Starting with being handed over to the Imperial Concubine, building a family with a thousand-year hi

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the windows into the library room, illuminating every corner. The library was utterly silent, broken only by the chirping of birds in the courtyard trees.

Zheng He remained lying in bed, fast asleep, a faint smile on his lips, as if he were having a sweet dream. No matter how loud the noise outside was, he showed no signs of waking up and slept very soundly.

After finishing his cultivation in the courtyard, Su Mu returned to his room and saw Zheng He still fast asleep. He shook his head helplessly. He went to Zheng He's bedroom, gently patted Zheng He's shoulder, and said with a hint of impatience, "Wake up, wake up!"

Zheng He still didn't wake up. He even turned over, mumbled something in his sleep, and continued to sleep soundly.

Seeing this, Su Mu frowned slightly, increased the pressure on his hand, patted Zheng He's shoulder, and his tone became stern: "Zheng He, wake up! What time is it? Still sleeping!"

Zheng He slowly opened his sleepy eyes, rubbed them, and looked unfocused, as if he hadn't woken up properly. He asked groggily, "Father, is it dawn yet? I want to sleep a little longer."

"The sun's high in the sky, shining on your backside, and you're still not up?" Su Mu scoffed, his tone a mix of teasing and sternness. "The children who lived in this courtyard before were all around your age, some even younger. They got up before dawn every day to cultivate, far more diligent than you. If you keep sleeping in and being lazy like this, how will you ever achieve anything in the future? How will you gain a foothold in this deep palace?"

"Godfather, I was wrong! I'll get up right away, I'll get up right away!" Upon hearing Su Mu's words, Zheng He was instantly awakened. The sleepiness on his face vanished without a trace. He hurriedly scrambled out of bed, frantically putting on his clothes while bowing to Su Mu to admit his mistake. His expression was respectful, and he dared not slacken in the slightest.

Seeing his flustered appearance, Su Mu smiled faintly and softened his tone: "Hurry up and get ready. After you're done, go to the kitchen and make breakfast."

"Yes, Godfather!" Zheng He replied hastily, quickening his pace to tidy himself up before rushing out of the bedroom and heading towards the kitchen, afraid of upsetting Su Mu.

At this moment, Xiao Anran had also woken up. She was standing in the open space of the courtyard, holding a long sword, slowly practicing the royal family's ancestral swordsmanship. The sword light flowed, her figure was light and graceful, every movement was standard and smooth, her expression was focused and serious, as if all her attention was concentrated on the long sword in her hand.

Inside the courtyard, Su Mu watched Xiao Anran practice her sword. Xiao Anran was focused on her practice, and the two did not disturb each other. The world was peaceful and serene, as if everything had returned to its original state—no disputes, no scheming, only peaceful daily life.

The reason Xiao Anran insisted on staying in the library and refusing to leave was, frankly, because she hoped to learn some real skills from Su Mu, including his cultivation insights and martial arts techniques. She was intelligent and ambitious; she knew Su Mu was powerful, and if she could receive his guidance, her cultivation path would be much smoother, allowing her to break through to a higher realm sooner, gain self-defense capabilities, and perhaps even wield greater influence within the royal family.

The saying "No one gets up early without a reason" couldn't be more fitting for Xiao Anran. She knew in her heart that although Su Mu seemed indifferent, he was actually very meticulous. Getting his guidance would not be easy. Only by being persistent and sincere could she perhaps move him and make him willingly guide her.

But she never expected that those eunuchs whom Su Mu had adopted as his godsons were, in Su Mu's eyes, nothing more than tools to accumulate power and obtain system rewards; and she herself, seemingly treated well by Su Mu, was actually just another tool for Su Mu to maintain relations with the royal family and consolidate his own position. Su Mu knew in his heart that Xiao Anran was on his side. If it weren't for her maneuvering in the royal family, his life in the palace probably wouldn't have been so smooth. Therefore, he had never sent her away, but instead occasionally gave her some guidance to keep her at ease.

Just then, a crisp sound of porcelain shattering suddenly came from the direction of the kitchen. The "clang" broke the tranquility of the courtyard, followed by Zheng He's flustered apology.

Su Mu and Xiao Anran stopped what they were doing at the same time, looked at each other, and then walked towards the kitchen to see what had happened.

Entering the kitchen, they saw shards of porcelain scattered on the floor. Zheng He stood there helplessly, his face pale, his hands tightly clutching the hem of his clothes, his eyes filled with fear and unease. When he saw Su Mu and Xiao Anran enter, he trembled even more, stammering, "Father, Princess, I'm so sorry, I... I accidentally broke the ceramic bowl, I didn't mean to..."

Seeing his anxious and fearful appearance, Xiao Anran couldn't help but smile and gently comforted him, "Zheng He, don't be afraid. It's just a ceramic bowl. If it's broken, it's broken. It's not a big deal. Elder Su is broad-minded and won't punish you. You've forgotten, we're no longer in the Hall of Mental Cultivation. We don't need to be so careful and anxious anymore."

She paused, her gaze falling on Zheng He, and asked with a smile, "Was it because your body hadn't fully adapted to refining the pills last night, and you suddenly became much stronger, that you couldn't control your strength and accidentally broke the ceramic bowl?"

Su Mu smiled and said gently, "Yes, it's normal to have excess spiritual energy in your body after refining the pill. Don't worry about it."

"Yes!" Zheng He nodded vigorously, the fear on his face fading slightly. He nodded gently and replied in a low voice, "Yes, yes, Godfather, Princess, I just didn't control my strength and accidentally broke the ceramic bowl."

"Now that you know, don't just stand there." Su Mu waved his hand and said casually, "Clean this place up, tidy up the fragments, and then go to the courtyard to familiarize yourself with your body and get used to the spiritual energy within you, so that this situation won't happen again next time."

"Yes, Godfather! Your son obeys!" Zheng He replied hastily, a look of gratitude on his face. He quickly squatted down and carefully picked up the porcelain shards on the ground, his movements gentle, as if afraid of breaking something else.

After cleaning the kitchen, Zheng He quickly went to the courtyard. Su Mu and Xiao Anran saw this and took the initiative to step forward to guide him to familiarize himself with his body, teach him how to control the spiritual power in his body, and how to use the spiritual power in his daily actions to avoid losing control of his strength again.