Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1092 The Meat I Finally Got to Eat Is Gone

Tao Yanyan was enlightened by Xianglan's words.

She looked at the seating chart again carefully and smiled, "The Noble Consort Xian has managed the harem for so many years, she certainly knows how to read the situation better than I do." The six ministers did not allow the Minister of Revenue to step forward, nor did they allow the senior ministers of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Rites, and Ministry of Personnel to step forward. Instead, they directly arranged for the newly appointed Minister of War to step forward. They probably guessed His Majesty's intentions, to give the Duan family face and do him a favor.

Xianglan took back the list: "Then...do we need to make any adjustments?"

Tao Yanyan shook her head: "Let's leave it at that. The Duan family members will be nearby, so I can take a closer look."

Tao Yanyan had no concept of social class; any family's daughter was fine with her, as long as He Yucheng liked her. The selection of the Crown Princess was a matter of national importance, and she believed that He Linzhang must have chosen someone he valued.

I just hope that He Yucheng will like the one He Linzhang chooses, otherwise the child will really suffer.

In Yongtai Palace, after retrieving the list, Consort Xian asked about it and was somewhat stunned to hear that the Empress had no objections.

The old nanny Fang put away the list: "Her Majesty the Empress didn't change a single word, which just shows that she trusts you completely. Why does Your Majesty seem to have some reservations?"

Consort Xian sighed, "It's nothing. I just didn't expect that Her Majesty the Empress would not only give up the power of the six palaces, but also be willing to gradually relinquish the power of the maternal relatives."

Granny Fang smiled and said, "Power has always been a blinding influence. I think Her Majesty the Empress must have long since seen through this and no longer cares about such things."

Consort Xian nodded: "That's true. I can't escape the common ways, and I'm not as carefree as her. The less she strives, the more she has. Don't you think her fortune is too good? Well then, let's proceed according to this list. For those who are taking leave, remember to prepare New Year's rewards and send them to their residences in advance. Especially for Prince Jin's residence, the preparations must be grand."

Fang Mama naturally knew that although Prince Jin was adopted by His Majesty from among the common people, he was very favored. He was given the best fiefdom, and when his wife became pregnant, the palace sent imperial physicians to take care of her. His favor was no less than that of the Crown Prince.

Time flew by, and it was already December. The Imperial Property Office was in a state of frantic activity. Previously, with Chief Steward Li overseeing things, Tao Yanyan had a relatively easier time. However, Chief Steward Li fell ill for some time and eventually passed away. Chang Tai, who succeeded him, did his best, but being a novice, he inevitably struggled to keep up. Nevertheless, Chang Tai was very diligent and knew how to delegate, managing to handle things one by one.

He Yinuo was also extremely busy. The once plump and healthy young girl gradually lost weight after being battered by business for several months, and was no longer as chubby as before.

She returned to Chang Le Palace with her entourage carrying the account books, and immediately asked Caiyun for food: "Aunt Caiyun, please give me something to eat, I'm starving!"

Caiyun hurriedly brought out the freshly made peach shortbread, which He Yinuo ate in a few bites, finally catching her breath.

"My little darling, please eat slowly. How long has it been since you last ate? How come you're so hungry?" Caiyun poured her a cup of fruit tea with heartache to help her digest the food.

"Don't even mention it! The New Year is almost here, and I have to summarize the accounts and stock the shops. I'm so busy! I leave the palace before dawn and don't come back until dark. Do you know how hard it is for me?" He Yinuo gulped down her fruit tea and immediately sat up straight when she saw Tao Yanyan come out of the inner palace.

"I heard that your capable little helper has been busy handling a lot of things for you. How come your little helper hasn't complained about being tired, but you, who are fed by her every day, are exhausted?" Tao Yanyan looked at her daughter with amusement, pulled her over, and rubbed her arms.

The little helper Tao Yanyan mentioned is Su Xing.

After Su Xing left the Su family and moved out with her mother, she became He Yinuo's little helper, playing with He Yinuo, accompanying her to inspect the store, and taking care of the business. The little girl was eager to learn and smart; she could learn anything after being taught only a few times. He Yinuo was also willing to nurture her, and before long, she was doing quite well. Even Qingfeng and Mingyue praised the child highly.

Su Xing is already a minor manager under Mingyue, and in a few more years, he will probably be able to take on more responsibilities.

He Yinuo loves to eat but is a kitchen disaster, his cooking skills are just as bad as Hua Yuerong's. However, Su Xing is quite talented in cooking. Sometimes when she accompanies He Yinuo to the palace to report, she will personally cook a couple of dishes for Tao Yanyan to try, and Tao Yanyan is very satisfied with her.

"Mother, no matter how much Su Xing feeds me, it can't keep up with my busy schedule. Look at me, I've lost so much weight, you can tell I'm really exhausted. Waaah, all that weight I worked so hard to gain, will it ever come back?" He Yinuo feigned misery and kept whining.

Tao Yanyan pinched her a few times, quite satisfied: "It's good for losing weight. You're taller and slimmer now, and you even have some of my pretty looks."

Oh dear, how could she be so blessed with such a beautiful daughter! I wonder which rascal will end up with her?

"Alright, let's take a look at the accounts before dinner starts." Tao Yanyan straightened her daughter, who was acting coquettishly. She needed to check this year's revenue, decide on some holiday rewards, and distribute the money so that everyone could have a good New Year.

Although he had expected it, Tao Yanyan still couldn't stop smiling when he saw the total figures: "Not bad, better than last year. The fact that there has been no war in the past two years is also a major reason."

Every war inevitably leads to hardship for the people and financial ruin. Since defeating the Yan state and putting Kang Mowan on the throne, the world has been at peace, the people have lived in prosperity, and even the royal income has doubled.

"Mother, according to the rules we set before, this year's profits are high, so we need to give out more rewards."

Tao Yanyan nodded, looking at the list of rewards and the amounts listed by Qingfeng: "It's alright, give them whatever they deserve. We need to give everyone something to look forward to so they can work harder next year."

Tao Yanyan is not a harsh person. As long as the task is completed and more money is earned for her, she will not treat her subordinates unfairly.

"This is the list submitted by Aunt Mingyue. She said that the older generation of stewards will gradually step down from the management. After screening, some promising candidates have been selected. Once they get started and pass the assessment, they can take over. Chief Steward Chang will also be in charge. Qingfeng, Mingyue, and Chief Steward Chang are even stricter than I am."

Tao Yan smiled and said, "Without rules, there can be no order. The three of them learned step by step by following the Empress Dowager. They are both firm and gentle. You should learn from them in the future."

When He Yucheng and the two princes returned from school, dinner was served. He Linzhang was unable to attend due to other commitments, so the mother and her sons sat around the table, eating and chatting.

He Yucheng glanced at He Yinuo every now and then. He Yinuo chewed and said, "Brother, what are you looking at? Are you amazed by your sister's beauty every day?"

He Yucheng choked, rolling his eyes at her: "Are you as good-looking as me? Tch~"

He Yucheng simply couldn't understand why the sachet Su Xing made ended up on He Yinuo. Could it be that it really wasn't made for him?