Harem Daily Life

Chapter 822 Chapter Question Center

Xiao Wu did inquire and quickly said, "Sir, the staff said that the young man has no connection with the Qi family. He is just an acquaintance of Madam Qi. He comes here from time to time and is... a student at the Imperial College."

"What? He's studying at the Imperial College?" He Feng asked in confusion. "He doesn't look that old, but he's already enrolled? What's his name?"

"I didn't get his name, but he only said his last name was Tao," Xiao Wu said.

"Tao?" He Feng looked at the man who was still selling goods to customers in the shop. "He has the same surname as the current Empress."

The master and servant didn't think much about it. They had been out for a while and had to go back quickly, otherwise they would have a hard time explaining themselves if their grandmother asked about it.

However, He Feng was concerned about Master Tao's study at the Imperial College. He had originally thought he would be the youngest student at the Imperial College, but now Master Tao had appeared ahead of him, making him seem less outstanding. This made him very unhappy.

After returning to Prince Ding's Mansion, he saw that the mansion was still being cleaned up and boxes of things were being carried in. He felt a little annoyed and went directly to his grandfather's study, wanting to ask his grandfather to talk to the emperor about the admission as soon as possible.

"Didn't I tell you, it's not easy to see His Majesty. There has to be a good opportunity. We met once before when we returned to the capital and went to the palace. We can't ask for favors the first time, can we? Just be patient. The Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet will be in two days. This year, our whole family will attend the banquet. Then we will introduce you to the public. We must let all the palaces in the capital see the elegance of the young master of Dingwang Palace."

Prince Ding patted He Feng on the shoulder and said, "Your father is a wasted man. He only knows how to pursue women all day long and is useless. Unfortunately, he is my only son. I can't beat him or scold him. All my hopes are placed on you. You are better at studying than your father and you are also smart. But you need to control your temper a little bit and not be so arrogant. Do you understand?"

He Feng nodded obediently: "Grandson knows, grandson also very much wants to contribute to the Dingwang Mansion, to bring glory to the Dingwang Mansion."

"Okay, I understand your concerns. This afternoon, I've arranged for several teachers to come and give you lectures. They are all highly accomplished scholars and teach at the Imperial Academy. You should study diligently with them and ask for their guidance. Prepare accordingly. I'll then ask His Majesty for a favor and arrange for you to take the examination, and you'll be able to enroll smoothly."

He Feng agreed, then left the study and returned to his own yard to review his lessons.

The Mid-Autumn Palace Banquet was not so much a gathering of royal relatives and court officials as it was a gathering for each family to demonstrate the closeness of their relationship with the royal family and the strength of their family.

From the annual seating rankings, we can tell which family is favored and which is not, so most families come very early just to check out the situation and build relationships.

After He Linzhang ascended the throne, Prince Ding and his family left the court and went to their fiefdom. This was the first time they had returned to Beijing in more than ten years, which naturally sparked a wave of discussion.

"I heard that Prince Ding made a wise decision back then and fled to his fiefdom with his family early on, and was not involved in the rebellion of several princes. He is so lucky that he is now a guest of honor." A lady whispered as she looked at the seat reserved for Prince Ding's palace.

"Who says it isn't? Back then, several princes saw that Your Majesty was young and wanted to take the initiative and launched a mutiny. Unexpectedly, Your Majesty fought for over a year, repelling all the rebels and killing those princes. Now, the only uncles still alive are Prince Changping and Prince Ding."

"This royal family is ruthless. Fighting for the family property always results in bloodshed. It's terrifying."

"You'd better say less. Be careful not to be overheard and cause trouble for your master." A lady advised.

Everyone changed the subject instantly and started talking about their own children. Your child refused to study, my child liked cockfighting and dog racing, your daughter was good at poetry and songs, my daughter was engaged to someone's family. There were groups of people gathered here and there in the hall, each with their own small circle.

The Princesses of Yong and Jing were surrounded by the most ladies. Ever since her full-moon banquet and the birth of the young prince, Princess Yong's reputation in the capital had improved significantly, and more ladies began to interact with her. Furthermore, Prince Yong held the highest status among the princes, and with a prominent husband and a prominent wife, everyone came to curry favor with him.

Prince Jing was considered a new upstart among the princes. After he was suddenly appointed as the regent, the originally ordinary Prince Jing's Mansion suddenly became prosperous and was filled with guests.

Princess Jing originally had a wider circle of friends than Princess Yong, and now she made friends with even more ladies, and everyone could talk to her.

There were very few people around Princess Yu and Princess Jing. They looked at each other, both looking like they didn't want to talk.

The situation did not change until the Ding Wang family entered the palace. Several families gathered around to greet the Ding Wang family. After all, some of them had known the Ding Wang for decades, and the Ding Wang was the uncle of His Majesty, so his status was not ordinary.

Some people were reminiscing about the past, some were chatting about family matters, and those who wanted to make some acquaintances came up to introduce themselves. The scene was quite lively.

Prince Ding's eldest son, He Lingchao, looked like he hadn't woken up yet, and followed Prince Ding listlessly. Prince Ding glared at him several times but to no avail. Prince Ding was so angry that he didn't bother to pay attention to him and told him to sit behind him.

Princess Ding warned, "Don't talk nonsense today, and don't move around casually. If you bring trouble to Prince Ding's mansion, your father will punish you when he returns."

After saying this, he looked at his grandson with a kind look and said, "Feng'er, you look quite nice today. You look rich and elegant. Several ladies have been asking me about you. I'll organize a party and have all the young ladies from their families come to meet you later."

As for the marriage, He Feng just let his family arrange it. Anyway, they would not choose someone who was ugly, short, or poor for him.

He looked at his grandfather and said, "Grandpa, don't forget about the Imperial College. I really only want to study now. Thank you for your hard work, Grandpa."

Prince Ding nodded with satisfaction: "Don't worry, since you are so motivated, your grandfather will naturally support you." The outstanding younger generation is the hope of the family, so Prince Ding will naturally spare no effort to send him to the top.

"Your Majesty has arrived, the Queen Mother has arrived, and the Empress has arrived."

Everyone knelt on the ground in unison, "Long live the emperor, long live the emperor, long live the empress dowager, a thousand years and a thousand years ...

"My dear ministers, please stand up." He Linzhang sat down and raised his hand to let everyone stand up.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Everyone sat down and waited quietly.

He Linzhang glanced around and said with a smile, "Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and I am gathered with all of you, my dear ministers, to share the joy of reunion. The country has been peaceful and the people have lived and worked in peace and contentment over the years, and this is inseparable from your assistance."

He looked at everyone, with a certain dignity yet a friendly attitude: "I still remember that Prince Ding and his family left the capital for over ten years, right? Now that they have returned, Prince Ding's Mansion will surely add to its glory."

Prince Ding quickly stood up and said respectfully, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. I will do my utmost to serve the royal family."

He Linzhang smiled and nodded, then continued, "Prince Yong, Prince Jing, and other princes have also performed their duties and made many contributions to the court."

Prince Yong and Prince Jing stood up to express their gratitude.

At this time, Empress Tao spoke softly, "Your Majesty cares deeply about the world. It is a great honor for our dynasty to have such a joyful gathering at the palace banquet today."

He Linzhang held her hand and said with a smile, "The Queen is absolutely right. There is no need to be restrained today, just enjoy the joy of this festive occasion." After that, the palace banquet officially began. The dancers danced gracefully, fine wine and delicious food were continuously served, and everyone began to raise their glasses and drink, and laughter echoed in the hall.

Prince Ding exchanged pleasantries, his gaze gradually settling on He Xuan, who was standing opposite him. A look of amazement crossed his face. He coughed lightly and glanced at Princess Ding, who paled and couldn't help but look at He Xuan.