Chapter 31

Chapter 31

◎Combined Two Chapters◎

During the beginning of autumn, the mornings and evenings carried a cool, refreshing breeze. Looking out, several large and small boats were docked by the shore, arranged like a dense chessboard, orderly and distinct. The adults wore expressions of parting sorrow, but for a baby just over three months old, it was the first outing, and he smiled silently in his swaddling clothes.

As Huiyin helped Li Cheng adjust his collar to hide the hickey, she glanced at Yin Liyi in the distance and whispered, "Then I'll leave with Jing'er first. You take care of yourself. Now that the Crown Prince has injured Lord Xie with a poisoned arrow, if he really can't hold on, you might have to lead the troops there. Make sure to wear your armor properly."

Li Cheng's eyes followed her, filled with reluctance.

"Go back," Huiyin said, waving at him with the baby in her arms.

In the distance, Yin Liyi was also preparing to board the ship. It was said that she had insisted on going to the frontline to care for the wounded, but Li Cheng, fearing the loss of Qingzhou and the potential impact on Xuzhou, had her return to Jianye with Huiyin.

Knowing she couldn't go to Qingzhou, Yin Liyi looked disappointed.

Xue Huanhuan advised, "After you return to Jianye, at least take care of your daughter first. Once Lord Xie recovers, won't there be opportunities for you to reunite?"

Reluctantly, Yin Liyi boarded the same ship back with Huiyin.

This trip to Jianye saw almost all of Huiyin's dowry packed, except for the heavier items. There were also many assets she and Li Cheng had saved, which Li Cheng had her bring back. It took three boats just for these items, not including the additional boat for their daily living.

The best and largest cabin was, of course, occupied by Huiyin and her child. As a result, Yin Liyi's cabin was exposed to the afternoon sun.

Less than an hour into the journey, with the sun out, Yin Liyi found it unbearable. Her maid, Qiao Zhen, remarked, "This is too much sun. I wonder how the mansion arranged this. Should I speak to the young princess about this? It's quite unreasonable."

"Don't bother. It's too much trouble to switch cabins. Didn't you hear what they said earlier? They claimed the western cabin was larger and we had more people, so it's best to stay here. What can I say?" Yin Liyi felt she wanted to befriend Li Cheng's wife. Even if they couldn't be close friends, there was no need for petty tricks, yet Princess Zheng seemed to be playing these small games. In Li Cheng's presence, she acted as if she had done everything possible for Yin Liyi, only to target her once on board.

In reality, Huiyin didn't have these thoughts. As the Princess of Huaiyin, she naturally deserved the best cabin. It was her rightful place. Yin Liyi was just being brought back as a convenience. Even if her elder sister was Consort Yin Liyi, so what? Returning to Jianye, if she showed weakness, she could be manipulated by the Grand Dowager Wei, the Grand Dowager Wu, or even Princess Wei.

Without firmness, how could one truly show kindness?

Moreover, she wasn't targeting Yin Liyi; she was just handling things officially.

Is being polite now considered targeting?

Nanny Nan relayed what the servants stationed in the west had said to Huiyin, who frowned and remarked, "I thought she would ride to Qingzhou or find someone to take her there, but no, she's quietly returning to Jianye. What's her problem with me? If she's unhappy, why did she board my ship?"

"I said the same. I didn't realize that Yun Hui had been given to Li Cheng by Prince Wu, intended to be his concubine. Once I found out, I kept an eye on Yun Hui and discovered many issues." Nanny Nan had been cautious about Yun Hui ever since.

Huiyin gestured for her to stop. "Let's not be paranoid. I've left my two dowry servants to manage the household and Fugui to guard the home. What could they possibly do?"

Nanny Nan smiled. "If it's just about power struggles, it's minor. But if it's about the little prince..."

"If he can be so easily taken away, then he's not worth my true affection," Huiyin said philosophically.

Romantic relationships form only a small part of one's life, like a small flame. People live with other emotions, and even without emotions, there's still oneself.

Nanny Nan felt relieved, seeing that Huiyin had everything under control.

On the ship, Huiyin had more time to spend with Jing'er. However, many of her northern attendants were seasick and nauseous, some for the first time. Upon learning this, Yin Liyi had her maid, Qiao Zhen, prepare an acidic fish dish to help alleviate the nausea, which helped many feel better.

Huiyin had someone invite Yin Liyi over to thank her. "I'm truly grateful. Many of us northerners are prone to seasickness, and I didn't know what to do."

"It's nothing. No need to mention it," Yin Liyi said with a smile.

"We can't just overlook it. Many would have stood by and done nothing. You're a kind-hearted person, as everyone knows," Huiyin said.

Yin Liyi didn't like Huiyin, not because Huiyin had done anything to her, but because they didn't get along personality-wise. She saw herself as someone who stood up for others, passionate and righteous, while Huiyin was calculating and shrewd.

"I won't accept the candied fruits and dried nuts Huiyin gave me," Yin Liyi firmly refused. "I already have some with me."

"Then I won't insist, so you won't feel pressured to finish them," Huiyin said.

After Yin Liyi left, Huiyin asked Nanny Nan to inform the kitchen to prepare more of Yin Liyi's favorite dishes as a way to return the favor.

From that day on, Yin Liyi received an extra bowl of tonic soup each day—sometimes stewed chicken with fish maw, other times ice sugar bird's nest porridge, or even old hen ginseng soup. Unable to consume these tonics herself, she let her attendants have them instead.

"Are you worried about Master Xie? In my opinion, he's been through many battles and will surely be okay," Qiaozhen said.

"How can he be okay after being hit by a poisoned arrow?" Yin Liyi was very upset.

But Qiaozhen replied, "Madam, don't worry. With the help of the Little Prince, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. The Little Prince promised to help Master Xie."

Yin Liyi pressed her lips together. "It was easier to talk about this before. I know the Little Prince well—his words may be sharp, but he is very loyal. But now, he lets Princess Zheng drive away so many of the old servants from the mansion, even He Guanshi, who used to cook delicious food for us, and Zhong Guanshi, who had a loud voice but a good heart. Do you really think he hasn't changed?"

"Indeed, why does the Little Prince listen to Princess Zheng so much?" Qiaozhen couldn't understand.

Yin Liyi shook her head. "Perhaps it's because of the Zheng family's influence. If the Little Prince offends Princess Zheng and Jizhou joins the war, the consequences could be serious."

After a journey of just two or three days, they arrived in Jianye. Surprisingly, no one came to receive them at the dock. Huiyin already expected this. She called for the steward and said, "Go to Grand Dowager Wu's place to pay our respects. If she is not available, find the mansion's steward to help us transport our things."

Yin Liyi couldn't wait. She had only seven or eight boxes, which her servants could carry off the ship.

Huiyin didn't try to keep her. "We have a lot of things, so I'll wait for our people to arrive before leaving. In these turbulent times, I won't keep you here. We'll talk next time."

"Don't worry about me. I'm very familiar with Jianye," Yin Liyi said hurriedly before leaving.

Jianye, another new place. Watching Yin Liyi's departing figure, Huiyin suddenly thought of something. Currently, Yin Liyi is still like this because Xie Jiuyi was only wounded by a poisoned arrow. But what if Xie Jiuyi didn't make it? Though it's not right to think this way about someone, if that happens, what will become of Yin Liyi?

The steward hadn't returned even after half an hour, and Nanny Nan became anxious. "This is too much. They asked us to come, but now no one is here to receive us. This is bullying."

Huiyin smiled. "It's fine. Tell the boatmen that if no one comes to receive us, we'll turn the ship back. I understand that Grand Dowager Wu probably can't arrange for us properly. I get it."

You can't worry about everything. Originally, she never wanted to leave Li Cheng, and now it feels even more important.

Before the news could spread for more than forty-five minutes, someone finally came. It was Nanny Fan, who had been sent by the mansion. Nanny Fan quickly greeted them and explained that Grand Dowager Wu was listening to a play at Wei Imperial Consort's place today.

The lives of the grand dowagers consisted of listening to plays, playing cards, eating, and drinking. After the death of the Prince of Wu, these expenses were covered by Li Cheng. These elders were very cautious with their money and rarely spent it.

Huiyin smiled. "I was afraid of disturbing the grand dowagers. You don't know how much our Little Prince can't bear to part with the heir. I had no choice."

Nanny Fan thought that if they had brought Princess Zheng to Jianye earlier, things might have been different. Now that she had given birth to a son and established herself, she had the confidence to challenge others.

The alleys in Jianye were numerous, unlike the wide roads in the north where horses were commonly used. Here, mules were the majority, and even the horses used were mostly slow ones. Huiyin said to Nanny Nan, "Arrange the ceremonial procession, but not the full set. Half will do."

Nanny Nan went to carry out her orders. Huiyin then said to Nanny Fan, "Nanny, later you'll ride with me in the carriage, and tell me about the local customs and culture of Jianye."

"Yes," Nanny Fan thought that this young princess certainly had quite the grandeur, enough to drive Xun Rou away.

As someone who worked under Grand Dowager Wu, Nanny Fan was quite wary of Princess Zheng. To her surprise, as soon as she got on the carriage, instead of the usual dignified presence, Princess Zheng graciously gave her a pair of embroidered pouches.

"Nanny Fan, I'm rewarding you with this. It must have been hard helping to take care of the grand dowager all these years. I'm not sure what to give you, so these pouches contain gold and silver ingots," Huiyin said with a smile as she handed them to her.

Nanny Fan was even more afraid that this was some scheme by Huiyin. She quickly said, "Young Princess, one should not accept rewards without merit. If the grand dowager finds out that I accepted money from you, it won't be good. Serving you is my duty as a servant."

Huiyin smiled. "There's no need to be so formal. It's been over a year since I last rewarded you during my wedding. A lot has changed in this past year. Our mansion now has a young heir, but I've never dealt with the grand dowager before. I'll need your guidance, Nanny."

If it were any other young daughter-in-law trying to curry favor like this, Nanny Fan wouldn't think much of it. Even if she took the money without doing anything, no one would blame her. But Princess Zheng's money wasn't easy to take! Just the fact that she tolerated corrupt servants initially and then eliminated them all showed her methods.

Furthermore, she has the young prince in her care, and look how fair and chubby the young prince is.

However, Grand Dowager Wu is different. Her son has passed away, and her grandson and great-grandson may not necessarily listen to her.

Nanny Fan pretended to decline a few times but eventually accepted, saying, "This old servant is filled with guilt."

"Don't mention these past matters anymore. Back then, you and I were just in different positions, but from now on, you can completely adapt to the situation, which is only natural for people." Huiyin said with a smile.

Nanny Fan feared that Huiyin was setting a trap, but hearing her tone now, she felt that Huiyin truly understood human nature. People, by nature, tend to be opportunistic. It's just that some say once unfaithful, forever untrustworthy, but Princess Zheng's stance was: "If it's beneficial for me, I don't mind you siding with me, and if I fall out of favor, I won't blame you for siding with someone else." This showed her pragmatism and flexibility.

"This servant understands." Nanny Fan said.

Huiyin then looked ahead and saw that the child in the wet nurse's arms had shifted, so the nurse adjusted her position and handed the child to another wet nurse. Huiyin then said to Nanny Fan, "As for me, it's fine, but these wet nurses need to feed the children, so there are dietary restrictions. I will have to trouble you with that."

This matter was too small for Nanny Fan, and she immediately agreed.

After that, Huiyin closed her eyes to rest and said nothing.

The more Nanny Fan observed Huiyin, the more she felt that Huiyin was unfathomable, and she didn’t dare to speak too much. She occasionally thought about how although Grand Dowager Wu was still hale, she was already in her sixties. Even if she lived another ten or twenty years, her ability to manage affairs would decline with age. So when the young princess extended an olive branch, she was tempted, but she couldn’t show it yet.

Although the young princess spoke of adapting to the situation, if one changed too quickly, people would look down on you.

If Xuzhou was a strategically important location for military forces, then Jianye was undoubtedly the most prosperous place in the world. Huiyin could hear the lively bustle of the city, a testament to its vibrant atmosphere. No wonder even Zheng Wuheng was captivated when he came to Jianye.

In fact, the fiefdom of the Prince of Wu was also a good place, not inferior to Jianye. However, when the Prince of Wu was alive, he was weak, and the relationship between the Prince of Wu and the Prince of Wei was good. The Prince of Wu entrusted his estate to the Prince of Wei. Naturally, he had to, as the Prince of Wei was his recognized uncle, and maintaining harmony was important.

On a daily basis, Grand Dowager Wu always kept company with Wei Imperial Consort, living in Zhaoming Palace, which was the former palace of the King of Yue from the previous dynasty and later became the Prince of Wei’s mansion.

Of course, the Prince of Wei also granted the Huaiyin Mansion to Li Cheng, but they had to go and pay their respects to the Prince of Wei and the imperial consorts before returning to their own mansion.

The Prince of Wei’s mansion, though not necessarily a place of flourishing flowers, was towering and solemn.

They got off the ceremonial carriage at the entrance and switched to sedan chairs to be carried inside. Upon reaching the second gate, they saw a group of servant women dressed in silk and satin approaching, all smiling and saying, "The two imperial consorts and the princess have been waiting for you. They have been eagerly anticipating your arrival."

Huiyin smiled and said, "I apologize for not coming sooner."

Walking through the passage, when they reached the third vermilion gate on the east side, Huiyin looked up and saw the plaque read "Zhaoming Palace." She guessed this was where Wei Imperial Consort lived.

Two female officials came out to welcome Huiyin. They were dressed differently from the other palace maids. The maids usually wore side locks or hanging buns with green or red beizi, while the female officials were dressed like officials, in round-neck robes with black-winged hats. Huiyin had heard from Yin Liyi and Xue Huanhuan that they were both former female officials of Wei Imperial Consort.

These women were likely from families of minor officials, though they were certainly not ordinary.

Huiyin nodded at the two female officials, her hands folded in front of her, her eyes straight ahead, with a faint smile on her lips as she followed them inside. After passing through the vermilion gate and two ceremonial gates, they saw a plaque that read "Cining Ankang" with powerful brushstrokes, which she suspected might be Li Cheng’s handwriting.

It was said that five years ago, Li Cheng had helped manage the Prince of Wei’s mansion and did a good job, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the calligraphy was his.

This was a place Li Cheng had been very familiar with, and the people living here were almost all Li Cheng’s family. The more familiar they were with Li Cheng and the better their impression of him, the more critical they would be of her.

Human relationships are often delicate and complex, just like her sister-in-law Xin Shi, who was both clever and adaptable, even she faced some initial criticism from her mother-in-law.

After crossing the threshold and passing through the pearl curtains, she could see the women inside adorned with jewels and jade. A young female voice came from inside, "Let the Princess of Huaiyin come in."

The maids standing on both sides immediately lifted the curtains, hooking them on silver hooks shaped like cranes, revealing the people behind them to Huiyin.

Sitting on the throne was a woman in her mid-forties who smiled at her. She wore a purple gauze robe, and one could imagine how beautiful she must have been in her youth.

This was Wei Imperial Consort. Huiyin recognized everyone present. Although Grand Dowager Wu was over sixty, thin, and had large eyes that showed she took good care of herself, the deep vertical lines on her forehead revealed her bad temper.

There was also the Princess of Wei, Huo Shi, the secondary consort of the Prince of Wei, Lady Yin, and the mother of the Princess of Wei, Grand Dowager Huo, among others.

It's quite strange that Yin Liyi is quite beautiful, with an especially good figure, yet Yin secondary consort is quite ordinary. Although she had some beauty, she couldn’t compare to Yin Liyi at all. On the contrary, Wei Imperial Consort Huo was quite lovely and charming, her beauty radiating.

Just as Huiyin was evaluating them, they were also sizing her up. They saw that this woman from the Zheng family was tall, taller by a full head than the women of Jianye and Wu. She had a well-proportioned figure, her skin was smooth and lustrous, her beauty as bright as a peach blossom, and her demeanor proper.

Wei Imperial Consort said to Huiyin, “My old sister has been waiting for you for a long time. We know you’ve had a hard journey, and we hope you won’t blame us.”

“Imperial Consort, you’re being too polite. As soon as our prince received the letters from you and Grand Dowager Wu, he told me how heartbroken he was that he couldn’t serve by your knees. He sent me to come and serve you with Jing’er as soon as possible. Jing’er is three months old now and has been well on the journey,” Huiyin said with a smile and a bow.

These were her elders, and she spoke with great propriety and humility, not showing any impatience.

Grand Dowager Wu was someone who wasn’t very likable in the palace when she was young. In fact, her appearance was quite good among the crowd, but she wasn’t favored. She only gave birth to the Prince of Wu and was promoted from Talent to Consort, but she remained a Consort and never advanced further.

As soon as she saw Jing’er, she wouldn’t let go, leaving the wet nurses feeling awkward.

However, Huiyin was afraid when she saw Grand Dowager Wu’s long nails. The women in the palace had a habit of growing their nails. On the one hand, it indicated long, elegant fingers, and on the other hand, it showed that the person was accustomed to a life of leisure.

Those nails were so long they could easily scratch the baby’s face, and any mother would be anxious.

“This child is so cute, just like our Cheng’er was when he was young,” Grand Dowager Wu said, not letting go of her great-grandson.

Wei Imperial Consort smiled and said, “Sister, it’s better to leave the child to the wet nurse. The powder and rouge here are too strong for little children.”

Wei Imperial Consort seemed to be helping Huiyin, who looked at her gratefully but didn’t really agree in her heart. If it weren’t for Wei Imperial Consort, she wouldn’t have had to return at all. The habits she had developed in the palace from her previous life made her distrust everyone’s words.

Obviously, Grand Dowager Wu was very reluctant, but Huiyin smiled and said, “Grandmother, your granddaughter-in-law will live in Jianye in the future and accompany you. You’ll be able to see the child every day.”

Hearing this, Grand Dowager Wu lifted her eyelids slightly. Before she saw Jing’er, she was just angry at Zheng. Although she had never met her, she had heard about how Zheng had beaten her old servant to death and driven away her niece, all things that trampled on her dignity. She could only share these things with Wei Imperial Consort and asked her for help, hoping that bringing her great-grandson back would put Zheng under her control.

In front of so many people, Grand Dowager Wu couldn’t just snatch her great-grandson away and could only smile faintly and say, “It’s good to hear that you have this intention.”

Huiyin offered a small smile and could sense that the smile didn’t reach the older woman’s eyes.

Afterward, both Wei Imperial Consort and Grand Dowager Wu asked about Li Cheng’s situation, showing considerable concern. Huo, the Princess of Wei, explained from the side, “Li Cheng’s wife, both Imperial Consorts have watched Li Cheng grow up, so they care about him very much.”

Huiyin smiled and said, “As the saying goes, a mother worries about her son for ninety-nine years out of a hundred. Isn’t that the truth? Our Little Prince usually follows orders to train troops in Huai and Si. He rarely comes back, and even when he does, he doesn’t stay long at home. Actually, I remember that the Little Prince brought my brother to pay respects to both Imperial Consorts and Uncle Wei Wang just a few months ago, didn’t he?”

It was as if they hadn’t seen each other for ten or eight years when it had only been a few months.

Grand Dowager Wu’s eyes suddenly became sharp. She felt that Huiyin’s personality wasn’t good and that she seemed a little disobedient.

People in the deep palace, whether favored or not, lived very repressed lives, which made them suddenly become harsh and very sensitive. Just as Grand Dowager Wu heard this, she couldn’t help but say, “The weather is starting to turn cold. Have you prepared clothes and quilts for Xuzhou? Our Little Prince is usually quite picky about food, and when he came back last time, I saw that he had lost weight. I wonder how that happened?”

Is that all she can throw at me?

Huiyin smiled charmingly, “Our Little Prince dislikes extravagance and prefers simpler fare. I noticed that he is a bit picky, so I often cook for him. Whenever he comes back, I cook for him. This time when he came back, what he regretted most was not being able to eat my cooking. But I told him, what does it matter? The most important thing is to show filial respect here.”

Grand Dowager Wu had intended to say that she hadn’t taken good care of Li Cheng, but now she seemed like the one who wasn’t considerate of her grandson. How dare she speak to me this way?