Harem Daily Life

Chapter 1107 Women Fear Clingy Men

Duan Chaopei knew that He Yinuo truly meant what he said and would really go to find the Crown Prince, so after hesitating for a while, she whispered something in He Yinuo's ear.

He Yinuo's eyes widened: "There are actually books like this in the world?" The door to a new world had been opened, and He Yinuo's eyes were shining.

Duan Chaopei was so embarrassed she wanted to disappear into the ground. She quickly tugged at He Yinuo's sleeve and said, "You mustn't tell anyone, or I'll lose face. Also, don't look interested in that thing. You're not engaged yet, so you can't think about those things."

He Yinuo and He Yucheng are the same age, eighteen this year. The marriage proposal has been delayed. She herself is not in a hurry, and the Empress also feels that there are no suitable candidates around. He Linzhang has not taken a liking to any of the sons of the civil and military officials in the court.

"Why should I think about that? It's not like it's a food guide." He Yinuo chewed and chewed. "But then again, that guide was most likely taken by the Crown Prince. Don't worry too much. Try to think positively. If he reads more guides, you'll be the one who benefits in the end."

Duan Chaopei's ears turned bright red, almost dripping blood. She glanced at He Yinuo but didn't tell her that they hadn't consummated their marriage yet.

Tao Yanyan thought that boys would naturally learn some things without being taught once they reached a certain age, but she realized that she still had to teach them after He Yucheng got married. So she had He Yucheng summoned that day.

"I called you here today because I have something to ask you." Tao Yanyan dismissed everyone, leaving He Yucheng alone in the room.

"Mother sees that you and Chao Pei are a perfect match, but why... haven't you consummated your marriage yet?" He Yucheng was taken aback when asked the direct question, and his face showed some unease.

"Your mother knows that you still have Su Xing in your heart, but Chao Pei is your lawfully wedded Crown Princess. You thought it through carefully when you married her. You can't just bring her into the house and treat her as a decoration, can you? Tell me today, why? Do you want to remain chaste for Su Xing?"

Tao Yanyan stared intently at He Yucheng, who was being interrogated like this by his mother for the first time.

"Your subject, your subject is not doing this for Su Xing. It's just that your subject... is not ready yet."

Tao Yanyan frowned: "Is it because your feelings for the Crown Princess haven't reached the right level yet?"

He Yucheng pondered for a long time before saying, "Your Majesty, the reason I wanted to take Su Xing as a concubine was because Su Xing is the most studious and resilient girl I have ever met. From her, I saw an upward force. I wanted to keep such a girl by my side so that she would never have to experience hardship again in her life."

Tao Yanyan nodded, encouraging him to continue. She acknowledged that Su Xing did have admirable qualities, and that He Yucheng had never met a girl like her before, so it was understandable that he was attracted to her. However, Tao Yanyan was more concerned about Duan Chaopei.

He Yucheng said, "I didn't have much contact with Chao Pei before, I only knew that the Duan family had been waiting all these years. That day, Father asked me to choose a Crown Princess, and among all the noble ladies, I chose her."

"Your subject knows very little about her. We've only been married for a month, so to be honest, I only know a tiny bit about her."

Tao Yanyan narrowed her eyes. Was this a case of going straight from dating to marriage without even having a proper courtship? She was a little hesitant to make the kiss.

Is her son an innocent baby?

She looked He Yucheng up and down. He looked seven or eight parts like He Linzhang and three or four parts like He Jin'an. Why didn't he learn his father and brother's impatient manner?

"Ahem." Tao Yanyan coughed lightly: "Then you should spend more time with the Crown Princess. The more you spend together, the better you can understand her. How can you understand her if you don't even live together?"

He Yucheng scratched his head: "But she... she moved to the East Wing."

Tao Yanyan gave him a speechless look: "She moved rooms, and you don't even know to go after her? You have legs!"

He Yucheng clenched his fist: "But when I left, she... chased me away again."

Tao Yanyan rolled her eyes: "Are you really that thin-skinned? Don't you know that sometimes you have to be thick-skinned?"

He Yucheng looked at his mother with a complicated expression. He was an upright and aloof crown prince, and his mother was actually teaching him to pester her relentlessly... Would that really work?

As if she could see through He Yucheng's thoughts, Tao Yanyan said with certainty, "Women are afraid of persistent suitors. If you have someone in your heart, you have to take the initiative. Otherwise, you can expect rifts to appear in the future and you'll regret it."

He Yucheng left Chang Le Palace thoughtfully. After Xianglan and the others left, he said, "When His Highness the Crown Prince said he wanted to take Consort Su as a concubine, the Empress hesitated, but eventually agreed. Now that Consort Su is about to enter the palace next month, I don't know if that decision was good or bad."

Having witnessed the Empress and His Majesty's loving relationship so often, Xianglan also hoped that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess could live happily ever after with fewer troubles. Now that the Crown Prince hasn't consummated their marriage, she wondered how much influence Consort Su had played in it.

Tao Yanyan said calmly, "Su Xing's family background destined her to never become the Crown Princess. However, she holds a place in Yu Cheng's heart. This feeling is a beautiful encounter in his youth. If he hadn't agreed back then, Yu Cheng would have carried this unfulfilled knot in his heart and wouldn't have so readily agreed to marry a noble lady from a family who was a match for him."

She took a sip of tea: "With the marriage still undecided, His Majesty will worry, the court officials will put pressure on him, and the struggles in the court will never stop. That's why I didn't stop him from taking Su Xing. If I had stopped him, I'm afraid this knot in his heart would have been stuck with him forever. What if he took his anger out on his wife, on His Majesty and on me for stopping him, and lived a life of regret? I can't watch my own son turn against his family because of a naive love from his youth."

"This affection cannot be prevented, only guided. It just so happens that Su Xing also intends to become a concubine and does not compete for the position of principal wife, so I did not stop her. Otherwise... she would not have been able to enter this palace."

Xianglan seemed to understand something, but then asked curiously, "Then... isn't Your Highness worried that Consort Su will start fighting with the Crown Princess in a few years?"

Tao Yan smiled and said, "Since ancient times, no monarch has ever had only one wife. The Crown Princess understands this, and Su Xing understands it too. Given that they both understand this, if they still want to accompany the Crown Prince, they should be prepared for future struggles. However... since the Crown Princess is willing to live alone in the East Courtyard, she is probably not someone who likes to fight."

Speaking of this, Xianglan was somewhat worried: "In the palace, favor is especially important. A person who doesn't compete for favor is easily taken advantage of."

Looking out the window at the crabapple blossoms in full bloom, Tao Yanyan said softly, "Life is short, like the life of grass and trees. We should repay kindness and not repay kindness. It all depends on our own fate."

He Yucheng returned to the East Palace later. Looking at the empty main hall, he made up his mind and went to the East Courtyard. So what if he was a little thick-skinned? So what if he was persistent and clingy? He Yinuo could use it to perfection, so his older brother couldn't be any less skilled.