Once the Fifth Prince's birthday had passed, Fourth Master began preparations to head south.
However, the date set was the thirteenth of March.
That was still nearly half a month away.
During this half month, the second round of selection for Fine Ladies had already begun.
To be precise, the second round had started from the day they entered the palace.
Logically speaking, the third round of selection should have taken place after the twentieth of March. However, due to The Empress Dowager's hint, The Empress consulted with His Majesty. Consequently, the third round was moved up by ten days, to the beginning of the tenth.
Before the tenth, whether it be the concubines or the Imperial Noble Consorts, some began to find reasons to invite the Fine Ladies over for tea.
After all, this had become an unwritten rule.
The women of the imperial harem aged year by year, and with each batch of newcomers, some old favorites fell out of favor.
