Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1005 He Yanran's Wedding

Consort Liang and He Qian finished the banquet with stiff expressions. Only after seeing off the concubines, princesses, and members of the imperial family did Consort Liang's face fall, and she turned and returned to her palace.

Seeing that her mother was angry, He Qian followed behind, ready to coax her.

"Mother, don't be angry. That Fifth Princess is spoiled by Father and speaks without thinking. She's young, so please don't take it to heart." He Qian served Consort Liang tea and gently patted her back.

Consort Liang took a sip of tea, her eyes filled with an inscrutable expression: "Hmph, this is the daughter the Empress raised. I'd like to see what she'll become!"

After saying that, she took He Qian's hand and said, "My child, you must strive to make something of yourself after you marry into the Marquis of Jing's household, so that your mother can hold her head high in this harem."

He Qian nodded: "Yes, with my daughter's looks, she will definitely make the prince devoted to her."

On the other side, He Min and He Yanran each pulled He Yinuo on one side, chattering as they returned to Chang Le Palace. When Tao Yanyan saw them return together, she hurriedly ordered people to prepare various snacks and fruit tea. Seeing their happy appearance, she asked curiously, "What happy thing happened? Why do you all look like you've found a treasure?"

Her gaze fell on He Min, and she immediately noticed the brand-new phoenix pink jade pendant on He Min's waist and the pair of pink jade pendants on He Min's earlobes.

She remained calm and waited for the children to answer.

He Yinuo said coquettishly, "It's nothing. Just now, at Fourth Sister's banquet, Consort Liang teased Third Sister and Cousin, saying that their marriages are not yet settled and that she felt that Mother and Consort Xian were being negligent. I just said a few fair words."

He Min and He Yanran both nodded.

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "Consort Liang thinks that marrying off the princess as soon as possible is the best thing, so she puts others in her shoes and thinks that others should also marry off their daughters as soon as possible. We don't need to listen to her, let's do it at our own pace."

After saying that, she remembered the question He Linzhang had asked her to ask, so she left He Yanran alone in front of her and sent the other two children out to play.

He Yanran was a little uneasy, after all, the Empress had specially kept her by her side, so there must be something important she wanted to ask her.

"Yanran, don't be nervous. I have something to tell you. Just tell me your thoughts." Tao Yanyan's expression was kind, trying to reassure the young girl.

"You are sixteen and a half years old now, and the Empress Dowager and His Majesty have been concerned about your marriage. The Empress Dowager has screened all the sons and nephews in the court, and His Majesty has also offered his suggestions. Today I will share their thoughts with you, and you can weigh them."

He Yanran nodded, blushing, "Yes, Your Majesty."

Tao Yanyan spoke first: "What do you think of my elder brother's son, Tao Wenbin?"

He Yanran had met Tao Wenbin before. Sometimes when He Yue and He Yinuo went to their uncle's house, they would bring her along. Tao Wenbin was a gentle and refined gentleman who treated his sisters very well. He would give them gifts during holidays and festivals, and she would always receive one as well.

He Yanran bit her lip: "I... If Your Majesty the Empress thinks it's good, then it's fine."

Tao Yan smiled and said, "Minister Tao is my father, my brother works in the Ministry of War, and my nephew has entered the Hanlin Academy and will also be in one of the Six Ministries in the future. My sister-in-law is the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Ningyuan, and she is a kind person. If you marry into her family, you should be able to live a comfortable life. It's just that..."

Tao Yanyan thought for a moment and then said, "I've seen you and Wenbin together before, but I didn't see any spark. The premise of marriage is mutual affection, so if you haven't been moved, forcing you two together would be irresponsible to you."

He Yanran glanced at the Empress, surprised that Her Majesty would consider things from her perspective. She had always assumed that marriage was an arranged affair, and no one would ever ask for her opinion.

Seeing how the Empress treated her, He Yanran put aside her anxiety and replied, "Yanran doesn't know what it feels like to be moved. Young Master Tao is indeed like an elder brother to me. I had no improper thoughts about him before."

Tao Yanyan was right; the young girl wasn't interested in Tao Wenbin at all. So she added, "Tao Wenbin is one option. There's another one, which was suggested by His Majesty."

He Yanran looked up and Tao Yanyan patted her hand and said, "His Majesty's intention is that the Xia Kingdom will send envoys next month. Among them is Kang Pingzhi, the eldest son of Prince Kang. He intends to arrange for you and Min'er to meet them. If either of you is interested, you will be sent to the Xia Kingdom for a marriage alliance to become the heir apparent of Prince Kang's mansion."

He Yanran frowned: "Min'er, little sister... is Consort Xian willing to part with her?"

Tao Yan smiled and said, "Prince Kang and I have been old friends for many years. Our Great Zhou girls will definitely not be mistreated if they become his daughters-in-law. If Min'er is interested, I think Consort Xian will be happy to see it happen."

After all, once Kang Mowan establishes himself as king, his eldest son will be the crown prince. Whether it's He Min or He Yanran who marries him, they will both become crown princesses and eventually ascend to the position of empress. If He Min is truly interested, then Consort Xian has no reason to refuse.

"However, I haven't had a good look at his son yet. I'm telling you today so that you have a general idea and can take a closer look when you meet him. Just remember, everything should be based on your own feelings; what matters most is that you like him."

He Yanran was still a little confused: "Then, will Min'er also know His Majesty's intentions in advance?"

Tao Yanyan shook her head: "Let's prioritize your own feelings first. Min'er is still a child at heart. I think she'll have to wait another year or two before she comes to her senses."

He Yanran felt relieved. She had spent a long time with He Min and regarded her as a younger sister. She didn't want anything to happen between them because of a marriage.

After bidding farewell to the Empress, He Yanran went to play with He Min and her sisters until they finished their dinner before returning to the Empress Dowager's Changchun Palace.

In Changchun Palace, with the Empress Dowager absent, He Yanran was the only mistress. She had someone find her a local history and was reading it with great interest.

She had spent most of her time in the Yong Prince's mansion, rarely even stepping outside the gates, completely oblivious to the outside world. Later, her grandmother entrusted her to the Empress Dowager, who brought her into the palace. In reality, the Empress was the one who took care of her, which gave her many opportunities to go out and see the world.

When the Empress visited the Imperial Estate, she would take her and several princesses with her, giving her the opportunity to see the magnificent landscape and prosperity of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In her study, besides storybooks, the most abundant items were local gazetteers from various regions. It was as if through those descriptions of mountains and rivers, she truly experienced the beauty of the world.

Turning to the chapter describing the customs and culture of the Xia Kingdom, she read it carefully, memorizing many place names and legends, and before she knew it, it was late at night.

He Linzhang arrived at Chang Le Palace rather late. There had been too many messages coming from the Xia Kingdom recently, so he had consulted with Marquis Ningyuan. He didn’t expect the discussion to last until this late hour.