Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Siblings Reunion (Including VIP Notice)

Lord Xie and Lady Xie had separate accommodations, so they bid farewell to Huiyin. Huiyin also took the opportunity to meet this young Haihai Prefect. He was probably a couple of years older than Li Cheng and was a handsome man, appearing more mature. Li Cheng’s eyes always sparkled, unconsciously revealing a natural youthful aura. Lord Xie was much more composed.

"Manager Qiao, it's difficult to buy charcoal in Xuzhou during winter. Please send some to Lord Xie and his wife on my behalf," Huiyin said.

Manager Qiao quickly smiled and replied, "Yes, I will arrange it right away."

It was evident that Manager Qiao was also quite familiar with Lord Xie and his wife, as he behaved more casually with them.

Huiyin couldn't help but say, "Wait, Manager Qiao, I want to ask you something."

Manager Qiao stood with his hands by his sides, waiting for Huiyin’s question, but after a moment of thought, she said, "Never mind, go ahead and see if they need anything else."

Manager Qiao, although puzzled, left first.

Huiyin stroked her belly and wandered the corridor, lost in thought. Begging for love, or winning it through submission, was not true love. She absolutely did not acknowledge it.

She had been slightly influenced by Xun Rou’s words, but she couldn’t let them make her suspicious of everyone. She must always believe in herself, Huiyin secretly resolved.

After calming her mind for half a day, by the time of Lady Xue’s birthday banquet three days later, she was able to chat and laugh naturally. Lady Xue’s granddaughter was married to a former subordinate of Lord Xie, who now held the position of Tunqi Colonel.

Xue Huanhuan, the pet name of Lady Xue, was held by Elder Lady Xue as she said to Lady Xie, "Liyi, Huanhuan has always been close to you, and I am relieved. I am old and may not be able to look after her for much longer."

Lady Xie’s maiden name was Yin, and her given name was Liyi. She was the daughter of a recorder under the Prince of Wei, later marrying Xie Miu. However, Huiyin found it strange that the recorder was only a low-ranking official of the seventh or eighth rank, and the Yin family was not a prominent clan. How did she manage to marry the son of a prefect?

As she pondered, she heard Yin Liyi say, "Why would you say that, Elder Lady Xue? I was fortunate to have Lady Xue’s care, and she was my best friend. Before I came, my mother specially asked me to bring some of her favorite hazelnut cakes."

Upon hearing this, Xue Huanhuan was quite moved and even wiped away some tears. "It's already been more than five years. I still remember when I was a lady-in-waiting by the side of the Wei Imperial Consort, and Liyi was only twelve or thirteen years old. I had never met a girl who was both so innocent and yet so driven. She was the hardest-working person I’ve ever known."

Huiyin thought to herself that Yin Liyi had been a lady-in-waiting in the Prince of Wei’s mansion, and exactly five years ago, Li Cheng’s parents had passed away, and he had come to rely on the Prince of Wei, certainly living in his mansion as well. Childhood friends reuniting after a long separation, who knows what had happened?

Just as she was thinking this, Elder Lady Xue, noticing that Xue Huanhuan was talking non-stop and afraid of neglecting Huiyin, quickly added, "You may not know this, Young Princess, but my granddaughter was a lady-in-waiting for the Wei Imperial Consort. I wanted her to learn proper etiquette. Back then, I often spoke with your great-grandmother as well. Young Prince Xie was not yet of age but was extremely skilled in martial arts. Whenever he led the Prince of Wei’s vanguard, his bravery and skill were unmatched."

Huiyin, appearing interested, smiled and said, "In Jizhou, I often heard of the Prince of Huaiyin’s bravery."

Lady Miao, who had previously caused some damage to Xun Rou’s reputation due to the resettlement of refugees, noticed that the Young Princess did not blame her and still valued her. She quickly chimed in, "Young Princess, it is said that your father was known as the Flying General and has now been enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhaojie and the Grand Commander of Jizhou. Your younger brother will soon arrive in our Xuzhou. I wonder what kind of demeanor he will have? I’m sure the young ladies of Xuzhou are eager to see him."

Huiyin smiled and replied, "My younger brother is still young. We originally thought my older brother would come, but we received a letter saying he will be the one coming instead. When he arrives, I will host a banquet for everyone."

Lady Miao quickly caught on, as did Lady Xue from the Xue family. Li Cheng now oversaw Xuzhou. They were treating Yin Liyi with great respect due to Lord Xie and the Prince of Wei, but they had forgotten that the local official is more relevant than a distant superior. Moreover, the father of Princess Zheng was the Marquis of Zhaoping, not from a prominent family but trusted by Prime Minister Lü Wei.

Huiyin did not wish to be the center of attention and quickly returned the focus to Elder Lady Xue. "Our young prince specifically asked me to come and wish you a long life, as he said you were very close with his grandmother. Besides the birthday gifts, I have also personally copied the 'Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita' to present to you."

"Thank you, Young Princess," said Elder Lady Xue, as she had someone receive it. Upon flipping through a few pages, she saw the elegant and flowing calligraphy and couldn't help but nod in approval.

She then said, "I am pregnant, so it is inconvenient for me to stay for the meal. Perhaps another time, I will invite everyone over."

Elder Lady Xue wanted to see her off, but Huiyin stopped her.

After she left, Elder Lady Xue said to those around her, "This Young Princess does not put on airs and possesses both beauty and grace. She is truly remarkable."

Yin Liyi, having interacted with many people as a lady-in-waiting in the Prince of Wei’s mansion, had seen many people, but she could not quite figure out Princess Zheng. Xue Huanhuan thought the same. She said, "My mother told me that this Princess Zheng usually keeps to herself, but in just a few months, the Huaiyin Mansion is almost entirely under her command. Entering the mansion already pregnant and yet able to hold herself back. It is said that Xun Rou was..."

The last few words were spoken almost imperceptibly.

Yin Liyi was startled. "Her methods are indeed ruthless."

"That's right. Speaking of which, we have no connection to the Little Prince nowadays. Just think about the Prince of Huaiyin—known for his sharp tongue and ruthless nature. Yet, he actually rushes back during the Mid-Autumn Festival and Winter Solstice just to spend the holidays with her." When Xue Huanhuan was a lady-in-waiting at the Prince of Wei’s mansion, the Prince of Wei, fearing that the Prince of Huaiyin wouldn’t be able to manage his own estate, had him help manage the Wei Mansion instead. Xue Huanhuan had worked under Li Cheng, and while she admitted that Li Cheng was very capable, working under him was incredibly stressful.

Both Yin Liyi and her sister were daughters of officials in the Wei Mansion and had been acquaintances of Li Cheng. He hadn’t shown them much mercy either.

It was only toward this woman from the Zheng family that he seemed to be an exception. Thinking of this, Yin Liyi glanced at Xue Huanhuan again and said, "Never mind, I won’t mention others. Let me ask you, are you and your husband preparing to head north?"

It should be known that Xie Jiuyi is not only a prefect but also one of the foremost loyal officials under the Prince of Wei. There is a children's song in the Jiangnan region that goes: "Xie Jiuyi guards the roads, while Li Cheng commands the waters."

This refers to Xie Jiuyi and Li Cheng. The Jiangnan region has always been rich in talented individuals. Moreover, Xie Jiuyi is quite close to the Prince of Wei and can be considered a strategist. Heading north must be for something important, Xue Huanhuan speculated privately.

Yin Liyi smiled and said, "Your information is quite accurate, but before that, we still need to meet with the Prince of Huaiyin to discuss matters."

Xue Huanhuan, understanding the boundaries, didn’t ask further, as she knew clearly that the Prince of Wei wanted to take Qingzhou as soon as possible and that the marriage alliance with Zheng Fang of Jizhou was intended to keep Zheng Fang neutral.

More than a month after Elder Madame Xu’s birthday celebration, Huiyin’s pregnancy was showing more. Every day, besides managing the household and reviewing accounts, she spent her days resting at home. Anyway, Li Cheng had said he would return by the New Year, which was only a few days away. The house was already adorned with lanterns and colorful decorations, filled with a festive atmosphere.

However, before Li Cheng returned, Huiyin’s younger brother, Zheng Wuheng, arrived.

He came from Jizhou, accompanied by his father’s advisor, Counselor Zhuang Huai, and brought several fine horses and a dozen carts of gifts intended for the Prince of Huaiyin and the Prince of Wei.

The young man, on his first trip away from home, had been trying to appear composed and serious along the way, but upon seeing his elder sister, he ran over with a smile, just like always. "Sister."

"Heng'er," Huiyin, who had spent half a year in Xuzhou, often felt lonely being alone in the mansion. After becoming pregnant, her emotions had become more sentimental. Now, seeing a family member, her joy was evident.

Zheng Wuheng noticed that his sister looked much healthier and more radiant after marrying into the family. Her clothes were elegant and luxurious, and she appeared much more at ease. There was none of that haggard look of someone who had been far from home and family, which put his mind slightly at ease.

"Sister, where is Brother-in-law? Is he good to you?" This was the question Zheng Wuheng was most concerned about.

Huiyin, not wanting to worry her younger brother, put things in a positive light: "Your brother-in-law treats me well. Although we don’t spend much time together, he always rushes back during festivals to accompany me. He’ll be back in a few days, and then you two can meet."

Zheng Wuheng let out a sigh of relief. "If Brother-in-law treats you well, I’m relieved. By the way, this time, I brought letters from our parents."

The siblings entered the inner room, and Huiyin quickly scanned the letter. Madame Ji, of course, first expressed concern about her health and then mentioned that recently De Yin seemed to be persuading Elder Madame Xu to advise their father to turn against Lü Wei. As for their father, he was asking about the situation in Xuzhou, about Li Cheng, and about the Prince of Wei.

Huiyin looked at Zheng Wuheng and said, "My dear brother, remember this: no matter who tries to convince our father to oppose Lü Wei, he must stay calm and not act rashly."

Zheng Wuheng was puzzled. "Sister, Lü Wei holds the emperor under his control and shows much disrespect toward the Crown Prince. The people have long suffered under his tyranny. If our father were to rise, wouldn’t he become the leader?"

"You’re mistaken. Back when the incident with Lu Ji occurred, after our father killed Lu Ji, he had to flee. Who came to his aid then? If Lü Wei dies, our father will lose soldiers and resources, and others will likely reap the benefits. Our Zheng family has risen from humble beginnings and has only recently established a foothold in Jizhou. We cannot afford to make any missteps now. Even when it comes to what your brother-in-law says, our father doesn’t have to follow it blindly." Huiyin advised.

Zheng Wuheng, who had always followed his sister’s words, saw her write a reply letter and solemnly agreed.

However, Huiyin was thinking about her previous life in the Eastern Palace. If she hadn’t discovered the matter of the contraceptive medicine and quietly became pregnant, she wouldn’t have persuaded her father to turn against Lü Wei. She poisoned Li Heng and seized power. But her brother took Li Heng’s place and died from a poisoned arrow, which was a pain she could hardly bear.

At that time, she had truly believed that Li Heng genuinely loved her and that she would one day become empress legitimately, which was why she had asked her family to support her wholeheartedly. But things ended up differently, so how could she trust Li Cheng now?

Moreover, there was Yin Liyi, who seemed to be Li Cheng’s 'first love' lingering in Xuzhou, seemingly waiting for him to return, often sending messengers to check on him. Although Huiyin knew that Yin Liyi and her husband seemed very happy and affectionate now, she always felt that this woman knew Li Cheng too well…

It was a feeling that even Xun Rou, who had grown up alongside her cousin Li Cheng, didn’t give her.

Just as she was thinking this, Manager Qiao said, "Young Princess, the Little Prince has sent his soldiers and servants ahead."

Huiyin was startled.

The author has something to say:

This story will be entering the VIP section on September 15th, with a triple update on that day.