Harem Daily Life

The wedding dress in He Qian's hand was a dazzling crimson. In her anger, the needle accidentally pierced her finger, and a drop of blood rolled onto the dress, quickly merging with it. She seemed oblivious, silently pressing the puncture site.

"His Majesty has already agreed to the marriage proposal from Prince Han's Mansion. The wedding will be in three months, when spring arrives and the flowers are in bloom, making the journey to Yanzhou easier." Concubine Liang said, looking at her wedding dress. "We could have asked the Shangyi Bureau to make it, but you insisted on making it yourself. Why bother?"

He Qian smiled and said, "Since I have nothing to do, I will do it myself. It can also be regarded as a way to kill time."

Concubine Liang sighed, "It's all your mother's fault for being useless. She didn't receive your father's favor, so you've been left alone with me all these years." Her expression grew even colder as she finished, "The Third Princess is also Concubine Xian's adopted daughter. Because she and the Second Princess are sisters, she has had more opportunities to be closer to your father than you do."

He Qian's eyes darkened, and she pretended to be indifferent: "What's the point of getting close? Father would rather give the marriage of Prince Han's Mansion to his niece than to the third sister."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Liang laughed, "Yes, Concubine Xian has been managing the six palaces for many years, and has had such a glorious life, but how come she can't even arrange her own daughter's marriage? Hahahaha, Qian'er, I don't know how much they envy us!"

In Yongtai Palace, Concubine Xian was listening to the people below report on palace affairs. The third princess was listening beside her, learning the skills of managing the household.

"Although we have had ample money these years, we still need to save where necessary. We should cut back on unnecessary expenses. When the weather gets colder, we can use the money to provide porridge to the people and help alleviate your majesty's worries."

The eunuch in charge immediately responded, "Yes, I will go back and check it again and submit a new budget."

The eunuch in charge finished speaking and took out a list. "This is the list of the Fourth Princess's dowry. It is prepared according to the regulations. Chief Steward Li has already checked with the Imperial Clan Court and presented it to Her Majesty for review."

Concubine Xian took it and looked at it: "Just follow the regulations, I have no objection." After saying that, she took out her seal and stamped it.

"However, her husband's family is the Prince of Han's Mansion, so we must take it seriously no matter what. Go open my storehouse and find two good things to add to her makeup." She instructed the senior palace maid beside her.

He Min was a little unhappy on the side: "The fourth princess snatched the marriage that originally belonged to Yanran. Mother, please don't add to her makeup. We will ignore such a villain."

Consort Xian glared at her and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did Princess Yanran get married? Don't talk nonsense and ruin Princess Yanran's reputation."

He Min pouted, "That's right. Before, when we were together as sisters, we were joking with Yan Ran, asking her to marry in Yanzhou and send us delicious food."

Consort Xian's expression turned serious. "Min'er, the marriage of Prince Han's Mansion has never been decided to be with Princess Yanran. Please stop talking about the things you joked about before. It's not good for Yanran's reputation, and it won't give others a handle."

He Min nodded and dared not say anything more.

Seeing that her daughter looked a little aggrieved, Concubine Xian had no choice but to wave her hand and let everyone go, and she would counsel her alone.

"Min'er, don't blame me for being so cautious. There are so many eyes and ears out there, and sometimes a casual word can cause trouble. You're simple-minded and innocent, so you'll easily suffer."

The virtuous concubine spoke with great sincerity, and He Min was not someone who did not know what was good for her, so she said politely, "Your son understands. Your son will never mention the princess's marriage again."

Consort Xian was pleased and said, "You are speaking up for the princess and have a chivalrous heart, but this marriage is now the Fourth Princess's, and both His Majesty and the Han Palace have made it clear. The marriage proposal clearly states the name of the Fourth Princess. So, please don't get involved with Yanran anymore."

He Min nodded and bit her lip: "But before... Oh, forget it, I won't talk about the past."

The virtuous concubine sighed and decided to get things straight to the point so that He Min wouldn't get stuck in a dead end.

"I know you and Yanran are closer, but it might be a good thing for her not to get married."

He Min didn't understand and was a little confused.

Consort Xian explained, "The King of Han was, after all, a king of a different surname, supported by your father after the fall of the State of Yan. Yanzhou has become much more stable under his rule over the years, but who can guarantee that there won't be remnants of the previous dynasty causing chaos? I imagine that the days of the King of Han's palace will not be as peaceful as we imagined."

He Min suddenly realized: "In that case, if Yanran marries there, she might be in danger?"

Concubine Xian nodded. "That's just one reason. Secondly, Yanzhou is far away. If Yanran marries there, she'll probably never be able to return to the capital. Her biological mother left her homeland to be a princess married to a foreign country and eventually died in the Great Zhou. If she goes back, won't she end up like her biological mother? We have no way of knowing what her life was like."

He Min felt somewhat relieved: "Now that I hear it, it's a good thing that the marriage is cancelled."

But she thought of the Fourth Princess again and said worriedly, "Then according to what Mother said, the Fourth Princess must have... fallen into a trap?"

Consort Xian glared at her, "Her? Ha, whether it's a trap or a blessing, she asked for it herself. There's no need for us to worry."

He Min didn't understand what her mother meant, so Concubine Xian continued to explain, "Don't you think about how the Fourth Princess met the Crown Prince of Han? I think it was most likely a conspiracy. They forced this red thread together, made the gentlemen witnesses, and locked the marriage firmly."

He Min was shocked. She had never thought that this was the case.

"Things in this world happen by coincidence, but they are also deliberate. Concubine Liang has gone to great lengths for the Fourth Princess. But it's enough for you to know this. There's no need to tell your sister. Your sister is just as straightforward as you. The Fourth Princess's marriage is a done deal, so there's no need to create any more complications."

He Min quickly nodded in agreement, "I understand. However, what should we do with Yanran next? She is older than the Fourth Princess, and the marriage has not been decided yet, so it must be urgent."

Seeing her daughter's anxious look on her face, Consort Xian couldn't help but laugh and said, "She's anxious, but what about you, Min'er? Are you anxious too?"

He Min was stunned for a moment, then blushed when she realized what was happening. "Oh, mother, I'm still young, and you're already thinking about choosing a son-in-law for me? I still want to play for a few more years."

Concubine Xian smiled and looked at her daughter, who was about the same age as Yanran, and she was becoming more and more charming. She thought about all the sons of the right age in the court. It seemed that it was time to find an opportunity to hold a large banquet in the palace.