sjar Chapter 391 Wen Yi 20
Chapter 391 Wen Yi 20
The time for the imperial concubine selection arrived quickly, and one after another, mule carts carrying the young women slowly drove into the palace gates.
Cao Qinmo had bribed two eunuchs and palace maids who ran errands long ago.
Let them observe the words and actions of these young ladies-in-waiting.
Of course, she also reminded Consort Hua that these young ladies-in-waiting all looked like little girls.
But they might not be easy to deal with; if the draft goes wrong...
Then the Empress Dowager and the Empress will have a perfect excuse to suppress Yikun Palace.
Consort Hua naturally agreed with Cao Qinmo's words.
Although the young women, adorned with military flags, were all proud during the selection process, they were also very well-behaved.
When they arrived at the Mongol Banner, perhaps it was because of the language barrier...
The young women simply followed the rules and waited for the selection process to end.
Clearly, they all knew that their trip to the palace was just a formality.
The selection of imperial concubines from the Han Banner was not as worry-free as that from the Manchu and Mongol Banners.
At the very beginning, a simply dressed young woman almost missed the selection process.
Fortunately, this young lady was sweet-talking and clever, and she managed to soften the old woman's heart, which is why she was allowed to enter the palace.
Upon arriving at Shunzhen Gate, the familiar Han Banner women gathered together and began to chat.
When the eunuch arrived at Lingkun Palace with the information he had gathered...
Cao Qinmo was holding Wen Yi, and Fei Yunyan was also there with Nian Shilan, listening to the news.
The little eunuch described it vividly:
"Reporting to my masters, among the Han Banner's selected beauties this time..."
Even the lady-in-waiting surnamed Zhen, and the lady-in-waiting surnamed Shen...
Another candidate, surnamed Xia, was beautiful and charming.
These three young women were considered the most outstanding among this batch of candidates.
Cao Qinmo heard that there were two young ladies-in-waiting named Zhen and Shen.
I felt a mix of heaviness and relief in my heart.
Everything in Wenyi's dream was real.
In fact, Cao Qinmo had long believed everything Wen Yi said.
It only took a moment for the dust to settle.
Thinking of how they, mother and daughter, were killed by Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang
Cao Qinmo felt a surge of hatred welling up inside her.
But she remained calm, only clenching her fists slightly.
Seeing this, Wen Yi quickly rubbed her face against Cao Qinmo's face.
Fei Yunyan, unaware of Cao Qinmo's unusual behavior, asked curiously:
"What's so special about these three ladies-in-waiting, Zhen, Shen, and Xia?"
The young eunuch continued:
"The young lady surnamed Zhen was dressed simply, wearing a light pink qipao that was almost white."
She has delicate and beautiful features, and possesses a unique temperament.
The young lady surnamed Shen was dignified and graceful, with gentle eyes and a refined demeanor.
The young woman surnamed Xia was dressed in vibrant colors, her eyes sparkling with affection, and she was extremely alluring.
Upon hearing this, Fei Yunyan felt as if she were facing a formidable enemy; these three young ladies were all extraordinary.
If they were to enter the palace, they would undoubtedly become formidable competitors in the harem.
He said with a sour tone.
"They're just a few little girls, what's so great about them?"
Can she compare to Consort Hua's magnificent and imposing presence?
The young eunuch glanced at Nian Shilan, who was sitting there leisurely and languidly.
Busy and clever
"Those little maids are naturally no match for our Consort Hua."
No matter how outstanding they are, they are only fit to carry the Empress's shoes.
Upon hearing this, Nian Shilan smiled with satisfaction.
Cao Qinmo chimed in, "The Empress's beauty surpasses all others in the palace; compared to her, they are but fireflies in comparison."
To dream of competing with the sun and moon is to overestimate one's own abilities.
However, we cannot let our guard down; too much delicious food...
The Emperor might just want to try this simple congee and side dishes.
We need to make plans as soon as possible.
Nian Shilan sneered: "Hmph, I'd like to see just how capable they are."
"I hope they're even more capable and can bring that old woman, the Empress, down to me..."
The last words were lowered by Nian Shilan's voice.
Cao Qinmo also hoped that Nian Shilan could bring down the Empress.
However, these words should not be spoken aloud.
Cao Qinmo then looked at the young eunuch and frowned slightly, saying:
"Go on, how did those ladies-in-waiting perform?"
Has anything unusual happened?
The little eunuch's eyes darted around.
"A young woman surnamed An almost missed the imperial concubine selection for some reason."
I don't know what she said, but she softened the old woman's heart, and that's when she was allowed to enter the palace gates.
Wen Yi immediately knew that the person the little eunuch was referring to was An Lingrong.
This is quite a character; despite his humble origins and seemingly timid and cowardly nature...
But he was a truly intelligent person and a master embroidery artist.
She knows spices and has a great voice.
That's not all; in order to win the emperor's favor, An Lingrong was capable of...
People who are ruthless to themselves
An Lingrong was able to gain favor entirely because her voice was as clear and bright as a nightingale's.
Her singing is melodious and moving, as if it can penetrate people's hearts.
Most importantly, her voice sounds very much like that of the late Empress Chun Yuan.
Big Fat Orange has a pure Yuan brain, and An Lingrong is quite good-looking.
It also carries the gentle and graceful temperament unique to women from Jiangnan.
With these factors combined, An Lingrong would naturally gain favor.
Unfortunately, her voice was later ruined by Gua Liu.
An Lingrong quickly fell out of favor, but she did not give up.
Instead, he relied on his own perseverance to practice ice skating.
Finally, during a winter ice skating performance, it won the favor of the big fat orange cat again.
Later, Anling Palace also rose to the rank of imperial concubine.
Although Zhen Huan tricked her into giving her the humiliating title of "Li"
But it's still the rank of imperial concubine, isn't it?
If Zhen Huan didn't have that face of Chun Yuan, it's questionable whether she could have defeated An Lingrong.
Although Wen Yi disliked An Lingrong's personality, she admired her resilience and intelligence.
Wen Yi hurriedly used her inner voice to remind Cao Qinmo
"Mother, this young lady surnamed An is named An Lingrong."
Although she came from a humble family, appearances can be deceiving. In the dream, An Lingrong...
He was won over by Zhen Huan's small favors during the selection process and developed a good relationship with Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang.
However, Zhen Huan and Shen Cong didn't actually consider An Lingrong as a sister.
He was just using her; later, she and Zhen San turned against each other.
Cao Qinmo listened to Wen Yi's thoughts and began to think about this young lady surnamed An.
Can we win them over?
If we can win over An Lingrong, it will be much more helpful in dealing with Zhen Huan and Shen Meizhuang in the future.
Thinking of this, Cao Qinmo calmly asked the young eunuch:
"What does An Lingrong look like? Does she have any unusual mannerisms?"
The young eunuch scratched his head and said, "He does have a handsome appearance."
She looks timid and speaks in a soft, gentle voice.
The other young ladies-in-waiting all avoided this Lady An.
Cao Qinmo then asked the little eunuch
"How is An Xiuniu dressed?"
The young eunuch thought for a moment and said:
"This An Xiunü was wearing a light pink cheongsam made of woven satin, which looked quite ordinary."
She wore only a plain silver hairpin in her hair and two gilded bracelets on her wrists.
She was dressed quite simply, without much fancy decoration.
Actually, what the little eunuch wanted to say was that this Consort An looked like a poor and shabby girl.
But if these words are spoken now, and An Xiunü is lucky enough to be selected in the future...
If it gets to her ears, I'll offend her.
There's no guarantee we won't be held accountable in the future; those who act as lackeys must be cautious.
Cao Qinmo nodded slightly, a glint of shrewdness flashing in her eyes:
"Although An Lingrong looks timid, she managed to coax the nanny into letting her into the palace, so she must be quite cunning."
If we can win them over, they might be of great use.