"Just line up when you’re told to, and don’t wait to speak!" Land Officer Yang glared at her.
The two people on the stage, an older woman and a middle-aged man who looked about thirty years old, gazed at Yang Lichun as they followed the sound, their eyes brightened when they saw her.
Yang Chuxia was standing in the middle at this point, she covered her face with her sleeve and noticed the man’s gaze, the more she thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong.
"Alright, everyone line up and keep quiet," Land Officer Yang knocked the gong again. When everyone below quieted down, he cleared his throat and said, "We are honored that the present emperor is looking for women from Funan for the selection. Our Lord Prefect is very thoughtful and has sent people to make a preliminary selection. Those who are chosen will be sent to the prefecture and will be tutored by nannies before participating in the final selection. Keep in mind that serving the present emperor is a great blessing."
After pausing, he continued, "This is Chief Steward Cao, who was dispatched by our Lord Prefect, and this is Nurse Yun."
As Land Officer Yang finished speaking, there was a commotion in the crowd below.
Ye Zi’an looked at them and asked, "Grandfather, since the selection is for the emperor, those who are already married cannot participate, right? Why have them stand in line?"
"Where did this kid come from?" Steward Cao, who was on stage, glared at him when he heard the question, "Do you need to be such a busybody about how they’re going to choose?"
"Chief Steward Cao!" Ye Zi’an bowed his hand and smiled, "How am I being meddlesome? I just have a question. Traditionally, those selected must be of good repute, and this doesn’t only refer to their background. Now, you have the married women standing in line, isn’t this somewhat inappropriate?"
Nurse Yun stood up and said, "Young man, don’t be impatient. They’re just lining up and it doesn’t mean they’ll be chosen for sure. Besides, the palace is not only selecting women, they’re also selecting nannies. Nannies need to be those who are already married, so they can be properly educated by the internal affairs department and later be assigned to serve various masters. This is a decent job, and if they’re selected, they may soar to great heights."
As expected, Nurse Yun’s words quieted down the women who had children below. Yang Lichun looked at them with great interest, which made Auntie Li by her side so angry she wanted to drag her out and beat her up.
As for Mu Shaoling and Ye Zi’an, who were standing in the crowd, they exchanged glances and saw the mockery in each other’s eyes.
Even Yang Chuxia found it funny. The palace nannies were usually selected from within the palace after years of service and experience, so how could they be chosen from the outside? Especially those who were unfamiliar with the palace. Are they supposed to teach others, or are others supposed to teach them? This kind of talk could only deceive those with little exposure.
"Alright, everyone, be quiet," Land Officer Yang waved his hand and turned to the two of them, "I don’t know how Steward Cao would like to make the selection? One by one or how?"
Steward Cao said, "Five people at a time, from front to back."
With that, Land Officer Yang handed the gong to Yang Dayong and called out, "Ms. Li Junior, Ms. Liu, Ms. Yang, Ms. Jin, Ms. Cai, you come first."
As soon as the words fell, Ms. Li Junior and the others happily stepped forward. How could they not be excited? Especially with the nanny’s words, being a palace nanny meant they could meet the imperial family’s noble ladies. If they were chosen, it would be a great honor.