Chapter 58

Chapter 58

◎Combination of Two Chapters◎

The Prince of Wei, in his prime years, died under less-than-honorable circumstances, killed by assassins. His death left the entire Wei territory leaderless. After hearing the news, Li Cheng, who had just occupied Yuzhou, left General Guo Zhao in charge of Yuzhou and prepared to head to Jianye. Before departing, he instructed his trusted aide, "Take two teams of men and fetch the princess. I'll wait for her at the ferry."

Huiyin had just seen off the three Yin family members who were in a hurry to return for the funeral. Originally, the official ship wouldn’t have been so fast, but they were provided with a merchant ship, and the three left in haste without any fuss.

Huiyin had just settled down, intending to write to Li Cheng for guidance on how to proceed. Normally, she would have gone to him, but times had changed, and she needed to wait for his instructions. However, funeral arrangements still needed to be made.

With the Prince of Wei gone, would Xie Jiuyi, who was still fighting on the frontlines, retreat? These concerns weighed heavily on her mind.

Unexpectedly, Li Cheng sent messengers to fetch her. Huiyin hastily had the two sons gathered, with barely any time to pack. She left in simple, plain attire and hurried off.

The eldest son, Jing'er, was fine, as he had always been healthy. The younger son was only a few months old, still in swaddling clothes, requiring extra care.

After just two hours by carriage, she reached Li Cheng. The couple had no time to reminisce about their time apart before Li Cheng led her into the house to talk.

"Uncle Wei Wang has passed away. Did you know?"

Huiyin nodded, "Early this morning, the three Yin family members left in a hurry for the funeral, without even having a hot meal. How could I not know?"

Li Cheng had advisors to consult with, but they had their own agendas, mostly afraid of taking responsibility or inciting internal power struggles. He and Huiyin were of one heart, and his wife was no ignorant woman. She had always been insightful, so he wanted to discuss this with her first.

Without beating around the bush, he said directly, "Over the years, you know that Uncle Wei Wang treated me well, and I can't ignore this favor." When he had joined with his troops, he was too young to have any proper methods. But when he attacked Xuzhou, it was Prince Wei who provided the funds and grain.

Huiyin nodded, "I agree. Now that he's gone, the court is too preoccupied to rely on. Wei Wang's two sons are still young and need your support."

"That's not what I'm concerned about. It's easy to manage the funeral; I've done this several times when my parents passed away. What I'm worried about is that while Uncle Wei Wang didn't mistreat me, he didn't show me exceptional favor either. The fertile lands were given to the Dowager's family members, and even the Huo, Yin, and Xu families received high official positions and generous salaries. I understand Xie Jiuyi; he's the most loyal. I'm afraid that after his uncle's passing, he will pledge loyalty to Li Jing, but I don't want to." Li Cheng was conflicted.

Huiyin immediately understood. In situations like this, someone like Zheng Fang would seize power without considering the consequences. But because Li Cheng had ambitions, he didn't want to act rashly.

However, it was a good thing. Huiyin smiled, "If you don't want to submit to Li Jing, that's fine. Right now, confronting them head-on will only unite them against us. If Xie Jiuyi wants to pledge loyalty to Li Jing, you should establish your own faction. Without Wei Wang, you now have Yuzhou, Xuzhou, and the southern part of Qingzhou. You're well-equipped and strong, and people will naturally flock to you."

She understood Li Cheng's intentions. He didn't want to directly take over because, for the old faction of Wei Wang, that would be seen as ingratitude, and the world would ridicule him. Moreover, he had just taken Yuzhou, and his soldiers had just finished fighting. Another conflict with the old faction of Wei Wang might result in losing more than gaining.

It was better not to get involved at all.

However, Li Cheng wasn't entirely noble, "When my father passed away, I was only thirteen and too young to manage the lands. Wei Wang's uncle said he would help me manage them. Now that he's dead, I should reclaim my father's fiefdom."

Huiyin praised, "Good."

After discussing with Huiyin, he went out to consult with his advisors, repeatedly stating that this trip was only for the funeral and warning against any agitation or instigation among his subordinates. His men praised him for his righteousness.

Li Cheng didn't want such a reputation for righteousness. All he wanted was to gradually build his strength and secure his territory.

They traveled by fast boat and arrived in Jianye in two days. Huiyin first had Jing'er and Zhan'er taken back to the prince's mansion. Li Cheng, being meticulous and fearing that his sons might be taken hostage, sent a team of elite soldiers, one in the open and one in secret, to escort them back quietly.

At the once magnificent Prince of Wei's mansion, there were still many carriages outside, but the once bright red doors were adorned with white banners of mourning. While people outside appeared composed, the air inside was filled with the sounds of mourning.

The stewardess by Princess Wei's side came to receive Li Cheng and Huiyin. The old stewardess wiped her tears and said, "With the prince gone, we are left with a house of widows and orphans. We are all counting on the Little Prince now."

Huiyin thought, you are quick to shift responsibility, but Li Cheng wouldn't take on the difficult tasks and offend people. Li Cheng listened and agreed politely but asked in detail, "Has Uncle Wei Wang's body been brought back? What does the princess intend to do?"

The stewardess replied, "Princess Wei is utterly lost. The prince's death was sudden and in his prime. Even the coffin was provided by the Huo family. Old Uncle Guo is helping with the arrangements, but you are the backbone. We need to follow your lead."

Li Cheng sighed softly.

At the funeral hall, Li Cheng wept so intensely that he collapsed to the ground, pounding the floor with his fists. Huiyin hadn't expected him to be so emotional. She considered herself quite capable of crying, her eyes turning red and large tears rolling down whenever she thought of something heartbreaking. But today, she encountered her husband, who was truly skilled in expressing his emotions.

Li Cheng wasn't like Huiyin, who shed a few tears and kept wiping them with a handkerchief. He was truly crying as he said, "My dear Uncle Wang, you left so suddenly, without letting your nephew see you one last time. When you were alive, you were so good to me. Now you've left Auntie and your children behind. Don't rush too quickly over the bridge to the afterlife..."

Huiyin's face turned slightly red as she secretly glanced at Princess Wei and the two secondary consorts. Princess Wei was constantly burning incense at the funeral altar, as the incense must not be interrupted during a funeral. Yin Cifei tightly gripped Li Jing, while Xu Cifei was genuinely heartbroken, crying desperately, her white flower falling into the ash basin, not caring for her usual cleanliness.

Wei Wang had a son who was only one or two years old, still too young to understand. When a gust of wind blew, the wet nurse hurriedly carried the child away.

Huiyin thought to herself that in her previous life, Li Cheng had also passed away. If her husband, who was so kind to her, had died, how heartbroken would she have been? Even though she wasn't smart or capable, on the first day Li Cheng was injured, he still respected her and insisted on being intimate. Recalling this, her heart ached, and she began to cry.

Her crying confused Li Cheng. After all, she had only met Wei Wang a few times, and seeing her cry so sadly made it seem as if Wei Wang had died.

Before Li Cheng and Huiyin entered, the funeral hall had calmed down a bit. Wei Wang's wives and concubines were sad, but mostly worried about their future. Those with sons, like Yin Lifang, had hope, but the other concubines were merely going through the motions.

Now, with Li Cheng and his wife wailing, they were forced to cry miserably in the cold wind again.

After Li Cheng finished crying, he spoke to Princess Wei for a long time, "Auntie, now that Uncle has passed away, have you reported to the court? Where is the Chief Historian?"

He was the only one who could ask this. Although Wei Wang was closer to the Guo and Huo families, Li Cheng was the only royal family member present, a prince, and thus held the highest status.

Princess Wei, coming from a noble family, understood these matters. Hearing Li Cheng's question, she replied, "The Chief Historian has already drafted a memorial, but with fires blazing everywhere, how can we send it to the capital?"

In truth, she didn't think it mattered whether it was sent or not. Would the Ministry of Rites send someone to inquire? So, she only went through the motions.

Li Cheng said, "Your nephew rushed here from Yuzhou. I originally hoped to assist you, Auntie, but seeing everything is in order, I am relieved. However, since we are here, let your nephew and his wife stand vigil today. Auntie, you and the others should rest."

His words were very appropriate. Seeing how disheveled and exhausted he looked, Princess Wei tearfully said, "With your Uncle Wang gone, we are like a carriage without horses, feeling uneasy."

At this point, Li Cheng didn't respond. Huiyin, listening, had to step in and comfort her, "Uncle Wang has left a successor. Auntie, what do you have to worry about? In the past, King Wuling of Zhao inherited the throne at a young age and still achieved great things."

Li Cheng couldn't help but want to laugh at the mention of King Wuling of Zhao. He knew that Li Jing, though well-read and reasonable, lacked the resolve for such achievements.

If he had no son, he would have to proceed cautiously, supporting Li Jing. This was part of his original plan, including giving generous gifts to Yin Cifei to act on Li Jing's behalf and gradually take over.

But now, having already secured Qingzhou and Yuzhou, Jianye was within his grasp. Why would he need to rely on others to obtain it?

Comforted by Huiyin's words and seeing the couple standing together, Princess Wei thought of Wei Wang's bravery and their marital bond, and tears fell again.

With Li Cheng there, Princess Wei felt a great deal of relief. Because of him, the people of Wei Wang's mansion naturally looked to him for decisions. Huiyin felt a pang of sorrow, realizing that despite Princess Wei being the rightful leader, her gender caused the people of Wei Wang's mansion to side with Li Cheng.

Lunch consisted of three cold dishes, four hot dishes, and two soups—one savory and one sweet. Huiyin served her husband some old duck soup, saying, "You've been busy since you arrived. Eat something first."

They ate in the guest room. Li Cheng held a spoon but had no mood to drink the soup, as Xie Jiuyi had not returned yet.

Before Xie Jiuyi returned, Yin Liyi came back, completely unharmed. She went directly to Yin Lifang's residence without going home first. It was only after Yin Lifang mentioned her mother-in-law's worries that she went back. When asked by the old lady, Yin Liyi said she had survived a great disaster and would have good fortune, which reassured her mother-in-law.

Yin Liyi then visited her children and found her daughter addressing Cao Yi as 'Aunt' and enjoying osmanthus cheese and golden-threaded silver shoes with upturned toes, both gifts from Cao Yi.

"When did you become so close to her?" For the first time, Yin Liyi realized that not all daughters showed unconditional love for their mothers.

Her daughter, Fangjie, who was older than Jing'er, spoke early. At three years old, she said, "Aunt Cao has always been good to me."

Yin Liyi called the wet nurse and questioned her. The wet nurse, having been bought by Cao, had her chest full of silks and money. Now, when Yin Liyi asked, the wet nurse pretended to scold Cao, "I don't know why, but since Miss Cao saved our girl last time, our girl cried and couldn't be comforted by us. Only Miss Cao could calm her."

"Fangjie hadn't been like this before." Yin Liyi felt an inexplicable annoyance but couldn't deal with her at the moment.

For now, her nephew's matters were more important. With Wei Wang gone and no heir named, the situation was uncertain. According to tradition, if there was a legitimate heir, the legitimate heir would inherit; otherwise, the eldest would.

Thinking of this, she instructed the wet nurse to watch Fangjie closely and headed straight to Wei Wang's mansion.

As soon as she left, the older women began gossiping about her.

"This madam doesn’t even care for her own children and yet blames others for going out of their way."

"Yes, she's never home. I really don’t know what she’s up to."

The wet nurse who spoke had once been very loyal to Yin Liyi. She was a refugee whom Yin Liyi had saved. Even she couldn’t help but say something now.

Someone next to her egged her on, saying, "Nanny Wang, why are you speaking that way about her too?"

Nanny Wang said, "How dare I speak about her? I’m just standing up for the young miss."

The other wet nurses looked down on Nanny Wang, thinking she had probably been bought off by Cao Ping's sister with money. They only secretly accepted money and didn’t dare to actually work for Cao Ping's sister. After all, Yin Liyi was the younger sister of Yin Cifei, and with the Prince of Wei gone, things were about to change in Wei. Who would dare to offend her?

When Yin Liyi arrived, it was already late in the evening. Yin Lifang was drinking hot soup. She feared that Xu Cifei might harm her son, so she had him sleep in her inner room. Seeing her sister arrive, she wasn’t surprised at all.

"Is Fangjie and Poyang doing well?"

"Sister, don’t worry, everything is fine."

Yin Lifang held her sister’s hand and said, "We don’t know when your husband will return. Once he and the Little Prince are back, Jing'er will definitely be officially enfeoffed."

The two sisters exchanged many private words.

That night, the cold wind blew through the funeral hall. The Princess Wei had two leather curtains hung to block the wind, and Li Cheng and Huiyin sat on stools beside the hall to keep vigil.

In the evening, Huiyin ate some hot pot (a type of Chinese dish) and complained to Li Cheng, "I love eating hot pot, but it always makes me break out. Look, a pimple popped up on my forehead right away."

"It’s mostly because you don’t get enough exercise and tend to lie around. I used to get pimples too, but it’s much better now," Li Cheng indulged in some childish banter with her.

Huiyin gave him a side-eye, "You always say I’m lazy and like to lie around, but I really do get sore easily! And when you’re not home, I always feel like someone is sitting by my bedside. But with you here, even in the funeral hall, I’m not afraid at all."

Even though Huiyin was somewhat blaming him, Li Cheng wasn’t upset. Having someone accompany him while keeping vigil was more important than anything.

That night, the couple kept each other company and only bid farewell to the Princess Wei the next morning before returning to the prince’s mansion in Jianye. However, Grand Dowager Wu wasn’t as sad as Huiyin had imagined. She even said to Li Cheng, "Now that your Uncle Wei is gone, leaving behind widows and young children who can’t manage things, wouldn’t it be better if you took over?"

Li Cheng shook his head, "Grandmother, the brothers from the Guo family are guarding key passages with their troops, and Uncle Wei’s former subordinates are all local gentry. It seems these people have started to guard against me."

Grand Dowager Wu sneered, "What does that have to do with anything? The Prince of Wei is already dead, and his son is still so young. Can he manage the fief? No matter what, the world still belongs to the Li family."

"But I can’t take advantage of someone else’s misfortune," Li Cheng repeated himself a few times and even started to believe it.

Grand Dowager Wu sighed, "You’re just too righteous."

She spoke candidly to Li Cheng but wasn’t so polite to Huiyin, "I heard your son cried all night. Aren’t you going to check on him?"

As soon as Huiyin heard that Zhan'er had cried, she rushed to check on him. Fortunately, it was because the wet nurse had caught a cold, and the baby had become a little uncomfortable after drinking her milk. She sent the wet nurse for treatment and only allowed her to return once she was well. Huiyin also had the other wet nurses examined, having a doctor check their pulses one by one. Only after confirming they were all healthy did she feel relieved.

She gently tapped her son’s little nose, relieved that he was safe.

For a while, she rested in the side room next to Zhan'er, only returning to her own room after confirming that Zhan'er’s forehead wasn’t warm and that he was nursing properly.

If you don’t have kids, it’s one thing, but if you do, you have to take responsibility for them.

When Huiyin returned, Li Cheng had already gone to bed and was sound asleep, holding her personal sweat towel tightly in his hand. She pulled the blanket up around him and lay down beside him.

From that day on, they only needed to go early and return late, without having to stay the whole day. Li Cheng planned to bury the Prince of Wei after the seventh-day memorial service. After the first seven days, Huiyin wouldn’t need to go to the Prince of Wei’s mansion every day. Grand Dowager Wu had only gone once. Being an elderly person, she was superstitious about death.

Surprisingly, the elders remained calm despite the circumstances. Wei Imperial Consort, although sad, was strong and healthy. On the other hand, Jianjia fell ill. Huiyin sent someone to check on her and gave her some desserts she usually liked.

When Nanny Nan returned to report, she said, "The eldest princess is devastated. I wonder if the Weis will send someone over?"

Huiyin smiled and said, "They are probably still watching and waiting. The significance of marriage alliances is to join forces for mutual benefit, but with the Prince of Wei gone, the situation is now unclear."

"It's only because our prince is righteous," Nanny Nan clucked. "This time, during the funeral arrangements at the Prince of Wei’s Mansion, the quality of the alcohol was so poor that even a servant like me could tell the banquet was lacking."

Li Heng wasn’t being generous; his forces are still spread thin in Yuzhou. The people in Xuzhou and Qingzhou have already been recruited once, and their strength is limited. What Li Heng is doing is practical. Occupying land rashly would immediately lead to war and attract attacks from all sides—that’s what happens when greed is excessive. Just like when his father rashly annexed the forces in the capital of Xizhou, it caused a mutiny. He had to retreat to Jizhou, but not without losses.

Nevertheless, the banquet at the Prince of Wei’s Mansion was indeed subpar. As the saying goes, only an expert can truly see the quality. Huiyin had been a mistress for several years, and those large-looking plates were filled with inferior dishes.

The abalone was too small, the turtle was not fresh, and the steamed pork was tough and not smooth at all. Just as she was speaking, Li Heng came in and said, "Xie Jiuyi has taken over Nanjun and rushed back for the funeral."

"The first seven-day period is almost over, and it’s perfect timing that he returns now," Huiyin said.

Xie Jiuyi really had some skills. He had been poisoned by Li Heng with a poisoned arrow before, and later, Li Heng himself was poisoned by one. It’s unclear whether Li Heng was behind it.

Xie Jiuyi was grieving as he fought against Zhao Hong and others. At this time, Li Heng brought Huiyin along. The brother of Consort Xu, who was a deputy general, was speaking passionately. "The Prince of Wei once mentioned that he intended to make Second Brother’s son the heir. Here is the Prince of Wei’s own writing. Take a look."

Consort Xu had been crying her heart out earlier, and everyone thought she was grieving because her support was gone. Some servants even came to watch the spectacle. Unexpectedly, the Prince of Wei had left this arrangement behind.

Women rarely had a say in such occasions. Even the Princess Wei, who personally preferred Yin Cifei’s son, Li Jing, had to let things take their course. At most, she would say a few words when Xie Jiuyi asked.

Huiyin watched as Consort Yin’s face turned slightly pale, and she sipped her tea.

Yin Lifang was afraid of losing her composure and tried to steady herself. She heard Xie Jiuyi outside say, "Since ancient times, the legitimate heir inherits if there is one; if not, the eldest son does. The eldest prince should inherit the title."

After saying this, Xie Jiuyi expected Li Heng to help and even proactively asked, "Little Prince, what do you think?"

Yin Lifang breathed a sigh of relief when she heard it was Li Heng’s turn to speak.

Li Heng, however, replied, "All my younger brothers are my cousins. Whether it’s the eldest son inheriting the title or whom Uncle Prince of Wei prefers, I have no objections. As General Xie said, it is in line with succession laws to establish the eldest. However, since I am currently managing the entire territory of the Prince of Wei, I believe we should choose someone virtuous."

As soon as he finished speaking, Consort Xu’s eyes lit up.

This round of discussion yielded no results, and Yin Lifang took the opportunity to seek out Li Heng. This was also arranged by Princess Wei, who certainly hoped that Li Jing would become the next Prince of Wei. Consort Xu had always been close to Princess Wei, and the Yin family lacked powerful allies, relying on the Hos and Xies.

Li Heng thought Princess Wei wanted to discuss the burial of the Prince of Wei after the first seven-day period. Recently, he had selected a prime feng shui location for the Prince of Wei’s burial and had to relocate the surrounding people, which cost money. He would have to ask Princess Wei for the funds. Unexpectedly, Yin Lifang walked in.

When Yin Lifang saw him, tears welled up in her eyes. "Little Prince, I offer my respects here."

"No need, no need. According to seniority, you are my aunt. I came to see the princess. Since she’s not here, I’ll leave." Li Heng wanted to avoid being alone with the newly widowed woman. Princess Wei was the main wife, and they had official business. He had nothing to discuss with Yin Lifang.

Yin Lifang wouldn’t let him leave. She knew he was avoiding suspicion but still said, "I’ll just say one thing, then you can go."

Li Heng looked at her, raised two fingers, and said, "You’ve already spoken two sentences. I’m leaving."

It wasn’t that he was heartless, but the cause and effect were already settled. Why hold on to it?

As Li Heng was about to leave, Yin Lifang hurriedly moved forward to close the door and speak.

……

Consort Xu was leading Huiyin there, hoping she would witness the secret rendezvous between Li Heng and Yin Lifang. She was pretending to be a saint, but actually, she was a little vixen.

Unexpectedly, as they approached, they heard a man and a woman arguing fiercely. Consort Xu was stunned.

Huiyin recognized the man’s voice and realized, "Oh no, Li Heng’s old habits are resurfacing. I need to get over there quickly."