CHAPTER 359: CHAPTER 344: THE COMPETITION AMONG THE CONCUBINES IN THE HAREM

"Card registration..." Li Shimin looked at this carefree girl, and with a thought, nodded and sighed, "Alright, then. Register one. Occasionally sitting here isn’t bad."

Li Shimin soon bid farewell to the concubine at this gym.

He pondered, "This time during the talent selection, who would have thought a new trend would rise in the harem... If it’s like this, it’s actually a pretty good change."

Originally, he thought if the harem women behaved like this, something major might happen.

But after some research, he felt it was quite good.

He deliberated and went to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to seek the Prime Minister’s opinion.

Zhu Zhengwei listened, sitting on a chair with legs crossed, feeling quite shocked.

"Your Majesty, do you really want to tacitly allow their development?" Zhu Zhengwei probed.

"It benefits the country."

Emperor Tang straightforwardly said, in a soft voice, "The Prime Minister is not an old-fashioned person tied to outdated virtues. Although this harem trend... surely there will be oppositions in the court, I plan to suppress them."

"Hmm..." Zhu Zhengwei was silent for a moment, since it wasn’t his concern, "Your Majesty, you can make your decision. The harem is also part of Chang’an City, and it can’t escape the palm of your hand."

"By the way..." Zhu Zhengwei’s expression suddenly turned peculiar, "Your Majesty, you seem to have some fondness for that gym?"

Li Shimin nodded, "That concubine is quite interesting, very straightforward. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a girl. If I have the time, I might chat with her and keep an eye on the quiet changes in the harem."

Has he taken a liking to her?

Maybe those players are quite good at flirting with men?

It’s unknown if Emperor Tang won the lottery, and whether it’s a man or a woman is an issue.

Zhu Zhengwei politely saw Li Shimin off, silently mourning for him, "I have a feeling, after Li Shimin grants approval, something major is bound to happen. He hasn’t witnessed the power of those who would pluck feathers from even passing geese...."

"They’re definitely going to make palace drama."

"But, it’s not my concern, I’m just here for the gossip."

...

Soon, half a year passed.

This batch of newly chosen women had completely established their Beauty Palace, which was utterly diverse and exaggerated.

The entire area of concubines was transformed into a "game city," with their Beauty Palace turned into item shops, blacksmiths, gyms, sword dao instructors, magic skill training grounds, food shops, and pharmacies...

Although they could decorate their residences however they wanted, it indeed caused huge reactions and attention.

Many concubines, and highly influential nobles in the harem began to say it was disgraceful to the harem, even planning to deal with these ridiculous newcomers and bully the new concubines.

But they started to fight back, each slogan loudly resonating, moving people.

"We won’t be sedentary! We can’t be parasites in the harem. Instead of wasting money aimlessly, let’s produce something with our hobbies and communicate with our sisters!"

"Self-production and self-marketing, boosting the harem’s economy!"

"Every year, the emperor allocates huge sums to the harem, and we spend money like water, lavishly buying luxury goods outside. Is such fiscal spending really okay?" someone raised a banner high.

"We don’t want to be a burden to the emperor!" Someone paraded every day, distributing flyers everywhere.

"Parasite shame! For this talent examination, do you think the emperor would really value parasites? Would he give high evaluation? He’d only value us, the skilled and capable girls!"

...

These slogans stood on the moral high ground, and suddenly the other concubines didn’t dare to speak, feeling something was off, intending to observe quietly.

But even though it didn’t directly affect the concubines’ interests, it completely touched some people’s interests.

For instance, certain concubines from aristocratic families and noblewomen of this same class.

At this moment, they were secretly holding a meeting.

"Damn, the candidates this year are taking the final exams, they’re completely inhuman!"

"Those country-born concubines have come up with all sorts of nonsense, talking about self-reliance and self-sufficiency!" one woman was infuriated.

"They’re dragging us into the water and forcing us to open shops and display our interests and hobbies?"

"Everyone present is well-read, as noble ladies, that’s already enough. As for other skills, I only know a little embroidery!"

During their stay at the Beauty Palace, essentially it was about observing their performance.

Of course, they could continue their usual extravagant monthly spending, continuing life as usual and pretending not to see them.

But just like the slogans of those country concubines, they were very concerned that if they pretended not to know and continued living normally, would the emperor appreciate useless parasites, only relying on lineage, qualification, and appearance?

"In previous years, we were all like this, who knew this year would be different?" they were furious.

"The emperor’s financial expenditures in the harem, what does it matter to you? We’re competing in etiquette, literacy... spending properly is the way to go, it’s the royal façade, and you still want the fortune to stay within the court?"

These country concubines, competing against them by not spending money and seeing who works more, is this the duty of the concubines?

Too competitive!

It has left these adept at palace intrigue and scheming noble concubines, at a loss.

But, they didn’t dare to object either, because every word from the other side stood on the moral high ground, considering from the emperor’s perspective.

...

Pfft!

Zhu Zhengwei spat out a mouthful of salted soda water.

Looking at the official report in the study room, with a peculiar expression, "How outrageous, they really excel at moral coercion and have started the competition."

"These concubines this year are really interesting..." Qingxia also commented.

"What did Empress Changsun say about it?" Zhu Zhengwei suddenly asked, after all, she was the helm of the harem.

"The Empress said this was quite good, very useful for the emperor..." Qingxia said.

Empress Changsun was well-read, reasonable, and very frugal in her daily life, already disapproving of the enormous annual expenses and various concubines’ luxurious spending in the harem.

The emergence of these Kings of Competition fits the empress’s virtuous intentions, subtly implying a harem reform.

Zhu Zhengwei’s lips twitched, "Wow, this group of schemers, indeed life players, don’t love combat but do everything except fighting and even played a grand harem drama. I initially wanted to help them secretly from the top since those famous noble concubines were no kind characters... But they’ve even calculated Empress Changsun’s historical traits? Knowing she would certainly help them raise the banner of cutting expenditure."

After all, who doesn’t want to save money?

Qingxia admired them greatly, "These bottom-tier civilian-born concubines actually came in with robust reform and broke through layers of obstacles, thrashing the contemporary noble concubines to the extent that they have no influence despite their power. It’s absolutely amazing."

But Zhu Zhengwei added, "Moreover, they advocate that royal wealth should not flow into the civilian world, maintaining internal consumption and self-sufficiency, to save expenses for His Majesty... But in reality, this money doesn’t flow out; instead, it flows into these concubines’ pockets, after all, they are the ones running shops."

"What a clever concept swap!"

"Let’s keep watching," Zhu Zhengwei said with interest.

Another month passed.

It turns out these Beauty Palaces only had that fixed group of player concubines visiting each other, but with gradual assimilation, some native concubines also started moving.

Not only were they shopping with each other, but they also began to start their own interest palaces, inviting other concubines over for visits and spending.

This examination of concubines had completely changed style. Of course, though they aimed for a high evaluation, they didn’t exaggerate to practicing swordsmanship, blacksmithing, alchemy, farming, or doing things outlandish like those shameless civilian concubines... Just hosting tea parties, enjoying food, and book clubs in their palaces...

But, they found they couldn’t out-compete these concubines.

"How are they so ridiculous??" A General’s daughter was exasperated, "I’m going to make them pay! Let my father send troops to get rid of them!"

Another concubine from the Ministry of Agriculture was dumbfounded, "Someone’s farming and even implemented a new planting method for a particular herb, noble lady farming in the palace?? Does she have no shame? Are they really women?"

"Someone excelling in cosmetics development claimed it rivals Wanbao Hang’s treasures, and it’s much cheaper without needing to go out..."

Concubines of this cohort were feeling overwhelmed.

All are women, yet they break the traditional virtues more than men, even working overtime; this isn’t human.

This is on track to tirelessly outdo each other.