The Road to the Palace

After Lu Shi confirmed that Hua Meng truly wanted to enter the palace, she immediately looked at Father Hua.

Under Lu Shi's gaze, Father Hua was just about to say that he was only a vice director of the Subordinate Fifth Rank and that Hua Meng probably was not even eligible for the selection when he heard Lu Shi say, "Tomorrow I'll go with you to pay our respects to your teacher."

Hearing Lu Shi say this, Father Hua wanted to try persuading her again but did not dare. Knowing he could not stop her, he could only nod obediently and agree.

The "teacher" Mother Hua spoke of was not only Father Hua's teacher, but also an elder from their village.

After passing the examination to become a scholar, he had taught the village children their first lessons while observing mourning and studying.

Later, when the three-year mourning period ended, Father Hua was the only child in the village he took as a personal disciple, for his talent in study. It was not until he placed third in the palace examination and married the reigning emperor's maternal aunt that his personal disciple's official career also began to go smoothly.

Father Hua's teacher had now risen to become minister of revenue. As soon as he heard Lu Shi tell him about the matter with the Zhang family, he slapped the table in anger. "The Zhang family has gone too far in bullying people!" Then he looked at Lu Shi and asked, "Does Mengmeng truly intend to enter the palace?"

"How would I dare deceive you, Teacher? You watched Mengmeng grow up too. You should know what the child is like."

At Lu Shi's words, Lin Ming, Minister Lin, nodded. "I understand the matter now. Although Tengfei's rank is a little low, the daughter of an official of the Subordinate Fifth Rank is just eligible to take part in the selection." Minister Lin then smiled. "Besides, my only daughter never entered the palace, and both my granddaughters are already married. Now that Mengmeng is entering the palace, I, her teacher's teacher, will naturally back her up."

Most importantly, Minister Lin had just remembered that his student's family was blessed with many offspring. He only needed to have his wife let her elder sister, the empress dowager, know, and the empress dowager would probably be tempted.

And that was exactly what happened.

The next day, Lady Lin entered the palace and told the empress dowager how many descendants the Hua Family had, and the empress dowager was tempted.

"Does the Hua Family truly have so many descendants?"

"Elder Sister, how could I lie to you? Hua Tengfei is my husband Lin Ming's personal disciple. His family has four sons and two daughters, ten grandsons through his sons and daughters, and three granddaughters altogether. They really are a family that can produce sons."

After saying this, Lady Lin leaned closer to the empress dowager and whispered, "And that Madam Hua, Lu Shi—her birth family raises pigs. Elder Sister, just think how many piglets a sow can bear!"

Although Lady Lin's words were somewhat improper, only she and the empress dowager were present.

The sisters were close, so she had no reservations and said it outright.

The empress dowager was thoroughly tempted and only waited to tell Emperor Jing'an about it.

When Emperor Jing'an heard of the matter, he sent people to investigate what had happened between Hua Meng and Zhang Jinghong, then agreed to let Hua Meng enter the palace.

As Emperor Jing'an saw it, it did not matter even if Hua Meng still had Zhang Jinghong in her heart. As long as she could bear him a son, he was willing to accept her.

Besides, although Hua Meng and Zhang Jinghong had grown up together as childhood sweethearts, she was still untouched, and her looks were considered outstanding.

With Emperor Jing'an, who was intent on having a son as soon as possible, in agreement, Hua Meng's entry into the palace for the selection proceeded exceptionally smoothly.

Within a few days, Hua Meng's name appeared on the already finalized list of candidates. What followed was a selection carried out at a frantic pace, after which several candidates were retained and granted separate titles because they were considered likely to bear children.

"Mengmeng, you'll enter the palace the day after tomorrow. Is there anything you still want to do?"

Looking at her teacher's teacher, who had come to deliver the imperial edict, Hua Meng's eyes grew slightly moist. She personally poured a cup of tea and added a drop of Spirit Spring to it before looking at Minister Lin. "I ask for nothing else, Teacher. I only ask that you get angry less often and take better care of your health in the future. Only if you look after yourself can I be at ease in the palace."

Hearing Hua Meng's words, Minister Lin was immediately moved. "Girls really are more thoughtful. Don't worry, Mengmeng. I'll be sure to take care of my health." With that, he drained the cup of tea in one gulp.

Only after watching her teacher's teacher drink all the tea with Spirit Spring in it did Hua Meng breathe a sigh of relief.

In her previous life, three months later, an official her teacher's teacher greatly trusted had embezzled disaster relief funds. After his political enemies attacked him over it, he had been so furious that he coughed up blood and died on the spot.

Afterward, the Lin family's uncles had shut their doors to observe mourning, and her father had lost his support in officialdom. The Zhang family had then suppressed him, costing him his post and forcing him to return to his hometown.

Three months. Hua Meng gave herself a deadline in her heart: within three months, she had to find a way to gain a firm foothold in the palace.

Two days later, on the very day the Zhang family welcomed the Elder Princess's daughter in marriage to the sound of gongs and drums, Hua Meng also entered the palace with two chests of dowry that Emperor Jing'an had specially permitted her to bring.