Prince Jin looked ahead, not far away, at the King of Western Xia walking into the courtyard.
He smiled indulgently.
"Fengfeng, you mustnât be disrespectful. Let your Imperial Uncle choose first!"
Hai Feng was somewhat unhappy and, disregarding her fatherâs obstruction, ran after the King of Western Xia.
She asked in a coquettish voice.
"Imperial Uncle, I want... I want..."
While speaking, she glanced around.
The King of Western Xia had a kind expression and smilingly asked her.
"Whatâs wrong, Fengfeng?"
The King of Western Xia was slightly overweight; although he was similar in stature to Prince Jin, his plumpness made his facial angles much softer.
Moreover, his hair on the top of his head was gone, leaving only a dense circle at the back.
Coupled with his thick and plentiful beard, he looked somewhat comical.
So he didnât appear intimidating.
Fengfeng wasnât afraid of him either, and after looking at him for a while, she pouted playfully.
"Imperial Uncle, I want to stay in the courtyard with the pavilion by the water, may I?"
That courtyard was the largest and most luxurious of all.
Unexpectedly... Hai Feng took a liking to it as soon as she arrived.
The King of Western Xia was somewhat hesitant.
But upon seeing Fengfeng, whom he had doted on since childhood, looking at him with a pleading face.
His heart softened.
"If Fengfeng likes it, then stay there!"
Fengfeng was still a bit hesitant.
"But, they all say thatâs your courtyard, Imperial Uncle!"
By this time, Prince Jin had also come over.
"Imperial Brother, my little daughter is being unruly, please donât take it to heart!"
While speaking, he turned to reprimand Hai Feng.
"Fengfeng, you mustnât be disrespectful!"
Hai Feng lowered her head and pouted, looking aggrieved.
"Father..."
The King of Western Xia chuckled heartily.
"Imperial Younger Brother, no need to be overly concerned, sheâs just a child!"
"Girls always love vibrant colors!"
"I can live anywhere!"
Prince Jin looked at Fengfeng and then at the King of Western Xia.
After hesitating for a long while, he finally saluted.
"Well, thank you, Imperial Brother!"
The King of Western Xia quickly stopped him.
"Why such formality between brothers, stand up!"
After saying this, the group went inside.
The largest courtyard was given to Hai Feng.
Next was the King of Western Xia, followed by the Crown Prince Hai Yue, and lastly Prince Jin.
As for the samurais brought by Western Xia, they naturally stayed in the servantsâ quarters at the backyards.
The servantsâ quarters were not far, which was advantageous for guarding their mastersâ safety at any moment.
As long as there was no disagreement among them.
The Ministry of Rites would not concern themselves with these matters.
After their accommodations were arranged, along with servants and supplies for various places,
the officials from the Ministry of Rites withdrew.
From then on, it was up to them to adjust themselves.
The officials from the Ministry of Rites and other departments returned to the palace to report, marking the end of their welcoming duties.
In the palace.
Zhao Junyao listened to their reports and nodded.
After praising the old ministers of the Ministry of Rites and the Cabinet, he had them leave.
Standing before him were Fifth Master and Seventh Prince, along with Yang Chenyi and Ye Tang.
Zhao Junyao looked at Seventh Prince Zhao Junyan.
"What do you think?"
Zhao Junyan thought for a moment and said.
"Reporting to Imperial Brother, the King of Western Xia seems quite genial, but that Prince Jin, with his fierce and robust appearance, is definitely not someone easy to deal with!"
Zhao Junyao nodded and instructed Yang Chenyi and Ye Tang.
"Youâre responsible for keeping an eye on them; Chenyi, youâre to patrol as usual, just pay more attention to the courier house!"
"As for Ye Tang, keep a rightful guard in the name of protecting them!"
"And Little Seventh, youâre to keep an eye along with Chenyi, make sure nothing happens during this time!"
"You neednât worry about the rest, I have my own strategies!"
"Yes!"
The three responded in unison.
Fifth Master, standing to the side, felt a bit embarrassed.
Imperial Brother arranged for everyone else, making him seem as if he was of no use.
Actually, his martial skills were quite impressive, werenât they?!
Fifth Master looked at Imperial Brother expectantly.
Unfortunately, Zhao Junyao never thought of him.
After everyone left, it was time for the midday meal.
A busy morning had passed.
Since he didnât have a good breakfast, he felt a bit hungry now.
Li Shengan came in to ask.
"Emperor, would you like the meal served?"
Zhao Junyao waved his hand.
"No need, letâs go to Duanning Palace!"
The imperial meal wasnât appetizing, besides he wanted to see Qingqing.
"Yes!"
Li Shengan responded and went to make arrangements.
In the harem.
Actually, there wasnât much happening in the harem.
At most, the women were somewhat apprehensive about the arrival of the Commandery Princess.
Afraid that if the Emperor makes a grand gesture, this person would be added to the harem.
So the women used their formidable gossiping skills to inquire about tidbits from various sources.
Unfortunately...
How many tricks do they have? Information flow between inside and outside the palace is always blocked.
So, in the end, they only had a few scattered bits of information.
âVeiled faceâ âDressed in red!â
Whatâs the use of this?
However, with their powerful imaginations, the concubines conjured up a rival.
Secretly gritting their teeth, hoping that woman wouldnât think of entering the harem.
Or praying to Buddha to bless them, hoping she wasnât aiming for the Emperor.
But... these two scenarios seemed unlikely!
The more they thought, the more tangled their thoughts became, making the harem more bustling than usual.
As for Duanning Palace.
Xia Ruqing remained very composed.
Following her regular schedule, she began her meals in the morning as usual.
The only difference was.
Today Chenchen didnât need to go to the study room.
Because he was too young, that kind of place was unsuitable, so Tai Fu asked him to study at home.
The breakfast was simple.
The lunch, however, she didnât want to treat her son poorly.
Xia Ruqing specifically asked someone to prepare many fresh dishes from the imperial kitchen.
Chenchen hurriedly stopped her upon hearing.
"Mother, Tai Fu teaches your son to eat lightly, not to indulge in the desire for taste..."
Xia Ruqing interrupted him.
"Youâre rarely home, and away from the supervising eyes, Mother will prepare something delicious for you!"
"Donât worry, it will definitely be light!"
She said this, though her heart was aching.
Heâs not even four years old and lives a Spartan life.
Every morning, very early, he has to get up to practice swordsmanship, followed by breakfast, under observation, of course.
The Princeâs diet is regulated by the imperial kitchen.
Mornings are for studying, afternoons for horseback archery or equestrian training, evenings typically spent eating dinner before returning.
As a worried mother, she couldnât intervene in the Princeâs diet.
Not even a midnight snack!
Internally, Xia Ruqing struggled.
On one hand, she didnât want her son to suffer; on the other, she feared indulging him would lead to future ridicule.
After an intense internal struggle.
Xia Ruqing decided to follow the Emperorâs plan!
She feared ridicule as he grows up.
Heâs a male, after all, the Crown Prince of Great Chu, truly canât be spoiled.
But...
With the Princeâs upbringing left to the Emperor.
Whatâs left for her is only heartache.