Upon hearing this, Nangong Yi’s face suddenly changed colors as he said, "I thought after the previous Gu-poisoning and fasting incidents, she would have cald down a bit. I didn’t expect she would beco even more foolish than before. Now she even wants to ddle in the affairs of my bedchamber!"
Cai Wei laughed teasingly, "Stop complaining and just go have a look. Who knows, you might actually find a beauty that catches your eye!"
Nangong Yi’s face darkened as he said, "I don’t have ti to look at those affectatious won. Chen Shangxi, you just need to convey my decree to those ladies. They always talk about virtuous wives and beautiful concubines. I consider my Empress a virtuous wife, so if any of them believe their looks surpass the Empress, let them stay; otherwise, they should just get lost."
Chen Shangxi froze. What did The Emperor an by this? Wasn’t this making things difficult for people? Let alone these few misses from official families, even if you search through all the maidens of Great Jin, you might not be able to find one more good-looking than the Empress. Although these misses were all very pretty, it depends on whom you’re comparing them to. By comparison to the Empress, their beauty is instantly downgraded from phoenix to pheasant; there’s simply no basis for comparison at all!
After Nangong Yi finished speaking, he flung his sleeves and exited. Cai Wei covered her mouth with her handkerchief and giggled a few tis before saying to Chen Shangxi, "Eunuch Chen, go ahead and deliver the Emperor’s decree first. I will change my clothes and follow shortly."
Left with no choice, Chen Shangxi departed. Huan Qiu giggled, "The Emperor’s move is truly ruthless. Not only did he slap those shaless won in the face, but he also slapped the Empress Dowager’s face. Let’s see if she dares to ddle in affairs that don’t concern her in the future!"
Cai Wei said with a cold smile, "She could have been a respectable Empress Dowager, but instead, she insists on playing the reviled villain. Now I understand why she has never been as favored as Jin Guifei. With her temperant, even if she were more beautiful, no man would like her!"
Inside Empress Dowager Mo’s palace
After listening to the decree passed on by Chen Shangxi from The Emperor, many of the misses who ca for the selection turned pale. Although they all had confidence in their looks, upon hearing the ntion of being compared to Empress Mu, they imdiately lost heart.
They were not fools; they all had so self-awareness. Empress Mu’s beauty was unrivaled, sothing they could not compare with. Not to ntion them, even across the entire world, there wasn’t a second person who could be ntioned in the sa breath.
The Emperor’s words were clear: he had no intention of taking a concubine, and he wanted them to withdraw knowing they were out of their depth. Imdiately, several misses with grand ambitions withered like frost-bitten eggplants, one by one standing to request withdrawal from the competition.
Of course, there were so who resisted to the end, one of which was Pri Minister’s daughter Ning Huaixiu, Miss Ning.
Miss Ning was already eighteen this year, both talented and beautiful, and intelligent as well. But eighteen was already beyond the pri marrying age for young won. The reason Miss Ning had delayed until now was said to be due to many years of admiration for The Emperor, which had turned into an obsession. She had secretly vowed in this lifeti to marry none but Nangong Yi. Thus, when everyone else withdrew after seeing the difficulty, she alone stood firm in her heartfelt conviction.
She knew her looks were far from matching Empress Mu’s, but she knew even more that, without this chance, she might never have another opportunity to marry him. Therefore, even knowing she fell short in beauty, she withstood the contempt and ridicule from everyone and bravely persisted, ready to face the trials set by the Empress Dowager, the high concubines, and the various madams.
However, since she was the only one left, and also the daughter of the Pri Minister, naturally no one would make things difficult for her.
Empress Dowager Mo even considered simply letting her pass the selection directly, granting her a position to enter the palace.
But before she could speak, Duke Li Guo’s wife said earnestly, "Miss Ning, I see that you are well-read and sensible. But why are you so intent on marrying The Emperor? There are plenty of good n in the world. Wouldn’t it be better to marry soone who cherishes you and takes you seriously? Why insist on hanging from one tree? Being married to The Emperor might seem noble and dignified, but that also depends on whether The Emperor holds you in his heart. As you have seen, our Emperor’s heart has room for only the Empress. The two of them are deeply in love and affectionate; others simply cannot intrude. Why do you insist on forcing yourself into such an awkward position? It will not only draw disdain but also make you the subject of ridicule!"
Miss Ning’s face turned red with a rush of blood. As a coddled daughter of a noble family, she had always been treated like a star. Her parents had never so much as breathed a harsh word towards her. Now being openly spoken to with such sharp words by the old madam, she was so ashad she wished she could find a crevice to crawl into and hide.
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