Chancellor Wei raised his hand, and immediately attendants presented several scrolls of portraits.
Eunuch Cao stepped forward to inspect them before displaying them before Lu Yan.
Each lady in the portraits was as beautiful as a flower, and among them, the most exquisitely painted was the one placed prominently in the center—a lady named Wei Tongxin, positioned to catch Lu Yan’s eye at first glance.
The underlying intention was as clear as day.
Lu Yan’s dark, abyssal eyes gleamed with even greater interest.
Just as Lu Mingtang had said—how intriguing. He was growing more and more eager to see how things would unfold.
Lu Yan shifted his posture and casually pointed to the central portrait. “This one looks quite interesting.”
Seeing that Lu Yan had indeed chosen the one he had carefully selected, Chancellor Wei was pleased. “Your Majesty, this is my own niece, similar in age to Empress Dowager’s niece. However, in terms of appearance—and I say this without boasting—she surpasses the other by three parts.”
Chancellor Wei might as well have outright called Zhang Ke’er ugly. Though Zhang Ke’er was a striking beauty, she still fell short of being a peerless beauty. In terms of appearance alone, the Wei Tongxin chosen by Chancellor Wei did indeed surpass Zhang Ke’er.
Empress Dowager Zhang’s expression instantly darkened. “Chancellor Wei, when choosing a wife, one should prioritize virtue. As the mother of the nation, the empress should be selected first and foremost for her dignified and virtuous character. By stuffing the emperor’s surroundings with beauties, are you truly seeking a capable partner for him, or are you encouraging him to indulge in sensual pleasures?”
“Empress Dowager, your words are mistaken. Does beauty preclude virtue? Whether Zhang Ke’er is virtuous and gentle is merely your own claim. My niece has been raised under my own care and personally instructed by me. If we were to compare, Empress Dowager’s niece likely falls short by ten thousandfold.”
Empress Dowager Zhang sneered. “Chancellor Wei truly knows how to praise his own wares. If we speak of talent and learning, your own daughter, Wei Ruoyi, became famous throughout the capital at the age of thirteen with her poem ‘Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River.’ Not only does she surpass my niece, but among all the ladies in the world, none can compare. Why, then, have you not presented a portrait of your daughter? If someone as talented and beautiful as Ruoyi were proposed, I would be the first to support it.”
Chancellor Wei’s face instantly darkened, and the court fell into complete silence.
Everyone knew that while Chancellor Wei was cunning, treacherous, and ruthless, he cherished his only daughter like the apple of his eye.
By deliberately bringing up Wei Ruoyi to provoke him, Empress Dowager Zhang had struck a nerve—how could Chancellor Wei possibly push his precious daughter into such a pit of fire?
“Empress Dowager jests. My daughter is a year older than His Majesty. How could she be a suitable match?”
“As the saying goes, ‘A wife three years older brings gold and silver.’ Moreover, she is only a year older. His Majesty is young and playful, still childlike at heart. An empress a few years older could care for him more thoughtfully and virtuously. What do the other ministers think?”
The court officials dared not utter a word. The exchange between Empress Dowager Zhang and Chancellor Wei was filled with tension, teetering on the brink of an open confrontation.
Chancellor Wei shifted the focus. “Among these beauties, does Your Majesty have a particular favorite? Since this is the selection of an empress for Your Majesty, your own preference should come first.”
Empress Dowager Zhang immediately turned her gaze to Lu Yan. The position of empress must belong to the Zhang family—the empress of Da Wei could only come from the Zhang family!
Lu Yan suddenly let out a low laugh, his stunningly beautiful yet eerie features twisting into a smirk. "I find both rather interesting, so I shall bring them both into the palace. I will have plenty of fun with them."
Compared to the ever-shifting storms of the court, Lu Mingtang’s situation was far more leisurely.
Holding Lu Yan’s waist token, Lu Mingtang moved through the palace unimpeded, heading straight for the Department of Attire with clear purpose.
She intended to retrieve a palace maid named Bai Lu, who had been her personal attendant in her previous life. Back then, she had saved Bai Lu by chance after gaining power, rescuing her from a near-fatal beating by a senior seamstress.
Bai Lu had proven fiercely loyal, rising from a lowly maid in the princess’s residence to become her chief personal attendant.
In her previous life, when Jiang Chaosheng massacred the princess’s residence, Bai Lu had been brutally killed by his men while trying to protect her.
Now, Lu Mingtang would bring Bai Lu to her side ahead of time. With many tasks ahead, she needed capable and loyal hands by her side.
The Department of Attire oversaw the clothing for the imperial harem, and Lu Mingtang’s timing was perfect—today was the annual grand competition held by the department.
At the moment, the lowest-ranking palace maids were competing, with one to be selected as a senior seamstress from this event.
The eunuch guiding her was about to announce her arrival: "Her Highness the Princess has—"
Lu Mingtang raised a hand to stop him. "This competition looks quite interesting. Let’s watch for a moment."
In her previous life, Lu Mingtang had always been curious. Bai Lu was skilled and diligent, yet before being rescued, she had remained a low-ranking maid in the Department of Attire for years, never even rising to the rank of senior seamstress.
Bai Lu was not one to speak much of herself, and Lu Mingtang had never pressed for details.
Now, reborn into this life, she had moved up the timeline of past events, giving her the perfect opportunity to uncover the reasons behind it all.
There were nearly fifty low-ranking maids in the Department of Attire. Arranged in rows of ten, they sat at tables spread across an open courtyard, heads bowed as they embroidered with tense concentration.
The theme of the embroidery was winter plum blossoms. As long as the content related to winter plums, the maids were free to interpret the design as they wished.
Lu Mingtang scanned the crowd and immediately spotted Bai Lu in the second seat from the right in the first row.
The competition was nearing its end when a gong sounded. "Time’s up! Everyone stop and place your embroidery on the table."
The time had been extremely tight, and when the gong rang, many had not even finished their work.
Bai Lu promptly set down her embroidery, while the maid seated to her left shot her a provocative glance as she did the same.
She whispered, "Don’t waste your effort. The position of senior seamstress will undoubtedly be mine."
Bai Lu glanced at her but paid no further attention.
Siyi, the head of the department, inspected each piece one by one. When she reached Bai Lu’s, she picked up the embroidery, examined it closely, and gave Bai Lu an extra look.
After exchanging a few words with the deputy beside her, Siyi moved on to the maid who had provoked Bai Lu earlier. After reviewing her work, she also spoke briefly with the deputy.
Once the inspection was complete, Siyi returned to her seat. The deputy whispered something in her ear, and Siyi nodded, picking up a brush to write in the registry.
Soon, the deputy stepped forward with the registry and announced, "The winner of today’s grand competition is Die’er, who is hereby promoted to senior seamstress."
This Die’er was the same maid who had provoked Bai Lu earlier. As she stood up, she couldn’t resist tilting her chin triumphantly in Bai Lu’s direction.
Rising to express her gratitude, Die’er said, "Die’er thanks Siyi—"
"Siyi, this humble maid wishes to report that Die’er bribed the deputy with silver, violating the rules of the competition. I beg Siyi to see the truth!"
Bai Lu rose and kowtowed, her words striking like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, plunging the surroundings into silence. The other palace maids stared at her in disbelief.
As Bai Lu made her revelation, the expressions on the faces of the other maids were not of surprise but of admiration. This indicated that they were all aware of the matter she had exposed—only none had dared to be as bold as her, to speak out openly before everyone!
Die'er's face abruptly changed. "You're lying! Siyi, please see clearly—Bai Lu is jealous that I was appointed as the head seamstress, so she slanders me out of malice. I beg you to uphold justice for me!"