Royal granddaughter-in-law job recruitment announcement.
Gender: Female
Age: 13 to 16 years old
Education requirements: Familiar with books on women's virtues such as Biographies of Women and Four Books for Women, and familiar with Confucian classics such as Four Books.
Family background: Commoner or above, with clean family background.
Appearance requirements: Average or above. Slim and well-proportioned figure, thin when dressed, and muscular when undressed.
Health condition: Excellent or above, preferably a son.
Screening Procedure:
The first examination location: Prince's Palace in various places, four interviews and one written test.
Note: The concubines who pass the first examination must undergo a full body nude physical examination in the Imperial City's nursery before entering the palace for re-selection. Those who refuse the physical examination will automatically withdraw from the examination.
The location of the re-selection training is Chuxiu Palace in the western six palaces of the Forbidden City. It lasts for one month and students will learn court etiquette and various royal regulations such as "Huang Ming Zuxun".
Note: During the training period, you will live a collective life, with food and accommodation provided, and bedding, jewelry, clothes, shoes and socks. There are five people in a room. You are not allowed to bring personal belongings, bring maids into the palace to serve, go out without permission, or contact people outside the palace.
Royal granddaughter-in-law (principal consort) Job description:
Position requirements: Nine
Job Responsibilities:
1. Be filial to your parents-in-law, that is, the prince and princess.
2. Cooperate with the mother-in-law, the princess, to complete the administrative, personnel and diplomatic work of the prince's mansion.
3. Raise the prince's legitimate and illegitimate children, and care about their all-round development of physical, intellectual, and moral character, preferably with both literary and artistic talents.
Fourth, she was guaranteed to give birth to a son and train an heir to the palace. If she could not give birth herself, she would train a concubine's son to be the future heir to ensure that the palace would be passed down forever.
Job Requirements:
1. Strong sense of responsibility, strong stress resistance and communication skills.
Second, one must be broad-minded and tolerant, be able to accept the existence of concubines and concubines, live in peace with them, serve the same husband, and have the ability to work as a team to expand the prince's palace.
3. Pay attention to children’s education. In view of the high-risk nature of the career of a prince, they must be aware of and mentally prepared for widow-style education.
4. Restrain your mother’s family. Do not allow them to use the power of the palace to bully the people.
Job Description of Royal Granddaughter-in-law (Concubine):
Position requirements: 18 people
Job Responsibilities:
1. Serving the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess.
2. Give birth to children and expand the prince's palace.
Job Requirements:
1. Respect the Crown Prince's Consort, do not be jealous, and work hard without complaint.
Second, the birth of a son is guaranteed. However, the right to educate and own the child belongs to the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince, and they are not allowed to exceed their authority.
Therefore, although they are all beauties and the preliminary selections in the prince's mansion are based on the same standards, there are still obvious differences in the requirements for the main wife and the concubine, especially in terms of personality. The main wife needs to be strong and the concubine needs to be more docile. Otherwise, life will not be easy for both the main wife and the concubine.
Hu Shanwei is only responsible for the selection of talents. After that, she will end her career as a female court official and retire to the countryside with Muchun. In the future, whether the emperor's grandchildren's small families of "one to three" live well or not is actually none of her business.
However, Hu Shanwei is kind-hearted. She does not want to cause "Gong Hu to randomly match couples" because of her poor judgment of people, creating a lot of resentful couples like Mu Chun's parents. Not only will she suffer all her life, but she will also cause innocent future generations to suffer.
As much as Hu Shanwei felt sorry for Mu Chun, he was also worried that he would matchmake her with the wrong person and become the instigator of a tragic marriage.
Standing guard for the last time, Hu Shanwei was particularly attentive to the talent show.
It is said that you can know a person's face but not his heart. It is really difficult to know a person. In addition to asking the female officials who went to the prince's palace to select the concubines about the general situation and first impression of the concubines, Hu Shanwei secretly instructed the female officials of the Shangyi Bureau to observe the concubines carefully during the one-month training period. They created a list for each concubine, recorded the training situation every day, and wrote down a preliminary evaluation of the concubines' character and virtue.
After a month, each concubine had a detailed introduction book about as thick as a palm. Although Hu Shanwei had never spoken a word to these 250 concubines, he seemed to know each of them.
After a month of intensive training, the 250 beauties began to take the exam, first a written test. Hu Shanwei was in charge of the questions about women's virtues, such as "Four Books for Women" and "Biographies of Women".
Shen Qionglian is responsible for topics on the Four Books and other Confucian classics.
Fan Gongzheng was in charge of the "Zhao Song Xianfei Xun/Jie Lu" and "Huang Ming Zu Xun" and other topics about the self-cultivation of royal daughters-in-law and royal rules. The three of them performed their duties.
Hu Shanwei drafted several questions, but felt that none of them were appropriate, so she simply copied the questions from the examination for female officials before she entered the palace fifteen years ago:
The question is about the twelfth chapter of "The Analects of Women", "Keeping Chastity":
"In ancient times, virtuous women were nine times virtuous and three times chaste. Their names are recorded in history and passed down to this day. When there is a woman at home, do not go out. When there is a guest at the door, do not make a sound. Do not talk privately, do not listen to obscene sounds... If one thing goes wrong, all things will fail. When a husband and wife are married, their loyalty is worth a thousand gold. If there is misfortune, they will fall in love first. Three years of mourning, keep your will and heart firm..."
When faced with this essay question, Hu Shanwei disagreed with the saying "If you make a mistake in one line, you will fail in all other lines". She thought that a man who makes a comeback is worth more than gold, but a woman who makes a mistake should not have a second chance? She was against this question at the time, and her essay thinking was interrupted again and again, which resulted in her handing in the paper without finishing the answer. In the end, she ranked at the bottom. Among the 40 female officials recruited, she ranked 37th, the fourth from the bottom.
However, Shen Qionglian, the top scorer in that female official examination, took a different approach. She wrote at the beginning, "How terrible is the lawlessness of Qin! Why must one uphold chastity?" She overturned the idea of upholding chastity and bluntly stated that it was not necessary. Her answer was simply shocking.
The meaning is that the Qin State is violent and lawless, so there is no need to be chaste. Then she gave another example and changed the tone:
"The Yuan Dynasty was unjust, so people's hearts were divided and wars broke out all over the country. Our emperor was originally a commoner from Huaibei. When the world was in chaos, he was supported by the people and saved the people from suffering, so that everyone could get what they wanted..."
It is said that the Yuan Dynasty had lost the support of the people, so armies all over the country rose up and there was no need to "keep their integrity". Emperor Hongwu, a commoner from Fengyang, was elected as the leader by the people and saved the people from dire straits.
The same question, different ways of thinking, the difference was immediately apparent. Hu Shanwei was convinced and still can't forget it. Many times there is no right or wrong question, it is just used to test the talent of the examinee. No matter how unreasonable the question is, there will always be someone showing extraordinary talent.
Shen Qionglian had just finished drafting the questions for the Four Books. When she came to see Hu Shanwei, she immediately laughed out loud, "You are quite clever. You used the old questions from fifteen years ago. Coincidentally, the questions for the Four Books in the female official examination fifteen years ago were also copied from the questions in the last imperial examination."
"Ah?" Hu Shanwei knew for the first time. "No wonder I thought the questions were difficult and the time was too tight. It turned out to be the questions for the imperial examination in the capital. The imperial examination was held for three consecutive days. The candidates had three days to answer and polish their answers. We had to finish them in one day, and we were also tested on questions such as "The Analects of Women". I remember that many people did not finish their answers or had a mental breakdown and cried on the spot."
Hu Shanwei still remembers the most important exam in his life. The two topics in the exam on Spring and Autumn Annals were "The Qi People's Attack on Shanrong" and "The Duke of Jin and the Prince of Wu Meet at Huangchi". Each topic required a discussion of more than 300 words.
Shen Qionglian said lightly: "Anyway, I finished writing it in half a day."
Throughout the ages, real questions like "Five Years of College Entrance Examination and Three Years of Simulation" have always been the panacea for test-taking.
In the initial selection, there is an interview first, followed by a written test. In the second selection in Beijing, it is the opposite, with a written test first and an interview later.
If you fail the written test, especially the part about palace rules, where you cannot make any mistakes, you will be eliminated directly - just like when Hu Shanwei and forty other female officials entered the palace fifteen years ago, they first went to the Palace Administration Office to learn the palace rules. When Fan Gongzheng announced this one-size-fits-all rule, many female officials thought it was too harsh, including Hu Shanwei.
But now, after experiencing fifteen years of ups and downs in the palace, Hu Shanwei agrees with Fan Gongzheng's seemingly harsh rules: if you can't even pass the palace rules, being a daughter-in-law in the royal family is simply asking for death.
Those who are able to participate in the re-examination are the best among the concubines. Even if they do not become royal daughters-in-law, they can still have a wonderful life. Why should they waste their youth in the royal family
The royal family is not only a place of glory, but also a battlefield.
The spring breeze blew and the war drums beat. Two hundred and fifty beauties walked towards the examination and began the written test.
Hu Shanwei followed suit and completed the three major sections, namely women's virtues, the Four Books, and palace rules, all within one day. This was another great challenge of physical strength and stress resistance. Those who could pass this level would have the basic ability to survive in the royal family.
After a day of examinations, when the concubines came out of the examination room, some burst into tears, some were calm and composed, and some were mentally and physically collapsed, dizzy and in shock. Hu Shanwei had anticipated this and sent a female doctor from the Shangshi Bureau to wait outside to provide assistance.
Shen Qionglian, Jiang Quan and others sighed: "Seeing them is like seeing ourselves back then. Time has passed so quickly, fifteen years seems to have passed in the blink of an eye."
Hu Shanwei was also sighing. When he saw Jiang Quan, he remembered the reason why she entered the palace and asked, "Princess Nankang is fifteen years old this year. How is the selection of a consort?"
Princess Nankang is Jiang Quan's granddaughter. Her biological mother, Hu Shuren, died during childbirth. Her brother, Prince of Chu Zhu Zhen, loved his sister but had to go to Wuchang to be a fiefdom very early. She was raised in the palace of four concubines, namely Concubine Li Xian, Concubine Chengmu, Concubine Li Shu, and Concubine Duanjing. It was not easy. Fortunately, she had her grandmother Jiang Quan by her side to protect and care for her, so Princess Nankang was able to grow up healthy and happy.
During the past fifteen years, Jiang Quan had to serve as a female official and protect Princess Nankang. She aged the fastest among the female officials. It was not because she did not pay attention to taking care of herself, but because she lied about her age in order to enter the palace as a female official, and made it five years younger. Her real age now is sixty years old.
Jiang Quan's hair had turned completely white, and his skin had become loose, revealing his old age, but he was still in good spirits. He said, "There are several candidates from the Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Clan Court. The most likely candidate is Hu Guan, the youngest son of Hu Hai, the former Marquis of Dongchuan."
Hu Hai, Marquis of Dongchuan, died early. The second generation Marquis of Dongchuan died because of his involvement in the Lan Yu case. After his title was stripped, only Hu Guan was left in the Hu family.
Hearing this, Hu Shanwei was a little confused. "The Lan Yu case implicated many people. The second generation of Dongchuan Hou died unjustly. But the Hu family has risen again so quickly. They are actually the hot candidates for the Shangzhu? What is the emperor going to do?"
Jiang Quan only had Princess Nankang in his eyes and didn't care about politics. He said, "I don't know either, but if there is no instruction from the emperor, Hu Guan is not worthy of appearing on the list of candidates. In the officialdom of the capital, one person takes the stage and another takes the stage. It rises and falls, and one rises and falls. Who can tell clearly?"
Jiang Quan's words made sense. Hu Shanwei thought about the Hu family and recalled the past: "The first generation of Dongchuan Marquis had an eldest son named Hu Bin, who was named the Prince of Dongchuan Marquis and was selected as the candidate for Princess Huaiqing's son-in-law. He was originally a popular candidate, but during a polo match, the current Princess Huaiqing's son-in-law, Yongchun Earl Wang Ning, hit him with a ball, knocking off the net scarf on his head, revealing the wig in his bun. It turned out that Hu Bin had very little hair, so he used a wig to make up for it. He was embarrassed in public and lost his qualification to compete."
The scene at that time is also vivid in my mind. My ex-boyfriend Wang Ning and the bald Hu Bin rode past each other on horseback. One is a fairy in the paradise, and the other is a bald man. If there is no fate, how can I meet him again in this life? No comparison, no harm. Wang Ning stood out and was chosen by Emperor Hongwu as his son-in-law.
Time flies. The eldest son of Wang Ning and Princess Huaiqing is almost fourteen years old and is about to get engaged, but Hu Shanwei is still choosing wives for the emperor's grandsons.
After the eldest son of Marquis Dongchuan lost the election, he felt ashamed to face people, so he joined the southern expedition led by Marquis Xiping Mu Ying to Yunnan. He died there instead of marrying a princess. Instead, he sacrificed his life for his country. He never got married and had no children. The second generation Marquis Dongchuan was the second brother Hu Yu, who was involved in the Lan Yu case and his whole family died.
Jiang Quan was shocked when he heard this: "What? Hu Guan's eldest brother is bald? I heard that his father's baldness is passed down to his sons, not his daughters. Will Hu Guan also be bald? My Princess Nankang cannot marry a man with obvious physical defects."
She is indeed my biological grandmother, and no detail escapes her scrutiny.
Hu Shanwei said, "That may not be the case. I want Jinyiwei to help you check Hu Guan's hair volume so that you don't worry."
The female officials supported each other more than they sabotaged each other, and they would help each other whenever they could.
Jiang Quan thanked him, and Hu Shanwei smiled and said, "We all watched Princess Nankang grow up, and we all hope that she can marry a good man."
Jiang Quan said: "I don't have any extravagant expectations. I just hope that Princess Nankang's future husband can be half as good as Princess Huaiqing's husband, Earl Yongchun."
Wang Ning, the Earl of Yongchun, was a white moonlight so bright yet so sad when Hu Shanwei was a girl, and it was the pain that she could never express... Fortunately, Mu Chun appeared in my life, like a red rose, turning my dead heart into colorful.
Hu Shanwei looked at the yard full of beautiful women and wished he could complete his mission tomorrow, resign from his post and go to Kunming to find Muchun.
Whenever he thought of Muchun, Hu Shanwei would be motivated. He would work tirelessly as if he were injected with chicken blood, staying up late to mark the papers, hoping to finish his last shift as soon as possible.
The concubines took the examination in order to become the royal granddaughters-in-law, and Hu Shanwei graded the papers for Mu Chun. They were both for the sake of marriage, so they had the same goal.
The results were announced two days later. Even with such a tough written test, a total of 180 girls were shortlisted for the subsequent interview. Seventy girls who failed the exam were given gifts such as gold and silver on the same day and were taken back to their hometowns by their parents.
On the day of leaving the palace, the Chuxiu Palace was filled with the suppressed cries of the eliminated concubines. The death of the rabbit makes the fox mourn, and the faces of the other 180 concubines were not happy either, as the next test would only be more cruel.
But unexpectedly, the next day, Hu Shanwei led all the ladies to the imperial garden to play games, including Cuju, polo, rafting, fishing, tossing pots, chuiwan, kite flying and other activities. The ladies participated according to their interests.
The pressure that had been suppressed for more than a month was released instantly. Since they didn't know whether they would stay for the second round, most of the showgirls let themselves go and had fun to relieve stress.
Zhang Xiuchun, a snake-catching girl from Henan, was born into a military family and had some skills. As expected, she participated in the intense physical confrontation of Cuju and scored five goals, becoming the top scorer of the game.
Miss Guo, the niece of Concubine Duanjing, whom Hu Shanwei cared about the most, participated in the polo match. She had a skillful and elegant riding posture and swung the club cleanly and neatly. She scored three goals and was the best horse archer in the game.
Miss Ma, who was of the same clan as Empress Xiaoci, chose the most peaceful way of fishing. She sat alone beside the pavilion by the waterside, and no one knew what she was thinking about.
Hu Shanwei watched from afar the bright yellow canopy floating over and realized that it was the imperial carriage of Emperor Hongwu. He immediately became alert, like a sheepdog protecting a lamb, and ran to the front to stop the carriage, fearing that Emperor Hongwu was still determined to eat grass at his doorstep again - he couldn't do that, or there wouldn't be enough for his grandchildren!
Hu Shanwei was as if he was facing a formidable enemy: "Your Majesty, please stay. The concubines in front are playing games."
I came here because I knew that the concubines were playing here.
Emperor Hongwu has been feeling young lately, sucking the energy from his fresh body. He feels as if he has become younger. From afar he hears the laughter of a beautiful woman behind the wall of the Imperial Garden, but her laughter fades and her voice becomes quieter. His affectionate nature is annoyed by her heartless love.
Power is the best aphrodisiac. The new favorites were inexperienced, with delicate faces and clear, worshipful eyes. They thought the old emperor was as omnipotent as a god, which made Emperor Hongwu very happy.
Hearing about the beautiful girls playing in the imperial garden, my old heart began to itch again.
Emperor Hongwu now finally understood why many wise rulers would become foolish and lustful in their later years, and even sleep with their own daughters-in-law, because sex is an intoxicating, life-giving force, and the older you get, the more you desire it.
Ahem, the old face of Emperor Hongwu turned red. "I am just strolling here, just looking around. I will not enter the garden."
I would rather believe there are ghosts in broad daylight than believe a man, especially an old emperor with a criminal record.
Hu Shan blocked the intersection, showing no intention of giving way. "Since that's the case, please go to the rockery pavilion and rest for a while."
The old emperor must be isolated and no further complications can be allowed.
Emperor Hongwu left in embarrassment and went up to a rockery made of Taihu stones, on which there was a five-meter-high pavilion. The breeze was blowing gently, willow branches were dancing, and it was very quiet. At such a far distance, people were like ants and could not see their faces.
Hu Shanwei breathed a sigh of relief, the concubines were finally safe.
Unfortunately, before the breath could sink into his dantian, Emperor Hongwu took out a Western monocular telescope...
Hu Shanwei: …
Emperor Hongwu looked through the telescope for a while, then suddenly stopped and waved to Hu Shanwei, "Come and see the girl fishing in the third pavilion of the waterside pavilion. Who is she?"
There was no other way, so Hu Shanwei looked over with a telescope. "It was Ma, a beautiful lady from Shanxi. She was from the same clan as Empress Xiaoci, but they were only five generations apart, so they had no contact."
Emperor Hongwu paused and said, "At first glance, this girl looks very similar to Empress Xiaoci when she was young."
Hu Shanwei reminded: "Ma is only fourteen years old this year."
She is still a child, don't take her back as an excuse to sleep with you!
Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongwu suddenly lost interest and said, "I'm going to the Xiaoling Mausoleum to see Empress Xiaoci. You can get busy."
After Emperor Hongwu left, Hu Shanwei picked up the telescope and looked carefully again. Miss Ma in the distance was completely unaware and was still sitting by the pavilion fishing. Hu Shanwei thought to himself, this Miss Ma will have an interview tomorrow, and if nothing goes wrong, she must be kept, as she may have great fortune in the future.
The author has something to say: Spring is coming tomorrow, I will never break my promise~
The examination questions that Hu Shanwei used in that session were picked out by Zhou from the examination questions in the 20th year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty.
Therefore, the big red envelope question at 100 o'clock tonight also comes from the examination questions in the 20th year of Chenghua, and is given to the first reader who answers it.
Three questions on the meaning of the Four Books:
1. People can promote Tao, but Tao cannot promote people.
2. Therefore, a gentleman is cautious about what he does not see and fearful of what he does not hear.
3. This is true for all things, but especially for the mind.
Each question should be more than 300 words.
What does the first question "People can spread the doctrine, but the doctrine cannot spread people" mean