Emperor, that must be the emperor!

  They had entered the palace today just to see the emperor, especially those girls from common birth. They never would have dreamed that they would enter the palace one day and could see the emperor. Even if they weren’t chosen to be the empress, being able to see the emperor once was enough for them to brag about in their villages.

  Empress Dowager Zhou’s eyes slowly swept over the young girls, carefully looking over them one by one.

  This was because the future empress would be born from these girls.

  Empress Dowager Zhou had not expected to see that green clothed girl who had stayed calm and her eyes couldn’t help pausing on her for a second.

  It was a pity she was like the girl beside her, lowering her head. She could only see her smooth and high forehead, her skin as white as snow, and her head of gentle black hair.

  “Wu, it seems like this girl’s background is normal and she isn’t from a noble family.”


  Empress Dowager Zhou thought in her heart. She could see it with a single glance. That green clothed girl was wearing the most normal jade hairpin and the green robe she had was very normal, made of the most common material.

  But when she wore it, those normal looking clothes gave her a kind of indescribable style that made her look outstanding. Although she was in a crowd, she was still the most eye catching.

  A pity, a pity, everything was good, but why did she have a disability. How could the future West Chu empress be a cripple!

  It seemed like the empress position was not destined to be hers.

  Empress Dowager Zhou’s unchanging eyes went from the green clothed girl to the next girl.

  After looking over the twenty girls, Empress Dowager Zhou already had her ideas.

  Although the girls had their head down, Empress Dowager Zhou still recognized a few girls. The ones she had the most hope for were Xia Yu Yan and Wu Yue Er. These two had demonstrated their talents in poetry and painting in the palace before. Although they had been suppressed by Chen Ning, if it wasn’t for Chen Ning, these two would be considered outstanding in their fields.

  What surprised Empress Dowager Zhou was that Historian Liu’s precious daughter Liu Wan Ting had not passed the selection and wasn’t among the girls here.

  “You girls don’t need to be cautious. This widow has heard that you are all talented girls in our capital, being learned in books and poetry, so this widow asked everyone to come and play in the gardens. Everyone just needs to play to their heart’s content. What does everyone think about the royal gardens?”


  Empress Dowager Zhou spoke in an amicable manner, smiling as she looked at the girls underneath her.

  The young girls were so nervous that they didn’t even dare breathe. Hearing Empress Dowager Zhou’s gentle tone and seeing her smile, their hearts couldn’t help relaxing.

  Everyone said that the Empress Dowager was strict, but who would have thought that she would be this gentle when she speaks? The fear in their hearts receded a bit.

  “Reporting to the Empress Dowager, this miss feels the scenery here is very magnificent and beautiful.” Wu Yue Er was the first to speak. Her tone was courteous and her voice was sweet and tender.

  After all, she had been in the palace before and had seen Empress Dowager Zhou. She was not as restrained as the other girls, raising a delicate white face and revealing a smile to Empress Dowager Zhou. Her eyes however were slightly slanted to the emperor sitting beside Empress Dowager Zhou.

  “No matter how beautiful the scenery is, it can’t be as beautiful as Yue’er. After not seeing each other for so long, Yue’er seems even more beautiful.” Empress Dowager Zhou nodded at Wu Yue Er with a smile.