The next morning, Lei Xing was woken up early before sunrise to prepare to enter the palace. The rest of the family had also gotten up early so they could have a farewell breakfast together, similar to the dinner last night, there was a lot of advice sermons and plenty of lamentation through the meal.
After the meal, her mother and Xiao Ting followed Lei Xing to her room to get her ready, while her brother and father went to get themselves ready to escort her to the palace as well as to attend court.
Lei Xing was currently fed up with the whole process, she was never a morning person. Of course, she could wake up early when it was necessary for work or school, but she barely even ate anything because it was so early and all she wanted to do was crawl back in bed, especially considering she couldn't fall asleep until very late, so she probably only had at most 3 to 4 hours of sleep.
Her head had been aching since she woke up, and the last thing she wanted to do was to interact with people, but she could not be rude to the family, especially considering the words she had promised to the original body's owner last night. Even without that, she understood their sentiments and did not have the heart to turn down their efforts to share this "special" family moment.
{...But do they really have to keep crying like this? It's not like I am about to get executed...well, I hope not...this is so annoying, my head's hurting, and I still have to think of consoling others...}
Lei Xing faced the crying mother and daughter pair, trying to coax them into ending their waterfall of tears.
They had insisted on helping her get ready and had sent the maids away so they could have a family moment. They tearily helped her put on her dress sent over from the palace, it was a light blue simple dress with woven silver vine patterns lining the edges of the dress, Lei Xing admired the intricate simplicity of it and lightly traced the vines at the front.
After she finished dressing up, they sat her down in front of the mirror, and combed her hair, and put up a half bun and put in the silver vined flower ornament comb that came with the robes in the center of the bun, and her mother combed through the other half of her hair, while Xiao Ting sat beside her.
"Xing er', you have to be careful..." Her mother said putting down the comb and sitting at her side, holding her hand, "While in the palace, don't get drawn into fights over the Emperor's affection...whether or not he is a good man, there will definitely be trouble with so many people vying for his love...it's okay if you don't have his affection, being alive and well is more important..." She said, sniffing and smiling sadly at her daughter.
{...Finally, a smart woman...}
Lei Xing enthusiastically nodded her head and smiled, "Mother, I understand."
Madame Lei looked at her daughter's smiling face and burst into tears again, "If I had it my way, you wouldn't..."
"Mother, it's okay...I will be fine, I am not so useless that I cannot look after myself. I know what to do and not do, I know what is worth it and what is not...I will be fine." Lei Xing reassured her mother with a smile.
"Jiejie..." Xiao Ting said meekly and looked at her with tears welling up again.
"It's okay, don't start...I already told you, everything will go as I said." She said while giving Xiao Ting a stern look telling her to stop crying and mouthing towards her that she had already explained that she would be back soon so why waste the tears?
{...It's just a week...}
After a while more of advising and consoling, Ah Jin came in to inform her that the carriage was ready and her father and brother were waiting. Lei Xing, along with her mother and sister, went to the front of the manor to the waiting carriage.
When they got to the carriage, her mother pulled her in for a long hug, then let her go. Then Xiao Ting hugged her too, refusing to let go, until Lei Xing pried her off with a laugh, patted her head and whispered, "I'll be back soon."
Lei Xing got on the carriage, and after she was seated it began to move, her father and brother were riding horses alongside her.
She settled back in the seat and used two fingers to massage her temples, then she looked down at her hand where the ring sar. She then began rubbing the ring, finally feeling anxious about her future. She was the sort to not feel the pressure of a situation until it was right over her head, she may think about how to handle the problem, but she never felt anxious or pressured until it arrived. She has always been like this.
Luckily for her, she copes well under pressure, and panicking was never something she did.
{...What's the point of panicking? it solves nothing, I just have to take things as they come...whatever happens, happens. I got this...most likely...}
Lei Xing took a deep breath and pushed the bubbling anxiety she was feeling aside and settled down to nap, while still caressing the ring. She slept soundly all the way to the palace and was later jerked awake by Ah Jin's voice, "Miss, we have arrived."
Lei Xing woke up and straightened her appearance quickly, and got out of the carriage with help from Ah Jin. The carriage had stopped outside the palace walls, they were so high that Lei Xing could only see the roof of one building which seemed to be in the distance. Lei Xing sighed in her mind.
{...Looks like prison...}
Lei Xing looked around them and found that other carriages had stopped around, with girls dressed exactly like her standing with their relatives and some of them eyeing the other girls, sizing up the competition, Lei Xing sighed again in her mind, quickly losing interest in the scene.
She followed her father and brother to join the line of people entering the palace gates. After they went through, there was a slew of palanquins and servants arranged on one side, there seemed to be about twenty or so of them.
An eunuch approached her father as soon as they went through the doors, then bowed and said, "The miss will be escorted from here."
Her father nodded and turned to her, "Xing'er, make sure to look out for yourself."
Her brother pat her back with a smile and said, "Be confident, you have the skills to succeed."
Lei Xing nodded and smiled, "I will." and then followed the eunuch to the side with Ah Jin trailing behind her, where she was helped into a palanquin and carted off along with the other girls.
Her father and brother watched her palanquin take off for a while and then made their way through the palace to the main hall to attend court.
After about a half-hour ride, Lei Xing was dropped off on the side of the large open space below the main hall, where there were already girls lined up in fours in front of a stern-looking older palace lady.
Lei Xing and the other girls whose palanquins arrived along with hers took their place on the lineup and waited in silence. Ah Jin went to stand far off to the side with the other maids of the concubine candidates.
Lei Xing looked around and could not help but frown at the main hall, more accurately, frown at the stairs leading up to the main hall which the ministers were currently climbing up.
{...Do I have to climb this? There are at least about a hundred or so steps...Okay, maybe that's exaggerating, but still, how do these old men do it?...}
After she was done lamenting over the impending workout, she glanced around her surroundings and admired the grandiose of it all.
{...The main hall must have been the roof I could see from the gates...it's quite grand, still not interested though, might have been if this were just a tour -_-)...}
The main hall stood in the center of three other structures which seemed to be attached on either side of it, the stairs also had five landings, with the top two landings having corridors that seemed to wrap around the structures.
After standing around for about another half hour, the files of ministers finally stopped and it seemed they had all arrived. Then came the announcement that the Emperor and the Empress dowager had arrived, and the palace lady at the front instructed all of them to kneel.
Lei Xing was a bit annoyed, but she still had to comply for her life's sake, she knelt with the others and begrudgingly graciously bowed.
{...Could you please walk fast?...this is concrete, you know -_-)...}
The Emperor and the Empress dowager slowly swished by and started their ascent up the stairs. Leaving them bowing without even acknowledging their presence.
{...Can I get up now?...}
Lei Xing slyly looked to the side and saw that everyone, the guards, eunuchs, maids, and the candidates were all still kneeling and the Emperor and Empress dowager were slowly making their way up the stairs. Lei Xing could only follow the herd and remain bowing.
Finally, after the Emperor and the Empress dowager entered the main hall, the palace lady finally told them they could get up and they all did and resumed their silence standing, Lei Xing covertly looked around her and could see the flushed and nervous faces of the girls around her.
{...Should I be nervous too?...}
After waiting around for another 15 minutes, the order was finally given for the candidates to come in, and they all filed forward neatly and climbed those stairs.
Lei Xing looked at the girls on her line as they climbed, they didn't seem to be fazed at all, but looking closely, she could see their labored breathing, it seems they were trying hard to maintain their composure.
Lei Xing felt a bit better knowing she wasn't the only one who was dreading this early morning workout, but by the time they made it to the top, she actually thought it wasn't too bad, it just looked daunting, the landings eased the difficulty a lot.
When they got to the doors, they were told to wait again and then they heard the Empress dowager speak, "As we had agreed, the concubine selection this time would be done by an anonymous candidacy process that would entirely be based on the showcase of skills by your daughters themselves. The emperor and I will make the final decisions and choose the concubines accordingly."
The Empress dowager scanned the crowd of ministers below her as she said this, their expressions ranged from happy to upset, and then a few who seemed indifferent. She scoffed.
{...It seems they are still upset with the process...serves them right, this is my palace now...}
The ministers indeed had mixed feelings regarding this process, normally their daughters would not have to go through any competitions to prove themselves worthy, their family backgrounds already made them worthy.
When the Empress dowager first made her decree about this so-called "virtuous" selection process, they had vehemently protested it. Of course, it was the high ranking ministers who were vehemently protesting, while the lower-ranking ministers just went along so as not to lose powerful allies or gain enemies but were secretly rejoicing in their hearts as this meant their daughters would have a chance to be chosen.
When the ministers brought their case to the Emperor saying the Empress dowager's plan was going against tradition and upsetting the ancestors.
The Emperor turned a deaf ear and eventually, after they kept pressing the issue, angrily scolded them and said that, "...Since you don't have confidence in the skills of your daughters, then that means they do not qualify to enter the palace in the first place. Since that is the case, do not bother sending them here!" and then he stormed out of the hall.
Since the Emperor was going along with it, the ministers could only bow their heads and follow along with the Empress dowager's plans.
But they still felt somewhat aggrieved in their hearts and could not help but think that this seemed to be a clear affront against them from the Empress dowager. It seemed she held a grudge against them for being locked in the cold palace all these years, does this mean she will make things difficult going forward?
"Send in the candidates." The Empress dowager finally ordered.
The palace lady moved to the side, bowed her head, and motioned for the girls to file into the hall.
The girls entered neatly and orderly. As they entered, Lei Xing was astonished at the architecture of the hall, the hall was huge, and several massive pillars seemed to be holding up the structure on the sides, with a golden dragon and phoenix snaking the length of the pillars, the ceiling was also golden and had several drawings on it.
Lei Xing could not distinguish what they were from the glimpse she got as she was careful not to stand out from the others unnecessarily.
{...Is that carved out of real gold? No way...also how was this much detailed work possible? It must have taken forever to build this place?...}
The girls filed into the center of the ministers and stopped short of the steps leading to the Emperor's throne on which the Emperor and Empress dowager were seated.
Then they all kowtowed down and repeated their "rehearsed" greeting, "This servant greets the emperor and empress dowager." Lei Xing quietly mouthed along nonsense.
"Hm, you may rise." The Empress dowager said. The girls stood up and stood with their hands in front of them and their heads slightly bowed.
The Empress dowager observed them and nodded, "Very good. As you have been told, the selection will be based on your skills. The selection will last for seven days, and on the seventh day, there will be a banquet to honor your efforts, and the results will be presented then. For the duration of the selection, you will all stay in the palace. Be sure to obey the rules set out in the palace and be sure to present your best."
"Yes." The girls all repeated, Lei Xing mouthed along as she glimpsed at the throne above and saw that the Emperor seemed disinterested. He was looking off into the distance, way above their heads.
{...Great, at least he doesn't appear to be a womanizer...}
The Empress dowager motioned and a servant came down from the landing before the one the throne was on and stood in front of the first girl, holding out a bowl.
"Pick one." The Empress dowager ordered. The girl picked one, and the servant moved through the file, each girl picking one. Lei Xing looked at the little wooden tab in her hand and saw the word, Yin.
****("Yin" means Silver)***
"The word written on the wooden tab is your identity for the period of the selection, as you know, the process will be completely anonymous, so who you are does not matter. Your identity for the next seven days will be that which is on the plaque. If you are seen disclosing or discussing your identities with anyone, then you will be automatically disqualified. The maids you brought with you will be sent home, and you will be assigned maids for the duration of the selection. Of course, if you are selected, you can bring in your maid to join you later. You will be provided with clothing and everything you need by the palace. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I thank the Emperor and Empress dowager for your grace." The girls repeated and Lei Xing mouthed along with them again.
{...How do they know what to say? Is there a script or cue cards somewhere?...}
"The selection will involve four tests; embroidery, music, art and literary skills." The Empress dowager explained.
Lei Xing's ears perked up.
{...Four? Art?....*sigh*, Xiao Ting...Oh well, it's not like I was going to practice or anything...}
"I am sure you have all trained, and so without further ado, the selection will commence with the first test on embroidery. Lead them out."
{...Already?⚆ _ ⚆) ...}
The palace lady from before showed up again at the front and bowed to the Empress dowager and motioned for the girls to turn and leave. They all curtsied and then turned and filed out from the back.
When they got outside, they saw from the top of the stairs that there were several tables set out with embroidery materials below in the empty space at the bottom of the stairs. As they got to the bottom of the stairs, they were asked to proceed to a seat down at an embroidery station, which a piece of cloth was drawn on each side firmly, and the stool had a plush pillow for their comfort, there was also a maid beside each station to draw the threads and aid the candidates.
{...They sure act fast...}
After they had all taken a seat, the palace lady then said, "You have three hours to complete your embroidery piece. Begin!"
All the girls picked up a threaded needle and began their work except Lei Xing, who looked down at the white piece of fabric with an eyebrow raised.
{...So here we are, hahaha...what am I supposed to do? ...embroider a flower? That would be the greatest joke...how about an animal? I don't think so...}