The date of the draft has been set, and the ministers of the DPRK and the Central Government have a daughter who is at the age of marriage to be married, where is still sitting, and his heart is even more happy, if his daughter is angry, enters the harem, and he and the royal family are in-laws, then his status in the officialdom will be on a higher level, not to mention the glory and prosperity of the family.

However, this discerning person knows that no matter how beautiful and refined their daughter is, it is not as good as the two daughters of Lord Shangshu and Nanaland, and the choice of concubines is not only to pick beautiful people, but also to consider the family and concubines.

Based on this alone, those ordinary petty officials are also out of reach of this concubine selection, but the palace has asked that as long as there is a daughter of the emperor's age in the family, they must participate in this concubine selection, which is also the tradition of the Great Qi dynasties, implying that the royal emperor is willing to be a family with hundreds of officials.

Those who don't want their daughters to suffer the sins of the court, if they don't report the quota, they have to be dealt with as the crime of bullying the king, so when the day of choosing a concubine comes every year, it is the focus of heated discussions.

Inside the Shangshu Mansion

Her father, who had always been unsmiling, suddenly summoned her to the study, and Lin Ziwan had to put down the unfinished embroidery in her hand and rushed over. After all, she is the daughter of Shangshu, although she is wearing a slightly simple plain white long brocade robe, but all of this dress shows a noble atmosphere.

The dark brown silk thread embroidered the strange and strong branches on the fabric, and the peach-colored silk thread embroidered a blooming plum blossom, extending from the skirt to the waist, a wide purple belt tightened the thin waist, and the figure was slender, giving people a sense of elegance and luxury.

The weather was a little cold, and she was in a hurry to go out, so the girl hurriedly put on a light purple open gauze for her, and her hurried every move caused the gauze to have a sense of sparkling flow, and a piece of jade jade pendant was tied around her waist, which also added an elegant atmosphere.

With a milky white jade bracelet on his hand, a long hair with purple and white ribbons curled out of a slightly complicated hairstyle, very beautiful, the hair may be smeared with some rose essence, exuding a charming fragrance, the hair is inserted with a jade hosta, ingenious to make the appearance of green bamboo with leaves, the forehead thin and long bangs are neat and rigorous, and the dress all reveals the elegant temperament of its women's home.

Lin Ziwan came to the study, raised her hand and knocked lightly on the door.

The light red cherry lips opened slightly, "Dad, are you looking for me?" ”

"Come in," came a breathless voice.

"Dad..."Lin Ziwan paced to the desk and shouted, looking at her father who was splashing ink on the paper and painting, thinking to herself that her father must have come to her this time to choose a concubine, and she felt a little depressed in her heart.

"Hmm..." Na Shangshu put down the brush and looked at Lin Ziwan, his daughter, her posture is also there, but she doesn't know who she is with her temper, she can't be stubborn.

He stood up straight, put his hands behind his back, and said, "Listen to your mother, you and the poor boy haven't been cut off yet?" ”

Lin Ziwan frowned at Qi Liuye, pursed her lips, and said for a long time, "No~ Dad, don't listen to your mother's nonsense..."

"Whether it's groundless or not, since someone said so, that is, you don't usually look like a young lady, I am looking for you today to remind you that it is impossible for me to agree to you being with him!" Shang Shu exhaled and glared at Lin Ziwan. The daughter of his dignified scholar, if others knew that she was not clear with a poor boy who lived in a thatched house, and did not make people laugh off his big teeth, his Shangshu Mansion would also become a joke.

"Dad, Liu Sheng has now worshiped Mrs. Li as his teacher, and in the future, he will definitely make great achievements!" Lin Ziwan said with some eagerness, she couldn't allow anyone to look down on her sweetheart.

"You...! Worship Mrs. Li as a teacher, but he can't support a doorman... What do you think he can do? Wan'er, your dignified daughter of a scholar, had a private meeting with a poor boy? I warn you, if you still have a relationship with him, don't blame me for being rude to him! Na Shangshu frowned, raised his hand and pointed at Lin Ziwan, looking like he hated him and mourned it.

Lin Ziwan raised her head when she heard this, her peach blossom eyes were not without anger, and she wanted to question, but she understood that this would only anger her father even more, and if something happened to Liu Lang, she would definitely not let her go.

"Father, I know..."Lin Ziwan's eyes were red, she held back the choking in her voice, clenched her fists, and said forbearingly.

If she could, she would rather not be the daughter of this Shangshu, and enjoy endless glory and wealth for a lifetime? She would rather give up these, give up these gorgeous clothes and brocade clothes, in exchange for staying with Liu Sheng for the rest of her life, even if she lives in a thatched hut and eats chaff vegetables, she is very happy to think about it, as long as she can be with him.

"Let's go down..."Shang Shu waved his sleeves a little wide, seeing her like this, he was slightly relieved, but he was still a little anxious.

Now, it is a sensitive period, those ministers, who think they are smart, think that they can prosper by choosing a concubine, and think that their daughter can enter the eyes of the emperor, but they don't know that the struggle in the harem is not inferior to the ups and downs of officialdom...

Watching Lin Ziwan walk out of the study, Shang Shu was thoughtful.

Lin Ziwan walked out of the study and exhaled deeply, her skin was fair and delicate, her skin with pink rouge was even more crimson because of the conversation just now, her beautiful eyes were also a little moist, and the red halo around her eyes also climbed.

"Miss, what's the matter?" The girl Xiuzhu asked with a somewhat embarrassed look when she saw her master's red eyes.

Lin Ziwan stopped, looked at the little girl in front of her, her eyes tightened, how did her mother know about her meeting with Liu Sheng? At the beginning, she was the only one who went out of the house with herself, and her actions were only clear to her.

"Xiuzhu! How daring! Lin Ziwan drank.

"Miss, what's wrong?" When Xiuzhu heard Lin Ziwan shouting like this, she was so frightened that she immediately knelt down, her voice was eager, and she probably knew what was going on in her heart.

"What's wrong?! You're too embarrassed to ask me what's wrong? Lin Ziwan was carried away by anger, and she couldn't care about the etiquette lessons taught by those grandmothers, her hands were wrapped around her chest, and the corners of her mouth hooked a sneer.

Then without waiting for Xiuzhu to speak, he said, "I treat you as a sister, and you actually betrayed me!" ”

Xiuzhu knows Lin Ziwan's personality very well, although she looks gentle and gentle on the surface, she still has a kind of arrogance in her bones, and she has a clear distinction between right and wrong. immediately begged for mercy, choked up, "Miss, I was wrong, it was my wife who forced me~ If I don't say it, I will be kicked out of the house, Miss, you also know my situation, I still have a seriously ill mother and young brother at home, if I leave, without monthly money, our family will not have to live..."

Lin Ziwan saw her burst into tears, and after all, she was soft-hearted, this Xiuzhu was forced to her by her mother at the beginning, if it seems now, she was sent to spy on her, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Let me let you serve me again, I won't want you anymore... You can go to the firewood room for me to work..."

"But, Madame's side..."Xiuzhu saw that it was useless to play the sad card, so she had to move out of Madame, working in the firewood room was the hardest errand in the house, and she really didn't want to go to the firewood room.

"You don't have to worry about this... I'll find her myself," Lin Ziwan said, and then stopped caring about her and just walked away.

Back in the room, Lin Ziwan saw the embroidery that had not yet been embroidered, the two mandarin ducks were only half embroidered, she ran over, picked up the embroidery and fell to the ground angrily, she didn't like to do these things since she was a child, if it wasn't for her mother's compulsion, she always whispered in her ear about the etiquette of those daughters' families, and always let her remember her identity as the daughter of Shangshu, she would not accept all her arrangements.

Learn the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, the female worker arranges flowers, and even eats and walks have to remember those rules, in the years when she didn't see Liu Sheng, she only felt like a puppet, living for Shangshufu.

Lin Ziwan was tired, lying motionless on the bed, tears like beads with broken threads across her white cheeks and falling onto the cotton silk and turning into shadows.

Lin heard Xiuzhu say that Shangshu made an appointment with Lin Ziwan in the morning, and when she came back, she was sent to the firewood room, she didn't come for Xiuzhu, she was just a girl, and she couldn't bother so much. It's just that why is this old man looking for her? Isn't it for the sake of choosing a concubine?

Who knew that she pushed open the door, but saw that the room was full of messes, and she said, "Ah! The delicate embroidered shoes were worried about the feet, but there was no place to stay.

She couldn't imagine that a well-behaved daughter would smash things like a commoner shrew. Where did she learn the etiquette of those daughters' families?!

"Wan'er! Tell me what's going on? Lin looked at Lin Ziwan who was lying on the bed and shouted angrily.

Lin Ziwan wiped her tears, she didn't go looking for her, but she had already come to her, it seems that this Xiuzhu's speed is really fast. But she can't say that her emotional runaway is related to Yanagi. I just wiped my tears and started from the bed, my tone was still a little unnatural, "It's okay, it's just that I'm a little bored..."

"Feeling upset? If you're upset, you can smash things? How did my mother teach you? Words and deeds! Lin pointed to the mess again.

"Got it..."Lin Ziwan knew that if she went against her, it wouldn't do her any good.

Seeing her mild attitude, Lin had no choice but to give up, sat on the edge of the bed and said, "What is your father looking for you?" Isn't it about choosing a concubine? ”

Lin Ziwan only clenched her fists when she heard that she was just choosing a concubine, she knew that her mother was bent on letting her enter the palace and win glory for the Taishou Mansion, but how could it be? If she is really forced to go to the palace, she will definitely be forced to die.

Seeing that Lin Ziwan lowered her head and didn't reply, Lin knew that it must have something to do with this matter, so she immediately approached Lin Ziwan, and a pair of well-maintained hands stroked Lin Ziwan's soft long hair, with a look of relief, "Your father, a few days ago, he said that he wouldn't let you choose a concubine, who knew that he would let go today?" You have to be well prepared and clear what you don't have in your heart..."This is not without implication.

At the beginning, she ran into Liu Sheng when she went out of the house, although she was dressed in cheap coarse cloth clothes, but the scholarly Confucianism could not be concealed, and Liu Sheng was also attracted by Lin Ziwan's otherworldly happiness, and sometimes, love is a look back, and a look is so natural and unexpected.

She knew at that time that he was teaching at a private school, and often went out of the house to find him privately, and he would wait for her outside the Taishou Mansion.

However, there is no impermeable wall in this world, and during a private meeting with Yanagi, the mother who followed behind knew about it, and the mother didn't say a word and ordered the entourage behind her to tie up Yanagi.

Her mother's harsh words made her completely forget that she was the most well-informed woman who paid attention to etiquette, and she grabbed her with angry eyes, and let her watch Yanagi being beaten by those men who were armed with sticks.

By the end, Yanagi had almost fainted to death, and his mother just blindly asked, "When do you say that you don't want to associate with this kid anymore, I'll ask them to stop..."

Later, she couldn't stand it anymore, her eyes were full of tears, she knelt down and begged her, begging, "Mother, I was wrong, you let them stop, I will never have anything to do with him again, go back to the house and continue to be your good daughter!" ”

Seeing her say this, the Lin family let those subordinates listen to it, regardless of Liu Sheng's life or death, he grabbed Lin Ziwan and went home. Since then, she no longer dares to meet Yanagi again, she is afraid, she is afraid that Yanagi will be in danger again.

Waking up from that painful and heart-wrenching memory, Lin Ziwan only said lightly, "Mother, I won't go to participate in the selection of concubines, my father is not looking for me to choose a concubine, you still die and let me enter the palace..."

This time it was Lin's turn to be dumbfounded, why couldn't this old man think about it, she would inevitably take care of this matter to the end, and she would inevitably send her daughter to the palace in person.