will not only have no future, but their very survival will be in question.

The nine young women left reluctantly, harboring some resentment towards Cao Zhengchun, the short-sighted eunuch.

If it weren't for the clueless eunuch Cao Zhengchun interrupting them with his report, they could have had a good chance to impress the emperor!

However, Cao Zhengchun's status was special and his power was immense, so even if the young ladies harbored resentment, they dared not easily express it and could only bury it in their hearts.

After the nine young ladies left, Zhou Chen frowned, his face grim, and turned back into the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

(End of this chapter)