Ming Dynasty: A mere unruly commoner is rebelling against the heaven?

Chapter 64: It must be fear of deep love!
Liu Rushi did not dare to neglect: "Your Majesty, my name is Liu Rushi."

"Liu Rushi?"

Zhu Youtang chewed on the name: "I see how charming the green mountains are, and I think the green mountains see me the same way."

"This is Xin Jiaxuan's poem. I like it very much."

"Have you ever read poetry?"

Liu Rushi bowed her head and said, "I have read some poems, but I only know a few words."

Empress Dowager Wu smiled and said, "My daughter's family business is mainly needlework. It is very rare that you can recognize a few words."

Zhu Youtang smiled. She didn’t believe that Liu Rushi only knew a few words.

Zhu Youtang pondered for a while and said, "Well, you said you have read some poems, so I will give you a question."

"If you can answer it, I will keep your sign."

Liu Rushi clenched her fists and bowed slightly: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youtang looked around and then pointed to the steps outside Chuxiu Palace.

"Write a song with the theme of stairs."

"I will only give you, um... three oranges of time."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuanyuan's hands, which were peeling an orange, shook and she almost dropped the orange.

At this time, Chen Yuanyuan was in a dilemma. If she peeled the silk slowly, she was afraid that Zhu Youtang would be unhappy.

It’s being peeled off too quickly. What should Liu Rushi do?
Fortunately, Liu Rushi did not make Chen Yuanyuan feel embarrassed for too long.

She looked at the steps outside Chuxiu Palace, hesitated for a moment, and then began to recite.

"Where are the people?"

"People are walking on the jade steps."

"I am not a lovesick person, but I still want to go there. I am suspicious of someone I have never felt sorry for. I am afraid of being deeply in love."

As soon as this poem came out, the entire Chuxiu Palace fell silent.

Zhu Youtang pondered the poem carefully, then clapped softly.

The monotonous applause echoed in the quiet Chuxiu Palace.

"Great lyrics! What a great song Dream of Jiangnan!"

"It's not a passionate relationship, but I still yearn for it."

“I haven’t received love yet, but I’m full of expectations for love.”

"I guess he's afraid of being too deeply in love."

Zhu Youtang stared at Liu Rushi with burning eyes: "This poem is suitable for both the scene and the emotion."

"If it weren't for this poem, I wouldn't have known how deeply you love me."

Liu Rushi's face turned slightly red and her heart was pounding.

Just now, in a hurry, I looked at the steps outside the Chuxiu Palace, as if I saw myself entering the palace, and then I turned around and looked at the long street outside the palace.

As soon as you enter the palace, the gate is as deep as the sea.

At that moment, confusion about the future, expectation of divine grace, and fear of being infatuated with the wrong person all flooded into my mind.

Liu Rushi blurted out this poem while she understood the meaning of the poem.

"I want to ask you, what is your family background?" Queen Mother Wang also became interested.

Liu Rushi looked calm and answered truthfully.

"Your Highness, I, like Chen Yuanyuan, am the adopted daughter of Zhang Wenshao, the governor of Yingtian."

Queen Mother Wang nodded slightly, and the vigilance in her heart was immediately dissipated.

The adopted daughter of the Yingtian governor cannot be compared with Zhang Wan'er in terms of her background.

Zhu Youtang ordered Cui Gongzheng: "Keep Liu Rushi's nameplate in the palace."

Cui Gongzheng bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Liu Rushi was filled with joy and knelt down to express her gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

Zhu Youtang waved his hand, and Cui Gongzheng hurriedly shouted, "The fifth row of beauties, step back, and the sixth row of beauties, step forward."

Kou Baimen, who was also a concubine in the fifth row, was not selected.

Kou Baimen looked at Liu Rushi with envy, who was immersed in joy, and walked away dejectedly with his head down.

Among the beauties in the sixth row, Li Xiangjun was one of them.

So far, six out of the eight women have run for election, and only she and Dong Xiaowan have not yet run for election.

Only Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi were chosen by Zhu Youtang, Chen Yuanyuan for her stunning beauty and Liu Rushi for her talent.

However, the other four were not selected, and Li Xiangjun was already disappointed.

Before this, the eight of them had been fantasizing that with their natural beauty, they might be chosen by the emperor together.

There were eight sisters, all of whom served as concubines in the same dynasty.

But I didn't expect that Zhu Youtang had such high vision.

Among the first six sisters, only Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi were chosen.

Li Xiangjun, who was inferior to Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi in both talent and appearance, really did not have much confidence at this moment.

As expected, Zhu Youtang just glanced at the row of beauties and shook his head slightly.

Cui Gongzheng understood what was going on: "The girls in the sixth row step back, and the girls in the seventh row step forward."

Li Xiangjun sighed secretly in her heart, stood up and left with the other concubines.

Because she had seen four sisters fail in the selection before, Li Xiangjun was not as sad as the previous four sisters at this time.

But my heart is still empty, filled with fear and anxiety about future life.

All I can say is, everything is fate.

The seventh row of beauties is the last row of beauties.

Dong Xiaowan stood among them, clenched her hands nervously, but her face remained calm.

She has prepared herself mentally, and whether she will be selected depends entirely on God's will.

And Zhu Youtang is their heaven.

Zhu Youtang looked at the last row of beauties and his eyes were attracted by one of them.

Although this woman's appearance is not as outstanding as Zhang Wan'er and Chen Yuanyuan, she has a noble, aloof, and extraordinary temperament.

People are as quiet as chrysanthemums and as green lotuses in turbid worlds.

This special temperament aroused Zhu Youtang's interest.

"Do you have a name?" Zhu Youtang looked at Dong Xiaowan.

Dong Xiaowan was delighted when Zhu Youtang questioned her, but her expression remained calm.

"Your Majesty, my name is Dong Xiaowan, and I have the same family background as Chen Yuanyuan and Liu Rushi."

Dong Xiaowan not only answered her name, but also took the initiative to tell her life story.

Zhu Youtang suddenly realized: "I remember now, you are the eight beauties that Zhang Cai wanted to keep for himself?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Zhu Youtang suddenly laughed: "No wonder Zhang Cai dared to take the risk of having his entire family executed in order to hide you."

"Now that I look closely, you three are all natural beauties."

"Since you already have a name, I will give you a character."

Zhu Youtang thought for a while and said, "I just saw that you have an elegant temperament, like a green lotus, turbid but not evil."

"I will give you the word Qinglian."

Dong Xiaowan knelt down and saluted, saying respectfully: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for the calligraphy."

Zhu Youtang smiled slightly and said, "Keep the card."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After selecting more than thirty beauties, Zhu Youtang only chose four.

They are Zhang Wan'er, Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi and Dong Xiaowan.

Cui Gong was holding a tray with the names of the four people on it. He slowly came in front of Zhu Youtang and half squatted down.

Zhu Youtang looked at the four name tags and suddenly asked, "Where are these four ladies from?"

Zhang Wan'er was the first to reply: "Your Majesty, I am from Hejian Prefecture in Northern Zhili."

Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi and Dong Xiaowan answered in unison: "Your Majesty, the three of us are from Yangzhou Prefecture in Southern Zhili."

Zhu Youtang thought thoughtfully: "Among the four selected beauties, three are from the south. This is not appropriate."

"All other unsuccessful candidates, all from the north, please step forward and stand before me."

Zhu Youtang's order undoubtedly ignited the fire of hope in the hearts of all the northern beauties who were not selected.

Their moods went up and down, as if they were flying from the bottom of the valley to the sky.

A dozen northern beauties, with excitement, quickly stood in front of Zhu Youtang again.

(End of this chapter)