Chapter 69

Chapter 69

◎Combined Double Chapters◎

When Li Cheng returned again, it was near the end of the year. Since we got married, we’ve spent more time apart than together. Huiyin found it uncomfortable to have someone else sleeping next to her.

In the middle of the night, she suddenly sat up, startled, and only lay back down when she realized it was Li Cheng beside her.

Li Cheng, thinking she had a nightmare, immediately asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Did you have a bad dream? Dreams are usually the opposite of reality, you know~”

“No, I wasn’t dreaming. I’m just not used to it. I’m usually alone when I sleep. You know I’m afraid of ghosts,” Huiyin said, leaning into her husband’s arms, sharing her worries.

Li Cheng affectionately replied, “I’m back now. You don’t need to be afraid.”

It must have been incredibly difficult for his wife to manage the mansion and handle social obligations all by herself. She was human, not a god, and those seemingly easy tasks required countless hours of careful planning behind the scenes.

“But you’ll have to leave again,” Huiyin stated the obvious.

Li Cheng said with a troubled expression, “If I could, I’d naturally want to keep you by my side, but women aren’t allowed in the military camps.”

She was just venting, but you actually started thinking of ways to bring me along. Huiyin quickly stopped him, “I don’t want to go to the military camp. That’s not a place for me. I can’t charge into battle or wield weapons; I’d only be a burden. I just meant that I’m not used to not having you around, but a few days of getting used to each other will be fine.”

Every time, she had to spell things out so clearly.

Li Cheng, feeling a bit embarrassed, quickly changed the subject, “I didn’t expect the Guo brothers to try exploiting our situation. They’re asking for trouble.”

“Even so, we’ve spent a lot of money to defeat Wei Duo and completely take over Yanzhou. Now, it’s time to rest and recover,” Huiyin had fully realized the importance of money and grain during this war.

We couldn’t rely on merchants forever.

Having everything controlled by others wasn’t a good thing.

Li Cheng nodded, “Of course. We’ve reclaimed a lot of land. As you can see, the areas we’ve taken control of are major grain-producing regions. I’ll also establish several granaries for better allocation in the future.”

“You’re more knowledgeable about external matters. Even with the Cao family and the Jiang family, I’ve thought of a reward method. What do you think? The Cao family is most concerned about their daughter right now. Actually, I’ve met Miss Cao once. She’s lively and lovely, though she was once jilted. Finding a good match for her will be quite challenging to fully satisfy the Cao family.” Huiyin, being astute about human nature, knew that if you gave someone a choice, they might still find fault, even if there were minor issues, and blame the matchmaker. But if they made the choice themselves, they couldn’t blame anyone else.

Li Cheng disagreed, “I’ve already given enough profit to the Cao family. Why go to such lengths?”

Huiyin shook her head, “I’ve always helped whenever I can. If I find something troublesome, I naturally wouldn’t bother. This time, the Cao family readily provided 100,000 stones of grain. When Madam Cao heard I’d help find a match for her daughter, she was overjoyed. If I went back on my word now, they would be even more upset. As leaders, we don’t always need to worry about others' feelings, but as the saying goes, water can both carry a boat and overturn it.”

“Alright, alright. I said one thing, and you’ve countered with so many. Tell me, who are the three you’re considering?” Li Cheng quickly said.

Huiyin smiled, “I have a maid who once thought she wanted to marry into an ordinary family and live a simple life of teaching children. But when she actually married, she regretted it. Since ancient times, maidens have favored youth. When a woman marries, the man shouldn’t be too old or ugly, and the conditions at her in-laws’ home should be no worse than her own family’s. Only then will she be content.”

Li Cheng’s eyes sparkled with interest, “Is that so?” He randomly compared himself, thinking his appearance and age were just right. In terms of rank, he was higher than the Zheng family. Clearly, he was an excellent match.

“So, I feel the Cao family will want a marriage that brings them honor. I’ve actually found a few suitable candidates. The first is from a prominent family, the Liu family. This young master’s ancestors were of the royal family in the previous dynasty, and the current dynasty’s Empress Dowager also came from his family. However, his branch of the family has fallen on hard times and is now struggling to maintain their ancestral glory, though they’re on the decline.”

Li Cheng thought to himself that this was a family that had seen better days but was still clinging to past glories.

Huiyin continued, “The second candidate is the younger brother of Xie Qian, the governor of Wu Commandery. Although he comes from the Xie family of Chen Commandery, he is an illegitimate son. As you know, an illegitimate son, when dividing the family inheritance, doesn’t receive much despite the law stating equal division among sons. Marrying a wealthy bride would secure his future.”

An illegitimate son and a merchant's daughter—neither can afford to look down on the other. The bride would gain status by marrying into a prestigious family, and the groom would benefit financially. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

“The third candidate is a widower. His status isn’t as high as Guo Zhao’s. He’s a judicial officer in this prefecture. I get along well with his mother. However, Madam Miao told me that he has already lost two wives.”

Li Cheng nodded, “If I’m not mistaken, of these three, the person you truly intend to introduce is the second one.”

Seeing that Li Cheng had figured it out, Huiyin silently agreed, “It all depends on what the Cao family decides.”

Lady Xue was invited by Huiyin to come over, and while Huiyin didn’t go into exhaustive detail, she did mention the strengths and weaknesses of the three individuals. After returning home, Lady Xue naturally discussed the matter with her family.

Though the merchant family was wealthy and more adept than Huiyin at investigating people, it didn’t take long for information about the three to be presented.

The head of the merchant family said to Lady Xue, "These three matches aren’t bad at all. The first, Master Liu, is a descendant of the royal family of the previous dynasty. He’s handsome and highly talented, having excelled at the Imperial Academy. His paternal uncle serves as the Military Supply Officer of Xuzhou. However, his family only has two small shops and a few acres of thin land."

"If Master Liu is as impressive as they say, we can afford to give a bigger dowry," Lady Xue thought, recalling that her daughter had been rejected in a previous engagement. Finding a first marriage match would be a good outcome.

The head of the merchant family continued, "The second is the younger brother of General Xie, who became famous for his role in the recent battle in Wu County. He is eighteen years old, from the prestigious Chen County Xie family. This young master Xie is said to be very handsome and is called the 'Handsome Man of Wu County.'"

Lady Xue’s smile deepened, finding this young master Xie to have even better conditions than Master Liu.

Finally, the head of the merchant family said, "The last one is the Judicial Officer of this prefecture, also from a prominent local family, but he has already lost two wives, which is not ideal."

Lady Xue counted on her fingers and said, "The princess consort also told me that these candidates are not the best, but this is the range of choices she could find."

Marriage is about uniting two families. At least the princess consort’s choices are mostly from noble families, unlike Jiang Bipbo, who married into a humble background and became a second wife.

The head of the merchant family said, "I think we can rule out the Judicial Officer. I’ve had drinks with him, and while he is quite articulate and seems like a decent person, he has a history of losing wives."

Lady Xue briefly considered looking for another match herself, as Huiyin had reminded her that they didn’t have to accept the match just because it was offered by the princess consort. Since the Judicial Officer was no longer under consideration, Lady Xue immediately said, "I think young master Xie is a great match," without a second thought.

"I was thinking the same. By marrying into the Xie family, we’ll have better business opportunities in Wu County. Moreover, given our daughter’s current reputation, being able to marry into the prestigious Chen County Xie family would be a slap in the face to that Xie Jiuyi," said the head of the merchant family, still somewhat angry when mentioning Xie Jiuyi.

Lady Xue mused that although her daughter was still a virgin, this young master Xie was handsome, a noble family member, and a first marriage prospect. It would be her daughter who gained the advantage. This match was likely arranged by the princess consort. Otherwise, they might have ended up marrying into a declining family like Master Liu’s, who might not even be as talented.

After Lady Xue made her choice, Huiyin sent a message to the wife of Xie Qian, Madam Zhao, and also selected a pair of jade Ruyi and an official icebox as additional dowry gifts for Miss Cao.

Both sides were delighted with the outcome. Meanwhile, Lady Xue, at home, spoke to Xue Huanhuan, saying, "The princess consort is truly clever. I heard that Madam Zhao often feels that her brother-in-law Xie Qian spends too much, but Xie Qian, out of brotherly affection, says nothing. Madam Zhao, however, is quite resentful. Now that the second young master Xie is getting married to a wealthy bride, she won’t have to spend any of their money. As for Miss Cao, although her previous engagement was broken off through no fault of her own, her reputation was somewhat tarnished. Being able to marry the younger brother of General Xie, who is both talented and handsome, is indeed a good match."

Xue Huanhuan couldn’t help but say, "It does sound nice, but if Miss Cao was previously a concubine, and now she’s becoming a first wife, isn’t that quite a twist of fate?"

"Who told the merchant family to be so wealthy? When the Prince of Huaiyin attacked Yanzhou last time, the merchant family contributed significantly several times. This princess consort is simply repaying the favor. Besides, if she were to take Miss Cao as a concubine for the prince or marry her to her own brother, that would be considered a mismatched status. But this marriage is with young master Xie, who is an illegitimate son, so no one will find any fault." Lady Xue analyzed.

Jealousy among people is to be avoided. Often, the person involved doesn’t feel anything is wrong, but those around them sense an issue.

The princess consort also had her own group of people. If they saw her being too affectionate with a merchant’s daughter, they might feel resentful.

Xue Huanhuan said, "In that case, I’m thankful for our Xue family for bringing me here."

If the Xue family weren’t a prominent local clan, how could she have come from Jianye?

As for Miss Cao, after seeing young master Xie through a screen, she was satisfied to see that he truly deserved the title of 'Handsome Man.' With the demeanor of a noble family member, she was very pleased, knowing she would become a proper wife. The humiliation of being rejected as a concubine still pained her deeply.

Initially, young master Xie was somewhat reluctant. No matter how wealthy the merchant family was, and despite them now being officially recognized merchant officials by the Prince of Huaiyin, there were still flaws. But when he saw Miss Cao holding a white silk fan from afar, he was captivated. Seeing the grandeur of the merchant family, he agreed.

As both families celebrated the joyous union, Huiyin, after the new year and the arrival of spring, went horseback riding with Li Cheng for a leisurely outing. Unexpectedly, after not riding for a while, she twisted her waist.

"Gently, gently, I can’t move!" Huiyin lay flat on the bed, feeling pain with any movement.

Li Cheng had originally planned for them to enjoy a ride together, recalling how well Huiyin used to ride. But after this unexpected accident, as he warmed the plaster, he realized how fragile his wife actually was. Though she rarely showed weakness around him, people often say that 'a long-sick patient doesn’t have a filial child by their side,' so he should perform well in this situation.

Wait, he wasn’t a filial son; he was a good husband.

After applying the plaster, Huiyin pinched her nose and wrinkled her face. "Ugh, it smells awful!" she exclaimed.

"But we have to apply it, don’t we? I suggested calling a doctor to set your bones, but you refused," Li Cheng said, pressing the already applied plaster down again.

Huiyin swatted his hand away, saying, "Too much force."

Li Cheng, who was in a rare good mood, was about to speak when it was reported that Pei Shuo had arrived. He gave Huiyin's hand a reassuring pat before heading out to meet his brother-in-law.

Pei Shuo had been there for about a year, and he always completed the tasks Li Cheng assigned to him to the best of his ability. He never cared about his own reputation, didn't put on airs, and got along well with Yuwen Dang and others who were once Li Cheng's subordinates.

"Sit, why have you come over?" Li Cheng said.

Pei Shuo took out a letter and said, "This is a letter from my father. Jizhou is in urgent need."

Li Cheng raised his eyebrows.

Zheng Fang didn't expect that the mastermind behind these bandits was Shi Chong. The bandits were causing chaos everywhere, and no matter what, they couldn't be eliminated. He suspected Shi Chong's involvement, but the Crown Prince was biased toward Shi Chong. Zheng Fang was now feeling exhausted.

"I always suspected it was Shi Chong, but I can't figure out how he managed to incite the bandits," Zheng Fang said.

Zheng Wuheng, being young and daring, said, "Father, since you are overseeing matters in Jizhou, I will go to suppress the bandits myself. I don't believe I can't deal with them."

Zheng Fang didn't want his son to take the risk. "Your brother has already achieved great success with your second sister's husband, and your second sister's husband has also taken Yanzhou. He has his future, and I only have you as my son. I will go instead."

"Father, how can I let you, an elder, go? I am not a porcelain doll. If you always do this, people will look down on me in the future," Zheng Wuheng had matured significantly since Pei Shuo left. He excelled in both mundane tasks and martial arts.

Zheng Fang had a lingering thought. "Son, maybe we should go and join your brother-in-law."

He had ambitions, especially after killing Lü Wei, and it seemed he had the determination to rule the world. But now he felt powerless.

So, he said impulsively, "Maybe we should join someone else, since Li Cheng is indeed capable. He even drove Wei Duo away. Moreover, Li Cheng is of royal lineage. The emperor is not long for this world, and even if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, it's uncertain whether he can maintain his power. We should act first."

Zheng Wuheng felt ashamed. "Father, how can we, possessing such a good land as Jizhou, abandon its people and become subjects elsewhere? If we stay in Jizhou, we can support our sister. If we all go, your son-in-law might look down on us."

Zheng Fang wasn't angry at his son's remark. "Your brother-in-law, the son of the King of Wu, holds real power. The emperor is already on his deathbed. Even if the Crown Prince ascends the throne, it's uncertain whether he can hold his position. It's better to join someone else."

Zheng Wuheng always felt his father's words were inappropriate. As the saying goes, it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. If my brother-in-law needed assistance, I would be willing to help, but it seems pointless to submit to someone when everything is going well.

Ignoring his father's advice, Zheng Wuheng decided to lead the troops to suppress the bandits. He deliberately lured the enemy deeper and captured a few of them alive for interrogation, only to find out they were Shi Chong's men.

Thinking of this, Zheng Fang took the captured men to confront Shi Chong. Shi Chong dared not admit it and accused Zheng Fang of framing him out of spite for taking his position. Zheng Fang and Zheng Wuheng then went to see Crown Prince Li Heng. Li Heng feigned ignorance. He had already learned that the Zheng family was being troubled by bandits and had suffered losses. He had long wanted to seize Jizhou and, while offering verbal reassurances, was already planning his next move.

At that moment, Zheng Wuheng was unexpectedly placed under house arrest. Zheng Fang, relying on sheer will, broke through the encirclement, wrote a letter, and sent a personal guard to deliver it to Xuzhou.

He then signaled, and the Jizhou army came to rescue Zheng Wuheng. War was imminent. Li Heng ordered Shi Chong to take Jizhou. Shi Chong was eager to try, but Zheng Wuheng considered it a great humiliation and fought valiantly against Shi Chong's forces.

…

On the other hand, concerning De Yin, Yunzhi, who had once been a servant of the Zheng family and owed them a debt of gratitude, was now pregnant. She had also learned about the external situation and quietly came to inform De Yin.

When De Yin saw Yunzhi approaching, she was in a bad mood. "Now that you're pregnant, what if something happens to you while you're here? I can't afford to take that responsibility."

Yunzhi wasn't angry when she heard this and simply said, "I came to tell you, Liangdi, that the Crown Prince has sent people to attack Jizhou. You should be vigilant these days."

"What? Are you joking?" De Yin couldn't believe it. In her previous life, her father and brothers helped the Crown Prince fight Li Cheng. How had things completely reversed now?

Seeing the palace maids entering, Yunzhi smiled and said, "Then I thank Liangdi for your concern. I will take good care of the child in my womb."

De Yin actually believed Yunzhi's words. By the afternoon, Liangdi from Wei again found an excuse to reprimand two of her servants. The sarcastic remarks left De Yin feeling numb, and she could only pretend not to notice.

Now, her life seemed even more difficult compared to Yunzhi's. Yunzhi had a daughter in Empress He's care and was pregnant again, while she had no offspring and had lost her family's support. Even her favor had disappeared.

She suddenly recalled from her past life that when her father and brothers fought against Li Cheng, he never humiliated her. He just didn't favor her, but he didn't target her either.

She thought that if she had a blood-related brother, it would be good. If not, she shouldn’t have married the Crown Prince at all. She would have been better off marrying someone from a well-matched noble family. But now, it’s too late for such thoughts.

……

Huiyin was recovering from her injuries, and during this time, Jing'er showed great filial piety by frequently visiting her. Her younger son, Zhan'er, also came to play.

Jing'er was almost six years old and had started learning to ride a horse. He was excited as he said, “Mother, Father taught me to ride a horse, and Uncle was guarding beside me. I thought I would fall, but I sat steadily.”

“Were you afraid?” Huiyin peeled a section of an orange for Jing'er.

Jing'er immediately shook his head. “I’m not afraid. I need to learn to ride well so that I can join Father in battle in the future.”

“Good son, you have ambition.” Li Cheng entered, patted his son’s head, and said to the wet nurse beside him, “Take the young heir down. I have something to discuss with the princess.”

She had sprained her waist and had been lying down for three days. During this period, Li Cheng had been attending to her meticulously, more thoughtful than the attendants, even serving her meals and assisting her with personal needs. She felt embarrassed, but he took great pleasure in caring for her.

At this moment, Li Cheng’s expression became more solemn, and Huiyin couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong?”

Li Cheng explained, “The Crown Prince said that because your father failed to suppress the bandits, the people suffered. The Crown Prince asked your father to surrender his power, but he refused, so the Crown Prince ordered General Shi Chong to attack Jizhou.”

“What?” Huiyin was worried and looked at Li Cheng. “How did you find out?”

Li Cheng explained that it was through the personal soldiers sent by Zheng Fang to Pei Shuo. He said seriously, “We are bound by the knot of marriage, and when your family is attacked, I should help. But if I go without informing your father and brother, others might think I am greedy for the land and using the pretext of rescue to invade.”

“Then should I write a letter? If they need assistance, we can send people over later?” Huiyin understood his implication.

At this time, Li Cheng had no idea that Zheng Fang had already considered submitting to him. He had enough supplies, with plenty of grain purchased from three wealthy families the previous year.

However, providing assistance once would be considered a favor. In the future, he could not afford to continually fight for others' lands.

Li Cheng nodded, regaining his composure. “Alright, write the letter, and I’ll send it immediately.”

Jiahui Pass was open to trade with Xuzhou at this time. After all, the two families were related by marriage and different from others. Huiyin had her personal soldiers deliver her letter to either Zheng Fang or Zheng Wuheng.

Zheng Fang soon received Huiyin’s letter. Seeing that his son-in-law was righteous and even mentioned bringing his own supplies if any support was needed, he immediately showed the letter to Zheng Wuheng.

Zheng Wuheng looked at the letter and said, “Father, does Sister mean that Brother-in-law is willing to help us?”

“Yes, the Prince of Huaiyin is truly a man of righteousness and honor. I really didn’t misjudge this son-in-law.” Zheng Fang said.

Li Heng had been eyeing Jizhou for a long time. Now, he sent Shi Chong, who colluded with bandits for an internal rebellion. Zheng Fang and Zheng Wuheng felt the fierceness of the attack. While it was possible for the father and son to fight bravely, civilian and military casualties were unavoidable. Zheng Fang didn’t care much about this, but when he heard that Wei Duo was also coming to help the Crown Prince, the father and son briefly discussed and decided to lead their troops to join Li Cheng directly.

Li Cheng had been moving very quickly from Xuzhou to Qingzhou and had even sent Pei Shuo as the vanguard to help. He did not expect to encounter Zheng Fang and his son, along with many of Madame Ji and elder Madame Xu’s family members, as well as a large contingent of soldiers.

Before Li Cheng could speak, Zheng Fang dismounted and knelt, saying, “My lord, I, Zheng Fang, am willing to offer Jizhou to you. I wish for you to achieve great success soon.”

This father-in-law seemed overly eager to submit, as if he had rehearsed this moment many times. Li Cheng was taken aback by the suddenness of it all.