Harem Daily Life

As the old year ended amidst the sound of firecrackers, the lively New Year celebrations came to a close. With a few rare days of leisure, He Linzhang sent the Empress Dowager to see Mu Yu on the second day of the Lunar New Year, and then took Tao Yanyan to Yueyan Xiaozhu outside the capital.

Of course, none of the children were brought along; they were all left with He Jin'an.

Inside the Han Prince's mansion, there was no festive joy, but rather a suppressed sense of gloom.

The King of Han looked at his daughter and sighed, "You used to get things done so easily, why is there no movement at all this time? Didn't Prince Jin send you a letter, a message, or a gift?"

Jing Yuwei's eyes reddened: "Father, I was indeed extremely alluring that night at the palace banquet. I waited all day yesterday, but there was no movement at all. It's only noon today. Should we wait a little longer? If there is still no news from Prince Jin by tomorrow at the latest, I will have to trouble you to help me find an opportunity to see him again."

Princess Han, standing to the side, said calmly, "Your Highness, this Prince Jin is quite different from other men. His refined and elegant appearance is not something just anyone can seduce. Perhaps we should take our time and find out more about Prince Jin's preferences before making any decisions."

The King of Han frowned and remained silent.

Jing Yuwei sneered, "Is Your Highness looking down on me? My record is verifiable; I have never failed."

Princess Han smiled and said, "How could it be that I look down on the Second Miss? The Second Miss is naturally charming, and any man would be unable to move when he sees her. She is very powerful. I am just saying that we are not familiar with Prince Jin. We need to learn more about his preferences so that you can cater to them, right? Right now, it is obviously not possible to rely on beauty alone. Don't work hard for a long time only to find that the father and son are not interested in your approach."

Jing Yuwei wanted to say something, but was stopped by a look from the King of Han.

"Alright, this is your first time facing a prince. This prince might be harder to catch than the average prince. Let me help you arrange a few more encounters. Remember, you must bewitch him, and then sow discord between him and the Emperor of Great Zhou, turning father and son against each other. Then we'll have an opportunity."

Jing Yuwei nodded, her determination to win over He Jin'an growing even stronger, and her intense competitive spirit filled her with fighting spirit.

Consort Liang was trying on new clothes with He Qian when they received a letter from the Han Prince's residence, saying that the Crown Prince of Han wanted to invite the Fourth Princess to leave the palace to enjoy the lanterns the next day. A blush crept across He Qian's face as she looked at Consort Liang with a mixture of shyness and anticipation, but Consort Liang frowned.

“The lantern viewing is in the evening, and I’m worried about it. Besides, His Majesty and the Empress are not in the palace. If you go out like this… what if something happens to you…” Then Consort Liang would have to bear a heavy responsibility.

He Qian paused for a moment, then bit her lip and said, "Since Consort Xian is in charge of managing the six palaces, why don't you go and inform Consort Xian?"

Consort Liang preferred to avoid trouble and did not approve of He Qian going out. However, since He Qian insisted on going, she had no choice but to make a trip to Yongtai Palace.

In Yongtai Palace, several concubines were present. Having nothing else to do, they came over to keep Consort Xian company. Upon hearing that the Crown Prince of Han had invited the Fourth Princess on an outing, everyone cast gossipy glances their way.

Consort Liang smiled and said, "Their marriage is already arranged, so it's normal for them to go out to admire the lanterns together. The lanterns in the capital run from the first day of the Lunar New Year until the Lantern Festival. The Fourth Princess has never gone to enjoy them, so I've taken the liberty of asking for permission, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it."

Consort Xian pondered for a moment: "Although the marriage is arranged, we are not yet married. It is still a bit unreasonable for us to go on a trip together."

Consort De interjected, "It would be fine if my father and brothers accompanied me."

Upon hearing this, Consort Liang realized that the Second Prince was in the palace.

"How about we trouble Prince Jin to accompany you on this trip? I wonder what the Noble Consort Xian thinks?"

When Consort Xian heard this, she thought about it and realized that this was the only way.

"It requires Prince Jin's own consent. I will send someone to inquire."

Upon hearing that they would be accompanying the Fourth Princess out of the palace to admire the lanterns, the twins, Xiao Bao, and Xiao Liu looked at He Jin'an with eager eyes, their faces all saying: "I want to go."

He Jin'an's lips twitched. He was dragging five people along; his life was truly miserable.

When everyone gathered at the palace gate, He Jin'an not only saw He Qian dressed in a new outfit, but also He Min and He Yanran.

He Min stepped forward and said, "I knew right away that Second Brother would definitely bring the four of them. Yan Ran and I are here to help take care of them."

He Qian chimed in sarcastically, "Then Third Princess and the Princess must stay close to their younger siblings and not get distracted."

He Min smiled and said, "Don't worry, we don't have a habit of fighting with others for things. You can treat your things as treasures."

He Qian bit her lip in anger: "Who are you calling a thing?"

He Min chuckled, "Huh? Who are you calling a scoundrel?"

The two started arguing back and forth, and He Jin'an quickly stepped between them: "Alright, since we're going out together, let's not quarrel, lest we make a fool of ourselves in front of outsiders."

After he finished speaking, he arranged for everyone to get into their carriages. He Qian and her maid were in one carriage, He Min, He Yanran and He Yinuo were in another, and he was in another with his three younger brothers.

Yin Jiu dispatched his shadow guards to follow, with Shuang'er, Xianglan, and the others trailing behind. The procession set off in a grand procession, heading towards Ziyang Street, the most bustling street in the capital.

"The carriage can't go any further, young master. We'll have to trouble you to walk," a servant said respectfully outside the carriage.

He Jin'an alighted from the carriage and led the group into the crowd. Each master was accompanied by a skilled fighter, so he wasn't worried about any unexpected incidents.

He Xiaoliu was carried by He Jin'an, He Xiaobao was led by He Yanran, Yu Nuo and He Min held hands, He Yucheng led the way, and He Qian walked alone at the very back of the group.

"It's so lively! I never expected the capital to be like this at night." He Yanran had rarely gone out during the day, let alone at night, while staying at the Yong Prince's Mansion. She couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

He Yinuo laughed and said, "Cousin, you've never been out to play before. Every year, we go out with our mother to admire the lanterns. Our father loves to guess the most difficult lantern riddles, and he gives me the prize money when he wins."

He Yucheng interrupted, "The best prizes are all for Mother; you can only get second-rate prizes."

He Yinuo glared at him: "I've never seen you talk so much before, but you're quite talkative today."

After saying that, she turned her head away and ignored him, then pulled He Min to buy candied hawthorns.

This candied hawthorn shop is the best and most impressive in Beijing. The products are clean and hygienic, but the prices are several times higher than those of street vendors.

There were already quite a few customers in the shop when He Yinuo and his large group entered, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

"Wow, where did these young masters and ladies come from? They're so good-looking!" someone exclaimed, and the shop instantly became lively.

The girls all looked at He Jin'an, while the young men took turns glancing at He Min, He Qian, and He Yanran. The three girls each had their own unique characteristics: He Min was sunny and innocent, He Qian was graceful and charming, and He Yanran was quiet, composed, elegant, and dignified.

The young couple envied the children, saying they were so good-looking! They wished they could put them in a sack and take them home.

"Shopkeeper, six candied hawthorns, please." He Yinuo pulled out his purse and paid the bill generously.