Show girls from all over the country are selected. All officials from the fifth rank and above, and women between the ages of 14 and 17 in their families, are required to participate in the primary election.

The selection of show girls is sponsored by the household department. Every year when the show girls are selected, the household department will first control the yamen and the provinces directly under the government, and the women who are candidates for the appropriate age will be submitted to the prefect by the patriarch one by one, and then sent to the household department for the record. Before the pick-up, the daughters of foreign officials should be sent to the capital first, and then sent together with the women who should be selected in Beijing, and the show girls got off outside the Shenwu Gate in a mule cart, and the eunuchs were introduced from the Shenwu Gate in order, and gathered in front of the Shunzhen Gate and grouped.

On the first day after grouping, the internal supervisor still inspected and selected, and first eliminated a group of women from the overall appearance, such as slightly taller, slightly shorter, slightly fatter, and slightly thinner women were excluded from the palace maids;

The next day is more carefully selected, the internal supervision committee starts from the five senses, check the ears, eyes, mouth, nose, hair, skin, collar, shoulders, back, etc.

On the third day, the internal supervisor had another assessment standard, and the mother in charge first measured the women's hands and feet with a ruler, and then asked them to walk dozens of steps, and eliminated those with slightly short wrists, slightly larger toes, or slightly irritable behavior. After three days, there were only about 1,000 people left. Proceed to the next round of selection.

In the second round of selection, the stable woman in the palace conducted a physical examination of the remaining 1,000 people again, and after "probing their breasts, sniffing their armpits, and touching their textures", only about 300 girls were left to meet the "show girl" standard;

The third round: by a special person to the three hundred new "show girls" for closed training, in order to observe their personality style, diet and daily life, etc., this month, Wen Po and others will be according to their temperament, style, wisdom and wisdom and the emperor's preferences, and then select "beautiful and beautiful, intelligent and overwhelming" 50 people as concubine candidates. Those who are not selected can officially stay in the palace as palace maids or return to their hometowns according to their wishes;

The daughters of officials above the second rank are not required to participate in the first three rounds of selection because of their noble status. It will be inspected by the palace grandmother and directly participate in the next round.

Fourth round: The queen mother or concubines will select the three most satisfactory candidates from the remaining fifty;

Fifth round: The emperor personally selects one of these three to become the queen of the world, and the remaining two concubines are crowned, and then according to the emperor's wishes, the remaining nuns are hand-picked to be satisfied.

The titles of the concubines of the Southern Zhou Dynasty are: queen, imperial concubine, concubine, concubine, Zhaoyi, Jieyu, beauty, talent, concubine, etc.

The emperor's wife is only the queen, and in addition, according to the feudal system: one imperial concubine, two concubines, four concubines, and the rest have no fixed number. The queen lives in the middle palace, and from the imperial concubine to the talented people, they live in the east and west palaces. There are many women in each palace to serve.

"Fengtian carried the emperor, and the edict said: The daughter of Zheng Hao, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, Zheng Min, is cautious and elegant, diligent and supple, Yonghe is pure, gentle and good-natured, and virtuous. Immediately canonized as a concubine, given the name "Xian", and lived in "Zhongcui Palace", admire this!

Fengtian carried the emperor, and the edict said: Liu Yan, the daughter of Liu Ming, the head of the household, Liu Yan, Roujia Shushun, elegant and pleasant, dignified Shurui, Keling Kerou, An Zhen Yeji, Yonghe Cuichun. Immediately canonized as Zhaoyi, living in the "Changchun Palace", admire this!

Fengtian carried the emperor, and the edict said: Li Mei, the eldest daughter of Li Zhengzhi, Taichang Siqing, is smart and agile, dignified and wise, respectful and cautious, has served the palace for a long time, has a sensitive nature, and does not exceed the courtesy. Immediately canonized as a beauty, living in the "Ganquan Palace", admire this!

Fengtian carried the emperor, and the edict said: The salt transport envoy Si Yun and Yang Zhi's daughter, Yang Jin, are quiet and gentle, beautiful and light, graceful and quiet, and cautious, and Rou Jiawei is deeply comforted. Immediately canonized as a talented person, living in the "Virtuous Concubine Zhongcui Palace", admire this! ”

The selection of the show girl is over, and the canonization will be announced to the world. It is scheduled that after March, the emperor and queen will get married and enter the palace with their concubines.

On the day Ye Zhiqiu left the imperial city, after saying goodbye to his grandfather's family, he was caught up by the carriage of the Xie Marquis Mansion at the city gate.

"Why don't you just talk to me and leave? When you become a quasi-queen, you won't recognize me as a good sister? ”

"Sister, what are you talking about...... I'm just before entering the palace....... I was able to go back and see where my grandfather grew up with me. Later..... I'm afraid I don't have a chance. ”

"I didn't expect that people are not as good as heaven......... I wanted to enter the palace, but my father set me a kiss; And you tried your best but still ......."

"Sister is so blessed, the prince of Huainan, gentle and elegant, handsome and talented. The prince and the princess raised their eyebrows together and governed the family strictly. Everyone said: Princess Huainan, women don't let the eyebrows, usually hate men with three rooms and four concubines, you don't have to worry about the future prince, the princess is all for you, but the concubine is worried. Lord Hou and Mrs. cherish their sister, this is a good family affair on the door........"

"Yes, the Hou Mansion looks at the scenery on the surface, and the concubines in the mansion compete for favor, and there are no dirty and obscene means. Daddy has been clear in his heart all these years: I am arrogant and favored, short-tempered, not the most intelligent, and I can't compare to a woman from a worse background than me in terms of means and scheming. I'm worried that I'll be affected by the disaster of the house in the future. In addition, the king of Huainan and my father are both hereditary titles, so they don't have to fight openly and secretly, and their personal relationship is also very good........

"I envy you........."

"Hmph, I still envy you! The person you want to marry is my heart...... People ......." Xie Wan said in the end, like the sound of mosquitoes, with a sad and resentful expression.

Ye Zhiqiu wanted to express her protest with her expression, but she was exhausted, and in the end, she only pulled the corners of her mouth helplessly.

"Alright........ Know that this is not what you want. But think about it: the emperor is like an immortal....... You are a wife again, after the middle palace, what are the harem concubines to be afraid of? ”

Ye Zhiqiu smiled bitterly, "The queens of the past dynasties seem to have a desolate end, and there are many favorite concubines........"

Xie Wan scratched her head in embarrassment, "The emperor and queen also have a loving one.......... For example, the first emperor and the first queen, deep love, can not be born in the same year and month, but can be ........ same year and the same day" She didn't finish the last word before she felt wrong.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at her funny: "No wonder Lord Hou refuses to send you to the palace,..... Be your princess. ”

"I'll still be ........... when you get back"

Ye Zhiqiu wanted to express her protest with her expression, but she was exhausted, and in the end, she only pulled the corners of her mouth helplessly.

"Alright........ Know that this is not what you want. But think about it: the emperor is like an immortal....... You are a wife again, after the middle palace, what are the harem concubines to be afraid of? ”

Ye Zhiqiu smiled bitterly, "The queens of the past dynasties seem to have a desolate end, and there are many favorite concubines........"

Xie Wan scratched her head in embarrassment, "The emperor and queen also have a loving one.......... For example, the first emperor and the first queen, deep love, can not be born in the same year and month, but can be ........ same year and the same day" She didn't finish the last word before she felt wrong.

Ye Zhiqiu looked at her funny: "No wonder Lord Hou refuses to send you to the palace,..... Be your princess. ”

"I'll still be ........... when you get back"