Harem Daily Life

Concubine Liang saw the eldest prince's true face and was no less shocked than Concubine Xian. After returning to the palace, she saw He Qian lying in bed and coughing repeatedly, and she was filled with regret.

Because the Queen Mother had specifically warned that what the eldest prince did to the fourth princess should not be made public, so as not to damage the reputation of the royal family, Concubine Liang did not dare to express her anger to others, and could only stay beside the fourth princess and cry.

"Your Majesty, the imperial physician said that the Fourth Princess is no longer in danger of death. Please stop being sad." The maidservant advised, Concubine Liang's eyes were swollen from crying.

"If Concubine Shu invites me again in the future, I will refuse all invitations. I will keep my eyes open and never get too close to such unfortunate people. Also, be wary of the eldest prince. This child has evil intentions, and sooner or later his cruelty will backfire on him!"

Concubine Liang thought about revenge, but the Queen Mother and the Empress were too shrewd and would definitely find out about her. She still had the fourth princess to raise and relatives to take care of, so she had to give up the idea and did not ruin her life because of the eldest prince.

After returning to the palace, Concubine Xian also instructed the people in the palace to keep He Min away from the eldest prince in the future. Although there was no grudge between them, she was still worried about letting a troublemaker get close to the third princess.

Tao Yanyan hadn't reported the matter of the eldest prince to He Linzhang, because all decisions regarding the eldest prince were made by the empress dowager, who would speak to him herself. Ultimately, the eldest prince was a relative of the empress dowager and His Majesty, not hers. She could just treat him like a stranger from now on.

Mingyue saw Tao Yanyan coming back from Changchun Palace and looking obviously tired, so she went up to her and gave her a shoulder massage to relax her.

"The eldest prince's character is probably irreversible. If the fourth princess also falls victim to his murder this time, wouldn't two royal heirs be killed by him? It's really scary just thinking about it." Mingyue had heard Qingfeng say privately that the fourth princess fell into the water because of the eldest prince, and she was really scared.

Tao Yanyan sighed, "Although the Empress Dowager has repeatedly warned against spreading this matter, Consort Xian and Consort Liang were both here at the time. There are only three concubines in the palace with children, including me. We just need to protect our children from now on. We shouldn't give the eldest prince any more opportunities to exploit this."

Mingyue nodded and said, "I will explain to the servants of the young masters later that they must not let the eldest prince get close to them in the future."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "The Queen Mother has sent people to keep an eye on him. His every move is under her surveillance, so don't worry. By the way, isn't the midwife going to the palace tomorrow? You should arrange your living quarters and familiarize yourself with the place beforehand. Practice the disinfection and delivery procedures I taught you earlier. Even though I've given birth before, I'm still a little scared this time."

Giving birth not only brings the joy of welcoming a new life, but also unspeakable pain and fear. Tao Yanyan was in a coma for several days after giving birth to twins, and she was worried about having a second child this time.

Mingyue quickly agreed and talked about a lot of trivial things to divert Tao Yanyan's attention.

The empress dowager directly sent Eunuch Qin to the Qinzheng Palace to tell the emperor everything the eldest prince had done.

"Your Majesty, the Queen Mother means that the eldest prince still has hope of being taught. Fortunately, the fourth princess is not in danger of her life this time, so please, Your Majesty, spare the eldest prince."

Eunuch Qin looked at the emperor's dark face and conveyed the empress dowager's intention.

After a while, He Linzhang said, "I understand the Queen Mother's painstaking efforts. I will also pay attention to the eldest prince in the future." The child was still crooked in the end, and there was no way he could be saved.

At night, He Linzhang dragged his tired body to Changle Palace. Tao Yanyan had already fallen asleep. Because her belly was too big, she couldn't lie flat. Once she lay flat, she felt the pressure of her abdomen making it hard for her to breathe, so she slept with her back against the quilt.

After washing up, He Linzhang tiptoed onto the couch and gently hugged Tao Yanyan to avoid pressing on her stomach.

Tao Yanyan's breathing was even and his sleep quality was quite good. He was not woken up by He Linzhang.

Early the next morning, Xiao Jinan got up to go to elementary school, and He Linzhang was going to court. The father and son sat at the table to enjoy breakfast.

Little Jinan was still a little sleepy. He ate the wontons with his eyes closed, taking two bites each, chewing them very slowly.

Seeing him looking dazed, He Linzhang picked up another egg and put it into his bowl.

"Father has been very busy lately and hasn't had time to ask about your studies. How are you doing in elementary school lately?"

Xiao Jinan is now studying in the prodigy class of elementary school, and his grades have always been among the best.

"Father, do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Little Jin'an swallowed the egg in one gulp and said incoherently.

He Linzhang laughed: "Of course it's the truth. I don't like to hear lies."

Xiao Jin'an then said, "Father, I feel like there's nothing more to learn in elementary school. I've already finished the lessons for next semester and the semester after that. I wonder if there's a better academy for me to attend?"

He Linzhang had heard from the teacher that Jin'an had always been studious. Although he was young, his knowledge was almost the same as those seventeen or eighteen-year-old students, except for his less experience.

"You are currently enrolled in a primary school. If you feel you have more than enough to learn, why not go through the back door and directly enter the Imperial College? You can be with the best students in the country and perhaps you can learn more."

Xiao Jinan's eyes lit up: "Okay, okay, I will definitely work hard and not let Father down."

However, He Linzhang thought of another problem. Little Jinan's study companions were both illegitimate sons of two fifth-rank officials. Their academic performance was not as good as Jinan's. Rashly allowing those two children to enter the Imperial College would actually be forcing things to happen, which would not be beneficial to the two children's studies.

Little Jin'an also thought of this and took the lead in speaking, "Father, I want to go to school alone. Wei Yan and Li Bin don't need to accompany me. I have perfect life skills and can take care of myself."

He Linzhang looked at him with appreciation. He was very pleased that this son he adopted from the common people could endure hardships and was more motivated than the children raised in the palace.

"Okay, but you have to pass the test to enter the Imperial College. Although I can help you get a place through the back door, whether you can get in in the end depends on your own ability. You should prepare yourself. Let the teachers give you tutoring during this period and wait for my news." He Linzhang would not feed the cake directly into the child's mouth. If the child wants to eat the cake, he must work hard for it and cannot get it for nothing.

He firmly believes that only achievements obtained through one's own efforts can bring a greater sense of accomplishment.

Xiao Jinan nodded hurriedly, feeling full of energy. He ate a few wontons with a grunt, even drinking up all the soup, before following the palace servants out the door.