The Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 5: The Draft Selection

   The Story of Yanxi Palace《延禧攻略》Yanxi Gonglue

   The Story of Yanxi Palace, Chapter 5: The Draft Selection

   What happens in the Royal Gardens is like a small stone thrown into the sea, which makes a small splash and then soon returns to peace and the great men turn a blind eye to it and do not care if they see it.

   There are more important things waiting for them to see and do.

   “Her Highness, Her Highness Empress!” In the courtyard of the Changchun Palace, the maid Mingyu hurried in, trying to smooth out the air, saying, “The election is coming up, you should have prepared earlier!

   A large courtyard but only jasmine in bloom.

   Layers of pale white petals, dotted with dark green foliage, in the midst of which is a woman in plain clothes, holding golden shears, intently pruning the flowering branches.

   The wind blew and the only sounds were the shaking of the leaves and the clicking of the leaves.

   Did she not hear, or did she hear and pretend not to hear? Mingyu was indecisive and had to scowl at one of the court maids next to her.

   This maid, also dressed in plain clothes and holding a copper kettle, looked at first glance like a freshly minted maid but in fact she is Erqing, the Grand maid who serves Her Highness Empress and is of such high status and importance that she is one of the most important among the court ladies.

   So, what Mingyu does not dare to say, she can say and what Mingyu does not dare to do, she can do.

   Taking a step forward, Erqing asked in a low voice, “Her Highness?”

   Click, a branch of jasmine left the branch, the woman in plain clothes turned back with jasmine in her hand, the garden full of spring colors was suddenly dwarfed in front of her, the boundless orchids, as if they existed just to set her off.

   Truly an orchid in an empty valley, a relic of the world.

   None other than today's the Empress, Lady Fucha.

   “What have I to prepare for today when the Draft women are competing.” the Fucha Empress closes her eyes, looks down and gently sniffs the orchid in her hand and with a gentle smile said, “Might as well stay and tend to the flowers.”

   Mingyu, scratching her ears as if she were a monkey who couldn't eat a banana, said: “How can I do that? If Her Highness doesn't go, it will give the Chuxiu Palace a chance!”

   “Mingyu, be careful what you say!” Erqing, like a monkey taming monk, gave Mingyu a displeased look that calmed her down, after which she said to the Fucha Empress in a pleasant manner, “But Her Highness, the election is a big deal, so you should go and see it. Otherwise, the Empress Dowager will find out and blame you for ignoring court affairs!”

   The only person who can make the Fucha Empress put down her flowering branch is Her Highness Empress Dowager.

   “Oops...” the Fucha Empress got up reluctantly, patted the dirt on her skirt and said, “So, nagging for a small grade, so we will go check it out!”

   Mingyu was so happy that she jumped up and down and said: “Her Highness, I'll dress you up right away!

   With that, she turned and ran away in the blink of an eye, leaving only dust flying in her wake.

   “What a monkey.” the Fucha Empress shakes her head helplessly.

   “She's a monkey and, this--” Erqing stepped forward and carefully removed the tiny ball of jasmine from the Empress's temples and the Empress froze slightly at first yet laughed dumbly.

   The venue for the Draft Selection is at the Royal Gardens Yanhui Loft.

   Even though she said she was dressed up, she had only changed into a slightly cleaner dress and washed the dirt off her hands with water but even though she was plain, the Fucha Empress still outshone the women in the room, both because of her looks and because of her status.

   Except that some people don't put her in her place.

   “Noble Consort Hui arrives!”

   With a chant from the eunuch, a heavily made-up court Consort, supported by her maid, entered the Yanhui Court building in a dignified manner.

   Some women can't wear make-up; when they are heavy made up, they look vulgar, like the Fucha Empress.

   But there are women who must be heavily made up and ringed, like the Noble Consort Hui before her. On her ears are two jeweled pendants of eastern pearls, on her wrist a string of eighteen emerald beads threaded with two tourmalines and especially on her head a large drawn wing, bejeweled, inlaid with silver emerald butterflies and ruby peonies, both of which come to life and as she moves, the butterflies flutter and the peonies tremble.

   If such a lot of jewelry were on another person, she would be a jewelry stand and people would only see the jewelry but not her person.

   She came up to the Empress with a curt salute and said with an undisguised casualness in both her movements and her voice: “I Greets Her Majesty.”

   Erqing's face was expressionless, Mingyu's face was already furious and at a word from the Fucha Empress, the monkey could have jumped up and thrown her a set of big slaps on the ear but the Fucha Empress just smiled and said: “You are excused as-.”

   Before she could finish the word 'courtesy', Noble Consort Hui had already stood up, walked to the head of the Empress and sat down, raised her hand to take the tea handed to her by the maid and took a sip: “There are a few pretty girls in this class.”

   The Empress said calmly: “Our Draft Selection of the Qing Dynasty, unlike the previous dynasty, choose women of good birth and virtue to serve at the side of His Majesty, regardless of their looks.”

   Noble Consort Hui hid her lips and smiled as if she were a peony in full bloom, so beautiful that not only men but also women should be impressed by her gracefulness and beauty: “But we can't elect a bunch of crooked children.”

   The men were silent and the Draft women looked down at the ground, not even daring to breathe.

   Although orchids and peonies have their own beauty, when two flowers compete, one must lose and to the surprise of everyone, the Fucha Empress seemed to take a step back and said in a calm voice: “The Draft women are no more beautiful than Noble Consort.”

   When she backed down, Noble Consort Hui was even more pleased with herself and a soft, silvery laugh came out of her mouth as she said, “Her Highness, I'm ashamed to say but peonies are the king of flowers and not everyone is worthy of them!”

   “You ...” Mingyu was furious and was about to yell out a reckless curse but when she saw the Empress waving her hand at her, she had no choice but to clench her fists and retreat, despite her heart's reluctance.

   “His Majesty arrives!”

   The two women were interrupted by a chanting voice and a tall, handsome man came in with his hands behind his back, dressed more like the Fucha Empress than anything else, neither of them with much jewelry on and their ebony regular clothes looked extremely dry and quiet, with a scent of ink on the hem of their sleeves, as if they had been working on a pile of official papers before coming here. They seem to have been working on a pile of official papers before coming here.

   This man is none other than the present Saint, Hongli.

   “I (Minion) Greets His Majesty.”

   “Excuse me.” Hongli walked quickly up to the Fucha Empress, reached out and lifted her up, a gentle look appeared on his handsome face and said, “Empress, you no need to be polite.”

   Whereas the previous sentence was addressed to everyone, this one is now just addressed to her.

   Noble Consort Hui stared expressionlessly at the two men's interlocked hands, a hint of jealousy passing through her eyes.

   He helped the Fucha Empress to sit down and then he himself sat down casually on the royal table and, with one hand on his cheek, gave a casual command: “Begin.”

   “Start!” The Grand Eunuch sang the name and said, “The Judicial Revie Bureau Suochuluo--Yuli, daughter of Suochuluo--Daojin, aged fifteen.”

   A tall, thin Draft woman stepped forward quickly.

   Hongli squinted at her and said, “It's so windy today, it's hard to stand, isn't it?”

   “No, it's no trouble.” the Draft woman replied but was met with a chuckle from Noble Consort Hui, “Yes His Majesty, this one is a little too thin, a gust of wind could blow her away.”

   Hongli pursed up his lips and smiled a little, though he said no more.

   The Grand Eunuch, who was most skilled in reading people's faces, saw this smile and immediately said, “Give flowers.”

   A small eunuch immediately came up with a silver tray of flowers and the tall, thin the Draft woman had no choice but to take the flowers and leave.

   “Gao Ruyu, daughter of Gao Tanglin, Secretary of the Upper House, aged sixteen.”

   An over rounded, the Draft woman who had developed into a ball came forward.

   Hongli just took one look and laughed out loud and said, “How many meals a day?”

   Since it was the emperor who asked the question, it was not good not to answer and the mellow Draft woman said with a red face, “Three times.”

   “More than that.” Hongli said, “It must be at least five meals, otherwise how can you eat such a size that you are almost as big as the sumo wrestlers kept in the palace.”

   There is no longer any need for more sumo wrestlers in the palace and even less in the harem.

   “Give the flowers!” The Grand Eunuch immediately said, “The Shuntian Prefecture Governor Zhang Jia Si Xian's daughter Zhang Jia Ru Hong, aged fifteen.”

   A Draft woman with skin as dark as charcoal stepped forward.

   Two the Draft women had already been unsuccessful and there was some trepidation among the Draft women, lest Hongli should ask questions.

   “Do you sunbathe with soy sauce on top every day?” Yet he asked again.

   It's just that the question was so odd that the dark faced the Draft woman let out an ahh, then shook her head blankly and said: “No, I live in a house and rarely go out in the sun ...”

   “Haha!” Noble Consort Hui laughed out loud and said, “His Majesty is saying you have a dark face and Yo, look closely, there are spots on it!”

   The black faced the Draft woman was so red with laughter that her eyes were filled with tears and after taking the bestowed flowers, she turned and ran away, followed by the chanting of the Grand Eunuch saying: “Next, Wuya Qingdai, daughter of Wuya Xiongshan, Secretary of the Imperial Household, aged seventeen.”

   Less leaning, a beautiful woman came out.

   Unlike her earlier domineering self in the Royal Gardens, she is now at her most beautiful--the way she walked.

   Wuya Qingdai is no match for these two in terms of beauty but she walked so gently and beautifully that when ten people walk together, the first thing they will notice is her. However, she walked with such a graceful posture that when ten of them are walking together, the first thing people will notice is her.

   Even if you don't notice her walk, you'll notice 

   “Hmm?” Noble Consort Hui suddenly raised an eyebrow and said, “What's on the floor?”

   The crowd looked at the sound and saw where Wuya Qingdai passed, two long strings of lotus marks, opening among the Draft women and ending at the feet of Wuya Qingdai.

   Overhead, Hongli's voice said, “What's going on with your feet?”

   He really did notice ...

   Wuya Qingdai's heart was so ecstatic that even though she tried desperately to hold it down, it still showed on her face and even her voice trembled with a hint of joy as she said, “Your Majesty--it's called “Step by Step.”

   “Is that so?” Hongli gave a laugh and I don't know if it was an illusion in her mind, Wuya Qingdai felt that the laugh was a little cold and scary and the next moment she heard Hongli say coldly, “Take her shoes off, I want to have a look!”

  

   The Story of Yanxi Palace《延禧攻略》CHAPTERS