Chapter 65

Chapter 65

◎First Update◎

In Li Cheng's view, Yanzhou was a barrier. If this barrier remained, he would not be able to expand. However, if he fully captured it, he would be directly facing various warlords. It would no longer be the time when the Wei King was around, when he was just sent out to fight, which didn’t directly concern him.

Yet, he had to proceed. To him, the Prince of Yuzhang was too young, and although Xie Jiuyi had the capability, he lacked the prestige to lead the overall situation. His abilities were there, but not strong enough to be exceptional. This could easily lead to problems.

It was like when the emperor was sick and unable to attend to affairs, causing unrest below. Who would listen to whom? Everyone saw the torn opening, and they all rushed to spill blood, vying for position. He and his wife often talked, and although she frequently showed anxiety in front of him, she rarely displayed weakness in front of the servants. If the master was at a loss, the servants' minds would become restless.

Huiyin received Li Cheng's letter in late autumn. The large tree in front of the courtyard had its golden leaves piled up like a small tower, and the maids quickly cleaned them all up. After reading the letter, she seemed much more at ease.

This was not an era where reason prevailed; it was a time of survival of the fittest. If you were strong and had a mighty army, your voice would carry weight. Li Cheng did not disappoint her. Amidst the cold political calculations, there was a touch of warmth.

"Today we'll have 'Dialyssus,' and send a portion to the Guo family's young master," Huiyin arranged with a smile.

Nanny Nan immediately started assigning tasks. Seeing that the princess was in a good mood, she guessed it must be good news from the frontline and felt happy too.

Jing'er had grown a year older this year. He was tall but very naughty. During dinner, he was still playing with a grass-woven grasshopper. He only shrank his neck and started eating after Huiyin gave him a glare.

There was no choice. She would rather be disliked by her son than have him be unruly and unfocused.

In this world, people respected the powerful. Even if you had many flaws, as long as you were strong enough, people would follow you. Conversely, if you were a good person but lacked ability, people would look down on you.

Huiyin understood that this belief was deeply flawed, but she couldn’t really teach her child according to the sage books. A child taught that way would not fit in.

After the meal, Jing'er was alone in the small study writing his homework. Huiyin did not allow anyone to bring tea or water to disturb him, as this also cultivated his concentration.

Once he finished, her son brought the homework over. After Huiyin checked it, the mother and son went outside for a walk to digest the food.

At this time, no matter if he wanted to climb trees or run and jump, Huiyin would not stop him. Sometimes, when in the mood, she would even play shuttlecock. Jing'er sometimes missed his father, but it was rare. Most of the time, he was happy and content.

The next morning, Huiyin had a visitor. It was none other than Xue Huanhuan, whose husband had gone to Nanjun to participate in the war as a trusted aide of Xie Jiuyi but unfortunately passed away last month.

She was in mourning, a common taboo, but after her husband's death, she returned to her natal family. With her mother, Lady Xue, they came to visit, and Huiyin gave the Xue family some face.

"Please accept my condolences."

Huiyin could only say this. The pain of losing a husband was not something an outsider could truly empathize with.

Xue Huanhuan's eyes were slightly red. "Thank you, Princess, for your comfort. I was originally from the Wei region, and after my late husband's passing, I returned from Jianye. I also thank you for accepting me."

If the Huaiyin Mansion did not accept her, she would have had to stay in Jianye. Otherwise, since they were no longer under the same fiefdom, it wouldn’t be possible to come and go freely.

"Don't be like this. I was worried that you were still in mourning, but now that you've come over, just live a good life at home." Huiyin was just saying polite words.

The old lady of the Xue family was originally a princess and had a good relationship with Grand Dowager Wu, so they gave the Xue family some face.

Lady Xue knew her daughter was in mourning and it wasn’t appropriate to stay long in the Huaiyin Mansion. Seeing that Huiyin didn’t say much, she took her daughter out. Once Xue Huanhuan got on the carriage, she said, "Mother, the fighting on the frontline is fierce, but I saw the princess was quite calm."

She and Yin Liyi were very close, and Yin Liyi had actually been anxious.

However, Lady Xue said, "She might not be as calm as she appears, but if she panicked before anything even happened, how would the people in the fiefdom view her?"

"You're right. By the way, I heard the Cao family has moved here. Has the Cao sister been betrothed to anyone?" Xue Huanhuan, close to Yin Liyi, knew that Yin Liyi had been troubled by the Cao sister before, but fortunately, General Xie was wise.

Lady Xue shook her head. "I haven't heard about that."

After all, Lady Xue wouldn’t know about a merchant's daughter.

Xue Huanhuan became a widow at a young age. Lady Xue knew that she and her husband had a deep bond, but after a year of mourning, she would need to find another marriage for her daughter so that she could have support for the rest of her life.

However, she could not find another military man for her daughter's next marriage. Soldiers tend to die young, and if her son-in-law were to pass away, it would leave a large family of orphans and widows—what would become of them?

This time, the defeat in Nanjun—who knows how many lives were lost.

The Cao family thought the same. They remarked, "I've been saying that General Xie is incompetent. Look, now there's a problem. Fortunately, we've moved to Xuzhou, and the prince has also entrusted the business south of Jiahui Pass in Qingzhou to us. He hasn't mistreated us."

Madame Cao smiled and said, "Yes, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, I brought my daughter to pay respects to the princess. With our status, we wouldn't normally have the chance to see the princess, but she praised the Cao family for their righteous deeds and said that my daughter was a fortunate person. Her words almost brought me to tears."

"I think that the Prince of Huaiyin is young and formidable. If we manage to take Yanzhou, it will show that the lord we follow is the right one. Now that we've just joined his side, we shouldn't be too eager for success. Once the prince understands our intentions, our status will be similar to the Jiang family's," the head of the Cao family said.

Madame Cao, being a woman, couldn't involve herself in business matters, but her daughter's marriage was of utmost importance to her. Seeing the men full of ambition, she didn't want to dampen their spirits, so she waited until everyone dispersed before going to her daughter's room.

Currently, Miss Cao lived a leisurely life in her boudoir, but she felt a lingering anxiety in her heart, unsure if she would be married at her age.

When Madame Cao arrived, Miss Cao stood up and greeted her, "Mother."

Madame Cao smiled and said, "Are you working on embroidery again? There are so many people working on it; there's no need to put in so much effort."

"I have nothing else to do, and embroidery helps pass the time," Miss Cao replied, lowering her head.

Madame Cao said, "Don't lose hope. In a few days, I'll get some invitations, and we'll go out more. How will we know who's good or not if we don't socialize?"

Miss Cao understood that her mother was worried about her, so she complied. It's truly the case that a parent's heart is filled with concern for their child.

Similarly, Madame Ji felt the same way. Both Pei Shuo and Zheng Wuheng were her sons, and while her eldest son's talents and abilities were no less than her youngest's, everything had to prioritize the youngest. She understood the reasoning but still felt a little hurt. Therefore, whenever Xin Shi came with her grandson, she would give generously.

This time, when Jizhou suffered from a famine, she also let Xin Shi take some meat and grain. This was seen by Cui Shi, the wife of Zheng Wuheng, who felt a bit displeased.

Cui Shi spoke to Zheng Wuheng, "Currently, we don't have enough grain at home. Big brother and his wife have already moved out on their own. Big brother's wife is such a shrewd person; I heard she has a lot hidden in her cellar. Mother doesn't know the details and gave away so much."

"Don't say such things. Big brother is also my elder brother. Every time we go to battle, he works hard for me, taking on the hardships while I take the credit. He's also our mother's son, so giving him some grain is only right," Zheng Wuheng didn't think much of it.

In Jizhou, there weren't many capable people available. His father had been living off past achievements for years, and recently, there had been frequent bandit raids. He had to arrange for his elder brother to suppress them. How could they let minor issues damage their brotherly relationship?

Cui Shi and Zheng Wuheng, a young couple, had never argued before. Seeing Zheng Wuheng's reaction, Cui Shi had to stop, "I was just mentioning it."

"Even if you mention it casually, it's not right. You don't know the situation in Jizhou right now. With the poor harvests, the bandits are rampant and very difficult to deal with," Zheng Wuheng explained to Cui Shi.

Cui Shi quickly admitted her mistake, "I was wrong; I shouldn't have said that. Please don't be mad at me."

Seeing his wife sincerely apologize, how could Zheng Wuheng be angry? He helped her sit down and said, "It's good that you understand these things. My elder brother is also my mother's treasure."

But in Cui Shi's heart, Pei Shuo was just a stepson brought in by Madame Ji. How could he be compared to Zheng Wuheng?

For Zheng Fang to treat a stepson this way was already fortunate. How could he dare to compete with the real master? But she could never say these things; she could only think about them in her heart.

Similarly, Xin Shi was also dissatisfied. "It's already late autumn, and we're short on supplies. Those bandits and thieves are incredibly fierce. Last time, you went deep into the mountains and only managed to raid one of their hideouts. Now they're sending you again. Why isn't the second brother going? If you split up, you can quickly eliminate the bandit threat. If we don't, how will everyone get through the harvest season?"

"A wise man doesn't take unnecessary risks. You wouldn't understand," Pei Shuo knew that his younger brother would be the future lord of Jizhou. He couldn't let his younger brother go every time; what if something happened?

But in his heart, he still felt a sense of resentment. They were brothers, after all, and yet in the future, he would have to serve his younger brother. He couldn't help but feel a little unwilling to accept it.

Thinking of this, an incomplete thought formed in his mind, but before that, he had to help his brother clear the obstacles so that he could leave with peace of mind.

In the cold late autumn wind, Zheng Wuheng personally came to see his brother off. Pei Shuo patted his younger brother on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Second brother, go back. Don't see me off. Don't worry; I'll get rid of these bandits as soon as possible. Even if they hide in the mountains or bury themselves underground, I'll dig them out."

Zheng Wuheng whispered to Pei Shuo, "Brother, after you come back this time, you won't have to go again. Next time, I'll lead the troops."

"That’s not an option; you can't leave. You need to guard Jizhou properly." Pei Shuo's eyes turned red. The brothers had always been close, but he couldn’t shake his pride and hated being second to his younger brother.

Zheng Wuheng smiled and said, "We'll talk about it again when you come back."

The two bid farewell. This time, Pei Shuo went to deal with the bandits before the New Year. The bandits appeared to have some kind of expert advising them; they were extremely cunning and used weapons that were very difficult to handle. For example, when arrows were shot, they were blocked by superior shields. These bandits were unlike any he’d faced before. Not only did the mission fail, but it also drained their resources and manpower. When he got back, Zheng Fang gave him a harsh lecture.

Pei Shuo had been fighting battles all year without a break, and even now, as he prepared to leave, he wanted to help his brother eliminate the threats. But he knew his limits. So, he decided to put the half-formed plan into action without wasting any more time.

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There will be another double update tomorrow at 9:00 AM.