TSNCWEM Chapter 54

First Madam had planned everything for her, and if she failed and returned, she would likely be very disappointed.

Seeing the unusual expression on Song Yunzhao’s face, Song Yexi thought she was embarrassed and smiled, saying, “It’s just a small token from my mother. I didn’t give it to you earlier to avoid causing any trouble. This golden hairpin was crafted by a famous artisan in the capital, and it suits you perfectly.”

Song Yunzhao felt the brocade box was incredibly heavy. She looked at Song Yexi and said, “Sister Yexi, I can’t accept this. I have prepared something myself, so don’t worry.”

“Take it. A beauty like you should wear such jewelry. It would be wasted on me,” Song Yexi left the brocade box behind. “Rest well and gather your strength. Tomorrow is the last round.”

Before Song Yunzhao could refuse, Song Yexi had already run off.

She didn’t open the brocade box but placed it on her dressing table and then went to bed after washing up.

However, she couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning, feeling increasingly restless. She sensed that things were going off track, but she didn’t know how to set them right.

She didn’t know when she finally fell asleep, but when Yi Yue called her to wake up, she groggily opened her eyes.

“It’s rare to see you wake up late. Hurry up, you don’t want to miss the time,” Yi Yue quickly prepared the water in the copper basin and helped Song Yunzhao get dressed.

Song Yunzhao had already chosen her outfit: a goose-yellow pleated skirt, a pink narrow-sleeve short top, and a light green half-arm jacket. The color combination was quite unconventional, and red and green together didn’t usually look good on most people.

After looking at her for a moment, Yi Yue hesitantly said, “Miss Song, I see you have a cyan skirt. Wouldn’t it be better to wear that?”

Song Yunzhao shook her head and put on the light green half-arm jacket. She intentionally chose this gaudy combination.

Yi Yue wanted to persuade her but stopped after seeing her wear the jacket.

Red and green together would typically look garish, but on Song Yunzhao, with her fair skin, high nose, red lips, and bright eyes, the colors brought out a unique beauty.

No wonder Miss Song chose this outfit—it indeed looked good.

“Shall I style your hair in a new way?” Yi Yue suggested with a smile.

“No need to trouble yourself…”

“It’s no trouble at all. It’s my duty,” Yi Yue said as she slowly combed Song Yunzhao’s long, black, and glossy hair, a testament to its excellent care.

“What hairstyle?” Song Yunzhao asked casually, not wanting to refuse Yi Yue’s kind offer.

“How about the ‘Startled Swan Bun‘[mfn]one of the characters means ‘bulls eye of an archery target’ and the hair actually looks similar to that [/mfn]? Have you heard of it? It’s a new style that’s become quite popular recently and looks especially beautiful.”

Startled Swan Bun?

Was that the hairstyle that looked like a bird spreading its wings?

She thought about it, imagining a rather awkward visual.

Cheaply made costumes and hairstyles from period dramas had left her with many bad impressions. She had seen this hairstyle before, and it looked like airplane wings—truly unattractive.

Although she was beautiful, she couldn’t pull off such a look.

While she hesitated, Yi Yue’s nimble hands began braiding her hair, and the bun slowly took shape. Somehow, Yi Yue managed to make the “airplane wings” look surprisingly… stylish?

Song Yunzhao glanced at the brocade box given by Song Yexi. She decided to open it. Inside, on a red silk cushion, lay a butterfly hairpin made of gold and embedded with jewels. The butterfly’s body was supported by filigree gold, with a ruby at its center. The wings were inlaid with two rubies and two tourmalines each, and the antennae were made of pearls. When held, the butterfly’s antennae trembled, making it look almost alive.

Butterfly hairpins were common, but such an exquisitely crafted one was a first.

“Miss, this hairpin is truly beautiful. Let me put it on you. It will look stunning,” Yi Yue’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the finely crafted butterfly antennae, rare even in the palace.

Song Yunzhao handed it over. Knowing that Song Yexi would be watching, she didn’t want to let down her Aunt’s kind gesture.

Yi Yue also selected a pair of elegant earrings and two silver hairpins from Song Yunzhao’s jewelry collection. Given Song Yunzhao’s striking beauty, too much jewelry would be excessive.

Looking in the mirror, Song Yunzhao was momentarily stunned by Yi Yue’s exceptional skill.

Yi Yue smiled at Song Yunzhao’s expression, “Miss, are you satisfied?”

Not really; she wanted to tone down her beauty a bit.

But it seemed she had achieved the opposite.

The young maid was so pleased, and Song Yunzhao didn’t want to dampen her spirits. She smiled and said, “Your hands are very skilled. It looks beautiful.”

Yi Yue’s eyes shone, “I learned from the head hairdresser. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to learn for long before she retired.”

Song Yunzhao heard the wistfulness in Yi Yue’s voice, likely indicating a close relationship with the head hairdresser.

A knock at the door interrupted them. Yi Yue went to open it, and Song Yexi walked in.

Yi Yue curtsied and left. As Song Yexi entered and saw Song Yunzhao, she was momentarily stunned before smiling, “Why are you wearing this? But I must say, it looks quite good.”

Song Yunzhao: …

“I think it looks good too,” Song Yunzhao forced a smile.

“Let’s go, it’s almost time,” Song Yexi said, glancing at the hairpin in Yunzhao’s hair and nodding in satisfaction.

With a stoic expression, Song Yunzhao followed her out. As they stepped outside, the door across from them opened as well.

Qin Xiyue and Lu Zhixue came out, coincidentally meeting the Song sisters face to face.

When Lu Zhixue saw Song Yunzhao, her expression changed slightly and showed a hint of disdain.

Song Yunzhao couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge her. She nodded slightly at Qin Xiyue as a greeting and left with Song Yexi.

Song Yexi whispered to Song Yunzhao, “That Lu girl is really arrogant. Who does she think she is?”

“Ignore her. All she can do is glare at people.”

Song Yexi was amused by Yunzhao’s words, “Let’s go.”

Lu Zhixue watched the Song sisters’ backs and said to Qin Xiyue, “Red and green together? She actually dared to wear that. No wonder she comes from a lower-class background, so tacky.”

Qin Xiyue glanced at Lu Zhixue and said calmly, “I think Miss Song looks quite good in it. Red and green can look good on the right person, and Miss Song’s face carries it off well, making her stand out even more.”

Lu Zhixue looked at Qin Xiyue, “Why do you always defend her? Has she bewitched you or something?”

“Zhixue, you have a bit of a prejudice against Miss Song. There’s no real conflict between the two of you. Why target her?”

“No conflict? You must be joking. If she gets selected, don’t you think it poses a threat to us?” Lu Zhixue stared at Qin Xiyue, not believing she was truly unconcerned.

Qin Xiyue met Lu Zhixue’s displeased gaze and said, “If you think that way, there are many beauties in the palace. Are you going to outdo each one?”

Beauty has never been the most important thing for surviving in the harem. Qin Xiyue looked at Lu Zhixue, who still hadn’t grasped this, and shook her head slightly.

Lu Zhixue huffed. She didn’t believe it. There wasn’t a man in the world who didn’t like beautiful women. The Emperor was also a man, and he would be the same.

Qin Xiyue might be acting all high and mighty now, thinking her talents would win his favor, but she’d be in tears later.

What’s the use of reading so many books when sometimes a beautiful face is more important?

Neither of them could persuade the other. Qin Xiyue didn’t want to argue with Lu Zhixue, so she took a step back and smiled, “Let’s go. Do you see Yunjin and Jinyi ahead?”

Lu Zhixue glanced and saw it was indeed the two of them, so she followed Qin Xiyue.

The four of them walked together. Lu Zhixue glanced at Han Jinyi, who was listening to Feng Yunjin, and found it boring, so she didn’t say anything, just followed along.

This time, they gathered at Qiushui Pavilion again. Everyone arrived one after another. Song Yunzhao looked around and noticed that less than half of the participants remained.

Besides her and Song Yexi, another pair of sisters were also present. However, only the younger sister remained today, as the elder sister was one of those who fell from Fuxiang Pavilion yesterday, injuring her leg and unable to continue, so she left the palace this morning.

Another pair of cousins were also present, but today, only one remained.

Song Yunzhao found it interesting that in families with many siblings, the resources were limited, leading to inevitable sibling rivalry.

Like how she had cut ties with Song Qinghan after entering the palace, to prevent her from using their sisterhood to sabotage her.

The other two pairs of sisters hadn’t shown any disputes before, but when it came to the final step, they still had to take action, resulting in the same outcome.

Those who were ruthless enough would stay.

The former Emperor had many sons. To compete for the throne, many were either killed, injured, or maimed. Otherwise, how could the current Emperor, the least favored son, ascend the throne by chance?

And was their Emperor really just lucky?

Not necessarily.

Although the book didn’t make it very clear, any Emperor who could sit on the throne and wrestle with the court officials wasn’t a little white rabbit but a big bad wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“Yunzhao…”

Song Yunzhao was pulled out of her thoughts by Song Yexi’s voice. She looked at her and heard her say in a low voice, “I heard from Miss Ye that the Emperor will attend today’s review.”

Song Yunzhao feigned surprise, “Really?”

The book had mentioned the Emperor attending the review, so she already knew. However, she couldn’t let Song Yexi suspect anything. If Yexi asked where she got her information, she wouldn’t be able to answer.

“Yes, I’m a bit nervous,” Song Yexi said. She hadn’t been this nervous before, but the possibility of meeting the Emperor made her anxious.

Song Yunzhao, albeit belatedly, began to feel nervous as well. It felt akin to meeting the highest national leader—despite being a transmigrant, she couldn’t shake off this physiological tension.

“Are you all ready, ladies? Five per row, line up in order. You’ll enter one row at a time for the review. There will be attendants at the door calling names according to the list. Now, let me read the names and order…” Matron Su started calling the names, arranging them in teams of five.

Song Yexi was called first and stood in the third row, with Lu Zhixue in the same row.

Qin Xiyue was called next, standing in the row behind Lu Zhixue, alongside Feng Yunjin.

Han Jinyi and Fan Qingru followed, and Song Yunzhao waited until the last row to hear her name.

She felt that Matron Su placed her in the last row out of malice. By then, the Emperor and the three concubines would be so exhausted that they wouldn’t have the energy to appreciate anyone’s beauty.

However, this suited her perfectly.

The group proceeded in line. Song Yunzhao wasn’t familiar with the other four in her row, and no one seemed interested in talking to her, so she remained silent as they walked.

It took them two full quarters of an hour to reach Huayang Hall from Qiushui Pavilion. Huayang Hall was the selection site and different from the more delicate and elegant Zhichun Palace. Huayang Hall was spacious and grand, its glazed tiles glittering in the sunlight. The palace was magnificent. Outside, palace maids and attendants lined both sides, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

The group halted, standing with straight backs. The sunlight was somewhat dazzling, so Yunzhao slightly lowered her eyes to avoid the glare.

The momos from Zhichun Palace, except for Momo Zhang who stayed behind to oversee them, hurriedly walked into the hall.

As time passed, beads of sweat began to appear on their foreheads. She saw someone quietly using a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat quickly, afraid of being seen.

Standing in such hot weather, the powder on their faces couldn’t withstand the sweat. There were no waterproof or sweatproof cosmetics in ancient times. If they didn’t secretly wipe the sweat, over time, their makeup would become a mess, making them look terrible and ruining their chances in the selection. They might as well go home.

The selection process had many intricacies. The book mentioned that Qin Xiyue was placed in the last row, and the reason for the long wait was a deliberate move by Consort Shu and the others to embarrass her in front of the Emperor. Without her exquisite and beautiful makeup, even a celestial beauty would lose some of her charm after being exposed to the sun for so long.

Thinking about this, Song Yunzhao felt bad. Was she once again taking the place of the female lead?

Song Yunzhao also secretly wiped her face with a handkerchief. It was really hot, but fortunately, she had prepared in advance, so she only had a thin layer of powder on her face. Even if it did melt, it wouldn’t be too embarrassing.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, she finally heard the inner court eunuch announce the beginning of the selection. Song Yunzhao looked up and saw the young women in the first row stepping up to the stage and entering the hall.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, someone came out. She counted the number of people, and none of them remained?

It was obvious that the news of the complete defeat of the first row today made the young women in the second row visibly nervous. As they stepped onto the stage, one of the young women almost stumbled, but someone helped her to stand steadily.

This time it took longer, and when they came out, there were only four of them left, indicating that one had been selected.

The third row was Song Yexi and her group. Song Yunzhao watched Song Yexi enter the hall, noticing her straight shoulders, which were a bit too tense, while the person beside her, Lu Zhixue, looked relaxed.

Time passed by the second, and Song Yunzhao felt increasingly hot. She kept staring at the hall doors. When the doors opened, she saw Song Yexi walk out; only Lu Zhixue was left from their row.

Song Yexi and the others couldn’t stay and had to leave with the palace maids. Before leaving, Song Yexi looked in Song Yunzhao’s direction and gave her a big smile.

Song Yunzhao smiled back. It seemed that failing the selection didn’t bother Song Yexi at all. She sighed in relief.

One row after another entered the hall, and the number of those who were selected varied for each row. Soon it was the turn of Qin Xiyue and her group, and sure enough, she was selected.

Han Jinyi, Feng Yunjin, and Fan Qingru were also selected, just like in the book.

The sun was nearly at its peak, and Song Yunzhao’s row had to wait through the hottest time of the day. Even using a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her face didn’t help. She even heard the soft sobs of the girl next to her and couldn’t help but sigh.

Finally, they heard their names. Song Yunzhao and the others stepped up the stone steps and walked into the hall.

The hall doors opened, they stepped over the threshold, and followed the eunuch’s guidance to bow.

“Your humble servant greets Your Majesty, long live the Emperor. Greetings to the Consorts, may you be blessed.”

These were taught by the stewardess, and Song Yunzhao bowed along with the others.

“You may rise.”

Song Yunzhao was initially startled by the voice and then felt a tightening sensation on her scalp. Why did it sound so familiar?

All her nervousness, the heat, and her melting makeup were thrown to the back of her mind. She couldn’t care less.

“Raise your head.”

Song Yunzhao heard a gentle voice and noticed the people around her raising their heads, so she followed suit, unable to resist taking a glance upward.

And then… there was nothing more.

Whom did she see?

Song Yunzhao’s mind went blank for a moment!

The fan-holding gentleman?

The Emperor!

Did she break some dimensional wall?

Was she seeing things?

Song Yunzhao forced herself to calm down, but before she could come up with a plan, she heard the woman who spoke earlier say, “I’ve heard that among this year’s young women, there is one with exceptionally outstanding looks. Your Majesty, do you see who it is?”

Feng Yi’s gaze fell on Song Yunzhao, and although she tried to remain calm, her eyes betrayed some of her thoughts. He sat up straight, showing great interest, and then smiled, saying, “Beloved consort, you are right. Song Yunzhao…the name is also quite good.”

Song Yunzhao was flustered. Who knew what was going on?

Suppressing her chaotic thoughts that were about to explode, she tried her best to appear unaffected. Hearing the Emperor call her name, she acted shy and lowered her head.

Feng Yi: …

Quite the actress.

Consort Shu’s eyes lingered on Song Yunzhao before she turned to Consort Zhuang, smiling, “Consort Zhuang, what do you think of Miss Song?”

Consort Zhuang’s white fingers slid over her nails as her eyes landed on Song Yunzhao. With a gentle smile, she asked, “Miss Song, are you the cousin of the previous Miss Song?”

Without lifting her head, Song Yunzhao responded, “Yes, niangniang.”

“Oh, cousins entering the selection together, that’s quite rare.” Consort Zhuang said with a smile.

Consort Shu nodded in agreement, “Indeed, though there’s a precedent for sisters participating, it’s my first time seeing cousins. It’s quite unusual. What do you think, Your Majesty?”

Feng Yi smiled but did not speak, his eyes fixed on Song Yunzhao.

Seeing this, Consort Shu felt displeased. She focused on Song Yunzhao, “Miss Song, do you know your cousin was not selected? Do you think you will be chosen?”

Song Yunzhao sensed the malice in her words. Was this a question a young woman like her could answer?

It was a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for her.

Song Yunzhao lifted her head, looking at Consort Shu. The book described her as the most beautiful person in the harem, a jealous woman in front of the Emperor, straightforward and non-scheming.

A character who spoke bluntly, expecting others not to take offense.

Using the guise of being straightforward, she was actually quite adept at hitting where it hurt.

Oh dear, what a coincidence, their characters clashed.

Song Yunzhao looked earnestly at Consort Shu, “Niangniang, the unselected young women leave through the hall doors; it’s not just me, we all see it. As for whether I will be selected, how could I dare to speak presumptuously about it? I wouldn’t dare speculate on the Emperor’s thoughts.”

Feng Yi found her words amusing. Saying “we all see it” was a subtle way of rebuking Consort Shu for stating the obvious.

Speculating on the Emperor’s thoughts was an indirect way of saying that Consort Shu was trying to probe his mind, subtly complaining about her.

Consort Shu was slightly embarrassed and her expression changing multiple times. She snorted, “Your Majesty, this Miss Song has quite the sharp tongue. The sisters[mfn]The women in the harem often refer to each other as “sisters”[/mfn] in the palace are all gentle; I fear they might not be able to handle her.”

Feng Yi chuckled lightly and looked towards the other side, “Consort Zhuang, what do you think?”

Consort Shu felt uneasy hearing the emperor ask Consort Zhuang.

“Your Majesty, I find Miss Song’s temperament quite interesting. I liked her instantly. If she stays, the palace might become livelier.”

Consort Wan, who had remained silent, looked at Consort Shu, noticing her tense expression, and chuckled internally. She then glanced at the seemingly gentle and understanding Consort Zhuang, and finally at Song Yunzhao standing in the hall. This girl showed no trace of fear, which was interesting.

Song Yunzhao listened to their conversation, feeling that things were not going in the right direction. The fan-holding gentleman…no, the current Emperor had no special interest in her outside the palace, so why was he now acting like he did?

In that instant, her mental alarm bells rang, and she suddenly remembered the book’s female lead, who worked tirelessly to clean the harem for the Emperor.

The female lead accepted it without complaint, but she didn’t want that.

Song Yunzhao’s mind raced. What should she do?

They had met several times outside the palace, so there should be some bond. The Emperor couldn’t be so heartless as to push her into the palace vortex.

Feeling anxious, Song Yunzhao looked up at the him.

Feng Yi noticed her glance and immediately looked away, turning to Consort Wan, “Consort Wan, what do you think?”

“Your Majesty, I have no opinion. Do whatever you think is best,” Consort Wan replied slowly, showing deference.

Song Yunzhao’s face tensed. Consort Shu, help me out and reject me!

“Your Majesty, I’ve heard that Miss Song doesn’t get along well with her sisters at home and often has disputes. I’m really concerned about how she will get along with others in the palace if she is selected,” Consort Shu said, smiling but with sharp words.