Chapter 103 - 103. Bad Feelings I (1/2)
Third person POV
The girls were going all out for the last day of Bride Selection, they used their most expensive perfume, dress, make-up, and accessories. Meanwhile Hong er's appearance was the same for 3 whole weeks except her clothes. Hong er's clothes were mostly white color but the embroidery in her every dresses were different. Hong er didn't put on anything special for the selection but she still attracted many people's eyes.
Hong er and all of the participants walked in to an opened garden and sat down on their arranged seat like how they were taught for the last 3 weeks. They waited for the royal family to arrive before they could start the selection.
Not long after the girls sat down, an eunuch announced the royal family arrival. The first one to enter were Long Quan and Yugyul ( Empress) then followed by Long Shangu as he was the Empress's son and the crown prince. The second row to enter were Long Quan's high ranked concubines with Li Zhenzhen walked in the middle. The third row was the remaining prince and princesses. There was only one prince in the line and it was Long Yang, the useless prince.
The ministers scrunched their eyebrow the moment they saw Long Yang entered the garden. They had disliked Long Yang because he was too indecisive and weak to be the next emperor. That's why the only prince that suitable to be the next emperor was Long Shangu as all the other capable princes had died mysteriously.
Long Yang lowered his head as he was too afraid to look at their scornful face especially his own father's face. Even his own father wanted to disown him, he felt like his life was worthless after the death of her mother. He sat down on his seat that was below Long Shangu, his intention for coming to the selection was to find the white masked woman that encouraged him 3 weeks ago.
His position in the palace was low so the servants were not bothering themselves to serve Long Yang 24 hour everyday. And with his cowardice, he couldn't muster up his heart to order a servant to look for Hong er. Then he remember that his brother were holding his Bride Selection, he was betting on his luck that Hong er was one of the participants. That's how he was here right now.
With his head lowered, he peeked around the crowd to find the sun of his life. Fortunately, Hong er's appearance was very eyecatching as she was the only one to wear a mask. Long Yang's face immediately brighten up, he wanted to wave his hand towards Hong er but his hand halted when he saw how Hong er looked out of the circular gate. Even though he couldn't see her face, he could feel the uneasiness and worries in Hong er's golden eyes. He put down his hand back to his lap and just silently stares at Hong er.
Hong er's bad feeling getting worse and worse as time passes by, she looked outside of the circular gate, hoping that this could end earlier so she could run home to see Weisheng. Even after the music had played and people were cheering, she couldn't feel a drop of excitement nor happiness in her heart. A voice woke her up from her train of thought, a palace maid that served at her side was caling her name.
Maid: ” Miss Xu, Miss Xu, it is your turn.”
She didn't know that she had been looking outside for too long that the selection had long begun and it was her turn to play a song. She stood up from her seat and walked towards the music instruments that were neatly placed on the podium. The participants could just sit on the seat that had the music instrument that they wanted to play.
Hong er sat behind a Guzheng ( similar to Guqin but bigger in size and they sound different.) and faced the royal family that sat in front of the podium. She bowed to them and gently spoke.