Story of Yanxi Palace

Chapter 3 Entering the Palace

Entering the palace, some were delighted while others tried to avoid it.

Not every family was willing to send their daughter to the palace for the illusory future.

When the nation had policies, the people had countermeasures. Some even lied that their daughter was ill and were afraid to pass on the disease to the royal family, thus voluntarily giving up their chance to enter the palace. Even though it was illegal, as long as no one reported it and the upper echelons chose to turn a blind eye, the situation could be kept under control.

However, when someone like Wei Yingluo blew the whistle and made it public, the Chief Officer of the Yellow Flag had to take action.

“Speak!” He said in a stern voice, “What is going on here?”

"Errr... umm..." Wei Qingtai was at a loss for words to explain himself.

"Let me explain," a gentle female voice came from behind him.

Tied up with a rope, Wei Yingluo limped her way to the leader of the Righteous Yellow Banner, her face lifted, her blood-stained face making her eyes shine even brighter.

"Sir, I'm Wei Yingluo, one of the candidate palace maids this year," she spoke calmly and clearly, "My father dotes on me too much and refused to send me to the palace, so he publicly declared that I had gone mad and forced me to marry someone far away..."

"Enough!" The leader had heard enough. He felt like he had become a joke in the eyes of the people. It was all this man's fault - Wei Qingtai! With an intimidating tone, he said, "Girls from the banners of the Imperial Household Department must all be selected as palace maids. If any of them are privately married, not only you and I, but even the Grand Tutor and the Grand Councillor must be held accountable. Do you have no fear?"

Wei Qingtai stammered for half a day, then finally bent his knees, kneeling down towards him, and knocking his head to the ground. "A thousand apologies. It's all my fault...."

With things having gotten this far, he could only take all the blame himself, so as not to involve the entire clan. Moreover, if he didn't take the blame now, the clan members would still hold all the guilt and blame to him, and their methods would be even harsher, so as to prevent him from having a chance to rise up and accuse others....

"How pitiful of a parent's heart." But then Wei Yingluo sighed and knelt down beside Wei Qingtai, banging her head against the ground, staining the blue brick with her blood, pleading, "My father didn't want me to enter the palace as a palace maid, and I also don't want my father to be punished due to me. Please, out of our deep father-daughter bond,please spare him this time. I will enter the palace on time."

The two words "filial piety" have been touching people's hearts since ancient times.

Immediately, someone sighed, "What a filial daughter. Official, please be merciful and forgive them this time."

"Ah, how dear is all the parents' loving care!"

"I have a daughter too, and I don't want her to marry far away, let alone enter the palace. Once you are in the palace, it's like the depth of the sea and it's hard to see each other for the rest of your life."

The Officer looked at Wei Yingluo with a complicated expression.

Wei Qingtai was not guilty of a crime, but of deep father-daughter love. He was not negligent either, but could take this opportunity to follow the people's will and be a benevolent official.

"Alright." The Officer nodded slowly, "Considering the many people who pleaded for you, I will spare you this time. You must not be confused anymore, understand?"

"The humble one understands." Wei Qingtai bowed his head and he could only understand, he had to understand, and even to show repentance, he had to personally send Wei Yingluo into the palace.

"Sorry, Dad."

Wei Qingtai turned around and saw Wei Yingluo looking at him firmly, repeating what she had said before: "I must enter the palace."

At this point, Wei Qingtai had no choice but to say angrily, "Go, go! Whether you live or die, you have to go, I don't care anymore, I won't care anymore!"

He could only blame his bad luck, why it was the time for the Chief of the Yellow Flag to pass by this street.

But was it really a coincidence that the Chief happened to pass by?

In the crowded crowd, which was also the direction from which the Chief of the Yellow Flag appeared, a middle-aged woman pressed her head with a hat, and the hat was draped with a black gauze, covering her face. Otherwise, if Wei Qingtai saw her face, he would definitely ask: "Jin, why are you here?"

In this world, there are not many coincidences. Many coincidences are man-made after the fact.

"Miss, I have brought the Chief as you commanded." Jin sighed in his heart, hoping that he was not causing her harm, hoping that she would really get what she wanted, and not follow in her sister's footsteps...

Taking off her red wedding dress and changing into the plain green palace dress, on the second day of the second month of the sixth year of Emperor Qianlong's reign, Wei Yingluo walked among the magnificent gardens with the other new palace maids.

Most of the palace maids were fifteen or sixteen, the most innocent and curious age, they all looked left and right, attracted by a peony flower, or a pink butterfly, only Wei Yingluo looked straight ahead, with a blank expression.

She was even thinking, is the flower blooming so beautifully because it had sucked her sister's blood?

"What is this chirping and chattering?" The leading palace lady couldn't stand the group of people chirping like sparrows and snorted coldly, "This is the Forbidden City, the most honorable place under Heaven. Do you think you can look and talk here as you please? Hurry up and leave!"

Wei Yingluo was about to follow when a palace lady beside her pulled her sleeve. Although she spoke in a low voice, it was enough for the little palace ladies around her to hear: "Look over there!"

Wei Yingluo couldn't help but frown. She felt that the other party was not very obedient. The palace lady had just told them not to look and talk, and then she made such a big noise, and it wasn't just her own noise. She was pulling everyone in...

Oh right, she remembered that the girl seemed to be called Jin Xiu.

Truly living up to her name, she had a heart-shaped face and a snake-like waist. It was fitting for someone with such a beautiful name, like Jin Xiu.

The little maids looked in the direction and saw several gorgeous young ladies coming out of the depths of the peach blossom forest. Each of them had beautiful features and looked even more delicate than the flowers. They were lightly fanning themselves, and a pleasant aroma of jasmine and rose drifted over. Everyone felt a sense of peace and joy.

A little maid with a doll-like face blinked her eyes and asked in a childish voice, "Jin Xiu Sister, who are they? Are they fairies?"

Wei Yingluo remembered that she was the youngest among them, only fourteen years old. Her name was Ji Xiang.

Just as her name implies, the girl looks like a picture from a New Year painting, bringing joy to everyone who looks at her.

Those are all the beauties who have passed the selection and are ready for palace selection. Linglong was filled with admiration, as if she wanted to reach out two hands to take off their clothes and accessories, then put them on herself.

"What a beautiful dress," Ji Xiang also had a face of admiration, but this admiration was completely different from Linglong's. It was like looking at the candy gourd in your hand with admiration, "If I could also wear such a beautiful dress."

Jin Xiu heard the words and sneered, "They are all noble ladies, and if they enter the palace, they will be the masters. We are of this background, even if we pass the examination, we can only be their maids. You -"

She poked Ji Xiang with her elbow: "Stop daydreaming!"

"Look out!" Wei Yingluo shouted too late. Ji Xiang was already small and weak, so it took two hands to lift the wooden bucket used for cleaning, and it was especially difficult. Just standing made her sway, and now when Jin Xiu gave a push to her weak arms, the bucket flew out of her hands, splashing the dirty water out and onto the skirt of a beautiful woman.

Ji Xiang was scared and quickly kneeled down in front of her: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'll help you clean it up right now..."

Slap!

Ji Xiang was slapped to the ground, rolling around with the whole body stained black, just like a poor stray dog.

"You Jerk!" The beautiful woman scowled, "I bought this cloud-embroidered silk specially from the south for today's palace selection. Now you have dirtied it. What am I supposed to wear to meet the emperor?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Ji Xiang sobbed as she crawled over, fumbling for a clean handkerchief. "Let me wipe it for you, let me wipe it clean right away..."

"Get away!" The beautiful woman kicked out viciously and swiftly, as if she were kicking a dirty stray dog, right at her face. Ji Xiang rolled away with a cry and crawled back, blood streaming from her nose. She kowtowed frantically: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"Hmph!" The beautiful woman turned to the Grand Palace Maid. "Do you think I should forgive her?"

Despite the short time they had spent together, everyone had grown close. Seeing the miserable state of Ji Xiang, many palace maids could not bear to watch but held their tongues, not daring to speak up for her, lest they incriminate her. At the moment, everyone looked expectantly at the palace housekeeper, hoping that the Grand Palace Maid would speak up for Ji Xiang.

But Wei Yingluo knew it was impossible.

The palace maids themselves were too afraid to speak up for Ji Xiang, and the experienced the Grand Palace Maid was not going to risk offending the potential future princess for the sake of an ordinary palace maid.

Sure enough, the Grand Palace Maid said apologetically, “Miss Wu Ya, these maids are all new to the palace, they are as stupid as pigs. You can scold or beat them, but please don’t get too angry!”

At those words, the palace maids either looked disappointed or glared angrily at him, before pressing their lips together even tighter. Everyone was smart enough to realize that if the Grand Palace Maid was too afraid to do something, they certainly couldn’t do it either.

At this moment, perhaps only a beautiful woman of equal status would be brave enough to stand up for Ji Xiang.

"Miss Wu Ya." A timid voice sounded, "She didn't mean it. Please forgive her."

...Was there really a beautiful woman who was willing to speak up for Ji Xiang?