Harem Daily Life

Chapter 387 Making peace with yourself

The Empress Dowager's illness only requires rest, and the two of them do not need to accompany her all day. They can just go once in the morning and once in the evening to serve the Empress Dowager medicine.

So after the Queen Mother rested, He Linzhang wanted to take Tao Yanyan out to play.

"It's rare for you to come out. You didn't bring the children with you, and you're not in a hurry to go back. I'll take this opportunity to relax with you." He Linzhang hugged him and said, "You can hunt in the mountains. How about I take you to hunt rabbits?"

He Linzhang has not forgotten how Gu Yi carried a big fat rabbit to make her happy last year.

It can be as annoying as it can be!

Tao Yanyan was a little depressed and didn't say anything.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. After thinking about it, she thought that maybe it was because she became greedy after gaining his exclusive favor and didn't want him to be involved with other people.

But he was the emperor, how could he be with her forever? Not to mention that there were so many concubines in the palace who were alone in their rooms and would not agree. In the future, the selection of concubines every three years would not allow those young women who were waiting to enter the palace and contribute to the family to agree either.

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt that her breathing was a little difficult, because she had too many expectations and she was almost exhausted herself.

Tao Yanyan's eyes turned red when she felt wronged.

She clutched He Linzhang's collar with her little hands, buried her head in his chest, and couldn't help crying softly.

He Linzhang also felt very bitter. He was drugged by Li Cairen and had to spend a night with Lu Cairen. After waking up, he was only filled with anger.

At this moment, holding the person who was crying softly in his arms, he felt angry and regretful.

But the situation was irreversible, the child was already born, what could he do? He could only hug the person in his arms tightly and comfort him over and over again.

Tao Yanyan cried for a while, and the negative emotions that had been suppressed in her heart for the past two days were finally released, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty, I have become stingy. I used to be magnanimous, and I would not think too much about which palace you went to, but now I have become stingy." Hearing the muffled sound coming from his chest, He Linzhang gently lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

"I am even more stingy than you. If you smile a few more times at other men, I will want to hide you away and never show you to other men."

Tao Yanyan pushed it open slightly, revealing a face full of pity: "Then we can't compete like this."

After saying this, she wiped away her tears and took a deep breath: "I know Your Majesty can't just be with me, but can Your Majesty please stay away from those sisters in the future? I don't like them."

He Linzhang nodded: "Okay, I promise you."

If the current situation cannot be changed, then the Lu sisters will not get the love they dream of, which will be the biggest blow to them.

The two of them reached a settlement on this matter. After talking it out, Tao Yanyan temporarily put aside his worries and went into the mountains to hunt to relax.

There were fewer prey in winter, but He Linzhang finally hunted two rabbits. In the evening, Tao Yanyan personally cooked for him a meal of spicy rabbit cubes.

The Queen Mother felt relieved when she saw that the two had been quarreling in the morning but had reconciled in the evening.

After the two of them accompanied her to dinner and went back, she sighed: "If I had the broad mind of Concubine Tao, I would not have been separated from the late emperor."

Eunuch Qin stood aside, thinking of the first time the Queen Mother quarreled with the late Emperor and the scene of her first visit to the Hot Spring Palace, and advised: "You were the Queen back then, and Concubine Li occupied the late Emperor, and the late Emperor neglected you. It was normal for you to get angry and leave the palace. It has been many years, so don't take it to heart!"

The Queen Mother sighed, her eyes no longer filled with sadness or joy: "I was young and full of energy back then, and I felt that I was superior to Concubine Li in everything. I couldn't accept that someone who was inferior to me in every way could be protected and favored by the late emperor. I felt ashamed and even more depressed, so I came to this hot spring palace and stayed there for several months."

After saying that, he smiled and said, "Do you know why I like Concubine Tao?"

Eunuch Qin smiled and said, "You like the Imperial Concubine's cooking skills."

The Queen Mother nodded: "That's one reason. She doesn't have the high-handed habits of a woman from a rich family. Instead, she has a touch of worldly touch, which makes people feel that she can live a meaningful life. This is a feeling that many women in the deep palace cannot experience!"

Eunuch Qin agreed: "Concubine Tao is smart and clever, and treats people with a pure heart."

The Queen Mother nodded again: "The main thing is that she treats Zhang'er sincerely. If she likes Zhang'er, she will treat him well. If she doesn't like him anymore one day, she won't give in. I have lived for decades, but I am not as clear-headed as her. If I had thought it through earlier, I could have let him go if I didn't like him, and I wouldn't have suffered for so many years."

Eunuch Qin saw that the Queen Mother was sad and wanted to persuade her, but he didn't know how to do it effectively.

"You, don't need to persuade me. He is gone now. What else can I think about? I just saw the transformation of Concubine Tao today and reflected on my past. If I had let it go earlier, I would have lived a happier life!"

Eunuch Qin said: "Empress Tao is very young, but she lives a clear life. Most people can't compare to her."

The Queen Mother agreed: "If you can't change the status quo, change your mindset and make peace with yourself. Life is short, so why bother yourself with trivial matters?"

He Linzhang and Tao Yanyan stayed in the hot spring palace for two days before bidding farewell to the empress dowager and returning to the palace.

On the second day after they came back, some of the generals who had gone on the expedition to the State of Yan returned to the capital, and Gu Yi was among them.

Ever since he received the letter from Ning Yuanhou, saying that Tao Yanyan was the only blood relative of his long-lost aunt, the unspeakable throbbing for Tao Yanyan turned into an inseparable brother-sister relationship. In this life, they are destined to still have a connection.

The generals who returned to Beijing were received by the emperor in person. Gu Yi entered the palace in military uniform, looking more mature and steady, as well as more heroic than last year.

He Linzhang rewarded all the generals and promoted them all to generals. Finally, he only kept Gu Yi to have lunch.

"Your father, Marquis Ningyuan, has also been summoned to the palace. Concubine Tao will also be here soon. The whole family will have a meal together to welcome you."

Gu Yi knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Your Majesty! I am grateful to you."

He Linzhang helped him up and said, "You are Yan Yan's cousin, and you are her family. We are one family, so there is no need to talk about different things. I have received the military intelligence report from General Duan. In this battle with Yan State, you fought bravely and cared for the soldiers. You are indeed the best among the younger generation. Now that you have returned from this experience, I will hand over the garrison in the suburbs of Beijing to you. I hope you will fulfill your mission and guard the capital for me."

Gu Yi wanted to kneel again, but was stopped by He Linzhang: "Okay, I've already told you not to be so polite. Let's go, they may be waiting in the side hall, come with me."

The king and his minister came to the side hall and saw Tao Yanyan and Ning Yuanhou already waiting there. The two were talking and laughing, just waiting for dinner to start.

As soon as he saw Gu Yi following the emperor in, Ningyuan Hou burst into tears: "Yier, you are finally back!" Woo woo woo, the only son who can support the Ningyuan Hou Mansion is the pride of his old father.

Tao Yanyan looked at Gu Yi, who had a resolute face and was more heroic than last year, and stepped forward to take a closer look: "Cousin, are you injured?"

His eyes were full of sincerity and concern, and Gu Yi's heart softened.