sbdcsierra Chapter 1417 The Imperial Concubine is probably trying to avoid suspicion by doing this
Chapter 1417 The Imperial Concubine is probably trying to avoid suspicion by doing this
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the selection of concubines was a national ceremony for choosing concubines and spouses for the emperor and the descendants of the royal family. It was strictly regulated and had clear levels.
The process is roughly divided into three steps: preliminary selection, re-selection and final selection, which are closely linked to each other.
Those who are eligible to participate in the selection are not ordinary women. They must be the daughters of officials of the fifth rank or above.
If her father or brother held lower official positions, or if she was the daughter of a wealthy commoner family, even if she had a fortune, she would not be qualified to enter the palace.
Most of them are between fifteen and eighteen years old. If they are unable to participate in the selection for some reason, they must wait until they are twenty years old before they can get married. They are not allowed to get married privately before that.
Officials' families who meet the requirements must report women of marriageable age to the Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance, and their family background and age will be checked uniformly, and a register will be compiled to prevent errors, omissions, and counterfeiting.
The primary election focuses on appearance.
The maids and eunuchs of the Imperial Household Department would first examine the appearance, stature, and figure of the concubines to check for any defects or hidden illnesses.
If you are eliminated in this round, you can go home and marry on your own. Only if you are registered can you enter the second round of selection.
The re-selection will be conducted internally by the palace ladies and eunuchs of high rank.
The registered beauties had to enter the palace again, often in the Imperial Garden, Tiyuan Hall, etc., to undergo more detailed scrutiny.
First, observe their words and actions to see if they are dignified and appropriate, and if they act with moderation. Eliminate those who behave frivolously or speak inappropriately.
Then, they would examine their basic talents, such as needlework, calligraphy, conversation, etc. It wasn't necessary for every woman to be exceptionally talented, but rather whether they met the royal aesthetic standards and had a gentle temperament.
Finally, the family background was carefully examined, including whether the father and brother had titles and official positions, in order to maintain the bond between the royal family, court officials, and clan relatives.
After this round, qualified candidates will wait for the final selection.
The final selection is also called the palace selection that determines fate.
Only at this point did the concubines have the opportunity to meet the emperor and the empress dowager, and their fate would be decided by the emperor himself.
Those who are not selected can return to their families and have their marriages arranged by their parents.
If she is chosen, she will be canonized as a concubine in the harem and live in the six palaces in the east and west according to her rank; or she will be married to a royal relative and the marriage will be completed according to the order without any violation.
The temple was selected in early September this year.
However, the primary election began as early as April and the runoff was completed in June.
Many noble ladies have passed the preliminary and re-selection, and are now waiting anxiously for the palace selection.
The women Shen Maoxue discussed with were all noble ladies who had not passed the preliminary or final selections. This was in accordance with the rules and would not attract criticism.
Because of this, when the news spread that the Imperial Concubine was planning to hold a lotus viewing banquet in Quhe Garden and invite noble ladies from the capital to enter the palace, most of the beautiful ladies who had passed the re-selection and were waiting for the palace selection were very excited!
the reason is simple.
Before the Palace Selection, they had no right to see the Emperor. This lotus viewing banquet was undoubtedly a godsend!
If he could take this opportunity to show his face in front of the emperor and leave some impression, he might be able to get close to the imperial concubine who is in the emperor's favor in the palace.
When the palace selection comes in September, won’t I be more confident than others and have the upper hand?
For a moment, the candidates were all secretly excited. They were all thinking about how to show off themselves at the banquet without losing their composure.
This seemingly elegant lotus-viewing banquet has become an invisible staircase leading to the nine-story palace in the eyes of many people.
However, to everyone's surprise, the invitation to the lotus viewing banquet sent by the Imperial Concubine did not include any of the beautiful ladies who had passed the re-selection and were listed in the list.
After this news spread among the powerful circles in the capital, it caused people to speculate privately.
Many people thought that the Imperial Noble Consort did this to avoid suspicion.
After all, the palace selection was imminent, and if she became too close to the candidates at this time, it would inevitably attract criticism. People would think that she, the Imperial Noble Consort who assisted in the six palaces, was deliberately trying to win over people and form a clique for personal gain.
Disowning the issue so directly seems aboveboard and leaves no room for criticism.
But which of these powerful families in the capital is not a person with a sharp mind and a keen sense of smell?
After carefully looking at the invitation list and considering the current delicate timing, many people gradually came to their senses.
Yes.
The palace selection is certainly important, but isn't Lord Shen, the Minister of Personnel, also considering candidates for his second wife?
The noble ladies invited to the lotus viewing banquet were all unregistered and no longer eligible to participate in the palace selection.
The Imperial Noble Consort had chosen to hold a banquet at this crucial moment, rather than earlier. Her real intention wasn't to win over the beautiful girl, but to use this lotus viewing banquet to personally meet the future mistress of the Shen family.
After figuring this out, those families whose daughters were among the invited guests and who were interested in marrying into the Shen family were immediately cheered up.
Originally it was just an ordinary palace banquet, but now it seems to be a critical moment concerning the future of the family!
For a time, the backyards of each mansion became busy.
The invited ladies were instructed by their family elders. They worked hard to carefully select their clothes, practice their manners repeatedly, and think about their words and deeds.
She only hoped that she could catch the favor of the Imperial Noble Consort at the Lotus Viewing Banquet and win the position of the mistress of the Shen family, which had a bright future.
July 19th was the eldest princess' sixth birthday, so Shen Zhinian scheduled the lotus viewing banquet at the end of July to ensure that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not be unable to handle it.
Of course, Shen Zhinian invited more than just the noble ladies who had met Shen Maoxue.
Since we are here to appreciate the lotus, we must make it elegant and lively so as not to disappoint the magnificent view of the pond.
Not only Princess Yun'an and Princess Wenshu were invited, but also several senior and respectable old ladies in the capital, as well as many royal relatives and prominent ladies were all on the invitation list.
In this way, this lotus viewing banquet became a true gathering of royal relatives and noble ladies. It not only lived up to the name of flower viewing, but also showed that the imperial concubine acted in a thorough and impartial manner.
As the news spread, the palace became increasingly busy.
The Imperial Household Department, having received the emperor's oral order to take good care of the matter, did not dare to be negligent. It dispatched personnel to clean the pavilions and corridors of Quhe Garden, arrange the seating arrangements, prepare tea and fruits, and select palace servants to serve. They were so busy that they had no time to rest.
Yongshou Palace.
Fuqi and Handan were even busier. They had to check the banquet procedures, confirm the guests' seating arrangements, and arrange string music to entertain the guests. They had to be careful about everything.
The palace maids and eunuchs were also busy and eagerly waiting for the upcoming feast.
The seemingly elegant lotus viewing banquet, invisibly, affected the thoughts of countless people in the former court and the harem.
……
When the invitation to the Lotus Appreciation Banquet was delivered to Princess Yun'an's residence, she was bored to death while facing a game of chess that had been left unfinished.
Princess Yun'an unfolded the exquisite post, glanced at it, and then put it aside.
She was a spoiled person who looked down on many people, but she had no grudge against Shen Zhinian. Since the other party invited her to enjoy the lotus, she would not refuse the invitation.
But... after casually asking about the list of invited noble ladies, Princess Yun'an felt a slight movement in her heart.