Chapter 17

Chapter 17

◎Men Actually Know Everything Clearly◎

As the Mid-Autumn Festival drew near, the heat intensified, especially at night, unlike in Jizhou where, despite the daytime heat, evenings were refreshingly cool.

Four ice basins were placed around the room, and Huiyin only felt slightly cooler after sipping a bowl of chilled dairy treat.

The Huaiyin Mansion had a dedicated ice cellar. She spent most days at home, only venturing out to the garden for an evening stroll after dinner. Life was indeed comfortable.

"Make sure Miss Xun gets plenty of ice, and her rations should be ample. I don't want people talking behind my back," Huiyin smiled.

Fugui replied, "Rest assured, we’ve been sending her more than enough. Honestly, you’ve been incredibly kind to her. Does she really think she’s royalty? Her maid is ungrateful, insisting an outsider manage the household."

Huiyin sighed, "Regardless of what Grand Dowager Wu promised her, I can’t allow her to move in. I don’t have any children yet, and it wouldn’t make sense to introduce a secondary wife or concubine. That would be illogical."

After saying that, she turned to Fugui and the other maids, "Is the ice supply in your rooms sufficient?"

Dongshun and the others chuckled, "Thanks to the ice, we’ve been sleeping much better."

"Good," Huiyin said as she prepared to freshen up.

It was the 13th of August, and with night falling, Huiyin expected Li Cheng to return the next day. However, the guards unexpectedly announced his return.

Huiyin rushed to the door and saw Li Cheng standing before her in his armor. Her eyes filled with emotion as she greeted him, "Welcome back, Little Prince."

Li Cheng rarely returned home; being alone, it didn’t feel worth it. But now, seeing Huiyin rush towards him like a sparrow, he quickly caught her, "I planned to return tomorrow, but I couldn’t wait to see you, so I came back early."

"You’ve never been this smooth before. Are you hungry? Should I have the kitchen prepare something for you?"

Her words warmed Li Cheng’s heart. Since his parents passed, his grandmother had been kind to him, but her kindness always came with strings attached. Every favor had to be repaid; nothing was given freely.

But his wife was different. She genuinely treated him as her husband.

"I’m a bit hungry. Just have the kitchen prepare a few light dishes. I can’t handle heavy meats right now," Li Cheng smiled.

"Got it!"

Two red candles stood on the high table, accompanied by four small dishes and a bowl of soup. Li Cheng picked up a bowl and a large chicken leg, listening intently as Huiyin recounted the past month’s events.

When she mentioned Xun Rou, he listened even more closely.

"She came here on her own, and I was worried about her safety. Then she started asking to go out. I thought it best to wait for you to return and arrange for someone to accompany her. After all, she’s of marriageable age, and it wouldn’t be proper for her to wander freely without invitations."

Regarding Xun Rou, Li Cheng said, "You did the right thing. She’s a young lady now and shouldn’t act as she used to. She’s always been unconventional. When she was younger, she once argued with her father and secretly hid in a box, sneaking into our house on the carriage her father sent to deliver gifts. She’s quite daring."

Huiyin smiled, "I’m just a cousin-in-law, not like your childhood friend. If she comes to you with anything, you should speak to her seriously. Besides, she’s of marriageable age, and the Empress Dowager asked you to find her a good match. You should take it seriously."

Li Cheng put down his chopsticks, "This is your responsibility. I’m busy training troops every day and don’t have time to find a husband. Besides, even my youngest officer, Yuwendang, already has a family."

"Me? She couldn’t find a suitable match in Jianye, where all the elites gather. Xuzhou can’t compare, and I don’t know anyone here. I’m not keen on playing matchmaker, especially since I can tell Xun Rou isn’t genuinely interested in marrying out."

Li Cheng agreed and took another bite of rice, finishing with a bowl of soup. Huiyin personally handed him a cup of tea to rinse his mouth.

Huiyin had more to say, but Li Cheng scooped her up, "Let’s take a couple’s bath." She couldn’t resist and had to give in.

After their brief separation, Li Cheng lingered over Huiyin, and after they were done, she couldn’t help but remark, "You know, our deepest conversations happen in bed."

Li Cheng buried his face in her, feeling a sense of comfort, "I didn’t realize how much I’d miss you."

"So it's a good thing I stuck around, right? You even tried to get rid of me at first!" Huiyin teased with a playful scowl.

Li Cheng realized he had been clouded by desire; there was no other way to explain it. Although Princess Zheng was certainly beautiful, he had encountered women who were even more so.

He found himself drawn to the easy, down-to-earth comfort she provided, a warmth that felt familiar without being ordinary.

"Alright, I was wrong," Li Cheng admitted with a sheepish smile.

It was unusual to see him so relaxed, and it brightened Huiyin's mood as well.

Xun Rou didn’t learn about her cousin’s return until the next day. She had feared that Huiyin wouldn’t allow her to meet him, but to her surprise, Huiyin sent word that they would all dine together that evening.

Meixiang immediately opened the dressing case. "Miss, you should take the time to dress nicely. It's rare for her to be so considerate; usually, she barely acknowledges you."

Xun Rou glanced at the white jade hairpin and sighed. "It’s not out of kindness. She’s just doing it for my cousin’s sake."

With Li Cheng’s return, visitors flooded in one after another, leaving him with no time to rest.

The local gentry came to forge ties with the Prince of Huaiyin. Initially, Li Cheng had only planned to establish a base here, but now that everyone treated him like a regional lord, he started to feel more in control. Naturally, some families offered their daughters to him, but he politely turned them down.

He refused because his legitimate wife was Princess Zheng, the daughter of the Marquis of Zhaojie in Jizhou. Besides, taking another wife at this point wouldn’t serve much purpose and would only make him a pawn for others.

Huiyin had also witnessed many noblewomen bringing their daughters to visit, praising their daughters’ obedience. She understood their motives all too well. Her own mother frequently dealt with such people, like Hu, her father’s latest favored concubine, who was sent by the influential Zhang family in Jizhou.

She was still trying to figure out how to handle the situation, but Li Cheng had already turned everyone down without even mentioning it to her.

While helping him change, Huiyin asked bluntly, "Today, Madam Miao brought her daughter over and kept praising how obedient she is. What do you think she was getting at?"

Li Cheng was taken aback. "How would I know?"

"Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about." Sometimes, Huiyin felt a deep sadness for women. Would she have to beg him not to take concubines in the future? It seemed that any man with power could easily surround himself with beautiful women.

This was the first time Huiyin had shown any signs of displeasure, her eyes cold. Li Cheng was momentarily speechless. Even his father, the Prince of Wu, despite being harmonious with his mother, Miss Cui, had taken concubines to strengthen his position.

But seeing Huiyin’s expression, he couldn’t help but speak honestly. "These people just want to send their daughters to me, hoping I’ll protect their families. But I’ve already secured this place. The people here are already under my control. There’s no need for that."

"I thought you were doing it for me. Never mind, let’s not talk about this anymore. I’ve finished changing your clothes, and there’s a special welcome dinner for you later. I’ve also invited your cousin Xun to join us." Huiyin forced a small smile and said no more.

As she turned to leave, Li Cheng gently pulled her back. "I’m sorry."

Huiyin shook her head. "You don’t need to apologize. I’m just glad you’re being honest with me."

At the dinner that evening, Xun Rou appeared, wearing a peacock-blue diagonal-collared gown and a silver-gilt hairpin inlaid with gemstones and beryl. She looked both elegant and opulent.

She chatted casually with Li Cheng and teasingly remarked, "Look at you, cousin. As soon as you got back, you were off meeting all those people instead of spending time with your wife."

Li Cheng, still feeling guilty for upsetting Huiyin, assumed the two women were close since Xun Rou was teasing him. He laughed and said, "I couldn’t turn them down. You should spend more time with your cousin’s wife too."

Huiyin wasn’t really upset. After all, their marriage was a political alliance, and Li Cheng hadn’t taken a concubine before their wedding, despite her inquiries. He had entrusted the household to her, and this time, he had come back specifically, possibly for her.

But she hadn’t mentioned being close to Xun Rou, and he hadn’t picked up on that at all.

She didn’t buy into the idea that men and women thought differently. It simply meant that Li Cheng didn’t care enough about her.

"Alright, I’ll do as my cousin says. Oh, cousin, do you remember Sang Zao? She had a beautiful puppy last year, and I made a little house for it…" Xun Rou continued to reminisce about her shared memories with Li Cheng, from the puppy to Jianye, and even threw in a few dialect phrases when she got excited.

She felt she had finally found her leverage against Huiyin—her long-standing relationship with Li Cheng. After all, it had been ten years, and no one could easily undo that. How could she not feel anxious when someone tried to barge in at the last minute?

By the end, Xun Rou was still going on, clearly not ready to let it go.

However, Li Cheng suddenly interrupted, "Cousin, over the years, you've been incredibly devoted to taking care of my grandmother. But we can't keep you here indefinitely. I've already discussed this with your sister-in-law, and we've decided to help you find a suitable match. From now on, just think of me and your sister-in-law as your own brother and sister-in-law. We'll always be family."

Xun Rou was taken aback, her smile frozen on her face, and she felt like crying but couldn't bring herself to do so.

Huiyin thought to herself, see, men actually know everything clearly.

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Bonus update this weekend!