Chapter 10

Chapter 10

◎Excessive Execution Power◎

"Little Princess, the Prince requests your presence in the main hall to introduce you to the court officials," Yun Hui said.

Yun Hui, daughter of Granny Chao, was different from her mother. She was very formal and precise. It was said that after her fiancé died, she chose to remain unmarried and bound her hair. She served as the head housekeeper, responsible for liaising between the inner and outer courts.

Huiyin glanced at Granny Chao, "Mother, I will go then."

Granny Chao had unspeakable bitterness.

At this moment, Li Cheng had changed into a dark blue robe embroidered with golden purple flowers, looking radiant and showing no trace of his injuries. He smiled as he looked at Huiyin, "Princess, please come here, let me introduce you."

Huiyin nodded and bowed slightly before sitting down. Li Cheng introduced a man with a goatee beard, "This is my military strategist, Jian Qin."

"Good day, Advisor Jian," Huiyin stood up and returned the greeting with a smile. Though Jian Qin looked like an ordinary, thin old man, being the first to be introduced by Li Cheng indicated that he was a trusted aide.

Li Cheng then introduced Zhonglangjiang Yuwendang, General Guowei Zhao, among others. Yuwendang had a stern face and a tall figure, while Zhao was robust with a scar on his brow. There were also some civil officials, all of whom Huiyin met one by one.

Huiyin was very composed. She did not accept their courtesies with arrogance but instead only accepted half the courtesy in return. After meeting them, she did not steal the show but instead congratulated Li Cheng, "Congratulations, Prince, on having such excellent and strong generals. You will surely have divine assistance in the future."

"Thank you for the auspicious words, Princess," Li Cheng smiled.

Huiyin said, "I brought many specialties from Jizhou. Thanks to the Prince's grace, I have the opportunity to meet everyone today and have prepared some gifts for you. Please do not refuse them."

Li Cheng was unaware that Huiyin had prepared gifts. Of course, she had been preparing these gifts for several days, knowing well how her mother had managed her father's subordinates with great discretion.

The gifts were not overly extravagant or unsettling but were specialties from Jizhou, including two boxes of walnut-patterned black dates, two boxes of donkey meat jerky, two jars of Congtai wine, a bundle of golden-thread noodles, six bolts of lock-stitch embroidered silk, and a piece of Dingzhou purple silk tapestry. The most eye-catching item was the filigree-inlaid golden guardian.

Though the guardian was only palm-sized, it was crafted using welding, filigree, and coiling techniques, modeled after a tiger with mythological variations, making it a lively and playful piece.

Li Cheng nodded secretly, acknowledging that although Princess Zheng was young, she was quite knowledgeable about etiquette.

After the gifts were brought in, Huiyin took her leave, not really intending to stay and listen to their praises.

The gift list was likely written by her personally, and her handwriting was also very good.

By the time this was done, it was noon, and the food began to be served. One of Huiyin's good points was her appetite. Though she was from the north, she did not mind eating rice. Especially when the sauce of the crystal pork knuckle was poured over the rice grains, it was truly delicious.

She was not as slender and delicate as the women of the Jiangnan region and appeared more plump. She did not diet intentionally but ate heartily.

Nanny Nan smiled, "Miss has never been picky since she was young. Many of us can't get used to these southern dishes. They say the noodles have sugar, and the soy sauce is too much, but you eat them with relish."

"Nanny, we shouldn't keep saying these things about the southerners. If the Little Prince hears, what will he think? North and south, aren't we all people of the same country? As for the dishes on the table, we eat more of what we like and less of what we don't. The Little Prince invited me to meet his subordinates today, showing that he respects me. In a few days, I will talk to him about adding another stove, and you can cook your own meals." Huiyin said.

Nanny Nan nodded hurriedly, "We all have a better future following the Princess."

Huiyin lifted her chin, "Of course, since we are married into Xuzhou, we must live a fulfilling and flavorful life."

After the meal, she took a nap, and the room quieted down as the servants retreated.

Granny Chao was also somewhat troubled, "Our new Princess is cunning. The Little Prince is injured, but she doesn't care at all. She just dismissed me."

Even sitting in a chair, Yun Hui maintained a straight posture, "Mother, you should interfere less in the Little Prince's personal affairs. I understand you're concerned about his health, but if you talk too much, the Prince will become impatient."

"My child, I understand this reasoning, but our lives are tied to the Little Prince. If something happens to him, what will happen to us, a widow and an orphan?" Granny Chao was worried both for herself and for Li Cheng.

She blamed Huiyin in her heart. As a Princess, she indulged in pleasure and neglected the Little Prince. Granny Chao was determined to report this to the Dowager Princess.

Yun Hui comforted her, "Don't overthink it. The Little Prince's injuries aren't serious. Moreover, I find that the young princess acts with integrity and propriety. Even the civil and military officials praise her."

"That's just flattery. Humph, I was truly concerned for her. If she were aligned with me, I wouldn't mind telling her some things. But she views her own kin as enemies. She may face dire consequences in the future." Granny Chao snorted.

Yun Hui was puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

Granny Chao looked at her daughter, "Don’t you understand what I’m saying, or the Empress Dowager’s temperament?"

The Empress Dowager Wu was originally a consort of the late emperor. After much hardship, she gave birth to Prince Wu, but Prince Wu was raised by the favored consort, Huang Zhaoyi, and was not close to his birth mother but to Consort Huang. Empress Dowager Wu deeply resented this situation. Later, when her daughter-in-law, Miss Cui, gave birth to a son, Li Cheng, the Empress Dowager wanted to raise him. But Miss Cui, from the prestigious Cui family of Boling and the daughter of General Cui Xun, refused to let Empress Dowager Wu take her only son.

It was only after the deaths of Prince Wu and his wife that the Prince of Huaiyin and the Empress Dowager depended on each other, gradually forming a bond. The Empress Dowager hoped her niece, Xun Rou, would marry the Little Prince. Xun Rou could almost manage the household of the mansion in Jianye and even made efforts to remove any women who were slightly more presentable around the Little Prince.

The Little Prince never rejected marrying Xun Rou, but as he was a filial son, he insisted on observing mourning before marriage, which led to his marriage with Princess Zheng.

A sure thing had flown away. Naturally, the Empress Dowager wouldn't do anything to the Little Prince, but would she treat the young princess kindly?

……

The dinner brought was stewed quail, stir-fried chicken mushrooms, and deep-fried spring goose. As the meal was being set out, Li Cheng entered, and Huiyin hurriedly went forward to welcome him.

Li Cheng was somewhat curious, "Which dish did you make?"

Huiyin was stunned for a moment. He was serious? She had only mentioned cooking casually. She said, "I heard we’re supposed to sleep in separate rooms today, so I thought you wouldn't come over, and thus I..."

"Separate rooms? Who said that?" Li Cheng had no intention of sleeping separately on his wedding night. Today, his wife had generously rewarded his subordinates, so he had to come over.

Huiyin, of course, wouldn't mention Granny Chao. One shouldn’t create distance in close relationships. So she smiled, "Then tomorrow I'll cook some soup for you. What do you like to eat?"

Li Cheng, thinking she had actually prepared something special today, joked, "Do you think you can make whatever I like?"

"I can learn if I don't know how." Huiyin sat down with him, not finding it a difficult task.

Li Cheng nodded almost imperceptibly. Huiyin thought, no matter how ruthless a man is, there's a significant difference between having intimacy and not.

Additionally, she noticed something. Most people would delay tasks, but he wasn’t like that. He did what was expected during the wedding night, even with injuries. Yesterday, she casually mentioned cooking, and he immediately came over.

Well, she was the type to be decisive in big matters but procrastinate on small ones, even lazing in bed. Her new husband seemed to be someone with excessive execution.