Harem Daily Life

Speaking of Prince Ding's Mansion, He Linzhang said, "After the palace was confiscated, all necessary investigations have been carried out. However, Prince Ding has not yet regained consciousness and has not confessed his guilt. The people I sent to Qianzhou have collected all the evidence of Prince Ding's Mansion's crimes in his fiefdom over the years. It is truly shocking and innumerable. Qianzhou is a prosperous place. While Prince Ding's Mansion is thriving, the people are suffering. I failed to oversee this."

Tao Yanyan consoled him, saying, "Your Majesty loves the people like your own children, but some people fail to do so. It's their fault. It's not too late to rectify the chaos."

He Linzhang nodded and said, "Now that Qianzhou has been reclaimed and is under the unified management of the imperial court, it will surely be able to develop again and allow the people to live and work in peace and contentment. In the future, a hundred years from now, I intend to give Qianzhou to Jin'an as his fiefdom."

Tao Yanyan didn't like to hear him talk about his affairs after his death. When he was poisoned and there was no cure, and he left the palace to live in seclusion, he also talked about some of his wills, which left a big shadow on Tao Yanyan.

"Your Majesty, don't talk about a hundred years later. You are still young. Don't always think about how to arrange things in the future. I don't like to hear it." After saying that, she put her arms around He Linzhang's neck and hugged him tightly, full of attachment.

He Linzhang smiled and patted her back gently: "Okay, I won't say anything more."

The emperor and the empress hugged each other like this, without words, but their hearts were very close.

He Feng kept waiting, hoping that someone would come to the Imperial College to arrest people, but no matter how long he waited, no one came to investigate. He even observed secretly and found that things were being sent to He Jinan more frequently.

"What's going on? Could it be... that the letter didn't reach the censor?" He Feng couldn't help but feel suspicious.

He was a little distracted by this while sweeping, and some areas were not cleaned thoroughly, resulting in a severe reprimand from the teacher on duty.

"He Feng, it was the special instruction of the Lord Chief Priest that I arranged for you to do this job to earn your salary. You must cherish it." The teacher on duty said seriously.

He Feng quickly clasped his fists and said, "Master, please give me one more chance. I won't be distracted again. But Master, this mess on the ground isn't entirely my fault." He Feng glanced towards Qingyun Garden and said, "There were so many people delivering things to that courtyard, and it snowed, so the ground is covered in messy footprints. I just cleaned it up, and they stepped on it again, making it muddy."

The teacher on duty frowned and said, "This Tao Jinan has indeed been like this lately. Something has been delivered to him every day. I'll go ask him what's going on."

The Imperial College did not forbid families from sending gifts to students. After all, they were all chosen children of heaven, and it was understandable that their families wanted them to live better and be pampered more in the Imperial College. But it was hard to find another person like He Jinan who received gifts every day.

The teacher walked away angrily. He Feng narrowed his eyes and continued to sweep the snow with the broom.

He Jinan was studying in his room, burning a charcoal pot, when the teacher on duty came in angrily. He quickly stood up and clasped his fists, "Greetings, Master Xing. What can I do for you?"

Master Xing looked around the room. This was the best dormitory in the Imperial College, and only two people lived there. Fang Xuewen had gone to class, and He Jinan had already learned all the courses. With the master's permission, he could review his lessons alone and didn't have to go to class. He only needed to take the exam in a few days.

Master Xing cleared his throat and said, "Jin'an, even though you're loved by your family, you can't move your entire family to the Imperial College, right? Look, your room is almost full!"

He walked and looked around. There were several fine sandalwood boxes, each carved with patterns and worth a lot of money. The wardrobe was full of clothes, and a thick cloak hung outside, burning with incense, the smell of incense was very pleasant.

"You smell... quite good."

He Jinan smiled and thought to himself, of course it’s good. This was specially sent by his mother, and the clothes that were fumigated have a faint fragrance.

"This cloak is not bad either. It's made of top-quality leather. It's from the north, right?" Master Xing asked after taking a look.

This cloak was given by Island Master Mu, it is a magical tool to keep out the cold.

He Jinan replied: "My elders brought it from the north and made it for me to keep warm."

Master Xing sighed twice. "Jin'an, studying is also about cultivating one's character. Learning is a journey of hardship. You can't be too greedy for pleasure, understand?"

He Jinan was stunned, frowning and saying, "I understand what you mean, Master, but since you have the conditions to make your life better, there's no need to get frostbitten or sick because of the cold weather. If you endure hardship without suffering, wouldn't you be able to study better with a healthier body?"

Master Xing thought it made sense. He stroked his beard, glanced at the snacks on He Jinan's table, and said, "Three meals a day is enough to keep us full. Eating too much of these snacks is not only a waste of food, but also a waste of money for the family."

He Jinan held up a plate of pastries and asked Master Xing to taste them. "This pastry was made by my mother. My older sister, younger brother, and younger sister all have some, so she also sent some to me. She put milk in it, saying that I'm studying hard and still growing, so she asked me to eat more to supplement my nutrition. Master, please try it."

When Master Xing heard it was made with cow's milk, his appetite was instantly piqued. You know, oxen were hard to come by in the Great Zhou Dynasty, both male and female, and cow's milk was even rarer. Only the rich and powerful could afford it. Hearing someone specifically use cow's milk to make a dessert, he wondered what kind of wealthy family they were.

Master Xing tasted a piece and found it to have a rich frankincense, sweetness and delicious taste.

After eating three pieces in a row, Master Xing stopped, feeling embarrassed to eat any more.

"It seems your mother truly loves you and thinks of you in every way. Then... you should be filial to your mother and repay her kindness in raising you."

Master Xing patted He Jinan's arm, almost crying with envy.

He Jinan nodded and said, "I really must be filial to my mother. I lost my biological mother when I was young, and it was my mother who took me in and raised me for thirteen years, treating me like her own son."

Master Xing wanted to cry even more. What a great and loving mother she was. She took care of even the most minute of things for a child who was not her biological child!

But what moved him even more was that the young man in front of him was an excellent student, well-educated, handsome, and well-mannered. It was obvious that he was well-educated.

"I wonder if your family has arranged a marriage for you?" Such a good young man is perfect to be a son-in-law!

He Jinan: "..."

"Ahem, I'm still young, and my family hasn't mentioned this yet." He Jinan changed the subject: "It's so cold out today, and my hands will inevitably get frozen while writing. It's not good to get frostbite. My mother happened to bring me some frostbite ointment, I'll get a box for the teacher."

He Jinan immediately went to get a box and presented it to Master Xing, which made Master Xing like this young man from the bottom of his heart.

Master Xing left happily, completely forgetting that he came to remind He Jinan to send less gifts to his family.