20 Chapter 20
◎Higher skills◎
Fugui and Qiufeng were both in the room. When they heard what Xunrou and Li Cheng said, they rolled their eyes in their hearts. Now they only wanted the title of second concubine and nothing else, but they would probably want more in the future when they entered the royal family.
As a woman, who doesn't know women's tricks?
Huiyin was making ramen seriously in the kitchen. She felt very clearly that Li Cheng was actually different from many people. He was not held hostage by others' morality, and he would get carried away and even compete with others to win or lose. He was a very genuine and youthful man, so flesh and blood.
She actually didn't know him very well.
After cutting the dosage, she put the strands together and started to pull them, concentrating on making ramen. During this time, she thought of Xun Rou. Actually, Xun Rou was just a vague figure to her, just like those women who wanted to get promoted in her impression. But after carefully thinking about what she had done, she felt that she really didn't give up.
He hasn't given up until today and is so stubborn. If it were a weaker man, he would have taken her in long ago.
But he didn't refuse for his own sake. He simply didn't like her, or he hated this kind of restrictive relationship, so he didn't want to accept Xun Rou.
She personally carried the tray over, but Xun Rou was nowhere to be seen.
"You are such a troublemaker. You specifically asked me to make ramen noodles. I worked so hard for a long time and I am now hot and wet." Huiyin sat down. She was also returning the favor. In the past month in Xuzhou, Li Cheng had almost always responded to her requests.
Li Cheng smiled and didn't say much, but he showed her with his actions that the bowl of noodles was delicious because he even drank up the soup.
"The noodles are delicious and the soup is tasty too," he said.
Huiyin said: "Xun Rou's place..."
As soon as he finished his noodles, his bodyguards came over to urge him to finish. Li Cheng left quickly without saying a word.
Fu Gui said with some shame: "I only heard Miss Xun said that she only wanted the title of second concubine and nothing else. After that, they went into the inner room and I had no way of finding out what they said in detail."
"It's okay, I understand." Huiyin nodded.
She still treated Xun Rou the same way as before, without any difference. A few days after the Mid-Autumn Festival, she received Mid-Autumn Festival gifts from Jianye, and the one from King Wei was the most generous.
Not only did they send festival gifts, they also sent gold and clothes, and Huiyin asked people to register.
The King of Wei seemed to think highly of his nephew, and this time he even gave her gifts of the finest kingfisher feathers, pearls, gold and jade. The palace had special craftsmen who made jewellery, and Huiyin took half of it and asked them to make jewellery.
When she was young, she thought these gold and jade things were tacky, but when she grew up, she liked them very much, as they gave her a sense of wealth.
After Li Cheng left, Xun Rou seemed to have started to stay at home and rarely saw Madam He.
"Yunhui, this is the monthly allowance for Miss Xun, and this pair of earrings is a gift from me to her. Please deliver it to her for me. Also, autumn is coming soon. Xuzhou has distinct four seasons, and the people in the needlework room are making clothes. They will look for her in the next few days." Huiyin would not write to Li Cheng to ask about what happened that day, and Xun Rou would definitely not tell her, so she asked Yunhui to go and check. After all, Yunhui's expression was different when she mentioned Xun Rou last time.
Yun Hui followed Hui Yin's instructions without saying anything and quickly went to Xun Rou.
Xun Rou was writing at this time. Her handwriting was very good and she could even write with both hands. I remember her cousin praised her when he saw her writing.
When she raised her eyes, she saw Yun Hui coming in and she smiled slightly.
"You're here, do you want to see me make fun of you? Let me tell you, you can't see that."
Yun Hui put down the tray in a serious tone: "I am here on the orders of the little princess. These are your monthly allowances. There is also a pair of earrings given to you by the little princess..."
Xun Rou raised her eyebrows: "Are you trying to mock me for living under someone else's roof and having to rely on that woman to pay me?"
"Cousin, you really misunderstood me. You are the master and I am just a servant. I am just doing what the little princess ordered." Yun Hui's expression never changed.
Xun Rou smiled and said, "You don't have to pretend in front of me. I'm afraid my cousin is the only one who doesn't know about your little thoughts. He is a man who values friendship and treats everyone around him well. But if she knew what you did, how would she look at you?"
Yun Hui remained calm: "I don't understand what you are talking about."
"You know it very well in your heart." Xun Rou wanted to say it, but she thought that Zheng Shi also disliked her, so how could she help her expose her? So she sneered and stopped moving.
After Yun Hui finished speaking, she was ready to leave. Her expression did not change, but she curled her lips after walking out.
Soon it was September, the weather was getting a little cooler, and the climate was very pleasant. Usually in Jizhou it might snow in October, but now the sun was shining brightly. The gardeners began to plant many new flowers. Huiyin took the maids and servants to visit the garden. She was now the most important person in Xuzhou, so of course she didn't need to go out to socialize.
Now she knows almost all the hundreds of people in the palace and is familiar with their functions. She can assign tasks normally and start dispatching them.
"Mother Nan, you are my wet nurse. You must not behave like you did when you were in the Zheng family. I don't trust anyone around here." Huiyin warned.
Nan's mother nodded: "Yes, yes. I didn't have much guard before. I got used to it when I was in the Zheng family. Now I should try to help you, the little princess, to share more of your worries."
In fact, the male owner of Huaiyin Palace was not at home, and everything was entrusted to the female owner and housekeeper. Huiyin was already much happier than in the East Palace.
After the master and servant walked away, Nan Mama asked, "It seems that you don't care much about Miss Xun. You let her maid go out yesterday."
"Yeah, what can I say to someone who has already lost?" Huiyin had actually guessed about 70% of it.
If Xun Rou was really chosen as the second concubine, the young prince would not fail to discuss it with her. He might not love her, but he respected her status as the main wife, at least that was the case for now.
Nan's mother said, "What if she is pretending? She pretends to be a carefree person, but is actually doing something unsuccessful?"
Huiyin smiled and said, "What do I have to be afraid of? If she becomes the second concubine, it would be worse than it is now." A cousin is a guest and a member of the Xun family. It is not easy to deal with her. But if she really becomes the second concubine, she will be under the control of the princess with good reason.
She is not Zheng Deyin, and she can't even deal with Xun Rou, someone Li Cheng doesn't like.
To put it bluntly, Huiyin's status is limited now, and she has not really established her footing, so she naturally has to endure. In her previous life, she had dealt with the poisonous snake Dong Yu Niang, so how could she be afraid of Xun Rou.
But she wanted to show it to Li Cheng, so she couldn't do it now, and she was also waiting for an opportunity.
"Mom, just wait a little longer. Everything will become clear in due time."
"Wait, what are you waiting for?"
Mother Nan really didn't understand all this. She had come all the way from Jizhou and was considered a very capable person, but she always felt that her brain was not enough in front of the princess.
Huiyin smiled and shook her head, then went back and wrote another letter to Li Cheng. She told him about the flower garden in the garden, and said that she went up the mountain on the Double Ninth Festival and thought of him in Huaishui, so she made some flower cakes with the chrysanthemums she picked from the flower garden and gave them to him to taste. Knowing that he did not drink alcohol in the army, she did not send him any wine.
When Li Cheng returned to the tent, he saw the flower cake sent by Huiyin. It was transparent, not greasy, and tasted sweet.
In fact, he had a pretty happy life. He was the only son of his father and mother, and they doted on him. But for some reason, he always felt that his life was in danger and that his future was uncertain since he was a child.
Now there is someone who is always thinking about him. He doesn't say it, but he is actually very happy in his heart. Especially Zheng is also very sensible. She only acts coquettishly in bed and says a lot of embarrassing things to him. She is very serious on weekdays and her letters don't even contain love poems. But just a few words, she thinks of making flower cakes for him when she sees chrysanthemums, which can be regarded as thoughtful.
But what would he send back?
Half a month later, Huiyin received a jewelry box made of gilt copper, enamel and inlaid with pearls and gems. It was very exquisite and she was very happy. Almost all girls like such exquisite things. She didn't expect that Li Cheng would specially ask someone to give it to her.
When Xun Rou came to pay her respects, she saw that her dressing table was almost full of jewelry, and the maid who was combing her hair picked up a hairpin and gestured on her hair.
"Cousin, today Miss Miao sent me an invitation to attend a poetry banquet." Xun Rou seemed very humble.
Huiyin smiled and said, "Go ahead. I'll have the servants harness the car for you. Just be careful yourself."
Xun Rou nodded: "Thank you very much, cousin-in-law."
After she finished speaking, she held Meixiang's hand and walked out of the door. Huiyin looked at her back and snorted coldly, saying that this jumping little chou didn't know how to live or die.
Last time, Xun Rou begged Li Cheng to let her stay in the Huaiyin Palace, so as not to be punished by Concubine Wu after she returned. She would go back after the New Year to show that she had really tried her best, and it was not her problem that she could not be the second concubine, and Concubine Wu would not punish her. So her cousin thought for a moment and agreed. But how could she really leave? Now she is also thinking of a way to entangle Zheng with external affairs first, so that Zheng will be embarrassed, and then she will take the responsibility in times of crisis.
Sure enough, after Xun Rou went out this time, Madam Miao came to the house and said that there were refugees rampant now, and she wanted to ask how the Huaiyin Palace should resettle them, and whether she needed help from the local wealthy families.
Huiyin laughed and said, "Isn't this matter under the jurisdiction of the prefect and county magistrate? Why do we women need to take care of it?"
Madam Miao often came to Huiyin to flatter her, and she couldn't help but speak from the bottom of her heart: "I am also thinking about your reputation. The Prince of Huaiyin has just arrived in Xuzhou, and it is the time to appease people's hearts. If you can take the lead, it will be good for your reputation and that of the Prince's Mansion."
"What you said makes sense, but I'm pregnant now, so I'm afraid it's inconvenient for me to work. How about this, I'll let my cousin Miss Xun go out on our behalf and let the wealthy families in Xuzhou see how capable she is. You don't know that our old empress dowager entrusted me and the young prince to help her find a good husband." Huiyin smiled.
She is in good health, and Li Cheng is not a bad guy like Li Heng who would give her cold medicine, so she is now three months pregnant and the fetus is almost stable. Yesterday, she had someone send a letter to Li Cheng, and the letter even said that she is pregnant now and may not be able to take care of Xun Rou.
Upon hearing this, Madam Miao hurriedly congratulated: "I didn't expect that the little princess is pregnant. Yes, yes, yes, how can we trouble you? We will take care of it ourselves and just consider it as accumulating blessings for the prince in your belly."
"Okay, then on the day you succeed, I'll let my cousin Xun go on my behalf." Huiyin said with a smile.
Mrs. Miao nodded quickly, and thought about finding some good things to send over after returning home, so that she could also get the first stick of incense from the little princess.
Of course, since this idea came from Xun Rou, she went to tell Xun Rou again.
Xun Rou's heart tightened: "Are you saying that my cousin's wife is pregnant?"
Madam Miao smiled and said, "That's right. If you ask me, the little princess is really lucky. She got pregnant only three months after getting married. However, she also made plans for you. She also said that when the refugees are successfully resettled, she will let you take her place."
Xun Rou immediately broke out in a cold sweat. In addition to going to the Miao family, she also contacted the old subordinates of Concubine Wu and carefully planned to instigate the refugees to cause trouble on the day when the refugee resettlement center was completed. She had given them all the money. She was afraid that Zheng would not participate, so she deliberately let Madam Miao and others plan first, and let Zheng take the lead when everything was almost done.
Now that Zheng was secretly pregnant, she actually asked me to go in her place. As soon as Madam Miao left, she called Meixiang and said, "Take my letter out for me and ask our people to stop their plan."
If you go alone, of course you can't let anyone bump into you, otherwise all the fault will be on you.
Meixiang immediately prepared to go out, but she couldn't get out of the courtyard gate. Meixiang hurried back and said, "Miss, it's bad. The maid guarding the courtyard gate said that the young princess ordered that she is pregnant now, and she is afraid that bad people will do something bad, so she won't let anyone go out."
Xun Rou almost fainted. It turned out that Zheng was indeed more skilled than her.