Among this batch of selection candidates, there was no shortage of extraordinary beauties, so the Lin family sisters weren’t the most outstanding in this group.

In terms of family background, they posed no threat to those ambitious candidates either. But as soon as they were summoned by Noble Consort De, it immediately caused ripples among the selection candidates.

Noble Consort De had given birth to three princes, two of whom survived – the Fourth Prince and the Fourteenth Prince respectively.

The Fourth Prince had long since married, but the Fourteenth Prince had only taken a secondary consort and didn’t yet have a principal consort. He was sixteen this year, and barring any surprises, his marriage would be arranged and celebrated this year.

Although there were rumors about who had been selected, until that day arrived, no one dared be certain.

The Fourteenth Prince was favored, and his mother was Noble Consort De, one of the Four Consorts. Many people had intentions regarding him.

For the Lin family sisters’ status to become principal consort was impossible, but with their looks, competing for favor in whichever prince’s household wouldn’t be difficult. Thinking of this, some people began to worry.

Ying Yu and Luo Yu, who had been summoned to Noble Consort De’s palace, were also anxious.

They didn’t know why Noble Consort De would suddenly summon them.

The Lin family had no relationship with the Wuya clan, nor any connections that could be linked.

If anything had to be mentioned, it would be Jia Yuanchun of the Jia household, whom they should call cousin – she served as a lady secretary in Noble Consort De’s palace.

The problem was, according to the news they had heard, Cousin Yuanchun’s days at Noble Consort De’s palace weren’t going well. Every so often she needed large sums of silver from home for bribes. That meant they might be fish affected by the disturbance in the pond.

How could they not feel their hearts rise in alarm!

Arriving at the palace, the palace attendant who came to receive them was a woman with a full, round face, outstanding and dignified in appearance. Her clothing was somewhat different from ordinary palace maids, and there was a vague sense of familiarity.

Because of this familiarity, they had a guess. When she spoke, saying her name was Yuanchun and she would guide them, the two sisters exchanged glances and confirmed – this was their cousin.

However, in the palace one must observe propriety. This also wasn’t a place for conversation, and there were others present, so they said nothing.

Seeing their group arrive, someone went in to report, then they were allowed to enter.

Noble Consort De’s palace was naturally beautiful. Everything displayed here was a fine piece, arranged with great taste. However, at this moment the sisters had no mind to appreciate the palace’s furnishings and layout. Eyes lowered, following protocol without daring to look directly at the mistress above, they said: “This subject’s daughters pay respects to Noble Consort De.”

Noble Consort De smiled and told them to rise, even having people grant them seats.

“The Lin family is truly fortunate to have raised two such outstanding daughters. Which of you is the elder sister, which the younger?”

She and the other three consorts jointly presided over palace affairs. The selection was also jointly presided over by them. Naturally she would know the information about these selection candidates.

Ying Yu respectfully answered: “In response to Your Highness, this subject’s daughter is the elder sister.”

“Good child, come forward.” Noble Consort De called her up close for careful examination.

Under her gaze, Ying Yu’s heart pounded faster, dense beads of sweat appearing on her back. She felt herself being scanned back and forth, as if being seen through completely.

After a good while, she was allowed to step back, then Luo Yu was called forward for examination.

Noble Consort De: “I heard you’re a twin?”

Luo Yu: “In response to Your Highness, yes.”

Noble Consort De: “Do you and your brother look alike?”

Luo Yu: “In response to Your Highness, not very similar.”

Noble Consort De smiled: “Very well, no need to be so formal.”

Though she said this, seeing their respectful appearance, Noble Consort De was quite pleased in her heart. She gave each of them a pouch and specifically instructed: “Yuanchun, escort them back.”

Watching them leave the palace, a matron stepped forward: “Has Your Highness taken a liking to anyone?”

Noble Consort De gently closed her eyes, having someone massage her shoulders. “No rush, we’ll see slowly.”

Saying this, she slowly sighed. The Fourth’s legitimate eldest son had died young. He was his only legitimate child. The Ulanara lady nearly cried herself to death, and the Fourth was also grieving over the eldest prince’s death.

She understood. Her own sixth son was also gone.

Looking back, the Fourth’s offspring were now too sparse. The Emperor had specifically instructed her to select two fortunate candidates to help the Fourth spread his branches and leaves.

What was fortunate? Either having many male children in the family, or extraordinary birth.

Those with excessively high birth naturally couldn’t be assigned to the Fourth. Next to pick were those with many brothers or like those Lin family girls just now – dragon and phoenix twins, both raised safely to adulthood. This was naturally also a type of good fortune.

Just now with both sisters standing before her, she had discovered how healthy these two candidates’ constitutions were. Their appearances were extraordinary, each with distinct qualities. But speaking of physical health, the younger sister was superior.

She had someone note down the name for now: “A third-rank Han Banner concubine-born daughter – to enter the Fourth’s rear courtyard would be her good fortune.”

The old matron beside her was silent, sighing inwardly.

Both born of the same consort, but comparing the prominent Manchu clans in the Fourteenth Prince’s rear courtyard with the Han women in the Fourth Prince’s rear courtyard, she could only sigh inwardly. If this Lin family daughter could go to the Fourth Prince’s household, her birth would already be considered high.

“By the way, have people carefully observe whether they have great ambitions.” As she spoke, a gleam flashed through Noble Consort De’s eyes.

The Emperor was still vigorous. Although at her age she no longer cared about how many nights the Emperor spent at her palace each month, placing more dignity on her children, if there were fewer young and fresh beauties in the imperial palace, it would naturally be more worry-free.

These two sisters both had naturally beautiful appearances. If they could avoid entering the palace, it would be better not to enter.

The old matron received the order, then remembered something: “Your Highness, that Jia Yuanchun…”

Noble Consort De laughed: “She’s been confined for so long, let her get some fresh air.”

She thought of the silver Jia Yuanchun had scattered in the palace and couldn’t help laughing again.

On that end, Jia Yuanchun led the Lin family sisters back to the储秀宫 (Palace of Accumulated Elegance). Though it wasn’t appropriate to say much on the road, opportunities could still be found to avoid people and exchange a few words.

Reaching a corner, using a decorative rock formation as cover, Jia Yuanchun stopped and performed a courtesy: “Two younger cousins, it wasn’t convenient to speak earlier. I was rude.”

Ying Yu and Luo Yu: “No, we were the rude ones.”

After both sides exchanged pleasantries, Jia Yuanchun got to the point: “I wonder, when you entered the palace, did the Jia family have any messages for you to bring to me?”

The two Lin family sisters exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.

They hadn’t seen the Jia family people in a long time. Perhaps someone had sought them out, asking them to see how Yuanchun was doing in the palace, but Grandmother hadn’t mentioned it to them.

They only needed to follow Grandmother’s arrangements in this imperial palace compound.

Jia Yuanchun was very disappointed and quickly gathered her spirits: “Could you help me pass along a message?”

Her silver was nearly spent. To establish oneself in this imperial palace compound, silver was indispensable.

The two sisters exchanged glances. “Elder cousin jests. How could we pass messages out?”

Yuanchun was stunned. “I misspoke. I mean when you leave the palace, could you help me pass some words to my family.”

She now understood – it seemed relations between the two families weren’t good.

Well, with their concubine-born status, how would the family value them?

Jia Yuanchun looked at them enviously.

Regardless, after the selection ended, they would most likely be able to leave the palace. She, however, still had to endure suffering here.

“Are my grandmother and lady doing well now? And Baoyu – he must have grown quite a bit.”

“We also haven’t been out in a long time and haven’t heard of any bad news. There is one happy matter though – Second Sister-in-law Lian is with child.”

Jia Yuanchun’s face showed an expression neither fully joyful nor not: “With child – that truly is happy news. Come with me, I’ll take you back.”

This ultimately wasn’t a place where they could speak freely.

When she returned, she would still need to gather her spirits. She didn’t know what Noble Consort De intended by giving her this convenient favor this time…

Jia Yuanchun led them out. Arriving at the Palace of Accumulated Elegance, she departed.

Returning, the two sisters discovered that everyone’s gazes toward them had changed. When they all looked over at once, both sisters couldn’t help but feel their hearts rise, because many of these gazes contained hostility.

This made both sisters inwardly groan.

This unexpected summons from Noble Consort De had destroyed the situation they had worked hard to maintain. But ultimately, they weren’t afraid.

This was the imperial palace.

They were all selection candidates.

Some people had special treatment because they had a good sister or good clanswoman serving as consort in the palace. Some had noble birth, looking down on all others.

The Lin family couldn’t claim the top tier, but they weren’t bad either – not people to be bullied at will.

Soon people came to probe for information. The first to come was a fourteen-year-old little girl with a baby face who looked over curiously: “Sister Lin, why did Noble Consort De summon you? So you have connections with Noble Consort De’s family.”

Facing this direct probing, the two sisters raised polite smiles: “We don’t know either.”

“What did she say?”

“Nothing much.”

If they could extract any information, the sisters would admit defeat!

Baby-face retreated in defeat. After speaking for so long, carefully recalling, it was all empty words.

The next people who came to probe were much more cultivated, knowing what surprise attacks were, what emotional cards were.

But the two sisters remained unmoved as bells, dismissing them one by one.

They just felt mentally exhausted.

This time they didn’t even know what some people were competing for – like Noble Consort De’s Fourteenth Prince, who was selecting his principal consort.

He already had a secondary consort, but because the Fourteenth Prince was so favored, perhaps others would be appointed as secondary consorts as well.

In the eyes of those who saw the Lin family sisters as competitors, they too were qualified to become secondary consorts for favored princes.

If they were legitimate-born it would be one thing, but they were concubine-born.

Add to that being summoned by Noble Consort De and receiving pouches, they were regarded as formidable competitors.

Although neither Ying Yu nor Luo Yu had such intentions, did their words count for anything?

Would others believe them?

So Ying Yu and Luo Yu’s peace was broken. Even though Noble Consort De subsequently summoned several other people one after another, they were still targeted.

Their clothes were “accidentally” torn, jewelry knocked to the ground and damaged, tea accidentally spilled on their bedding… These types of incidents that couldn’t cause major problems but could disgust them were staged one by one. They wanted to see them make fools of themselves, to anger them, but miscalculated.

Ying Yu’s needlework was excellent – any minor damage she repaired herself.

If jewelry broke, there were backups. No one would bring only one set of jewelry into the palace.

No one dared easily cross the line. If things became serious – like in a previous selection when candidates quarreled and one fell into water – everyone had been punished.

Now it was just isolation games, petty harassment.

Ying Yu was initially panicked, but seeing her younger sister’s steady-as-a-mountain demeanor, her emotions gradually stabilized, and she continued being a wooden figure in the Palace of Accumulated Elegance.

Their behavior made the old matron observing in secret nod approvingly. It was said the Lin family, for certain reasons, raised their concubine-born daughters with the care given to legitimate daughters. Now it seemed the rumors were true.

They weren’t the most outstanding, but encountering problems they didn’t cry or make a fuss, steadily resolving issues, and even appropriately counterattacking those caught red-handed. If they were truly assigned to the Fourth Prince, that wouldn’t be bad.

Palace news theoretically didn’t communicate with the outside world, but to say it was completely isolated was impossible – the information was just delayed.

The old lady heard news that Noble Consort De had summoned her two granddaughters. Besides them, she had also summoned the daughter of Wanyan Luocha, Vice Minister of Rites of the Bordered Yellow Banner, as well as those from the Geng, Niuhuru, and Wuya clans.

The Wanyan lady was the Fourteenth’s consort. The old lady knew this. As for the others… Thinking of how this year the Fourth Prince’s household lost their legitimate eldest son, and originally the Fourth Prince didn’t have many offspring, with the fewest people in his rear courtyard among all the princes, her heart suddenly jumped.

Could it be…