Chapter 22

Chapter 22

◎How Different from the Previous Life◎

Since Xun Rou was heading to the capital, it wasn't as simple as just leaving; a team of guards had to be prepared to escort her. Huiyin, of course, wasn't keen on helping someone who had schemed against her, but since Xun Rou had already been taught a lesson, there was no need to kick her while she was down.

Yun Hui stood beside Huiyin, watching Xun Rou board the carriage. Knowing that Xun Rou's reputation was now in ruins, Yun Hui felt an indescribable sense of joy.

After Xun Rou left, Huiyin received a reply from Li Cheng. True to form, Li Cheng didn't disappoint her. He had arranged for Xun Rou to return to Jianye and asked about her well-being, saying he would come back to see her after some time.

"Why so wordy? He gave me a lot of instructions," Huiyin said, feeling a bit shy due to the detailed nature of Li Cheng's letter.

Nanny Nan said, "This is how the Little Prince shows his love for you."

Huiyin shook her head. She remembered what Xun Rou had told her—that Li Cheng had feelings for a girl who was pure and kind. But what did it matter? In a chaotic world, self-preservation was paramount. In the end, Li Cheng had married her. She wouldn't allow her husband to have any other woman in his heart.

After all, it was impossible for a woman to say she didn't care at all about who her husband loved. But caring wouldn't change anything. Moreover, it was quite possible that Xun Rou had made it all up. She couldn't afford to get angry at her husband over someone who might not even exist.

How to dispel such negative emotions? By reading books.

"Fugui, go buy some new books from the bookstore for me," Huiyin said with a smile.

After buying the books, she picked out the ones she liked and became immersed in them, forgetting to reply to Li Cheng's letter.

Li Cheng waited for ten days without receiving a reply from his wife. He asked the guard who had delivered the letter, "Did you hand-deliver it to my wife?"

"Yes, I handed it to Little Princess myself. She even gave me a generous reward. I waited for a few hours in the mansion, but since there was no reply, I left."

Li Cheng wondered if Huiyin was feeling unwell or upset. It was understandable; she was managing the household on her own while dealing with pregnancy.

Once the troops in Huai and Si completed their training, he planned to stay at Huaiyin Mansion in Xuzhou. Still, he couldn't afford to be too sentimental.

As the weather in Xuzhou started to turn cold, Huiyin found it hard to get out of bed in the morning. Winters in the south were entirely different from those in the north. In the north, they used heated brick beds (kang) which made sleeping warm and comfortable. In the south, the rooms were also very cold, requiring a charcoal brazier. With her pregnancy, she couldn't expose herself to the cold wind, so she stayed indoors, reading books.

By the Winter Solstice, her pregnancy was starting to show. The kitchen prepared tangyuan, glutinous rice balls filled with sweet fillings, which people in the south eat during the Winter Solstice. Huiyin adapted to the local customs and began to feel more at home.

"If I count the days, my mother should have received my letter by now," Huiyin said after finishing a tangyuan.

As soon as she finished speaking, she looked up and saw Li Cheng.

"Husband," Huiyin said, trying to get up to put on her clothes.

She was quite the morning sleeper, still in her nightgown, wrapped in a quilt, and eating in bed. She didn't expect Li Cheng to return at that moment, looking dusty from his journey.

Li Cheng saw her trying to get up and quickly came over to stop her. "Don't get up. You can't make such big movements when you're pregnant."

Li Cheng was delighted to see Huiyin's radiant smile. He took off his outer armor and changed into casual clothes. He picked up the leftover tangyuan and ate them, then placed his hand on Huiyin's belly. "You've worked hard. I'm not by your side."

"It's okay. Although I have to manage the household, it's much quieter now. By the way, your cousin Xun Rou has gone to the capital, saying she wants to pay filial respects there. I sent her letter to your grandmother. Since I received your letter saying you had already sent her away, I didn’t forward her message. Here it is for you."

Li Cheng waved his hand. "It's good that she's gone. Forget about her. How about you? How are you?"

"At first, I felt nauseous and couldn't eat. After three months, it got much better. Now, when I place my hand on my belly, the baby even greets me," Huiyin said with a smile.

Li Cheng immediately wanted to try. He naturally placed his hand on Huiyin's belly, and Huiyin felt a slight tingle. She gently placed her hand over his, feeling the warmth of his touch.

Li Cheng seemed to feel something too and looked up to see Huiyin gazing at him.

"Is something on your mind?"

"Did you come back just for me?" Huiyin asked.

Li Cheng had originally planned to return for the New Year, but as the Winter Solstice approached, he felt a twinge of compassion for Zheng Shi, who was alone and pregnant, and decided to come back early.

He didn’t know how to respond to his wife’s eager gaze. She seemed to love him too much, her emotions completely revolving around him. But he couldn’t bring himself to respond to such intense affection right now, so he lowered his head and simply said, "Mm."

**

Madame Ji had already received the letter and was preparing a variety of tonics to send to Xuzhou. Xin Shi, who had experience from raising her own son, sent over her son’s old pillow, some clothes he had worn, and even made a patchwork garment to add to the package.

"Madam, our younger sister has certainly done well for herself. She became pregnant shortly after her marriage. It seems the Prince of Huaiyin really dotes on her. Now you can finally rest easy," Xin Shi said with a smile.

Madame Ji was also very pleased. "I originally planned to have Shuo'er deliver the items and take the opportunity to get to know his brother-in-law. But the Marquis assigned Shuo'er to meet with Wei Duo. So I had no choice but to send Heng'er instead. As you know, Heng'er has never traveled far before, and I’m quite worried about it."

After listening to Madame Ji, Xin Shi secretly thought that she was being partial. This was a rare opportunity to meet the Prince of Huaiyin, yet she only sent her younger son.

But Xin Shi kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she went back and prepared more gifts. Her husband had a close relationship with Princess Zheng, and this time Huiyin had even written a letter to her husband specifically.

While Madame Ji and others were thinking about the return gift, Elder Madame Xu was surprised and worried. She hadn’t expected Huiyin, who had married out a few months later, to get pregnant so quickly.

Zheng Deyin was equally shocked and exclaimed, "That’s impossible!"

Elder Madame Xu said, "She’s already been pregnant for three months. I heard that the Little Prince really dotes on her. After going to Xuzhou, he stayed there with her and even rushed back to accompany her during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She’s truly blessed."

Zheng Deyin hadn’t expected her younger sister to end up in such a situation after marrying. She remembered that in her previous life, she had spent the Mid-Autumn Festival with Grand Dowager Wu. Li Cheng only returned once a year, and she couldn’t conceive. A year later, Grand Dowager Wu arranged for Xun Rou to marry Li Cheng as a secondary consort. Xun Rou was very respectful to her. She thought that instead of having someone unfamiliar, a concubine granted by Prince Wei, it was better to have Xun Rou. At least Xun Rou would be easier to manage.

Who would have thought that Li Cheng would dote on the daughter of a low-ranking official rather than favor Xun Rou?