maidservant

Chapter 45: Concubine Cui's Selection

The glazed tiles on the palace walls were coated with a layer of gold. Concubine Cui, dressed in a palace dress embroidered with flowers, walked lightly and gracefully as she moved between the numerous palaces in the harem.

This selection is undoubtedly an event of great significance for the harem.

Since receiving the imperial edict, she has devoted herself to it, arranging palace maids and female officials to teach the concubines court etiquette, with every move and every gesture strictly regulated; she even considered the route planning for the concubines entering the palace in detail.

Under her careful management, the audition went smoothly, with every link being well-organized and orderly.

At this time, in Liuhua Palace, Lin Yu was leaning lazily on the couch, playing casually with a mutton-fat jade pendant that His Majesty had rewarded him with a few days ago.

The jade pendant was crystal clear and warm to the touch, which should have made people happy, but her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise coming from outside the window.

Just as she was wondering, Aunt Zhuang hurried in, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Your Majesty, a new batch of beauties has entered the palace for selection. Concubine Cui has specially invited you to attend the ceremony. The scene is very lively right now."

Hearing this, Lin Yu slowly stood up and, with the help of Yunshan and Yunjin, carefully fixed her makeup and clothes, and then took the ceremonial guard to the selection palace.

She came to the side hall, glanced around the hall, found an ideal position that was both secluded and had a panoramic view of the situation, and sat down elegantly.

Looking around, I saw a group of young women dressed in gorgeous clothes, walking slowly towards me under the guidance of palace servants.

Their expressions were tense yet faintly expectant. Their steps trembled slightly, but they tried to straighten their backs and show their best selves.

Inside the palace, His Majesty sat high atop the dragon throne, his face dignified and solemn, yet gentle. His gaze, like a torch, slowly swept over the beauties, as if examining the future harem of Dali.

The beauties came forward one by one, bowed, saluted, and answered questions. Their voices were clear and pleasant, but trembled slightly with nervousness, and echoed in the empty hall.

"Next, Gao Yao, daughter of the Minister of Revenue." As the eunuch called out her name, a woman in a pale pink silk dress entered. She had a graceful figure, a pretty face, and a lively look between her eyebrows.

Yunshan couldn't help but secretly admire in her heart, what a handsome person.

The woman bowed gracefully and said in a clear and pleasant voice, "Your Highness, I am Gao Yao, your Highness."

His Majesty nodded slightly and asked some questions about poetry, songs, and female precepts and rules. Gao Yao answered them fluently.

Several more beauties entered the room, each with their own unique charm. Some were gentle and charming, while others were dignified and majestic. All of them were beauties chosen from thousands of people.

Yunshan stood beside Lin Yu, her eyes full of pity. She looked at her master, Lin Yu, who was looking at the group of young and beautiful ladies, with a complex expression in her eyes.

Lin Yu and His Majesty had been together for a long time, and a deep love had long since developed between them. Since she became pregnant, this love had blossomed like spring flowers, becoming even stronger. Yun Shan understood her thoughts, and seeing this scene, she knew that her master must be feeling uneasy.

This harem has always been so cruel. The newly entered beauties are in their prime, with bright smiles, and they don't understand the tears and loneliness of the old ladies.

After the selection was over, Concubine Cui and His Majesty discussed the matter of enthronement in the imperial study.

Everything went smoothly and perfectly during the selection. The emperor was in a good mood and praised Concubine Cui's ability to do things. He immediately issued an order to reward Concubine Cui generously, and silks and satins filled Concubine Cui's palace.

Many of the newly promoted concubines actively sought to curry favor with Concubine Cui. Concubine Cui, observing these young, innocent faces, remained calm, a smile on her face. She treated each concubine with gentleness, managing the situation flawlessly. Within the tranquil inner chambers of Liuhua Palace, soft light filtered through the carved window lattices, casting a blanket of gold.

Yun Jin held a cup of fragrant tea, still steaming, in both hands and walked to Lin Yu's side. "Your Majesty, you have always been the apple of His Majesty's eye and are deeply loved. There is really no need to worry about this."

Lin Yu shook his head gently, his eyes filled with the melancholy and clarity of time, and he sighed slowly:

"After going through so many twists and turns, how could I not understand that relying solely on your majesty's favor cannot guarantee my safety for the rest of my life? Now a new person has entered the palace..." Lin Yu sighed and lay down.

Elsewhere, Concubine Cui sat at her desk, meticulously compiling the list of newly selected concubines. Her fingers gently ran over the paper, checking each name over and over again, ensuring that everything was correct before respectfully presenting the list to the Empress's palace.

The Queen sat high atop the phoenix throne, radiating an air of authority without even being angry. Her expression was stern, her gaze piercing as she slowly scanned the list, taking in every word. After a long pause, she gave a slight nod.

With the Empress's approval, Concubine Cui began arranging the accommodations for the concubines. Every arrangement was carefully considered, taking into account the location, size, and surrounding environment of the palace, demonstrating her meticulous and comprehensive considerations.

Liuhua Palace also welcomed the talented Gao Yao. After Lin Yu learned of this, he immediately ordered people to clean up the west side courtyard for Gao Yao to live in.

As the head maid of Liuhua Palace, Yunjin immediately got busy after receiving the order. She led the palace servants to clean up every dust in the room. The old bed and bedding were removed and replaced with brand new ones embroidered with exquisite patterns.

Lin Yu also specially sent someone to the Ministry of Agriculture to carefully select several pots of beautifully blooming flowers from among the many flowers, and ordered the palace servants to place them on the table in the west wing room.

When Gao Cairen first entered Liuhua Palace and stepped into the west courtyard, her eyes lit up. She slowly walked to the bedside, gently stroking the brand new bedding, her eyes twinkling as she whispered, "Miss Yunjin, thank you for taking the trouble to decorate this place so beautifully."

Upon hearing this, Yun Jin's face lit up with a gentle smile. She bowed and replied respectfully, "You are too polite, my lady. This was all specially arranged by our queen. We hope you will enjoy your stay."

In the past three months, Concubine Cui has managed the harem in an orderly manner and handled all matters, big and small, just right.

The palace banquet held a few days ago not only had exquisite dishes and a smooth process, but also incorporated unique programs, which made everyone in the room happy. As for the complicated reward matters, they were fair and reasonable after being handled by her, and no one had any complaints.

Apart from the fact that Concubine Hui occasionally took advantage of her favor and became arrogant, which made it impossible for her to intervene, she handled several major events very well. Even the empress dowager heard about it and could not help but praise her. For a time, Concubine Cui was the most popular in the harem.

However, all this made the Queen uneasy. Seeing each concubine gaining power, the Queen felt even more uneasy. At this point, with the baby in her womb beginning to grow steadily, the Queen finally lost her patience and signaled to Concubine Cui to take back control of the harem.

After receiving the signal, Concubine Cui obediently handed over the power in her hands, and respectfully presented the detailed account books and well-organized records of the directors for the past three months to the queen.

That night, the Queen reviewed the account books. Every expense was clearly recorded in the books; every problem solved and every dispute handled was clearly recorded in the directors' records, demonstrating her dedication and responsibility.

The Queen's personal maid Xin Qing advised, "Your Majesty, your health is most important right now. It's best to focus on your pregnancy and take care of these trivial matters later."

The Queen smiled bitterly and shook her head, her expression worried. "Xinqing, you don't understand. The situation in the harem is so complicated right now. How can I have the mood to take care of my pregnancy? Only when I hold power firmly in my hands can I feel at ease."

Xinqing looked at the queen's tired yet determined face, sighed helplessly, and quietly retreated to prepare the things the queen needed to review the account books.

The struggle in the harem will never stop because of a temporary calm. This transfer of power is just the beginning of a new dispute. In the days to come, wonderful stories will be staged within these palace walls.

(End of this chapter)