Fu Yue couldn't help but rub her forehead. Her mistress was truly different from ordinary people. Hadn't she heard that Princess Jing Yue had already entered the palace? Although she didn't want to marry into the palace, she could at least be a little more normal.
Shi Mei reached out and helped Hai Ling with her hand, then went out to eat, ignoring Fu Yue, who had a bitter face behind her.
After they finished their breakfast, it was indeed getting late. Hailing got up and led Shimei, Shilan, and Fuyue, three maids, out of Xiangwu Courtyard.
Outside the gate of Xiangwu Courtyard, Ji Shaocheng and his subordinates waited. As soon as Hailing appeared, Ji Shaocheng reached out and shook her hand.
"Come, I'll take you to the palace."
"Thank you, brother."
Hai Ling spoke softly, and Ji Shaocheng felt a pang of sadness. He didn't want his sister to participate in the imperial concubine selection, nor did he want her to marry into the royal family. He was truly afraid that she would follow in his mother's footsteps.
The brother and sister left the Ji residence without speaking. Then Hailing, Shimei, and others rode in a carriage, while Ji Shaocheng and his men mounted their horses and followed behind, heading into the palace.
The Guangyang Hall in the palace was used by the imperial family to entertain their officials and hold banquets. Today, the new emperor is holding his selection of consorts and entertaining envoys from the three kingdoms, and the Guangyang Hall has also been chosen as the venue.
The Guangyang Palace, inside and out, was newly decorated, and the palace maids and eunuchs were all smiling and busy.
At the head of the main hall were the seats for the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. To the side were several other seats, which were still occupied by the former Emperor's concubines, but now belonged to the several Dowager Consorts who had moved into the Prince's residence with their son.
On either side of the steps at the very front of the hall were the positions for the envoys from the three kingdoms. Further down were the positions for the women to be selected for the imperial concubine selection. A little further outside the main hall were the positions for the important officials of the Northern Lu court. The entire hall was meticulously arranged. At a time like this, making a mistake could lead to serious trouble, resulting in either being beaten to death or beheaded.
Ministers and their wives had been arriving one after another outside the gate. Today's selection of consorts included not only officials of the current dynasty and daughters of various families, but also envoys from the three kingdoms. As officials, who would dare to be presumptuous? Therefore, they should arrive early.
As for the envoys from the three kingdoms, the emperor has ordered them to rest in a side hall of Guangyang Palace until the imperial concubine selection banquet begins.
Therefore, the earliest envoy did not appear in the main hall of Guangyang Palace.
When Hai Ling arrived, many court officials were also there, along with the young women to be selected. They were all daughters of important officials in Bei Lu, and they gathered in groups chatting and talking, in high spirits. Everyone had put on exquisite makeup and wore their most beautiful clothes. At a glance, the whole hall was filled with beauty and fragrance.
Hai Ling attracted a lot of attention as soon as she appeared. She was plain-faced and dressed very simply. But because everyone else was dressed in gorgeous clothes, she became the most attractive one. In addition, she was beautiful and had a leisurely and graceful demeanor. Although there were many people in the hall, she did not act coy or pretentious at all, but was open and calm.
Many beauties in Beilu knew of her coldness and indifference. They hadn't forgotten that Wang Qing, who had provoked her, was still in the mansion and couldn't be seen by anyone. That bald man was a joke.
So after Hailin appeared, although the other women were jealous, they didn't dare to disturb her, and she was happy to have some peace and quiet...
Chapter 80 Four Men Compete for One Woman, Shocking the Entire Palace [Handwritten Text Version VIP]
Inside Guangyang Palace, although many people feared Hai Ling, there were two people who were not afraid of her and walked over with smiles on their faces.
The person in front was naturally Princess Consort Feng Yao, and the person behind her was the Empress Dowager's niece west Yan. These two were not afraid of her and walked over with smiles on their faces, though there was a hint of murderous intent in their eyes.
"Miss Ji has arrived?"
Hai Ling nodded. One shouldn't hit a smiling face. They can pretend, so why should she tear off their mask? However, she didn't have their thick skin. Her expression was indifferent, without the slightest hint of flattery, and she spoke in a cool voice: "Hai Ling greets Princess Zhaoyang."
Feng Yao is now of a higher status than her, so she should naturally pay her respects.
Feng Yao reached out to help her up. To outsiders, the two of them seemed very intimate, but little did they know that Feng Yao's eyes were filled with cold light and her hands were icy cold. She took Hai Ling's hand and said casually, "I heard that today is not only the Emperor's selection of concubines, but my imperial brother has also come. Does Miss Ji know that my imperial brother is also a dragon among men, the Emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty?"
Hai Ling didn't speak, her eyes slightly narrowed. The appearance of Feng Zixiao meant that Feng Yao had sent someone to inform him. This woman was really quick to act.
Seeing that Hai Ling didn't speak, west Yan, who was on the side, didn't forget to chime in, even though she didn't know what Feng Yao meant.
"Yes, not only the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but I heard that even the emperor of Shaoyi has come. We are really in for a treat today."
"Yes, I am quite fortunate to have such a sight to see today. However, Miss Ji and Miss west should make the most of it. I've heard that the emperors of the Three Kingdoms were all extremely handsome, and not only handsome but also powerful."
Feng Yao's words carried a hint of sarcasm, causing Xi Yan to blush first, while Hai Ling remained expressionless, though her eyes gleamed with cold light. She thought to herself, "It seems Feng Yao is determined to oppose me; I'd better be careful."
As the three were talking, more people joined them from behind.
"Did you know? I heard that Princess Jingyue, the most beautiful woman in the world, will also be appearing today. How beautiful do you think Princess Jingyue is?"
After speaking, the person glanced at Hailing, trying to see her expression, but found nothing. The speaker was Yan Xiangxiang, the younger sister of the Princess of Anyang. Behind Yan Xiangxiang was Princess Yan Xiaoxiao, and behind Princess Yan Xiaoxiao were two other women: the wife of the Duke of Huguo and the wife of the Marquis of Ningnan. These were the women Ji Shaocheng had assigned to Hailing when she visited the Ji residence last time, so Hailing naturally recognized them. At this moment, these women all looked on with anticipation and remained silent.
west Yan chimed in without hesitation: "She must be as beautiful as an angel. The title of the most beautiful woman in the world is not given lightly. I believe no one here can compare to Princess Jingyue."
"So, Miss Xi means that the Emperor will make Princess Jingyue his Empress."
Yan Xiangxiang seized the opportunity to ask, and west Yan smiled shyly, "It should be so. After all, Princess Jingyue represents the Southern Ling Kingdom. Right now, it would be beneficial for our Northern Lu to coexist peacefully with the Southern Ling Kingdom. I heard that the emperor of the Southern Ling Kingdom promised that if Princess Jingyue marries into the Northern Dynasty, she will receive a large dowry. You tell me, how could the emperor let such a beneficial thing go?"
Although west Yan said this, she was secretly jealous because she also liked her young, handsome, and domineering cousin. Unfortunately, her aunt said that with her status, she could only be a concubine for now and could not become the empress. The empress could only be chosen from Princess Jingyue and Ji Hailing, and she had to be one of them.
Although west Yan had never met Princess Jingyue, she thought about Princess Jingyue's status. If she married the emperor and became empress, she would have no complaints. But if Ji Hailing married her cousin and became empress, she would be very unwilling. So what if she was a little prettier? Why should she become empress of the Northern Dynasty as soon as she came here?
"It should be about right."
west Yan slowly opened her mouth, raised her eyes to look at Ji Hailing, wanting to see if she was very jealous. Unfortunately, she still did not see any expression on Hailing's face, which disappointed the surrounding women. Did this woman have no heart at all? Wasn't she jealous at all?
Hai Ling completely ignored the women in front of her who were singing in unison; weren't they just trying to provoke her?
Couldn't she see it? But they were only verbally provoking her, so she didn't need to deal with them. If she did, she would probably give people something to talk about. So she just ignored them. If they provoked her, she would definitely not let them off easily. And then there was Feng Yao, she remembered her.
Suddenly, the eunuch's voice rang out from outside the main hall.
"The envoys from the three kingdoms have arrived."
At this moment, the women who had been surrounding Hailin dispersed and stood on the side of the main hall, watching the envoys from the three kingdoms walk in from outside the hall.
As soon as these people stood inside the hall, the entire hall lit up and shone brightly. The men were handsome and the women were beautiful, attracting the attention of everyone in the hall.
The courtiers of the Northern Lu Kingdom were abuzz with discussion, with women staring at men and men staring at women.
Hai Ling raised her eyebrows and looked over. At the front were still the envoys from the Southern Ling Kingdom. The most attractive person from the Southern Ling Kingdom was Princess Jing Yue. Today, Princess Jing Yue's jet-black hair cascaded down her back. Unlike the women of Northern Lu, who wore their hair in a bun, Princess Jing Yue's hair was casually loose, like that of the women of the Southern Dynasty. However, it was tied on her head with a small golden crown. The golden light made her look noble and elegant, and her royal demeanor was on full display. She wore an ivory-white long dress that swayed and trailed on the ground. It was flawless. Princess Jing Yue did not wear any extra jewelry. She only wore a white dress and a golden crown. She outshone all the women present. She was the only woman in the room besides Hai Ling who was fresh and refined.
Hai Ling smiled, her eyes showing approval. Princess Jingyue was indeed thoughtful and elegant, her attire and makeup perfectly showcasing her beauty. She shone brightly like a rising pearl in the East amidst the splendor of the palace.