Harem Daily Life

Seeing that the queen was in low spirits, Concubine Ning consoled her, "If your majesty is not feeling well, we will go back first and come back tomorrow."

Shu Fei rolled her eyes at Ning Fei and said, "Ning Fei, you are considerate, but we are all here and haven't reported anything yet. If we just go back like this, it will be a waste of time."

Li Jieyushi and others also echoed Shu Fei, so Ning Fei had to remain silent and said nothing more.

Tao Yanyan looked at the people represented by Concubine Shu, and then looked at the people represented by Concubine Ning, took a sip of tea to refresh herself, and then said, "I took care of the Fourth Prince for a while last night. The child was still young and was fussy at night, so I am a little tired, but it's no problem."

The fourth prince who was drinking milk in the backyard: "..."

I suspected that I was taking the blame, but I couldn't say it.

So, the Fourth Prince whimpered and refused to drink the milk, crying in protest.

When they heard that the queen had to raise her own children and had two biological children, the concubines in the palace who had no children became extremely envious.

Shu Fei was angry when she came yesterday, and she was angry again today. She was so angry that she was fuming.

"If you have anything to discuss, please speak up first. I am new to the palace and am not very familiar with palace affairs. I can't even pronounce the names of some concubines yet."

Seeing that Queen Tao was young and spoke in a friendly manner, everyone had no reservations and just said what they had to report.

Concubine Fang said that her palace had not been repaired for two years, and she wanted to ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to repair it, which would require some money.

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "As it should be, everyone should live comfortably in the palace. Mingyue, write it down and ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to repair it for Concubine Fang. Then ask General Manager Li to send people to check the palace from top to bottom. If there are any places that need to be repaired, please record them all and repair them before the rainy season comes. As for the silver, please calculate the amount and come to me for approval."

Fang Jieyu immediately thanked him with a smile on her face.

Concubine Xu said that she had gained a little weight this year and could no longer wear her old summer clothes. She had mentioned this to Concubine De before, but she did not respond. She wanted to ask the Queen for permission to make two new sets of clothes for her this year.

Tao Yanyan looked at the plump Lady Xu and said with a smile, "Qingfeng, go check. Those who didn't have new clothes made last year should all be made this year. If the Clothing Bureau is too busy, please note the sizes, select the fabrics and styles, and have them made by the clothing workshop. We must make sure that everyone can wear new clothes as soon as possible."

She looked at everyone's outfits again and said, "Give everyone a new set of rouge and powder. As for jewelry, give them what they should have this year according to their status. When it comes to food, clothing, and daily expenses, don't be so picky about this or that. But everything must be done according to the regulations, as long as it doesn't violate the rules."

Qingfeng responded and made note of the matter.

Seeing that Empress Tao generously distributed benefits to everyone, Concubine Shu guessed that she was trying to win people's hearts and said sarcastically, "The Empress has just taken office, but she has restored the expenses that Concubine De had worked so hard to cut. The Empress is really smart and knows how to win people over."

Shu Fei's words were unpleasant, and no one dared to speak. They looked up at Empress Tao.

Tao Yanyan glanced at Shu Fei and said, "Shu Fei, you come from the Shu family, and Yuan De Fei comes from the general's mansion. They are both daughters from wealthy families, so they have naturally enjoyed good things since childhood. They also have high positions in the palace, and never worry about wearing beautiful clothes, using good perfume, or wearing beautiful jewelry. Naturally, they don't understand the difficulties of girls like us who come from ordinary official families."

Before she finished speaking, several concubines who had similar backgrounds to Tao Yanyan resonated with her and their eyes lit up when they looked at her.

"It's a good thing that Concubine De advocated frugality before, but we should not save money on food, clothing, and housing. We were all raised by our parents, so it doesn't make sense for us to live a miserable life after entering the palace. Since I am the queen, I manage the harem for your majesty, and it is my job to let everyone live a good life. If you make everyone suffer, it means that your majesty and I have not fulfilled our responsibilities."

Tao Yanyan's words surprised everyone. How could he say that this was His Majesty's responsibility?

My goodness, a favored queen is different. Aren’t you afraid that Your Majesty will blame you for saying this?

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "Why, do you think what I said is wrong? There is also a saying in folklore: Marry a man to get food and clothing. Of course, when you marry a man, you want to live a good life. Who would want to marry someone who can't afford food or clothing?"

Everyone gasped: Your Majesty, you are so bold.

Shu Fei was in a daze for a moment, hating herself for not being as eloquent as Empress Tao, and always being unable to defeat her.

Tao Yanyan felt relieved when he saw Shu Fei was defeated. He asked around again if there was anything else to report. When he saw that there was nothing, he asked all the concubines to leave.

After returning to the rear hall, Tao Yanyan looked at the energetic Fourth Prince and the limp Fifth Princess, told Caiyun to prepare a food box, and then took the twins to Changchun Palace.

She is the queen now, and has to visit the queen mother every morning and evening.

The two little ones are over two months old now and can be taken for a walk.

When the Queen Mother heard that the Queen had brought twins, a boy and a girl, she was extremely happy. Before Tao Yanyan could even salute, she personally brought the Fourth Prince over.

"Come and have a look at me. Has my darling grandson grown up?" The two-month-old baby had become much rounder. The Fourth Prince had also grown up. He was no longer wrinkled and dark as when he was just born. He indeed looked a bit like the emperor when he was a child.

The fifth princess is very well behaved wherever she goes. At this moment, she is being held in the arms of Eunuch Qin, looking extremely happy.

"Thanks to the Queen, I can now have a baby." Eunuch Qin was very excited and held the Fifth Princess tightly.

The Queen Mother turned sideways to glance at the Fifth Princess and smiled instantly: "This Nuo'er is so pretty. Look at her eyes, they are like two black grapes. By the way, will the fruits and vegetables from Xia Kingdom be delivered to the capital soon? Then take some more melons and grapes to the Queen's palace to cool down in the summer."

Tao Yanyan hurriedly thanked him, because the amount of vegetables and fruits from Xia Kingdom shipped to the capital was only a small amount each time and they were very scarce.

Although Tao Yanyan also planted some fruits in the imperial farm, compared with those produced in Xia State, not only were there fewer varieties, but they were also not as delicious as those in Xia State. Every year, Da Zhou would buy cantaloupes and grapes from Xia State, freeze them with ice, and transport them to the capital as quickly as possible and directly deliver them to the palace.

The Queen Mother held the Fourth Prince in her arms and said lovingly to Tao Yanyan, "You are new to the throne, so it is inevitable that the people below you will not obey you. You should relax and use both kindness and force. You will be able to manage it slowly. Managing the harem is like performing a play. The Queen has to control the whole place. As long as the stage is set up every day, you just need to watch them perform quietly."

The Empress Dowager rose through the ranks from Crown Princess to Empress and Empress Dowager. Everything she said was a valuable summary of her experience, so Tao Yanyan naturally accepted it all.

"Yes, I have made note of it. Thank you for your teachings, Queen Mother." Tao Yanyan said respectfully to the Queen Mother.

Just as the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were chatting and laughing, a young eunuch ran in hurriedly, his face pale and said, "Empress Dowager, Queen, there is news from the cold palace, saying...it is said that Concubine De committed suicide!"

"Impossible!" Tao Yanyan said without even thinking.

It has not been long since Concubine De went to the cold palace, and she brought a lot of things with her, which shows that she was prepared to stay there for a long time. How could she be so depressed as to commit suicide at this time?