Liu Liu finished speaking, her delicate hand gently removed the sheer veil, revealing a face stained with blood.
A collective gasp echoed through the grand hall of the Zhuxiu Palace. Those women, who considered themselves ladies of refinement and daughters of noble families, had always been exposed to beauty. When had they ever encountered ugliness?
At this sight, they were all startled.
On one half of the face of the Second Miss Liu, a reddish birthmark was spread. This birthmark made one side of her face look somewhat unsightly, and many timid women could not bear to look.
The bolder ones gazed at Liu Liu with contempt and disdain in their eyes. With such looks, she dared to enter the palace for the selection of imperial consorts. If not for the Empress Dowager's backing, she probably wouldn't have even been allowed to enter the palace gates.
Liu Liu bore the various gazes around her with equanimity. She was indeed ugly. Others had reason to dislike her and reason not to favor her, but what did their liking or disliking matter?
Feng Xie surveyed the surrounding women's aversion to this woman with satisfaction. He had successfully instigated their scheming against each other. But how could this woman remain unfazed?
Feng Xie's eyes surged with hidden currents. He veiled his brilliance. Today was the day of his selection of imperial consorts, and he did not want an ugly woman to ruin his mood. He waved his hand and spoke.
"Enough, I have seen everyone and introductions have been made. You may withdraw," he said, waving as if to shoo away flies. Liu Liu curtsied gracefully and slowly retreated to the very back. The highest state of being a person was to know when to show weakness in front of others.
As soon as Liu Liu joined the crowd at the back, she heard the sharp cries of a eunuch from outside the Zhuxiu Palace gates: "His Highness Prince Yan has arrived."
Upon hearing that Prince Yan had arrived, many of the young women's hearts fluttered like little deer. Prince Yan was also a rare handsome man, comparable to the Emperor.
If one could not be chosen by the Emperor, entering Prince Yan's mansion was also a good option. Therefore, everyone secretly glanced at Feng Lie, while Liu Liu boldly stared at the man walking into the grand hall.
Feng Lie was dressed in a white brocade robe, with a face as beautiful as jade, peach blossom eyes, curled eyelashes, a high nose bridge, thin lips, and his black hair tied up. He wore a purple-gold hairpin inlaid with pearls and gold wire. He looked like an immortal banished from heaven.
Whenever a young woman's eyes fell upon this prince, their hearts would race. The prince was more approachable than the Emperor. The Emperor possessed an unapproachable aura of dominance, but the prince's ethereal aura made people want to draw near.
Although Feng Lie knew many young women were looking at him, he kept his gaze steady and walked directly to the Emperor's throne, bowing to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor.
"Your subject pays his respects to Imperial Brother, and to Mother Empress."
Feng Xie, seated on the throne, waved his hand, signaling Feng Lie to rise. "Imperial Brother, why are you so fashionably late today? I've always heard you chase after beautiful women and never lag behind?" Feng Xie teased his imperial brother. The two handsome men conversed casually above, while all the young women in the grand hall blushed, their hearts pounding like little drums. They were willing to marry either of these men.
"Today is Your Imperial Brother's joyous occasion. How could your subject steal your Imperial Brother's thunder?" Feng Lie raised his slender eyebrows and retorted to his elder brother without yielding, then sat down by the Empress Dowager's side.
Empress Dowager looked at her two sons. Both were very outstanding and attracted women's attention wherever they went. Most importantly, they never fought for the throne. Feng Lie had always assisted Feng Xie in managing state affairs. The two brothers worked together to govern the Tianfeng Dynasty efficiently, earning praise from everyone. This was what Empress Dowager was most satisfied with.
"Lie'er, today, see if there is any young lady you fancy. If you like any of them, have the Emperor bestow her upon you to serve you well," Empress Dowager intended to find a secondary consort for Feng Lie first. His mansion was too desolate.
"Mother Empress, please do not forget that today is the Emperor's selection day. My matters can be discussed later," Feng Lie did not like these so-called daughters of noble families at all. Every move they made seemed to be constrained by someone. Marrying such a woman would surely make life tedious.
However, that woman was different. Feng Lie thought of Liu Liu and immediately looked up, casually scanning the hall. Wherever his gaze landed, those young women shyly lowered their heads. Only one woman was looking at him as if nothing had happened. Besides her, who else could it be?
Thinking of how she had inexplicably annoyed him that day, Feng Lie felt a pang of anger. He ignored her and leaned back lazily on the nearby couch.
"Imperial Brother, let's begin."
The selection, which had been interrupted by Feng Lie, resumed with the second round, which was a talent competition. Everyone presented their most accomplished skills.
The young women began to whisper amongst themselves. Jin Jiali, the daughter of the Great General, came out first. She was going to perform a dance, and the clothes she wore today were also made for this dance. The sleeves were made very wide and soft, convenient for dancing.
When Feng Xie and Feng Lie saw Jin Jiali walk out, their eyes brightened a little, especially Feng Xie. He provocatively raised the corner of his lips into a faint smile, his eyes falling on Jin Jiali.
The dance Jin Jiali performed was called "Flying Phoenix Dancing in the Heavens." It was a fast-paced dance that required considerable flexibility and agility. If any detail was done poorly, it would affect the entire dance.
But Jin Jiali performed it to perfection, leaving no room for criticism. Everyone was mesmerized. There was no trace of Jin Jiali in the grand hall; instead, they saw a colorful phoenix dancing gracefully. The Emperor was greatly pleased, and his phoenix eyes flashed with admiration.
When the dance ended, everyone was stunned, unable to recover for a long time. Liu Liu raised her hand and applauded Jin Jiali. Everyone in the hall turned their eyes to her at the back. As the Empress Dowager's niece, she had enough courage. The Emperor hadn't even applauded, yet she dared to applaud.
Feng Xie was surprised that this ugly woman dared to applaud. Just as he was about to get angry, his Imperial Brother Feng Lie, seated beside him, also clapped twice and said with pleasure.
"Very good. The most beautiful woman in the capital indeed lives up to her name."
When Prince Yan spoke, Feng Xie naturally could not say anything more. He coldly glared at the woman at the back and glanced approvingly at Jin Jiali. Seeing that both men's gazes were on her, Jin Jiali's face flushed with shyness, and she slowly retreated to the side.
The second performer was Lou Sijing, the daughter of Grand Tutor Lou. Lou Sijing was a renowned talented woman in the capital. Her talent for today was painting.
Lou Sijing was beautiful and virtuous, graceful and elegant, with a slender figure like a secluded orchid in a deep valley, possessing a unique charm.
A hidden glint flashed in Feng Xie's eyes on the throne, and he remained silent. A eunuch had already brought a table, ink, brush, and paper. A palace maid stepped forward to grind the ink. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. It was well-known that Lou Sijing was intelligent and wise. Today, they would see how extraordinary she was.
Lou Sijing indeed lived up to her father's status as Grand Tutor. Her demeanor was dignified and refined. In the grand hall, she was neither humble nor overbearing. Lifting her skirt slightly, she walked to the table, gracefully picked up the brush, paused for a moment to concentrate, and then began to write. In the time it took for a cup of tea to cool, she had completed a masterpiece.
A eunuch, waiting for the painting to dry, respectfully presented it with both hands to the dragon throne. Feng Xie took the painting and was instantly captivated. The vibrant peonies on the paper were so lifelike, as if real peonies were before them, with butterflies fluttering around.
A hint of admiration flashed in Feng Xie's handsome eyes. He handed the painting to the Empress Dowager beside him. The Empress Dowager looked at it twice. The painting was indeed good, and it seemed that the Grand Tutor's daughter had put in real effort. She nodded and praised lightly, "Good."
Feng Lie saw that his Imperial Brother and Mother Empress both admired the Grand Tutor's daughter, and his curiosity was piqued. He sat up from his lazy posture and reached out to take it.
It turned out to be a painting of peonies vying for beauty. Although peonies were noble, they were too extravagant. They were fine when grown in a greenhouse, but in harsh cold, they would probably wither early. This woman's thoughts were a bit too sharp and ostentatious.