Harem Daily Life

"Your Highness has never considered me. As the mistress of a mansion, it is my duty to educate and raise children. I am in good health, so why would you send the princess to the palace? Your Highness doesn't care what others say about me."

Princess Yong sat down, covering her face and crying.

Prince Yong took a sip of tea from his cup to calm his anger. "You know how you treat Yanran. Although she is a princess of the palace, look at her food, clothing, and shelter. It's not what a princess should have. I'm just too concerned about your face, so I don't say it."

Princess Yong wiped away her tears and felt a little flustered.

"If it weren't for my mother covering up for you, I'm afraid Yan Ran's situation in this mansion would have been exploited eight hundred times and used as a knife to stab you."

Princess Yong stood up and bowed slightly: "Your Highness, please don't be angry. I... I was too busy and neglected it..."

Prince Yong glanced at her, thinking back to how Empress Tao treated He Xuan and He Yue, her adopted daughters, just as her biological daughter, He Yunuo. The eldest princess was raised to be graceful and righteous, brave enough to fight in battle and heal the wounded, a woman no less capable than any man. The second princess was raised to be quirky and lively, while the daughter of the Convicted Empress was confident and outspoken. Both children were raised in love, hence the absence of any servility or timidity.

Their food, clothing and other expenses were no different from those of legitimate princesses. If one did not know the truth, who could tell that those two were just adopted daughters?

On the other hand, if He Yanran had not been given the title of Little Princess, who would have known that she would be the young mistress of Prince Yong's Mansion!

"Princess, every time you encounter something, you always think others are more at fault, but you rarely reflect on yourself. Think carefully about why your mother entrusted you with the orphan before her death. Wasn't it because she didn't trust you and was afraid that you would treat the child born to the princess who married into the marriage alliance harshly, and be laughed at by the world? Now the Queen Mother is willing to take you to her side to raise you. Firstly, it shows her deep affection for my Yong Palace, and secondly, it is to save you."

Princess Yong bit her lip. "But, how can mother be so sure that the Queen Mother will take good care of the little princess? She's not her own granddaughter, so why would she bother with that? Besides, the Queen Mother doesn't have the energy to take care of things."

Prince Yong sneered, "Over the years, the Queen Mother and the Empress have had a close relationship, and the Empress treats her adopted daughter as her own. The difference is immediately apparent when compared."

When Princess Yong heard Prince Yong praising Empress Tao again, she felt a pang of bitterness in her heart: "Your Highness still admires her after all. He always praises her for everything he does."

Prince Yong was too lazy to argue with her: "I will not engage in pointless arguments with you. If you don't want to send Yanran to the palace, then I will go myself."

As he was about to stand up, Princess Yong stamped her feet in anger, "I'll see you off, Your Majesty, don't even think of using the excuse of seeing the princess off to see her!"

After saying this, Princess Yong strode away angrily, and the sound of the door slamming was so loud that it almost shattered the door frame.

Prince Yong rolled his eyes at her, sat down again, picked up the teacup and threw it hard on the ground.

"After all, I am not blessed."

He Yanran knew she was leaving the palace, and she was filled with trepidation. She had never left the Yong Palace since she was a child. In the past two years, as she had grown older, the princess would occasionally take her out once or twice to attend flower-viewing banquets. But she was always reluctant to go, because every time, she felt uncomfortable in front of others.

Knowing she was half Yan, she struggled to feel a sense of belonging. After the fall of Yan, she felt even more uneasy and ashamed. Furthermore, her lifestyle wasn't befitting of her status, and if she were seen out and about, it was inevitable that gossipers would point fingers and criticize her.

Her jewelry was outdated, and her clothes weren't made new every year. In comparison, she didn't have the grace of a princess from a royal palace. She wasn't very good at talking either, so when others were talking and laughing, she could only listen quietly.

Every time she went to the palace to pay her respects during the New Year, she always followed her grandmother timidly. When the princesses in the palace asked her to play, she couldn't move freely and felt uneasy.

Now she sat in the carriage to the palace, looking at the rows of receding shops outside the window, and was worried about her future.

Tao Yanyan had already been waiting at Changchun Palace with He Xuan, He Yue, and He Yunuo. She instructed the children, "He Yanran will be here soon. Be more friendly and talk to her more. Play with her more. She's an introvert, so it's natural for her to feel unfamiliar and afraid when she's in a new place. You have to comfort her and make her like life in the palace, okay?"

He Xuan nodded: "Don't worry, mother, we know."

The Queen Mother reclined on the chaise longue: "If you can get along, then get along. If your personalities don't match, there's no need to force it. You don't need to accommodate her in every way."

The mother and daughter smiled, knowing that the Queen Mother had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

In the carriage, Princess Yong's face was expressionless, her eyes fixed straight ahead. "The palace is different from the prince's mansion. Use your brain when encountering problems. Don't just sit there like a fool. If anything happens, send a message and your father will help you resolve it. The Queen Mother is old, so you need to be more vigilant and serve her well, and don't cause trouble for the prince's mansion."

He Yanran nodded: "Yes, Princess, I'll make a note of it."

When they arrived outside the palace gate, the carriage could not enter, so Princess Yong took He Yanran and took the sedan chair that came to pick them up to Changchun Palace.

When Princess Yong saw Empress Tao was also there, her expression turned cold. "Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. Your Highness, I pay my respects to the Empress Dowager. I have brought Yanran here today. I am truly sorry to bother the Empress Dowager."

Tao Yanyan nodded slightly in return. The Queen Mother smiled and called He Yanran to her side. "What's the point of bothering me? We're a family, so we're being so formal. I think Yanran is very well-behaved and handsome. Your grandmother misses you and me, so she asked you to come to the palace to accompany me. You can stay here with peace of mind. If you need anything, just tell the Queen and she will make the arrangements."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "Yes, I see that you and He Yue are about the same age. You should play together more often in the future. He Yue is studying with Madam Dong, so you should come too."

When mentioning Madam Dong, He Yanran's eyes lit up: "The Queen is talking about Madam Dong, the female teacher?"

Tao Yanyan nodded: "Why, you've heard of her too?"

He Yanran's face flushed slightly, and her voice was a little excited. "I've read her book 'On Women'. She wrote in the book that women should be strong and independent. I think... that's very good."

Princess Yong's expression grew even colder as she watched her adopted daughter conversing cheerfully with Tao Yanyan. She coughed softly, "I didn't expect Yanran to be so inexplicably compatible with Empress Tao. If that's the case, I can return home feeling relieved."

Tao Yanyan glanced at Princess Yong indifferently and ignored her sarcastic tone.

He Yanran has lived in Changchun Palace since then. Tao Yanyan provided her with all the food, clothing and other necessities according to the regulations of the princess, and the nanny and maid she brought with her were promoted to second-class palace maids.

Looking at the room full of valuable things, a closet full of newly made clothes, and a box full of new jewelry, He Yanran felt for the first time the value of her status.

The nanny wiped her tears and said, "The princess has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and can live a good life."

He Yanran stroked the jewelry and said, "Mammy, please stop saying that. It's as if I was miserable before." Her calm attitude made the mammy a little confused.

"Well, you've been tired after a day of moving. Go and rest first. You have to get up early tomorrow to pay your respects to the Queen Mother."

After everyone left, He Yanran sat in the empty yet magnificent bedroom and smiled slightly, "Mother, is this the life of a princess? You grew up like this, too, with luxurious clothes and delicious food, right?"