From doomsday survival to fast-forward daily life

Tian Yu prepared to go to Madam Li's courtyard for lunch.

Early in the morning, Xing'er came to report that Chen Shenghe had gotten into some trouble last night and was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall today.

This happened to him quite often.

"Got it. Ask the kitchen to bring the pastries." Tian Yu stood up and led Mang'er and Chunling to Madam Li's courtyard.

There were only two of us at lunch today, so it was easier to say some things.

Madam Li has been in charge of the General's Mansion for many years without any mistakes, which is enough to show her skills.

At the dinner table, although the two had their own thoughts, neither of them revealed them.

After dinner, Madam Li dismissed her attendants and spoke slowly, "Next month you will be a 15-year-old girl, and you will be a grown-up girl."

"Jing'er often feels that he has been protected by his mother for too long, and most of the time he behaves like a child." Tian Yu said coquettishly.

Madam Li laughed when she heard this: "People say that if a mother is too strong, the daughter she gives birth to will naturally be the opposite. You have proved this."

Tian Yu chuckled, then said bitterly: "Although Jing'er is a girl and has a softer temper, she is not so anxious to leave her mother..."

"Your father said that the emperor's illness is still in good time, but there is no prescription to treat it yet."

Madam Li took a sip of tea and said, "I let you enter the palace because you are the legitimate daughter of the family. Your father is in a position where he must plan his affairs. Sometimes the heart of an emperor is more unpredictable than that of a woman."

Tian Yu understood what Madam Li meant. She wanted her daughter to enter the palace just to control the General's Mansion.

"But I am your mother," Madam Li turned the topic back, "If you don't want to, then I don't want to either. The Chen family has more than one daughter."

"But how could my sister be willing?" Tian Yu asked.

"Of course you have to ask her opinion first. What should you do if she is willing?" Mrs. Li asked Tian Yu.

"My daughter has never been good at learning policy essays." Tian Yu thought for a moment and spoke.

"But I have heard of stories where everyone suffers when one suffers. After entering the harem, I am also a minister. The relationship between family members is the same. In the end, they are all in the same party, just in different positions."

Mrs. Li suddenly laughed after hearing what Tian Yu said. Her daughter was much more insightful than she thought.

The Chen family supported the current emperor to ascend the throne, which was a matter of putting their heads on the line in the struggle.

General Chen was unwilling to give up his daughter's opportunity to enter the palace in order to consolidate his voice.

If the new emperor falls now, the Chen family will not have an easy time. If he does not fall, there will be the risk of suspicion in the future, but staying tied to the rope is indeed the best option now.

"I asked someone to pass a note saying that I was going to visit Concubine Rong. We are now close friends." Madam Li said.

Tian Yu knew that she still had to verify the scene in her dream.

"Ask a maid to invite the second wife to come to the courtyard for dinner today." Madam Li said indifferently.

"Come with me." She motioned Tian Yu to get up and follow.

Sitting at the desk in the study, Tian Yu looked at the accounts in front of him.

"Starting today, you will learn to manage accounts with me at home. Do you have any objection?" asked Mrs. Li.

"I'll follow mother's arrangements." Tian Yu wished for more.

Tian Yu knew what Madam Li meant. Since she didn't want to enter the palace, she couldn't just sit there doing nothing. After all, she was his own daughter, so there was nothing wrong with assisting the housekeeper.

That evening, the second wife's aunt brought Chen Shengqing to the yard.

Tian Yu observed calmly, and seeing that the two men's behavior was quite respectful to Madam Li, he had already made up his mind. In this family, apart from the general, Madam Li had the final say after all.

"Qing'er, you have been an adult for several months. It is time for you to think about marriage. Do you have any plans in mind?" Madam Li asked straight to the point.

Without waiting for Chen Shengqing to answer, the eldest aunt rushed to speak: "It's all up to the master and the mistress."

Madam Li patted her hands and said, "Yurong, you are too nervous. The marriage of a girl depends on whether she is willing or not. If she is not a good match, won't she be trapped in the inner house for the rest of her life? Don't you think so, Qing'er?"

Chen Shengqing's face did not look very good. Madam Li's question was too direct, and it seemed as if she was just short of engraving "I know everything you are thinking" on her face.

"I'm not an unreasonable person, but it would be better if there were fewer trivial matters in the inner house of my Chen family." Mrs. Li said lightly.

"In order to avoid different thoughts, it is better to ask clearly."

"Qing'er, what do you think?" Mrs. Li called Chen Shengqing's name again.

"Bang!" Chen Shengqing's face turned pale and he fell to his knees on the ground.

Tian Yu sensed something was wrong. Although Madam Li's words were suggestive, they were not so serious. Judging from the faces of the two men, they seemed extremely afraid.

Madam Li's tactics are probably more ruthless than I imagined.

The former glanced at Tian Yu, who understood and immediately stood up to help Chen Shengqing.

"Don't panic, sister. Just say whatever you want to say. Mother came to you today to ask about your thoughts."

Madam Li also spoke up: "Get up, why are you doing this?"

Chen Shengqing was helped up, his face still pale: "This matter is up to the mistress."

"That's right. If I had an idea, I wouldn't ask you to come and ask." Mrs. Li smiled.

"When the new emperor ascends the throne, there will only be the empress and three concubines in the harem. As the most loyal minister of the Chen family, we naturally have to send one of our daughters to the palace to give birth to more children for the emperor."

"Now that Qing'er has reached the age of marriage, Jing'er will follow next month. I guess the two daughters of the Chen family should be treated equally."

Madam Li spoke cleverly and did not mention the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.

"As for me, who goes and whether to go or not depends on what my daughters want. I hate it most when my family members become alienated."

After hearing what Madam Li said, the eldest aunt looked at Chen Shengqing, as if she just wanted her to make the decision herself.

Tian Yu didn't say anything more. She bowed and said, "My daughter knows that she doesn't have the heart to be a concubine in the harem."

"You have always been gentle, so I won't say anything to you." Mrs. Li nodded.

"What about you, Qing'er? What do you think? If you don't want to, you can refuse this favor."

Mrs. Li's expression relaxed and she was waiting for Chen Shengqing's answer.

The three of them looked at her, as if they all wanted her to make her own decision.

She lowered her head, not knowing what she was thinking. Then she looked at Madam Li with a tentative look in her eyes.

"If my daughter doesn't want to, then the marriage..."

Madam Li didn't want to force her: "If you don't want to, I will find you a good family in the future according to your wishes."

Chen Shengqing lowered his head again, looking as if he wanted to think about it.

No one urged her for a moment.

She raised her head again, her expression much more resolute: "My daughter is willing to enter the palace."

Tian Yu didn't say anything. He just had his own ideas.

It was getting late, and Madam Li ordered everyone to leave. However, Chen Shengqing stopped Tian Yu at this time.