Chapter 2

    Sisi sat pensively in her room at the guest quarters, piecing together why she had advanced to the final round.

    Of the seven young women who made it, only she and Xu Mingde hailed from the Xu clan’s influence, while the other five were from the Jin clan.

    Dazhong, despite being ruled by the Emperor, was rife with factionalism within the royal court. The major powers were divided between the officials aligned with the Xu family, under the Minister of Finance, Xu Jianhan, and those aligned with the Jin family, under the Chancellor, Jin Xinzhong, known to everyone as Yi Marquis. There were other factions too, but none as influential as these two. Sisi's father was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Finance, naturally aligning with the Xu faction. Her decision to assist Xu Mingde was partly because she was her father’s employer’s daughter.

    The beauty selection, superficially just a search for concubines for the Emperor, was actually a struggle for internal power among the clans. The only two from the Xu faction made it this far seemed planned. Since Xu Mingde was adept at cooking, the sabotage had failed to prevent her from advancing. As for Sisi...

    It seemed she was merely a pawn.

    She was average in looks, skill, and knowledge. Many other young women were more talented and attractive, but they let her advance to block other Xu clan women from reaching the final round and competing with the Jin clan women. After all, Sisi was unlikely to be chosen anyway.

    This left only one Xu woman to deal with... Xu Mingde.

    She could not allow Xu Mingde to be sabotaged in the final round. Otherwise, the entire influence of the palace would shift to the Jin clan, destabilizing the Xu's standing in the royal court.

    "You must be careful," Sisi warned as she visited Xu Mingde in her room.

    "I will," Xu Mingde nodded resolutely.

    However, on the morning of the final selection, Xu Mingde fell ill from food poisoning and had to call the royal physician. Seeing her pale, sweating face made Sisi anxious. She did not know how it happened, but given Xu Mingde's condition, she clearly would not be able to proceed.

    "How are you feeling?"

    "Hmm... What did you say?" Xu Mingde replied, sounding delirious, increasing Sisi's concern.

    The royal physician told Sisi, "Miss Xu has a mild fever, which may cause some disorientation. I've ordered medicine for her, and she should feel better soon."

    "She won't be able to participate in the selection," mama[1] the caretaker of the guest quarters stated wearily before instructing a young eunuch, "After she gets better, arrange to send her back to the Xu family estate."

    Cutting the problem at its root...

    It was a very efficient tactic. Why bother with sabotage during the selection if you can deal with it before the event even begins? Sisi bit her lip uncontrollably, realizing that only those aligned with the Jin clan could pass the final round. They were already so ruthless even without official titles.

    After a while, Sisi was summoned by a servant to get dressed, forcing her to grit her teeth and give up on Xu Mingde. She felt uneasy, knowing that this beauty selection could potentially affect the stability of the Xu clan nobles in the future.

    Looking at the reflection of her face, meticulously made up in the mirror, she felt strangely detached. It had been a long time since she had dressed up like this. Even though the makeup made her look much better, her skin was still naturally dark. Soon, she was called out.

    An elderly eunuch led the six young women to a medium-sized room with a low table and seven cushions arranged in two rows. The table was neatly set with inkstones, color bottles, and brushes. At the far end of the room was a raised platform with the Emperor's golden throne.

    Sisi was seated at the table on the right in the back row, the position farthest from the throne. Her heart sank when she noticed the empty table in front of her... it was meant for Xu Mingde.

    She waited about half the duration of an incense stick when a high-pitched voice of an eunuch announced,

    "The Emperor arrives! The Empress Dowager arrives!"

    Everyone in the room simultaneously showed their respects to the two visitors. Then, she heard a young man's deep voice commanding,

    "Rise."

    Though brief, his command carried a weight and authority.

    Sisi, who remained seated, glanced up to scrutinize the Emperor seated on the golden throne. She could only vaguely make him out from her distant spot. From what she could see, he was tall, robust and had sharp features, but she could not discern the details of his face from that distance.

    "The theme for this round is..." announced the elderly eunuch, pulling down a large scroll to reveal the final round's topic set up by the Emperor himself.

    'Beautiful Memories.'

    "Each young woman has one hour to paint a beautiful memory. The three paintings that most please His Majesty will advance."

    Since this was an unforeseen topic, there was no time for prior preparation; they had to rely solely on their skill and wits at the moment. However, the topic was fairly open-ended.

    Sisi stared at the blank paper on her table for a moment, then took a deep breath and confidently picked up a brush.

    Two hours passed.

    The elderly eunuch's voice rang out once more,

    "Put down your brushes!"

    The six paintings were collected and placed in front of the Emperor. He picked up the first one and asked,

    "Miss Jin, why did you choose to paint this peach tree?"

    Jin Jiaomei, dressed in a soft pink elegant gown, stood up gracefully, her beautiful young face bright with a wide smile as she replied,

    "I answer to Your Majesty, this peach tree is in the garden behind my quater at home. My mother and I planted it when I was very young. I was so impatient; I thought it grew too slowly and tried to water it every hour, almost killing it. My mother scolded me, then taught me that planting requires patience and waiting to yield a strong and beautiful tree. I followed her advice, patiently waiting for years until it grew robust and bloomed beautifully every year. Thus, this peach tree represents 'Beautiful Memories' for me, Your Majesty."

    "Well said," praised the Empress Dowager with a fond smile for Jin Jiaomei, while the Emperor simply nodded in acknowledgment.

    Sisi had seen Jin Jiaomei's painting for a moment when an attendant collected it. It depicted a blossoming pink peach tree, beautifully rendered with delicate brushwork. Jin Jiaomei’s choice to link her memory to family relations was a smart move, especially given her youth. At just fifteen, the youngest in the selection, her focus on family narrated a story of well-cultured upbringing.

    The Emperor viewed four more paintings, asking the same question he posed to Jin Jiaomei, his expression unchanging until he reached Sisi's painting.

    However, when he unfolded her painting, one of his eyebrows raised, and his piercing eyes turned to look directly at Sisi, standing near the edge of the room.

    "Miss Dong, is this the banner of General Yang at the eastern frontier?"

    It was a question unlike the previous ones, and Sisi was slightly taken aback, not expecting him to recognize the banner as well.

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "Why has it become a beautiful memory for you?"

    "Your Majesty, I once traveled to the eastern frontier with my uncle on a trade mission. There, I saw this large, old, and dirty banner on the city walls. At the time, I didn't understand why it wasn’t replaced, but after learning about General Yang's story, I deeply understood the saying that though one may die, their deeds and reputation endure.

    This banner, planted by General Yang fifty years ago after a significant victory, is a testament to that saying. Although it may not be the most visually beautiful thing, the significance hidden within that banner is the most beautiful thing I have encountered. I believe General Yang's banner is not only a beautiful memory for me but for many others as well."

    After she finished, the Emperor remained silent, his gaze fixed on her painting for a long while before he spoke.

    "This banner is also one of my beautiful memories."

    That statement drew envious glares from the other five women and a look of displeasure from the Empress Dowager.

    Sisi ignored those looks. She stood straight, her eyes sparkling with determination. Although she knew the final selections would favor those from the Jin clan, she was resolved to show that a daughter of the Dong clan was neither foolish nor weak-willed.

    She was not someone to be trifled with easily!

[1] "Mama" refers to a senior servant, typically aged between 40-50 years old.