Chapter 6

Chapter 6

◎On the Journey◎

The wedding procession moved farther and farther away. Madame Ji wiped her tears and stepped through the gate. Her eldest son, Pei Shuo, supported her and comforted her, saying, "Mother, don’t be sad. As long as our sister is happy, that’s what matters most."

"The elder Madame knew that your sister was marrying into the Xu family in Jianye, who serve the Prince of Wei, yet she didn’t offer any advice. I don’t expect much from her, but Huiyin is her own granddaughter." Madame Ji shook her head. This marriage was entirely the result of her husband’s political maneuvers.

The Emperor was ill, and the Crown Prince was under the control of the He family. Empress He used the Lu and Zheng families to balance the power dynamics, thereby controlling the He family. The Lu family wanted to treat the Zheng family like dogs, and the He family wanted to annex the Zheng army. By marrying the Prince of Huaiyin, the southern front would not be attacked from both sides.

Although Madame Ji relied on Zheng Fang, she always felt that Zheng Fang's actions were unpredictable. Her own son, Zheng Wuheng, was a decisive person, but he was only fifteen years old and too young to command respect. These thoughts, she could only confide in her eldest son.

Pei Shuo had followed Madame Ji when she remarried, and although Zheng Fang treated him well, he had heard plenty of gossip. But ultimately, he owed his position to the Zheng family, and he naturally hoped the Zheng family would thrive. Therefore, he told Madame Ji, "Mother, rest assured, I will assist my brother well."

"You two have always been close since childhood, so I'm not worried. It's just that your sister is marrying far away. I have met the Crown Prince, and he seems gentle and refined, but the Prince of Huaiyin is another matter." Madame Ji had spoken confidently when persuading her daughter to marry, but now that her daughter was really leaving, she was worried.

Pei Shuo comforted his mother, "Xuzhou isn't very far. If I have time in the future, I will visit our sister on your behalf."

Madame Ji nodded and also mentioned that Madame Xin had just given birth and needed to take care of herself.

Compared to the worries of Madame Ji and her son, Elder Madame Xu was displeased. "Madame Ji is really partial. For the same daughter leaving the family, Huiyin’s dowry is clearly more than De Yin’s."

Her son was a fool and cared about nothing, allowing Madame Ji to take advantage and help raise her son from her previous marriage. Now her daughter was a princess, while De Yin was only a concubine, unable to even visit the palace.

So, she deliberately didn’t inform Madame Ji and her daughter about the Prince of Huaiyin, nor did she seek help from the Xu family. She wanted to see how they would manage on their own in that place.

**

The wedding procession left Jizhou City in just three to five days. Huiyin’s dowry included over a hundred servants. She specifically asked Madame Ji to find two female physicians to accompany her, drawing from past experiences.

Along the way, it was the General Yuwen Dang who made the arrangements. He was said to be the Prince of Huaiyin Li Cheng's most trusted subordinate. He was tall and sturdy, with piercing eyes, a brave general who seemed eager to return.

Huiyin’s personal attendants included her wet nurse, Nanny Nan, and four senior maids: Le Yun, Fugui, Qiufeng, and Dong Shun. Currently, only Nanny Nan was attending to her in the carriage. Nanny Nan had been with her since birth; her own children had died young, and she treated Huiyin like her own daughter.

Therefore, she was genuinely happy for Huiyin. "I wonder if we are heading to Xuzhou or Jianye. If the wedding is in Xuzhou, it will be closer, and you can meet the groom sooner."

Under the red veil, Huiyin pouted. Meeting him sooner might not be better. She had no impression of the Prince of Huaiyin. Li Cheng had lost both parents at a young age and inherited the title. He was decisive and charismatic, quickly deciding to join his uncle. He certainly had people who had followed him since childhood, and their loyalty was not something an outsider could easily join.

But she wasn’t concerned. There are no difficult tasks in the world, only those without determination.

"Nanny, I heard you’re from Qingzhou, right?" Huiyin asked.

Nanny Nan smiled, "Yes, when the Marquis was fighting in Qingzhou, you were born, and we were looking for a wet nurse. The lady found me. You stayed in Qingzhou for a while, then went to Xiaopei and then Yuzhou. You probably don’t remember much since you were so young, but once you became aware, you’ve been in Jizhou ever since."

"Now that we’ve left Jizhou, I think we’ll rest at the Qingzhou inn." Huiyin estimated.

Nanny Nan was delighted, "That would be great. You can freshen up; this journey has been exhausting."

Huiyin yawned, leaned on the pillow, and coquettishly said, "Nanny, I want some ginger plum."

"Alright, I'll get it for you." Nanny Nan doted on the girl she had nursed since childhood.

...

When the procession reached Qingzhou, Yuwen Dang personally approached the carriage and said, "Your subordinate, Yuwen Dang, pays respects to the County Princess. Please rest at the Qingzhou post station for two days, and we will reorganize the carriages before continuing the journey to Xuzhou."

Yuwen Dang came from a prestigious family, and his father was loyal and brave. He looked down on Zheng Fang, who had previously been a lackey of Lu Ji and had turned against his master. Now, he bowed to the despicable Lu Wei. However, this marriage was arranged by the Prince of Wei for the Prince of Huaiyin. The Prince of Huaiyin had always despised Zheng Fang's character and disliked him, but the Prince of Wei needed to pull Zheng Fang in to deal with Lu Wei.

"Very well, I will follow the general's arrangements." Huiyin spoke with a lowered voice.

Not for any other reason, but her voice was so sweet that people might think she was deliberately speaking that way.

Upon seeing her descend from the carriage with the help of servants and maids, Yuwendang dared not linger and ordered the soldiers to keep a tight watch.

After entering the inn, Huiyin had Nanny Nan take out some silver to buy food and drink for the guards. She then removed her hairpins and outer garments, feeling much lighter and able to move her neck more freely.

She also freshened up. The food at the Qingzhou inn was average, but it was at least hot and fresh, much better than the snacks she had been eating on the road. Even the tastiest snacks can become tiresome after a while.

This was her first long journey since growing up! The room she was given was the best in the inn, with the bedding and mats already prepared. However, Huiyin wasn’t sleepy, and as it started to drizzle outside, she began reading the *Book of Legal Cases* she often read.

As a bride, she couldn’t go out and could only pass the time by reading.

As dusk fell, Chief Administrator Guo Qishan and Yuwendang were dining together. The table had only a few meat dishes and a bowl of soup. After taking a bite of kidney, Guo Qishan couldn’t help but say, “We need to be extra cautious in Qingzhou territory.”

“Yes, outwardly relaxed but inwardly vigilant. If someone is reckless, I won’t hold back,” Yuwendang replied indifferently.

Currently, Qingzhou Governor Ma Kui has not yet openly opposed the Prince of Wei, but he was known for his greed and had risen from a bandit leader. It was said that in Qingzhou, even a dog wouldn’t be spared if it passed through. Now, with the bride’s dowry containing wealth, grain, and gold, how could the Ma family resist such temptation?

They had switched to land travel due to rough seas earlier, and sending Yuwendang to escort the bride ensured safety.

Guo Qishan nodded. “With the word of the Commander, I am reassured.”

After two days of rest, Yuwendang sent out scouts to survey the terrain. Huiyin changed back into her wedding attire, covered herself with a veil, and boarded the carriage.

Governor Ma Kui of Qingzhou was indeed envious of the wealth. In Qingzhou, he was notorious for plundering and committing all sorts of atrocities. Huiyin had heard of his reputation. It was said that when her father’s army initially won battles, they would loot. Later, after her mother married her father, she advised him that to truly win the people’s love, one must be benevolent. Because the Zheng family treated the people of Jizhou well, Zheng Fang was able to establish roots there and no longer fled after battles.

Huiyin was slightly worried, but she didn’t expect that another bride would also be traveling at the same time, heading from the capital to Wu Commandery. She was the daughter of a wealthy merchant, and her dowry was so extravagant that it couldn’t fit in her carriages.

Initially, one family would have been enough, but with two families traveling one after the other, Ma Kui, who had been somewhat deterred by the army of the Prince of Huaiyin, immediately sent his men to act. He fiercely declared, “If you succeed in the robbery, I will reward you handsomely. If you are caught, kill yourselves to avoid implicating your families.”

Like attracts like, and Ma Kui’s men were all bold desperadoes. In these turbulent times, people would kill for food, let alone for such vast wealth and jewels.

Yuwendang’s group continued forward. The other bride, seeing their grand procession, had stopped under the trees to enjoy the coolness.

However, as they moved further, they encountered a broken bridge ahead.

The scout soldier said, “Commander, it seems we’ll have to take a small path.”

“No, not the small path. It’s densely forested, and people could be hiding inside. Have the Princess take shelter at the nearby Dizang Temple for now, and we’ll repair the bridge,” Yuwendang said with a smile.

The rest of the wedding procession also volunteered to help. The other bride joined Huiyin in seeking shelter at the Dizang Temple. The temple’s abbot specially prepared a clean room for them. The two brides sat side by side, and their nannies soon started chatting.

“Our young lady is the daughter of Boss Hu, who owns a wine shop in the capital. Our wine is only offered to the palace.”

“This year, when our marquis entered the palace, he was also rewarded with wine,” Nanny Nan replied.

……

“Ahem, Miss Hu, my family name is Zheng. May I ask your age?” Huiyin initiated a conversation.

Miss Hu smiled. “I am sixteen.”

“Then I should call you sister. It seems we are quite fated,” Huiyin said.

The two chatted quietly. When the nannies left, Miss Hu lifted her veil and said to Huiyin, “Sister Zheng, since no one is here, why don’t you remove your veil and relax a bit?”

Miss Hu was quite a straightforward girl. Huiyin also removed her veil and looked at the other girl. She was a beauty, with a face like a full moon and eyes like stars, possessing both elegance and a hint of heroic spirit, which Huiyin couldn’t help but admire.

Miss Hu, seeing the daughter of Marquis Zheng, was equally struck. Huiyin’s face was like peach blossoms with dew, her eyes like autumn water, and her lips like cherries. She was a stunning beauty, and even her voice was enchanting. Miss Hu felt a bit weak in the knees, for Huiyin was truly a peerless beauty.

Huiyin took her hand and said, “Since you are younger than me, if you don’t mind, call me Sister Zheng. May I ask whom you are marrying? Have you met him before?”

Hu Yanyan's expression darkened as she mentioned this, "Certainly not. My family deals in tribute wine, and the better the grains, the finer the wine. The family I am marrying into is the largest rice merchant in Wu Commandery. This marriage was arranged to benefit our family's business. I heard he had a childhood sweetheart and was planning to propose, but he abandoned her to marry into my family for the alliance."

"Dear sister Hu, as the saying goes, it takes a century to share a boat ride, and a millennium to share a pillow. What we hear isn't always true. Perhaps you two are meant to be together? Besides, I see a unique heroic spirit in your eyes. His family holds you in high regard, and you might have a significant role to play there," Huiyin consoled her with a smile.

Hu Yanyan felt enlightened by these words, "My mother died young, and my father is always occupied. He simply told me to get married and didn't discuss much with me. Sister, you are so kind. You always look on the bright side."

"Thinking positively makes life more joyful," Huiyin thought of her previous life, where she often remained optimistic, anticipating the dawn of victory and caring less about setbacks.

Hu Yanyan admired, "Sister, you are the daughter of a duke and have married into a princely family. I've heard the Prince of Huaiyin is both scholarly and martial, extremely skilled in music. A perfect match of hero and beauty."

"Actually, I am just like you," Huiyin felt a little lonely.

Seeing Huiyin's loneliness, Hu Yanyan felt compassionate, "Since we are so fated to meet, I am marrying into Wu Commandery, and you will likely settle in Jianye. We are not far from each other. Why don't we exchange tokens so we can stay in touch in the future?"

Initially cautious, Huiyin thought about how Hu Yanyan was marrying into a rice merchant family, which could be useful for forming a connection. She took a phoenix pendant from her waist and handed it to her, "This is a dowry jade pendant. There is another one in my possession. If you ever need anything, just send someone with this token to seek me out."

Hu Yanyan also took out a jade token from her bosom, "This was a betrothal gift from my fiancé's family. With this token, you can withdraw one hundred stones of rice from any Ruyi Rice Shop without needing to report it."

"This is far too valuable," Huiyin declined. Though they connected instantly, their relationship was still new, and it was inappropriate to accept something so precious.

Hu Yanyan smiled, "Sister, as the Princess of Huaiyin, if I told my father about this, he would definitely praise my abilities. Please don't refuse."

Only then did Huiyin nod and accept it. With this interlude, the two continued to chat and laugh, and time passed quickly.

Just after lunch, Yuwendang came to report, "Earlier, several hundred bandits came to rob the dowry. Please rest assured, Princess, they have all been eliminated."

"General Yuwendang, you've worked hard."

"It is my duty, Your Highness."

Huiyin asked again, "Were there any casualties on our side?"

Yuwendang pondered for a moment before replying, "Two were critically injured and are being treated, and another twenty have minor injuries."

Huiyin expressed concern, "I have many medicinal herbs with me. They can ask Nanny Nan, who is by my side, for whatever they need. Additionally, the soldiers have truly been through a lot. I will provide ten thousand coins to compensate the injured soldiers. I will have to trouble General Yuwendang with this."

Yuwendang had initially held some prejudice against Zheng Fang, but hearing the Princess's articulate, generous, and considerate manner, he couldn't help but silently approve, "Then I will thank Your Highness on behalf of the soldiers."

"It's nothing," Huiyin replied, comparing the gesture to the efforts they made to ensure her safety.

Yuwendang raised an eyebrow; ten thousand coins was a substantial amount. The fact that the Princess was willing to give so much to ordinary soldiers without hesitation made him think highly of her.