Chapter 28

Chapter 28

◎Combined Chapters◎

Pei Shuo and Zheng Wuheng were also accompanying Li Heng in conversation. Pei Shuo, now one of Zheng Fang's most valiant and fierce generals, was young and spoke of the difficulties in Jizhou: "Our Zheng family army has to both listen to the Chancellor's order to garrison half of our troops to protect the capital and defend against the Prince of Wei's forces. Moreover, Lord Zheng's health has not been good lately. It seems like misfortunes never come singly."

In such occasions, Zheng Wuheng, being quite young, only served a ceremonial role. He had actually met the Prince of Wei, who, despite being around the same age as the Crown Prince, seemed more mature and treated him with respect. Unlike the Crown Prince, who always seems so self-assured.

In Zheng Wuheng's own judgment, his elder sister had married a vassal king. Even the Prince of Huaiyin and his sister were not as affectionate as the Crown Prince and his elder sister. However, when it came to attire, my elder sister, though only a commandery princess, is adorned with pearls and jade, wears silk robes and fur coats, and steps in gold-threaded cloud shoes.

But the gifts were secondary; what mattered most was that she was his own flesh and blood. Previously, his elder sister had treated her poorly and even demanded to bring back her mother, Xu Shi. If he helped her now, wouldn't it be aiding tyranny? Moreover, the Crown Prince himself relied on the He family and had nothing to offer the Zheng family.

The Little Prince, his brother-in-law, personally taught him martial arts and guided him in archery. Even Xuzhou was rich in resources, and the Jiangnan region was even more prosperous. His sister had quietly told him that Xuzhou was successfully subdued because much of it was once the fiefdom of the Prince of Wu. The Little Prince's army included many of his former troops and had since recruited more soldiers. They are undoubtedly powerful.

Pei Shuo thought similarly but went a step further in his thinking. Despite what Li Heng said about the interdependence of lips and teeth, Lü Wei had not made a move yet, and it would be foolish to lose so many men for the sake of Li Heng and the Prince of Wei. It was better to remain neutral.

Li Heng reiterated, "The Prince of Wei has a wolf's ambition. Although he is the emperor's own younger brother and has been deputized to govern the Jiangnan region, his influence is growing. It's not just Qingzhou that's at stake; he might soon set his sights on Jizhou."

"Yes, although the Prince of Wei is also related to our family through marriage, our hearts in Jizhou are with the imperial court," Pei Shuo was adept at speaking, and after finishing, he glanced at his younger brother Zheng Wuheng.

Zheng Wuheng also quickly stepped forward to express his stance.

Li Heng realized his miscalculation. He had originally thought that marrying the eldest daughter of the Zheng family would bring many benefits, as the eldest daughter holds a different status in every family. However, it seemed that Zheng Deyin did not hold much sway in her own family.

As the Eastern Palace, he had already hinted as much, yet they remained unmoved. Were they not afraid of retaliation once he ascended the throne? Or had the Zheng family already aligned with someone else?

He had chosen the Zheng family's daughter because he saw Zheng Fang as a fierce and brave warrior, unmatched in the army. Only he could defeat Lü Wei, whose power weighed heavily on the imperial family. It now seemed that the Zheng family was no longer an option.

Pei Shuo, said to be Zheng Fang's adopted son, was highly valued by him. To some extent, Pei Shuo could represent Zheng Fang, and it was likely that Liangdi Zheng would also be unhelpful.

Sure enough, Zheng Fang said to Zheng Deyin, "Liangdi, what are you doing? You are a woman of the imperial family; how can you kneel before me?"

Zheng Deyin looked at Zheng Fang and said, "Father, please help me just this once. Helping the Crown Prince is the right path. When the Crown Prince ascends the throne, won't you become royalty?"

Zheng Fang, who relied solely on his bravery to stand firm, was somewhat moved but waved his sleeve and left, saying, "Why are you forcing me?"

Zheng Deyin, being a weak woman, could not stop Zheng Fang and could only watch helplessly as he left, falling to the ground. She couldn't understand why her father wouldn't listen to her and disregarded her completely.

Li Heng, realizing that he hadn't gained the Zheng family's support, understood that his efforts to favor Zheng Deyin over the past days had been in vain.

With war imminent, Li Cheng received battle reports from the frontlines at home, saying that Crown Prince Li Heng was leading the He family's army, which somewhat eased his mind. Taking Qingzhou would be difficult with only the He family's support, since neither the Lü family nor the Zheng family had joined forces.

Because of this, Li Cheng was in a good mood and his demeanor towards Huiyin was much lighter.

"Huiyin, why didn't you go out for a walk today?" He noticed that his wife usually went out for a walk around this time but was still at home.

Huiyin smiled and said, "You are truly a busy person. Today is the day when the wet nurses enter the estate. I have already spoken to them and had the doctor check their pulses. They are free of any contagious diseases, so I can confidently employ them."

Li Cheng slapped his forehead and said, "I completely forgot!"

"Since everything is done, I thought we could have a meal under the flower pergola. There's a gentle breeze, and the weather is pleasantly cool, better than staying indoors." Huiyin stood up and held onto his arm, afraid he would disagree.

Of course, Li Cheng indulged her. He was always willing to pamper his wife in such small matters.

Ever since removing those parasitic individuals, they had saved two to three thousand taels over half a year. Huiyin used a thousand taels to craft her own jewelry and have clothes made. She wasn’t about to live frugally just so another woman could benefit from it later—that would be foolish.

Some men pretend to love you more when you don’t seem interested in their money, acting generous while secretly calculating every move.

Thankfully, Li Cheng is not this kind of person. He didn’t even bat an eye when Huiyin had jewelry made, clothes tailored, or even bought ornaments. This only deepened her affection for him.

Today, she stepped out in a new outfit, perfect for spring. She wore a light green upper garment paired with a bluish-green pleated long skirt, the colors blending seamlessly. Around her waist was a pale yellow pearl sash, and hanging from it was a phoenix-shaped jade pendant. The front of the jade featured a single phoenix cloud pattern, while the back had an auspicious cloud pattern. As she moved, the jade ornaments clinked softly.

Originally, she loved to wear a cloak but gave it up, fearing it might trip her. She wasn’t focused on beauty; instead, she saw her attire as a way to assert her status.

"What’s for dinner today?" Li Cheng asked as he helped her sit down, quite curious.

Every day, the menu was different, with at least one dish that caught his attention.

Huiyin thought for a moment. "Today, it’s a full lotus banquet. Lotus leaf chicken, lotus flower pastries, lotus leaf glutinous rice ribs, and steamed pork with lotus leaves. Oh, and there’s also lotus root soup and lotus leaf rice. After our meal, we’ll have a lotus seed soup to clear your inner heat. Your inner heat is quite strong."

She chuckled at the end.

Li Cheng naturally knew what she was referring to. That morning, he had asked her for help and now felt a bit shy, wanting to tickle her.

Huiyin was usually afraid of being tickled and of ghosts. When she saw him about to tickle her, she pulled away. Li Cheng then hugged her. "I won’t tease you anymore. Don’t trip over yourself."

The two laughed and teased each other, while Yun Hui’s expression darkened slightly in the distance.

The servants started bringing in the dishes. When there were no guests, Huiyin usually ate whatever she felt like, without putting on a grand display.

However, just as they were enjoying their meal, someone outside submitted a calling card for Li Cheng. He took it and placed it face down on the table, asking Yun Hui to invite the person in.

"Whose card is it?" Now that Huiyin and Li Cheng were more familiar, she could ask casually.

Li Cheng hesitated for a moment but replied, "It’s from a woman."

In fact, Li Cheng has always respected women; he even believed that women were not inferior to men and deserved more respect.

Huiyin looked at him. "Is she facing any difficulties?"

Li Cheng explained, "This woman, surnamed Jiang, is the only daughter of a salt merchant from Taizhou. Her parents have passed away, and her family's business was almost lost. When I was fighting in the war and lacked military supplies, I helped her secure the inheritance of her family's business, and in return, she arranged for the military supplies I needed."

"A fair deal, that’s a reasonable arrangement," Huiyin replied, not inclined to think ill of the woman from the start.

Li Cheng shook his head. "What you don't know is that she has been targeted by the brother-in-law of the Prince of Wei. She is seeking my protection."

The Prince of Wei's primary consort was surnamed Huo, also from a prominent family in the Jiangnan region. Though the Prince of Wei appears to treat Li Cheng well, he had actually allocated most of his strategic territories to his cousins or brother-in-law. The only exception was Xuzhou, which Li Cheng had conquered himself.

Huiyin looked at Li Cheng. "A young woman managing a household is like a child carrying a treasure in plain sight; it's no wonder she has caught someone's eye."

Li Cheng nodded. "Yes."

He was mainly concerned that Huiyin might feel uncomfortable. At that time, trusted advisors like Guo, the Chief Secretary, had naturally urged him to take Jiang as a concubine, which would not only provide her protection but also ensure the continuity of his military supplies—a win-win situation. After all, it was common for a man of status to have multiple wives and concubines.

But Li Cheng was not fond of such arrangements. Yes, taking a concubine would address two issues simultaneously, but a true man should stand on his own merits.

However, Jiang was in a precarious situation, and she only sought a nominal title for protection, not an actual marriage.

Outside the Huaiyin Mansion

In the black canopied carriage sat a young woman dressed in dark green. She sighed softly. "My parents, having only me as their daughter, have both passed away. Now, General Huo is demanding that I become his concubine. I can only seek help from the Little Prince."

The woman was young and beautiful, wearing a gold bracelet. She half-lifted the carriage curtain, looking as if she were about to step into an uncertain future.

The old nanny sitting beside her said, "Miss, once you enter the marquis's mansion, it’s like entering a labyrinth with no clear exit. Though the Little Prince is honorable and handsome, I’ve heard that he has already married Princess Zheng, the daughter of the Marquis of Zhaojie, Zheng Fang. If you really become a concubine, you’ll find yourself between a rock and a hard place."

"I know all that. In the past, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But what if the Little Prince stands up for me this time, only for Huo Qi to harass me again in the future? What should I do then? Nurse Lin, why are women's lives so difficult?" Jiang Bipbo was truly at the end of her rope.

The clan members were eyeing her family's vast fortune, and outside, the brother-in-law of the Prince of Wei was also coveting her. She had no idea what to do.

Nurse Lin thought about how the young lady was originally supposed to marry into her family, but when the time came, no one dared to arrange it for her. The clan members practically wished her dead, forcing her to marry only relatives of the elder clansmen, otherwise the family wealth would fall into the hands of outsiders.

When her parents were alive, she had lived a carefree life. She had even dressed as a man and gone with her father to Lin'an Prefecture, and even to the capital city.

As she hesitated, she saw a stewardess from the Huaiyin Mansion approach. The stewardess smiled and said, "Miss Jiang, our prince invites you to rest in the small hall for a moment."

Jiang Bipbo, feeling uneasy, followed Yun Hui inside. Yun Hui thought about how much effort it had taken to get rid of Xun Rou with Princess Zheng, and now here was Jiang Bipbo.

This was Jiang Bipbo's first time at the Huaiyin Mansion in Xuzhou. The only time she had been to a prince's mansion in Jianye was to deliver a congratulatory gift to Grand Dowager Wu.

"Thank you," Jiang Bipbo said, handing a pouch to Yun Hui.

Yun Hui smiled and said, "How can I accept your pouch? It's really unnecessary."

Jiang Bipbo said, "I am troubling the stewardess; please do accept it." This was a matter of social etiquette, and as a merchant's daughter, Jiang Bipbo understood these things well.

With that, Yun Hui accepted it.

After accepting it, Jiang Bipbo asked, "Is the Little Prince occupied at the moment?"

Yun Hui said, "The Little Prince is having a meal with the princess right now."

"Then it is my fault," Jiang Bipbo immediately said.

Coincidentally, Yin Liyi arrived just then. She had come to inquire about the frontline situation from Li Cheng, but she didn’t expect to meet Jiang Bipbo here.

The two had met once at Grand Dowager Wu's birthday celebration in Jianye. Yin Liyi knew that Jiang Bipbo was a wealthy woman and even admired her, as she wasn’t very good at business herself.

"Oh, why do I meet you here?" Yin Liyi was actually on familiar terms, and in the past, she would have just gone in. But now, since she wasn’t familiar with Princess Zheng, she sat in the flower hall and started a conversation with Jiang Bipbo.

Jiang Bipbo quickly stood up and bowed. "Common woman Jiang Bipbo greets Lady Xie."

Yin Liyi hurriedly said, "Please rise quickly. I also have business to discuss with the Little Prince. Are you here to see him as well?"

Jiang Bipbo nodded.

While tea was being served, Yun Hui quietly whispered the reason to Yin Liyi, who immediately became angry upon hearing it. "Huo Qi again? That man may have the title of a general, but he is actually a greedy and profit-seeking individual. It is said that a medicinal shop on North Street in Jianye was extorted by him because their business was doing well."

Yin Liyi's elder sister, the Second Princess, often told her many things. She said that the primary wife of the Prince of Wei had a lot of money and that when the Prince of Wei visited her, he was treated with expensive food, which he enjoyed. However, these funds mostly came from the people's livelihood.

Hearing Yin Liyi's words made Jiang Bipbo's face turn even paler.

"Lady Xie, what should I do now?" Jiang Bipbo asked.

Yin Liyi smiled and said, "You’ve already come to the Huaiyin Mansion for help, haven’t you? Since you’ve come to the mansion, there’s nothing to fear. Now, the only person who can rein in the Huo family is the Prince of Huaiyin. His status is quite special since he is the nephew of the Prince of Wei."

Yun Hui felt something was off with Yin Liyi's words. Wasn’t she bringing more trouble to the Little Prince? No matter what, the Prince of Wei respected his primary wife. The Little Prince had his own small territory, and if they offended the Huo family, there might be future repercussions. Even something as important as marriage was decided directly by the Prince of Wei.

Though she also wanted to see Princess Zheng gain a rival, it shouldn’t harm the Little Prince.

Meanwhile, Huiyin was listening to Li Cheng, waiting for him to finish.

"I feel like you’re holding something back," Huiyin smiled.

Li Cheng glanced at Huiyin's belly and still fell silent.

Huiyin deliberately went over and sat next to him, shaking his arm back and forth. "Tell me. Don't hold anything back. You and I are husband and wife. I've shared all my secrets with you, but you're keeping things from me. Do you want me to stop being close to you?"

Seeing that he wasn't saying anything, Huiyin pretended to be angry.

Li Cheng spoke directly, "Miss Jiang wants me to give her a title. Please don't misunderstand—just a title. She's a merchant's daughter, and her status won't be high. The Chancellor suggested I grant her a title to protect her, so this weak woman won't be harmed by Hu Qi. But I definitely won't agree, which is why I didn't bring it up."

"How could the Chancellor ask you to take a merchant's daughter as a concubine?" Huiyin, who actually understood, decided to tease him.

Li Cheng, a seven-foot man who usually spoke decisively, was still somewhat shy for his age. Hearing Huiyin's question, he stammered, "It's for military supplies."

Sometimes winning battles depends on well-fed soldiers and horses, and all of that requires money.

Prince Wei had married many women from prominent clans to gain support from various factions.

He hurriedly added, "But rest assured, I will never compromise myself for a woman's sake. I'm not that kind of person. My territory needs to be won by my own efforts."

Seeing Li Cheng's anxious expression, Huiyin handed him a handkerchief. "Wipe your sweat. I understand your intentions."

"Aren't you jealous?" Li Cheng asked, noticing Huiyin's calm demeanor.

Wiping his sweat with the handkerchief, Huiyin said, "If I were to get jealous, it would make my entire pregnancy stressful. There are so many women in your life—concubines, cousins, and others—that I'd never be able to keep up with all the jealousy. Tell me, is there any woman who would willingly share her husband? Would you be happy if someone coveted me? Would you be okay with sharing me with others?"

Li Cheng blurted out, "Of course not."

He couldn't bear the thought of any man, even in name only, being connected to Huiyin. The idea made him furious.

But...

"But you're not angry at all." Li Cheng, like a child, always lacked a sense of security.

Huiyin touched her belly. "Then you need to do something to make me devoted to you forever. Right now, I'm your love, and you need to give me confidence in you."

Seeing her bowed head, Li Cheng felt a slight pang in his heart. "It's my fault."

In his mind, although this marriage was arranged by Prince Wei, he didn't reject the person he married. Instead, he always let her suffer, either leaving her alone at home or dealing with his cousins and various other people, yet she was the one who treated him wholeheartedly.

Huiyin smiled to herself, thinking how easily she had distracted him. She hugged his arm. "Don't worry, I won't let you be the Cow Demon King and let Miss Jiang be the Jade-faced Fox."

"What do you mean?" Li Cheng didn't react immediately.

Huiyin playfully tapped his nose. "You silly, haven't you read 'Journey to the West'? The Jade-faced Fox's father was the King of Ten Thousand Years, a fox king. After he died, he left behind a daughter called the Jade-faced Princess. The princess had millions in wealth but no one to manage it, so she sought out the mighty Bull Demon King and was willing to marry him and provide a dowry. Later, when Sun Wukong pretended to be Iron Fan Princess and invited the Bull Demon King to return from the Jade-faced Princess, she was scolded for giving Iron Fan Princess jewels, gold, silver, silk, firewood every year, and rice every month. Think about it—how could we let that happen? In the future, both you and I might end up having to deal with people looking down on us."

Li Cheng thought about the story of the Bull Demon King and realized his wife was indeed well-read.

But how could they find a way out of this predicament?

"Actually, I can help her once in my name, but I can't protect her every time. After all, you know Hu Qi has a wolfish nature, and he's also the brother-in-law of the Princess of Wei. He's still considered my elder." Li Cheng didn't want to fall out with the Princess of Wei's faction over Jiang. He didn't have the capital for that.

If the Jiang family were based in Xuzhou, it wouldn’t be an issue, but since they’re in Jianye, it’s harder for him to intervene.

Huiyin patted his hand. "I have a clever plan."

"Oh? Princess, what's your clever plan?" Li Cheng, who had previously seen Huiyin always seeking his opinion and showing him great respect, now looked at her with admiration.

"Then let's invite her over. We've just finished eating, so let's take a walk to the main hall to help with digestion." Huiyin said.

……

Jiang Bipbo entered the main hall of Princess Zheng at Huaiyin Mansion, her heart heavy with worry. The instructing nursemaid led her, and the servants along the way were silent, appearing extremely solemn.

After entering the main hall, she saw two people seated. On the left was Little Prince Li Cheng, dressed in casual attire, his eyes focused on tea tasting. On the right sat a young woman who, despite her youth, exuded an aura that matched the Little Prince's. She looked at Jiang Bipbo and smiled.

Feeling uneasy, Jiang Bipbo bowed respectfully. "I pay my respects to the Little Prince and young princess."

She heard the young woman's delicate voice say, "Bipbo? Is it from Li Bai's line, 'Desiring to shake the golden scepter of the Five Pavilions, floating on the green waves of the Three Xiang rivers?'"

Jiang Bipbo nodded hurriedly. "Yes, my father gave me this name when he toured Mount Heng, and I was born at that time."

"What a beautiful name. Then let me wish you with Wang Wei's line, 'The boat floats on the blue waves, people wandering through a painted landscape,' that your future days will be leisurely and peaceful, and your heart will be free and untroubled. How about that?" Huiyin said, looking at her.

Jiang Bipbo understood that these were kind words, but she wasn't entirely sure what they meant.

It was Nanny Nan who stepped forward and said, "Miss Jiang, our young princess likes you very much and wishes to recognize you as an adopted sister. Would you be willing?"

Jiang Bipbo hadn't expected the young princess to offer such a gesture, a surprising turn that left her feeling a mix of embarrassment and complex emotions.

Huiyin smiled. "You know, the Little Prince is the nephew of Prince Wei, and Hu Qi is the brother-in-law of Prince Wei. You are such a wonderful woman; you should have a bright life, not become a concubine to someone else. Though I may not be much, my father is the Marquis of Zhaojie. You can confidently use the connections from our Zheng family. I will assign ten personal soldiers to protect you; they are trusted people from our family in the military. I don't think Hu Qi would dare to challenge us."

Currently, Zheng Fang remains neutral but is allied with Prince Wei. If Hu Qi were to offend the Zheng family over something trivial, Prince Wei would not stand for it.

Jiang Bipbo, filled with gratitude, bowed deeply. "I thank the young princess. For the kindness you've shown me, I will repay you even in my next life, no matter what it takes." She still hoped for a bright future, where she could run her business and find someone she truly loved.