Chapter 48

Chapter 48

◎Combined Two Chapters◎

"Why are you clashing with her? I've heard about your situation. There's no need to teach others a lesson in everything; everyone has their own way of living." Yin Lifen felt that her sister's actions were unwise.

Yin Liyi, however, said, "I think after she had the child, her arrogance has only grown. Initially, I thought it had nothing to do with me, but now the Little Prince has grown distant from the Prince of Wei. What if it's discovered by the Prince of Wei in the future? We might end up in internal conflict before any external threat."

Yin Lifen shook her head. "You worry too much. I'm not aware of these matters."

"I'm just concerned. We were once close; what good would it do if we turned on each other?" Yin Liyi's husband, Xie Jiuyi, had a close relationship with Li Cheng, and they worked together for the Prince of Wei. Wasn't that a good thing?

Yin Lifen looked at her sister and said, "These matters are not for us to meddle in. We should know our place. I'm fortunate to be in the Prince of Wei's mansion, and thanks to my caution, I've been able to protect myself."

Though Yin Liyi was usually impulsive, she forced a smile when she saw her sister's serious expression and said, "Alright, I'll stay out of it."

After a few days of lying low, Huiyin was invited by Lady Gao, the wife of the young master of the Lu family, to a tea party, where she, of course, shone brilliantly. Lady Gao and Lady Gao felt that Huiyin's fearless attitude towards the Prince of Wei and the Xie family only confirmed that they had made the right choice in aligning with her.

Having achieved her goal, Huiyin knew when to stop and began to organize household matters.

First, she checked if the allotments for Grand Dowager Wu, the high-ranking concubine, were sufficient. Although she didn't like her, she still needed to maintain appearances. Fortunately, Grand Dowager Wu now had several nuns to keep her company, and the troublemakers had been sent away. Nanny Fan had already pledged allegiance to Huiyin and always spoke well of her.

After confirming Grand Dowager Wu's situation, she turned to the internal accounts. The external accounts were managed by Li Cheng, who would transfer the funds to the internal accounts. All unresolved matters from the past were now being addressed uniformly.

"Granny Chao made some mistakes before, but she is still the prince's wet nurse, so she should still receive her usual rewards. As for Yun Hui, there's no need to elevate her," Huiyin said.

Yun Hui was already at her breaking point. Huiyin couldn't be too ruthless.

Unbeknownst to Huiyin, Yun Hui's days were also tough. Although she was a widow in the mansion, she used to be the chief housekeeper, managing many people and commanding respect like a second mistress.

But now, she was just the head of a nunnery, living a hard life with only two rough servants under her, having to do chores herself. As the weather turned cold, she had to fetch water to wash her hair, catching a cold from the wind and coughing incessantly.

At her age, Grand Dowager Wu, though kind-looking, valued her life even more. "Nanny Fan, please inform the princess that someone here is coughing non-stop and should be sent home," she said.

This matter didn't require Huiyin's involvement. The current manager, Lady Liu, handled it quickly and sent Yun Hui home. Granny Chao still had some personal savings and used them to buy medicine for her daughter, but she could no longer enjoy the tea house in the mansion.

"If I were still serving in the mansion, the tea house would have brought medicine," Granny Chao sighed. "They would also have sent four types of dried fruits and four types of candied fruits."

"Cough, cough, Mother, please don't say that. Others are pushing people out, and there's nothing we can do. Fortunately, we've saved enough money to get by," Yun Hui sometimes thought of revenge but knew she needed to endure, just as she had endured with Xun Rou before, taking it step by step.

After handling the mansion's affairs, Huiyin finally began her real rest, with constant nourishing foods. To truly recover, one should focus solely on rest without thinking about anything else.

When Li Cheng returned two months later, he saw that Huiyin's complexion was as fresh as a peach blossom, so soft that it seemed to glow with moisture. He touched his own face and said, "Have I gotten much darker?"

"You're a man, why worry about that? It's already the twelfth lunar month; are you going to Xuzhou again this time?" Huiyin hugged his arm as they walked in.

Li Cheng took off his armor and changed into casual clothes, saying, "We'll have to see what Uncle Wei Wang says."

"It's been months; what have you decided about Lü Wei's matter?" Huiyin asked.

Li Cheng smiled. "We're not the ones in a hurry. Why should we rush into action?"

The Crown Prince’s promises were just empty words. Who knew if they would come true? Besides, killing Lü Wei was extremely risky. Without a significant enough temptation, who would take such a risk? Empty promises won't fool anyone.

"You're right; let's just have a peaceful New Year," Huiyin ordered, calling for warm almond milk to be served. Warm drinks were perfect for the cold season.

After the servants brought in the almond milk, they also served hot chestnut and peanut cakes. Only after drinking it did Li Cheng feel warmer, but as soon as he did, he felt sleepy.

Huiyin indulged him. Home was a safe harbor where no matter how tired and worn out you were outside, it was always the warmest and most healing place.

After a good night’s sleep, Li Cheng woke up to the warm glow of an orange lamp filtering through the screen, which instantly made him feel at ease.

“Huiyin…”

As soon as he called out, Huiyin entered the door and said with a smile, “You woke up just in time! Dinner is ready, and I’ve been waiting to share it with you.”

Lamb is especially nourishing in the winter months, and today they had a lamb hotpot. Li Cheng looked at his wife and said with some embarrassment, “I don’t know what came over me, but I was exhausted as soon as we got home.”

“Probably because home is the most comfortable place, so you fell asleep right away. Sleeping more helps to recover. I wish you could sleep longer.” Huiyin didn’t mind.

She wasn’t the type to feel idle or bored. Managing the household, reading, preparing gourmet dishes, and attending social gatherings were all part of her role as the lady of the house.

Huiyin never found these daily tasks tedious. To her, if she couldn’t manage a small family, how could she manage a larger one? Besides, interacting with people every day kept her mind sharp.

Li Cheng asked again, “How have you and the children been in Jianye?”

Huiyin smiled and said, “Everything else is fine, except that Lady Xie seems to be acting strange, as if she took the wrong medicine.” She then told him how Yin Liyi had spoken ill of her behind her back and openly targeted her during a banquet.

At the end, she added, “Those who don’t know might think she’s been possessed. Isn’t it funny? What does my life have to do with hers? In the past, she was sometimes overly innocent when talking to me, but never this confrontational.”

Li Cheng listened and wondered, “Maybe someone put ideas into her head.”

“What do you think they said? Could it be that she’s getting involved just because I visited my parents with you? She’s not my mother-in-law, so why does she meddle so much?” Huiyin just wanted to vent a little.

Sometimes, when women want to vent, it doesn’t mean they really want to do something about it. When it came to verbal sparring, she had never lost.

Li Cheng hesitated before responding, “Before, I saw her being quite respectful to you. It’s strange that she’s become so arrogant now. She’s not the type to scheme. There must be something going on. Don’t worry, she’s easy to talk to. I’ll see her when I go to the Xie family tomorrow.”

“Ah, don’t say that I instigated this,” Huiyin just wanted to vent and didn’t expect Li Cheng to help.

Li Cheng found it amusing and said, “I understand.”

After their brief separation, the couple reconnected. After the meal, Li Cheng picked up Huiyin and carried her to the bed. His hands gently caressed her, and Huiyin held him tightly…

When Li Cheng woke up in the morning, he noticed the dark circles under his wife’s eyes and her tired appearance, while he felt refreshed and in high spirits. He bent down and kissed Huiyin on the cheek. Huiyin, ticklish, quickly turned away. He chuckled and said, “I’ll go to the Xie family now and then to Uncle Wei Wang’s place. You rest well at home.”

Huiyin, with her eyes closed, waved her hand and said, “Go, go.”

Li Cheng was extremely elated, like they say about newlyweds. Every night with Huiyin was an ultimate enjoyment.

When he saw Xie Jiuyi again, they sat according to their ranks. “I came back yesterday evening and visited you early this morning. What’s the plan? What does the lord think?”

As a senior advisor to the Prince of Wei, Xie Jiuyi only shared information with Yin Liyi after careful consideration, not something spoken casually. Seeing Li Cheng come to his residence so quickly, unlike before when everything was centered around the Prince of Wei, he slowly confirmed his suspicions.

“The Qingzhou territory is like a cooked duck that flew away. Naturally, the lord wants to take it, but as the Eastern Palace said, perhaps only the Marquis of Zhaojie can accomplish this.” Xie Jiuyi said.

Li Cheng clapped his hands and said, “I think that if we’re afraid the Eastern Palace will go back on their word, we should occupy Qingzhou first. This way, your father-in-law can decisively fight with his back against the wall. If the Eastern Palace is truly willing to give up Qingzhou, they shouldn’t fight us. As for Lü Wei, if your father-in-law wants to take it, he’ll inevitably clash with Lü Wei.”

Xie Jiuyi smiled and said, “In your opinion, Little Prince, who should lead the charge? I can’t, as I lost the last battle, and the prince won’t send me for a while.”

His implication was, of course, that Li Cheng should take the lead, but Li Cheng wouldn’t easily express what he wanted. He only said, “Everything depends on Uncle Wei Wang’s arrangement.”

The two men exchanged a knowing smile, and Li Cheng drank another cup of tea. Seeing Yin Liyi serving tea and snacks, Li Cheng tried one and said, “Madam Xie’s skills are getting better and better.”

Yin Liyi was delighted by the compliment, “These are pastries made with milk, topped with red and green grapes from the Western Regions. Naturally, they taste good. You won’t find such purity outside.”

Li Cheng thought that Yin Liyi couldn’t possibly target Huiyin for no reason. While the Xie family is closely aligned with the Prince of Wei and related by marriage, their rank is still below mine. He was still a prince of a commandery!

After finishing a pastry, Li Cheng put it down and looked at Xie Jiuyi and his wife, “I heard that Uncle Wang plans to marry Jianjia to Wei Duo’s second son. Is there such a thing?”

Indeed, as soon as he said this, he saw Yin Liyi's eyebrows rise in anger. Xie Jiuyi nodded and said, "Yes, Wei Xiao dominates the Central Plains. It's only natural that our lord would seek a marriage alliance with him. For now, it's not advisable for us to open hostilities on the northern front."

"This marriage alliance actually makes sense," Li Cheng thought. Currently, the Prince of Wei cannot compete with Wei Xiao, so it's better to form an alliance. Besides, Wei Xiao is a talented individual and is a suitable match for Princess Jianjia.

Xie Jiuyi remained noncommittal.

However, Yin Liyi interjected, "Little Prince, Wei Xiao has divorced his first wife. Now he wants to marry Princess Jianjia. A family like that—"

For the past two months, Yin Liyi had been trying to find a solution to this matter but couldn't figure out where to start. She didn't expect that Li Cheng would agree with the alliance.

Before she could finish, Li Cheng, visibly displeased, said, "This isn't an ordinary marriage. This is a political alliance for the sake of peace between two regions. Even I have to form a marriage alliance. Why wouldn't Princess Jianjia have to?"

If not for Xie Jiuyi's presence, Li Cheng felt he would have spoken more harshly. It wasn't that he didn't care about his cousin, but times had changed. Even Huiyin had to marry into a distant family.

"Why should women be burdened with such national affairs?" Yin Liyi asked. She always felt that because of their childhood relationship, she could be more candid with Li Cheng than with others.

Li Cheng, seeing her indignation, retorted, "You don't need to tell me this. You should speak to Prince of Wei about it. Why are you shouting at me? You see that Xie Jiuyi agrees too. Your opposition alone is useless."

Who was she venting to? He wasn't her husband and wouldn't indulge her. If she had the energy to lash out, she should direct it at Prince of Wei.

Yin Liyi, deflated, said, "If I could persuade Prince of Wei, why would I complain to you? I just feel sorry for Princess Wei!"

Mentioning Princess Wei did make Li Cheng feel a pang of guilt, but he didn't want to engage further with Yin Liyi. However, her unconcealed hostility towards Huiyin made him wonder if his status had been compromised, giving her the courage to act this way.

Now, seeing how pregnancy had made her more impulsive and unrestrained, he knew he wouldn’t get anything useful from her.

Xie Jiuyi had also remained silent. Li Cheng then stood up, dusting the wrinkles on his right shoulder, and said, "I'll go pay my respects to Uncle Wang then."

Xie Jiuyi stood up to see him off. After sending Li Cheng out, he turned to Yin Liyi and said, "I know you are upright and love to fight for justice, but many things are not up to us to decide."

"But I know you must have a way," Yin Liyi said with a sly smile, knowing her husband was capable.

Xie Jiuyi shook his head, "You think too highly of me. I love your innocence the most, but there are some things even I can't do anything about. However, I believe there are still a few years before this marriage takes place. Things might change in those years."

Hearing there was a possibility of change, Yin Liyi was immediately happy, "That's wonderful."

Xie Jiuyi thought that if Prince of Wei could rely on Li Cheng to secure Qingzhou, they could eventually move north, and Zheng Fang in Jizhou wouldn’t pose a threat. If Prince of Wei were to confront Wei Xiao in the future, perhaps Princess Jianjia wouldn't have to marry Wei Xiao's son.

Seeing that his wife was no longer concerned about Princess Jianjia's marriage, he said, "I need to go to Prince of Wei's mansion. Keep the household in order while I'm gone."

"Alright," Yin Liyi agreed.

When Li Cheng met with Prince of Wei, the prince echoed Xie Jiuyi's sentiments. He even took the initiative to say, "This matter requires your involvement. You and I, as uncle and nephew, are serving the emperor. The emperor won't mistreat us."

"Uncle Wang is right. I am unworthy and lack the means. I can barely govern Xuzhou. I am grateful that you still trust me with such an important task," Li Cheng spoke highly of Prince of Wei.

Prince of Wei smiled, "Only you can do this. This is also the purpose of our previous marriage alliance."

Li Cheng stayed and discussed the details with Prince of Wei before returning to his mansion. As soon as he returned, he told Huiyin about it, "The crown prince is trying to pull a fast one, but we're not falling for it."

"Yes, but be careful—remember how the crown prince used poisoned arrows before; he’s unpredictable," Huiyin advised.

Li Cheng laughed, "It's too early to talk about war. I think we should first send a letter to the crown prince and ask for his sincerity."

Li Cheng's letter was quickly delivered to Li Heng. It stated that Prince of Wei agreed to withdraw his forces south of Jiahui Pass in exchange for the crown prince's assistance in eliminating Lü Wei.

"This brat..." Li Heng was certainly displeased.

He Guoguo had already been confined by Lü Wei. Recently, he had been promising Zheng Fang. Although they were technically father-in-law and son-in-law, Zheng Fang had been playing dumb with him.

So, when De Yin sent over the silver ear and lotus seed soup, he immediately threw the bowl to the ground.

The servants dropped to their knees, calling out, "Crown Prince!"

Li Heng suppressed his temper. After all, Qingzhou was caught between the Prince of Wei and the Marquis of Zhaojie, and he couldn't fully control it. Moreover, it was merely the He family's army. It would be better to withdraw his men first. Otherwise, Lü Wei's next move might be to depose the emperor and declare himself emperor, let alone what he would do to Li Heng himself.

He forced out three words through clenched teeth: "I'm fine."

That night, he ordered his trusted aide to take his token and head to Qingzhou. He had no choice but to agree, even though it meant letting others take advantage of the situation. Otherwise, it would be hard to maintain the balance.

A half-month later, without losing a single soldier, the He family withdrew from Qingzhou, and Li Cheng moved in with his troops. He specifically sent a trusted aide to Jizhou to tell Zheng Fang not to make any rash moves and raise Lü Wei's suspicions. Then, when Lü Wei was off guard, they would strike.

…

In Jianye, Huiyin heard the news from the frontline that Li Cheng had successfully occupied Jiahui Pass and was very pleased for him. No wonder the Crown Prince in the past life marched to Xuzhou and suffered so many casualties without gaining anything. Li Cheng was indeed extraordinarily strategic.

Lady Gao also had many praises, and Huiyin smiled. "The situation at the frontline is uncertain. I think it's better to stay low-key."

Huiyin remembered from her past life that her father had helped Li Heng kill Lü Wei but didn't gain any advantage. Instead, he was bound to the Crown Prince's chariot and used thoroughly. She couldn't let that happen again in this life. Fortunately, Li Cheng's plan was excellent. He advised Zheng Fang to kill Lü Wei and then quickly occupy the north of Jiahui Pass, but not be the Crown Prince's scapegoat. Instead, they should first consolidate Lü Wei's troops.

This might be why Zheng Fang trusted Li Cheng. But in this life, would her father be able to kill Lü Wei without complications?

Zheng Fang was indeed successful. He had always been a supporter of Lü Wei. Although he usually had some power, he was very respectful to Lü Wei, and many people wanted to assassinate him. It was Zheng Fang who helped him fend off these attempts numerous times.

Just like now, as Lü Wei was preparing to declare himself emperor, he asked Zheng Fang to help guard at night.

On this ordinary night, Lü Wei was trying on the emperor's crown when he was stabbed in the back. The sword was sharp and fast, and soon a hammer smashed his chest. Lü Wei fell in a pool of blood, pointing at Zheng Fang. "You, why are you doing this to me? I... didn't I promise to make you a non-royal prince after I ascend the throne?"

Zheng Fang laughed. "Old thief, do you think I'm a fool? If you ascended the throne, the first thing you'd do is kill me."

Lü Wei wanted to say something, but Zheng Fang said, "I, Zheng Fang, have no desire to be emperor..."

Lü Wei never imagined that after a lifetime of brilliant and flawless strategies, he would meet his end at Zheng Fang’s hands. So many people had tried to assassinate him, and it was Zheng Fang who protected him. And now, he was killed by this very man.

Yes, Zheng Fang was indeed tempted by the sight of the crown.

But remembering his son-in-law's instructions, he had to hold back. First, he needed to find where He Guoguo was being held. He Guoguo thought Zheng Fang had come to rescue him and was very pleased.

"Marquis of Zhaojie, you've finally come."

Zheng Fang smiled. "Yes, you've been through a lot. Lü Wei is dead, but I haven't released the news of his death yet. Soon, the whole world will know..."

He Guoguo was overjoyed. "Good, good, good. With his death, no one will threaten the Crown Prince anymore." He was already thinking about how to swallow Lü Wei's army, but it wasn't the time to say it yet.

He needed to reassure Zheng Fang. "How did you kill Lü Wei?"

Zheng Fang repeated what Li Cheng had taught him, word for word. "Lord He, it was you who killed Lü Wei, how can it be me?"

"What do you mean?" He Guoguo didn't understand.

Zheng Fang said impatiently, "It means I'm framing you."

His son-in-law told him not to take the lead. Everyone wanted to see chaos in the capital, but whoever stuck their neck out might be targeted by others under the pretext of "cleansing the court." It was better to push it onto He Jin.

In this way, Zheng Fang not only got the north of Jiahui Pass in Qingzhou but also the He family's northwestern army without drawing attention to himself.

That night, the Crown Prince rested at De Yin's place but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. De Yin was puzzled. "Is something bothering you, Crown Prince?"

"Nothing, I was just wondering how the national uncle is doing while being held," Li Heng lied casually. For now, he was still loosely aligned with the He family. If Lü Wei fell, his threats would be greatly reduced. At least He Guoguo didn't have the courage yet and still needed Li Heng to give him wealth and honor.

De Yin was lost in thought. In a past life, she had heard that the Crown Prince nearly died from a poisoned arrow during a battle with Li Cheng. Fortunately, Zheng Wuheng had shielded him from the arrow. But in this life, Zheng Wuheng might not do the same, and who knows what the future holds...

She warned Li Heng, "Prince, you must be careful of my brother-in-law, the Prince of Huaiyin. I suspect he has great ambitions and sharp tactics; he will surely become a major threat in the future."

Li Heng thought to himself that he was just waiting for Zheng Fang to kill Lü Wei. Then he would have He Guoguo kill Zheng Fang and take Jizhou in his hands. Zheng Fang was brave but easily influenced and lacked strategy, so he would be easy to deal with. As for Li Cheng, while he was formidable, Li Heng had already dealt with him in Qingzhou. Why fear him now?

Just as he was thinking this, an attendant urgently reported, "Prince, something terrible has happened. He Guoguo discovered that Lü Wei was planning to usurp the throne, and they both perished."

"What? He Guoguo is dead as well?" The prince couldn't believe it.

Outside the capital, Zheng Fang had already fled from Lü Wei's residence, feeling elated. Li Cheng's plan was clever, and he genuinely liked it.

The next morning, he planned to take control of the Lü and He family armies under the guise of stabilizing the capital.