Chapter 62

Chapter 62

◎Combined Double Chapters◎

After receiving Jiang Bipbo's consent, Li Cheng wrote to Guo Zhao, who also agreed.

Guo Zhao agreed quickly. Although Jiang Bipbo was a merchant's daughter, she was no ordinary one. As the head of a prominent salt merchant family, she was young and beautiful, with the backing of the Prince of Huaiyin and as the foster sister of the princess.

Although Huiyin had never organized a wedding before, she had been married herself and even intended to raise the grandeur of this wedding. Therefore, she persuaded Jiang Bipbo, "This is your first marriage. A person's wedding day is the most attention they will ever receive in their lifetime. Since you are my foster sister, it's perfectly fine to have a grand ceremony."

Jiang Bipbo smiled and said, "I leave everything in the princess’s hands."

Huiyin also had several boxes of dowry sent to Jiang Bipbo. Seeing that the boxes were painted with gold powder depicting dragons and phoenixes, it was clear that the contents inside were extremely valuable. Jiang Bipbo knelt down to express her gratitude, feeling immensely thankful.

As they left Huaiyin Mansion, Steward Lin remarked, "The princess is as good as her word. She’s found you an excellent match. Once you marry into Yuzhou, you’ll be the prefect’s wife, and the elders in your family have already been visiting more often."

"I moved my family's business to Xuzhou, originally intending to rely on the Prince of Huaiyin, but relying on others always felt unreliable. Look at what happened to Lady Cao when Prince Wei passed away; she was rejected. Now, the princess has told me that Guo Zhao is a capable man, so my future is secured. No one will dare to challenge me when managing the business." Jiang Bipbo was very satisfied.

Steward Lin smiled and said, "Now, it seems your luck has finally turned for the better. Since the princess wants to hold a grand ceremony, we should invite everyone extensively."

Jiang Bipbo said, "We should definitely invite Lady Cao. She’s been through so much with the Xie family, and it might do her some good to get out and enjoy herself."

"I'm afraid she might not come," Steward Lin thought. Lady Cao had suffered such humiliation that she might not want to attend.

Jiang Bipbo didn't explain but just smiled, "If she refuses to come, just send the invitation to her family. Our families have business dealings, and if I don't send an invitation, people might think I'm looking down on them."

Steward Lin thought about it and agreed.

Both women had once been spinsters. Jiang Bipbo had initially hoped to become Li Cheng’s concubine but failed. Now, as the princess’s foster sister and soon-to-be wife of the prefect, this marriage could help her settle old scores. Steward Lin realized that Jiang Bipbo might be using this opportunity to assert herself, especially since Lady Cao had once sent her an invitation when she married into the Xie family, only to be rejected and face criticism now.

When the Jiang family's wedding invitation arrived at Lady Cao's family, Lady Cao and her daughter were taking a walk in the garden. Although Lady Cao came from a merchant family, she had been cultivated by her family and was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Seeing the fallen flowers, she felt a kinship with them.

Lady Cao saw someone delivering a wedding invitation and immediately told her maid, "Take it away."

"Mother, what is it?" Lady Cao's daughter asked.

Lady Cao didn't want her daughter to know and lied, "It's nothing, just an ordinary invitation."

Lady Cao's daughter was very intelligent and guessed immediately, "How many wedding invitations have you hidden from me these days, Mother? The more you do this, the more it seems like I care."

In fact, Lady Cao already knew that Xie Jiuyi had used benefits to silence her father and brothers. Sacrificing her was nothing. Yin Ping’s appearance and talents were actually inferior to hers, but General Xie loved her. This was something she couldn’t achieve no matter what tricks she tried.

Lady Cao's mother saw her daughter's reaction and had to tell the truth, "It’s Miss Jiang’s wedding invitation."

"Her? Is she getting married too? I thought she had adopted a child." Lady Cao reacted strongly.

Both were ambitious young women from merchant families. Knowing that Jiang Bipbo had been rejected by Li Cheng, she had felt a sense of relief, but now, seeing Jiang Bipbo getting married, she felt a pang of envy.

"Who is it? Is he adopting her?"

Lady Cao's mother shook her head, "It's the newly appointed prefect of Yuzhou, Guo Zhao, the General of Jianwei." Seeing her daughter's complexion darken, she quickly added, "It’s a secondary wife, meaning she’ll be raising someone else’s children."

Lady Cao's hand holding the handkerchief turned white.

"Would you like some fruit puree?" Huiyin cut up fresh fruit and handed it to Zhan'er, but he shook his head.

**

The wet nurse of Zhan'er said, "Second Master came here after eating some fruit."

So that's how it is, Huiyin smiled. "Then I'll spend some time playing with him. These days, I've been preoccupied with other matters and have neglected my little one."

This is how it is after marriage; one always has to think about the family, husband, and children, but there's less time for oneself. Actually, she was much more relaxed compared to ordinary people. Li Cheng only had her as his wife and had no concubines. She had also successfully given birth to two sons. Her in-laws had passed away, and even her great-grandmother-in-law had to avoid clashing with her. But still, it wasn't as leisurely as when she was in her maiden days.

But then she thought, when she was in her maiden days, there were many things she couldn't decide for herself. Now, she could make decisions for everything and didn't have to be on edge like in her previous life.

Playing with children usually involves playing with toys, telling stories, or taking them out to play. Only by accompanying the child would they feel secure.

"Mother, I want to play with the big grasshopper," Zhan'er said, handing a grass-woven insect to Huiyin.

Huiyin held the grass, and when Zhan'er tried to grab it, she lifted it up. Zhan'er loved this game and jumped up to grab it. Huiyin played along with him until Li Cheng returned.

When Li Cheng came back, he lifted his son high, which was always the children's favorite part.

Zhan'er was cheering now, calling "Father" with every word.

Huiyin tried to talk to him, but he couldn't hear her anymore.

Fortunately, after such energetic play, the child got tired and started fussing to go out. Huiyin let the wet nurse take him out to play while she got up to wring a cloth and handed it to Li Cheng.

Li Cheng took the cloth, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and sat down. "The weather is getting hotter. This year's weather is unusual. The other day, I mentioned that even if I went out by myself, I was drenched in sweat."

"Isn't that so? The weather is always stuffy, and the body feels sticky. Now, the plum rain season is coming again. I'm preparing to rest for a month," Huiyin felt that sleeping during rainy days was the best.

Hearing about the plum rain season, Li Cheng felt a pang of emotion. "Don't you think the plum rain season makes it easy to dream, making everything feel unreal, like a series of dreams?"

Actually, the couple had a somewhat childlike innocence. They didn't discuss governmental matters together every day. Sometimes, Li Cheng would say some very childish words, and only Huiyin would discuss them with him.

But about what he said, Huiyin felt quite emotional. "I wonder if it's like Zhuang Zhou dreaming of being a butterfly, where reality and illusion blur. Husband, do you think people could have another life? What if you had married someone else?"

"If I didn't marry you, who would I marry? I can't even imagine not being your husband," Li Cheng always felt this statement was strange and that he shouldn't have brought up such a topic.

Seeing her husband like this, Huiyin thought that in her previous life, she wasn't actually his wife, but she couldn't say that out loud. She touched his cheek. "If there's a war in the future, don't act rashly or let your guard down. Your survival is our hope."

Li Cheng rarely saw Huiyin like this. His wife was usually very open-minded. Even in the most difficult times, she remained optimistic. But at this moment, her sparkling eyes were filled with sadness, and his heart ached. He cupped his wife's face and asked, "What's wrong?"

In that moment, their love for each other deepened, and they thought more of each other than themselves.

Huiyin leaned on his broad shoulders, feeling very reassured.

But before she could react, it became too mushy. Just then, it was announced that Lady Mu had come over. Huiyin tidied her clothes before going out. Lady Mu coming at this time meant she had something on her mind; otherwise, she would have sent a visiting card in advance.

"Your Highness, I have come to ask for your help," Lady Mu said, crying as she spoke.

Huiyin looked at her. "Speak slowly. Over the years, you've always been respectful to me. If you have any difficulties, feel free to tell me."

Lady Mu then stopped crying. "It's not about me. It's about your maid, Dong Shun."

Dong Shun? Ever since she returned from the temple, Dong Shun had been restless. Huiyin noticed she was no longer young. Just then, Lady Mu was there, and upon hearing that her maid was getting married, she helped arrange a match. It was with a scholar from her son-in-law's family. He was from a poor background but was talented and wanted to marry a capable wife who could manage household affairs. As they say, it's better to marry a well-bred servant than a poorly raised daughter. Dong Shun was quite beautiful and in the prime of her life, and Huiyin had prepared a nice dowry for her.

But she had been busy with the Jiang and Guo families' matters and hadn't had time to follow up.

Now, hearing what Lady Mu said, Huiyin's heart tightened. "Is she dead?"

"No, no. She's pregnant but was bitten by a dog and miscarried." Lady Mu had heard that Huiyin was particularly good to her maids. While this maid was insignificant, she didn't want to cause any hard feelings with the princess.

Huiyin felt relieved. Except for life and death, everything else was minor. She asked for the details, and although Lady Mu was hesitant, she mentioned it was due to her sister-in-law. The dog raised by her sister-in-law had accidentally bitten Dong Shun.

A restless household can easily lead to chaos. Fugui, ask Physician Hu to go and check on Dong Shun. Use whatever medicine is necessary and see if there's anything else she needs help with. Huiyin could only do so much.

……

After a while, Fugui went to see Huiyin. By this time, it was late in the evening. Huiyin looked at her and said, "You’ve worked hard today. Take tomorrow off and don’t worry about coming in."

"Don't worry about me, my lady. Today, when Dong Shun learned that you were concerned about her, she was moved to tears and very grateful," Fugui spoke on Dong Shun's behalf while sitting on the footstool.

"You’re making too much of it. There’s no need to be so grateful," Huiyin didn't think it was a big deal.

However, Fugui smiled and said, "She’s already married, yet you still sent someone to check on her health. To be honest, even her own family wouldn’t have done so much for her." Seeing that Fugui seemed reluctant to mention Dong Shun's family issues, she only added, "Dong Shun regrets it and has been saying that she still wants to come back to serve you."

"She needs to be strong. This is not a safe haven. Since she's married, she should focus on building her own life. By the way, was it a rabid dog that bit her?" People always romanticize paths not taken. Dong Shun had previously complained that serving in the mansion was exhausting and that even if she stayed, she might not have been happy. It's better to focus on the path she's currently on.

Fugui shook her head. "No, it was just an ordinary dog. You know Dong Shun loves eating ham. Since she was pregnant, she made a bone broth with ham. It smelled so good that it attracted the dog. But I don't think it was an accident."

"A lesson learned is a lesson earned. She should focus on her health, build her life, and learn from this experience," Huiyin said, having helped her stand up to her in-laws this time, but she couldn't do it every time. Even when her own daughter gets married, she couldn't be so meticulous, let alone for Dong Shun.

Fugui said, "Yes, I've been advising her the same."

Li Cheng was also aware of Dong Shun's situation. He said to Huiyin, "I told you to just marry her off within the household. You indulged her wishes, and now she wants to come back to serve. How can that be?"

"Even if she had stayed in the mansion, she would have eventually been married off, and who knows if she would have been any happier. There's no Shangri-la in life," Huiyin replied.

For a moment, Li Cheng was reminded that his wife had also married into a distant family and probably had a hard time back then.

Since Fugui had duties and couldn't visit Dong Shun, it was Le Yun who went. She brought tonics with her and, upon seeing Dong Shun lying in bed, said, "My husband told me that the dog wasn't rabid. You've had a miscarriage, but it didn't damage your foundation. Rest well, and you'll recover."

Even with Le Yun's comfort, Dong Shun wasn't happy. Her husband was a scholar who loved to save face and pretended to be noble. He wasn't a bad person, but even though they were attached to the mansion, the subtle sense that he looked down on her as a former servant was something she could feel, even if it was never spoken.

She told Le Yun that she wanted to go back. After being frightened by a ghost, she always felt that there were too many troubles in the mansion. As a servant, even when scared, she couldn't cry freely. From that day on, she longed for freedom. The princess consort quickly agreed and didn't make things difficult, even bestowing a dowry. She married a scholar, but after the marriage, she felt it was far worse than the mansion.

This family was a distant branch of a wealthy clan. They only ate two meals a day, had an egg once every ten days, and meat once a month. Her sister-in-law, the daughter of a scholar, wore patched clothes and was quite frugal in her ways. This was why Fugui and Qiu Feng didn't want to leave.

She confided her sorrows to Le Yun, who could only advise her to live her life well. The princess consort had given her twelve trunks of dowry, one hundred taels of silver for the bottom of the chest, and some private savings Huiyin had accumulated over the years. The gifts from the sisters were also quite substantial. Even Le Yun's dowry for Dong Shun included two bolts of silk, two gold hairpins, two gold combs, a box of tonics, not to mention what Fugui and Qiu Feng gave. With all this money, Dong Shun should have lived well, but she just wanted to go back to serving.

However, compared to Dong Shun's regret of marrying out of the mansion, Yunzhi was determined to climb up to the Crown Prince. When Li Heng came to De Yin's place, she deliberately adorned a flower in her hair.

But she still held a tray in her hands and said, "Liangdi, I just asked Pan'er to serve, but she couldn't even deliver tea properly and spilled the cup. Luckily, I saw it in advance."

De Yin, seeing that the Crown Prince had already entered the inner room, signaled her to be quiet. "Just take the tea over."

In De Yin's mind, she had never thought of giving Yunzhi to Li Heng as a concubine. Firstly, Yunzhi was her trusted confidante and very capable. Secondly, Yunzhi's appearance was not suitable to be a concubine.

But she didn't expect that after Li Heng and De Yin were intimate, he would still entangle with Yunzhi. Seeing that Li Heng was interested in her, Yunzhi became even more delighted. She often eavesdropped, mostly to know when to deliver water, but because of this, she had a general idea of Li Heng's preferences in bed. As a servant, she was more open-minded.

At first, Li Heng was just playing along, wanting to use De Yin's people for his own purposes and to stabilize the Zheng family. But after a few times, he found the girl had her merits, and the secretive nature of their affair was quite stimulating.

Yunzhi couldn't wait for De Yin to discover them. At least then it would be legitimate, but unfortunately, De Yin never found out. When Yunzhi realized she was pregnant, she pleaded with Li Heng, "Your Highness, it's my honor to serve you. Now that I'm pregnant, I know my status is low, and I dare not carry the royal heir. Please send me out of the palace. If Liangdi finds out, I have no face to see her again."

This strategy of retreating to advance worked, and Li Heng immediately said, "Since you're carrying my child, do you think you can leave? I'll just inform your mistress."

For Li Heng, unifying the world was a daunting task, but he wasn’t hesitant to take in a servant. After all, children born to these low-status servants posed little threat.

Yunzhi got what she wanted and became one of the Crown Prince’s women, although she was only given the title of Chenghui and shared a residence with another Baolin. But she didn't mind.

This incident was a huge blow to De Yin. Though Yunzhi claimed she needed to rest during her pregnancy and avoided seeing De Yin, she couldn’t help but speak honestly when her former mistress came to visit. "Liangdi, this isn't a betrayal of you. After all, aren’t we both just servants who are pregnant?"

"If you really wanted to, why didn’t you tell me earlier? Instead, you conspired to deceive me." De Yin truly felt deeply betrayed.

"But, Liangdi, you are a noble lady. No matter what mistake you make, the Crown Prince won’t do anything to you. However, for us servants, we can be beaten or scolded at will. When Lianzhi died, even you were unable to do anything. I’m only fighting for my own life. We servants were not born to be servants. Even though we have lowly lives, we still want to live properly."

These words sounded harsh to De Yin’s ears. She believed they were only after wealth and status, willing to betray their mistress to become concubines, hoping to secure a better future by bearing children. She couldn’t understand why Yunzhi had distanced herself because of this, especially since she had also been deeply saddened by Lianzhi’s death.

Seeing De Yin in a daze, Yunzhi said reluctantly, "Liangdi, don’t worry. After I give birth to the child, I will bring them to you in the future."

"I don’t want the sympathy of a servant." De Yin walked out with her back straight.

---

As for the matters of the servants, Huiyin didn’t take it too much to heart. In previous years, the Mid-Autumn and New Year gifts from the Zheng family had been extremely generous. This year, however, the gifts were not as abundant and didn’t seem as fresh.

It was probably due to the severe drought in Jizhou last year, Huiyin thought.

The most pressing matter was Jiang Bipbo’s wedding. They hoped it would pressure the Cao family. Guo Zhao needed to remarry soon, and Jiang Bipbo was no longer young. While the wedding ceremonies were simplified, the betrothal gifts and dowry were still given in great abundance.

Jiang Bipbo’s parents had passed away, so Huiyin brought her into the mansion the day before the wedding, preparing for her to marry from the mansion. She even set aside a delicate courtyard for her.

"Tomorrow morning, you will prepare for the wedding ceremonies. I’ve already spoken to the Prince. A team of soldiers will escort you to Yuzhou. By now, our forces have cleared out most of the bandits and robbers in this area. You can rest assured," Huiyin said, holding her hand.

Jiang Bipbo looked at the new wedding dress hanging on the rack, the hem woven with golden threads into a phoenix. It was as if her life could be reborn from the ashes like the mythical bird. She shifted her gaze and thanked the person in front of her, "Madam, you have taken me in as a sworn sister and shown me such care. I don’t know how I can repay you in the future."

Huiyin waved her hand, "I’m afraid you’ll blame me for arranging your marriage if you don’t live well in the future. You’re a smart person and know how to make a good life. Treat the past as clouds and focus on your future."

She didn’t like to say too many empty words, especially to those in difficult situations. If she could help, she would. If she couldn’t, she would step aside. Asking for repayment after helping someone was not something she valued.

However, Jiang Bipbo took out two contract-like documents from her sleeve and handed them to Huiyin, "My family owns eleven salt estates and eight large grain estates. Some shops and houses were given to my adopted brother, but the rest are in my hands. Without saying too much, I offer you two salt estates and one grain estate as private savings."

"I cannot accept this." Huiyin quickly refused.

Jiang Bipbo smiled, "If you don’t accept, you really don’t see me as a sister. If it weren’t for you, not only would I have been forcibly taken as a concubine by the Huo family, but I might have also lost the family wealth. I know you don’t need the money, but I have nothing else to offer. Please accept these, and in the future, they can be for the two young princes. As merchants, we often say that money is like a silent partner—having it brings peace of mind."

Seeing her sincerity, Huiyin accepted. Jiang Bipbo was clearly pleased. Huiyin then briefed her on Guo Zhao’s situation and instructed her to develop agriculture and commerce in Yuzhou after she moved there. Finally, she handed her an exquisite book of fire-avoidance paintings and hurried out of the bridal chamber, almost as if she were fleeing.

To her surprise, Li Cheng was waiting outside. She quickly ran over. "I thought you had guests?"

Li Cheng smiled, "I do have guests, the Cao family. This time, they are much more sincere and have even told me Xie Jiuyi’s grain storage locations."

"Is that so? That’s wonderful." Huiyin hadn’t expected the Cao family to turn so quickly.