Besides Lin Xue and Alice, Xu Mo selected three other women: Chen Xi, Li Ling, and Wang Ling'er.
These three women left a very good impression on him. They were all top-tier in appearance and demeanor, and each had her own unique charm.
Li Ling's cold pride, Chen Xi's liveliness, Wang Ling'er's cuteness...
The three women were overjoyed at being chosen, but they suppressed their excitement, maintaining their composure so as not to lose face before His Majesty.
However, even with their best efforts, their delight was evident and hard to conceal.
Wang Ling'er's slightly plump cheeks flushed as red as if they could bleed. At this moment, her mind was still in a daze.
His Majesty had truly chosen her as a consort. This wasn't a dream; it was real!
Everything felt so surreal.
Just a few days ago, back home, she had heard the news of His Majesty selecting consorts. That night, she couldn't sleep from excitement. The next day, she packed her bags, bid farewell to her father, and traveled alone to the prefectural city to participate in the selection.
She passed through the preliminary, secondary, and intermediate rounds, eventually reaching the imperial capital for the final selection process, becoming a candidate for a concubine.
Merely being a candidate was already more than she could have hoped for, as even if they failed to be chosen, candidates could still remain in the palace to serve His Majesty.
This was something she had never dared to dream of before!
But the outcome was unexpected; she had been chosen!
Thinking about becoming His Majesty's consort and staying by his side from now on, the blush on Wang Ling'er's face spread all the way to her earlobes.
Chen Xi and Li Ling also lowered their heads shyly, filled with immense joy and excitement.
The selection of consorts was complete. Next was the announcement of the results, so that the world would know how many consorts His Majesty had taken. A grand banquet would also be held, with nationwide celebrations.
Beautiful palace maids led the five chosen consorts from the Palace of Cultivating Elegance to the imperial harem.
Tonight, they would spend their first night in the palace.
This made the hearts of the young women pound erratically, a mix of nervousness and anticipation.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. This humble subject wishes Your Majesty an early birth of a dragon prince to continue the Great Qian's millennium of fortune!" Gongsun Rou said.
Xu Mo waved his hand, speechless.
He had just taken consorts, and she was already urging him to have children?
"I've noticed, why are you so fond of concerning yourself with my private affairs? You urged me to select consorts, and now you're urging me to have children?" Xu Mo looked at Gongsun Rou.
Gongsun Rou quickly replied, "Your Majesty, you jest. This humble subject is not urging, but rather concerned for Your Majesty. Your Majesty is the Emperor of Great Qian, thus Your Majesty's private affairs are state affairs, and this humble subject must pay attention. Especially the matter of giving birth to a dragon prince, which is even more crucial for Great Qian."
Seeing Gongsun Rou speak with such a serious expression, Xu Mo couldn't help but shake his head. "Xiao Rou, I've told you not to emulate the so-called rules and etiquette of the former court. Those are merely outdated things. We should discard what needs to be discarded, take the essence, and discard the dross. For Great Qian, whether there is a Crown Prince is not important, because I, am eternal and immortal!"
As he spoke the last sentence, Xu Mo's tone was incredibly domineering and full of confidence.
Gongsun Rou felt His Majesty's authority and was deeply moved, her admiration growing even stronger.
"This humble subject understands," she said, lowering her head.
Xu Mo nodded and then instructed her to handle other matters.
The announcement of the consorts' selection caused an uproar in the outer hall!
Everyone's eyes widened, eager to see the five names written in golden ink on the list.
Those who did not see the names they wished to see were instantly disappointed and filled with regret.
"Alas, my granddaughter was not chosen and cannot become His Majesty's consort. The little girl will likely weep tears of sorrow and be depressed for a long time."
"My uncle's niece was also not chosen. What a pity. My niece is exceptionally talented, ranking first in cultivation talent in this prefecture. I thought she would be favored by His Majesty, but unexpectedly, she was still not chosen!"
"My two daughters were not chosen either. Twin lilies, with the added bonus of being twins, and still not chosen. Does His Majesty not like this type?"
The prefectural lord from Xizhou sighed. His twin daughters were incredibly beautiful and had attracted numerous suitors from afar.
But in the end, they were not favored by His Majesty. What a pity.
"Hahaha! I see my daughter's name! My daughter has been chosen by His Majesty and will become a consort!"
Chen Wanwan roared with laughter, his voice incredibly hearty.
At this moment, his heart was filled with excitement, a hundred times more thrilling than earning a million taels of gold.
With his daughter becoming a consort, he, as her father, would naturally rise in status. He would no longer be a lowly merchant but a member of the imperial family!
"My daughter Chen Xi has the makings of a phoenix!" Chen Wanwan declared with great pride, drawing envious glances from those around him.
"Fifth Brother, did you see clearly?" Wang Hao asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.
Chen Wu activated his ocular techniques, straining to see the names on the list through the gaps in the crowd. After a long while, his eyes suddenly widened, and his breathing quickened. "Hiss... Wang Ling'er, it's Ling'er! Ling'er has actually been chosen by His Majesty and will become a consort!"
After saying this, Chen Wu himself found it hard to believe. He rubbed his eyes and looked again several times, finally confirming that Wang Ling'er had indeed been chosen!
Wang Hao, as if waking from a dream, was jolted by a punch to the shoulder from Chen Wu. He snapped back to reality, a grin stretching from ear to ear, his expression one of sheer excitement!
"Ling'er has truly been chosen by His Majesty, it's real!" Wang Hao shouted excitedly, his whole body trembling!
His own daughter had leaped into the dragon's gate, transforming from a soldier's daughter to His Majesty's consort in one fell swoop. The magnitude of this change was almost unbelievable!
Envy was etched all over Chen Wu's face. He said with a sour tone, "You brat, you've truly prospered. You'll be part of the imperial family from now on. Ling'er, no, Consort Ling, is your daughter. Your status will rise with hers, and you'll likely surpass me soon. Damn it, I'm so envious!"
By the end, Chen Wu couldn't help but curse, his entire being turning into a sour lemon.
"Little Wu, don't worry. I'll take good care of you in the future and promote you to my subordinate... Hahaha!"
Wang Hao put on an act for a moment, then couldn't help but chuckle foolishly.
Chen Wu's face darkened at his words!
Good heavens, this kid was putting on airs and even calling him "Little Wu" in return. He was getting too arrogant!
He decided that he absolutely had to teach this kid a lesson tonight. He'd beat him up while he still could, otherwise, it would be harder to do so later!
Some people nearby overheard the conversation between Wang Hao and Chen Wu. Instantly, a crowd gathered around them, most flocking towards Wang Hao, offering congratulations and gifts.
They were here to curry favor, to show goodwill to a member of the imperial family, which would greatly benefit their future prospects.
Wang Hao hadn't expected so many people to offer gifts as soon as the list was announced. And the gifts he saw made his eyelids twitch!
Golden Snow Stone, Demonic Bone Grass, Blood Sun Marrow...
Each item was a precious heavenly material and earthly treasure, worth thousands of gold. This made Wang Hao's eyes widen, his breathing quicken!