Flowery Hair: A Maidservant

Chapter 556 The Imperial Concubine Selection and the Marriage of Winter Melon

Half a month after the controversy over the selection of the empress, the March selection of imperial concubines arrived in the blink of an eye.

Consort Shun put a lot of thought into this election, aiming to both showcase the grandeur of the imperial family and avoid excessive extravagance that might provoke controversy.

Fortunately, with the assistance of the Imperial Attendant Min Rong, and the presence of several elderly nannies sent by Empress Dowager Jiang, along with the diligent efforts of the female officials of the Shanggong Bureau who were instructed by Meng Shu, all matters were arranged in an orderly manner.

Before dawn that day, the candidates for the imperial concubines waited outside the palace gates.

More than a hundred eligible women, dressed in uniform light blue palace attire, stood silently in the morning mist.

Inside the Linde Hall, brocade curtains hung to the ground, and golden bricks reflected the palace lanterns. Even the bronze crane incense burner under the corridor was polished to a gleaming shine. After layers of selection, seven people were finally able to remain within the palace walls.

Among them, the most outstanding was Lin Wanqing, the second daughter of the newly appointed Minister of Rites, Lin Nianzhi. Her elegant and refined temperament was accentuated by her moon-white dress.

Secondly, there is Zhao Rulan, the niece of the General of Fuyuan's family, whose brows naturally exude the heroic spirit of a daughter of a military family.

The other five also came from prominent families of officials, each with their own unique charm.

Meng Shu and Consort Chun sat on either side of the steps, quietly watching the newlyweds step forward to express their gratitude.

The sunlight just grazed Lin Wanqing's lowered neck, casting a soft halo on her fair skin.

Meng Shu picked up her teacup and took a sip. In the fragrant tea, she suddenly felt that the young lady in front of her reminded her of Huan Yun when she first met her at Chunfeng Tower in Lin'an. Both were aloof and distant, yet subtly revealed signs of refinement.

Meng Shu's gaze shifted subtly between the throne and Lin Wanqing. From the Emperor's slightly appreciative look, she vaguely guessed that this young lady... most likely bore a resemblance to the late Qing Zhitong.

As expected, in the final imperial edict, Lin Wanqing was directly appointed as a sixth-rank lady-in-waiting, the highest-ranking among this group of young ladies-in-waiting.

The other six, including Zhao Rulan who came from a military family, were all granted the title of Baolin, a seventh-rank official.

After the general election, according to the rules, these seven newly selected ladies-in-waiting still need to learn the rules for two months before they can officially enter the palace to serve in May.

Although she had some suspicions, Meng Shu didn't actually take Lin Wanqing too seriously.

As she had previously told Green Willow, times have changed.

Having navigated the palace for years and weathered several ups and downs, she had long since established a solid foundation for herself. Now, with the power to assist in managing the six palaces and working hand in hand with Consort Chun, this kind of foundation was not something that a few newcomers to the palace could easily shake.

With the past few days peaceful, Meng Shu had some free time and began to plan the future of her close palace maids.

Unlike Green Willow, Winter Melon will turn twenty next year. She has always longed for the ordinary life of a married couple. She and Jian Zhi are quite compatible, and leaving the palace to marry is the best outcome for her. Moreover, Jian Zhi is kind and gentle, and he would never wrong her.

As for the dowry, Meng Shu had secretly instructed Lvliu to begin preparations several months ago, waiting for a suitable opportunity to summon Jianzhi to the palace and formally arrange the marriage.

Xia'er and Chun'er are still young, so there's no rush.

However, Meng Shu had promised Xia'er that she would release the two sisters from the palace once they turned twenty-five. If they needed protection, they could be assigned to work in properties under the Lin'an Marquis's name, so they would at least have someone to look after them.

Only the green willows—

"Your Majesty, how can you send all your people away? Putting aside the ever-changing situation in the palace, even if you just want to have a few private words with someone, you need someone who knows you well. This servant will not go anywhere, I will stay by Your Majesty's side."

Seeing the reluctance on Meng Shu's face, she bit her lip lightly and then whispered after a while, "When Donggua leaves the palace, she will eventually marry the familiar Imperial Physician Jian. Besides, she will be in the capital from now on, and we can see her whenever we want by sending a letter. But this servant... will have nowhere to go after leaving the palace."

She had always admired Aunt Rongxiu. Having served Empress Dowager Zhou her entire life, she enjoyed both dignity and honor, even commanding respect from the concubines of the harem. This kind of life suited her better than leaving the palace to marry.

Looking at her tearful yet stubborn expression, Meng Shu recalled Green Willow's unwavering companionship over the years, and the softest part of her heart was gently touched. "Although I first met Winter Melon, you were the first person I met after entering the Tang family. Since your mind is made up, how can I not grant your wish?"

......

Before the new bride entered the palace in May, Meng Shu summoned Jian Zhi.

On this day, Jian Zhi carried his medical kit into Lingcui Palace, and Meng Shu specially chose to meet him in the front hall.

"I invited Physician Jian here today for a private matter."

Meng Shu gestured for him to stand up, her tone gentle, "I have seen Donggua's affection for Physician Jian. If you are willing, I am willing to make the decision for you."

Upon hearing this, Jian Zhi's ears turned slightly red, and he immediately bowed solemnly: "Your Majesty, I would be honored. It is my and Donggua's good fortune to have Your Majesty's blessing."

Meng Shu smiled slightly and gestured to Green Willow to bring out the dowry list that had been prepared in advance: "In that case, I will choose an auspicious day for you to settle the marriage. Although Donggua is not my biological sister, she is more like family to me. I hope you will treat her well in the future."

Jian Zhi immediately knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty's kindness is deeply appreciated by this humble subject."

His ears turned slightly red when he looked up. "I have already purchased a three-courtyard house in the south of the city. Although it is not spacious, it is quiet. I want to marry Donggua in a grand manner and I would never dare to mistreat her in the slightest."

Upon hearing this, Meng Shu and Lü Liu exchanged a glance and smiled with relief. Jian Zhi was indeed a responsible person.

At this moment, Donggua emerged from behind the screen, her face flushed, her fingers twisting her sash. "Are you willing to wait for me for two years? Although there's nothing major happening right now, I want to spend some more time with Your Majesty."

Jian Zhi looked at her gently, about to agree, when Meng Shu interrupted with a smile: "Silly girl, there will be an auspicious day in the second half of the year, why wait another two years?" She turned to Jian Zhi, "Imperial Physician Jian is already five or six years older than Donggua, there's really no need to wait any longer. How about we set the wedding for September?"

Upon hearing this, Jian Zhi respectfully performed a deep bow: "I will leave it all to Your Majesty."

Donggua's eyes reddened slightly. She was about to say something more when Green Willow gently tugged at her sleeve and shook her head. It wasn't easy for these palace maids to find a happy ending, and Green Willow understood that Her Highness didn't want to delay Donggua's prime years.

Because Donggua was a sixth-rank official in charge of food service, she was a proper female official, and her marriage was governed by regulations.

With the wedding set for September, there are only four months left for preparations. The Shanggong Bureau needs to verify the names of palace servants and distribute stipends, while the Shangshi Bureau also needs to handle the handover of duties and other related matters.

Consort Chun had naturally learned of this marriage from Meng Shu long ago, and she was happy to facilitate it. Half of Donggua's dowry was a gift from Consort Chun.

Meng Shu originally thought this was just a minor matter, but she never expected it to alarm the Empress Dowager.

Empress Dowager Jiang summoned Meng Shu and specially asked her to bring Dong Gua along. In addition to giving her two bolts of tribute satin and a set of red gold headdress as a reward, she also gave Dong Gua a Cining Palace waist token, which would allow her to enter the palace to pay homage at any time in the future.

Donggua was both surprised and delighted, and left Cining Palace with profuse thanks. Just as she and Meng Shu returned to Lingcui Palace, Jingming also came over with the Emperor's rewards, followed by two obsequious palace maids.

"When His Majesty heard that the head of the Imperial Kitchen was about to get married, he specially ordered me to select two capable assistants."

Jingming smiled and said, "These rewards are for the head chef. These two cooks will first learn the rules from the head chef, and then they will work in the small kitchen."