Reborn as a Sickly Child: The Emperor's Beloved

Late at night, in the Yangxin Palace, a man in bright yellow clothes sat behind a desk reviewing memorials.

"Has she entered the palace?" the man asked, flipping through the memorial in his hand.

"Your Majesty, we have already entered the palace." The man in black knelt down and reported.

"Well, back off."

Shen Yanyan, you are finally here. The man looked at the letter in his hand with a smile on his face.

"I heard that there are nearly a thousand women entering the palace for the selection."

"So many?"

"That's right. In our dynasty, all eligible women from official families have to participate in the selection. There are many candidates, but only a few can be selected. I'm afraid we won't even make it through the preliminary round."

Shen Yanyan listened to the comments of the people around her and felt a little happy. When she first entered the palace, her uncle had someone pass a message to her, saying that everything had been arranged and she would definitely be eliminated in the primary election. Today was the primary election and she would be able to leave here soon.

Aunt Zhuang has arrived.

The eunuch shouted, and the crowd who had been noisy just now stopped talking instantly and lined up in an orderly manner.

Shen Yanyan was standing at the end of the line. She looked up slightly at the colorful things in front of her and felt a little dizzy.

Damn, there is a team of nearly a thousand people. When she looked up slightly, it seemed endless with no end in sight. This emperor really knows how to enjoy himself.

"Everyone line up in ten groups, and everyone come up in order. Those who pass the preliminary selection will have their names reserved for you, and those who fail will leave the palace tomorrow." Nanny Zhuang said as she looked at the people below.

At the front of the team, the so-called Madam Zhuang led countless palace maids and nannies into the hall. Outside the hall, dozens of eunuchs sat at the table, ready to record the women who passed the preliminary selection.

When the preliminary selection began, Madam Zhuang sat in the hall, holding a huge list and asking the women who came in about their names, backgrounds and family backgrounds. After she had asked all the questions, she began various inspections and then decided whether they could stay or leave. Those who could stay had to register in the hall one by one. Those who did not pass the preliminary selection had to find the eunuchs outside the hall to register and send them back to their respective places in Yuanzhou Prefecture.

"What's your name and where are you from?" said Madam Zhuang, looking at the woman in front of her.

"Replying to Madam, my name is Gu Jiajia. I am from Qingzhou and my father is the prefect of Qingzhou." The woman answered politely.

"Too high, unqualified, next one."

"Too short, unqualified, next one"

"Your appearance is not good enough, next one"

"This one is all qualified, stay."

"Next,",,,,,,,,.

But after a while, most of the women were eliminated. This talent show is quite strict, Shen Yanyan thought.

Seeing the number of people in front of her slowly decreasing, it would be her turn soon. Shen Yanyan felt a little flustered. She was about to leave the palace. God bless her, Bodhisattva bless her, to help her succeed in being selected. Shen Yanyan clasped her hands together, extremely pious.

"Next".

When Shen Yanyan saw that it was her turn, she hurried forward and entered the room.

"What's your name, where are you from?

"Your humble servant Shen Yanyan is from Yangzhou. My father is the prefect of Yangzhou, Shen Jingwen." Shen Yanyan lowered her eyebrows and spoke softly.

When Aunt Zhuang heard the name Shen Yanyan, she looked up. She didn't look very outstanding, but her figure was pretty good. There were too many people who wanted to find her and passed the preliminary selection, but it was rare for her to fail. Aunt Zhuang couldn't help but take a closer look.

Shen Yanyan entered the room and began various inspections.

Nanny Zhuang looked at the two palace maids and the nanny beside her, winked, and crossed out the three words "Shen Yanyan" with a pen. The people around her immediately knew what she meant.

"You passed the height test, you look good, but you failed the weight test. Go out and register to go home." After all the tests, Shen Yanyan was finally eliminated, achieving her goal. She laughed wildly in her heart, but her face remained unchanged.

That's awesome. She really lost the election. Ah, she can go back to Yangzhou now. She doesn't have to be in the big cage of the palace anymore. Shen Yanyan felt like she couldn't hold it in any longer. She just wanted to laugh.

Walking to the eunuch who was registering the unsuccessful candidates, Shen Yanyan gave her name.

"Shen Yanyan. She's from Yangzhou..."

The eunuch recorded without raising his head, and said: Local people in the capital can leave the palace immediately, and people from other prefectures will leave the palace tomorrow morning. Now go to your original residence and wait for notification. Next.

Shen Yanyan was speechless. Wasn't she told just now that she could leave the palace immediately? Why did she have to wait until tomorrow? The longer she waited, the more accidents might happen. Although she had already been eliminated, she felt a little uneasy and still wanted to leave the palace immediately.

"Eunuch, can't people from other states leave the palace now? Can I ask my family in the capital to pick me up?" Shen Yanyan asked unwillingly.

"No, this is the rule, and I also follow the rules." The eunuch still refused without raising his head.

Shen Yanyan felt a little discouraged when she saw this, and walked towards her residence.

All the newcomers lived in a palace called Xiu Nu Pavilion. It was said that this palace was where the women who had been selected in the imperial selections of all dynasties lived. It was so large that it could even accommodate a thousand people at the same time. On the first day, all the newcomers lived in Xiu Nu Pavilion. Those who passed the preliminary selection could move to Chu Xiu Palace.

Shen Yanyan didn't care who passed, she just wanted to go home if she was not selected. She walked to the room she lived in. Actually, it couldn't be called a room, it was just a big bunk bed. Only those who passed the preliminary selection and moved to Chuxiu Palace could bring their maids in. Now Xia Zhu and Dongxue were not with her, it was inconvenient to do anything. She simply lay on the bed and waited until it was time to eat something before going out to eat and prepare to go home tomorrow.

Time passed quickly, and right after the preliminary selection, more than half of the candidates were eliminated. Before they even had an opportunity to see the Emperor, only fifty or sixty people were left.

The unsuccessful candidates returned to their respective rooms one after another.

Yanyan, you were not selected too. How come you were not selected? I thought you would be selected, Gu Jiajiajia said to Shen Yanyan.

Shen Yanyan looked at Gu Qingqing and said, "Mammy said I'm too heavy and my weight is not acceptable."

"Oh, what a pity. I am a little taller than the standard. The selection is too strict. It won't work if I am taller or shorter. It has to be just right." Gu Jiajia said slowly.

Shen Yanyan looked at Gu Jiajia in a daze and did not explain.

Gu Jiajia is the daughter of the Qingzhou prefect, who holds the same official position as her father. She is the only daughter in the family and looks extremely innocent, but she is actually quite dull.

At dinner time, everyone went out to eat and then lay down on their beds to rest, waiting to leave the palace tomorrow. Some were happy and some were sad.

Shen Mansion in Beijing,

The emperor selected concubines and gave them a three-day holiday, so all the ministers stayed idle at home.

"Mother, the list of unsuccessful candidates has been announced. Yanyan has been eliminated. We will pick her up tomorrow." Shen Hongwen said to the old lady sitting at the top.

Old Madam Shen nodded slightly. Although her hair was full of white, her back was straight, her face was rosy, her eyes were bright, and she looked full of energy.

"Let Ting'an wait outside the palace gate early tomorrow morning and bring her to the Shen family. The child has not been to the capital since she returned home. Let her stay for a few days before returning to Yangzhou." said Old Lady Shen.

"Yes, mother." Shen Hongwen bowed.

Shen Ting'an, the eldest son of Uncle Shen's family, is a man of great learning and has become a cabinet scholar at a young age.

The next day,

At daybreak, everyone was awakened and brought to the palace gate. They lined up and waited for their families to pick them up before they could leave the palace.

Because there were so many people, they arrived at the palace gate early and waited.

Shen Yanyan looked at the long line in front of her and frowned slightly. If she had known earlier, she would not have gone to the toilet. Now there are so many people in front of her, when will it be her turn?

In the main hall of Chuxiu Palace, the emperor and the empress dowager sat in the main seats, with noble concubine Gao, concubine Lan and other concubines sitting below them.

The ladies waiting outside the palace were full of expectations. If the emperor would take a fancy to them, they would be extremely lucky to stay in the palace. If they could give birth to a son for the emperor, it would be an honor for the whole family. After all, His Majesty had been on the throne for three years, but there was no heir in the palace. If they could give birth to a firstborn son, they would surely be rich and prosperous.

"Call in all the beauties into the palace." Eunuch Li shouted loudly while standing outside the palace.

A group of beautiful ladies entered the main hall and knelt down in unison, shouting, "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the empress dowager, a thousand years and a thousand years."

Xiao Jingzhan glanced at the people kneeling on the ground below, about fifty or sixty people. If they stood up, they would not be able to find Shen Yanyan in the crowd. He then said, "Everyone raise your heads."

The ladies were confused, but since the emperor didn't say anything, they didn't dare to stand up and just raised their heads.

Xiao Jingzhan ignored the surprised looks of the crowd and glanced at the people below one by one. After looking at them all and seeing that Shen Yanyan was not there, his face instantly darkened.

Seeing the emperor's dark complexion, everyone turned their astonished eyes away and dared not look at him again.

"Li Defu, bring me the list." Xiao Jingzhan said in a deep voice.

Eunuch Li stepped forward quickly and handed the list to Xiao Jingzhan.

"Your Majesty, let them get up first." The Queen Mother frowned and looked at the beauties kneeling on the ground, some of whom were about to fall.

Xiao Jingzhan didn't even raise his head, just kept looking at the list. "Stand up."

When the people below heard the voice, they stood up quickly, enduring the pain in their knees and standing properly, for fear of losing manners in front of the palace and angering the emperor.

Xiao Jingzhan saw that there was still no name Shen Yanyan on the list, and after thinking for a moment, he had the answer. He also remembered that the person who failed to be selected would leave the palace today, so he stood up and bowed to the Queen Mother to take his leave.

"Mother, I have something important to attend to and need to leave. You can make the decision on everything that happens next." After paying his respects, Xiao Jingzhan hurried out of the hall with Li Defu.

He didn't want to come to the palace examination today. The concubines who were to enter the harem had already been selected. If they wanted to enter the palace, those people from the previous dynasty had already arranged everything. Those who couldn't enter the palace would fail in the preliminary selection. If it wasn't for Shen Yanyan, he wouldn't have come at all.

"Li Defu, go and see what's going on. Shen Yanyan is not on the list." Xiao Jingzhan spoke coldly, forcing Eunuch Li to sweat profusely.

"Yes, I'll go right away," he said, and then he went to the palace gate at a very fast speed. He could only pray that Miss Shen had not left the palace yet. If she had, his good days would be over.

At the palace gate, Shen Yanyan was so happy when she saw that it was finally her turn. She was almost free. Seeing that the people in front of her had already walked out of the palace gate, she quickly stepped forward and reported her name.

"Shen Yanyan, my name is Shen Yanyan, father-in-law." Shen Yanyan said impatiently.

Xia Zhu, who had been guarding the palace gate, saw Shen Yanyan and shouted happily outside: "Miss, here you are, Miss."

When Shen Yanyan heard Xia Zhu's voice, she quickly looked outside the palace gate and saw Xia Zhu and Dong Xue standing outside the palace gate, with a handsome and gentle young man beside them. She thought it was one of her cousins. She waved at the three of them and said to the eunuch who was still looking for a name, "Eunuch, my family is over there."

The father-in-law raised his head and looked in the direction she pointed. Seeing the person over there also waving, he said, "Don't worry, your name hasn't been found yet." After that, he turned to the other side and continued looking.

Shen Yanyan was so anxious watching this that she wished she could go up and help him find it herself.

Nearly a thousand people left the palace, and the list was quite long. The eunuch searched for a while before he saw the three words "Shen Yanyan".

"Shen Yanyan, from Yangzhou." The father-in-law looked at the name and crossed it out with a pen.

"Yes, yes, yes. I'm from Yangzhou." Shen Yanyan looked at the name that was crossed out, and she was extremely happy. It was so good, so good that she wanted to jump up and jump out of the city gate. If there were no guards stopping her.

The eunuch looked at the guards beside him, waved his hand, and was about to tell them to let him go when he saw Eunuch Li riding a horse and stopping at the city gate, shouting loudly to close the city gate.

"Close the city gates, close the city gates quickly."

The guards on the side quickly closed the city gate.