In the spring selection of palace ladies, local officials recommended and selected over a thousand girls from noble families, all around fourteen to twenty years old. They sat in mule-drawn carriages arranged in order of their family status, age, and seniority.

Those from families that had previously produced concubines, those who had been selected before, and the older ones were placed in the front. After a day's journey from the city gates to the palace gates, they entered the palace under the guidance of eunuchs.

The first round was a rough screening, where eunuchs and senior palace matrons examined their appearance and family background. Those with a plain appearance, a fierce expression, or features unsuitable for bearing children were eliminated, leaving over five hundred.

These five hundred stayed overnight in the Chuxiu Palace in the outer palace. The next day, they were arranged into rows of two or three and entered the Xiuyuan Hall in turn. The Empress and Empress Dowager observed them from behind a pearl curtain and selected around two hundred, leaving placards for the Emperor's next round of selection.

The last selection of palace ladies was several years ago, but only ten were kept. Among the ten, three were given to the princes and nobles, three were not favored and left the palace, and three were favored but held low ranks - Baolin, Cairen, and Meiren. Only one, the daughter of Minister Ding, was promoted to Noble Consort but mysteriously fell ill and died despite carrying the Emperor's child.

A group of girls gathered in the Imperial Garden, chattering and exchanging palace gossip they had heard: The current Emperor was in his prime, yet his harem was not well-stocked. So far, he only had one Empress, one Zhaoron, and a few low-ranking concubines. The positions of Noble Consort and the Four Consorts were vacant. As for his offspring, he had only one adult son, the Crown Prince, who was out of favor; the younger ones' mothers were not high-ranking consorts with a proper status.

In the past two years, the harem had produced nothing. Although the current Ding Zhaorong was favored, she had not conceived since entering the palace. It seemed the Emperor was quite dissatisfied with his current harem.

The girls, all in the prime of their youth and ignorant of the ways of the world, harbored thoughts of comparing themselves to each other. One moment someone bumped into another's hairpin, the next moment someone's robe was brushed. After causing a commotion for a while, they only quieted down after being scolded by the palace matrons several times.

They lined up and walked one by one past the eunuchs and matrons outside the Xiuyuan Hall. Those with inadequate looks or undesirable family backgrounds were immediately eliminated, while the good ones had placards placed on the table inside the hall. Behind the pearl curtain in the Xiuyuan Hall sat several beautifully dressed palace ladies, the concubines who had come to select the girls.

If one was unlucky enough to have a placard left but not qualify as a palace lady, they might be sent to serve as senior maids in the palaces; in that case, gaining the Emperor's favor would become an extremely distant dream.

As the highest-ranking concubine after the Empress, Ding Zhaorong naturally brought her trusted palace maids to gracefully observe from behind the pearl curtain. A palace maid, staring at the outside, whispered, "My lady, the one walking in the front and the one who passed by just now, they both have quite a nice appearance."

At a glance from Ding Zhaorong, the eunuch behind her immediately noted down the names of those palace lady candidates. These few girls with a nice appearance were thus destined to be eliminated from the second round.

The palace maid said, "Unfortunately, few can surpass our lady's looks. The Emperor's favor will surely remain as always."

She spoke pleasant words, but in fact, the Emperor's favor had long been not the same as before. Not only Ding Zhaorong's palace, but people in other palaces had also not seen the Emperor for a long time, which was why she still appeared to be the more important one.

Everyone rumored that the Emperor spent every night in the Qingzhen Palace, and the person attending to him had no rank but was exceptionally favored. It was said that this person was weak and sickly, even having a terminal illness. To treat this illness, the Imperial Physicians Academy had dedicated personnel on standby to be summoned at any time, and physicians were often urgently summoned to the palace in the middle of the night.

A few days ago, Hu Zhicheng was even caught by the Imperial Guards for a late-night audience. It was said that after returning, he kept his mouth tightly shut. The concubines under him sent people to threaten and entice him many times but could not get half a word out of him. Only the medicine boy who accompanied him said that the young noble in the Qingzhen Palace was extremely beautiful; although so sickly pale that he looked like a ghost at first glance, he was also a bewitching ghost that mortals could not touch.

A bewitching ghost? Ding Zhaorong sneered coldly in her heart, jealousy and hatred making her heart almost drip blood.

Yes, that boy was indeed very good-looking. Although he resembled the Empress, his appearance was countless times more beautiful than hers.

Fortunately, he was a boy. If he were a girl... perhaps even the Second Prince would have already been born!

As Ding Zhaorong was deep in thought, she suddenly heard a palace maid gasp and say, "My lady, look quickly, that vixen is quite good-looking!"

Ding Zhaorong was startled and looked closely. She saw a girl of about eighteen or nineteen wearing a yellow gauze robe, with a pointed thin face, a slender figure, and exceptionally white skin. Her features were also exceptionally delicate. Within that delicateness, there was a hint of an indescribable lushness. The corners of her eyebrows and eyes, her lips and chin, surprisingly resembled...

Resembled that... that boy from that night!

Ding Zhaorong's hands began to tremble. What was this? What did this mean? It was simply a case of fearing something and having it happen!

The Emperor liked that type. One had already become Empress, and a boy was so favored. If a girl of the same type appeared, would the position of the Fourth Consort still be attainable?

"Mumu!" Ding Zhaorong called to her wet nurse attending her in a trembling voice, "Go... go tell the eunuch in charge, this girl has a weak constitution, unsuitable for bearing children, eliminate her!"

Seeing Ding Zhaorong so frightened, the wet nurse immediately responded and secretly ran to find a familiar eunuch. The eunuch, knowing the situation, immediately called out in a loud voice, "Number 358, Chang family - unsuitable for bearing children - remove placard!"

Removing the placard meant being eliminated, the opposite of "leaving the placard". That girl staggered, her face flushing red. Just as she was about to run out, Zhang Kuo, sitting far away in the first seat, suddenly called out in a sharp voice, "Conveying the decree of the Empress!"

"Number 358, Lady Chang-"

"-Leave the placard!"

The grand doors opened, and the Empress, like a divine consort, slowly entered amidst the magnificent display, carried by a palanquin adorned with a hundred birds paying homage to a phoenix. The palace ladies all knelt down and chanted in unison, "We pay our respects to the Empress! Long live the Empress, a thousand years, a thousand years, a thousand thousand years!"

The Empress walked straight through the long queue of hundreds of kneeling women, arriving at the main seat of the grand hall. Maids flowed like water, presenting soft cushions, fragrant tea, palace fans, and fresh fruits. The Empress solemnly took her seat, and only then did the eunuchs pass down her decree layer by layer: "The Empress has decreed, all concubines may rise!"

Ding Zhaorong clenched her teeth tightly, her face flushing red as if even her eyes were bloodshot. After a long while, she stepped forward and bowed slightly, "This concubine pays respects to the Empress. Is the Empress well?"

The Empress glanced at her and smiled faintly, beckoning, "That Chang girl, come here and let me have a look at you."

Lady Chang hurriedly stood up and walked over with small, mincing steps. Although afraid, she did not lose her composure, bowing deeply, "This commoner Chang from Yun Prefecture pays respects to the Empress!"

The Empress carefully looked her over. The girl was slightly more voluptuous than Mingde, but not noticeably so. Her features were sculpted with distinct lines. Upon closer inspection, there was a hint of fierceness, but this oddly brought out an exotic allure, very much like Mingde.

The Empress was silent for a long moment before saying, "...Indeed a great beauty."

She then turned to Ding Zhaorong and smiled, "I think she's not bad. Let's keep her for the Emperor to see tomorrow. What does sister think?"

Ding Zhaorong gritted her silver teeth, feigning cheerfulness as she readily agreed, "Of course, whatever sister says goes!"

With the Empress being so agreeable in the Empress Dowager's absence, not many were eliminated in the remaining selection process. Originally, they had planned to keep five hundred, but upon counting, there were actually eight hundred.

The Qianwan Emperor had just finished handling official duties and returned to Qingxia Palace when he heard this news. Mingde sat by the window, wrapped in a snow-white fur coat, his pointed chin raised coldly, expressionless.

The Qianwan Emperor walked over and gripped his chin, asking, "You must be overjoyed, right?"

Mingde turned his face away, his long lashes fluttering rapidly, casting tiny, fragmented shadows on his snow-white face. Seeing this, the Qianwan Emperor felt a slow-burning anger rising in his heart. He couldn't help but reach out and forcefully rub Mingde's face with his thumb, saying in a low voice, "Even if it were eight thousand, it would be useless. Just stay here obediently."

Mingde suddenly slapped his hand away fiercely. In the next instant, the Qianwan Emperor lifted him by the waist and pressed him tightly against his thighs.

The palace maids all hurriedly and silently retreated. Mingde struggled desperately, reaching out to grab whatever he could and smashing it violently. Memorials scattered all over the floor, precious porcelain shattered with a clatter. The exquisite little trinkets that the Qianwan Emperor had specifically ordered to keep Mingde entertained were swept to the ground. If not for the Qianwan Emperor holding him back, Mingde might have pounced on them and stomped them with his feet.

He was raging like a frenzied little beast.

The Qianwan Emperor's strong arms tightly encircled his waist, his head lowered to Mingde's ear as he asked softly, "What's this? No more leisure to copy another Lotus Sutra?"

Mingde screamed, "Let me go!"

The Qianwan Emperor held him even tighter. In the struggle, he felt a sharp pain in his chest - Mingde had viciously elbowed him from behind.

This little thing packed quite a punch. The Qianwan Emperor furrowed his brows. Mingde struck out again even more ruthlessly. The Qianwan Emperor suddenly grabbed his wrist and twisted. With a crisp snap, the sound of dislocating bones seemed to reverberate through the air, stimulating the eardrums in waves.

Mingde let out a cry, thin and trembling, like a little kitten whose paw had just been wrenched off.

The Qianwan Emperor felt it was unbearable. In the midst of the struggle, he had countless urges to throw Mingde onto the bed, chain him up with the thickest iron shackles, violate him wantonly, vent his desires unrestrained on his body, and listen to his feeble whimpers and pleas.

He stood up, tightly gripping Mingde's hair, and roughly kissed his lips and tongue. This little thing had a sharp tongue. Every word that came out of those thin, beautifully shaped lips could be a razor-sharp blade, viciously and ruthlessly tearing apart one's heart.

Only when that mouth was forcefully kissed until it could no longer speak did one feel a slight sense of security.

He forcefully plundered Mingde's mouth until he felt the hands clutching his lapels go limp. Only then did he abruptly let go. Mingde slumped in his arms, gasping for breath, his soft body curled up in a ball that could be scooped up with one hand.

The Qianwan Emperor reached out to touch his face and was surprised to feel the coolness of tears. "...Why are you crying?"

Mingde didn't speak, stiff like a little beast ready to pounce at any moment and bite with its not yet fully grown milk teeth. The Qianwan Emperor forcibly lifted his face. Large drops of tears flowed from those clear, bright eyes, impossible to wipe away no matter how he tried.

The Qianwan Emperor used his rough fingertips to forcefully wipe away his tears, asking in a low voice, "Why are you crying? Hmm? Wasn't that day good too? What are you afraid of?"

Mingde still didn't speak, trembling slightly. The Qianwan Emperor picked him up, strode to the edge of the dragon bed, pressed him down, then knelt on the ground himself. Pinching that slender wrist, with a crisp snap, he reset the bones.

Mingde lay motionless, curled up in the quilt. The Qianwan Emperor forcefully pulled off the quilt and held him tightly in his arms. He used so much force that the veins bulged on his arms, as if he wanted to snap Mingde's body in half.

"What exactly do you want?" the Qianwan Emperor asked. "Power, money, status, prestige, universal admiration, the world at your feet...I can even give you this entire empire! What more could you possibly be unsatisfied with?"

Mingde turned his face away, refusing to look at him. The Qianwan Emperor knelt down, holding him tightly, and asked in a low voice, "What exactly do you want? As long as you say it, as long as you tell me...Mingde, you just need to open your mouth!"

"..." Mingde closed his eyes and asked in return, "What are you asking of me?" The Qianwan Emperor suddenly stood up, went to get something, and forcefully handed it to Mingde.

Mingde looked down and saw a brush, ink, paper, inkstone, and a copy of the Lotus Sutra.

"Copy another one for me..." The Qianwan Emperor knelt on the ground, tightly pressing Mingde to his chest, his voice so muffled that it seemed to come from his chest cavity, "...copy another one for me, will you? Please, copy another one, I will keep it well, not let anyone see it, not let anyone touch it..."

He kissed Mingde's face wildly, his lips and tongue scorching hot, "...Mingde, please, please..."

Mingde started laughing, "I won't copy it."

That smile was indescribably twisted, gorgeously to the point of being outrageous.

"Li Ji," he said, "unless you kill me and chop off my hands, I will never copy a single word of scripture in this life."

The Qianwan Emperor grabbed Mingde and dragged him down from the dragon bed. Mingde stumbled and fell behind him, and was dragged all the way to the desk and thrown into the huge armchair. The Qianwan Emperor grabbed his hand, with such force that even Mingde's knuckles made a clicking sound; he forcefully stuffed the brush into Mingde's hand, his voice shrill to the point of being ear-piercing, "—Will you copy or not?!"

Mingde struggled violently and silently. The two of them wrestled with each other, and the armchair was knocked over, making a huge sound that echoed for a long time in the magnificent bedchamber.

The Qianwan Emperor pressed Mingde down on the ground fiercely, grabbing his fingers, not caring at all that Mingde was biting his arm so hard that blood dripped onto the thick foreign carpet drop by drop.

"Will you copy or not?" The Qianwan Emperor asked sternly, his lofty voice filled with uncontrollable panic and unease, "—Mingde, if you dare say no, you try me!"

Mingde's brows furrowed intensely, making his eyes look obviously disgusted, "In your dreams."

The Qianwan Emperor suddenly let go of him, stood up, and staggered out the door.

Mingde lay on the carpet, trembling and panting for a while, hearing the Qianwan Emperor's angry roar coming from outside the door, floating in the air, as if very far away, too far to reach.

"...As long as he doesn't copy the Lotus Sutra for a day, don't give him food for a day! ...I'll see how long he can be stubborn, I want to see when he'll admit defeat to me!"