Chương 750: The Selection of Concubines Continues

She stood in the middle of the courtyard, her voice not loud but very penetrating:

"Listen up! There will be three rounds of selection. Anyone who fails in each round will be sent home and given a thousand coins for travel expenses. It's not shameful."

I'll only say these rules once: no whispering, no begging or pleading, no secretly slipping anything to anyone. Understand?

The girls responded in unison, "Yes," their voices trembling.

More than three hundred people filled the courtyard; it was quite a sight.

The first round is purely about hardware, like selecting soldiers, with strict rules and regulations.

Each female official had a ruler and a booklet, and they went through the process one by one in groups according to age, like an assembly line operation.

The first step is to measure height.

Too tall or too short won't do; it has to be around 1. 6 to 1. 7 meters, anything less won't do.

There was a girl who was too tall. She stood next to the ruler looking aggrieved and almost cried, but she was still asked to leave.

Another girl was too short and tried to sneak through by standing on tiptoe, but the female official saw through her act at a glance and she was also rejected.

The second item is to observe body posture.

Too fat or too thin is not good; you need to be well-proportioned and healthy.

A hunched back, rounded shoulders, and a swaying gait make someone look listless and lacking energy.

There was a girl who was extremely thin, as if she could be blown away by the wind. Zhang Mama glanced at her and shook her head: "Too weak. She won't be able to support the Crown Prince in the future. Eliminate her."

The third thing is to look at the face and skin.

Facial features must be regular; those with large moles, scars, or pockmarks on their face are disqualified. Skin must be delicate; those with rough, dark skin or skin diseases are also unacceptable.

It doesn't necessarily have to be stunningly beautiful, but it has to be decent-looking and pleasing to the eye, after all, it's about the royal family's image.

The fourth item is to listen to the sounds.

Each person is asked to say "This humble woman greets the matriarch"; those with a hoarse, croaky voice or who stutter are eliminated on the spot.

There was a pretty girl, but when she opened her mouth, her voice sounded like a man's, very rough and hoarse. Everyone was stunned, and then she was unfortunately eliminated.

Of the more than 300 people, more than 200 were eliminated in this round, leaving only about 80.

The elimination rate is almost 70%, that's ruthless.

A girl was only slightly shorter, barely half an inch, and she cried as she grabbed Zhang Mama's hand, pleading for mercy:

"Granny, I'm so close! Please make an exception! I've wanted to enter the palace since I was little; I'm exceptionally good at needlework!"

Zhang Mama remained expressionless and gently withdrew her hand: "Rules are rules. The Crown Princess must be a model of virtue for the nation, and she cannot deviate even slightly from them."

"Young lady, going home and settling down is better than anything else. You've received your full reward; go home now."

The words were harsh, but they also offered a way out, and the girl left crying.

Quite a few girls who were rejected actually breathed a sigh of relief and happily went home with their bags.

She was forced into this by her family and never wanted to enter the palace. Now she can finally go back to her normal life, it's like she's been liberated.

Xu Jingxian is of average height and has a well-proportioned figure. She speaks in a gentle and soft voice and passed the first round smoothly.

She wasn't particularly happy; she remained calm and composed, eating and sleeping as usual.

The girls who passed the first round changed into matching plain-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) to avoid their attire affecting the judgment.

Led by a female official, they practiced walking, bowing, and sitting down, with their demeanor observed throughout.

The requirements are: walk without swaying your shoulders, sit without lifting your skirt, bow with proper etiquette, stand without looking around, and sit and stand with proper posture.

The female official would also ask a few random questions, such as, "What do you do at home?", "What books have you read?", and "What do you do if you have a conflict with your sister-in-law?"

It all comes down to how well they talk, how steady their temperament is, and how quick their mind is.

This round of eliminations was even more interesting; all sorts of situations occurred.

A girl got nervous and walked with her left hand and left foot moving together, blushing instantly. This amused the others, who wanted to laugh but dared not, and she was eventually asked to leave.

There was another girl who was particularly sweet-talking. Whenever she saw a female official, she would compliment her, saying things like, "Sister, you are so beautiful" and "Sister, you have worked hard." Her glib and smooth talk was too much, and she was also rejected.

Zhang Mama's comment: "Too slick, with impure thoughts, unacceptable."

There was another girl who, despite being dressed simply, had an air of arrogance about her.

When asked if she knew how to manage a household, she immediately replied, "At home, the maids do all the work; I never do any of the rough work."

Zhang Mama crossed it out directly, her tone cold: "The Crown Princess is in charge of the Eastern Palace, which has hundreds of people. How can she be pampered and know nothing?"

"If you can't even take care of yourself, how can you take care of the Crown Prince, or manage the household affairs? Eliminated."

After this round, only 25 out of 80 people remained, meaning more than half were eliminated.

The remaining girls were all outstanding individuals, with no major flaws in appearance, figure, character, or talent.

The girls became even more nervous, knowing that the closer they got to the finish line, the fiercer the competition became.

Xu Jingxian remained composed and dignified throughout, walking upright, bowing properly, and speaking sincerely and honestly.

She said that in addition to studying at home, she helped her mother with household chores. She was somewhat skilled in cooking and sewing, and could also do some arithmetic and help with accounting.

The way Zhang Mama looked at her softened considerably, a rare occurrence for her.

Of all these girls, she is the most composed, neither arrogant nor impatient, neither humble nor overbearing; she is the makings of a matriarch.

The third round was the strictest, and also the one the girls were most shy about.

Each person entered a separate small room, where an old midwife and a female doctor from the palace were present. Since they were all women, there was no need to be too discreet.

They had to take off their clothes for a full-body checkup, a very thorough examination.

First and foremost, you must be a virgin. That's a hard and fast rule, there's no room for negotiation.

Then check for scars, moles, skin diseases, body odor, bad breath, and even examine the hair, teeth, and foot shape.

Hair must be jet black and thick, teeth must be straight and white, feet must be natural feet; those with bound feet are out of the question.

There are quite a few issues as well.

A young woman had a rather large, dark birthmark on her back, which was removed. The midwife said, "It won't look good if it shows on your dress; it won't do."

Another girl had mild body odor, which she didn't usually notice, but only when she sweated in the summer, so she was also eliminated.

The girl was completely bewildered and cried, saying she didn't know, but rules are rules, and she still had to go.

Of the twenty-five people, only five remained.

They are truly one in a hundred, each one a masterpiece.

Xu Jingxian was clean and tidy, without a single large mole on her body. She was strong and healthy, with straight teeth, black hair, and perfectly proportioned feet. She made it firmly into the final selection list.

When the news spread, Guan Ning breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Finally, we've managed to find five decent ones. It wasn't easy."

Now it's up to His Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress. Our Ministry of Rites has finally completed most of its mission.

The final meeting was held in a side hall of the Lizheng Hall, with Empress Cai Yan presiding over the ceremony, and Liu Ce and Crown Prince Liu Chen sitting beside them.

Liu Ce originally didn't want to come, thinking that Cai Yan could handle the selection of his daughter-in-law, but Cai Yan dragged him over anyway.

"You're choosing a wife for your son, shouldn't you, as the father, be in charge? What's the point of me doing it all by myself? Come here right now."

Liu Ce had no choice but to come.

Crown Prince Liu Chen stood to one side, dressed in ordinary clothes, appearing serious on the surface, but in reality, he was more nervous than anyone else, his hands clenched into fists.

The five girls entered in order, bowing and responding to each other.

The first four were either too nervous, stammering and not daring to lift their heads; or they were too deliberate in their performance, their eyes darting around, making them seem insincere.

Cai Yan merely nodded slightly without saying anything, clearly not satisfied.

When Xu Jingxian came in.