Chapter 79: Mother, why are you wearing this bead again…

Chapter 79: Mother, why are you wearing this bead again...

Xia Fu gazed at him intently and said clearly,

"Who I marry has nothing to do with the King of Yunnan. The King of Yunnan shouldn't worry about my affairs. By the time you next enter the capital, I will relinquish this title of princess."

The King of Yunnan saw that she looked annoyed and didn't say much, responding gloomily with a yes.

Before long, Cheng Yian sent someone to check on Xia Fu, worried that the rain might hold her up at the temple. Xia Fu glanced at the King of Yunnan and saw that he seemed bored. Not wanting to stay, she sighed and said,

"I guess I should go to the Lu residence to see An An."

The King of Yunnan, realizing Xia Fu saw through him, felt frustrated. "Ah Fu, it's so late, can't you stay? I won't say anything more."

Xia Fu smiled. "It's alright. I'm afraid An An will worry, so I should go check on her. These few days, you should spend some good time with Xun'er. He will miss you when you leave."

The King of Yunnan didn't say anything more and personally saw Xia Fu out. In the front courtyard, Mu Xun was practicing archery. Hearing that Xia Fu was leaving so late, he dropped his arrow and rushed into her arms,

"Mother, where are you going?"

Xia Fu hugged the child and gently coaxed him, "Good child, your sister An An is pregnant, and I need to take care of her. Your father is leaving soon, so spend some good time with him, alright? I'll return on the day your father leaves."

Mu Xun, still young and quite attached to Xia Fu, asked, "Can Father and I go with you?"

Xia Fu bent down and pinched his cheek, "Silly child, that's your future in-laws' home. It wouldn't be convenient for you and your father to go."

The King of Yunnan, worried that the child was clinging to Xia Fu, urged, "Xun'er, how's your archery practice today? Let Father see."

Fearing his father's sternness, Mu Xun obediently went to his side. Xia Fu gave a few more instructions to the nanny who usually attended to Mu Xun, then left and boarded the carriage.

When she arrived at the Lu residence, it was early hour of Hai. Cheng Yian had been informed and sent Nanny Li and Ming Saozi to welcome her. The second wife, Wang Shi, hearing of her arrival, quickly dressed and came to the main hall to greet her.

Xia Fu could tell that Wang Shi had just gotten out of bed and apologized, "I apologize for disturbing you so late, I hope you won't blame me, Madam."

Wang Shi, upon hearing this, felt rather embarrassed. She quickly replied, "If you say that, you only make me feel ashamed. Thank you for going all that way to fetch the safety charm."

Tired, Xia Fu nodded in acknowledgment and headed towards the Ningji Hall.

Cheng Yian had been waiting at the door and from afar watched as her mother, supported by others, walked through the moon-shaped gate, looking exhausted.

Just now, a message had been sent saying her mother had returned to the King of Yunnan's palace.

She had thought her mother wouldn't come, but she did. It must be because she still didn't see the prince's residence as her home and found it inconvenient.

Thinking of her mother's lifelong hardships, Cheng Yian felt a sharp pain in her heart, and tears almost brimmed in her eyes.

Now, she was her mother's only hope in this world.

Cheng Yian embraced her and led her into the eastern room. The moment Xia Fu entered, she was greeted by the fragrance of pear blossoms.

"You've finally decided to burn incense today?"

Cheng Yian lifted the curtain to let her in. "After you left, I had Ru Hui try burning a stick of incense. I didn't find it unpleasant, so we've continued using it."

This is a mosquito-repellent incense personally prepared by Xia Fu, extremely light and won't make you feel sick, so the maids won't have to run around chasing mosquitoes.

"That's good then."

Cheng Yian offered to help her sit on the kang bed, but Xia Fu urged her to rest,

"It’s getting late, you should lie down, mother will sit with you for a while and then sleep in the west room."

Cheng Yian did as she was told and got onto the bed. She then moved aside to let her mother lie down with her,

"No need to go to the west room, just sleep here with me."

Xia Fu took off her outer garment and leaned on one side to accompany her. The lamp on the dressing table was still on. Xia Fu was extremely tired and, leaning on the pillow, closed her eyes. Cheng Yian had napped for more than an hour in the afternoon, and was no longer sleepy. Knowing that her mother feared the cold, she pulled the quilt to cover her chest and belly,

"Mother," she called softly.

Xia Fu opened her eyes drowsily, and a wisp of hair fell from behind Cheng Yian's ear. Xia Fu instinctively brushed it aside for her gently, and a string of coral beads slid out of her wrist,

"Mother!" Cheng Yian looked surprised as her gaze was drawn to the coral beads.

Xia Fu followed her daughter's gaze and felt embarrassed, awkwardly saying,

"I met your father at Xiangshan Temple earlier today."

"So that's what happened." Cheng Yian guessed what had happened and realized it was something she didn’t know about. The fact that it was difficult to put the beads back on her mother suggested something had happened. She tugged at her mother's sleeve and acted in a playful, coquettish manner,

"So, what are your plans with Father now?"

Xia Fu smiled gently, "I plan to live with your father as companions, to grow old together."

Cheng Yian's expression brightened, "Have you two decided? Is it settled?"

Xia Fu looked startled and shook her head, "No, this is my intention, but your father hasn't agreed to it yet."

Cheng Yian wasn't surprised; it was in line with how her father had acted in the past.

"What does my father intend to do?"

"He wants to marry me."

Cheng Yian softly responded, "That's more like his style." Then she asked, "So, you haven't agreed?"

Xia Fu didn't reply immediately but looked towards the window for a moment. Reflecting on her tumultuous life, her expression gradually became calm and composed, "I'm sorry, An An. I won't return to the Cheng family, and I don't want to marry again, ever."

She wouldn't force Cheng Mingyu, and she wouldn't force herself to do so either. If her father married her mother, she would be happy; if they lived together as companions, she would also be happy. Both choices were excellent for Cheng Yian, as long as they were happy and comfortable.

However, thinking about how her mother had returned to the capital alone for her sake, without a proper place to settle, Cheng Yian felt an unbearable pang of guilt,

"Mother, after I got married, I bought a small villa in the southern city. The courtyard is quiet, and the neighbors are all local people who are very easy to get along with. I'll transfer this villa to your name. In the future, it will be your private residence, and if you want to open a pharmacy, you can do so nearby."

The villa had previously been used to house ancestral tablets, but now that the tablets had been dealt with, the house was perfect for her mother to live in.

Xia Fu smiled, "Why transfer it to my name? I can live there whenever I want."

Cheng Yian disagreed, "Mother, it was bought with your dowry. It's your house. Even though you have no attachments and don't care about these private properties, I hope in my heart that there's a place that belongs to you, where you can settle down comfortably."

Xia Fu chided her, "When I pass away, everything will be yours, so why go through all this trouble."

"Seeing her daughter knit her brows, she quickly said, 'Alright, I'll move my personal belongings there. After leaving the royal mansion, I'll stay there, but there’s no need to change the deed.'"

"Her so-called personal belongings were just a few medical books and case records bequeathed to her by the old consort, some herbal bath recipes, and a few everyday clothes. She had nothing valuable with her. The only item of jewelry that belonged to her was this string of coral beads."

"And strictly speaking, this string of beads isn't entirely hers either. When Cheng Mingyu formally rejects her, she'll have to return it."

"Cheng Yian added, 'Mother, do you remember there was a shop in your dowry? Cheng Mingyou gambled it away. Later, grandmother compensated me with some silver. That silver is still here, to be used for setting up a shop for you.'"

"In the past, Xia Fu lived with the old consort, helping her with various tasks. Her food, clothing, and other expenses were all from the medical hall, so she had no personal assets."

"'I'll leave everything to your arrangement.'"

"That night, the mother and daughter slept in each other's arms."

"The next day, someone from the Cheng family did come."

"Cheng Yixin, Cheng Yiqiao, and Cheng Yike came to visit Cheng Yian."

"Xia Fu avoided them by going to the pavilion, citing discomfort as her excuse."

"She knew the children were afraid to meet her."

"After promising to make medicinal packs for Cheng Mingyu, she sat down to write him a prescription. The Lu family also had a small pharmacy in their residence. After writing the prescription, she sent someone to fetch the medicinal herbs and weighed each one to make the medicinal packs."

"Ningji Hall buzzed with activity."

"Cheng Yiqiao, not yet married and without experience, regarded pregnant women as rare treasures, as if they might break if touched. She didn't dare to approach Cheng Yian and moved a brocade stool to sit far away."

"'I'm afraid my awkward hands might hurt you.'"

"Cheng Yian was left speechless, amused yet exasperated."

"Cheng Yixin sat beside Cheng Yian and asked how she was doing, 'Have you been vomiting?'"

"Cheng Yian replied, 'I've vomited twice, but it's mostly dry heaving; nothing comes out.'"

"Cheng Yixin nodded, 'The first trimester is the hardest.'"

"I used to vomit a lot in the mornings and felt a bit better by the evening."

"Cheng Yian said proudly, 'I'm doing okay. The consort has prepared some medicinal dishes for me, which make me feel more comfortable.'"

"'Tsk, tsk, tsk, showing off, huh?' Cheng Yiqiao remarked, 'I'll go find myself a godmother too.'"

"Cheng Yixin smiled at Cheng Yian in silence."

"Moving into the Lu family's residence and personally caring for her, it's definitely not just about having a godmother."

"Cheng Yixin suspected that the Yunnan King's consort was actually Cheng Yian's birth mother, Xia Fu, especially given how father had been acting recently."

"She didn't ask further, 'Don't just lie down all the time. You should walk around occasionally.'"

"'I know, elder sister.'"

The two sisters brought a large amount of tonic supplies as gifts. With the Yunnan King's consort in the residence, they didn't want to overstay and left after an hour. Cheng Yike saw them off and returned.

"Cheng Yiqiao and Cheng Yixin were there, so she didn't dare to speak. After they left, she congratulated Cheng Yian."

"'An An, congratulations. I was frightened when I heard you fainted that day. I didn't dare to come over and cause trouble. Today, when I heard that elder sister Qiao was coming, I decided to join them and come along.'" "Cheng Yian pulled her to sit on the Arhat bed, 'How's your shop doing?'"

"When it comes to the shop, Cheng Yike's face showed embarrassment. She shook her head. 'Not very good. It's been open for some time, but business is slow, so it seems I haven't hit the right path.'

Cheng Yian thought for a moment and said, 'I learned some recipes for preparing fragrant dews before. Why don't I give you the recipes, and you learn to make and sell them in your shop?'

The recipes I gave to the princess sold extremely well. Whenever the manager of the princess's shop said they were used by her, they were almost snatched up. Every three months, the princess's mansion would send her a share of the profits, and I made a fortune alongside the princess.

Cheng Yike wasn't very interested and said with a headache, 'I'm not really good at it, and even if I had the same recipes, the princess could sell them, but I might not be able to.'

It's all because of the princess's fame.

'That makes sense.'

Actually, Cheng Yike wanted to learn some skills on her own rather than just take Cheng Yian's ready-made recipes.

Cheng Yike felt uneasy.

Just then, an idea suddenly popped into Cheng Yian's head.

'By the way, Yike, you know the Yunnan King's consort, right?'

'Yes, I know. She's your godmother.'

'Exactly. The consort is skilled in pharmacology, and she's about to open a shop. Why don't you help her manage it?'

Actually, Yike was an extremely capable girl, meticulous, calm, reserved, and had her own ideas. And my mother really needed someone to assist her. If they joined forces, my mother would have someone to lend her a hand, and Yike would have a place to showcase her talents. Wouldn't that be perfect?

Cheng Yian thought this idea was wonderful.

Cheng Yike just needed someone to show her the way. If the consort was willing to teach her, she'd be willing to learn some pharmacology. At this thought, a spark of excitement ignited in her heart.

'Yes, yes, absolutely! As long as the consort doesn't dislike me, I'll stick with her.'

'Let's go. We'll find my mother.'

Cheng Yian took Cheng Yike to the pavilion, where they saw Xia Fu preparing medicine. The two of them peeked in from the door.

There were many blood-activating herbs inside. When Xia Fu saw Cheng Yian, she quickly had Ru Lan assist her away.

'Don't come over. You can't handle these smells.'

Cheng Yian didn't dare take any chances and immediately left the pavilion, returning to Ningji Hall.

'Ru Lan, go take a look and help introduce Yike to my mother.'

'Yes, ma'am. I'll go right away.'

After a short while, Ru Lan returned and told her,

'You can rest assured. Miss Yike is very capable. As soon as she went in, she started helping the consort. The consort taught her how to use the scales, and they were chatting and laughing happily.'

By the evening, without waiting for Cheng Yian to ask, Cheng Yike had already eagerly asked Xia Fu to be her teacher. In front of Cheng Yian, she kowtowed to Xia Fu, who accepted her. 'Get up. From now on, if you have nothing to do, you can come to me.'

In the span of half a day, ten packs of medicine were prepared for Cheng Mingyu, and Xia Fu had Cheng Yian send someone to deliver them.

When Cheng Yian ordered the guards to deliver them, Cheng Mingyu was not at the mansion.

These two days, there had been sudden changes in the court, and it was not peaceful.

The emperor intended to abolish the Eight Deliberations and establish the Grand Secretariat, which caused a great uproar in the court and the public."

The reason for abolishing the Eight Deliberations is that many of the officials were former officials from the previous emperor's reign. Every time the emperor tries to discuss state affairs, he is obstructed by the Crown Prince's faction. Secondly, the emperor is directly managing the six ministries, with memorials piling up like mountains daily. As an emperor, he is less at ease than his subordinates, overwhelmed with work every day. It is necessary to establish a proper government office to assist him in handling these memorials.

Thirdly, with the situation in Jiangnan having been pacified, the Great Jin Dynasty is thriving. Lu Xusheng diverted the trouble eastward, creating a rift between the Northern Qi and Chehan, while the Great Jin remained a neutral observer. There are no conflicts on the border, making this the most opportune moment for internal and external reform.

Therefore, he decided to seize this opportunity to abolish the Eight Deliberations system and establish the cabinet.

The cabinet's Chief Councilor has already been decided as Head of the Censorate, Cheng Mingyu.

From now on, Cheng Mingyu will relinquish his position as Head of the Censorate and take charge of state affairs, overseeing state affairs and assisting the emperor in reviewing memorials. The approved memorials will be forwarded to the Office of Ceremonies for final endorsement. This way, the emperor can extricate himself from the onerous burdens of state affairs and comfortably maintain his position of power.

The Deputy Councilor has been decided as Kong Yunjie.

Although Kong Yunjie aligns with the Crown Prince's faction, he also holds the title of the contemporary Duke Yansheng, with a reputation in the court and countryside that is second only to Cheng Mingyu's. With the recommendation of the Empress Dowager and others, the position of Deputy Councilor had to be given to Kong Yunjie.

Next, Chen Huairen, the brother of Empress Chen, and Zheng Shanghe, the father of Princess Ning and Minister of Revenue, were predictably selected.

The emperor considered the Eight Deliberations too cumbersome and decided that the cabinet would temporarily consist of five members.

Now, the selection of the fifth member became critical.

In the cabinet, Cheng Mingyu is a staunch loyalist, and Chen Huairen and Zheng Shanghe are without a doubt part of the emperor's faction.

If another member from the emperor's faction were added, how could the Crown Prince tolerate it?

Therefore, the Crown Prince exerted considerable effort to compel the Minister of War to retire and strongly recommended the Right Supervisor, the Duke of Qin, to succeed him as Minister of War and join the cabinet.

For the past few days, the two factions have been in fierce conflict over this matter. The Duke of Qin enjoys a high reputation in the military and is known for his integrity and justice, with an excellent reputation among the people. Additionally, he is the grandfather of the Crown Princess, which further qualifies him to join the cabinet.

However, the emperor did not agree and delayed the decision.

The emperor has a more suitable candidate in mind.

In the past, Lu Xusheng was one of the Eight Deliberations, overseeing major military affairs.

Abolishing the Eight Deliberations also means removing Lu Xusheng from the decision-making circle of state affairs. The emperor understands Lu Xusheng's capabilities well. Frankly speaking, as long as Lu Xusheng is around, he is not afraid even if the rest of the cabinet members are from the Crown Prince's faction. Lu Xusheng has the ability to turn the tide.

This was evident in the Silver Mountain incident and again this year in pacifying the powerful local factions.

At the right moment, Prince Ning recommended Lu Xusheng in court, but many civil officials opposed this recommendation.

They had two reasons for their opposition.

First, Lu Xusheng is too young, only twenty-two this year. It would be difficult for a twenty-two-year-old man to gain the respect of others in the cabinet.

Second, they provided a strong argument that since the Chief Councilor is Cheng Mingyu, it would be inappropriate for Lu Xusheng, his son-in-law, to join the cabinet. Would it mean that future state affairs would be decided by the two of them at their doorstep?

Compared to Lu Xusheng, the support for the Duke of Qin was evidently stronger.

The emperor remained firm and postponed this matter, waiting for Lu Xusheng to return to the capital.