Chapter 50

Chapter 50

◎Combined Double Chapters◎

Although Li Cheng wouldn't be returning home for the New Year this year, he had spent a great deal of time with her throughout the year. The months he spent in Jizhou were practically day and night together. However, Huiyin was well aware that they were living in turbulent times, and danger could arise at any moment. Li Cheng needed to keep a close eye on the situation in Xuzhou.

"I originally thought you'd be able to spend the New Year at home with us. Jing'er can now call for his father, but you, as his father, can't be with him," Huiyin said with a playful reproach.

Li Cheng laughed. "Can you be a bit more reasonable? I specifically came back to fetch you all. As for Jing'er, I wish I could spend more time with him too, but there's no way around it. When he grows up, I can take him out with me every day, but that would leave you alone. How about giving me a daughter instead?"

Huiyin pulled away from him. "Don't get your hopes up."

"I'm serious now. A real man, if he cannot live in luxury, should at least die in honor. During the days I'm not here, take good care of yourself and don't be afraid. I've left a team of people to specifically protect you," Li Cheng said, gently rubbing her face.

Huiyin patted his hand. "Hurry up and go. Don't dawdle."

Just moments ago, she was reluctant to see him leave, but now she was urging him to go. Li Cheng, feeling a bit reluctant himself, went to take one last look at Jing'er in the anteroom. The one-year-old child was walking on the Persian carpet in the room, surprisingly steady for his age, not as wobbly as other children his age. He looked at Li Cheng, wanting to come over but also glancing back at his wet nurse.

Li Cheng picked up Jing'er, and the scent of milk on the child filled him with motivation.

Li Cheng's departure left Huiyin with memories of his sword dancing. He was, without a doubt, a born hero, someone who could attract attention wherever he went. No wonder so many women liked him.

Even the Huo family had intentions of sending their daughter over as a Cifei. This was after Xu Cifei, who failed to cause trouble, sent someone to inform them.

"Are you saying that the Prince of Wei intends to marry Miss Huo, the third daughter, into our household?" Huiyin frowned.

The person sent by Xu Cifei said, "What our Noble Consort heard is indeed so. The Huo family, being the natal family of Princess Wei, has deep roots in Jiangnan and is different from others."

This was a method of consolidating alliances. Women were treated like tools by them.

"Fugui, give a reward. Tell Xu Cifei that I appreciate her persistence," Huiyin remarked, somewhat admiring Xu Cifei's relentless efforts.

After the servant of Xu Cifei left, Nanny Nan anxiously said, "Princess, what are we going to do?"

"When the sky wants to rain and a woman wants to marry, who can stop it? Unless the Little Prince himself doesn't want to marry her, there's no point in me trying to stop it. Another woman will always come along," Huiyin said. Now that she had a son and status, and Li Cheng's affection for her was evident, she wasn't too worried. However, she was curious about the extent of his affection.

The competition for beauty and favor could only begin once this woman from the Huo family entered the mansion.

Princess Wei was also thinking about this matter. As Li Cheng's elder, the marriage of her younger sister through her didn't align with their ranks, but the royal family didn't concern themselves with such details.

She took the opportunity to ask the Prince of Wei, who had come over today, "My Lord, are you really going to betroth your third sister to the Little Prince?"

"Yes, haven't I already mentioned this before? Your sister is a Jiangnan lady of virtue, and my nephew is a dragon among men. Are you saying you look down on him?" the Prince of Wei said with a smile.

Princess Wei quickly replied, "If she can marry the Prince of Huaiyin, it will be her fortune. However, I've observed that Zheng isn't someone who tolerates others. As Lady Xie mentioned, after she entered the household, she expelled all the wet nurses and concubines who had served the Prince of Huaiyin. This shows her character."

In reality, Princess Wei was eager for her sister to marry into the Prince's household. Who in Jiangnan, besides the Prince of Wei, could be more prestigious than the Prince of Huaiyin? She was just worried that Zheng might interfere and seek the Prince of Wei's support.

The Prince of Wei, frowning slightly, said, "On that day, I thought to consolidate Zheng Fang by having Li Cheng marry Zheng. I didn't expect her to be so fierce. Now that they've been married for almost three years, I worry that with his family staying in Jianye and him alone in Xuzhou, no one is taking care of him. That's why I intend to marry him to a virtuous lady from a noble family. It seems I made the right call."

For him, arranging a secondary consort for Li Cheng was like a reward. Which man of status didn't have multiple wives?

So, he told Princess Wei, "There's no need to worry. Once your sister marries into the household in Xuzhou, Zheng will be in Jianye, and they won't interfere with each other."

In reality, the Prince of Wei had his own plans. Previously, marrying Li Cheng to Zheng was to seize Qingzhou and eliminate Lü Wei. Now that these matters were resolved, he couldn't allow the Zheng family's influence to become too powerful. After all, from now on, Jizhou would become an obstacle for the Prince of Wei's northern expansion.

Princess Wei, being the Prince of Wei's confidante, hadn't considered his deeper strategy. She thought he wanted to use her sister to keep Li Cheng in check, fearing that Li Cheng might become uncontrollable.

Wei Imperial Consort had invited Grand Dowager Wu over, seemingly revealing a few things in their conversation. While speaking, Grand Dowager Wu caught sight of the third daughter of the Huo family. She had a slender figure, striking features, and an innate elegance that far surpassed that of a woman from a humble background like Zheng.

"This girl looks very good to me," said Grand Dowager Wu with a smile.

Dowager Wei nodded and, after allowing Miss Huo the Third to withdraw, said, "As long as you're satisfied, that's good. The prince plans to proceed with this when Prince Yunzhi returns. My daughter-in-law, as you know, has always been respectful, and her sister is equally virtuous."

For Grand Dowager Wu, there was no room for satisfaction or dissatisfaction. After being outmaneuvered by Huiyin, she had been confined to the Buddhist chapel. Fan Mama and the others by her side had been secretly colluding with that Zheng woman. Now that it was at the request of Prince Wei, she was eager, almost wishing it had happened sooner.

Upon hearing that they would still need to match the eight characters and that she shouldn’t spread the news for the time being, Grand Dowager Wu kept her lips sealed, eager to catch the Zheng woman off guard.

The more she thought about it, the happier she became!

Previously, Zheng shi had driven away her grandniece Xun Rou, which was an affront to her own dignity, but she wouldn’t dare do the same to Prince Wei.

Yet Huiyin remained unmoved. Nanny Nan couldn’t help but interject, "When the Grand Dowager visited the Prince of Wei’s mansion today, it was surely to discuss this matter. You can't really remain so still; you need to come up with a plan."

"That’s exactly why I can’t make decisions casually. How can I casually interfere with someone the Prince of Wei’s mansion is sending?" Huiyin smiled.

It was now the twelfth lunar month, and her menstruation had not come for a month. She already had a sense that she might be pregnant. However, the Hos were not like Xun Rou, who could be kept at a distance under her control. With the Prince of Wei backing them, she wanted to see how much Li Cheng truly cared for her. She intended to leave the decision up to him.

Nanny Nan urged, "But..."

"Mother, rather than worrying about whether my husband will take a secondary wife, why not take the initiative? Why must I be the one anxious about him, instead of him being anxious about me?" Huiyin shook her head.

Nanny Nan didn’t fully understand but felt that the young lady she had nurtured was giving her heart sincerely and naturally hoped for the same in return. If not, she would never forgive the other party. Miss Huiyin was clearly the same as her late mother, a person of extreme emotions and principles.

Fugui brought bird’s nest porridge and said, "Princess, in my opinion, since Nanny Xu is trying so hard to curry favor, why not leverage her—"

"No, that woman is relentless. Once she latches onto you, she’ll put in endless effort. In the future, if something happens, she’ll also relentlessly drag you into it. I don’t like dealing with such people; I have my own methods and don’t need to rely on others," Huiyin smiled.

Fugui also breathed a sigh of relief. "Seeing how she treats the prince’s eldest son, I knew she couldn’t be a good person. I was afraid you’d collaborate with her."

Huiyin laughed. "You girl, are you deliberately testing me? Rest assured, I definitely won’t."

Fugui always felt that dealing with such people was like trying to steal from a tiger, especially when it involved the struggle for the heir in the Prince of Wei’s mansion. Now, hearing Huiyin’s firm stance, she felt relieved. Serving a wise mistress was better than anything else.

Huiyin drank all the bird’s nest porridge, which she usually wouldn’t touch. Today, she finished it completely, and Fugui happily said, "Tomorrow, I’ll have them prepare bird’s nest with rock sugar again."

"But tomorrow, I want to drink pork stomach soup. Have them stew it with lotus seeds for a refreshing taste, without adding anything else," Huiyin said, rubbing her belly.

Fugui raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Princess, are you pregnant?"

"I feel like I am, but for now, it’s better to be cautious. I’ll invite the doctor when my menstruation doesn’t come next month," Huiyin said.

Both Nanny Nan and Fugui were delighted. Nanny Nan thought to herself that it was no wonder the princess was so calm; she was pregnant. With an heir and another child to come, nothing would be able to shake her position.

Seeing how happy the two of them were, Huiyin couldn’t help but shake her head. They were too naive. If one day the Zheng family lost power, she and her two children would become disadvantaged, and the children might even resent their birth mother for becoming their stain. Although she was optimistic, she believed in the inherent evil of human nature; anyone could betray you.

If something were to happen to Li Cheng, she wasn’t sure she could hold on forever either.

Huiyin’s calmness left Xu Cifei dumbfounded. She couldn’t help but say, "I went through great efforts to pass on this news, but she’s not as the rumors described. Last time, Grand Dowager Wu said she had driven away Lady Xun, and I thought she was a woman of means."

"We can’t count on the young princess anymore. What do you plan to do? I heard that next month, the Weis from Xuzhou will come to propose. Although the princess doesn’t want to marry the princess to Wei Xiao, if she does, she’ll gain support. In the future, Yin Cifei’s side will be even more powerful," the servant analyzed.

Xu Cifei stood up. "That’s exactly why I’ve been working hard. The prince wants to make my Zhizi the heir, but those old ministers are opposed. My son’s position has always been precarious. Originally, I was counting on the young prince and princess, but the young princess won’t take the bait, no matter what. Now that someone else is sending a woman, she remains unperturbed."

In reality, Xu Cifei could only rely on these methods now; she was at the end of her rope.

This year, with Li Cheng away, Huiyin and Grand Dowager Wu eyed each other with mutual dislike. Huiyin had indeed been confirmed pregnant and had a legitimate reason to focus on her health. Even Grand Dowager Wu’s sarcasm didn’t bother her. After the New Year, when the old trees sprouted new leaves and the lake ice broke, the Wei family from Xuzhou came to propose in person.

Huiyin was three months pregnant and personally attended the family banquet in place of Li Cheng. In contrast, Princess Wei was very considerate. "You don’t need to attend; you’re expecting."

"As Aunt says, I'm already three months pregnant, and the baby is stable. How could I miss Jianjia's wedding?" Huiyin's expression remained calm, and she smiled gracefully.

Princess Wei felt a little guilty, especially since her younger sister was about to marry Li Cheng. No woman was truly as virtuous as they claimed to be, and perhaps their relationship would deteriorate. Therefore, she became even more considerate: "It's just a formal engagement. You know, I wasn't keen on having Jianjia marry into that family."

Huiyin gave away nothing in her words, only praising, "Aunt Wang, you come from a prestigious family in Jianye, and Uncle Prince Wei is of royal blood. The daughter born to the two of you is sure to have a smooth and peaceful life."

"Let's hope so," Princess Wei sighed softly.

Meanwhile, Li Cheng received Huiyin's letter. The letter said that she was already pregnant and everything was fine, telling him not to worry. Along with the letter were two cotton coats, a box of tangerines, a glass lantern, and a hairpin.

The tangerines were personally picked by his wife, each one bright and glossy. He peeled one and popped it into his mouth—it was incredibly sweet.

He wondered what kind of chubby baby they would have this time, a boy or a girl. He needed to find out the due date so he could be back in time for the birth.

Thinking of the last delivery, he shuddered at the memory.

For now, she couldn't leave easily. Last time, he helped his father-in-law with a strategy, but Zheng Fang seemed to be getting out of control, beyond Li Cheng's influence. He needed to secure his own territory first to have a future. The situation was constantly shifting, and he had to stay on his toes.

He wrote back to Huiyin, urging her to take good care of herself, and included a small portrait of himself.

When this letter returned, Huiyin was changing into new clothes. She hadn't dressed up for a long time, but today, for the banquet, she was dressed very formally.

Nanny Nan was astonished: "My lady, you're pregnant. Just showing your face should be enough."

"It's not that simple. I heard that the Weis are coming to propose, and their second son is highly talented. There's also a renowned scholar named Yang Huan, who excels in composing odes. If he could write one for me, wouldn't I become famous in the Da Ye dynasty?" Huiyin smiled.

She was thinking of herself. This lifetime, Zheng Fang used Li Cheng's strategy to take the northwest of the capital. As the saying goes, when talent does not match position, disaster follows.

Thus, she needed to increase her reputation. In the future, if Li Cheng feared her fame, he wouldn't dare to act against her. Naturally, this would also make Li Cheng pay more attention to her.

Nanny Nan and the others didn't understand these thoughts. They believed a woman's reputation spreading wasn't a good thing. A woman should be virtuous and not attract attention.

Huiyin didn't know if what she was doing was right. She only knew that even if she made a mistake, there was no turning back.

Prince Wei was hosting a banquet for Wei Xiao and others in the Deyun Hall. He seemed appreciative of Wei Xiao. The advisors around Wei Xiao were all talented, including a young man in white who had an elegant demeanor. Prince Wei, being a lover of talent, immediately inquired about him.

Wei Xiao smiled: "This is Yang Huan, whose courtesy name is Zijia, and he excels in writing poetry and odes."

"So this is Yang Zijia. I've heard of your fame in Jianye. Your 'Qingchuan Fu' and 'Deng Huanghe Lou' are excellent works that I admire," Prince Wei said, though his favorite was actually 'Yu Meiren Fu,' but it wasn't appropriate to mention it in front of everyone.

Yang Huan bowed: "Thank you for the compliment, Your Highness."

Prince Wei noted that Yang Huan had a touch of arrogance, but it was common for scholars to be somewhat aloof. Moreover, Yang Huan came from the prestigious Hongnong Yang family. After chatting with everyone for a bit, Prince Wei smiled: "Today, I'm hosting a banquet. We're all family here. Later, the Imperial Consort and Princess, as well as Princess of Huaiyin, will join us."

Even though it was a family banquet, men and women were separated by screens. The men sat outside, and the women sat inside, allowing Princess Wei to have a good view of her son-in-law.

Soon, several women arrived and took their seats, followed by the men.

Princess Wei, looking at the seat next to her, said to Wei Imperial Consort: "I told her she didn't need to come because of her pregnancy. Now she says she's not feeling well and will be a bit late. I'm worried something might happen to her."

Yin Lifang spoke in Huiyin's defense: "The young princess is here to represent the young prince. Since he's not in Jianye, she certainly doesn't want to let him down."

Sometimes, Xu Cifei thought Yin Lifang was just as two-faced, trying to play both sides. If she was truly close to Princess Zheng, why didn't she remind her?

As they were lost in thought, a fragrant breeze swept in from the doorway. Everyone looked over. A stunning beauty entered gracefully, her hair like clouds and her skin as smooth as porcelain. Dressed in a bright red gown, her hand, resting casually on her maid's arm, was as pale as frost. For a moment, everyone was stunned.

This was the first impression of Huiyin for those seeing her for the first time. Although her personality could be strong, after the initial shock of her beauty, most people became more wary of her. She hadn't interacted much with Yang Huan. Now, making a stunning appearance, she wondered if he would write an ode for her. If not, she could always offer gold to entice him to compose one. Fame was worth trying for, and everything needed to be tested.

Her beauty, nobility, and grace left everyone speechless.

Yang Huan instantly found inspiration. The woman before him reminded him of only one person from his memory, Lady Xi, who was associated with peach blossoms. He wasn't foolish; of course, he wouldn't explicitly name her. Beauty had a strong impact, and he appreciated beauty, as well as every beautiful woman.

At this banquet, Huiyin paid special attention to her appearance, unlike before when she focused solely on dignity. Princess Wei found it strange that Huiyin looked radiant and showed no sign of her earlier weakness.

"You're pregnant; there are many things you can't partake in. Just have a little taste. I've prepared a special table for you outside," Princess Wei said considerately.

"It's alright. I've already eaten before I came. Don't worry. By the way, who is our son-in-law, Lord Wei?" Huiyin asked with a smile.

The steward beside Princess Wei pointed to a man in a purple round-neck robe. Huiyin glanced at him and then said to Princess Wei, "Aunt, what do you think?"

Upon seeing him in person, Princess Wei's resistance lessened considerably because Wei Xiao was indeed elegant and handsome, not at all like the older man she had imagined.

"It was decided by the prince. What can I say? I appreciate your concern," Princess Wei replied with a smile.

Huiyin pressed her lips together. "What's so troublesome about this? Marriage is no laughing matter. As the saying goes, 'A man fears choosing the wrong career, and a woman fears marrying the wrong man.' I wish you a fine son-in-law."

It was somewhat inappropriate for Huiyin to say such things. Yin Lifang secretly thought that usually, Zhengshi was quite sensible and wouldn't ask so much. Now, she was even asking about Jianjia.

But at this banquet, there was no room for the secondary consorts to speak. Yin Lifang remained silent and continued eating.

On the other hand, Consort Xu took the initiative to offer Huiyin a mandarin orange. Even without a prior connection, it’s best to create one, she thought. If Huiyin didn't take the bait, it was fine. If she cut off Huiyin's retreat and made Princess Wei and Consort Yin believe they were close, Huiyin would have no choice but to rely on her.

Huiyin, however, seemed to understand her intention and couldn't help but say, "Please don't offer me any more oranges. I don't know why, but since I've been pregnant, I've been craving spicy food."

"If you like spicy food, I have some pickled mustard greens. They are spicy but not overwhelmingly so," Consort Xu quickly said, adding, "Did you finish the bird's nest I gave you last time? It was top-quality blood nest, very fine quality."

Princess Wei really didn't expect Consort Xu to try and win over Zhengshi privately. But what use was winning over Zhengshi? The Huaiyin Mansion was still ruled by the Prince of Huaiyin. Once her sister married into the family, everything would be settled.

Huiyin smiled and said, "That was indeed good, but I couldn't use it when I wasn't feeling well. When I wanted to eat it, it had spoiled, so I ate what was sent by Aunt Wang. I'm truly grateful for your concern, but I dare not accept. In the future, please don't send anything to avoid unnecessary complications."

Consort Xu understood the implication. Huiyin was saying that although she wanted to help, if she really associated with her, she might be targeted by others.

And who would target her? Obviously, Princess Wei.

Having successfully sown discord, Huiyin didn't say much more.

The family banquet went well. It was said that after the feast, Yang Huan wrote the famous "Ode to Jianye" in his room, with a small dedication to Princess Zheng.

Huiyin had the storytellers in teahouses spread the word and even had shops like Zhang Laosan Noodles promote it. Soon, Huiyin's reputation soared, and when she went to worship at a temple, so many people came to catch a glimpse of her that West Street was packed.

When the "Ode to Jianye" reached Xuzhou, Li Cheng was the first to see it. The prose was indeed magnificent, with a smooth and catchy flow. Yang Huan was truly talented. However, the small dedication was to Princess Zheng.

"Princess Zheng? Who is Princess Zheng?" Li Cheng had a sinking feeling.

The messengers looked at each other, not daring to speak. Li Cheng continued to scold, "Who is it? Tell me!"

"Young Prince, we heard that Yang Huan wrote it after seeing the Little Princess at the Prince of Wei’s Mansion," the messenger said, kneeling and not daring to rise.

Li Cheng slammed the table. "That Yang Huan! Pack your things. We're going back to Jianye."