Harem Daily Life

In Chang Le Palace, Tao Yanyan waited for a long time, but He Linzhang did not come. She called Xianglan over to ask, and Xianglan spoke in a secretive tone, not daring to utter a sound: "Your Majesty, His Majesty's eyes are red, and he has been sitting in the Fifth Princess's room for almost an hour. We servants dare not disturb him..."

Tao Yanyan sighed. This was the old father's reluctance to part with his daughter; seeing these objects reminded him of her.

Tao Yanyan put on her clothes and went to He Yinuo's boudoir. He Linzhang was sitting on the chaise longue that He Yinuo loved most, with He Yinuo's toys from childhood laid out in front of him.

They took all the gold-plated items; what remained were wood carvings, clay figurines, and rag dolls…

"The child lives in the capital. Whenever His Majesty misses her, he can summon her to the palace. It's late, you should go back and rest!"

Tao Yanyan advised, "If a king were to hide in his room and cry after marrying off his daughter, wouldn't all the officials in the court laugh their heads off?"

He Linzhang carefully put away the small items in front of him one by one: "When Xuan'er, Yue'er, and Min'er got married before, I didn't do this. People get old after all and are easily saddened."

Tao Yanyan looked at his well-maintained face and gently took his arm: "Your Majesty, where do you look old? You are clearly in your prime." Compared to his peers, He Linzhang did indeed look much younger.

"In the blink of an eye, even Yu Nuo has gotten married and started a family. Next up are the weddings of my two rascals. Once I've finished taking care of them, I'll retire gracefully."

Tao Yanyan got a headache just thinking about her two playful sons. He Xiaobao, on the other hand, loved to travel to famous mountains and rivers. She heard that a new book, "The Records of the Mountains and Rivers of Xia," had recently been published. She didn't know which mountain in Xia Kingdom it was written at, but the book had been sent to the capital for printing and had already become a hot commodity.

He Xiaoliu loved flowers and birds, so he fenced off a piece of forest on the outskirts of the capital and lived a life of planting flowers and raising birds. He Xiaoqi was also taken there by him, and he devoted himself to teaching various birds to talk. However, the results were mediocre. Apart from He Xiaoqi's improved bird-scolding skills, he didn't manage to teach a single bird to speak.

"They are both still young, let's talk about it in a few years. But... the Empress Dowager's health is getting worse. I recently visited her and she looked very tired. I'm afraid she's almost gone. It would be good to arrange for everyone to come to the palace to take care of her."

He Linzhang's heart clenched, and his brows furrowed deeply. In this life, one can fight for anything, but the one thing one cannot fight against is time. Time flows swiftly like water, and human life is merely a series of days until the very end.

"If only there were a way to live forever, life is so short!" He Linzhang sighed softly. The night was cool and still, and his sigh drifted away with the wind outside the window, disappearing into the darkness.

The Empress arranged for the various princes' residences to attend to the Empress Dowager, and high-ranking officials and wealthy families also sent people to the palace every day in order to accompany her and serve her medicine. At this point, everyone knew that the Empress Dowager's time was coming to an end.

On the third day after her wedding, He Yinuo returned to her parents' home. After having lunch at Chang Le Palace with her husband Song Shiqing, she hurriedly went to Chang Chun Palace, where the two of them served the Empress Dowager by her bedside.

"I told your mother long ago not to call you two here. You two should go have some fun. You're newlyweds, what are you doing staying with this old woman like me?" The Empress Dowager was in a good mood when she saw He Yinuo and leaned against the cushions, complaining softly.

"My granddaughter has been missing her grandmother since she got married. Now that I've come to the palace, I must stay by her side every step of the way to feel at ease. Grandmother, why don't you pack your things and come live with Nuoer at the Princess's residence? Nuoer will take you shopping every day and buy you all sorts of delicious food."

The Empress Dowager's smile deepened her wrinkles as she held He Yinuo's small hand: "I have been in the palace for decades, bound by all sorts of rules. Let alone going shopping, it's difficult to even leave the palace. Until I met you and your daughter, I've experienced everything I wanted to do."

She recalled the first time Tao Yanyan accompanied her shopping, with He Linzhang eagerly following behind; everything seemed as clear as if it were yesterday.

"Your mother was playful and innocent at your age. She would come to my place every few days to cook delicious food and win my heart. You've learned all of your mother's coaxing skills perfectly, except for her cooking skills."

He Yinuo stuck out her tongue. She was a gourmet, but also a kitchen disaster.

“My second sister-in-law’s cooking skills aren’t very good either. I heard she almost burned the kitchen down last time,” He Yinuo said with a smile. “Su Liangdi’s cooking skills are much better. She’s been serving the Crown Princess’s postpartum meals lately.”

Speaking of this, the Empress Dowager was very pleased: "Your elder brother, the Crown Prince, is very fortunate. He has married a kind-hearted woman and a concubine, both of whom are virtuous and have not made things difficult for him."

The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow, recalling her own experiences in the palace intrigues of yesteryear, and then looking at the peaceful Crown Prince's palace today, she thought, "Comparison is the thief of joy."

“Too many people cause trouble. A man shouldn’t have too many women. Marrying one wife brings harmony to the family. But with too many women in the inner quarters, there are more thoughts and more sordid things to do. In the end, no one benefits.” He Yinuo said to herself, while Song Shiqing behind her perked up his ears and took it all in.

The Empress Dowager glanced at the two of them, a slight smile playing on her lips. This granddaughter was skilled at managing her husband; she really didn't need to worry about her.

The two stayed at Changchun Palace with the Empress Dowager until the end of the evening meal before leaving the palace. They planned to return to the palace to visit her in a few days.

After Mu Yu and the others left, they poured a cup of milk for the Empress Dowager. The amount of milk was small, and only one pot was supplied to the palace each day. Some was sent to the Empress Dowager, some was drunk by He Linzhang and Tao Yanyan, and the rest was sent to the East Palace, specifically for Duan Chaopei.

"I've investigated everything you asked me to investigate, and I've also placed people in positions of authority. There's nothing wrong with the Fifth Prince Consort, so you can rest assured. He's truly sincere towards Yunuo. Before he met Yunuo, he didn't even have a female mosquito by his side. He's a determined young man."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Environment influences people. After so many years of intrigue and backstabbing in the inner palace, one inevitably harbors a lot of suspicion towards others. Well, since she is a good person, there is no need to worry about her anymore. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. With Yinuo's intelligence and talent, she should be able to handle whoever she encounters."

The two elders were indeed overthinking things. He Yinuo not only managed to keep her talented husband, who was skilled in both literature and martial arts, in check, but he had him completely under her control.

Song Shiqing was like he was under a spell, no matter how He Yinuo treated him, he found He Yinuo incredibly cute. If He Yinuo whimpered at night, he would stop and comfort her for a long time, only continuing when she looked at him with seductive eyes, using the gentlest of tactics, unwilling to let He Yinuo suffer any pain.

He Yinuo felt tired, so he gave her a massage. His technique was more professional than that of a specially trained maid, and he made He Yinuo feel very comfortable.

He Yinuo sometimes couldn't understand how a man who established his authority in the military could be so gentle and tender.

She extended her index finger and hooked a strand of Song Shiqing's hair around it, the strand entwining between her fingers: "My consort, have you always been so gentle?"

Song Shiqing's clothes were half-open, revealing his honey-colored skin and firm abdominal muscles. He moved closer and said, "That depends on what Nuo'er likes. Does she like me to be gentle and submissive, or... more courageous and strong?"

He Yinuo's ears turned red, and she gave Song Shiqing a sudden shove. Song Shiqing raised an eyebrow, a knowing look on his face: "So, it's the latter..."