Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1006 Should we go out for a walk?

Seeing his tired face, Tao Yanyan went over and rubbed his neck.

"Your Majesty seems mentally exhausted. Is it because you have a lot of official business to attend to lately?"

He Linzhang closed his eyes to rest: "The situation in Xia Kingdom has entered a critical stage. In ten days, the 200,000 troops from Great Zhou supporting Kang Mowan will arrive at the border. Yan Yan, Kang Mowan's success or failure hinges on this."

The scheme to control the Xia Kingdom is finally coming to an end.

"Your Majesty has a grand vision and will surely achieve your goals."

Hearing her so confident, He Linzhang opened his eyes, pulled her close, and sat her on his lap: "Once things settle down in Xia Kingdom, Yan Yan, would you like to go out for a walk?"

Tao Yanyan's eyes lit up: "Where to?"

He Linzhang gave two routes: "One is to go to Yanzhou, and the other is to go to Xia State."

Both were unexpected for Tao Yanyan. She had thought that when he said he was going out for a walk, he meant the area around the capital.

"Isn't this... a bit too far? What about the court? What about the children?" There are too many concerns and too many things to do. If the emperor leaves the capital, things will be in chaos.

He Linzhang pinched her cheek: "What's the point of raising Yu Cheng all this time? Isn't it so that he can take over my responsibilities? He's twelve years old, with so many people assisting him, and Jin'an helping him out. He's capable. Before Jin'an's wedding date arrives, let's go and come back quickly, and then we can drink his wedding wine when we get back."

Tao Yanyan was somewhat eager to go, but there was still the matter of being received by the Xia Kingdom's envoy. If she were to actually go, it would probably be a month later.

"The Xia Kingdom delegation will arrive in Beijing next month; we should wait until they leave."

He Linzhang stroked her earlobe: "Did you tell Yanran everything I asked you to say?"

Tao Yanyan nodded.

"I'm thinking, if Yanran is willing to marry into the Xia Kingdom, then we should send her there directly and take a look at the scenery along the way."

Tao Yan Yan bit her lip: "What if Min'er takes a liking to him? Would His Majesty be willing to part with him?"

He Linzhang shook his head: "With Min'er's personality, it's impossible for her to marry far away from the capital. She can't bear to part with Consort Xian, nor can she bear to part with her sister. If she had to choose between love and family, she would choose family first."

Tao Yanyan chuckled: "But Yanran might not be willing either."

He Linzhang said, "She will be willing. Don't let Yanran's usual obedient and quiet nature fool you; she is calm and steady and can withstand hardship. Moreover, compared to our other children who are close to us, Yanran is not very enthusiastic about family ties."

Perhaps it's related to the fact that He Yanran lost her birth mother at a young age, so she is indeed not very close to her relatives.

“Alright then, if Yanran is willing, then we will send her off as a bride. But Your Majesty, let me make this clear beforehand: Kang Mowan’s son must be a good man, otherwise I will absolutely not agree.”

Tao Yanyan looked serious. Although He Yanran had only been by her side for two years, she still had to keep an eye on her and not let her become a tool for a political marriage without her knowledge.

A lonely and helpless young girl already struggles to survive; if she marries the wrong person, her whole life will be ruined.

He Linzhang smiled and said, "Don't worry, I am her uncle and I will not abandon her."

Unaware that He Yucheng was asleep, his father was already preparing to have him oversee the country. The next morning, Eunuch Zhang came to deliver an imperial decree, instructing the Crown Prince to go to the Imperial Study after dinner to personally hear His Majesty share his insights on governing the country.

He Yucheng looked completely bewildered, his lips twitching involuntarily: "Does this mean Father Emperor will personally give the lessons?"

With a kind and benevolent expression, Eunuch Zhang said with a smile, "His Majesty is busy with countless affairs of state. Taking an hour after dinner to personally instruct His Highness the Crown Prince shows how much he values ​​him. Your Highness, please remember to come on time."

"Then, what about the Second Prince? Is the Second Prince coming?" He Yucheng didn't want to be the only one to receive special treatment; he wanted everyone to hear it together.

Eunuch Zhang shook his head: "Prince Jin has been very busy lately, as he has to visit his future princess from time to time."

He Yucheng's face was about to crack; in the end, it was just his bad luck.

At lunchtime, He Xiaobao and He Xiaoliu, led by He Yinuo, accompanied He Yucheng to eat. He Yucheng finished eating quickly and was about to go to review his lessons when He Yinuo called him back.

"Why are you studying so hard during your lunch break?"

He Yucheng said helplessly, "I can only be a master of time management now, otherwise I won't be able to sleep at night." Then he told him about the extra lesson his father would be giving him after dinner.

He Yinuo rolled her eyes and patted his arm: "Never mind, never mind, go in peace. Father is doing this for your own good. We haven't even had a chance to hear it yet!"

After saying that, she turned around and pulled her two younger brothers: "Let's go take a nap. We'll go play with our third sister tonight. Mother made me a new checkers set. It's two against two. We'll definitely have to decide who wins and who loses."

The two younger brothers chattered excitedly around their older sister, completely forgetting that there was also a prince who was going to study.

He Yucheng: "..."

Watching the three of them skip and hop away into the distance, I just smiled and let it go.

The full moon celebration for He Xuan's son had just ended when the Xia Kingdom delegation arrived in the capital. Besides Kang Pingzhi, son of Kang Mowan, several other sons of high-ranking Xia officials also came, all from families that Kang Mowan had subdued.

Qi Yizheng had already secretly investigated and found that the eldest sons of each family were the future hope of their families. This time, he personally went to the territory of the Great Zhou to show his family's determination to submit to Kang Mowan and to the Great Zhou.

He Linzhang was overjoyed and held a grand banquet to welcome them back.

He Yanran, dressed in a stunningly beautiful and elegant manner, sat in the princess's seat, calmly observing Prince Kang in the delegation.

He Yanran's heart skipped a beat. This Prince Kang had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and an extraordinary temperament. Perhaps because he practiced martial arts, he lacked a bit of scholarly air and had more of a heroic spirit, making him seem unapproachable.

Kang Pingzhi noticed He Yanran's gaze, turned his head to look at him, their eyes met, and he smiled politely.

He Yanran quickly looked away, not daring to look again.

"Sister Yanran, why is your face red?" He Min was sitting next to He Yanran and wanted to touch her to see if she had a fever.

He Yanran smiled and said, "Perhaps it's getting warmer, I'll just go out for some fresh air."

In April, the evenings were cool and breezy. He Yanran stood in the wind and felt her mind clear up instantly. She no longer blushed because of Prince Kang. She patted her cheeks, suppressing the flutter in her heart, before turning around to return to the banquet. Unexpectedly, she ran into Kang Pingzhi, who had also come out for some fresh air.

Kang Pingzhi hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed: "I am Kang Pingzhi, son of King Kang of Xia Kingdom. I have just met you... May I ask how the princess is addressed?"

He Yanran lowered her eyes and introduced herself: "I am not a princess. My father is the King of Yong of the Great Zhou Dynasty. My name is He Yanran."

Kang Pingzhi then realized that the person in front of him was the Princess of Yongwang Mansion, and greeted her, "So you are the Princess."

He remembered his father's instructions when he came, saying that he had expressed his desire to marry the princess to the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and that he should make a good impression in the Great Zhou Dynasty and find a way to marry the princess. However, when he saw the princess in front of him, he was overjoyed.

"It doesn't have to be a princess, right?" Kang Pingzhi answered himself with a definite yes without even thinking.