In the days that followed inside Chuxiu Palace, the palace nursemaids' instruction in deportment for the noble sons and daughters grew increasingly rigorous. In addition to exhausting daily practice sessions, the nursemaids also assigned palace servants to attend them constantly — for the purpose of monitoring their speech, conduct, appearance, and bearing.
Compared to the majority, who groaned and complained, Bai Guo found it much less difficult to manage, thanks to the careful prior instruction from Nursemaids Gui and Ping.
And beyond Bai Guo, the children of the capital's most prominent families — the Duke of Ning's daughter Ning Anrong, the Household Administrative Minister's son Lu Zhiliang, the Grand Preceptor's daughter Li Xian'er, the Valiant General's daughter Xue Yaru, and others — appeared to have etiquette and propriety carved into their very bones. Every breath and gesture was impeccably composed; their bearing and character stood out brilliantly among all the noble sons and daughters.
Over the next few days, factions quietly formed among the group. Occasional friction arose, but it was all petty scheming done in private. The palace attendants, being sharp-eyed people, simply turned a blind eye to anything that wasn't a major transgression.
For a time, beneath the seemingly calm surface of Chuxiu Palace, hidden currents moved in every shadowed corner.
In truth, Bai Guo did not stand out particularly among this gathering of noble youths. Though he was the son of a Marquis, his quiet and reticent manner made him look slow and easy to manipulate — which caught the eye of one or two people with less than honourable intentions, who quietly began plotting to trip him during the group's gait-practice sessions, intending to make him stumble and publicly disgrace himself.
Being visibly disgraced in front of the palace nursemaids could, in the worst case, result in disqualification from the selection.
Bai Guo was completely unaware of their malicious intentions, but the system had already sounded the alarm. Perhaps because the hostility directed at Bai Guo was so concentrated, before those two even brushed against the tip of his shoe, the system automatically activated its Level 3 self-defence mode — engaging an interstellar defensive rebound protocol unique to its own design. Under the force of gravity, it pressed down on both of them with a sudden cramp-like ache in their legs, rendering their lower limbs entirely uncooperative and even causing them to convulse uncontrollably.
"Ah — it hurts so much!"
"My leg hurts terribly!"
Both cried out at once, clutching their legs and writhing on the ground in agony — any semblance of noble bearing completely abandoned.
Startled by their sudden cries of pain, Bai Guo spun around to look, then immediately asked the system anxiously in his mind: "Immortal — what happened to them?!"
The system said smugly: "Two wicked troublemakers who wanted to hurt you. This immortal applied a small measure of divine art — a mild punishment for them both."
Bai Guo didn't quite understand, and looked at the two with a complicated expression: "But I don't even know them — why would they want to harm me?"
System: "Because they thought you were easy to push around. People are like that — they always want to squeeze the softest fruit."
While the two of them exchanged words in Bai Guo's mind, the other people in Chuxiu Palace had also turned to look at the two who had gotten their just deserts, and exclamations of shock arose here and there.
"Stop!" The palace nursemaid noticed the disturbance in the line, pushed through the crowd, and asked in astonishment: "What is the matter with Noble Son Qian and Noble Daughter Liu? Are they unwell somewhere?"
The noble daughter standing nearest spoke up first: "Nursemaid, their legs seem to have cramped."
Li Xian'er's companion Qu Huayan lowered her voice and said: "The way they look to me — isn't it like they've had a fit of the falling sickness?"
The nursemaid's sharp ears caught it, and she said severely: "Noble Daughter Qu, watch your tongue!"
"But I've seen the falling sickness before — someone else had it, and they looked exactly the same!" Qu Huayan felt horribly wronged. Last year, returning from an excursion with a friend, the gatekeeper at her home had suddenly gone into a seizure — convulsing all four limbs and frothing at the mouth as he rolled on the ground. She had been badly frightened, and only later learned from the servants that the condition was called the falling sickness.
Seeing her reaction, not a few of the noble sons and daughters in the side hall found themselves believing it, and one by one subtly covered their mouths and noses and edged a little further away from the two.
Someone even asked Qu Huayan quietly: "Is this illness contagious?" After all, for the past several days they had all been eating and sleeping in the same place — if the two truly did have some illness, would all of them not be in danger?!
The nursemaid's expression went cold. She could only hurriedly instruct a few palace servants to carry the two onto a soft couch, and separately arranged for a fleet-footed attendant to summon the Imperial Physician.
Bai Guo stood in the crowd, watching the Imperial Physician arrive to take the two people's pulses and examine their eyes and tongues. He said quietly in his mind, anxiously: "Immortal, you haven't actually given them the falling sickness that the lady mentioned, have you? Is that illness treatable?"
"The falling sickness — absolutely not," the system explained carefully to him. "The defensive system merely rebounded their ill intentions. Based on the system's assessment of the severity of their hostility, these two's leg pain will gradually subside after three days."
Bai Guo pressed his lips together. "I see." Though he grasped the general meaning, he couldn't help privately reflecting that the Immortal truly was unfathomable — always speaking in divine language he couldn't quite understand.
At the soft couch, the Imperial Physician who had finished examining the two people slowly furrowed his brow and said with an inscrutable expression: "Please have these two moved indoors, so that this subject may apply needles to relieve their pain."
The nursemaid asked: "Imperial Physician, what ailment do Noble Son Qian and Noble Daughter Liu suffer from?"
The physician stroked the tuft of beard on his chin, closed his eyes, shook his head, and waved his hand. "It's difficult to say. Difficult to say."
Once the two had been carried inside, the noble sons and daughters waiting in the side hall grew all the more animated with speculation. Some suspected that Noble Son Qian and Noble Daughter Liu had been deliberately set up by someone. Others, like Qu Huayan, firmly maintained that the two had simply had a fit of the falling sickness.
But whatever the conclusion, with what had happened to those two, they certainly could not continue to remain in the palace.
And sure enough, half a cup of tea later, the nursemaid instructed palace servants to send word to Noble Son Qian's and Noble Daughter Liu's households outside the palace walls, telling their families to come collect them by carriage.
Everyone sighed and shook their heads at the sight.
Perhaps the fates of Noble Son Qian and Noble Daughter Liu had shaken the remaining thirty-four candidates out of their complacency — for the next two days, Chuxiu Palace sank into genuine calm. Even Li Xian'er, who always seemed to be at odds with Ning Anrong, lowered her flag and stopped causing trouble entirely.
On the ninth day, as was customary in the Great Jin, the time arrived for the final round — the Grand Audience Selection. This round would determine who stayed and who left, and the futures of all who remained. Since the late Empress had passed on and the palace stood without a mistress, the Grand Audience Selection for this cycle had been arranged to take place in the Empress Dowager's Shokang Palace.
The long-awaited day having finally arrived, the noble sons and daughters at last cast off the identical selection robes they had been issued in Chuxiu Palace, and amid nervousness and apprehension, changed back into their own beautiful garments that conformed to palace regulations. The palace servants were considerate enough this time to deliver fine powder and rouge to each room.
The noble daughters might be expected to use it — but this was for the noble sons as well?
Bai Guo held the fragrant box of cosmetics at a complete loss and offered it to Wen Shushu: "Wen Gong… Gongzi, would you like this?"
Wen Shushu's expression didn't change, but he took a small step back. "…No need."
Bai Guo pressed his lips together, distressed: "I… I've never used these either."
"Give them here!" Tan Qingsong walked in from outside, snatching the cosmetics box from Bai Guo's hands without ceremony. "Since neither of you want them — they all go to me!"
Though Bai Guo was annoyed by the rudeness of the gesture, the cosmetics box was genuinely something he had no use for, and so he let Tan Qingsong have his way.
When the group assembled in the Chuxiu Palace courtyard, Bai Guo was startled to discover that in addition to the noble daughters who had dressed up in full splendour, many of the noble sons had also applied elaborate, beautiful cosmetics — and even those who had been merely seven parts handsome before now appeared nine parts striking.
Bai Guo swallowed quietly and reached up to touch his own face.
"You need not feel inferior to any of them." Wen Shushu's cool voice came from beside him. "You are better-looking than they are."
Bai Guo blinked, then said quietly with a touch of genuine admiration: "Wen… Wen Gongzi is the one who is truly, truly good-looking."
Wen Shushu could see that Bai Guo's praise was completely sincere, and a faint, clean smile surfaced on his face.
They exchanged a few more words, after which both found their assigned positions as directed by the palace nursemaid and, led by the palace attendants, proceeded at a measured pace in the direction of Shokang Palace.
— — —
At that moment, inside Shokang Palace.
"Zhang Guijun has arrived!"
"Noble Consort Rong has arrived!"
"Honored Consort Hui has arrived!"
"Consort Li has arrived!"
"What a lively gathering I have here today." Empress Dowager Zhao counted the prayer beads in her hand. Though she was nearing sixty, her health was good; her well-preserved, rounded face wore a Buddha-like warmth and serenity. "You little minxes — usually reluctant to come offer your morning greetings — and yet today you couldn't sit still."
Noble Consort Rong took her seat, covering her smile with her hand: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager must be teasing us. This concubine was simply genuinely curious about the Duke of Ning sending his young daughter into the palace."
"What is there to be curious about." Honored Consort Hui raised her teacup and sipped lightly. "Once she and the rest of us have become sisters, you can look at her whenever you like."
Consort Li interjected: "This concubine has heard that the Ning family's young lady bears quite a resemblance to Empress Wenshu in her prime."
The Empress Wenshu she referred to was the late Empress. The gathered concubines, hearing Consort Li's remark, kept their expressions pleasant while privately sneering. After all, they were full-blooded sisters — how could they not resemble each other in some ways?
The Empress Dowager's heart was as clear as a mirror. She turned to Zhang Guijun with concern: "Guijun, is your health quite recovered?"
Zhang Guijun was chronically fragile; every day he needed to take a Qi-condensing pill before he could rise and move about. On most occasions the Empress Dowager had compassion and excused him from morning greetings, but today was the Emperor's consort selection — as the current highest-ranking palace consort, Zhang Guijun could hardly decline to be present. At the moment his colour was rather pale and wan.
Zhang Guijun gave a few light coughs, his complexion as translucent as white paper, and said softly: "I thank Your Majesty for her concern — this concubine is quite well."
The Empress Dowager was worried about him and had a nursemaid bring over a bowl of ginseng bird's-nest porridge; only after Zhang Guijun had drunk a few spoonfuls and some colour crept back into his face did she let the matter rest.
"The Emperor has arrived! The Crown Prince has arrived! Prince Yu has arrived! Prince Jing has arrived! Prince Qin has arrived!"
A long roll of announcements echoed into Shokang Palace, and the assembled consorts all rose, bowing to receive them.
The Empress Dowager also stood and moved forward a few steps with a smile. "Your Majesty, how is it that you have come so early?"
Emperor Jingyuan was in the prime of his vigour. He stepped forward to support the Empress Dowager's arm, took the seat of honour, and with a gesture indicated the consorts should rise before smiling and saying: "Is it not because the Fourth would not stop pestering me about wanting to see what his future princess consort looks like? He nagged my ears sore until I dismissed court early, just to pacify him."
The Empress Dowager shook her head with a helpless expression. "Prince Qin has always been a bit of a rascal — and it is you, Your Majesty, who always indulge him so."
Prince Qin Xie Cheng would not hear of this, and immediately spoke up: "Imperial Grandmother, how can you describe me like that?" His expression was so agitated that it was obvious he feared someone might overhear and mock him — and the gathered consorts obligingly all covered their mouths to suppress laughter, which only made Xie Cheng more indignant. "Imperial Grandmother, look at the consort ladies laughing — when the noble daughters arrive in a moment, who knows how they'll see me!"
The Empress Dowager, fully understanding, tilted her head to Emperor Jingyuan: "Is Prince Qin afraid his poor reputation will prevent him from winning a wife?"
Emperor Jingyuan narrowed his eyes, gave a derisive snort, unfurled the folding fan in his hand, and said in a slow, weighted tone: "Let him dream on. Even the Third, with his dreadful reputation as a ferocious brute outside, isn't worried about finding a wife. Why should it be his turn to panic? Besides, every son of Mine is outstanding — who would dare look down on them?"
The Empress Dowager agreed repeatedly, then turned to the inner court attendant beside her: "Have the noble sons and daughters arrived?"
The attendant bowed: "They have all been waiting outside for some time."
The Empress Dowager waved her hand: "Then bring them in."
And so the waiting noble sons and daughters were ushered into the palace hall, and the Grand Audience Selection formally began.
Emperor Jingyuan sat at the seat of honour. The inner court attendant read from a roster, calling them forward one by one. Those called were required to stand in the front row, for Emperor Jingyuan and the Empress Dowager to look at closely and question. If the Emperor was pleased, a jade tablet was bestowed; if one were designated to an imperial prince, a sandalwood tablet of a lesser grade was given.
Emperor Jingyuan was not particularly invested in the selection proceedings. Most noble sons and daughters were viewed by him for a few moments and then mainly left to the Empress Dowager to ask a few questions. If any of the Wang princes had taken a liking to someone, they or the Empress Dowager would step forward to speak.
With the selection underway, the first two rounds of noble daughters were not especially striking. Of the twelve, only one jade tablet was given out by Emperor Jingyuan. When the third announcement was made, the entire hall of Shokang Palace perked up at once.
"Summoned: the Duke of Ning's daughter Ning Anrong; Grand Preceptor Li Qianguang's daughter Li Xian'er; Valiant General's daughter Xue Yaru; Household Administrative Minister's son Lu Zhiliang; Jiangzhou Intendant's son Wen Shushu; and the Vice Minister of Personnel's younger sister Qu Huayan — to advance and pay their respects!"
Of the six, Wen Shushu was the most outstanding in appearance, while the other five were the most talked-about candidates of this entire selection.
"Whoever arranged this roster really did enjoy watching things unfold." Noble Consort Rong covered her lips with a smile and said quietly to Honored Consort Hui beside her: "Sister, shall we guess — of these six, how many will His Majesty keep?"
Honored Consort Hui raised her eyes, glanced at the young and beautiful faces in the centre of the hall, touched the hairpin on her head, and said with an air of indifference: "Who knows? Only that perhaps our future Empress we'll bow to someday is standing right there among them."
Noble Consort Rong smiled ambiguously: "I rather think not."
Beneath the dignified current of the consorts' private thoughts, the six who had been summoned forward each felt their own inner tension rising.
Emperor Jingyuan sat high above, and had already formed a picture in his mind from the inner attendant's announcements. Even so, he now called each of the six to lift their faces, and asked: "Which one is the Duke of Ning's daughter?"
Ning Anrong steadied herself and gave a composed bow: "This subject-girl Ning Anrong pays her respects to the Emperor."
Emperor Jingyuan looked her over, then a smile surfaced on his composed, steady face. "She does indeed carry her elder sister's air." He then raised a sleeve; the inner attendant hurried forward and presented a jade tablet to Ning Anrong, marking her as chosen.
Ning Anrong's expression remained unchanged as she bowed again: "This subject-girl thanks the Emperor."
After that, Lu Zhiliang, Xue Yaru, and Qu Huayan were all called and chosen. Of the six, only Li Xian'er and Wen Shushu remained.
"The Jiangzhou Intendant's son — quite a handsome appearance." Emperor Jingyuan's brow inexplicably furrowed slightly, an expression of hesitation crossing his face. He looked toward the Crown Prince, who sat at the head of the princes' seats. "Zhao, how do you think this person would suit you as a secondary consort?"
Crown Prince Xie Zhao was gentle-natured by disposition; his Crown Princess had died in childbirth not long ago, and he was still not quite himself. Called upon now by Emperor Jingyuan, he instinctively looked toward Wen Shushu's brilliant, striking profile in the centre of the hall. He fell silent for a moment, then looked away and said quietly: "…This son defers entirely to Father Emperor's judgment."
Emperor Jingyuan nodded.
Wen Shushu was appointed by Emperor Jingyuan as the Crown Prince's secondary consort, and many of the noble sons and daughters could not help showing fleeting looks of envy. Bai Guo, who had been quietly sweating on Wen Shushu's behalf throughout, felt an unexpected relief at this outcome.
"…Grand Preceptor Li Qianguang's daughter." Above, Emperor Jingyuan closed his eyes briefly and waved his hand.
This was a dismissal.
The look of confidence on Li Xian'er's face fell away in an instant, replaced by an expression of helpless defeat. She was about to say something when, from the row of princes, Prince Qin scratched his head and, face red, opened his mouth: "Father Emperor?"
Emperor Jingyuan opened his eyes, exhaling with resignation: "What now, Fourth?"
Prince Qin Xie Cheng fumbled and hesitated, his eyes darting over to the Empress Dowager with a gaze full of pleading.
The Empress Dowager had always been fond of Prince Qin — and since his birth mother Consort Li held a low rank and could not easily speak up for him — the Empress Dowager's heart softened just enough to say on his behalf: "Cheng's estate still lacks someone to help him manage his inner household. Your Majesty, would the Li family's young lady be suitable for him?"
Emperor Jingyuan, upon hearing this, narrowed his eyes and considered a moment: "Now that you mention it — I hadn't thought of it myself. This son of mine does have a sharp eye."
Prince Qin's eyes filled with indignation: "This son is genuinely smitten at first sight with Young Lady Li."
On Li Xian'er's side, the young woman's face flushed red at Xie Cheng's so openly frank declaration.
Emperor Jingyuan saw this and gave a cold snort: "All right, all right — look at that narrow-minded little nature of yours, not a shred of My bearing. If I said no, you'd practically burst into tears, wouldn't you?"
Prince Qin grinned unabashedly: "If crying would win me the beauty, this son would be willing to shed a few tears."
Emperor Jingyuan couldn't reason with him, and relented. And Li Xian'er, who had been dismissed, was suddenly transformed into a recipient of the sandalwood tablet bearing the words "Prince Qin" — the title of Consort Qin was secured.
Thus, among the Wang princes, only Prince Jing remained without a princess consort.
And as for Prince Jing — he had been rather composed throughout. From the moment he'd entered the Empress Dowager's Shokang Palace, he hadn't spared a single glance for anyone else. He rested his elbow on the armrest, eyes half-closed, as though the entire grand selection had nothing whatsoever to do with him.
"The Great Tribunal Vice Minister's daughter, Pei Qingqing — gentle and virtuous, accomplished and lovely. Third, open your eyes and take a look — how do you find this young lady?" After another round of the selection, Emperor Jingyuan finally called upon Prince Jing Xie Lin.
But before Xie Lin could even speak, the Pei family's daughter had nearly buckled with fright at the knees.
Why did it have to be this cursed prince?
Word had spread throughout the city: of the Emperor's four sons, the Crown Prince was wise and virtuous, Prince Yu was steady and kind, Prince Qin was impetuous and restless — but Prince Jing alone was malicious and volatile, cruel by nature, given to slaughter.
Rumour had it that Prince Jing had once led three thousand cavalry soldiers and annihilated tens of thousands of southern bandits in a single day, corpses strewn across a hundred li, so terrifying a passing merchant convoy that several people lost their minds — convinced they had blundered into the eighteenth level of hell.
Prince Jing had made his name in that battle, but his reputation for brutal ruthlessness had been a topic of gossip ever since.
So when he slowly opened his eyes and his pair of ink-black, icy pupils swept across the people in the hall, the Pei family's daughter was already trembling uncontrollably.
"Is it a princess consort of this sort that Father Emperor would have for me?" Xie Lin raised his eyelids. His voice — deep, magnetic, smooth as polished jade — carried a note of disdain. "I fear this young lady may not even make it to the Wang estate before being frightened to death."
Emperor Jingyuan hadn't expected that his son's fearsome reputation outside had already reached such extremes. He sighed, waved for someone to escort the terrified Pei family daughter away, and said the selection would continue.
Xie Lin half-lowered his eyes and resumed his earlier pose — though the thumb ring on his thumb, turning with idle, deliberate slowness, had been noticed by Emperor Jingyuan.
Outwardly indifferent as he appeared, he still wanted a princess consort at heart, didn't he?
Emperor Jingyuan, with patience, made up his mind to find something truly fitting among those remaining for this troublesome son — and set himself to the task with renewed attentiveness, asking considerably more questions than before.
The discerning eye could see that those selected thus far exceeded ten people, and the likelihood of the Emperor continuing to choose for himself was now slim. Very likely, he was looking over the remaining candidates for a Princess Jing consort.
The noble sons and daughters called forward after this could only smile pleasantly while their hearts were a storm of ice and fire. They dreaded Prince Jing's violent and volatile temperament and valued their lives — yet at the same time they reasoned that becoming Prince Jing's legitimate Princess Consort — a proper primary wife — was surely better than remaining in the palace?
And yet, among all those present, Bai Guo's heart was the calmest of all.
After all, Nursemaid Ping had once spoken to him about Prince Jing —
"Though Prince Jing is not the Crown Prince, he is indeed a man of splendid bearing — refined, elegant, and exalted beyond ordinary men."
"…Once the First Young Master enters the palace, he will be able to see Prince Jing's bearing with his own eyes."
Nursemaid Ping's words about Prince Jing still echoed in his heart. Bai Guo had no awareness of the barely concealed dread in those around him. He simply shifted his legs, which had grown stiff from standing, and, seizing the moment when yet another round of noble daughters and sons stepped forward to pay their respects, took his very first daring look — curious and tentative — in the direction from which Prince Jing had spoken.
And from afar, Xie Lin seemed to feel it.
He opened his ink-black eyes. And somehow, the depths of those eyes seemed to carry just the faintest shadow of a smile.
The Book of Songs often said: "The fine gentleman — like bones cut and polished, like jade ground and refined."
The verse rose unbidden in Bai Guo's heart as he stood there — and quietly, his ears turned red.
