As Ye Jinyun stepped into the main hall, she heard her third younger sister, Ye Jinrong, acting coquettishly toward Old Madam Ye, making the old lady laugh heartily.
Walking up to her grandmother, Ye Jinyun respectfully greeted her.
“Jinyun pays her respects to Grandmother. How has your health been today?”
Old Madam Ye nodded.
“I’m doing quite well. Rong’er is the best at cheering me up. You should learn from your younger sister. You’re always so quiet and never know how to make yourself likable.”
Ye Jinyun rolled her eyes inwardly but replied politely,
“Grandmother is right. Third Sister is loved by everyone. She’s also breathtakingly beautiful. Jinyun naturally cannot compare.”
Ye Jinrong sat on a small stool nearby. Ever since Ye Jinyun entered the hall, she had not bothered to give her a proper glance.
She had no desire to look at her ugly elder sister’s face and ruin her appetite.
Hearing Ye Jinyun praise her only made her even prouder.
Of course she was beautiful. With looks like hers, she was considered one of the most stunning beauties in the entire capital.
How could Ye Jinyun not know what her younger sister was thinking?
Ye Jinrong was the daughter of Madam Yang, her stepmother, and was half a year younger than her. Madam Yang had also borne a son, their eldest brother, Ye Huaibo.
Because Madam Yang had given birth to a son and was quite attractive herself, she had always enjoyed Ye Father’s favor.
After Ye Jinyun’s mother passed away, Ye Father elevated Madam Yang to the position of principal wife. Naturally, the children she bore became the legitimate young master and young ladies of the household.
As a result, Ye Jinyun’s status as the original legitimate daughter became a thorn in the eyes of both Madam Yang and Ye Jinrong.
From childhood to adulthood, they had never stopped trying to make things difficult for her.
Fortunately, thanks to the System, Ye Jinyun had never truly suffered any losses.
At Madam Yang’s instigation, Ye Jinrong had attempted several times to teach her a lesson, but Ye Jinyun always managed to avoid the traps.
Eventually, Ye Jinrong began looking at her as though she were some kind of monster and stopped trying to harm her directly.
Instead, she occasionally played petty tricks or mocked her with sarcastic remarks.
Ye Jinyun could never be bothered with such childish antics.
“Enough,” Ye Father said from the seat of honor. “I called everyone here today because there is an important matter to discuss. Quiet down.”
Everyone in the hall immediately answered,
“Yes.”
Ye Jinyun quickly found a seat and sat down, turning to look at her handsome father.
Although Ye Father was already thirty-nine years old, he was still dignified and strikingly handsome. Standing around six feet tall with a refined bearing, he was the very image of a charming middle-aged gentleman.
No wonder the concubines in his courtyard were all completely infatuated with him, making Madam Yang grind her teeth in jealousy.
After taking a sip of tea, Ye Father continued,
“His Majesty has issued an imperial decree to hold a large-scale selection of women for the imperial harem. Any official who has a daughter who has reached the age of coming-of-age must send her to participate in the selection.”
“In our household, both Yun’er and Rong’er have already come of age, so both of them must enter the palace for the selection. This matter concerns the entire family, and no mistakes can be allowed.”
The room immediately fell silent.
Everyone exchanged glances.
With Third Miss’s exceptional beauty, no one worried about her prospects in the selection.
But Second Miss…
Ye Father glanced around the room, knowing exactly what everyone was thinking.
He continued,
“His Majesty specifically ordered that all eligible daughters of officials must participate. Even if Yun’er’s appearance is lacking, she must still enter the palace.”
“Otherwise, it would be considered deceiving the emperor. Who among you could bear such a crime? Do you all understand?”
Everyone hurriedly voiced their agreement.
Madam Yang also quickly responded affirmatively.
Just then, a delicate voice sounded.
“Ah, Madam is truly blessed. Once Third Miss enters the palace, she’ll surely rise to great heights. Unlike me, who is useless and failed to bear the Master even a single child. I’ll have no one to rely on in the future.”
The speaker was Concubine Lin.
She was the newest concubine Ye Father had taken the previous year.
Only three months after entering the residence, she became pregnant, but unfortunately lost the child. She had cried and made a scene over it for quite some time.
Naturally beautiful and still very young, she was greatly favored by Ye Father.
And that made Madam Yang hate her the most.
Relying on her youth, Concubine Lin constantly monopolized the Master’s attention. How could Madam Yang tolerate that?
After all, Madam Yang herself had once been a favored concubine and had climbed step by step to her current position.
There was no way she would allow someone else to follow the same path.
So she had bribed one of Concubine Lin’s servants to secretly administer miscarriage-inducing medicine.
Not only had the child been lost, but Concubine Lin’s health had been permanently damaged.
Without a child to rely on, Madam Yang wanted to see how long she could continue enjoying the Master’s favor.
“Our Rong’er is naturally the most fortunate,” Madam Yang declared proudly.
“If she becomes an imperial consort, the Ye family will prosper along with her. Future generations of the Ye clan will enjoy her protection as well.”
The more she spoke, the more excited she became.
Her face practically glowed.
With her daughter’s beauty, entering the palace was all but guaranteed.
In the future, Rong’er could even support her brother’s official career.
Madam Yang could already envision the glory and prestige awaiting her in the second half of her life.
Meanwhile, Ye Jinyun had no interest in listening to their conversation.
The moment she heard her father say that she would also have to participate in the imperial selection, her mind had gone blank.
An imperial harem selection?
In her previous life, she had only ever seen such stories on television.
Now she was actually going to experience one herself?
She might even get to meet a real ancient emperor in person?
The thought left her utterly stunned.
Only when Qing’er called her name did she finally snap back to reality.
…
After the family meeting ended, Ye Jinyun rose, bid farewell to her father and the others, and then returned to her room with Qing’er in a daze.
Watching her leave with that vacant expression, everyone secretly shook their heads.
The Second Miss was already unattractive enough.
How could she also be so slow-witted?
Even Ye Father frowned slightly at the sight.