Chapter 51

Chapter 51

"These troublemakers don't know what kind of fuss they're making. Fortunately, the mansion's guards are strict; otherwise, if they had succeeded, it wouldn't have been a laughing matter," Fugui complained.

Beauty can be an advantage, as it often draws more attention than others. But when beauty becomes too well-known, it can lead to problems.

Huiyin, however, said, "That's why I don't need to go out. I didn't feel like it anyway. These people are just excited for the moment. When something new happens, this will all fade away."

Fugui gave Huiyin a disapproving look. "But what if some lechers break in—"

"They won't, and even if they do, I'm not afraid. With so many people guarding me, if someone still gets through, it means the guards aren't doing their job right. It would actually help me figure out who is serious about their duties and who is just slacking off." She believed Li Cheng would return, and with him here, no one would dare to cause trouble.

Without realizing it, she realized how much she trusted her husband. After all, he was exceptionally brave and meticulous. Now, she increasingly understood what her mother used to say. In a chaotic world, finding someone who can protect you is more valuable than anything else.

As they were talking, the baby kicked inside her, and Huiyin couldn't help but laugh. "This little one must be a mischief-maker too, or else why would he keep kicking me?"

The maids nearby giggled softly.

The wet nurse brought Jing'er in from outside, but since Huiyin was heavily pregnant, it was difficult for her to hold the child. She let him sit on the bed, but Jing'er, being mischievous, kicked off his shoes and started getting into mischief on the bed.

"He's almost two years old; he can't keep playing like this. Teach him to speak more often, and pay attention to his daily routine and diet," Huiyin said, stroking her son's head. His head was perfectly shaped, smooth and round, without any bumps. And his cute little belly—she found her son adorable in every way.

Jing'er could already speak. He rolled over on the bed, then stood up, holding onto Huiyin's shoulder. "Mother, I want to eat mouse cake."

"What is mouse cake?" Huiyin thought there was no such thing. Then, with a clever guess, she smiled. "Are you talking about Su-style pastries?"

Jing'er looked at the wet nurse, and the wet nurse quickly said, "A few days ago, some flower cakes were sent here, but we didn't dare give the heir too many. We said we'd put the Su-style cake away first, but perhaps he overheard?"

Huiyin instructed someone to go to the kitchen to make two fresh pastries. The happiest thing for a child might be eating delicious food. A little chestnut cake and taro cake were enough to make him joyful. Soon, his head was nodding like a sleepy chick, so she had the wet nurses take him back.

Before she knew it, she also felt sleepy. Once she lay down, she fell into a deep sleep. When she woke up, it was so dark she couldn't see her hand in front of her. Reaching out, she felt someone lying next to her and immediately sat up, filled with fear and countless thoughts.

"It's me. Don't be afraid."

A clear male voice came, and Huiyin finally breathed a sigh of relief. "You scared me to death. You didn't even tell me you were back."

Li Cheng's voice sounded a bit muffled. "I rushed back because it was getting late. I haven't gone to see Uncle Wei Wang yet; I came straight back here first."

Huiyin yawned and looked a bit worried. "What's wrong? You're not allowed to come back without an imperial decree. Aren't you afraid that the Prince of Wei will scold you?"

"Huiyin..." He didn't say why, nor did he answer her question, just calling her name.

"What is it?" Huiyin gently stroked his cheek, feeling the roughness—he must not have shaved yet.

In truth, she knew exactly why her husband had come back, and it was also the effect she had intended. Why should only men be fought over, leaving women to worry? From now on, you'll have to worry about me. Furthermore, she used this situation to give herself a legitimate reason to go to Xuzhou.

Li Cheng sat up. "I had a nightmare last night and have been feeling uneasy ever since."

"It's okay. With me here, even if the whole world betrays you, I won't." Huiyin leaned on him.

Li Cheng felt her words like a warm current flowing into his heart, but he couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so good to me?"

Huiyin smiled. "Aren't you worth it?"

"Then will you come with me this time?" Li Cheng wished he could keep his wife by his side.

Huiyin smiled serenely. "Yes."

The couple shared a warm and intimate conversation, and later got up to share a meal. However, Li Cheng still felt furious when he remembered seeing that lecherous man outside upon his return.

Meanwhile, another couple had just finished their own intimate moment. Zheng Fang and Madame Ji, though they had been together for many years, were no longer young. Although fine lines could be seen at the corners of Madame Ji's eyes, her figure remained slim and her face fair. At that moment, she was asking, "In my opinion, the Crown Prince harbors deep hatred for Lu Wei. He has exterminated Lu Wei's entire family, leaving no survivors."

"That's right. If you don't cut the grass at its roots, it will grow back with the spring wind. The Crown Prince's actions are justified. He has inherited part of the He family's army and now commands it to defend the capital, treating me with considerable respect. However, when I mentioned my desire to become Chancellor, the Crown Prince said it wasn't that he didn't want to help, but that Wei Duo wouldn't allow it," Zheng Fang said hesitantly.

While he now controlled a vast territory, managing it was far from easy. There had just been a mutiny in the Northwest Army, and after dealing with that, there were issues in the Jizhou army that needed his attention. His vigor had waned with age, and he was no longer the man he once was. Fortunately, there was Zheng Wuheng, but the young man was still too inexperienced. His subordinates took advantage of him, and he would need to prove himself in several battles to establish his position.

When it came to Wei Duo, Zheng Fang actually felt uneasy.

Madame Ji also frowned at the mention of Wei Duo. "If it's him, it's not surprising. He has long coveted Lu Wei's power. Now that you have eliminated Lu Wei, the He family's subordinates don't follow your command. You may end up in a difficult position without gaining any advantage. Still, obtaining the land north of Jiahui Pass is already quite an achievement. We didn't have that territory before."

She was well aware that her husband's health had declined with age and that his body had been weakened by indulgence in alcohol and women. He was no longer the man he once was.

Zheng Fang said, "That's impossible. I worked hard to consolidate the armies of the Lu and He families. I'm not doing it to benefit someone else."

"What do you intend to do then? Don't forget, there's still a Crown Princess consort from the Lu family. Although some of the soldiers have defected to you, they are just fickle followers. If something happens to you, they will defect to someone else," Madame Ji couldn't help but worry.

Actually, he hadn't mentioned the Prince of Wei yet. Zheng Fang's path wouldn't be smooth at all.

Zheng Fang patted Madame Ji's hand. "For now, we should have the Crown Prince make De Yin the Crown Princess consort. That will give me a better opportunity."

Madame Ji couldn't help but nod. Although she and De Yin didn't get along, it was inevitable that the Lu family would fall. Still, she advised, "In my opinion, why should we make a move? The Empress He's brother was killed by Lu Wei. Do you think she can tolerate the Lu family?"

"Yes, yes, I had forgotten about that," Zheng Fang admitted. He wasn't as reckless as before and had learned to stay out of direct confrontations. The last time he eliminated Lu Wei and He Guoguo without any repercussions, he had managed to distance himself from the situation.

Madame Ji smiled. "It's getting late. We should rest. Our daughter-in-law is pregnant, and I need to send some tonics over tomorrow. It's wonderful that Heng'er is about to become a father. I hope he becomes more steady in the future."

Zheng Fang was quite pleased when their son was mentioned. "I hope he takes over my position soon so I can rest. He's still too young, otherwise, I'd be lying down all day."

Madame Ji shook her head, unable to change his ways.

After a good night's sleep, Huiyin opened her eyes to find Li Cheng staring at her. She was startled. "What's wrong?" She hadn't washed up yet, and her face was swollen. Being stared at like that felt strange.

However, she could sense that Li Cheng was holding in some frustration, unable to express it. She seemed to understand his mood. "Were you waiting for me to wake up?"

Li Cheng nodded silently. He didn't know how to explain it, but he just didn't want Huiyin to leave his side.

"Last night, we ate a lot. How about we have some porridge this morning? It's cooked with milk, almonds, peanuts, and walnuts. It's very fragrant," Huiyin said, gently guiding him off the bed.

Li Cheng, who was usually bold in thought and speech, had a strong sense of pride. If someone showed dislike towards him, he would feel that his efforts were in vain and stop treating them well.

But Huiyin was always patient and considerate towards him. She obediently followed him, and after they washed up separately, their servants brought in hot porridge for breakfast.

"The porridge cooked with milk has no fishy or strange taste. It's delicious," Li Cheng finally said his first words after waking up.

Huiyin touched her belly. "Since I've been pregnant, I haven't had much morning sickness, but I've been craving soups and porridge. I used to hate drinking soup the most. I would even choke on dry cakes and avoid broth when eating noodles..."

In truth, Li Cheng had eaten all kinds of food, but having it with Huiyin made the porridge taste even better. He also ate a meat bun. "This kind of baked bun is also delicious."

"If you like it, eat more. Do you want to have some hand-pulled noodles too?" Huiyin asked with concern.

Deep down, there was some calculation in her actions too, but she only wanted to make Li Cheng anxious, not push him too far...

Li Cheng shook his head. "No need. You should start packing your things!"

"Are you serious?" Huiyin's eyes widened in surprise.

Li Cheng smiled at this. "Who do you think I'm joking with? The trunks are packed. We'll take a boat back. The garden at the Huaiyin Mansion in Xuzhou is very spacious, unlike here. When we get there, I can teach Jing'er how to ride a horse."

Huiyin was puzzled. "Why are you suddenly sending me to Xuzhou? What about Prince Wei?"

Li Cheng replied irritably, "Those scholars are really overstepping. If they want to write 'The Ode to Jianye,' they should just do so properly. Instead, they use your name to let those petty people covet you, which is really annoying to me."

"So, that's what's bothering you? Are you jealous?" Huiyin chuckled softly.

Li Cheng stubbornly replied, "I’m not jealous. I’m just worried about your well-being."

"Alright, you're worried about my well-being. You dared to say you liked me before, but now you're too embarrassed to admit you're jealous?" Huiyin couldn't help but tease him. Seeing Li Cheng acting normally again was more important than anything else.

Li Cheng smiled without saying anything, loving how Huiyin could understand him so well.

However, when Li Cheng went to see Prince Wei, before he could say anything, Prince Wei said to him, "Your timing is perfect. I have something to discuss with you, and I've already spoken to the Huo family about it."

Li Cheng was confused. "Uncle, what have you settled? Does this have anything to do with the Huo family?"

Prince Wei smiled. "You're in luck. Your aunt’s younger sister is of marriageable age, unmarried, and both talented and beautiful. I intend to ask for her hand in marriage to be your Cifei, so that your princess can stay in Jianye to care for the Grand Dowager, and this new wife can accompany you to Xuzhou."

"Uncle, are you joking?" Li Cheng was somewhat angry.

Prince Wei frowned. "I've already spoken to the Huo family. How could this be a joke?"

……

Princess Wei was playing cards with Madame Huo and Yin Cifei when a palace maid entered to inform them that the young prince had gone to pay his respects to Prince Wei. Princess Wei was pleased, and Yin Lifang, observing Princess Wei's expression, congratulated Madame Huo, "Your family is about to have another princess. Congratulations!"

"Lady Yin flatters me. This old body is overwhelmed," said Madame Huo, feeling a bit regretful. If only her granddaughter could become a princess of a commandery, their Huo family would have both a princess and a commandery princess. Alas, it was just a Cifei of a prince.

Nevertheless, the Prince of Huaiyin was young, of noble status, and held real power as a regional lord, which was more important.

Yin Lifang was genuinely happy for Li Cheng. Marrying a daughter of the Huo family would be beneficial, giving him more support and increasing his influence. However, her sister thought it was pitiful that even a prince couldn't decide who to marry.

Indeed, when Yin Liyi heard from Xie Jiuyi that Li Cheng had returned, she asked, "Is he really going to marry the third daughter of the Huo family?"

"It's a done deal. Prince Wei has decided, and the Huo family is already aware. How can it be changed now?" Xie Jiuyi said with a smile.

Yin Liyi sighed, "You know, Princess Zheng is pregnant, and so many people are waiting outside her house day and night just to catch a glimpse of her. When I visited Grand Dowager Wu, she even called her a femme fatale. Now, the Little Prince is marrying someone else as his Cifei. Their marriage probably won't last long."

"Why would a marriage be affected just by taking a Cifei?" Xie Jiuyi asked.

"You don't know. Princess Zheng is not a tolerant person. Do you know Xun Rou? When I was in Xuzhou, I found out that Xun Rou, the Little Prince's first cousin, was once favored by Princess Wu. She even copied scriptures with her blood on the orders of the late princess and managed the household so well that everyone spoke highly of her. Unfortunately, when she hinted at becoming a Cifei, Princess Zheng, while the Little Prince was training troops in Xuzhou, had refugees rape Xun Rou. Unable to bear it, Xun Rou returned to the capital." Whenever Yin Liyi recounted these events, she felt no fondness for Zheng Huiyin.

She believed that while it was normal for women to have strategies in internal disputes, Zhengshi's methods were too extreme and crossed the line. Most women wouldn’t go as far as ruining someone’s reputation in a household dispute.

Xie Jiuyi was shocked, "Does Li Cheng know about this?"

Yin Liyi shook her head. "I'm sure he doesn't. Moreover, Zhengshi's father now controls three regions—Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Liangzhou. I suppose there's nothing he can do."

"But with the Huo family’s daughter entering the household, it could lead to disaster," Xie Jiuyi thought.

Yin Liyi stood up. "That's why I say the Huo family has miscalculated. Their daughter will probably be devoured without a trace." Thinking of the Huo family’s daughter, who was so gentle and charming, Yin Liyi felt a pang of pity.

She had a strong sense of justice, and Xie Jiuyi quickly added, "I won't say much about his internal household matters, but I'll make sure to remind him. At the very least, we won't let an innocent girl die because of internal disputes."

Most importantly, Xie Jiuyi knew that Prince Wei wanted the Huo family’s daughter to accompany Li Cheng to Xuzhou for the sake of their uncle-nephew relationship, which had significant implications. As Prince Wei's advisor, he couldn't allow the Huo family’s daughter to disappear soon after entering the household.

However, he smiled, "I heard that Prince Wei wants the Huo family’s daughter to accompany you to Xuzhou. With Princess Zheng staying in Jianye, she won’t be able to interfere from there."

Prince of Wei echoed the same sentiment. When he heard of Li Cheng's refusal, he immediately said, "There's no need for you to worry. Lady Huo will go to Xuzhou with you and take care of affairs there. I don't understand why you're refusing. Are you dissatisfied with my decision?"

Li Cheng had already been somewhat dissatisfied when he married Princess Zheng. Back then, he didn't like Zheng Fang's character, but he married Huiyin as per Prince of Wei's wishes. After marriage, the couple became deeply attached, and his wife, a rare gem with both talent and beauty, had captured his heart. How could there be room for anyone else?

Moreover, Prince of Wei always made decisions for him directly, which made him even more uncomfortable.

Therefore, he said, "I appreciate your kindness, Uncle. But to be honest, many people covet my wife. I was already worried, so I assigned people to watch over her, fearing that some scoundrels might have designs on her. Now, because Yang Zijia wrote the 'Ode to Jianye,' I am even more troubled. I'm afraid someone might take her away. How can I dare to take another wife? Besides, Princess Zheng is already pregnant. If Lady Huo enters the household and has to rank below someone else, wouldn't it be better to find a family with both literary and martial talents? Why must she enter my household? Please don't worry about me. I came back to bring her and Jing'er to Xuzhou. There are many scoundrels around our mansion, and I'm afraid something might happen."

Was Prince of Wei really so intent on this marriage? Perhaps he also wanted to see if Li Cheng would obey him as before.

Looking at Li Cheng, who was explaining earnestly, he was somewhat displeased and said, "What you say has its reasons, but I have already spoken with the Huo family. What will happen if you refuse and she becomes desperate?"

If Prince of Wei was trying to use moral pressure, this tactic might have succeeded. But it happened that the person he was dealing with was Li Cheng, who could stir up trouble even without a reason. Hearing Prince of Wei's words, he said, "Uncle, you just told me you wanted to take a secondary consort. How is it that Lady Huo is marrying me now? There's no matchmaker, no formal betrothal gifts, and even a secondary consort needs to be officially appointed by the court. Don't worry about the Huo family. Last time, Aunt was asking me everywhere to tell you not to marry Jianjia to Weixiao. I didn't interfere, so this time, please help me say a word."

"You, you... I've prepared this marriage with great effort. The Huo family's betrothal gifts are generous, and their status in Jiangnan is exceptional. Although we are both royalty, we still need the support of these aristocratic families for military supplies when we go to war. Moreover, as a man, how can you be controlled by a woman?" Although Prince of Wei was speaking with a smile, he still wasn't ready to give up so easily.

Li Cheng had originally intended to say something else, but seeing Prince of Wei's attitude, he decided to admit it directly. This would also clear up the matter of saving Li Jing last time. He bowed his head and said, "Uncle, you are a great man, but I am not."

Prince of Wei didn't expect him to admit it so frankly. What was supposed to be a three-part act of drama became seven parts of anger. He pointed at him and said, "You, you... You are really disappointing. How can you say such things? If your subordinates knew you were a man who fears his wife, who would be willing to follow you sincerely?"

"Uncle, I only ever wanted to follow you, and I have no grand ambitions. Now, living in seclusion and defending Xuzhou for you is enough for me." Li Cheng took the opportunity to express his loyalty.

Prince of Wei was pleased to hear this. Seeing that Li Cheng really didn't want to marry, he had no choice but to give up. "Alright, I will speak with the Huo family about this."

"I am grateful to you, Uncle," Li Cheng thanked him with a bow.

The uncle and nephew had lunch together. Princess Wei specially asked the kitchen to prepare Li Cheng's favorite dishes and had Cifei Yin send some pastries over. Yin Lifang also made them very carefully, thinking that Li Cheng would definitely agree to take a secondary consort. For a noble family's son, taking a secondary consort or concubines was as simple as drinking water.

Being able to marry a high-born lady like Lady Huo as a secondary consort was a sure gain with no loss. Surely Li Cheng would agree; otherwise, he wouldn't have stayed for the meal.

The meal lasted about an hour. Cifei Yin and Princess Wei were both taking care of the children. It wasn't until Li Cheng left that Princess Wei went over, intending to discuss her younger sister's wedding. Unexpectedly, Prince of Wei waved his hand.

"My Lord, what does this mean?" Princess Wei was puzzled.

Prince of Wei said, "He doesn't want to take a secondary consort now. Let your sister find another family. Anyway, it was just the beginning of the discussion, and nothing was officially decided."

Princess Wei, who had initially felt it was unfair for her younger sister to be a secondary consort, said, "Why doesn't he want to marry my sister? My sister is as beautiful as a flower and has both talent and looks. The threshold of my family's house is almost broken from so many proposals. Why?"

Princess Wei couldn't understand, and Prince of Wei was even more puzzled.

The couple exchanged puzzled glances. Li Cheng, however, was quite pleased. As he rode back, seeing people surrounding his residence, he had his personal soldiers drive them away, which made him feel much better.

When he returned, he didn't see anyone carrying things and immediately rushed into Huiyin's room. "Why haven't you packed your things yet? Didn't I tell you to pack quickly so we can leave?"

"Oh, I was afraid you wouldn't be back so soon! I heard from Cifei Xu that your uncle wants you to take a secondary consort," Huiyin hadn't expected him to return so quickly.

Li Cheng frowned. "You knew about this too, but you didn't tell me earlier. Uncle advised me in every possible way, but I refused."

"Why?" Huiyin asked anxiously.

Li Cheng smiled brightly. "No one in this world can truly force another to do something they don't want to do. If I really don't want to, of course, I would refuse."