On this day, Gao Yanyun came to Jingyi Palace again and summoned two people, Jiang Changning and Xie Baoyin.
Xie Baoyin was a little uneasy, "Sister Ning, why would the Queen Mother summon me?"
"The Queen Mother has the right to summon any beautiful lady." Jiang Changning said with a faint smile.
"You know that's not what I meant." Xie Baoyin pouted.
Jiang Changning looked at Gao Yanyun's back and said with a smile, "Don't be nervous. The Queen Mother is very kind."
As Jiang Changning said, the Queen Mother behaved quite kindly in front of Xie Baoyin. She asked about some of Xie Baoyin's family situations.
Xie Baoyin answered honestly. After lunch, Gao Yanyun sent the two back to Jingyi Palace.
Early in the morning on the sixth day of July, the remaining thirty-one beauties went to Changchun Palace.
They will be selected by the Emperor, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the Imperial Concubine, and the Virtuous Concubine to decide their final stay or departure.
The beauties were divided into groups of five and entered the main hall.
There were only the Empress Dowager, the Empress, the Imperial Concubine and the Virtuous Concubine in the palace. The Emperor was unable to come because of the sudden news of the war.
The eunuch in charge of ceremonies held up the list, "Jiang Changning, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family in Hangzhou, is sixteen years old."
"Fang Youting, daughter of Fang Hai, an official in charge of the Zhejiang Provincial Administration Office, is sixteen years old."
"Chen Yi, daughter of Chen Qishan, Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, is sixteen years old."
"Zhuang Qingchan, daughter of Zhuang Shenmao, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, is fifteen years old."
"Chen Yuyu, daughter of Chen Siqi, magistrate of Jinmen County, is fourteen years old."
The ladies came out one by one to pay their respects, and the Queen Mother asked, "Have you ever been to school?"
The Queen then asked, "What are the characters in the name?"
The imperial concubine kept saying, "A girl's family should attach great importance to needlework and sewing."
The virtuous concubine said, "They are all extremely beautiful."
Among Jiang Changning's group of five, only Chen Yuyu was left with a card.
After the four of them selected, ten beauties were left.
Including the six people who had been given titles after serving in the emperor's bedchamber, one third of the concubines in this show were eliminated.
The twenty-one women who were not retained received their exit cards and returned home to wait for their arranged marriages.
There were twenty-one palace maids accompanying the concubine out of the palace.
The ten people who remained in the palace were all promoted one level to become eighth-rank ladies because they had not yet served the emperor in bed.
If they are lucky enough to be favored, their status can be promoted. Otherwise, they can only wait for the emperor to confer titles on the harem before they can be promoted.
If they can neither gain favor nor the emperor is stingy and does not grant them many titles in the harem, then they will most likely be trapped in the status of ladies for the rest of their lives.
Jiang Changning, Song Yirou, Zhao Xifang, Xie Baoyin, Zhuang Qingchan, Chen Yi, Fang Youting and others received their cards, were assigned a palace maid, and then packed up and left the palace.
When we got back to the banker, everyone in the banker's house had been waiting for a long time.
No matter who the three of them will be married to, their family background will be higher than that of the banker.
Old Mrs. Zhuang did not dare to be negligent and led the whole family to the gate to greet them.
"No need to be so polite, old lady. Please stand up, everyone." Jiang Changning stepped forward and helped old lady Zhuang up.
Zhuang Qingchan helped up her stepmother, Wu, and Xie Baoyin helped up Zou.
They went to Old Madam Zhuang's courtyard together, sat down in the flower hall, and the maid brought them tea.
Zou asked anxiously, "Is Qingyan okay in the palace?"
"Third sister is doing well in the palace. She is now an eighth-rank lady." Zhuang Qingchan replied.
"How are you doing in the palace?" Old Madam Zhuang asked tentatively.
She wanted to know whether the three of them had close contacts with the nobles in the palace and whether they had an idea of who they were to be married to.
This question was not only asked by Old Lady Zhuang, but also by other young ladies who returned home to wait for arranged marriages.
"Sister Xie and I both went to have lunch with the Empress Dowager." Jiang Changning said with a faint smile.
As for who the Queen Mother would assign her and Xie Baoyin to, she didn't say, so she didn't know and it was not good for her to make random guesses.
Zhuang Qingchan's performance in the palace was well-behaved. She made no mistakes and was never summoned by any concubine of the fourth rank or above.
"Young lady!" Xiulan's four maids were very excited when they saw Jiang Changning.
The master and servant had not seen each other for a month and missed each other very much.
"Fangju, this is Liu Ye from the palace. Arrange a place for her to live." Jiang Changning ordered.
"Yes, young lady." Fangju smiled at Liuye, "Sister Liuye, please follow me."
"Miss, I will go and settle her first." Liu Ye bowed.
Only after Jiang Changning nodded in agreement did Liu Ye leave with Fang Ju.
"What a particular person you are." Fu Cui said with a smile.
"Do you think everyone is like you, sticking a banana leaf on an ancient tree?" Su Fei scolded with a smile.
"How could I?" Fu Cui pouted.
"Okay, both of you stop bickering. Fu Cui, go and see if the bird's nest soup is ready. The girl has lost weight after being in the palace for a month. Shu Fei, ask someone to get hot water from the kitchen so the girl can take a nice bath." Xiulan made thorough arrangements.
Shufei and Fucui listened to her and went out.
Jiang Changning lay down on the beauty couch and said, "It's still more comfortable at home."
I'm used to being served by others, and I feel uncomfortable when no one is serving me.
It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.
Time passed quickly, and three days passed. Early in the morning of that day, the imperial decree of marriage arrived. It was an imperial decree of marriage for Jiang Changning alone.
The imperial edict was full of praise for people: Jiang Changning was a lady from a noble family, dignified and beautiful; Prince Jin Helian Yu was a royal descendant and a talented young man.
The two were truly a match made in heaven, and the Queen Mother specially arranged a marriage for them.
All matters concerning the marriage were handled by the Ministry of Rites, and the wedding date was set for the sixth day of October.
Jiang Changning was extremely shocked. She was an orphan with no one to rely on, and marrying into the palace to become a concubine was more than just marrying up!
She was simply climbing up the ladder to the sky, soaring straight up to 90,000 miles!
But there was no feeling of happiness, only a chill.
"Congratulations, young lady. Please accept the order." The eunuch said with a smile.
"Changning, accept the order." Jiang Changning took the imperial order with both hands, "Xiu Lan!"
Xiulan immediately stuffed the prepared purse into the eunuch's hand and said, "Your Excellency, you have worked hard. This is for your tea."
"Thank you for the reward, young lady." The eunuch bowed respectfully.
The imperial decree for marriage has been issued, the wedding date has been set, and Jiang Changning is confirmed to be the Princess of Jin.
"We have issued the decree, and it is time to return to the palace." The eunuch did not stay in the manor for long, and left with the team that announced the decree.
"Sister Ning, congratulations." Xie Baoyin said with a smile.
The Zhuang family members also came over to congratulate them. They were surprised that Jiang Changning was betrothed to Prince Jin.
It was not only the Zhuang family who were surprised. The other families also did not expect that the Queen Mother would appoint such an orphan girl as the Prince of Jin's consort.
"The Emperor is deeply wary of the Prince of Jin!" These were said by the Duke of Zheng and the Duke of Zhao, who were in a neutral position.
Song Yirou, who was waiting to be married to Prince Jin at home, became furious when she learned that the Queen Mother had arranged for Jiang Changning to marry Prince Jin. She grabbed the sword hanging in her boudoir and rushed out.
Mrs. Song came in from outside and stopped her, "Yirou, where are you going?"
"I'm going to kill that Jiang guy, so she won't be able to marry Prince Jin." Song Yirou said viciously.
"Stop messing around." Mrs. Song shouted sternly.
Song Yirou shouted, "Prince Jin is the one I've chosen."
"So what? Now that the Queen Mother has arranged for Miss Jiang to marry the Prince of Jin, you should give up. I'm afraid your marriage decree will soon arrive at the mansion. Put down your sword and stop making trouble."
"I won't marry anyone, I will marry the King of Jin."
"Yiro, you can't be so willful. Disobeying the order is a capital crime. Do you want the Song family to be buried with you?" Mrs. Song forcibly pulled Song Yirou into the house.
(End of this chapter)