Harem Daily Life

Chapter 735: The eldest prince gains a sense of presence

"Your son pays his respects to the Queen Mother." The eldest prince He Ye bowed to Tao Yanyan. Tao Yanyan replied indifferently and asked him to sit down.

"I heard that my father was ambushed in the suburbs, so I came to visit him. I wonder how he is doing?"

Tao Yanyan said, "You are so thoughtful. Your father just took the medicine and is resting. If you want to take a look, I will accompany you in to take a look."

He Ye nodded: "This son really wants to go in and pay his respects to the emperor."

Tao Yanyan stood up, and the two of them entered the inner hall together.

He Ye carefully examined He Linzhang's injuries and, seeing they were bandaged, said nothing more. After following Tao Yanyan out, he took the initiative to say, "I am truly concerned about your father's injury. I wish to attend to him in the Qinzheng Palace and share your mother's worries."

Tao Yanyan smiled and said, "You still have to go to the Royal Academy, so you can't delay your studies. There are so many people waiting on you in the palace, so don't worry."

The implication of rejection was obvious, and He Ye frowned.

Censor Zhang had said that only by showing off while the emperor was injured could he gain his trust and favor. So he continued, "Mother, I dare not neglect my studies. I can study on my own while tending to the illness. I am your eldest son, and at this time, I should be filial. Please do not deprive me of this opportunity to be filial to you. Otherwise, I'm afraid the ministers in the court will mistakenly believe that you are deliberately separating us, which would damage your reputation as a virtuous person."

Tao Yanyan narrowed her eyes and wondered why the eldest prince was so respectful from the start today. It turned out that he used courtesy first and then force, but now he is not even pretending.

She lowered her brows and said coldly to the eldest prince who loved to show off his presence, "I didn't know there were ministers in the court who would come up with such a ridiculous idea and alienate the relationship between us. I don't know who is so shady. Tell me, I will have a good talk with him."

He Ye choked. He didn't expect that Queen Tao would disregard her own reputation and insist on stopping it.

However, this also shows that Queen Tao really doesn't want to show herself in front of her father, and she is still on guard against herself as always.

He Ye coughed lightly and said, "This son is just a guess. Mother, there's no need to be angry. Since you don't agree, I'll take my leave. As for your father, I'll trouble you."

Tao Yanyan hummed, and He Ye stood up to take his leave. As soon as he left the palace, he saw Censor Zhang hiding in a carriage outside the palace gate.

He looked around and quietly got into Censor Zhang's carriage.

"How is it? Did Queen Tao agree?" Censor Zhang asked anxiously.

He Ye shook his head. "She refused and used the excuse of caring about my studies to get rid of me. She was very firm in her refusal. Perhaps, I'm guessing, my father's injury is more complicated than that."

Censor Zhang stroked his beard. "The entire Imperial Hospital was mobilized, and he's been in the Qinzheng Palace for hours. How could this be a minor injury? By the way, have you visited His Majesty to see how he's feeling? Have you spoken to him?"

He Ye shook his head again. "Father took the medicine and went to sleep. I didn't disturb him. But I think the wound is only on his left arm. The wound has been bandaged, so I can't tell how serious it is. But it's not in any vital parts, so I think it's not serious."

Censor Zhang pondered for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "Empress Tao is personally guarding the Qinzheng Palace, and Prince Yong has urgently strengthened security within and outside the capital. It's impossible that His Majesty isn't seriously injured. Let's wait and see what happens. Crown Prince, you should still visit the palace daily, visit the Qinzheng Palace more often, and inquire about His Majesty's condition. Make sure everyone knows that you care about His Majesty and are a truly filial son."

He Ye nodded: "Okay, thank you for your guidance, Censor Zhang."

Tao Yanyan, after dealing with the eldest prince, felt a little tired, so he went into the inner hall, lay down on the couch, and fell asleep unknowingly.

When she woke up the next day, it was still dark. She was already covered with a quilt, but her clothes were still on. It must have been the breeze that covered her.

She got up, washed herself briefly, changed her clothes and prepared to meet the court officials.

The Empress Dowager had attended court before, but this was Tao Yanyan's first time, so it was impossible for her not to be nervous. Fortunately, Zhang Fuhai was by her side, ready to remind her if anything happened, which put her at ease.

The pearl curtain was lowered, and Tao Yanyan sat behind it, listening to government affairs from behind the curtain. Although he could not see the faces of the court officials below, he could hear their voices clearly.

Most of the ministers had followed the emperor out of the palace to farm before, so they naturally knew that His Majesty was injured, so it was not so strange that the queen came to court temporarily.

However, seeing that Empress Tao was young and usually looked soft and cute, the ministers were inevitably a little arrogant and did not give her much face.

Someone asked about the emperor's injury. Tao Yanyan said a few simple words, saying that he needed to rest for a while. If there were any memorials, they could be submitted first and wait for approval.

Censor Zhao stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, now that both Xia and Yan have negotiated peace with the Great Zhou, I believe the next few years will usher in a brief period of peace. The Great Zhou maintains an army of 300,000, and the expenses, including military pay, weapons, armor, horses, chariots, and so on, are considerable. I believe that in a peaceful and prosperous era, there is no need to maintain so many troops. It would be better to reduce some of them to reduce expenses."

The Minister of War was the first to speak out, saying unhappily, "You censors are only good at talking. How can we reduce the military so easily? We're negotiating peace now, but who knows if we'll be fighting again in two years. Are we going to recruit soldiers and conduct hasty drills then?"

Censor Zhao was a little embarrassed. "I was just making a suggestion. Why are you so anxious, Lord Dong? Shouldn't we all discuss it? It's not just my opinion. Others can also express their opinions. Besides, the Empress didn't say anything, but you got anxious first."

The Minister of War glared at him fiercely: "Empress, a strong military force is the foundation of a stable country. It must not be shaken."

Tao Yanyan agreed. "Master Dong is right. Only with a strong army and powerful horses can we have confidence. Otherwise, we will be bullied by other countries everywhere. I even think that we should invest more in improving tanks and upgrading weapons every year."

The Minister of War's eyes lit up, and he looked at the Queen with more appreciation.

Zhang Yushi stepped forward and said, "The Empress is speaking lightly. She's been in the harem for too long and doesn't know the previous dynasty's constant need for money. That's why she's talking about increasing military spending. The drought in the north has already cost the treasury a lot of money, and the Ministry of Works' massive water conservancy program is undoubtedly adding insult to injury. With tax cuts and exemptions in recent years, the treasury's revenue is already low. With so little money, how can we afford to fill holes everywhere and save for food?"

Tao Yanyan sneered, "I don't like what Censor Zhang said. What do you mean I've been in the harem for so long that I don't know the previous dynasty's lack of money? When was there a time of war or famine when Your Majesty and I didn't use the income from the imperial property to support and replenish the national treasury? If we calculate the accounts and whereabouts of the money, I'm afraid I know much more than Censor Zhang."

Censor Zhang choked and felt a little unhappy.