In the Imperial Garden, amidst blooming flowers, four beauties appeared with their own thoughts, smiling as they greeted Consort Hui.
Consort Hui praised each of them for their beauty, then, as instructed by the Emperor, found reasons for them to showcase their talents. The four women understood; their families had guessed correctly. This flower-viewing banquet was indeed hosted by Consort Hui specifically to select a secondary consort for Prince Yong.
This was too much.
Just a secondary consort, and Prince Yong was not going to ascend the throne. With their family backgrounds, looks, character, and reputation, why should they be treated like cabbages in a garden, to be picked and chosen at will?
And display talents? How had they not known before that Consort Hui was so presumptuous?
However, Consort Hui had remained steadfast in the palace for decades, and Prince Yong was an object of desire for many families. Thinking of their families' earnest instructions, to not offend even if they couldn't agree, the four, despite their inner dissatisfaction, still gracefully and obediently accepted.
Even Zhao Siyue, the most temperamental among the four, played a piece called "High Mountains and Flowing Water" with good grace.
But none of them wanted to be chosen by Consort Hui, so the talent show was far below their usual standard. Cai Ping, Consort Hui's head maid, frowned as she listened, but Consort Hui acted as if she hadn't noticed, praising their extraordinary talents one by one and even bestowing rewards.
Just as the four thought the banquet was about to end, a sharp eunuch announced, "The Emperor has arrived."
Consort Hui secretly wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. Her part was finally over. She then led everyone to kneel and pay their respects. Emperor Changwu did not come alone. Beside him were Crown Prince Situ Yan and the Third Prince Situ Feng, as well as Gu Yanchen, the Grand Master of the Court of Judicial Review.
After Emperor Changwu bade them to rise, the three paid their respects to Consort Hui. Consort Hui's smiling face froze for a long moment upon seeing Gu Yanchen. It wasn't until Emperor Changwu coughed that she came to her senses. "Oh, whose young man is this? He is so handsome, he almost blinded this empress."
Zhao Siyue secretly regretted it. She wondered how much of her perfunctory performance Gu Yanchen had heard. If she had known he was here, she would have put in twelve percent more effort.
Why play "High Mountains and Flowing Water"? Wouldn't "A Phoenix Seeks its Mate" be more fitting for her intentions?
Emperor Changwu laughed heartily. "Your Noble Consort has excellent judgment. This is the newly appointed Grand Master of the Court of Judicial Review, Gu Yanchen. He is the one who rallied the troops in Jiangnan."
Consort Hui gave him a thumbs-up. "That is truly a remarkable talent."
"Indeed. What is Consort Hui doing here?"
"The palace is filled with familiar faces, which is rather dull. Since the flowers in this garden have bloomed, I've invited a few young ladies to brighten my eyes. These four are famous beauties of the capital. Does Your Majesty recognize them?"
Emperor Changwu, having chosen them himself, knew them all. He then recounted their family backgrounds and names one by one. Turning to Gu Yanchen, he said, "Esteemed Minister Gu, it is said that heroes love beauties. What do you think of these four young ladies?"
What did these young ladies have to do with him? Gu Yanchen was bewildered and could only vaguely reply, "Whatever pleases Your Majesty."
The faces of the four women turned green upon hearing this.
They indeed did not want to be secondary consorts to Prince Yong, but they wanted even less to marry the Emperor, who was old enough to be their grandfather.
Emperor Changwu felt quite snubbed but couldn't explicitly state that he was helping him find a wife. Fortunately, Consort Hui was quick-witted. "Your Majesty, I haven't asked you yet. What brings you to the Imperial Garden today? Are you perhaps here to test the studies of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince, asking them to compose a poem about the flowers in the garden?"
"I do not enjoy such flowery language. The weather is fine today, and I plan to test their archery and horsemanship. Does Consort Hui wish to join?"
As if! Little Seven can't even write the characters on a memorial correctly. How could he expect him to compose a poem himself?
Consort Hui smiled sincerely. "How could this consort refuse Your Majesty's invitation? As it happens, the four young ladies are here, so we have judges."
"Consort Hui's arrangement is most pleasing to me."
With a few words, they had arranged everyone clearly. Thus, regardless of whether they were willing or not, they were all herded to the training grounds.
The news quickly spread through the harem. The Empress pondered for a moment, her lips slowly curving into a smile. "After so many years, the Emperor has finally remembered to actively help Yan'er find support."
"Indeed. It's a pity that the Third Prince's in-laws are so poor. These noble ladies are unlikely to be betrothed to him as secondary consorts," said Nanny Zhen, the Empress's most trusted confidante, with a hint of regret. Noble Consort Ying and the Third Prince were very obedient. The more their influence grew, the more it would aid the Crown Prince.
The Empress, however, was unconcerned. "This is for the best. Otherwise, if their power grew too great, they might be tempted to forge their own path."
"How could that be? The Third Prince has no foundation at all, so he can only depend on the Crown Prince."
"In imperial matters, one can never be sure until the very end. Nanny Zhen, instead of sighing about this, perhaps you could help me assess which of these four young ladies is most compatible with Yan'er."