favored by the emperor, no longer valued by him, and even seen as a threat...Then, what would it be likeCould her beloved home be destroyed in an instantBeloved family members will be beheadedIs every...In the palace, all candles had been extinguished at this hour. Both masters and maidservants had gone to rest.

In the back hall of the imperial study, the Emperor had changed into his nightclothes but hadn't gone to sleep. He paced slowly on the ground.

"Your Majesty, you should rest early. Tomorrow is the day for the prince to choose his bride, and you'll have to put in more effort then."

Yi Zongguan bowed and served carefully, gently persuading him.

The Emperor, however, waved his hand and brought up another matter.

"You've been by my side for thirty years, haven't you"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Back then, I was just a young eunuch, so weak that I was often bullied. It was your kindness, Your Majesty, who brought me by your side to serve you. Only then was I able to survive."

Yi Zongguan didn't know why the Emperor had brought this up, so he could only pick out flattering things to say.

The Emperor sighed and replied, “Back then, don’t even mention you, a mere servant. Even I, as a prince, lived in constant fear. Fortunately, I had my cousin by my side. Although it was difficult, we gradually got better.”

Yi Zongtang's eyes flashed, and he said with a smile, "This old servant remembers, on the day you ascended the throne, Lord Hou was holding you and crying. That was the first time this old servant saw Lord Hou shed tears. Usually, he always had a cold face and protected you by his side."

"Yeah, my cousin isn't much older than me either. But to protect me, he always puts on a cold face. This way, others will be more cautious."

Later, when I ascended the throne, I was suppressed by the Empress Dowager. My cousin took control of the Imperial Guard, and in countless life-and-death struggles, he helped me greatly. Finally, I managed to achieve equal status with the Empress Dowager...

"Later on, I had children of my own, while my cousin remained a bachelor. Luckily, he adopted Funiu as his foster daughter, otherwise, he would never have known the feeling of being a parent…"

The Emperor, seldom opening his mouth to speak, surprisingly ordered wine and dishes, drinking and eating by himself.

Yi Zongtang accompanied him, playing the role of a supporting comedian.

Occasionally nod in agreement and let out a couple of sighs.

Until midnight, the Emperor had drunk himself half-intoxicated before putting down his wine pot.

Sometimes, I yearn for my childhood, even though it was hard. It was simpler then. There were no difficult choices to make, no dilemmas...

"With that, he waved his hand. "Go and rest, I'm going to sleep too."

Manager Yi quickly bowed and then retreated, carefully closing the door behind him.

The crescent moon hung high in the sky, solitary and seeming to mock the dirtiness of humanity, the selfishness and hypocrisy of mankind...

Compared to the selection of a crown prince, today's selection of a consort was even more lively.

Although there were only over a hundred maidens competing, the friends and family seeing them off, along with the maidservants attending to them, totaled over a thousand people. They crowded around the palace gate, making it impossible to pass through.

When there are many women, there is bound to be a lot of talking. And when there is a lot of talking, there is bound to be quarreling.

Occasionally, some of the female candidates' parents or siblings would come along, and after being overwhelmed by the noise, they practically fled the "battlefield" like their lives depended on it.

Fortunately, just as the sky began to brighten, the palace gates opened.

The front which was just bustling with activity moments ago suddenly fell silent.

The maidens, each elegantly dressed, moved gracefully and without hesitation, showcasing their dignified and gentle beauty. Then, they lined up and entered the palace.

The Empress Dowager made a grave mistake and has already returned to the underworld.

The Consort was counting ants in the cold palace.

Although the Empress was "alive", she had actually died.

The vast palace now lacks even a mistress.

So, after the officials from the Ministry of Rites had pulled out most of their hair, they came up with an idea to show off their talents.

The main stage was still located at Yu Garden. The Emperor and the Crown Prince were in the Shuige pavilion not far away, while the Third Princess was invited to host the guests.

Each young lady was still a bit worried, after all, the Third Princess wasn't easy to get along with. She never considered others' feelings when she spoke or acted.

But then she thought, they aren't here to attend a banquet as guests, they are here to be chosen as wives.

From now on, no one can claim to be the third princess's sister-in-law!

Even the Third Princess, in all her glory, was soon to be married.

A married daughter, no matter how arrogant, wouldn't dare to make things difficult for her in-laws, after all, she will still rely on her family for support in the future!

Thus thinking, the young ladies all became confident and restored their air of aristocratic elegance.

But they were destined to be disappointed once again.

The third princess, bereft of her mother, observed filial piety for several days, but her heart was filled with resentment.

With flowers swaying and glistening in the sunlight, how could they possibly give them a good face!

Thus, the many talent lists submitted by the young ladies were held in her hand, and with a casual remark, their original contents were completely transformed.

Proficient in playing the piano, he switched to dancing.

Someone who is good at dancing, should try painting instead.

Skilled in painting, now they excel in embroidery.

In the end, no one will get what they want, so let's all show our unknown sides.

All the young ladies were dumbfounded, unable to understand if they had not checked their auspiciousness before leaving home today.

Some were clever and kept silent, observing the situation.

Those with a temper have already reddened their eyes.

Of course, there are also those who are bold and outspoken, openly opposing it.

"Your Highness, I'm not good at playing the piano. I want to dance instead. I specially sewed a dancing dress and practiced for a long time. You can't just change it!"

Princess Third, however, was completely unfazed. She leisurely ate fruit while replying, "Since you've come to choose a wife, shouldn't you be fully prepared You excel at dancing, so this princess must see you dance"

Besides, hasn't your nanny taught you anything When dealing with people, lasting relationships are built on inner character, not superficial appearances. Who knows if your dancing is truly wonderful or if you harbor a cruel and selfish heart beneath the surface

"What if Prince Brother is attracted by your dancing and takes you as his wife, only to find out that you can't even write or sew What then"

"You..." The noblewoman gritted her teeth in anger, wanting to say something but not daring to.

After all, if I keep talking, she'll just come across as a scheming woman trying to hide her flaws.

The "early bird" ran into a wall, so the rest naturally wouldn't be foolish enough to follow suit and find themselves in an awkward situation.

For a time, everyone accepted the reality of the temporary rule change.

The first young lady to appear drew two ducks, calling them mandarin ducks frolicking in the water.

The second noblewoman to appear, she pulled a muscle while dancing!

The third noblewoman to appear had her finger pricked by a needle, only then did she manage to embroider a single red leaf...

The Third Princess found great amusement in the situation. She ate and drank while watching everyone make fools of themselves, occasionally clapping and laughing out loud.

The ladies were still hoping that the emperor or the crown prince would intervene from across the water pavilion, and do something about the third princess for them.

As a result, no orders ever came out of the Shui Ge.

Gradually, they also became numb.

Just be embarrassed, it's not like you're alone.

If everyone loses face, then it's not called losing face!

When one girl dancing kicked off her shoe, and the shoe happened to be embedded in another girl's hairdo, Princess Three almost clapped the table, laughing so hard she was about to roll on the floor.

And finally, there was some movement in the Shuige opposite.

The prince coughed, the tea water spraying out of his nose tasted terrible.

But he still couldn't stop smiling!

The Emperor also pulled his sleeves up to cover his face, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Yi Zongguan was busy handing the prince tissues and wiping the table, he whispered, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, don't you really want to stop the princess"

Two updates today~~men in the front yard finally dispersed.Li Zhensheng and Li Lao'er were so happy they both drank themselves into a stupor and couldn't even see the guests off.Fortunately, even though today was a big...