Chapter 73

Chapter 73

◎Combined Chapter◎

Xie Jiuyi was indeed unable to hold on any longer. Xu Cifei had been very skilled at winning people's allegiance in the past. Her brother claimed to have a personal letter from the Prince of Wei, declaring support for the Prince of Wei’s second son, Li Zhi. At that time, some people who had been dissatisfied and hadn’t gained any benefits under Xie Jiuyi’s leadership once again defected to the Xu family. They even received many promises from Wei Duo. As long as they worked together from the inside, they would help Li Zhi become the heir.

Most ordinary people might find this hard to believe, but there were many who would take risks for official positions and wealth.

This was why Xie Jiuyi lost this battle.

There were too many traitors!

Yin Liyi helped Xie Jiuyi apply medicine and was anxious. "A bunch of ungrateful people. They think they’ll gain something by siding with Wei Duo, but they’re just being used."

"Why get angry, Liyi? I have a plan. Why don’t you go to Yangzhou with the Prince of Yu? If Jianye falls, we can retreat there." Xie Jiuyi had already begun planning.

Yin Liyi shook her head immediately. "I won’t go. I’ll be wherever you are."

She didn’t want to leave him, but Xie Jiuyi reminded her, "You were captured before. What if it happens again and they use you against me?"

"That was an accident. I’ll be very careful this time," Yin Liyi pleaded.

Xie Jiuyi finally relented. "Alright, but the Prince of Yu and your elder sister must leave."

Yin Liyi nodded, determined. "I’ll go talk to them now."

She conveyed Xie Jiuyi’s message to Yin Lifang, who hesitated for a moment but eventually agreed. She then said to Yin Liyi, "Why don’t you come with us? Let’s leave together."

"Sister, what are you saying? I want to stay with my husband. I’ll entrust my children to you." Yin Liyi had always known she wasn’t very clever, but if Wei Duo really attacked, she would stay by her husband’s side. To her, it was a matter of honor and duty.

Yin Lifang stared at her in disbelief. "You were captured before, and now you’re willing to risk it again? You can’t fight, and you’ll only get in the way. Please come with us."

Yin Liyi shook her head. "Sister, I’ve never been as smart as you. If I go to Yangzhou, I’ll just worry for nothing. It’s better for me to stay in Jianye. My husband has promised to find a child around Jing’er’s age for me to raise in the Prince of Wei’s Mansion. That way, no one will know you’ve left."

Yin Lifang finally understood her younger sister’s thoughtful intentions and was deeply moved.

"Maybe we should all stay," Yin Lifang suggested, feeling guilty.

Yin Liyi shook her head firmly. "Sister, you’ve always taken care of me. Now it’s my turn to take care of you."

That night, Yin Lifang left with her son for Yangzhou.

Xie Jiuyi continued to fight, while others watched from the sidelines.

After returning, Li Cheng wasn’t at ease either. With his expanded territory, he couldn’t manage everything personally anymore. He had to think about the bigger picture. Rewards for merits and punishments for crimes had to be balanced, but he couldn’t let small flaws discourage his deserving officials. He was kept extremely busy.

He also recruited a group of advisors to handle specific matters. Liu Gongzi, who had been introduced to Miss Cao, was also recruited under Li Cheng.

These advisors were paid directly by Li Cheng, and he was discussing the external accounts with Huiyin.

"Draft a list, and I’ll handle the seasonal provisions," Huiyin said.

Li Cheng nodded. "I actually want to model it after the imperial court, using the Three Departments and Six Ministries system to manage this place. That way, even if I go on a campaign, things here can still be managed."

Huiyin agreed. "That makes sense. The Three Departments and Six Ministries balance each other. Even if you’re not here, there will still be people to handle things."

However, talented individuals were hard to find. Li Cheng personally prepared for civil and military examinations, not accepting any recommendations.

Knowing that Li Cheng was strict and unapproachable, many turned to Huiyin for help. Madam Mu, who had always been close to Huiyin, came to recommend her youngest son, Munián.

At first, I didn’t want to come, but they insisted I speak to the princess. "My youngest son may not be perfect, but he’s as loyal as they come."

In such matters, Huiyin must remain in high alignment with Li Cheng. She said, "I have long heard that young Master Miao is quite talented. This time, the prince is using a blind selection process, and he will surely appoint people based on their talents."

Madame Miao didn’t dare to blame Huiyin for not putting in a good word. Now that the prince’s territory was growing larger, many people couldn’t even get an audience, so she was lucky to have met with him.

So, she quickly said, "Yes, you are right."

Huiyin said, "Don’t come over these days; it’s better to avoid any appearance of impropriety. Even if your son is truly talented, others might think you’re just trying to pull strings."

Since Huiyin has been turning away visitors, she even told the Zheng family that she would meet them after things settle down.

Madame Ji’s family had relatives who came to seek refuge from Gaoyang, including members of the Xin and Cui families. Especially since the Cui family is related to Li Cheng through his mother’s side, they expected to receive high positions and wealth. However, they soon learned that Li Cheng requires everyone to take exams.

Some people were so full of themselves that they felt insulted by Li Cheng’s exam requirement.

For example, the uncle of the Xin family thought, "I am already a well-known Confucian scholar in Jizhou, yet I have to take exams with the younger generation. It’s too humiliating."

Pei Shuo had to persuade him, "I have already told the prince about your reputation, uncle. Please wait; the prince appoints people based on their talents, and he will surely recruit you."

"With your reassurance, I feel much better." Xin Daru was also eager to serve under a famous lord.

However, Pei Shuo added, "But I can’t guarantee anything. The prince values practical competence over lofty ideals. Uncle, you must be cautious in front of the prince."

As a junior, Pei Shuo couldn’t directly criticize his elder, so after acknowledging Xin Daru, he immediately conveyed Li Cheng’s views, indirectly telling him that Li Cheng was different from Zheng Fang. Zheng Fang came from a humble background and, although talented, wasn’t very sharp or principled, often acting on a whim.

Pei Shuo could still pacify Xin Daru, but Cui Yuehua’s eldest brother sought refuge with Wei Duo, while her second brother came directly to Li Cheng. As a member of the Cui family, he was certainly knowledgeable and prepared at home. Since Zheng Wuheng was in the military, he was young and directly assigned by Li Cheng to the navy to learn naval warfare.

Cui Yuehua was worried but couldn’t say anything to her second brother. Madame Ji seemed to understand what she was thinking and said, "Your second brother is also a famous scholar. The prince doesn’t engage in private meetings, and if he can stand out, it will prove he truly has real talent."

Although the Cui family was closely related to Li Cheng, Li Cheng was indifferent to them, leaving Cui Yuehua uncertain.

"Mother, I was thinking of going to the princess—"

Madame Ji clicked her tongue, "You don’t understand the princess’s temperament; she’s not one to give face. Originally, she had two wet nurses, but one loved to steal and was eventually expelled because she went too far. No one could change her mind."

Her daughter had always been strong-willed since she was young, completely different from De Yin. De Yin, when she was young, enjoyed visiting relatives and friends with elder Madame Xu, but Huiyin would refuse to go anywhere, even if they tried to pull her by carriage. She was resolute and insisted on being herself, even if people called her eccentric.

Later, when her daughter started reading, her perspective on things far surpassed theirs, and Madame Ji found herself listening to her daughter instead.

Cui Yuehua had no choice but to stop talking and went back to talk to nanny Rong, feeling very worried.

Nanny Rong, however, comforted her, "Second Miss, there’s no need to worry. Even if our second master doesn’t pass the exam this time, with our relationship, he will surely meet the prince’s expectations in the future. Blood is thicker than water."

"You’re right." Cui Yuehua felt relieved after hearing this.

After the Cui and Xin families settled down, the Xu family also sought help from elder Madame Xu. Xu Shi’s younger brother originally served under Prince Wei and later returned to his hometown after Prince Wei passed away. The Xu family of Donghai was a large clan and naturally wanted to be re-employed.

Elder Madame Xu didn’t fully understand the external situation and naively agreed, "I’ll just speak to the marquis."

She actually did mention it to Zheng Fang, but he listened with one ear and out the other. He agreed but forgot as soon as he left. These days, the prince’s son-in-law had been sent as an imperial envoy to Yanzhou and Jizhou. His daughter quietly instructed him to gather any misconduct by the governors there and report back to the prince. If he handled this task well, the prince was prepared to grant him a two-thousand-household fief in Jizhou. With that in mind, how could he remember other people’s matters?

Dressed in new clothes, Zheng Fang bid farewell to Li Cheng and headed to Yanzhou and Jizhou.

As soon as he left, Huiyin punched Li Cheng, "You’re really cunning, sending my father away like a rat into a rice jar. With good wine and beautiful women tempting him, how will he remember what he’s supposed to do?"

"That’s exactly the effect I want. If I had sent someone incorruptible, everyone involved would be implicated. Your father’s family has handed over such a large piece of land to me. I was already planning to grant them a fief. If I ever rule the world, there will be even more rewards for you." Li Cheng actually thought the current arrangement was still a bit lacking.

If the fief were over a thousand households, the amount of grain collected would depend on the heavens. In a disaster year, if there was no harvest, there might be nothing. Now, with the Zheng family coming over, they were directly granted grain, the same as the governors of the same state. Zheng Fang was currently in a leisurely position, which didn’t draw attention, making it a very thoughtful arrangement.

Huiyin held his hand. "Let's take it step by step. By the way, are you asking me to go tomorrow as well? That might not be appropriate."

Tomorrow would mark the first "Talent Selection Ceremony" in Li Cheng's territory, an event that had never before allowed women to participate. She was afraid of breaking the rules.

But Li Cheng said, "A wife is a partner. Huiyin, if it weren't for you delivering the supplies last time, our war efforts wouldn't have gone so smoothly. How could you not participate in such a grand event? Without you, it would lose much of its brilliance."

Huiyin felt a joy in her heart and looked at him. "I will do as you wish, My Lord."

For the first exam, Li Cheng personally created the questions on the spot, not revealing them until the candidates had entered. He would randomly point to one and use that as the topic.

Sitting next to Li Cheng, Huiyin was seeing her husband outside of their home for the first time. Not only was he strong in martial strategies, but his literary talent was also exceptional. Although she had studied, listening to him quoting classical texts made her realize how little she knew and how much more she had to learn.

The room was filled with promising scholars and officials, each hoping to prove themselves worthy of serving a future emperor. Nowadays, with Prince Yuzhang still young and the Crown Prince weak, it was the powerful Prince of Huaiyin who really controlled the situation.

After listening to Li Cheng, the candidates were led by officials to their respective examination rooms. It was the first time Huiyin had appeared in front of so many men. As a woman, she felt a bit shy, but also thought it would be shameful to show such timidity, so she steeled herself.

"Don't be afraid."

She heard Li Cheng say to her, and Huiyin nodded seriously.

A man who loves you doesn't just say sweet words or give you trinkets. True love means being willing to include you in his decisions and share his power with you.

She didn't know why Li Cheng had made such a decision, but after the initial fear, she felt excitement.

This was a stark contrast to her previous life, where even as Empress Dowager, her father still held the real power. Outside, there were enemies like Wei Duo, and even her father couldn't handle everything.

Li Cheng was sipping tea with a beauty by his side, not feeling tired at all. He wanted to showcase his full range of talents while making it look effortless.

Unfortunately, Huiyin didn't know what he was thinking.

In contrast, De Yin's situation had become unbearable since her family defected to Li Cheng. One night, while attending to the Crown Prince, she was stripped and brutally whipped with a horsewhip.

Wei Liangdi mocked her, but it was Yunzhi who came to her aid, personally bringing her hot soup.

"Liangdi, fortunately, your title hasn't been stripped yet. Drink some hot soup and rest for a few days." In Yunzhi's view, as long as the title remained, it was best to stay out of the spotlight and focus on staying safe.

Looking at the ginseng soup Yunzhi handed her, De Yin couldn't help but think of how Yunzhi used to be at her beck and call, to the point where even Lu Xiao had to avoid her sharpness. Now, it was the former maid who was rescuing and pitying her. But she didn't show it on her face and said, "I was wrong to treat you badly before."

Yunzhi shook her head. "Liangdi, you're mistaken. I was also wrong to betray my master. But once we step into these palace walls, our only goal is to survive and find a way to live peacefully."

"Oh, thank you. Take care." De Yin looked at her.

Yunzhi quickly left, and the maid serving her said, "Why did you come? You're pregnant. With the whole palace against her, you should have stayed far away."

"Don't talk nonsense."

Hearing this, De Yin couldn't help but resent her family. Why did they all side with Li Cheng, even going so far as to hand over their lands to him? Why were they so biased?

Growing up, she had always been better than her sister Huiyin in every way, but the family had always favored her. She didn't know what kind of torment awaited her, and for the first time, she hated her family so much.

The exams ended nine days later. Some of the weaker candidates were carried out, while others went to pleasure houses to relax amidst the tension of the exams. Some even frantically prayed at temples and Taoist monasteries near Xuzhou, their incense smoke rising.

Even Cui Erlang, from a prestigious family, was anxious. Li Cheng's new system of anonymous marking meant that no one, not even the most well-connected, could influence the results. For those who had previously entered officialdom through patronage or recommendation, failing the exam would be a real disgrace.

Because of this, he even neglected his beloved concubine.

Just as Zheng Wuheng returned and saw his brother-in-law like this, he comforted him. "Brother-in-law, there's no need to worry unnecessarily."

"I'm not worrying without reason. This exam is incredibly rigorous, with the prince and princess personally overseeing every detail, even bathroom breaks. My seat is fine, but some candidates were placed next to the restrooms, which made things quite unpleasant." Cui Erlang knew clearly that this was a gathering of almost all the elites from the Prince of Huaiyin's territory.

Governor of Yuzhou, Guo Zhao, was the most iron-fisted, first organizing an examination in his province with the help of great scholars, selecting fifty candidates to send for further testing. The local administration of Xuzhou was no less strict, and the same went for Yanzhou and Qingzhou. However, the recently annexed Jizhou had not yet organized such a grand event. Cui Erlang had even rejoiced at this, but to his surprise, he saw his brother-in-law from the Zhang family of Jizhou also present.

At the time, both had expressed their disdain for participating in the exam over drinks, but meeting face-to-face at the entrance of the examination hall was truly awkward.

The most awkward scenario would be if his brother-in-law passed while he did not, which would be even more miserable.

Fortunately, neither he nor his brother-in-law passed. Looking up, they saw Li Cheng personally announcing the fifty successful candidates, and one examinee shouted, "I feel like His Highness hasn't finished reading the names, please, Your Highness, read them again..."

These people even knelt before Li Cheng, who silently shook his head, for sometimes the difference between success and failure is as thin as a hair.

Cui Erlang naturally maintained his dignity, but seeing many scholars weeping, he felt deeply distressed.

For over a month, he could not recover from the failure of the exam. Still staying at the Zheng residence, he saw Zheng Fang return with a radiant face, having been well entertained by the Governor of Yuzhou and the Governor of Yanzhou, and received a fief of two thousand dan of grain from the Prince. He truly marveled at how different people's fortunes could be.

Unaware of Cui Erlang's feelings, Zheng Fang said, "Nephew, I've brought back quite a few specialties. You must share them with me."

He then patted Cui Erlang on the shoulder, nearly causing him to stumble backward a few steps.

Leaving aside whether Zheng Fang and Cui Erlang drank together or remained somber, Huaiyin received a note saying that Yin Lifen and her party had arrived in Yangzhou. She immediately handed the note to Li Cheng.

Surprised, Li Cheng asked, "How did you know? Who gave this to you?"

Huaiyin had originally intended to keep this a secret, as one must always have a backup plan. But now, seeing that Li Cheng was willing to share power with her, she decided it was better to reveal her secret now rather than risk being seen as hiding something later.

"I knew you loved the noodles I made, so I thought about opening a noodle shop where those who wanted to eat noodles could go. Later, I planned to use Old Zhang's Noodle Shop to hide grain, making it easier to transport grain to you without being noticed. After we established ourselves in Xuzhou, they occasionally helped me gather information," Huaiyin said, pursing her lips.

Li Cheng coughed heavily, "You are far more capable than I imagined."

In truth, his heart was already in turmoil. Last time, when Huaiyin arranged for grain to be transported, she personally negotiated with the grain merchants and oversaw the entire process, not flinching at the cost of five hundred thousand taels. Despite not being fabulously wealthy, she never considered failure and was very clear-headed in important matters.

"But how does a regular noodle shop know such confidential stuff?"

Huiyin smiled. "Don't think the lower classes know nothing. They went to Yangzhou and needed to buy people. Our Zhang Laosan's noodle shop is often in the busiest markets, with locations in every nook and cranny. People from all walks of life, including gossipers, are always in the loop."

"You've got a point," Li Cheng replied, realizing that while he thought highly of himself, Huiyin was far more composed and had her own wisdom.

She wasn't a know-it-all, but she always had her clever tricks.

Seeing him so serious, Huiyin couldn't help but say, "We usually joke around, but now you sound so serious."

"Hey, do you think Xie Jiuyi is losing his nerve?" Li Cheng asked.

"I think so. You only took Wu County; you didn't touch any other territories of Prince Wei. With Zhao Hong's sudden death, Xie Jiuyi should have been feeling confident." Huiyin couldn't understand it.

Li Cheng said, "Let's see how the situation develops. I heard the emperor's health is deteriorating."

In fact, in their previous life, the emperor had already passed away. It was strange that in this life, the emperor was still clinging to life. But Huiyin thought that even if she had killed Li Heng in her previous life, the world hadn't found peace.

Taking things one step at a time felt more reliable.

"Honey, even if he becomes emperor, will people follow his orders?" Huiyin asked.

"It doesn't matter. I heard Wei Liangdi gave birth to a son. Wei Duo probably wants to control the emperor to command the vassals; he won't let Li Heng survive so easily."

"That's true, but how do we get Wei Duo to make a decision?" Huiyin didn't understand.

Li Cheng smiled. "In the past, Su Qin and Zhang Yi used their eloquence to persuade the King of Chu. How could I not have planted some influential figures? Don't worry, I've got this covered."

"So you've already made plans, but Wei Duo is still at war with Xie Jiuyi?" Huiyin still felt she couldn't see through it all.

The strategies of diplomacy and warfare between the warring states were something that Huiyin had read about in works like the *Zuo Zhuan*, but she still found some aspects confusing.

Li Cheng explained to her in detail: "If I were to directly oppose Li Heng, he holds the legitimacy, and I would easily become the target of public criticism, called a usurper. Even a thousand years from now, the historical records would describe me that way. No matter how much I achieve, this kind of infamy would stick, and I would be attacked by all. But if Wei Duo makes the first move, and I then deal with him, no one can argue with that."

"But what if Xie Jiuyi becomes too powerful?" Huiyin asked.

Li Cheng shook his head. "That would be problematic. Wei is no longer under the control of the King of Wei. Consort Xu and others have rebelled, leaving Wei in chaos. Now, as they fight among themselves, I need to focus on rebuilding my strength, especially since we’ve only just regained Jizhou. When the time comes to advance from Jizhou to Shangjing, it will be easy for me."

Huiyin listened, but only partially understood, and privately pondered the matter.

About ten days later, Li Cheng returned to say that Wei Duo had sent men to capture Yin Liyi in order to force Xie Jiuyi to withdraw his troops.

Huiyin was left speechless. Yin Liyi isn’t trained in warfare, so why would she be taken to the front lines? It was clearly the same old tactic.