Imperial Grandson Daughter-in-Law Position Recruitment Notice
Gender: Female
Age: 13 to 16 years old
Education Requirements: Proficient in reading “Biographies of Exemplary Women,” “Four Books for Women,” and other books on feminine virtue; familiar with “Four Books” and other Confucian classics.
Family Background: Commoner class and above, with clean family history.
Appearance Requirements: Average and above. Slender yet proportioned figure – thin when clothed, shapely when undressed.
Health Status: Excellent and above, preferably capable of bearing sons.
Selection Process:
First Examination Location: Regional princely mansions – four interviews and one written examination.
Note: Selected maidens who pass the first examination must undergo full-body naked physical examination at the Imperial City Nanny Bureau before entering palace re-selection. Those refusing examination should automatically withdraw.
Re-selection Training Location: Chuxiu Palace in the Western Six Palaces of the Forbidden City, duration one month, learning palace etiquette and various imperial family regulations including “Imperial Ming Ancestral Instructions.”
Note: During training, candidates live collectively with meals and lodging provided, including bedding, jewelry, clothing, and shoes. Five people per room. Personal items prohibited, no maids allowed to serve in palace, no unauthorized departure, no contact with outside world.
Imperial Grandson Daughter-in-Law (Principal Consort) Position Description:
Positions Available: Nine
Work Responsibilities:
Show filial piety to in-laws (prince and princess)
Cooperate with mother-in-law (princess) in princely mansion’s administrative, personnel, and diplomatic work
Raise heir’s legitimate and illegitimate children, caring for their physical, intellectual, and moral development – preferably excelling in both academics and athletics
Bear sons, cultivate mansion heirs. If unable to bear children personally, must excellently train illegitimate sons as future heirs, ensuring princely mansion bloodline continues forever
Work Requirements:
Strong sense of responsibility with powerful stress resistance and communication abilities
Broad-minded, able to tolerate others, accept existence of side consorts and concubines, peacefully coexist with them, serve one husband together with team cooperation for mansion’s procreation
Value children’s education. Given heir profession’s high risk, must have awareness and psychological preparation for single-parent education
Restrain natal family, cannot indulge family in borrowing mansion’s power to intimidate others or exploit common people
Imperial Grandson Daughter-in-Law (Side Consort) Position Description:
Positions Available: Eighteen
Work Responsibilities:
Serve heir and principal consort
Bear children for princely mansion’s procreation
Work Requirements:
Respect principal consort, harbor no jealousy, work diligently without complaint
Bear sons. However, children’s education rights and ownership belong to principal consort and heir – no overstepping authority
Therefore, although all were selected through the same process, and princely mansion preliminary selections used identical standards, the final requirements for principal consorts and side consorts still had obvious differences, especially regarding personality. Principal consorts needed strength while side consorts required gentler dispositions – otherwise, neither would have good lives.
Hu Shanwei was only responsible for the imperial selection. Afterward, she would end her career as a palace female civil servant and retreat to countryside life with Mu Chun. Whether the grandsons’ “one-husband-three-wives” small families lived well or smoothly was actually unrelated to her.
However, Hu Shanwei was kind-hearted. She didn’t want her poor judgment of character to result in “Manager Hu’s random matchmaking,” creating pairs of resentful couples like Mu Chun’s parents – not only suffering their entire lives but also implicating innocent future generations.
The more Hu Shanwei loved Mu Chun, the more she worried about random matchmaking and becoming the originator of tragic marriages.
Standing guard for the last shift, Hu Shanwei was particularly attentive to the imperial selection.
The saying goes “you can know a person’s face but not their heart” – understanding people was truly difficult. Besides asking female officials who had traveled to princely mansions about the selected maidens’ general situations and first impressions, Hu Shanwei also secretly ordered Court Bureau of Rites female officials to carefully observe during the maidens’ month-long training period. They established records for each selected maiden, recording daily training situations and writing preliminary evaluations of their characters and virtues.
After a month like this, each selected maiden had a detailed introduction about as thick as a palm. Though Hu Shanwei had never spoken a word to these 250 selected maidens, she seemed to know each person.
After the month-long training, the 250 selected maidens began examinations, starting with written tests. Hu Shanwei was responsible for questions about feminine virtue from “Four Books for Women” and “Biographies of Exemplary Women.”
Shen Qionglian handled questions on Confucian classics like the Four Books.
Fan Gongzheng was responsible for questions about imperial family daughter-in-law self-cultivation and imperial family rules from “Zhao Song Virtuous Consorts’ Training Records” and “Imperial Ming Ancestral Instructions.” The three each handled their respective areas.
Hu Shanwei drafted several questions but found them all inappropriate, so she simply copied the female official examination questions from fifteen years ago when she entered the palace:
The test was on “Female Analects” Chapter Twelve, “Maintaining Chastity”:
“Since ancient times, virtuous women have included nine martyrs and three chaste ones. Their names mark the historical records, passed down to today. When a woman remains at home, she shouldn’t leave the quiet courtyard. When guests are at the door, she shouldn’t reveal her voice. Don’t engage in private conversation or listen to lewd sounds… One mistake ruins a hundred good deeds. When husband and wife marry, their bond is worth a thousand gold pieces. If misfortune strikes and one dies midway, three years of heavy mourning should maintain steadfast resolve…”
Years ago, facing this essay question, Hu Shanwei fundamentally disagreed with “one mistake ruins a hundred good deeds,” thinking – men who reform are worth their weight in gold, but women who make mistakes can’t have a second chance? She internally resisted this question, her reasoning repeatedly interrupted, ultimately not finishing before submitting her paper. She ranked low – among the 40 female officials hired, she ranked 37th, fourth from last.
But Shen Qionglian, that examination’s top scorer, took a different approach, opening with “How extreme was Qin’s lack of moral way! Must chastity necessarily be maintained?” She overturned the concept of maintaining chastity, directly stating chastity need not be maintained – a shocking beginning.
She meant the Qin state was tyrannical and the world lacked moral order, so chastity need not be maintained. Then she gave examples, her writing taking a turn:
“The Yuan lacked moral way, so people’s hearts separated and rebelled, armies rose throughout the land. Our emperor, originally a commoner from Huaizuo, responded to the great chaos, was supported by the masses, saved the people from suffering, allowing all to find their proper place…”
She said the Yuan Dynasty lost people’s hearts, so heroes throughout the land rose up without needing to “maintain chastity.” Emperor Hongwu, this Fengyang commoner, had popular support, became a leader, and saved all people from fire and water.
Same question, different approaches – the distinction was immediately clear. Hu Shanwei was completely convinced and still couldn’t forget it. Often questions had no right or wrong answers – they were just used to test candidates’ talents. No matter how unreasonable the question, someone would always demonstrate extraordinary talent.
Shen Qionglian had just finished drafting Four Books questions and came to see Hu Shanwei’s side, immediately laughing aloud. “You’re quite clever, using fifteen-year-old questions. Coincidentally, the Four Books section of female official examination questions fifteen years ago also copied from the previous imperial examination.”
“Ah?” This was the first time Hu Shanwei knew this. “No wonder I found the questions somewhat difficult with too little time. They were capital imperial examination questions! Imperial examinations lasted three days – examinees had three days to answer and polish their responses. We had to finish in one day plus additional tests on “Female Analects” and other topics. I remember many people didn’t finish or had mental breakdowns, crying on the spot.”
Regarding the most important examination of her life, Hu Shanwei’s memory was vivid. The “Spring and Autumn Annals” questions were “Qi people attacked the Shanrong” and “The duke met with the Jin marquis and Wu prince at Huangchi.” Each question required essays of over 300 characters.
Shen Qionglian said casually, “I finished in half a day anyway.”
Throughout history, practice materials like “Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulation Tests” were essential medicine for test preparation.
Preliminary selections first interviewed, then tested. Capital re-selection did the opposite – first testing, then interviewing.
If written tests failed, especially palace regulations where not a single question could be wrong, candidates were directly eliminated – just like fifteen years ago when Hu Shanwei and 39 other female officials entered the palace, first going to the Palace Justice Department to study palace regulations. Fan Gongzheng had announced this inflexible rule then, and many female officials, including Hu Shanwei, found it harsh.
But now, after experiencing fifteen years of palace storms, Hu Shanwei agreed with Fan Gongzheng’s seemingly harsh rule: those who couldn’t pass palace regulations tests were basically coming to die as imperial family daughters-in-law.
Those who could participate in re-testing were already outstanding among selected maidens. Even without becoming imperial family daughters-in-law, they could have wonderful lives. Why waste their youth in the imperial family?
The imperial family wasn’t just endless glory – it was also a battlefield.
Spring wind blew war drums, and 250 selected maidens marched toward examinations, beginning written tests.
Hu Shanwei followed the same pattern – feminine virtue, Four Books, and palace regulations, all completed within one day. This was another major challenge of physical strength and stress resistance. Those who passed this level had basic survival abilities in the imperial family.
After a day of examinations, when selected maidens emerged from the testing hall, some cried on the spot, others appeared calm, and some suffered dual physical and mental collapse, fainting from dizziness. Hu Shanwei had anticipated this and stationed female physicians from the Imperial Kitchen Bureau outside for assistance.
Shen Qionglian, Jiang Quan, and others sighed nearby: “Seeing them is like seeing our former selves. Time passes too quickly – fifteen years seem like yesterday.”
Hu Shanwei was also deeply moved. Seeing Jiang Quan reminded her of her reason for entering the palace, so she asked, “Princess Nankang is fifteen this year. How goes the prince consort selection?”
Princess Nankang was Jiang Quan’s own granddaughter. Her birth mother died in difficult childbirth, and her brother Prince Chu Zhu Zhen loved his sister but had to go to his princedom in Wuchang early. She was raised rotating through four consorts’ palaces – Li Xianfei, Chengmu Guifei, Li Shufei, and Duanjing Guifei. It wasn’t easy, but fortunately Jiang Quan, her maternal grandmother, protected and cherished her, allowing Princess Nankang to grow up healthy and happy.
These fifteen years, Jiang Quan had to serve as both female official and Princess Nankang’s protector, aging fastest among the female officials – not because she neglected self-care, but because she had falsified her age to enter palace service, reducing her age by five years. Her real age now was sixty.
Jiang Quan’s temples were completely white, her skin loose, showing obvious signs of aging, though her spirit remained good. She said, “The Ministry of Rites and Imperial Clan Court have several candidates. Currently most likely is Hu Guan, youngest son of former Marquis Dongchuan Hu Hai.”
Marquis Dongchuan Hu Hai died early. The second-generation Dongchuan Marquis died in the Lan Yu case implicated execution, title removed. Only Hu Guan remained of the Hu family.
Hearing this, Hu Shanwei was confused. “The Lan Yu case implicated many – the second-generation Dongchuan Marquis died quite unjustly. But the Hu family recovered so quickly, actually becoming a hot candidate for princess marriage? What is His Majesty planning?”
Jiang Quan only cared about Princess Nankang and didn’t concern herself with politics. “I don’t know either, but without His Majesty’s authorization, Hu Guan wouldn’t even qualify to appear on the candidate list. In this capital’s official circles, you sing and I take the stage – floating up and down, rising and falling. Who can say clearly?”
Jiang Quan made sense. Hu Shanwei thought about the Hu family matters, recalling the past: “The first Dongchuan Marquis previously had an eldest legitimate son named Hu Bin, enfeoffed as Dongchuan Marquis heir. He was once selected as a candidate for Princess Huaiqing’s prince consort. Originally also a popular choice, but during polo competition, current Princess Huaiqing’s prince consort Earl Yongchun Wang Ning knocked off the hair net on his head with a ball, exposing the false hair bundle in his topknot. Turns out Hu Bin had sparse hair and used fake hairpieces to compensate. Losing face publicly, he lost competitive qualification.”
That scene was vivid in memory. Former boyfriend Wang Ning and bald Hu Bin passed each other on horseback – one was a celestial flower, the other bald and hairless. If there was no strange fate, how did they meet again in this life? Without comparison there’s no harm. Wang Ning thus stood out, personally selected by Emperor Hongwu as prince consort.
Time flashed by in an instant. Wang Ning and Princess Huaiqing’s eldest son was nearly fourteen, also approaching engagement age, while Hu Shanwei was still selecting wives for imperial grandsons.
After losing the selection, the Dongchuan Marquis heir felt too ashamed to face people and joined the southern expedition army led by Marquis Xiping Mu Ying to conquer Yunnan. He died in battle there – didn’t marry a princess but sacrificed for the country, unmarried and childless. The second-generation Dongchuan Marquis was second brother Hu Yu, who got involved in the Lan Yu case and died with his whole family.
Hearing this, Jiang Quan immediately became alert: “What? Hu Guan’s older brother was bald? I heard father’s baldness affects the whole family, passed to males not females. Could Hu Guan also be bald? My Princess Nankang cannot marry a man with obvious physical defects.”
Truly a devoted grandmother – no detail escaped her scrutiny.
Hu Shanwei said, “Not necessarily. I’ll have the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate Hu Guan’s hair situation so you won’t worry.”
Female officials mostly supported each other rather than undermining one another – helping when possible.
Jiang Quan thanked her. Hu Shanwei smiled, “We all watched Princess Nankang grow up and hope she can marry a good man.”
Jiang Quan said, “I have no extravagant hopes – I just wish Princess Nankang’s future prince consort could be half as good as Princess Huaiqing’s prince consort Earl Yongchun.”
Earl Yongchun Wang Ning was Hu Shanwei’s bright yet sorrowful white moonlight from her girlhood – a wound she could never speak of… Fortunately, Mu Chun appeared in my life like a red rose, making my ash-gray heart brilliant and colorful.
Hu Shanwei looked at the courtyard full of selected maidens, wishing she could complete her mission tomorrow, resign her position, and go to Kunming to find Mu Chun.
Just thinking of Mu Chun gave Hu Shanwei motivation. Like she’d been injected with stimulants, she worked tirelessly, staying up nights grading papers, hoping to finish her final duty quickly.
Selected maidens took examinations to become imperial family daughters-in-law; Hu Shanwei graded papers for Mu Chun. Both were for marriage matters – different paths to the same destination.
Two days later, results were announced. Despite such harsh written testing, 180 selected maidens still qualified for the next interview round. Seventy selected maidens failed and were immediately given gold, silver, and other gifts to be taken home by parents.
On departure day, Chuxiu Palace echoed with the suppressed sobs of eliminated selected maidens. When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves – the remaining 180 selected maidens showed no joy on their faces either. The coming tests would only be more brutal.
But unexpectedly, the next day Hu Shanwei led the selected maidens to play games in the Imperial Garden, including cuju (ancient football), polo, boating, fishing, pitch-pot, chuiwan (ancient golf), and kite-flying. Selected maidens participated based on their interests.
Pressure suppressed for over a month was instantly released. Not knowing whether they’d remain after the second round, most selected maidens let themselves go and played wildly, relieving stress.
Zhang Xiuchun from Henan, the snake-killing girl from a military household, had some martial skills and predictably joined the physically intense cuju, scoring five goals as the match’s best shooter.
Miss Guo, Consort Duanjing’s niece whom Hu Shanwei most cared about, participated in polo with skillful and elegant horsemanship, clean and decisive strikes, scoring three goals as the match’s best archer.
Miss Ma, from the same clan as Empress Xiaoci, chose the quietest fishing, sitting alone by the water pavilion, lost in thought.
Hu Shanwei saw the bright yellow canopy floating over from afar and knew it was Emperor Hongwu’s imperial carriage. She immediately became alert, running forward like a sheepdog protecting little lambs to block his path, fearing Emperor Hongwu’s unrepentant heart would lead him to eat grass close to the nest again – you can’t eat anymore! If you eat more, your grandsons won’t have enough to divide!
Hu Shanwei was ready for battle: “Your Majesty, please stop. Selected maidens are playing games ahead.”
It was precisely because he knew selected maidens were frolicking here that he came.
Emperor Hongwu had recently been indulging in youthful passion, absorbing vitality from fresh bodies, feeling as if he’d grown younger. Hearing beauties laughing from behind Imperial Garden walls, their laughter gradually fading to silence, he was moved by passion yet frustrated by indifference.
Power was the best aphrodisiac. New favorites were inexperienced, with powder-white jade faces and clear, worshipful eyes, thinking the old emperor was omnipotent like a deity. Emperor Hongwu found this very satisfying.
Hearing about selected maidens frolicking in the Imperial Garden, his old heart began itching again.
Emperor Hongwu finally understood why many wise rulers became muddle-headed and lustful in old age, even sleeping with their own daughters-in-law – because lovemaking was an intoxicating, vital force that one craved more with age.
Cough cough. Emperor Hongwu’s old face reddened slightly. “I’m just strolling here casually to look around. I won’t enter the garden.”
You’d sooner believe there are ghosts in broad daylight than trust a man’s words, especially an old emperor with a criminal record.
Hu Shanwei blocked the path with no intention of yielding. “In that case, please rest in the artificial mountain pavilion, Your Majesty.”
The old emperor must be isolated – no more complications could arise.
Emperor Hongwu sheepishly left, ascending the artificial mountain built with Taihu stones. Above was a five-zhang-high pavilion with gentle breezes and dancing willow catkins – quite peaceful. From that distance, people looked like ants; faces couldn’t be seen.
Hu Shanwei breathed a sigh of relief. The selected maidens were finally safe.
Unfortunately, before this breath could settle in her dantian, Emperor Hongwu produced a Western single-barrel telescope…
Hu Shanwei: …
Emperor Hongwu held the telescope for a while, then suddenly stopped and beckoned to Hu Shanwei. “Come see the girl fishing in the third pavilion at the water pavilion. Who is she?”
Having no choice, Hu Shanwei took the telescope and looked. “That’s Miss Ma from Shanxi, same clan as Empress Xiaoci, though beyond the fifth degree of relationship with no contact.”
Emperor Hongwu paused and said, “At first glance, this girl resembles Empress Xiaoci in her youth.”
Hu Shanwei reminded him, “Miss Ma is only fourteen this year.”
She’s still a child! Please don’t take her back for intimate relations out of sentimental attachment!
Unexpectedly, Emperor Hongwu suddenly lost interest. “I’ll go to Xiaoling to see Empress Xiaoci. You carry on.”
After Emperor Hongwu left, Hu Shanwei again raised the telescope for a closer look. The distant Miss Ma remained unaware, still sitting by the pavilion fishing. Hu Shanwei thought: This Miss Ma must be kept if there are no major errors in tomorrow’s interview – she likely has tremendous fortune ahead.