Chapter 91

Chapter 91

◎Avoiding Marriage◎

The little princess's formal name had not yet been decided. She was the first daughter born after the emperor ascended the throne, and everyone doted on her greatly. The more this was the case, the more careful one had to be. She was affectionately called Tonger, a name that conveyed closeness and endearment.

Huìyīn had been reading for too long in the early morning, which caused her neck to become sore. Zhān'er immediately began to massage her and used a small mallet to tap her back. As he grew older, Zhān'er seemed to have a gentle and filial personality—very sensible and obedient.

"Are you tired from all the tapping, sweetie? How about I get you your favorite walnut tea?" Huìyīn said, holding her son's hand.

Zhān'er, being truly sensible, shook his head. "There's no need, Mother. I just came because I thought you might have a sore shoulder. Yesterday, after I went horse riding, I felt sore all over, but the wet nurse helped me massage, and I felt better."

"I see, where were you sore yesterday? Let me take a look," Huìyīn knew that Lǐ Chéng's expectations for their sons were to be well-versed in both literature and martial arts. Luckily, both her sons were healthy, but she knew better than to interfere with their martial arts training.

Now that Lǐ Chéng had only recently ascended the throne, if there were to be another war, they couldn't let the court officials and generals lead them by the nose. If the emperor were proficient in both civil and military strategies, the court would be stable for at least three generations. This was also why Huìyīn was still willing to have children—because their family truly had a throne to inherit.

Zhān'er pointed to his thighs and back, and Huìyīn put down her book to personally massage her son. She asked, "These days, your father often inquires about your studies, and with your younger sister's birth, I've inevitably neglected you. If there's anything you don't understand, just tell me."

"There's nothing I don't understand, Mother. If I don't understand something, my elder brother teaches me. Yesterday, my elder brother even specially gave me some medicine," Zhān'er said with a smile.

Huìyīn nodded. "I'm glad to see that you and your brother are still so harmonious, but you are also my son. You don't have to be so sensible all the time. If something happens, you must tell me."

As the children grew older, they could no longer live in the side halls and had to move to the Prince's Quarters. This was ancestral tradition, and even Lǐ Chéng couldn't keep his sons by his side all the time. In ordinary official families, boys who grew older would move to the outer courtyards, let alone princes who needed to set an example for the nation.

Zhān'er was delighted to hear this. "Mother, you can visit my palace when you have time. I have many things to tell you."

"Alright, I'll wait until you're done with school tomorrow and come to see you, alright?" Now that there were three children, fairness was essential.

Zhān'er was sweeter than if he had eaten honey. Huìyīn then accompanied him to play touhu (a traditional game), and soon after, Jǐng'er arrived. Huìyīn smiled. "Your brother knew I had a sore neck and remembered how he felt better after a massage from horse riding yesterday, so he came to help me. I was just wondering when you would arrive."

"I went to find my second brother, intending to come together, but he arrived first. Mother, I heard from Father that you're going to perform the sericulture ceremony?" Jǐng'er asked.

Huìyīn nodded. "The sericulture ceremony involves honoring the Silkworm Goddess, harvesting mulberries, and presenting cocoons for silk production. Officials from the Ministry of Rites will handle it, and I'll just go to perform the ritual."

Jǐng'er clearly wasn't there to talk about that and seemed hesitant. Huìyīn dismissed the servants and asked, "What is it? Do you have something to tell me?"

"It's not a big deal, but the other day, Guō Xìng (Earl Guo's son) entered the palace, and I spoke with him for a while. He seems quite resistant to the marriage with the Yǔwén family. During our conversation, I couldn't tell if he wanted me to convey to you his wish to stop this marriage."

Huìyīn looked at her son with great satisfaction. "You've grown up. It's good that you didn't rush to take sides but instead understood the underlying intentions."

Jǐng'er hurriedly said, "It's all thanks to your teachings, Mother."

Children in the palace tend to mature early, and this was indeed true. Her younger son knew to come early to please her, and her elder son confided in her, showcasing his abilities. It was not a bad thing for them to be so shrewd at their age.

"There's no need to meddle in the affairs of subjects. If you take sides, it won't be good no matter which side you choose. You should always be the one who makes the final decision and doesn't intervene in trivial matters. Moreover, breaking up a marriage is not acceptable. I know you're a straightforward child, but his parents have their reasons for arranging this marriage. As royals, we must not interfere in the family matters of non-royal officials." Huìyīn certainly understood young love, but people change over time, and if they really couldn't live together, there would be ways to resolve it.

Jǐng'er worriedly said, "Mother, what if Guō Xìng runs away? With his current resistance and inability to defy his father, he might do something drastic if he's unhappy."

Huìyīn stroked her son's head. "Maybe that could be beneficial."

Jǐng'er was startled.

Huìyīn explained in detail, "An emperor's primary role is to maintain balance and prevent internal strife. If they become too united, they might turn against the emperor. So, some minor friction between them could be beneficial to us, don't you think?"

"But Guō Xìng grew up with me," Jǐng'er said, noting that his mother usually took good care of Guō Xìng.

Huìyīn smiled. "If I were an ordinary aunt, I would do my best to help him, but we are different; we are royalty. He stayed with us back then due to imperial strategy, and it remains true today. What I'm telling you now is for your ears only; don't tell anyone."

Family ties often take a backseat in the struggle for power. The Cuī family's hesitation—wasn't it an attempt to rebel? And they are even direct uncles. The marriage between the Guō family and Yǔwén may have been meant to strengthen alliances.

Jing'er nodded secretly, then stood up and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Mother."

"However, this matter is ultimately just a strategy. As the crown prince, you should focus more on the livelihood of the people. If you can control those people while still ensuring their well-being, your policies will be executed smoothly in the future. That is the true way to be a ruler." Huiyin said.

The mother and son exchanged a few more words. Seeing that Zhan'er had fallen asleep on the bed, Huiyin said to Jing'er, "Your father has summoned you. You should go ahead. Let your brother rest here a bit longer. He went riding horses yesterday and felt uncomfortable. He specifically wanted some comfort from me."

Originally, Jing'er thought his brother was being unfair, coming to curry favor so early by himself, but what his mother said made sense. His brother was still a child. Sometimes, when he was wronged, he just wanted his mother's comfort.

Jing'er then said, "I will go then."

"Go ahead," Huiyin waved her hand and went to her younger son. She tucked the thin quilt around him. It was still the end of February, and although the palace had heated floors, Zhan'er was sweating on his forehead. She helped wipe it and, unable to resist, she kissed her little son on the forehead, sitting beside him, waiting for him to wake up.

Her little daughter, Tonger, was only a month old and was still at the age where she would sleep after feeding. When Zhan'er woke up, it felt as though he was very young again, with his mother taking care of him.

"Erlang, let's go see your sister. Come on," Huiyin, who had a somewhat peculiar personality when she was young, was fortunate that her children were all sensible. Therefore, she was very patient with them.

Tonger had just finished feeding and was sleeping soundly. Zhan'er whispered to Huiyin, "Mother, was I this small when I was young?"

"You were just like that. When you were little, you loved blowing bubbles. I often called your brother to come and see," Huiyin mentioned the past, seeing Zhan'er's face turn red, and decided not to continue.

At dinner time, Li Cheng came over and saw them talking. He looked at his younger son affectionately, "It's true that you are close to your mother. I couldn't find you anywhere."

Zhan'er quickly bowed again, and Li Cheng gestured for him to sit down.

"I didn't expect Your Majesty to come. Since you are here, I'll have the small kitchen add a few more dishes. How about that?" Huiyin quickly stood up.

Li Cheng smiled faintly, "I'll just have some rice porridge. I had Yunnan's tribute dishes at noon, and after eating so much meat, I can't eat anything else now."

"In that case, I'll have them make some small dishes for the porridge. Just wait a moment, Zhan'er, accompany your father," Huiyin sent someone to the kitchen.

"Prepare some dried bamboo shoots, dried fish, and stir-fried mixed nuts, and remember not to peel the hazelnuts. Also, we have received many fresh and sweet cabbages from our Jizhou estate. I find them good, so have them make some steamed buns."

After giving the instructions, she returned. The three of them played a drinking game and waited until the dishes were all served before they started eating. Indeed, when one is tired of rich food, light and sweet dishes feel very good. Normally finding some vegetable dishes fishy, Li Cheng actually ate two. The porridge was quite thin, almost like drinking water, and Li Cheng had two more bowls before stopping.

While they were eating happily, the Guo family had their own thoughts. Guo Xing had been raised by Huiyin for several years and behaved differently from others. Because back in Huaiyin Mansion, when Huiyin was still a princess, the empress treated her two children with great respect. Whether it was major matters like what to study or minor ones like what food to eat, she always listened to the children's opinions.

In their own family, it was completely the father's word that counted. He often scolded them, and the stepmother was very polite and always deferred to the father.

"Young Master, please eat a few more bites. You haven't touched the food," the servant who had been attending Guo Xing since he was young felt distressed.

Despite his handsome appearance, the young master was to be married to an unattractive woman. It was truly Lord Guo who was causing trouble.

Guo Xing put down his chopsticks, "I'm going to ride horses. Have someone bring my horse over."

The horse was a gift from the empress. He hoped that if the crown prince could speak favorably on his behalf in front of the empress, this marriage might be called off. Although the hope was slim, if it were agreed, it would be wonderful.

While he was thinking this, Jiang Bipbo was speaking with Lady Yuwen. Their horoscopes matched, and they were considered a perfect match. The two ladies were having a meal together and were very cordial with each other.

Lady Yuwen smiled, "I'm not as close to the empress as you are. We don't live in Xuzhou, and even when I met the empress before, I didn't know how to flatter her. In the future, please teach me more."

"You're too kind. The empress is the most amiable person. Our families have been close for generations, and now we are in-laws. If you have any questions, I will certainly share everything I know," Jiang Bipbo thought to herself that she didn't even know what kind of person the empress was.

She used to think the empress was a virtuous helper to the emperor or a warm-hearted person, but it seemed not. The empress was impossible to define, completely unpredictable.

Other women needed to vent, complain, or even be jealous or greedy for power. The empress lacked nothing. In terms of appearance, she was top-notch, and her husband only wanted to marry her, not even having a concubine. She also successfully gave birth to a son. She was not greedy, and the emperor was delivered to her.

What could possibly move someone who has everything?

Madame Yu saw that despite her status, Jiang Bipbo remained humble and considerate, which pleased her even more. As a daughter-in-law, the husband is secondary; the most important thing is to find a good mother-in-law. If the mother-in-law is good, life will be comfortable. Seeing that Guo Xing's stepmother was young and kind, and since she rarely interfered, Huiyin believed her daughter’s life would be easier.

As the saying goes, 'When brothers are united, they can conquer anything.' The same applies to families. If there are disagreements, big troubles will arise sooner or later.

It was also said that on the third day of the third month, after dressing properly, Huiyin went to perform the sericulture ceremony. Almost all the nobles and titled ladies came to witness the event. She had moved in two days earlier to personally reel the silk and planned to take it home to spin into thread and weave a garment herself.

Li Cheng even commissioned a painter to create a special illustration of the sericulture ceremony, turning it into a grand affair. From then on, when he was working in the Duanning Hall, he would occasionally call Huiyin over to personally teach her how to handle official duties.

However, in the process, Huiyin also discovered her own shortcomings. She said to Li Cheng, "I realized that I don’t truly enjoy organizing others. If you assign me a task, I can certainly do it well, but if you ask me to socialize all day, I find it troublesome."

Understanding people’s intentions is exhausting, and the constant negotiations and compromises only add to the fatigue.

Li Cheng smiled and said, "Now you understand my dilemma. I'm the same as you. Sometimes, during military campaigns, one person would swear by one principle, and another by a different one. They all say a person must be decisive, but how can anyone know everything? So, you have to talk repeatedly, afraid that people will see through your ignorance. It's really annoying."

"It seems we both have the soul of a carefree hermit, but we don’t have the luxury of stepping away from our responsibilities," Huiyin covered her mouth and laughed.

Li Cheng put his hands on her shoulders and said, "You don’t need to be overly formal when you come here, or worry about overhearing something. In the future, learn from how I handle things. As the saying goes, learning by observation is the best way. You don’t have to learn so much right away. Just listen for now."

"Yes," Huiyin replied. She had mostly handled internal affairs before, and at most, she would prepare in advance and offer some advice on external matters. But actually managing a country was an entirely different matter, like taking one step but needing to plan a hundred steps ahead.

Seeing Huiyin so obedient, like a female student, he playfully lifted her chin, "Since you're so well-behaved, how will you thank me?"

"I've been out of confinement for three months now, and my body has fully recovered. You can come over tonight."

Skipping the details of their intimate moments, by day, Huiyin’s eyes sparkled like spring water, and her cheeks naturally flushed pink, which reignited Li Cheng’s desire, though he restrained himself.

Li Cheng got up and said, "Recently, I'm planning to establish a secret intelligence bureau that belongs to me personally. They will be responsible for spying on everything exclusively for me. What do you think?"

"That’s a good thing. If it’s exclusively for Your Majesty, no one below will dare to hide anything from you," Huiyin replied.

Li Cheng nodded and said, "That’s exactly what I thought. I won’t unnecessarily doubt my court officials. After all, people have desires and emotions. How many officials truly serve the people rather than themselves? As long as the person is capable, their flaws are irrelevant. But they can’t just boast without doing any work, or go too far."

In the officialdom, officials protect each other, and over time, policies get blocked. The emperor has to come up with his own solutions.

It took almost a year of effort before Li Cheng began to establish his personal intelligence unit. By then, Tonger had just turned one and was beginning to speak.

Sitting on the carpet, Huiyin watched her daughter stumble towards her and quickly reached out. Her soft daughter crashed into her arms.

"Mother..." Tonger called in a baby voice.

Huiyin pinched her daughter's lotus-like arms and said, "Hearing you call me ‘Mother’ just melts my heart."

"Where's Father?" Tonger looked around.

Huiyin sighed, "I take care of you every day, and your father only comes to see you once every few days. You really miss him, don't you?"

She was just expressing her feelings, but the wet nurse next to Tonger quickly said, "Your Highness, the princess is still very young and doesn't understand these things."

"Don’t take it to heart. I was just expressing my feelings," Huiyin said, not angry with her daughter. Blood relations were magical that way.

The stewards and wet nurses all smiled. It was very important for them that their master was liked by the Empress. Although the Emperor seemed to treat the princes and princesses well, he listened to the Empress very much.

That’s how it was in the palace. Even a casual remark could lead to many assumptions. So Huiyin remained as usual and didn’t say anything more.

At lunch, both Jing'er and Zhan'er came to eat. Jing'er was talking about Guo Xing's wedding, "He's getting married this month. Mother, please allow me to leave the palace for a while."

"You’re such a lover of excitement. Why don’t you ask your father?" Huiyin shook her head.

Jing'er laughed, "I wouldn’t dare ask Father. He listens to you the most."

"Stop talking nonsense," Huiyin said, but she still interceded with Li Cheng on his behalf.

However, less than an hour after leaving the palace, Jing'er returned with explosive news, "Guo Xing has run away from his wedding."