Harem Daily Life

Su Xing had previously suspected she was pregnant, but it turned out to be a misdiagnosis, so she became very low-key and quietly spent more than a year recuperating. Now that she finally seems to be pregnant, the imperial physicians are being very cautious, saying that it's not yet time to make a definitive conclusion and not to say anything for sure.

Recently, the Imperial Medical Academy has assigned three imperial physicians to guard the Eastern Palace and provide consultations frequently.

"Having been married for many years without having children has always been a worry for Consort Su. Your Highness, you must be very careful this time. If you do become pregnant, you must use the best of everything."

Duan Chaopei smiled and replied, "Yes, please rest assured, Your Majesty, I understand."

The children wanted to see the little sister, but she was sleeping like a little pig, so their mothers had to take them home and they would come back tomorrow.

Tao Yanyan pulled He Linzhang, who was guarding his granddaughter, and said, "Your Majesty, please come back to the palace with me to rest. You have been guarding here all this time, and Song Shiqing has not had a chance to see his daughter."

He Linzhang coughed lightly: "I have more experience than him. What's wrong with me taking care of things?"

Tao Yan said reproachfully, "Your Majesty dotes on your daughter, but doesn't Song Shiqing dote on her too? He's practically turned into a stone waiting for his daughter. Tell me, when the child is awake, you rush to hold her and won't let him, but when she's asleep, you won't even let him watch over her?"

He Linzhang choked, then looked reluctantly at the child on the small bed before getting up awkwardly.

“Yu Nuo is favored by her husband, and Chao Ge is favored by her father. Your Majesty, please show more favor to me. How can I possibly hold a place in Your Majesty's heart?”

Tao Yanyan took He Linzhang's arm and strolled out, saying in a coquettish tone.

He Linzhang chuckled: "You don't know how much you've taken?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty, please tell me."

Helpless, He Linzhang grabbed her hand and held her tightly. Even when he saw Song Shiqing at the door, he didn't let go of her hand.

"Check her every half hour to see if she spits up. Burp her after each feeding to prevent spitting up. Don't restrict her hands and feet; every time she wiggles, it means she's growing. If she cries, first check if she's hungry, then check her diaper. Remember to get up and check on her in the middle of the night too; don't be careless..."

Song Shiqing quickly nodded: "Yes, Father, I will remember it."

He Linzhang wanted to say something more, but Tao Yanyan tugged at his sleeve, so he had to postpone it until another day.

Having finally gotten his chance, Song Shiqing respectfully saw the Emperor and Empress off before rushing into the palace to see his beloved daughter.

My dear Ge'er, having a maternal grandfather with an exceptionally strong possessive nature has been a real hardship for your father! I have to wait for an opportunity to even catch a glimpse of you.

He Yucheng returned to the Eastern Palace late at night. Recently, there has been a severe drought in the southwest. The imperial court has allocated funds for disaster relief and dispatched imperial envoys to the disaster area. However, if it does not rain, the problem cannot be solved at all.

Some ministers in the court have already submitted memorials impeaching His Majesty, saying that His Majesty neglects state affairs and the Crown Prince is incompetent, which is why natural disasters have occurred. They demand that His Majesty write an edict of self-reproach and lead all civil and military officials in worshipping Heaven and Earth to pray for rain.

He was furious and summoned the official who had spoken out against him, giving him a severe dressing-down. The official, feeling wronged, nearly smashed his head against the palace wall to prove his loyalty.

From a young age, he watched his father and these ministers advance and retreat, maneuvering in the court. His father could withstand decades of torment from them, so he should be able to as well, right?

He Yucheng sighed. He sent people to appease the censor that very night, but he didn't know if it would have any effect.

Seeing that He Yucheng looked exhausted, Duan Chaopei stepped forward and helped him take off his outer robe: "Your Highness, why are you so tired? Would you like to take a bath to relax?"

He Yucheng turned around and hugged Duan Chaopei, taking a deep breath as if he were drawing strength from her.

"Governing a country is not easy, just let me hug you."

Duan Chaopei didn't dare to move either, and the two of them just hugged each other for a long time.

"By the way, Imperial Physician Liu took Consort Su's pulse this evening and said that the chances of her being pregnant are extremely high. Your Highness, I wish to congratulate you in advance on becoming a father again."

Upon hearing this news, the weary He Yucheng relaxed slightly: "I've been busy lately, so I'll leave the affairs of the Crown Prince to you. I'll visit her after I've finished this busy period."

Now He Yucheng has to get up before dawn to go to court and returns late at night. In order not to disturb Su Xing's rest, he did not go to the west courtyard.

Duan Chaopei patted He Yucheng's back: "Your Highness, rest assured, you are busy in the court, but I will take care of things in the Eastern Palace."

Originally, He Yucheng did not want to disturb He Linzhang, but as the situation became more and more serious, he had no choice but to present the truth to the emperor.

Upon hearing the news at Chang Le Palace, He Linzhang remained silent for a moment: "The so-called edict of self-reproach is mostly just a pretext, done for the world to see. How can human power resist natural disasters? Those old scoundrels in the court are just taking advantage of your youth to put pressure on you."

Tao Yanyan was deeply worried. Without rain, the crops wouldn't grow, and people were dying of thirst.

"Let the army fetch water and transport it to the disaster area," Tao Yan said.

He Linzhang nodded: "The 100,000 troops stationed in the southwest should be used when necessary."

He Yucheng did not have command authority over the military camp, so the imperial edict still had to be issued by He Linzhang.

The next morning, the emperor, who had not attended court for almost a year, finally sat high in the Mingtang Hall. When the old ministers saw the emperor again, they were all moved to tears.

"Your Majesty, you have finally agreed to come out of seclusion again!"

"Your Majesty, I miss you terribly!"

"His Majesty will surely lead us out of danger and into good fortune!"

He Yucheng's lips twitched. These old bastards were all serious when they saw him, but when they saw their father, the emperor, their expressions were so vivid that they looked like they were performing in an opera.

He Linzhang glanced around and said, "Stop talking nonsense. There's a severe drought in the southwest, and none of you are offering any good solutions, but you're quite adept at applying pressure."

All the officials and civil servants lowered their heads and remained silent.

"The Crown Prince is the heir apparent. I previously instructed you all to assist him as you would assist me. And what have you done? Humph!"

"Your Majesty, we are terrified and beg you to calm your anger!" All the civil and military officials knelt on the ground. The old fox was still cunning, and His Majesty's oppressive aura was still chilling.

"Alright, everyone get up. The matter in the Southwest is of utmost urgency."

The court officials rose again, awaiting the emperor's instructions.

"By imperial decree, dispatch the troops stationed in the southwest to transport water to alleviate the disaster, prioritize ensuring the people's livelihood water supply, allocate grain from nearby areas, and consider subsequent crop planting after we overcome the difficulties."

On that day, He Linzhang also discussed with the Ministry of Revenue for a long time the need to purchase large quantities of grain for reserves. In the next two years, the southwest would suffer from reduced production due to drought, which would inevitably lead to unharvested crops and a shortage of grain. Only by having the court reserve a large amount of grain could it help those in distress and stabilize market prices.

Purchasing grain requires silver, but fortunately, the Ministry of Revenue has accumulated sufficient silver reserves over the years, so it is not a difficult task.

After the ministers left, He Linzhang summoned He Yucheng to the imperial study: "I know that you have not replaced a single official in the past year of governing. Some of them are veterans of three reigns who rely on their seniority, while others are my right-hand men, and you are too embarrassed to do so. However, since you will be the one to inherit the throne in the future, the people around you must be to your liking. Those who should be replaced must be replaced."

He Yucheng said in fear: "Father, all the civil and military officials in the court are key ministers and capable people."