"My father can still..."
Seeing Li Xiang start to eat, Yongning wanted to keep silent. After all, nowadays people are required to not talk while sleeping or eating. However, because he was worried about his father's safety, Yongning still spoke.
"There's nothing wrong with caring about your father. There are things in the south that I can't control. Your uncle started a rebellion, and your father killed everyone in your uncle's family..."
Li Xiang briefly explained what was happening in the south. Although there were many rumors in Chang'an City, the specific details were not clear. Li Xiang still blocked the news. This was the first time Yongning heard the truth.
Of course, there are some things that Li Xiang could not say out loud. He only said that he saved the King of Nanzhao. If it were not for our army, once the King of Zhennan took down the palace, the rest of the things would be hard to say. Li Xiang also carried a letter from the King of Nanzhao with him, and this letter was written to Yongning.
After Yongning received the letter, it was basically the same as what Li Xiang said. Only then did she put down the stone in her heart. However, the army of the Nanzhao Kingdom had suffered almost all losses, so the defense of the entire Nanzhao had to be handed over to the Tang army. Yongning didn't care about the following words at all. How could a girl care about that? So she only cared about the life and death of her family.
"Don't worry. He's my father-in-law, your father, and our child's grandfather in the future. How could his life be in danger? I'm a man of integrity, and I can guarantee you this: as long as he doesn't do anything that harms the interests of the Tang Dynasty, I guarantee that his throne will remain secure forever."
When Li Xiang said this, a smile appeared on Yongning's face. If Princess Yongping were here, Li Xiang's words might not have much effect, but for Yongning, it was enough.
Seeing his young wife's smile, Li Xiang felt a little guilty, but how could he explain the situation? Should he tell the truth? If he did, it would probably lead to another catastrophe.
"Then I have prepared some things. Can you send them back to Nanzhao?"
Yongning said cautiously.
"Of course you can. Starting from the day you return, you can send back everything you prepared. However, don't send too much each time. It's not that I feel bad about these things. Since they were given to you by the concubines in the palace, they are your personal belongings. It's just that if you send back more, your sisters may send back less, which is not good for the relationship between you sisters."
There was another reason Li Xiang didn't mention, which was that it would easily lead to gossip among the people in the Eastern Palace.
In today's era, it is okay to care about your mother's family, but you can't go too far.
Take Cheng Luan for example. Although she and her parents live in Chang'an City, she cannot go back to her parents' home unless it is her parents' birthday, her brother has a child, or an important festival every year. There are only a few times each year that her biological parents can see her.
Of course, if Cheng Yaojin wanted to go to the Eastern Palace to see his daughter, there would not be so many restrictions. He just had to find someone to deliver the invitation during the day.
But if Li Xiang became the emperor, it would not be so easy for Cheng Yaojin to see his daughter, and the number of times he could enter the palace would be limited. However, at that time Cheng Luan could invite his father over, which was another matter.
"Is your sister's life okay? If there's anything she needs, just ask Xiao Xiazi to do it. Treat this place as your own home. You're also the hostess here, so don't be so submissive."
Li Xiang thought of the smart Princess Yongping, who was also his wife's enlightenment teacher. It would be good for Yongning if the two sisters could stay together more often. He could not teach her how to survive in the harem.
"My sister has already bought a house in Chang'an City. Because of my mother's intervention, she was able to buy it in the inner city."
Although Li Xiang's mother was originally a concubine, her status had been elevated for a long time, so Li Xiang didn't need to tell her how to behave. This daughter-in-law came from far away, with only one sister who came with her from the south. Treating her well would make our East Palace look more grand, so Li Xiang didn't need to worry about this.
"That's good. Move around more often during normal times. It might not be appropriate for me to stay in the East Palace after I return, but you can go to my sister's house during the day and hang out in Chang'an City. Our family has many businesses in Chang'an City. If you feel bored, you can learn how to run them. I'm different from other people. I have a wife to help me look after the shop, so I can sleep better at night."
What Li Xiang said was the truth. Take Cheng Luan for example. She also owns two shops. Every year, the profits from the two shops are directly given to Cheng Luan, which can be regarded as some pocket money for his wife.
Yongning saw this matter when he came. At that time, the shopkeeper gave Cheng Luan a profit, which was as much as three carts of money. It was said that this was only one month's money. Cheng Ying, who was of a slightly lower grade, also received more than one cart.
Yongning originally thought that Nanzhao was very wealthy, but compared with Chang'an, it was a world of difference. The pocket money Li Xiang gave to his concubine was enough to cover the monthly expenses of the imperial palace.
"I am not familiar with the outside world yet, so I'll have to wait for a few days. But I can learn from my sister and learn from her."
Seeing Yongning making a strange expression, Li Xiang knew that the breakfast was okay. The girl had regained her previous quirky look, which was also Li Xiang's favorite. If she had a gloomy face every day, everyone would hate such a daughter-in-law in less than half a month. By then, Yongning would be like being banished to the cold palace. In addition, the relatives outside the palace did not have much ability, so the future consequences can be imagined.
After breakfast, Li Xiang touched Yongning's little head, which is what modern people call "patting the head to kill". Yongning smiled and nodded. Li Xiang then went to the front to find Li Chengqian. Even if the father and son were doing it for outsiders to see, they had to go to court together.
When Li Xiang came to the front yard, Li Chengqian just came out of the house. He looked at Li Xiang's attire and found that he was indeed much more majestic than himself in his youth. Then he pointed to the sedan chair next to him, and the father and son each took a sedan chair to the Qinzheng Palace.
