After the Old Woman went out, the old man heaved a sigh and said, "The Great Jing Dynasty is currently ruled by the Long family. Come to think of it, when Emperor Longchang first ascended the throne, he was considered an enlightened monarch. He did quite a few things that benefited the country and the people, and by launching massive imperial examinations to recruit talent, he promoted quite a few scholars from humble backgrounds. For the newly ascended Emperor Longchang, people still felt a sense of gratitude in their hearts."
"Oh?" Li Dai asked with surprise, "Then how did things turn out like this later?"
"Alas," the old man sighed again, and continued, "If we are to speak of Emperor Longchang's transformation, it began over thirty years ago when Noble Consort Mei entered the palace. That was in the early summer thirty-nine years ago, during the Grand Selection in Jingdu. Noble Consort Mei entered the palace as the concubine-born daughter of a magistrate from Zhiyuan County. At that time, not only was her background humble and her appearance unremarkable, but whether by luck or whatever, Emperor Longchang happened to be traveling undercover outside the palace just as she stood up for an ordinary passerby. Because of this, Emperor Longchang remembered the ordinary-looking Noble Consort Mei."
Chapter 916