Chapter 86

Chapter 86

◎Combined Chapter◎

As evening approached and the rosy clouds faded, darkness settled in. Huiyin had always disliked the deepening twilight. She always felt that everything became frightening at night, and her sensitivity would peak. In the past, she rarely thought of Li Cheng, but now she found herself thinking of him more often.

At least when he was by her side, he was like a guardian, keeping her free from any tension.

To outsiders, she seemed invincible and strategically flawless, but beneath that tough exterior, she was someone who feared the night. She didn’t dare reveal this weakness, afraid of being controlled by those around her.

That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and the next morning, she couldn’t get up, so she stayed in bed a little longer.

When she rose, she applied a lot of powder under her eyes. It was her birthday, and with the ongoing war at the frontlines, she didn’t want to hold a grand celebration. She only invited the descendants of meritorious officials to the palace to strengthen ties, hosted a few banquets, and bestowed gifts as a gesture of favor.

“Your Highness, didn’t you sleep well last night?” asked Lingju.

Huiyin smiled. “Before bed, I read a fascinating book that kept me awake, thinking about the story. Do I look worn out?”

“Your face used to be as smooth as a peeled egg, like white jade, but now you have dark circles under your eyes,” Lingju replied truthfully, knowing Huiyin preferred honesty.

Huiyin nodded. “I thought so too, but there’s no help for it. I’ve always been a light sleeper.”

Alone in the vast palace, she had to protect her son and maintain control, all while keeping her vulnerabilities hidden.

After dressing properly and looking at her dignified appearance, Huiyin rose, satisfied, though she felt a bit shaky from staying up too late. She could barely hold herself up.

In fact, the noblewomen faced even greater challenges. They had to rise before dawn, dress in grand attire, avoid eating foods with strong smells, and wait in their carriages for the palace gates to open. Once the gates opened, they entered in an orderly manner, holding their breath and not speaking casually. Once they reached Linde Hall, they had to kneel and bow in greeting. It was indeed not easy.

The older women had to be helped up, and even the younger ones, burdened with heavy attire, had to bow again to wish her a happy birthday. Even Madame Ji had to kneel.

Seated above, Huiyin said to everyone, “Today is my birthday, and it’s truly an honor for you all to come.”

“Your Highness, it’s our honor to enter the palace and celebrate your birthday. It’s a privilege for us,” said Cui Yuehuan, the wife of the Empress’s brother and the princess of the ducal palace, who was the first to speak, which was most appropriate.

Huiyin smiled slightly, and the palace maidens brought tea. She then said, “This is a new tea. I found it a bit bitter at first, but then it had a sweet aftertaste. It’s different from the fresh, tender early spring tea we had before.”

Jiang Bibo, whose family used to be in the tea business, chimed in, “Your Highness’s tea is excellent. I didn’t find it bitter. Instead, it had a very fragrant smell, not the grassy scent of tea but a kind of roasted and aromatic flavor.”

“You certainly know your tea. This one was roasted, making it particularly fragrant and flavorful,” Huiyin said, sipping lightly. She actually didn’t dare to drink much, afraid it would keep her awake.

Jiang Bibo quickly said she didn’t dare to claim such expertise.

Huiyin then asked about Madame Yu and Jiang Bibo, “Have your families completed the formal engagement process yet?”

Madame Yu rarely took her daughter out, so Huiyin had only seen the child when she was very young. Now, both families were important ministers, so she felt she had to ask.

Jiang Bibo smiled. “We’ve just matched the eight characters, and everything is good.”

“That’s wonderful. When they marry, I’ll make sure to give them a generous gift,” Huiyin said with a smile.

As for Madame Ji, since she often entered the palace, it wasn’t appropriate to say too much in front of others, so she just asked, “How are the Crown Prince and the Second Prince?”

Huiyin replied, “Today is my birthday, and they are resting for half a day. They will come to pay their respects in the afternoon.”

Jing’er, though young, had many people who wanted to climb the social ladder through him. She couldn’t let Jing’er casually meet people. Young children rarely had the ability to distinguish good from bad. No matter how mature they appeared, they could easily fall into the trap of thinking that indulgence equals love and strictness means cruelty. Not to mention outsiders, even those around him, if any wet nurse was too overbearing, Huiyin would send them away.

So, she deliberately kept these people at a distance.

When Li Cheng returned and her son could take part in governing, at least he wouldn’t be led astray.

Having said that, she waved to Xianjie, "Come sit beside me."

She didn’t have a daughter of her own; Xianjie was her brother's child. Although she wouldn’t dare say she treated Xianjie as her own, she hoped this child would be happier than both her and De Yin in the future. They were both products of political marriages, and their happiness largely depended on their husbands. Xianjie's situation was much better than theirs had been at her age.

Seeing how Princess Huiyin favored Xianjie, Jiang Bipbo lamented that her husband had already arranged an engagement with Yuwendang's daughter. Xianjie, being the niece of the Empress, was young but strikingly beautiful, far prettier than Yuwendang Chonghua. Yuwendang was handsome and talented, and his wife, Yuwendang's mother, was petite and charming, but their daughter, Chonghua, had sallow skin and was somewhat overweight.

Of course, marriage was about uniting two families, and Jiang Bipbo would never express such thoughts outwardly. However, men with beautiful wives often sought affairs elsewhere, let alone when the wife was just average-looking.

It wasn’t that Jiang Bipbo looked down on them; she simply observed that her stepson was quite arrogant and had been brought up in the Empress's court, giving him refined tastes. Given his tastes, he should marry someone who was both talented and beautiful, but this engagement seemed rather hasty.

But Jiang Bipbo knew her place well enough not to say anything she shouldn’t. After all, she was just a stepmother, and her role was to execute, not to question.

Xin Shi, seeing the Empress dote on her daughter, was pleased but added, "If Madame Huiyin loves her, she also thinks of Madame. This is a pair of pouches she made at home to celebrate your birthday."

A palace maid quickly brought them over. Upon seeing the soft green satin pouches embroidered with pink peaches, Huiyin commented, "Xianjie can already make pouches—that's really impressive!"

Xianjie, a bit shy, said, "I am unworthy of your praise, Madame."

"Nanny Nan, I remember we have a few gilded fans. Bring them over for Xianjie to play with," Huiyin said lovingly.

Watching this, Cui Yuehua wished she had a daughter of her own. She had no objections to Xianjie; after all, she was the only girl in their family, and everyone adored her.

Then Huiyin asked the other family members how they were doing in the capital and whether they were adapting well. She also bestowed rare and valuable gifts such as precious prayer beads, tribute silks, and rare incense that could not be obtained outside. She even had the Shengping Bureau prepare two short plays for entertainment. After the performance, they had a meal before she dismissed them.

While the other noble ladies left, Ji Shi, Xin Shi, and Cui Yuehua stayed behind for further conversation.

During such moments, Ji Shi and Cui Yuehua often engaged in subtle competition, sharing what they knew from the streets. Cui Yuehua, feeling she hadn’t performed well last time, had gathered a lot of information this time: "I heard that the Yuwendang girl is quite obese and sallow, so the Yuwendang family rarely lets her appear in public. This engagement with the Guo family aims to leverage the friendship between the two families' elders to secure the marriage before any social interactions expose the truth."

This was the downside of blind marriages, where families only considered status or relied on mutual connections, without regard for whether the couple was truly compatible.

"As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As long as the girl's personality is good, that's enough," Huiyin said.

Hearing Cui Yuehua's account of Yuwendang Chonghua, Huiyin thought of something else: "I heard that Princess Jianjia of the Yuzhang Kingdom is also looking for a son-in-law. They have only recently arrived in the capital and don’t know many people. I believe they plan to host a flower banquet. In my opinion, they are trying to find a good match through the banquet."

This was only natural. Huiyin understood that the Princess Wei and her household certainly had money, but it wasn’t an unlimited amount. It was likely reserved for Jianjia's dowry.

However, whom Jianjia chose to marry was not her concern.

King Wei was dead, and many of his former subordinates had sided with Wei Duo. The rest had either joined Li Cheng or dispersed like birds and beasts. Unless the Yuzhang King was exceptionally talented, he wouldn’t make much of an impact.

"If she wants to look for a match, let her. I believe the Yuzhang King is also of marriageable age, so their mansion will soon be bustling with activity."

These matters were of little importance to her, and she discreetly stifled a yawn. Seeing this, Ji Shi asked, "Is Madame tired?"

"I caught a cold yesterday and didn’t sleep well last night," Huiyin waved her hand.

Upon seeing this, Ji Shi and the others knew not to linger and left. Since Huiyin did not ask Xianjie to stay, Xin Shi took her daughter home, feeling a bit regretful.

Once they left, Huiyin returned to her bedroom, removed her hair ornaments, washed her face, and hurried to bed.

Fugui tucked Huiyin into bed, then she and Nanny Nan did some needlework nearby. Fugui said, "Madame is truly hardworking; there isn’t a single day when she can relax."

"Indeed," Nanny Nan agreed with concern. "Last year, when Madame had her monthly troubles, there were many spies and traitors. She still had to go out at night to check on the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, which led to discomfort below. Being alone, she has to be both father and mother to them, which is truly not easy. Outsiders know nothing; they only see her as being deeply favored, but they only see the glamorous side. Who knows the inner struggles?"

Princess Wei was deeply concerned about her daughter Jianjia's marriage, especially since younger girls like Guo Xing were getting engaged, while Jianjia still had no husband.

Jianjia had grown up, and Princess Wei discussed the matter with her. "Don't be shy; this is your lifelong affair. This time, it's up to us, not like in the past when your father was in charge."

Mentioning Prince Wei, Jianjia said, "If Father were still alive, why would we need to live under someone else's roof and put up with others' attitudes?"

"Even if your father were alive, he might not have done any better than your cousin. We would still have had to endure that Xu witch. Let's not talk about her; her death was quite gruesome. I never liked Xu Cifei. The two of them colluded with Wei Duo, leading to the downfall of Wei territory. Otherwise, how could we have ended up like this?" Princess Wei disliked Xu Cifei, and this shared resentment was mutual.

Jianjia also recalled the past. Her mother was always drinking those medicinal concoctions, hoping to have another son. They had to curry favor with Yin Cifei and treat Li Jing well, all to ensure future support.

Alas, everything had come to nothing. Life had changed drastically in just a few short years, as if in a dream.

Princess Wei didn't know many people, so she sent invitations to those she did know, preparing food and wine. Although Yin Lifang was temporarily living under someone else's roof, she refused to be seen as inferior.

Qiaozhen advised, "If you don't go out, people will think you're inferior. Why not sit with her on equal footing? Even in the palace, the Empress bestows gifts equally to both of you."

"Yes, I am the birth mother of the Prince of Yu Zhang. If I claim to be ill, it would only show weakness. In the palace, I've seen how Princess Zheng is full of vigor, and no one dares to underestimate her. Who would dare to deceive her?" Yin Lifang had been cautious due to her status, but now, because of the same status, why should she cower? Without her son, there would be no mansion, and where would that Huo family show off their power?

Not to mention the flower banquet where Princess Wei and Yin Cifei were at odds. As for Jianjia among the new elite, she wasn't as sought-after as the younger Xianjie. Those in the know were clear that when the Emperor established his own household, there had been some dissatisfaction from Prince Wei's side, so these people were holding back.

However, there were some large families in the capital who didn't know these details, and two of them had sent matchmakers to propose marriage.

This was far from what Princess Wei had imagined. Instead of a flood of proposals, there were merely two, and she wasn't very satisfied with either. Yin Lifang also sighed, "Sister, Jianjia's age can't be delayed any longer. Even if we settle on a marriage this year, preparations will take two years."

The adults' matters were kept from the children. Even though Yin Lifang showed her grievances in front of her son, she never directly spoke ill of Princess Wei.

"Yes, marriage preparations take several years," Princess Wei calculated, counting on her fingers.

Soon after, Princess Wei also enlisted the help of Madame Sun, who was the wife of an old minister from Wei territory and had a good relationship with Princess Wei. When Princess Wei asked for her assistance, Madame Sun thought of someone. "If we're talking about family background, there is indeed someone. I heard that the Emperor's cousin, Cui Erlang, recently lost his wife. The Cui family is a prominent clan, and he is a handsome and distinguished man."

Princess Wei directly went to the palace to request Huiyin's help for this match, knowing that it couldn't be done privately, or it would raise suspicions of collusion.

Sure enough, Huiyin smiled and said, "Cui Erlang lost his wife, but how could he match a princess? I believe we should find someone of appropriate age and appearance."

"Does the Empress have a candidate? We are like headless flies, widows without occupation, knowing nothing," Princess Wei hoped Huiyin could arrange an excellent match.

Huiyin smiled faintly, "I've been in the palace for so long; I don't know many people."

Although Princess Wei was somewhat disappointed, she didn't lose heart after leaving the palace and actually found a match. It wasn't someone else, but the son of Xun Rou's stepmother. Both sides were relatives and hit it off immediately.

Princess Wei and Jianjia were very happy. The two of them sat together by the candlelight, eating hot pot with great enthusiasm, looking forward to the day Jianjia would marry. The Xun family was royalty, and as long as the Emperor was there, their daughter would be safe. The young man was good at painting, had a proper appearance, and was a good match.

Such a warm scene was something Yin Liyi couldn't enjoy. She also had a son and a daughter, but Madame Xie's attitude towards her had changed drastically, cursing her as a reincarnated disaster star. Xie Jiuyi, who should have been on her side, was unusually silent, leaving Yin Liyi to suffer in silence these days.

Today, Xie Jiuyi had gone out, and her two children were eating with her. Her daughter was fine, but her son hadn't even finished his meal before shouting that he wanted to go to his grandmother's.

"Son, you haven't finished your meal yet? Grandmother is old and can't tolerate much noise. It's better to stay here with me," Yin Liyi said.

For nearly two years, she had been with her children, rarely leaving the estate. Xie Jiuyi seldom allowed them to leave, so she knew nothing of the outside world, let alone her sister and nephews.

But she avoided bringing it up again. This was a knot in her and Xie Jiuyi's hearts. Mentioning it would only lead to mutual pain and suffering.

When Xie Jiuyi returned today, he wasn't in his usual bitter state. He even volunteered, "I found out where your sister is."

"Really? Where?" Yin Liyi immediately sat up in bed.

Xie Jiuyi rarely smiled, "Your nephew has been enfeoffed in the capital, and it's likely your sister is living there too."

Yin Liyi was delighted. She didn't want to speculate, but what if her sister hadn't been living well? Would Xie Jiuyi still be indifferent towards her?

You can't dwell too much on these things. Back then, when he married me, it looked like he was just marrying the daughter of a minor official, but could it also have been because of my sister?

**

In the blink of an eye, it was the end of another year. Huiyin was organizing the palace staff to clean the palace. Recently, some of the palace maids had been dismissed, and a new batch of young maids had been recruited from Jizhou, Qingzhou, and Xizhou.

A new group of people had taken their place. Huiyin looked at her copper mirror and seemed to have aged another year.

She used to hate those women who complained about being trapped in their homes, but now she was starting to show some of those tendencies. It was truly a regret to urge her husband to seek honors. But thankfully, the tough battle against Wei Duo was finally over, and she would soon be able to see her husband.

They hadn’t seen each other in two years. She wondered if he had become rough? Also, could he have fallen in love with someone else on the frontlines? If he fell in love with someone else, should she do the same?

However, she didn’t seem to have much interest in men.

Lost in her thoughts, she glanced up and saw another person in the mirror. Startled, Huiyin stood up, “You, how did you suddenly appear behind me? Is this a hallucination?”

Li Cheng had been longing for Huiyin all the way, so he decided to return early with his men, wanting to surprise her. He didn’t ask anyone to announce him but was pinched by his wife as soon as he arrived. He deliberately grimaced, completely disregarding his image, just happy, and hugged his wife tightly.

“It’s not a hallucination, it’s really me who has returned. I didn’t stop riding to see you sooner,” Li Cheng felt her warmth and heartbeat and didn’t want to let go.

Originally, Huiyin wanted to say something sentimental, but seeing his well-shaved face and neatly combed hair, she smiled, “You didn’t ride straight through. You must’ve stopped to clean up along the way.”

Li Cheng’s ears turned slightly red, “That’s because you said I smelled like a horse after riding, and wouldn’t let me touch you.”

“I was just looking out for my own health. You don’t know how often I couldn’t sleep when you weren’t by my side. Really...” Huiyin coquettishly told him.

Li Cheng simply scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bed.

Two hours later, they emerged. Li Cheng felt like all his bones and muscles had been cleared. Huiyin muttered, “I thought you would bring a younger sister back for me?”

“In all honesty, was what I just did not enough? I’ve been holding back for two years. At this intensity, are you trying to wrong me?” Li Cheng felt wronged.

Just now, Huiyin had complained that he had become darker and even suggested he had an affair outside, which was completely wronging him.

From riding and fighting in wars, calluses had formed on his legs.

Huiyin smiled and waved her hands, “Alright, alright, alright. Our conversation is too embarrassing to be heard. Tell me, how did you win? You have no idea how worried I was. Wei Duo, that old villain, had endless tricks up his sleeve.”

In her previous life, when she was the Empress Dowager, her father was initially unafraid of fighting Wei Duo but later became somewhat fearful.

Li Cheng smiled as he walked, “Thanks to my older cousin. He sent word that there was a major spy close to me. So, I couldn’t write letters and specially sent plums to you. You did your part well.”

“Oh, it was him,” Huiyin suddenly understood why Li Cheng didn’t write letters but sent plums instead.

Li Cheng smiled, “Yeah, I also deliberately designed for Zhao Hong to actively surrender to Wei Duo. To gain trust, I relied on this cousin. If I had initially conferred a title to the Cui family, they might not have fought so hard. This cousin might not have been helping me, but seeing my growing momentum, he switched sides. In the end, Wei Duo was killed by me, and Zhao Hong has surrendered to the court.”

Most of the territory of the Da Ye dynasty had been captured. Huiyin also sighed, “These things were hard for us to imagine before, but now they have been achieved.”

Li Cheng added, “I also want to thank your breastplate. I originally thought it was a bit cumbersome. Who wears two breastplates? But on that day, Wei Duo faked his death, and his heart was on the right side. He wanted to shoot me off my horse, but because of the breastplate, it saved my life.”