Harem Daily Life

The events that occurred at the palace gate were quickly learned by He Linzhang and Tao Yanyan.

"What does Your Majesty think? Could it be that the Prince of Han's residence is planning to arrange two marriages?" Tao Yanyan asked casually as she trimmed the plum blossoms.

He Linzhang put down the memorial in his hand, his eyes dark and unfathomable: "Considering his loyalty to the Han Prince's Mansion for many years, I have already granted him a princess and ensured three generations of peace for the Han Prince's Mansion. This is more than enough. He still dares to dream of getting involved with Jin'an? Hmph, what a pipe dream."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "I hope the Han Prince's Mansion will learn its lesson and not make any mistakes."

Recalling the secret letters about the Han Prince's mansion that she had seen, Tao Yanyan was extremely relieved that He Yanran's marriage had been ruined. Who would have thought that the Han Prince's mansion was in such a chaotic state behind the scenes? The Han Prince used various marriage alliances to win over local dignitaries in his fiefdom, monopolized the economic lifeline, and inflated prices. Many court officials had been bought off by him and were used by him.

If he hadn't been so greedy and hadn't caused any deaths, He Linzhang would have taken action against him long ago.

"If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. I am not someone who cannot tolerate any imperfections. If the Prince of Han's mansion embezzles a little more silver, I will make him return it from somewhere else. But if he ever crosses the line, I will not tolerate it."

Tao Yanyan put the vase full of plum blossoms down: "It's a pity for the Fourth Princess. She was so happy, thinking she had found a good marriage, but it turned out to be a trap."

She walked over to He Linzhang and massaged his shoulders: "Your Majesty, are you willing to do this? Should we call off the engagement before the wedding?"

He Linzhang patted her hand: "On the one hand, I still need the Han Prince's Mansion to stabilize Yanzhou. We've only had a few years of peace, and I don't want to start another war. On the other hand, Consort Liang and He Qian value this marriage very much, so let them be. If the Han Prince's Mansion really has any ulterior motives in the future, we'll protect He Qian."

Tao Yan Yan said nothing more. Everyone has their own destiny, and she wouldn't interfere in anyone's fate.

"Does Jin'an also know about the Han Prince's Mansion, which is why he distanced himself from the second young lady of the Han Prince's Mansion?" Tao Yanyan knew that He Linzhang had been intentionally cultivating Jin'an in recent years and had already given him some power.

He Linzhang didn't hide anything from her, saying frankly, "Jin'an knows, and he was even responsible for part of the intelligence gathering. This King Han is using his daughter's beauty to lure others for profit; his actions are truly despicable."

"Fortunately, Jin'an didn't fall for it. I never expected that Miss Jing would be flirting with Your Majesty while also having feelings for Jin'an. If it weren't for the argument between the two at the city gate today, I would still be in the dark."

He Linzhang raised an eyebrow. The scene at the palace banquet was still vivid in his mind. It took him a long time to coax the Empress.

"Do you still remember her flirting with me? I didn't even give her a second glance!" He Linzhang looked up at her, feeling wronged.

Tao Yanyan stood behind him, looking down at him with a smile: "Why is Your Majesty so nervous? I was just mentioning it casually, look how anxious you are."

He Linzhang didn't believe it: "Was it really just a casual remark? Or was it not something you brought up on purpose so I would fool you?"

Tao Yanyan: "..."

"Am I really that petty, Your Majesty? Or does Your Majesty think I am?"

He Linzhang pulled the person into his arms, their eyes level.

"Sometimes I like it when you're a little stingy; it makes it seem like you care about me more." With that, a deep kiss was planted on Tao Yanyan's bright lips.

In the Han Prince's Mansion, in Jing Yuwei's courtyard, since returning to the mansion, Jing Yuwei has smashed several ornaments in the room, causing chaos throughout the courtyard.

When the King of Han arrived, Jing Yuwei's boudoir was already in a mess.

"Hmph, what's the use of hiding in your room and throwing a tantrum? Dress up, don't cry your eyes out. You'll still have a chance in a few days, around the Lantern Festival," King Han advised.

Jing Yuwei wiped away her tears: "Why don't you give me some medicine, Father? Once the deed is done, he won't be able to deny it."

The King of Han frowned: "Using such methods against a prince, do you think everyone in the King of Han's mansion has lived too long?"

Jing Yuwei said resentfully, "Then what can we do? His daughter is so beautiful, and he's not even interested. I think he's blind."

The King of Han wondered if some things in Yanzhou had been exposed, which was why Prince Jin was turning a blind eye to his daughter. But then he thought, His Majesty's favor was still there, and the Han Prince's mansion was about to marry a princess. Their favor remained undiminished, and they showed no signs of wanting to settle scores with them. So he was relieved.

He looked at his daughter carefully: "I will ask the princess to make you a few more new clothes and two more sets of jewelry. Dress up nicely and try them on for the Lantern Festival."

He refused to believe that any hero in this world could resist the charms of a beautiful woman!

When the Queen Consort heard the jokes that her servants brought back, she laughed until her stomach hurt. However, the thought of having to spend money to dress up this concubine's daughter made her feel the pinch.

"Hmph, I only regret that I didn't have a daughter. If I had a daughter, she wouldn't have a chance to have the finest clothes, rouge, and jewelry."

The old nanny beside her chimed in, "To be honest, there's nothing good about having daughters. Look at the daughters of these concubines; they've all become tools for the prince to arrange marriages."

Princess Han snorted coldly: "If they can serve my Han Royal Palace, then they are worth living. Find the best embroiderers tomorrow. As for jewelry, after the measurements are taken tomorrow, you accompany her to the Treasure Pavilion and let her choose a set. Ha, she's really getting off easy!"

Hua Yuerong was counting down the days, eagerly awaiting the Lantern Festival. Her mother was worried for two days at first, but after seeing that she no longer laughed and lost her composure, she was relieved.

The embroiderers making wedding dresses and the craftsmen crafting jewelry were busy every day, so Hua Yurong could only visit the shop in her spare time. She couldn't help her father much and felt really bad about it.

During dinner, Hua Yuerong couldn't help but ask, "Father, if my marriage goes smoothly, we'll be married in less than six months. At that time, I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the shop as a princess anymore. Do you have any other plans, Father?"

The Hua family has no sons, and Hua Yurong has been raised as a son since childhood. If he can no longer take care of the business in the future, it will indeed be a big problem.

Hua Ruyan coughed lightly: "Does that mean our Hua family business will stop operating without you? Don't think too highly of yourself. You can't manage it, but I can. I'm no worse than you."

After saying that, Hua Ruyan served her father some food: "Starting tomorrow, how about I learn how to do business with you, Father?" Wouldn't that be how we get control of the family? Hua Ruyan couldn't hide her excitement.

Hua's father avoided her gaze: "There are managers in the shops, so I won't be tired. You don't need to worry. Of course, after Ruyan gets married, you can take the dowry with you, and the shops in the dowry will also belong to you. You can manage your own shops then."

Don't get involved in other things, lest you end up spending more than you earn.

"Father~" Hua Ruyan said coquettishly, she really wanted to seize power.

Hua Yurong understood her father's meaning. Seeing that Hua Ruyan was still clinging to her father, she said calmly, "If you want to take over the family business, you should learn how to use an abacus first. If you can't even handle seven beads, you probably won't be able to do the accounts properly."

Hua Ruyan glared at her angrily, but her mother slapped her hand: "Your father has decided, so it will be done this way. What your sister said about you isn't without reason. Just settle down and get married with your dowry, and stay in the backyard to be a good wife, mother, and elder. Don't get involved in business matters. If you don't get involved, you can be wealthy for generations. If you get involved, haha..."