Harem Daily Life

He Linzhang frowned tightly. "It's the Mid-Autumn Festival, a good day for family reunion. What nonsense are you talking about? Stop talking. You're making me angry for no reason."

He Linzhang pinched her face. This little queen was good in every way except that she sometimes spoke too bluntly, which could make people angry to death.

Tao Yanyan, however, took his arm and acted coquettishly: "Tell me, tell me, Your Majesty, will you miss Yanyan?"

He Linzhang held her in his arms: "I won't allow you to disappear suddenly. I want to keep you by my side forever."

Tao Yanyan sighed, feeling a little depressed because he had gotten stuck in a dead end.

At that moment, the door to the side hall opened, and Eunuch Qin emerged. Seeing the Emperor and Empress not far away, his lips twitched. But since he had already seen them, he couldn't help but greet them. He stepped forward, bowing, and said, "Your Majesty, I pay my respects to the Empress. The Empress Dowager is meeting with guests in the side hall. Would you mind letting me know?"

He Linzhang looked a little embarrassed: "The Queen Mother summoned an old friend, so the Queen and I will not disturb her."

Eunuch Qin smiled and said, "The Queen Mother was just chatting with Mr. Shang about family matters. Look, there are no snacks inside, so I will go out and get some."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "It's just a small matter, why bother Eunuch Qin?" After that, he asked Xianglan beside him to get some snacks.

"The Queen Mother will need Eunuch Qin to serve her. You go in first. Your Majesty and I will return first." As she said this, she turned around with He Linzhang, only to find a group of people approaching from a distance. The two of them looked closely and saw that it was Princess Kangning and her maidservant.

He Linzhang and Tao Yanyan looked at each other and frowned slightly.

When Princess Kangning approached, Tao Yanyan said with a smile, "Is Princess Kangning drunk too? Are you coming out to sober up?"

A hint of coldness flashed in Kang Ning's eyes as he glanced at the side hall behind them. "My staff member is missing, so I came out to look for him. I heard that Empress Dowager Shu summoned him... They must be in the side hall, right? I'll go in and take a look."

Tao Yanyan reached out his hand to stop her: "No one is allowed to trespass unless summoned by the Queen Mother."

Although he knew that the Queen Mother would not do anything inappropriate, Kang Ning's behavior was really domineering and annoying, so Tao Yanyan stopped him directly.

Kang Ning looked at Tao Yanyan coldly, "Empress Tao is really devoted to you, her mother-in-law. She was secretly meeting with other men, and you were able to keep her away. Oh, no, His Majesty the Great Zhou is also here. You are really filial to the Empress Dowager."

He Linzhang's expression turned cold. Tao Yanyan said, "Princess, be careful what you say. What do you mean by secretly meeting with a man outside your family? The Queen Mother wasn't the only one there. There were other witnesses. What crime will you be punished for by saying these things that damage the Queen Mother's reputation?"

Kang Ning sneered, "I didn't see anything. Do you think I'd believe a single word from you? If you weren't guilty, why would you stop me from entering?"

Perhaps the noise outside disturbed the people inside. The door opened and a little palace maid came out. She stepped forward and bowed, saying, "The Queen Mother invites everyone in."

Kang Ning didn't wait for the Emperor and Empress of the Great Zhou for a moment, and took the lead and walked towards the side hall.

The Queen Mother saw several people coming in and motioned for them to sit down.

Seeing that the two of them were indeed not meeting alone, Kang Ning's expression relaxed a little. He said, "I wonder if the Queen Mother summoned Shang Yuanzhou for official or personal matters? He is now my Kang Ning's man. The Queen Mother should at least inform me."

Shang Yuanzhou couldn't help but frown because of her words. He felt like a fleshless object at the moment. Being said to be the eldest princess's private property made him very unhappy.

The Queen Mother glanced at Kang Ning and said, "Look at you. It's just a small matter. Is it worth it to make such a fuss? Everyone here knows that Shang Yuanzhou and I were engaged back then, and we're still friends even after the engagement was broken off. We haven't seen each other for thirty years. What's wrong with sending him over for a meeting? Look how anxious you are."

The Queen Mother's relaxed tone made Kang Ning seem like he was punching cotton, with no power at all.

"I didn't expect that Yuanzhou's business has grown so much in recent years. You have become the top businessman in Xia Country. If the two countries can reach peace and open up trade as soon as possible, your business will probably grow even bigger."

Shang Yuanzhou had only spoken to the Queen Mother about business earlier, the rest of the conversation reminiscing about the past. But now that the Queen Mother was focusing on business, he followed her lead and said, "I've come here with the Princess to discuss peace between our two countries. I hope the Queen Mother will persuade His Majesty to return to the Xia Kingdom's Ningdu City. The Xia Kingdom would be grateful."

Kang Ning felt a little better when he saw that Shang Yuanzhou was still on his side.

The Queen Mother glanced at the Emperor and said, "I never interfere in government affairs. You can discuss these matters at another time. Now, let's all move on to the banquet and continue enjoying the singing and dancing. I'm still quite drunk, so I won't go over for now. The Queen will stay and help me sober up."

"Yes." Tao Yanyan agreed and turned to Princess Kangning and said, "Princess and Mr. Shang, please move over. Your Majesty, please go ahead. I will be there in a moment."

Kang Ning didn't want Shang Yuanzhou to stay with Shu Jinse any longer. She immediately stood up and dragged Shang Yuanzhou away.

He Linzhang stood up and took his leave, looking at Tao Yanyan. Tao Yanyan blinked at him, as if to say: Don't worry, I'm here.

After everyone left, the Queen Mother said, "I should have known not to summon him alone. Before we met, there was still a little bit of friendship from our youth, and some good memories. But this time, everything is gone."

Tao Yanyan's urge to eat melons reached its peak, but he was too embarrassed to ask, so he said, "Young people's friendship is the most precious, less calculated and more sincere. Time wears away many things, and regrets are inevitable. Your Majesty, there is no need to worry."

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "You are young, but you are quite insightful. Never mind, it's not a big deal. Let's just live our own lives. There's no need to waste our energy on these irrelevant people. I kept you here because I have something to tell you."

Tao Yanyan listened attentively.

The Queen Mother said sternly, "Just now, Shang Yuanzhou chatted with me and asked about the Imperial Manor Pharmaceutical Workshop. He said he wanted to buy all the medicinal materials in the workshop. Money is not a problem, and he also wants to sign a long-term contract. He said that if you agree, he will urge the Princess to agree to the conditions of the Great Zhou and sign the peace agreement as soon as possible."

Tao Yanyan had already investigated the matter of purchasing medicinal materials before, so it was not surprising to talk about it now.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I know what to do. I will never sell the medicinal herbs to him." Tao Yan said.

The Queen Mother nodded. "I agree with you. We cannot sell medicinal herbs to him, even if he can broker a peace agreement. The more he makes a big fuss about his acquisitions, the more I worry about him and what he might be up to. I didn't agree to his request in person, but simply said that the matter was the Queen's responsibility and I wouldn't interfere. He must have done very well in business over the years, otherwise how could he be so wealthy and bold as to negotiate with me in person?"

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "Princess Kangning is able to act so recklessly and interfere in the affairs of the Xia Kingdom as a princess. This is undoubtedly due to Mr. Shang providing her with a large amount of financial support behind the scenes. The two of them, one for power, the other for profit, have long been a community of interests. However, I didn't expect that Mr. Shang would compromise and give up Ningdu City for the sake of business. It seems that between his own interests and the interests of the Xia Kingdom, he chose himself."

So no matter how much youthful friendship there is, if it is accompanied by shrewd and calculating thoughts, it will no longer be beautiful.

The Queen Mother must have seen it clearly, so she let it go.