Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1063 A Year of Poverty

"Father, how does it taste?" He Yinuo blinked her big eyes and looked at He Linzhang expectantly.

He Linzhang swallowed hard, his lips twitching slightly: "It's already quite good that Yu Nuo has done so well for her first time cooking. However, the kitchen is very smoky, so you don't need to do it yourself in the future. Just let the cook make whatever you want to eat."

He Yinuo grinned from ear to ear: "Being able to cook for Father and Mother is the happiest thing for me." After saying that, he wanted to eat chicken, but was stopped by He Linzhang.

"This... Father Emperor likes it very much, so Father Emperor should eat it all." Such an extremely salty chicken should not be allowed to be eaten by his precious daughter, nor should it damage his precious daughter's self-confidence.

Tao Yanyan raised an eyebrow, looked at the plate of soy sauce chicken, and coughed lightly: "Your Majesty, please try this fermented rice wine with eggs. It's sweet and delicious."

He Linzhang was already almost sickened by the saltiness, so he took the soup and ate it in a few bites.

Before she knew it, He Yinuo picked up a piece of chicken and put it in her mouth. Her taste buds were instantly stimulated, and she hurriedly spat it out.

"Why is it so salty!" Mu Yu had already handed her a glass of water. "Drink some water."

After He Yinuo finished drinking, Mu Yu glared at He Linzhang. It was all his fault for not explaining clearly; he almost made his precious Yinuo eat something too salty.

He Linzhang: “…”

"It's alright, you just put in too much soy sauce. Next time, when Nuo'er makes it, your mother will guide you." Seeing her daughter looking a little dejected, Tao Yanyan comforted her in time, not wanting to extinguish the child's heart for exploring cooking.

However, He Yinuo was an optimistic person, and he became more courageous after setbacks. He patted his chest and said, "Father, don't worry, I will definitely be able to make a delicious soy sauce chicken next time and redeem myself." After saying that, he picked up the chicken and told the maids to take it away.

Today is the Lunar New Year. The food on the table is steaming hot, and it's snowing heavily outside. The family spent an unforgettable New Year in Yanzhou, a foreign land.

After Zhou Chen was brought back to the Marquis of Jing's residence, he was interrogated by the Marquis of Jing and questioned in detail about what had happened. The Marquis of Jing frowned deeply.

The Fourth Princess sat to one side, looking utterly defeated, her face pale. After overhearing their conversation, Marquis Jing immediately guessed that the Fourth Princess was adept at the intrigues of the harem, using his daughter and son-in-law as pawns.

Considering that the other party was a princess, and that His Majesty had not pursued the princess's responsibility except for the one who harmed the Gu family, Marquis Jing calmed down and said, "His Majesty is magnanimous and considerate of family ties. This matter should end here. I hope that the princess will cultivate her character in the future and refrain from doing anything that would damage the royal family's reputation. My Marquis Jing's mansion will not be manipulated by others."

He Qian's face turned pale and then flushed, and she nodded silently.

Because of this incident, the festive atmosphere at the Marquis Jing's residence was completely ruined. He Qian went straight back to her room, Jing Mubai went to keep her company, and Jing Yuwei took Zhou Chen back to her own residence. The people of the Marquis Jing's residence, who had worked so hard to prepare a table full of dishes, were so angry when they saw that there was no one to eat the New Year's Eve dinner that they also went back to their rooms.

"Madam, please don't be angry. I'll go get you some food." The maid beside her was about to leave when Lady Jinghou stopped her: "Never mind, I have no appetite."

Having said that, she was still furious and said angrily, "Back then, I was so happy to marry the princess, but I never expected her to be such a muddle-headed person. How could she arrange a woman for her own father, the emperor? And doesn't she have any sense? Empress Tao is at the height of her power, and she actually wants to find an imposter to replace her? Where is her brain?"

The maid advised, "Madam, please calm down. What if there are eavesdroppers? It would only ruin our relationship for nothing."

"Hmph, what kind of relationship do I have with her? If it weren't for Mu Bai's sake, I would have been very accommodating to her. Otherwise, given that she never comes to serve me, I would have set rules for her long ago."

The maid dared not persuade her any further, knowing that the lady had only said those things in a fit of anger; in fact, who would dare to ask the princess to set rules?

Jing Yuwei brought Zhou Chen back to the mansion. Zhou Chen seemed to have lost his soul, and was in a daze. Jing Yuwei was furious at the sight of him.

“I told you long ago that being too frivolous will only lead to your downfall, but you wouldn’t listen. You even kept that Gu woman outside, and she never came home. From now on, you’d better rein yourself in. Aren’t the wife and concubine in the mansion enough for you to enjoy? You can’t go out and fool around anymore.”

Zhou Chen quickly pledged his loyalty: "Don't worry, Madam, I will never dare to do it again. Thank you so much for saving me this time!"

Zhou Chen was terrified after being captured. Those people were fierce and menacing, each one a killing machine. Gu Yuanyuan thought she would be released after explaining the whole story, but instead, she was killed with a single blow. Seeing such a beautiful and charming woman die before his eyes, Zhou Chen was filled with regret, but he dared not plead for her and could only watch her wither away.

When Hua Ruyan learned that Zhou Chen had returned, she immediately sent people to inquire, but Jing Yuwei's side was as secure as an iron barrel, and no information leaked out.

"Hmph, it's good that I know that Gu Shi is dead. As for the rest, you don't have to tell me. I can't be bothered with it." But when she thought about how there was no festive atmosphere at all in the mansion today, and that not many dishes were served, Hua Ruyan became angry again.

“I grew up in the Hua family. When have we ever celebrated a festival like this? Such a shabby New Year is probably unprecedented.”

The maidservant fed her medicine while advising, "Things aren't going well in the manor, and your health isn't good either. It's good that you're eating a light diet these days and not having any rich or meaty foods. Once your wounds have healed, I'll go out and buy a feast to nourish you properly."

Hua Ruyan had no choice but to give up. Her buttocks were still aching, but she felt much better because of Gu's death.

At Zhenguo Temple outside Yanzhou City, seven or eight vegetarian dishes were laid out in front of Kang Qitai, the former emperor of Xia. He ate a little of each dish and then lost his appetite.

"When exactly does your lord intend to leave me in this dilapidated temple? Either send me away or help me restore my kingdom. I don't want to stay in this temple for another day."

The head of the guards protecting him looked impatient, but still spoke up: "Master, please be patient. The Great Zhou Emperor is currently in Yanzhou, and the Marquis dares not act rashly. Please wait a little longer, and when the time is right, the Marquis will make the arrangements."

Kang Qitai glared at him: "I told you before to pass on a message that I want to see my daughter-in-law. Did you get the message?"

The head guard said, "The message has been delivered, but the city is not peaceful. The Marquis said that for your safety and that of the Second Prince's wife, it would be best if the two of you did not meet for the time being."

Kang Qitai could no longer contain himself and abruptly overturned a table full of vegetarian dishes on the ground: "What you're doing, calling it protection, is more like a disguised form of house arrest! Who gave you the audacity to confine me here?"