Chapter 12

Chapter 12

◎Conspiracy◎

Li Cheng grew up in the south, so the New Year's cakes he was familiar with were either desserts, stir-fried with vegetables, or sliced and fried before being dipped in honey. Sometimes they were boiled in a soup. But this method of cooking the cake with ribs, not braised but stewed, was a first for him.

Even more novel was this type of hand-pulled noodle.

"These noodles are from the north. They are whiter and more elastic than the ones down south. I didn't cut them; I pulled them by hand, snapping them on the board as I pulled," Huiyin said, sitting down and speaking with enthusiasm.

The noodles were smooth and chewy. Li Cheng finished one bowl and still wanted more. "I didn't expect you to be so skilled."

Huiyin smiled. "It's just that you're being very supportive. Since the prince has finished eating, how about we go take a look at the Dawan horse? It'll help with digestion. What do you say?"

Li Cheng readily agreed.

Granny Chao couldn't find a way to intervene, and seeing that Nanny Fan remained unmoved, she forced herself to suppress her eagerness.

According to the *Records of the Grand Historian*, the Dawan horse, also known as "the heavenly horse," would gradually swell at the shoulder after a gallop and sweat what appeared to be blood, hence its name, "sweating blood treasure horse."

Men's love for horses is akin to women's love for jewelry. Even Li Cheng, upon seeing the white horse with a jujube-red streak on its head and a precious Khitan saddle, felt an irresistible urge to ride it.

It was Huiyin who spoke up. "My prince, your shoulder is injured. If riding the horse causes the wound to reopen, I will take the horse back."

"No, don't, my princess. I'll do as you say," Li Cheng replied, unable to let go of the horse but understanding that Huiyin had his best interests at heart. He wouldn't really let her take it back.

Huiyin chuckled to herself. "My prince, if people heard this, they might laugh at us. Once your shoulder is fully healed, I'd love to see you in your heroic form on horseback. To be honest, although I grew up in the north, I've never been good at riding."

Li Cheng, finding Huiyin plump and charming, couldn't help but say, "With your delicate nature, it's only natural you're not good at horse riding. If you're free in the future, I'll take you riding."

"Then I'll thank the prince in advance," Huiyin said with a smile.

As they walked side by side, Huiyin couldn't help but discuss some matters with Li Cheng. "I'm not sure who is in charge of this residence, Granny Chao or Nanny Fan. I brought many people with me as part of my dowry, and some of them don't know the rules of the household. Who should I ask?"

Li Cheng slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten. "Of course, you are in charge of this prince's residence. Nanny Fan is a trusted aide of my grandmother, so you don't need to command her. Next month, she'll return to Jianye. Granny Chao is my wet nurse, but she's getting on in years. Yun Hui manages this residence. She was once my maid and was betrothed but ended up a childless widow. If you have any reservations about her, just assign her to tasks in the back."

"There's no need to talk about reservations. It's not like she chose this fate. She's a woman with a hard life. In the short time I've been here, I've observed her to be a woman of few words but quite capable. I'm someone without talent or skill; how can I manage a household? It's better if the prince decides who is suitable." Huiyin wanted to see who Li Cheng trusted in the residence.

Li Cheng found her charming and articulate, her words flawless. It was clear she had more wit and strategy than a girl of her age should. Zheng Fang was known for his bravery but lacked strategy. Unexpectedly, his daughter was quite sharp in speech and action.

Thus, it was fitting for her to manage the household. "Princess, this prince's household will be managed by you. You are the main wife."

Huiyin thought that Li Cheng was entirely different from Li Heng. In reality, her situation was quite similar to Lü Xiao's. The Prince of Wei wanted Li Cheng to marry her to use her father to eliminate Lü Wei and pacify her father. After all, killing her father was necessary since Hebei was the Prince of Wei's northern passage. This was also why people like Yuwendang didn't consider Qingzhou important.

However, the approaches of the two men were entirely different. Li Cheng, upon marrying her, treated her as his wife. Although he might not love her, he certainly respected her. On the other hand, Li Heng coldly neglected Lü Xiao, deliberately favoring another, causing the women to fight while he reaped the benefits.

The critical point was that Li Heng didn't just not love Lü Xiao; he deeply loved her, which was utterly nonsensical.

Li Cheng was polite to her and treated her with respect, but love? Men like him, surrounded by people who flattered him, would naturally rush to be good to him. Given time, love might develop.

"Since my husband trusts me, I'll take on the responsibility without hesitation. However, I'm still young, so if there are any mistakes, please bear with me," Huiyin said.

In the afternoon, they discussed the matter of the household tokens, and by the evening, Li Cheng had sent them over. Managing a household required clearing up previous matters first and then following established practices before making gradual changes.

Nanny Nan happily said, "The prince was quick to send over the household tokens. That's wonderful."

"This is one of the things I appreciate about the prince. When he says something, he acts on it promptly instead of dragging his feet. It's impressive that someone so young can govern a region," Huiyin remarked.

As the saying goes, seeing the big from the small—this was a perfect example.

The mansion has six stewards, three of whom are women. Yun Hui, however, doesn't hold a high rank among them. These individuals were summoned to Huiyin's quarters the next day. They didn't know the new princess's temperament, but it was clear that the young prince had been spending several days in her company. They had even been seen riding together. Before three days had passed, the household seal was given to the young princess, putting her in charge of the mansion's management. This clearly demonstrated that Princess Zheng was quite capable.

The servants are like this: if you show them pity, they won't sympathize with you. Instead, they'll see you as someone easy to bully, and even those around you will start to admire you. However, if you're favored, as in her previous life, even if the favor is superficial, many people will still try to curry favor with you.

"Everyone, the young prince has entrusted me with managing the household affairs, as it has always been the custom for men to manage external affairs and women to manage internal affairs. I wasn't here before, so I can't comment on the previous management of the mansion. First, you need to register and create an inventory, then hand over the account books to me for verification. After the verification, we'll use new account books for future transactions. The rules will remain the same as before, so you have nothing to worry about. I will follow the previous practices," Huiyin said with a smile.

The stewards were pleased to hear this. Each of them had some discrepancies in their records and feared that they would be blamed if the new princess found out.

Unexpectedly, she decided not to investigate further and even gave them three days to prepare the accounts. They were, of course, very happy to have retained their positions.

Yun Hui, being straightforward, found this hard to accept and hesitated to speak up.

Huiyin, understanding that Yun Hui was different from her mother, decided to keep her behind after the stewards had left. "Yun Hui, is there something you'd like to discuss with me?"

Yun Hui nodded. "I know it may seem presumptuous, but you shouldn't let these people get away with their schemes. What if the accounts show less money, and we can't cover the necessary expenses for festivals and holidays?"

Huiyin was moved. "Yun Hui, you're truly looking out for me. But I'm new here and can't match their established influence. The young prince has entrusted me with managing the mansion, so I couldn't refuse."

"I understand the difficulties the young princess faces," Yun Hui said, but she was also at a loss for a solution.

Huiyin didn't think Li Cheng would run out of money. After all, Xuzhou is his territory, and the internal accounts wouldn't require that much silver. Maintaining an appearance of grandeur is essential. In the past, Huiyin had also thought her mother, Madame Ji, was sometimes too extravagant. But her mother had explained that if people saw any weakness or decline, their hearts would start to waver. If other lords discovered your supplies were low, they might strike first.

Moreover, there could be spies in the Huaiyin Mansion, so people need to be replaced discreetly.

Naturally, she kept these thoughts to herself. However, those around Huiyin were delighted that she was now managing the household. Even Nanny Fan came specifically to pay her respects. She was more tactful than Granny Chao and waited until after the first three days of the wedding to visit.

"I've come on behalf of the Empress Dowager to present you with a gift. This was a gift from the Grand Empress Dowager to our Empress Dowager when she was in the palace," Nanny Fan said, opening a box and presenting it to Huiyin.

Huiyin saw a hairpin adorned with the Seven Treasures. The silver tip of the pin held a glass bead, surrounded by five petals made of gold, coral, giant clam shell, red pearl, and agate.

It was indeed exquisite and precious. Huiyin quickly said, "Please thank the Empress Dowager on my behalf. Such a precious gift is too much for me. In the future, I will certainly join the young prince in honoring her."

"I will certainly deliver your words. The young prince mentioned that you're staying here to take care of him, which isn't easy," Nanny Fan said.

"Originally, I wanted to return to my grandmother, but I can't leave the young prince here while I enjoy myself in Jianye," Huiyin said, appearing as if she put Li Cheng before anyone else.

Nanny Fan merely nodded and added, "Baolian Temple is a major temple in Xuzhou with many devotees. You can wear this hairpin during the ceremony."

Huiyin smiled. "Indeed, the Empress Dowager thinks very thoughtfully. I have never participated in Buddhist ceremonies at home, so I am not familiar with these matters."

"The Empress Dowager thought that since you are young, you might not be familiar with these customs, which is why she sent me to deliver this," Nanny Fan said.

After Nanny Fan left, Nanny Nan said, "I didn't expect the Empress Dowager to be so considerate. Princess, you have truly married the right person."

"It's too early to say that. I heard Nanny Fan rarely goes out."

"Yes, she is very dignified."

Unbeknownst to them, Nanny Fan was writing a letter stating that Princess Zheng wasn't investigating the accounts, and the plan to undermine her had failed.

Huiyin shook her head. "It's too early to draw any conclusions."

Just like the Eastern Palace in her past life, you never know if these people are friends or foes until the very end.

Late at night, Li Cheng returned from outside. He hadn't been intimate with Huiyin for the past two days. That night, seeing her in a water-green bodice, her arms smooth as milk poured from green porcelain, and her gaze shimmering, Li Cheng felt his blood stir.

Huiyin stepped forward, stood on her tiptoes, and wrapped her arms around the back of his head. She thought, whether he had someone else in his heart or whether he truly liked her, he still needed to be affectionate with her.