Harem Daily Life

When Gu Yi was leaving, Xiao Jinan wanted to see him off, so Tao Yanyan put on a cloak and walked them to the gate of the palace.

"Miss Tao, take care of yourself." Gu Yi looked at her and said.

Tao Yanyan always had a smile on her face: "I wish General Gu a bright future."

Gu Yi took out a box from his arms and handed it to Tao Yanyan: "I have been taking care of you, Lady Tao, for a long time. I have eaten a lot of food cooked by you. I have no way to repay you. Please accept this small gift from you, Lady Tao."

"How can I do this? I've eaten so many of your rabbits." Tao Yanyan did not reach out to take it and declined.

Gu Yi insisted: "It's not a valuable gift, please accept it, Miss Tao. It's a souvenir of our acquaintance."

After hearing this, Tao Yanyan accepted it and opened it. It turned out to be a jade pendant.

"This... is expensive, right?"

Gu Yi smiled and said, "It's not expensive. Compared to the jade bracelet that Lady Tao is wearing, the price is probably just a fraction of it."

It's just that it was blessed by a high monk and given to you as a talisman.

The words stayed in my heart and were not spoken.

"Thank you very much, but it's a pity that I didn't know you were coming to say goodbye today, so I didn't prepare any gift for you." Tao Yanyan was thinking about what gift he could give, but he really couldn't think of one for a while.

"You're welcome. Take care, Miss Tao, and we'll see you later." After saying this, Gu Yi touched Xiao Jinan's head and got on the horse.

"Why does it seem like General Gu is very lonely?" Qingfeng whispered beside him.

Tao Yanyan narrowed his eyes, watched the person walk away, retracted his gaze, and took Xiao Jinan's hand: "Let's go, go back and bake some oranges and some rice cakes."

Before we knew it, it was the twelfth lunar month. This year, all officials above the fifth rank from all over the country had to return to Beijing to report on their work. After arriving in the capital, those who had mansions would live there themselves, while those who did not would live in the government offices arranged by the Ministry of Rites. Some would also choose to pay to stay in an inn.

The emperor would meet with them one by one and ask about local government affairs. Those with good performance would be rewarded, while those with problems would be directly investigated and held accountable. Therefore, the capital was very lively during this period. Some people came to pay their respects, some wanted to entertain guests, some wanted to recruit people, and everyone was looking for their own way.

The Tao family did not have a mansion in Beijing. Tao Yanyan's father went to Beijing to take the imperial examination and passed the exam. Later, he was sent to work as an official in another city and had never been in the capital, so there was no need for him to buy a house in Beijing.

After being received by the emperor today, the emperor rewarded him with a mansion in the capital. Tao Qian was very shocked and quickly thanked him: "My whole family is in Jiangcheng. I am afraid this mansion in the capital is of no use to me. Your Majesty does not need to spend money on it."

He Linzhang said: "Your Excellency Tao has made good achievements in government. I intend to let you stay in Beijing as an official. If there is a chance, you can also meet Yan Yan. What do you think?"

Tao Qian was naturally very happy to hear that he could see his daughter, but he had no say in whether she would stay in Beijing. He said sincerely: "I will serve the country with all my heart, and share the worries of the emperor. I will shine wherever I am. I will obey your majesty's will in everything."

"Okay, then you can live in the mansion with peace of mind. The appointment documents will be issued in a few days. By the way, has Madam Tao come back with you? Yan Yan misses her mother very much. If she comes back, I can arrange for them to meet."

Tao Qian said, "I am here. My son is coming to the capital with me to take part in the imperial examination after the New Year. We are tired from the journey, so we will stay in the inn for now. Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty."

"Oh? Tao's eldest son will take the imperial examination next year? How was his performance so far?"

Tao Qian said: "My grades are not outstanding, but I just barely made the list. If I don't pass this year, I can take the exam again in three years."

He Linzhang finally understood where the little beauty's calm and peaceful personality came from. It turned out that her father was also a person who could take things easy.

"I intend to place you in the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue is related to the national economy and people's livelihood. I hope you can give full play to your strengths and do more practical things for the people."

Tao Qian clasped his fists and said, "Yes, I thank your Majesty for your favor. I will do my best to serve you."

"Well, then you should go back first. Lady Tao accompanied the Queen Mother to the hot spring palace and adopted the second prince. She is not in the capital for the time being. Once I have made arrangements, I will have someone take you to see her."

Tao Qian thanked him sincerely and then left.

He Linzhang gave Zhang Fuhai a look, and Eunuch Zhang immediately sent him out.

"Thank you for seeing me off, eunuch. May I know your name?" Tao Qian asked politely.

"My surname is Zhang. I would like to congratulate Lord Tao. You have a bright future ahead of you." Eunuch Zhang said with a smile.

Tao Qian immediately handed over a purse containing ten taels of silver: "This is a small token of my appreciation. Please have some tea, sir."

Eunuch Zhang declined and put it into his sleeve pocket, then took the initiative to say: "Lady Tao is very popular with the emperor and the queen mother, so you don't have to worry."

Tao Qian looked around and asked, "Thank you Queen Mother and Your Majesty for your care. But, what's the matter with this second prince? My daughter is young and of low status, so why would she adopt a prince?"

Normally, only queens above the rank of concubine can adopt a prince who has lost his mother. And I haven't heard that Your Majesty has a second prince? No matter how I look at it, it seems wrong.

So, Eunuch Zhang explained the whole story, saying that the Empress Dowager liked Young Master Jin'an, and thought that the Emperor's grandson, now listed on the royal jade disc, was a member of the royal family acknowledged by His Majesty.

Tao Qian actually developed a great interest in the child. He could be promoted to a prince just because of his cuteness and adorableness. This would be amazing in any dynasty!

I am even more looking forward to meeting you.

Mrs. Tao and Tao Yanyan's brother Tao Zhixing were also shocked for a long time when they heard what Lord Tao said when he returned.

"Sister, do you have the guts to do that? You dare to pick up a child on the street and bring him back to the palace?" Tao Zhixing would never believe it even if he was beaten to death.

Madam Tao also felt that this was not something her daughter could do: "Master, maybe there is something hidden about the prince that is inconvenient for outsiders to tell, so he made up such a story. Yan Yan is timid and afraid of things. He does things in a conventional way and would never dare to cause trouble for himself."

Tao Qian hadn't seen his daughter yet, so he couldn't speculate. He just said, "Let's ask her in person when we meet. His Majesty said he would arrange for someone to take us to the Hot Spring Palace to pay us a visit. By the way, we didn't bring many servants with us this time. We need to go to the pawnshop to buy some. We need to clean the mansion His Majesty gave us. Here is the title deed. Madam, keep it."

Mrs. Tao took it and looked at it: "I didn't expect Yan Yan to be so favored. She has worked so hard." After saying that, she wanted to cry.

Tao Qian immediately comforted her, "Madam, don't worry. Being chosen to enter the palace is fate. Fortunately, Yan Yan is smart and well-behaved. He is loved by His Majesty and gets along well with the Queen Mother. At least he is living a good life in the palace. We should be relieved!"

"But I still feel something is wrong." Tao Zhixing frowned: "This is not like Yan Yan's style!"

Madam Tao slapped him and said, "Your sister is married, and married into the royal family. It is normal for her to change her style according to the situation. You will know when you see her. Well, don't stand here, pack up quickly, and we will move into the Tao Mansion today. It's almost the end of the year, and the price of the inn has risen sharply. It costs one or two taels of silver a day!"