Ming Dynasty: Is a mere unruly commoner rebelling against heaven?

Chapter 66: When the Time Comes, You Can Serve in Bed

The rear hall of Chuxiu Palace.

All the young women were gathered there.

At this moment, the crowd had automatically coalesced around three centers.

One was centered around Zhang Wan'er, another around the Gu family.

The last center was Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi, Dong Xiaowan, and the other eight.

The distinction between master and servant had become clear.

"Sister Chen, Sister Liu, Sister Dong, from now on you are masters, please allow this younger sister to serve you."

Li Xiangjun held Chen Yuanyuan's hand, her face full of pleading.

Previously, the Emperor had ordered that these five chosen young women could freely select five palace maids and five eunuchs.

And among these available palace maids, naturally, were those young women who had not been successfully chosen.

Under the selection system of the Ming Dynasty, after a month of living in the palace, except for the daughters of high-ranking officials and nobles who could be sent back to their original homes after failing to be selected.

Other ordinary commoner girls, after their parents received the betrothal money from the court and sent them into the palace.

Regardless of whether they were chosen or not, they had to stay in the palace, either as masters or as slaves.

Like Chen Yuanyuan and the other eight, they would not be sent back to their original homes and would have to stay in the palace forever.

Just a moment ago, these eight women were still young women waiting to be selected together.

And in the next moment, among these eight women, some would be masters and some would be servants.

And this change was entirely at the whim of Zhu You樘.

Since they were all going to be palace maids, it was naturally best to work under familiar sisters.

So, after returning from Chuxiu Palace, Li Xiangjun held Chen Yuanyuan's hand and begged her to choose her as a servant.

Chen Yuanyuan looked at Li Xiangjun with heartache: "Sister Xiangjun, you and I grew up together since childhood, we are like our own sisters, why talk about serving?"

"If you want to follow me, I will choose you, and I don't need you to serve, let's get along as before."

Li Xiangjun pitied herself: "I'm afraid that's not appropriate, elder sister is favored by the Holy One, but this servant cannot enter His Majesty's eyes."

"Our status is already as different as clouds and mud, how dare I still hope to be like before with elder sister…"

"Sister Xiangjun." Chen Yuanyuan interrupted Li Xiangjun's words, using her hand to lift her chin and wipe away the tears on her face.

"I believe that with Sister Xiangjun's talent and appearance, capturing the Holy Heart only needs a suitable opportunity."

"I guarantee that this day will not be too long."

"Really?" Li Xiangjun's eyes were blurred with tears.

Gu Hengbo stepped forward and held Chen Yuanyuan's and Li Xiangjun's hands at the same time.

"Sister Chen, from now on, I can't call you sister anymore, I should call you Little Mistress Yuanyuan."

"Little Mistress Yuanyuan, you must not favor one over the other."

"If you choose Sister Xiangjun, you must also choose me, you won't not welcome me, right?"

Gu Hengbo smiled brightly, seemingly unaffected by the failure to be selected.

But Chen Yuanyuan could feel the hidden pain in the depths of Gu Hengbo's eyes.

Chen Yuanyuan replied with a smile: "Sister Gu is joking, Yuanyuan will always be Sister Gu's younger sister."

"If Sister Gu is willing to come, Yuanyuan will be very happy."

After seeing this scene, Bian Yujing also held Liu Rushi's hand beside her, her expression a little anxious.

"Sister Liu, please do me a favor and choose this younger sister!"

"Serving under elder sister is always better than serving those two."

As Bian Yujing spoke, she glanced at Zhang Wan'er and the Gu family.

"Sister Liu, good sister, Little Mistress Rushi, please agree to this younger sister!"

"Sister Yujing, that's not right of you, why are you still calling her Little Mistress Rushi?"

Ma Xianglan had already calmed down and even had the mind to tease.

"Sister Liu just received the two characters 'Qinglian' bestowed by His Majesty, from now on, we should call her Little Mistress Qinglian!"

Bian Yujing reacted and quickly changed her words: "Yes, yes, yes, Little Mistress Qinglian, please be kind and take in this younger sister!"

Liu Rushi smiled gently and patted the back of Bian Yujing's hand: "Alright, alright, even if you didn't say it, I would still choose you."

"And Sister Xianglan, come with younger sister too, it's good to have someone to take care of each other."

Bian Yujing jumped up happily, and the regret and loss in her heart seemed to be diluted a lot.

Ma Xianglan smiled slightly: "Yes, everything will be arranged by Mistress Qinglian."

Dong Xiaowan took the initiative to come to Kou Baimen: "Sister Kou, you won't dislike being with Xiaowan in the future, right?"

"How dare I dislike you, this mistress." Kou Baimen smiled and held Dong Xiaowan's hand: "I only ask that Mistress Xiaowan doesn't dislike me for not knowing the rules."

"How could I?" Dong Xiaowan smiled brightly: "What Xiaowan likes most is Sister Kou's free and easy personality, like a chivalrous woman in a storybook."

Here, Chen Yuanyuan and the other eight had already secretly divided into teams.

On the other side, a group of young women were also begging Zhang Wan'er and the Gu family.

"Little Mistress Zhang, please choose me, this servant will serve you well in the future."

"Little Mistress Gu, please choose me, I work very diligently and I am very good at making soup."

"Little Mistress Zhang, please choose me, please!"

"Little Mistress Gu, please have mercy and choose me!"

"…"

As the chosen young women in the current Emperor's first selection.

Everyone could see that the path of these five young women would be extraordinary.

Following these masters with a bright future earlier, their lives in the palace in the future would be better.

Besides, serving the Emperor's concubines is definitely much easier and happier than being a miscellaneous palace maid.

Sometimes, they can even receive rewards.

Zhang Wan'er and the Gu family were also dazzled, too many sisters who had participated in the selection together were asking them to choose themselves.

But there were only five places, it was really difficult to choose.

In the midst of the noise, suddenly Fu Dahai, the chief eunuch of the Respectful Affairs Department, entered, holding a bright yellow imperial decree high.

"The imperial decree has arrived!"

In an instant, the noisy rear hall of Chuxiu Palace became quiet.

Hundreds of palace maids knelt down together, respectfully listening to the decree.

Fu Dahai unfolded the imperial decree and read aloud.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees."

"Zhang Wan'er, daughter of Zhang Luan, the supervisor of the Imperial College, is hereby conferred the title of Consort, with the title Kang, granted a silver book, and shall reside in Xianfu Palace. The official promotion and entry into the palace shall take place on the thirteenth day of October."

"Chen Yuanyuan, adopted daughter of Zhang Wenshao, the governor of Yingtian, is hereby conferred the title of Jieyu, and shall reside in Yuqing Building of Jingren Palace. The official promotion and entry into the palace shall take place on the thirteenth day of October."

"Liu Rushi, adopted daughter of Zhang Wenshao, the governor of Yingtian, is hereby conferred the title of Talent, and shall reside in Biluo Pavilion of Yonghe Palace. The official promotion and entry into the palace shall take place on the thirteenth day of October."

"Dong Xiaowan, adopted daughter of Zhang Wenshao, the governor of Yingtian, is hereby conferred the title of Noble Lady, and shall reside in Yaochi Garden of Zhongcui Palace. The official promotion and entry into the palace shall take place on the thirteenth day of October."

"Gu, daughter of Gu Youzhi, the vice minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, is hereby conferred the title of Lady, and shall reside in Zhaolu Pavilion of Changchun Palace. The official promotion and entry into the palace shall take place on the thirteenth day of October."

"By imperial order!"

The Eastern and Western Twelve Palaces of the Forbidden City generally have five main halls and five rear halls, with east and west side halls in both the front and rear halls.

Only young women above the rank of Consort are called principal consorts and can live in the rear hall, while the rest live in the side halls.

This time, only Zhang Wan'er was conferred the title of Consort, so she can reside in Xianfu Palace and live in the main hall of Xianfu Palace.

And the other young women can only reside in a certain side hall in the Eastern and Western Twelve Palaces.

The five chosen young women were overjoyed and all kowtowed to receive the decree.

"Your concubines respectfully obey the imperial decree, thank you for His Majesty's grace!"

At this time, these five young women can finally call themselves concubines.

Fu Dahai put away the imperial decree again and said with a smile: "Five little mistresses, please wait patiently for another month."

"Wait until the auspicious day, and then officially move into your palaces."

"When that time comes, you can serve in bed."

Mentioning serving in bed, the five women felt shy.

Their cheeks were all slightly red.

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