Harem Daily Life

"Sister, His Majesty didn't even look at me and I'm pregnant. How could he be so cruel?" Perhaps because of her pregnancy, Concubine Lu's mood was up and down, and she would be easily upset by the slightest thing.

Li Cairen's eyes darkened, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Your Majesty values her because she can bring good ideas to His Majesty. Humph, it's really infuriating, how can she know everything?"

Li Cairen was a little indignant. The earthen kang in the past and the glutinous rice mortar now, if it was an idea that she came up with, His Majesty would never ignore her.

When she thought about the fact that she had not been favored for almost a year, Li Cairen felt so angry that her heart ached. She was only in her twenties, and she was left alone so soon!

The two sisters watched the palace servants collecting the blue bricks and stood in a daze in the imperial garden, like two beautiful empty shells without souls.

In Changle Palace, when everyone saw that the Imperial Concubine had brought His Majesty back and the two of them were still as inseparable as before, they knew that this crisis was resolved and their master had regained his favor.

Everyone in Changle Palace was filled with joy. It was a rare opportunity for the three children to see their father again. They surrounded He Linzhang and chattered, reporting what they had eaten, done, and learned during this period. It was a lively scene.

He Linzhang naturally stayed overnight and hugged the sweet and soft little concubine again. The good days were finally back.

On the second day, when the palaces learned that His Majesty was staying overnight at Changle Palace again, their previous thoughts of seizing the opportunity to win favor from the Imperial Concubine as she had fallen out of favor were severely extinguished. Except for Changle Palace, the other palaces were dead silent.

At the Da Zhou Inn, Princess Yan was very annoyed when she learned that the Prince of Zhennan wanted to see her again.

Because she hired thugs to cause trouble in Concubine Tao's shop last time, she ended up losing several thousand taels of silver, and also caused protests from her ministers. As a result, most of them had already set off back to the State of Yan.

Now, there are only a few ministers and guards left. She is extremely anxious. There is no news from the Great Zhou Palace, and even Ning Yuanhou no longer comes to negotiate. It seems that the Great Zhou has forgotten her, which makes her very embarrassed.

She failed to fulfill her wish and enter the harem of Da Zhou, but staying in the Da Zhou inn forever was not a good idea.

Now hearing that her brother had come again, she said with a cold face, asking him to come in.

As soon as the Prince of Zhennan saw his sister, he cried poorly, "Sister, I really can't hold on any longer. Business in the two shops is terrible, and I can't even pay the monthly wages to the clerks. Every day we open means a loss. Now I have to close the shop or do another business, but it will require new investment. Please save me, sister, and help me think of a solution!"

Princess Yan was angry at him for not fighting for it: "Before I asked you to take the imperial examination, you thought studying was too hard. Otherwise, if you had a position, how could you be like this now, unable to support the family business?"

The Prince of Zhennan frowned and said, "I am not a good student. If I really put my mind on the imperial examination, I am afraid I may not pass it even when I am seventy or eighty years old. Sister, please don't talk about the past anymore. Now is the time to deal with it. I'd better ask you to think of a solution first."

Princess Yan rubbed her brows and said after a long while: "The shop is in a good location. It would be a pity to sell it. You can rent it out. The rent collected every year is also a considerable income. Don't be extravagant all the time. Be frugal and you can still make a living."

When the Prince of Zhennan heard this, it seemed that this was indeed the only way. Otherwise, if he continued to run the business, he would be afraid of losing everything.

However, in order to cut down on expenses, he could no longer go to Miaoyinfang to look for girls as he did before. For the prince, who always loved to visit these elegant places, this was simply the greatest torture for him.

"Okay, the New Year is coming soon, you should go back and prepare." Princess Yan was thinking about something and was too lazy to deal with her younger brother.

The Prince of Zhennan hesitated for a moment, but finally said with embarrassment: "At the end of the year, I need silver to pay for social interactions. I wonder if you can... lend me three thousand silver first? Don't worry, I will pay you back after the shop is rented out."

The Princess of Yan choked up, and cursed her brother a thousand times in her heart. But she couldn't refuse. As the Princess of Yan, she couldn't be so stingy as to not lend money to her brother. So she had to wink at the people around her, and the maid quickly went to get three thousand taels of silver notes.

The Prince of Zhennan took the banknote and put it into his sleeve pocket: "Thank you, sister. I will send you the New Year's goods in two days. Then I won't bother you anymore. I'll take my leave."

After the Prince of Zhennan left, the maidservant beside the Princess of Yan said, "Princess, we don't have much silver bills with us. Should we write a letter and ask the Kingdom of Yan to bring some more?"

The maidservant did not dare to say that she would go back to Yan State directly, so she had to ask Yan State to send silver.

Princess Yan was in a terrible headache: "How much did you spend during this period?"

The maid replied, "I brought 100,000 taels of silver notes, as well as some gold and silver jewelry. So far, I have spent 70,000 taels, and I have 30,000 taels left."

If 30,000 taels were placed in an ordinary family, it would take several lifetimes to spend them all, but Princess Yan had huge expenses, so this little money really couldn't last long. Plus, with this unreliable brother around, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't come to borrow money again next time.

"There are still ten days before the New Year. Let's go back after the New Year." Princess Yan had no other way to go. If she continued to stay in the Great Zhou, her situation would only get worse.

It was the first year that Defei was in charge of the annual palace banquets. She was extremely busy and felt that nothing was going well. She was so anxious these days that she got angry.

"Invitations to each family must be sent within these two days. The annual gifts to clan members must be sent by the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month at the latest. For clan members who cannot attend the banquet, their seats must be taken away in advance. Don't leave any empty seats. It will look ugly."

Haitang agreed to all of them: "Don't worry, your Majesty, everything has been arranged. But there is one thing that your Majesty should discuss with His Majesty."

Defei raised her head, looking tired: "What's the matter?"

Haitang reminded: "The Princess of Yan has not returned to Yan State. Should we invite her to the annual palace banquet?"

Concubine De was in a dilemma. Why didn't the Princess of Yan go back? Was she still thinking about His Majesty?

Defei really cannot make the decision on this matter. If she invites him, she is afraid that it will make His Majesty unhappy. If she doesn't invite him, she is afraid that Princess Yan will feel that the Great Zhou does not respect her. It is really annoying!

Defei had no choice but to ask the emperor whether to invite the Princess of Yan. Tao Yanyan happened to be in the imperial study, serving as a clerk. When Defei went in, she saw the two of them being affectionate, while she was busy all the time, and her depression increased.

Defei explained her purpose. He Linzhang thought for a moment and said, "I really don't want to see her again, but she hasn't returned to Yan State, so it's not good not to invite her. So I'll send a message first. If I were her, I wouldn't come."

Tao Yanyan glared at him and said, "Your Majesty, you are using an analogy again. I have long told you not to think of yourself as the Princess of Yan, but you never listen."

He Linzhang shook his head and laughed, his eyes full of doting: "Okay, okay, I'll pay attention next time."

After being fed a mouthful of dog food, Concubine De: "..." I shouldn't be here, I should leave!