Zhong Li was stunned for a moment, and her heart softened unconsciously. She didn't answer directly, but said, "If the emperor keeps his promise, why would your concubine run away?"

Pei Xing hooked her lips, her expression subconsciously eased, and a delicate kiss fell on her side face.

In the season when spring is blooming, it is extremely comfortable to go out and walk together, and the smiles on Zhong Li's face are more than usual.

They returned to the palace after having dinner in the restaurant. When they returned to the palace, it was already dark, and the three children were having a great time playing with their faces flushed.

Unknowingly, there were still two days left before the envoys entered the capital. Seeing that the officials had not sent the peasant woman's daughter into the palace, Pei Xing asked, "It's just to choose 30 safe and honest maids, one month. It's all over, but you haven't picked it yet? What? Do you want to wait for the envoy to leave before picking it out?"

When the messenger group entered the palace, there was bound to be a palace banquet in the palace. The demand for palace maids and eunuchs was naturally great. Pei Xing always felt that turning a good man into an eunuch was against the law of heaven. Therefore, he did not mention adding little eunuchs at all. Unexpectedly, the matter has come to the front, and the thirty palace maids have not been selected.

The official in charge of this matter jumped in his heart, and hurriedly knelt down. In previous years, the draft was very time-consuming. What he wanted was the daughter of a peasant woman. These women are often exposed to the wind and the sun. It is really hard to find the beautiful women. He sent people to search in the countryside for a long time, only to find three or four of them who are good-looking, and the others are simply terrible.

The reason why he delayed for so long was because he wanted to search more and try to find more beautiful and gentle people. Now that the emperor was urging him, he knew that he could not delay any longer, so he hurriedly said: "A few are already there. Let someone teach you the rules, and the rest, the minister will choose today, and let them enter the palace together tomorrow."

Pei Xing didn't say anything more.

The minister could not help wiping the sweat from his forehead.

It was a big event for Xiu Nv to enter the palace, so she couldn't hide it from Zhong Li. Early in the morning, the female official gave Zhong Li the names, places of origin, and ages of the 30 Xiu Nv.

Zhong Li didn't expect it to be so fast, her hand holding the list turned pale due to the force, she first glanced at the number of people, then some surprise flashed in her eyes, and asked the steward's aunt, "Why are there only thirty people? ?"

In previous years, the number of beautiful girls who were selected into the palace was often 100. After entering the palace, it did not mean that they would really stay in the palace. In fact, there was still a month of inspection time, and there would be a special nanny in charge of investigating. Their temperament, etc., will eventually be eliminated by half, and those with bad rules, domineering temperament, and appearance problems will all be eliminated.

The steward aunt said politely: "Hui Niangniang, these thirty people were carefully selected by Master Zhao, and said that they were selected according to the emperor's requirements, and they were all loyal and responsible. It is up to them to fill the vacancies in the palace, and there is no need to eliminate some more as before."

Zhong Li didn't think much about it. After all, there was indeed a shortage of people in the palace. She said, "Since Mr. Zhao carefully selected them, and they must have passed the test, then you are responsible for arranging their accommodation and other matters, and we will talk about it when the envoys arrive in Beijing."

The other matters in Zhong Li's mouth naturally refer to the matter of choosing concubines. In previous years, when the palace selected concubines, the emperor or the empress dowager often needed to personally check. If the empress dowager was not there, the emperor should choose by himself. Pamper yourself.

After Zhong Li read the numbers, she took a closer look at the backgrounds of the girls. This time, she was even more surprised. These beautiful girls were all from the folk, and there was not a single noble girl. In the drafts over the years, this situation has also occurred, all because the emperor did not want to interfere with foreign relatives, so he deliberately avoided the ladies.

Zhong Li didn't expect that Pei Xing was unexpectedly involved in political affairs. She thought that with his arrogance, anyone he liked would be elected to the harem, and would not care about the woman's family background at all.

She breathed a sigh of relief in her heart. Noble daughters from aristocratic families are indispensable to the support of their fathers and brothers. They have deep roots, and some were even taught as concubines and concubines when they were young. Naturally, there is no shortage of scheming and scheming. Become Zhong Li's powerful rival, none of these women have a good background.

After the steward's aunt left, Qiu Yue reported to Zhong Li in a low voice, "Just now, Xiao Shunzi glanced from a distance, these thirty beautiful girls, not many are good-looking, even the two outstandingly beautiful are timid. She is cowardly and has no temperament to speak of. When she walks, her legs are shaking and her face is so pale that she can feel at ease now."

Zhong Li said: "When looking at people, never look at looks. It's normal for them to be afraid when they first enter the palace. It'll be fine when they become familiar with them."

"Then the slaves make people stare at them more?"

"No, don't worry about them, don't say that the emperor didn't favor them, even if you really favor them, you don't have to stare. You follow me, every word and deed represent Kunning Palace, you have to be calm."

Although Qiuyue is quick-tempered, she is smart. At this moment, when Zhong Li mentions it, she obediently suppresses her impetuousness.

The daughters of a few good-looking peasant women are indeed not worth the worry of the master, Qiuyue calmed down and couldn't help sighing, "Tomorrow, the envoys will enter the capital, and I heard that the Tartar also brought a princess. At the same time, they all had the idea of ​​marrying, and now this princess doesn't know what to do, I hope the emperor can realize their ambitions."

Zhong Li is more concerned about tomorrow's dinner. This is the first time for her to organize a palace banquet of this scale. With so many eyes on her, she must not go wrong. After thinking for a moment, she called An Lian in, and said again. asked about the banquet.

An Lian answered seriously.

The palace banquet was already in preparation in early March, and all kinds of purchases were already arranged, and the singers who performed the dance were also arranged properly.

In the end, Zhong Li instructed again: "These beautiful girls who have just arrived in the palace are new to the palace, so they will inevitably be less courageous. You can go to the steward's aunt and take a look later. Where did she arrange the people? It's behind-the-scenes chores, so you don't have to worry about it, if there are people who appear at the palace banquet, you meet these people in person, if they act recklessly and are timid, let others do it, lest they collide with the nobles."