Just as she was about to say something, Xue Baochai emerged from inside first and said to everyone, "Get yourselves ready and straighten up your appearance. We'll be entering the palace shortly; the Empress has summoned us."
"The Empress has summoned us?" The group found this utterly baffling.
Xue Baochai pulled them aside and explained quietly, "I don't know what's going on either, but it can't be a bad thing. It shows that the Western Xia authorities bear goodwill toward Great Song. All of you are here to compete for the position of Imperial Son-in-Law, so making an appearance at the palace will help with the selection later."
"That's right. What if we happen to see Princess Yinchuan in the palace?"
"I've heard Princess Yinchuan is incomparably beautiful, without equal in the world. But no one has ever seen her, so who knows whether the people of Western Xia aren't just boasting? What if we marry her and discover she's an ogress?"
"Exactly, exactly. Better inspect the goods first."
Xue Baochai wanted nothing more than to tear their mouths apart. The Crown Princess of Western Xia was still inside talking with the Yellow-robed Woman. If she heard those words and they got back to the Princess, wouldn't she have the worst possible impression of them?
"Why is the Empress summoning us instead of the Emperor? Western Xia truly is a land of barbarians. The women of the imperial harem parade themselves in public all day long—what kind of propriety is that?" Neo-Confucianism flourished in Southern Song. Many young ladies from prominent families were not even allowed to leave their chambers after reaching a certain age, much less meet unfamiliar men. Thus, they found it unbelievable that the Empress would summon a group of unrelated men like them.
"Your information is