Chapter 26
◎Three chapters in one◎
"Sister, is Governor Xie Xie Jiuyi?" Zheng Wuheng asked curiously.
Huiyin nodded: "Yes, he is the governor of Huaihai. The couple has been here for a month or so, seemingly waiting for your brother-in-law. They must have something important to discuss."
Zheng Wuheng smiled and said, "What else could it be? Isn't it just to seize Qingzhou? Isn't this obvious?"
Huiyin smiled and said, "My brother is really smart. Then don't ask too much about this matter. After all, this is still the territory of the King of Wei. Even if your brother-in-law asks tentatively, I still say the same old thing, you don't need to say anything more."
In the previous life, it was because the King of Wei wanted to seize Qingzhou that the Governor of Qingzhou appealed to the court for help. Lu Wei issued orders on behalf of the emperor and deliberately let the crown prince lead the army in person. Li Heng first led the He family's troops to fight in Qingzhou. The Zheng family also sent Pei Shuo to help. Li Heng actually defeated the King of Wei.
Later, it was precisely because Li Heng won that he became more confident and decided to attack Xuzhou.
Now that she is married to Li Cheng, how could Pei Shuo risk his life for the Eastern Palace? If he really risked his life, Deyin would not take him seriously in the future, so it would be impossible for him to do useless work.
**
Li Cheng hurried to Xie Jiuyi's residence. Xie Jiuyi hadn't seen him for half a year. When they met again, he was naturally very excited: "Brother Xie, it's my fault for being late."
"Yunzhi, don't blame you. We thought you were here, so we came here early. We have something important to discuss with you." Xie Jiuyi said with a smile.
Li Cheng walked in with him arm in arm, and Yin Liyi came out to serve tea in person, saying, "I specially ordered Pu'er tea, knowing that Your Highness loves Pu'er the most."
Li Cheng pointed at them and said, "What are you doing, husband and wife, following each other's lead? You better tell me what's going on, otherwise I won't be able to drink my tea."
The three of them laughed out loud, Yin Liyi especially. She thought it was great that this was the case, they were still the same as before.
Of course, what Xie Jiuyi was talking about was the matter of taking Qingzhou, which required Li Cheng to write a letter to Zheng Fang to tell Jizhou not to make any sudden moves, because the reason why the King of Wei wanted to marry Zheng Fang of Jizhou was for this.
In fact, Li Cheng certainly knew why the King of Wei wanted to do this. It was easy for him to write a letter, but whether this letter would work was another question.
Helping the King of Wei achieve his great cause, he could also gain power from it, establish his own position, and let those who followed him live a good life from then on. But why did he give the opportunity to seize Qingzhou to Xie Jiuyi instead of himself? Obviously, if he went in person, he would definitely get twice the result with half the effort.
But he would not say these things out loud, but simply agreed: "It's a small matter, I'll just write a letter."
Xie Jiuyi smiled and said, "Thank you very much." He wanted to keep the meal for me again: "Today we haven't seen each other for a long time, so I'll ask the kitchen staff to prepare a meal so we can eat and chat."
"No, my wife's brother came from Jizhou and is now at home, so I have to welcome him. Don't worry, I'll have someone deliver the letter after it's written." Li Cheng said.
Xie Jiuyi definitely needed Xuzhou's support to attack Qingzhou. He also said some words about deployment. Li Cheng said, "The water is cold and the grass is dry these days. I am also preparing to return to Xuzhou. Yuwen Dang is left in Huai and Si, which is enough to deal with it. Don't worry, I will make proper arrangements and fully support you."
"Yunzhi, thank you very much." Xie Jiuyi couldn't help but sigh at his broad-mindedness.
Back then, Li Cheng first met Yin Liyi. Although he looked down on her, he also helped her gain a foothold in the Prince of Wei's mansion. Everyone could see that he liked her very much. However, he did not expect that he met Yin Liyi by accident. Later, he took the initiative to escape from Yin Liyi because he thought that a friend's wife should not be teased. It was not until the two met again and expressed their feelings that they were together.
Li Cheng smiled and said, "It's my duty, there's no need to thank me."
After he finished speaking, he was about to leave, and saw Yin Liyi coming out to see him off. Li Cheng glanced at her and continued walking forward.
When he came back, it was already two hours later. Huiyin stood up to greet him: "My Lord, it's snowing hard outside. Please come inside and warm up."
After saying this, he ordered someone to serve hot soup.
It was really comfortable to drink a bowl of such clear beef soup in winter, especially when Li Cheng came back from riding a horse with an empty stomach, and those pastries did not fill him up at all.
Huiyin had actually observed Li Cheng carefully. He was the type of person who would eat little and have a small appetite if he didn't go out on weekdays, and he would often go without meals. However, when he was riding a horse or practicing martial arts, he had to eat meat.
Sure enough, he ate it with relish, but still asked, "Why isn't there any pancakes? The ones you asked them to make last time, the ones that are crispy, golden and chewy on the outside, and the meat inside can absorb the gravy."
"Do you like that? I'll ask them to prepare dinner later." Huiyin said with a smile, but still didn't ask him why he went to Governor Xie's house.
Li Cheng nodded heavily and asked Zheng Wuheng again: "I didn't see him when I came in just now. I will go to see him after I finish eating."
Huiyin pulled him aside and said, "He is too young to stay here. I will ask Manager Qiao to take him out for a stroll in Xuzhou City. We will welcome him back after dinner. You don't have to rush. Take a rest after dinner. You have traveled for such a long time. Aren't you tired..."
Li Cheng appreciated his wife's sweet words. He was indeed very tired, but he still wrote the letter first and asked his personal soldier to deliver it to the Xie family before going to rest.
He slept very soundly that time. When he woke up, he found that it was dark outside. Under the flickering lights, a woman was doing needlework. She was wearing a pink and blue satin jacket with colorful floral patterns. She looked like a very young and beautiful woman. Her warmth enveloped him, making him feel warm all over.
"What time is it?" Li Cheng opened his mouth and found that his voice was hoarse.
Huiyin smiled and said, "I'm looking at the time. It's just the evening hour."
Li Cheng was really quick in his actions. He stood up immediately to comb his hair and change his clothes in order to avoid delaying the time. Then the couple invited Zheng Wuheng over. It was the first time that Zheng Wuheng saw his brother-in-law Li Cheng. He was wearing a county prince's robe with five-clawed dragons on both shoulders. He was quite tall, handsome, and dignified.
Zheng Wuheng was about to bow, but was stopped by Li Cheng: "You are my brother-in-law, so why should you be so polite? We are all family, there is no need to talk about so many conventional etiquettes."
Although Zheng Wuheng is young, he is being trained as an heir, and his every move has the demeanor of a son of a noble family.
After the three of them sat down, Huiyin said to Zheng Wuheng, "Even though the young prince doesn't allow you to perform the formalities, you still have to understand the rules. Normally, the national etiquette should be performed first, followed by the family etiquette. Otherwise, it would be a violation of the rules."
Now that everyone is doing well, these things will naturally not be brought up, but if the two sides break up in the future, Li Cheng can immediately say that Zheng Wuheng was rude to him.
Zheng Wuheng blushed and immediately apologized to Li Cheng. Li Cheng said, "Your sister is too pedantic. If we have to perform formalities when meeting family members, wouldn't it be boring?"
Huiyin smiled and said, "What the prince taught me is true, but Wuheng is young and has a wild temper. If I don't tell him directly, I'm afraid he will find it difficult to listen. After all, you are broad-minded and never care about these trivial matters, but others may care about them."
"Your Highness is right." Li Cheng nodded.
Somehow Zheng Wuheng felt that his sister and brother-in-law were too polite. Although he was not married, he had seen his parents and his brother and sister-in-law get along with each other, and they were not like this. Outsiders could see the intimacy between husband and wife, and it shouldn't be like this, as if subordinates and superiors were getting along with each other.
In fact, Huiyin is a person who clearly distinguishes between the bed and outside the bed, and between the home and the outside world. In bed, she thinks that when a couple does something intimate, they must do it with love, so that they can make each other more comfortable. Her husband also respects her. It is fine to be close at home, but they cannot be like that outside.
Perhaps subconsciously, Huiyin didn't want others to really treat her as a darling wife. After all, there can be many darling wives, but she is irreplaceable.
The table was filled with a variety of dishes, including appetizers, fresh fruits, dried fruits, hot dishes, and soups. During the meal, Huiyin also arranged singing and dancing to liven up the atmosphere.
But the atmosphere at the table was gloomy. Huiyin was pregnant and had just taught her brother a lesson, so she couldn't say much. Zheng Wuheng was still just a young boy, so he didn't dare to say much. It was Li Cheng who saw this and couldn't help but bring up the topic: "Brother Heng, I heard from your sister that you practice martial arts in all weather conditions. How is it? What weapon are you good at using?"
Zheng Wuheng and Li Cheng started chatting with each other.
Seeing the atmosphere getting warmer, Huiyin said with a smile: "You guys take your time chatting, you will feel uncomfortable if I am here."
She is a pregnant woman and doesn't like the smell of alcohol. Now everything is for the sake of the baby in her belly.
Li Cheng saw snowflakes falling outside and said to Fu Gui, "Send a warm sedan chair over here, don't let your master catch a cold."
Fugui quickly agreed, and Huiyin bowed before leaving.
She felt cold even when sitting in the warm sedan chair. It was much warmer in the inner room. She said to Nan's mother, "Young Master is troubling you. He has a child and I am pregnant. I am worried that something is wrong and he won't tell me."
Nan's mother smiled and said, "Don't worry, I can save it."
Huiyin took off the hairpins in front of the mirror, and she felt much lighter. The servants brought hot water and helped her wash and dress. It took a long time. She felt that she had eaten too much in the evening, so she stood for a while before lying down on the bed.
But before she closed her eyes, she heard Li Cheng's footsteps. Huiyin opened her eyes, sat up from the bed, and asked someone to turn on the light.
In the room, the couple looked different. Huiyin nestled in his arms and said with a smile, "I see you are in good spirits. What did you do at Xie's house today? Governor Xie and his wife came to Xuzhou last month and have been asking if you have returned."
Li Cheng was hesitant in his heart whether to tell Huiyin, but he thought that if he didn't tell her, she would know sooner or later, and she would definitely be alienated from him. He didn't want his rear to be unstable, so he smiled and said, "It's for the sake of the King of Wei. It doesn't matter if I tell you. The last time Yuwen Dang was ambushed when he came to pick you up, those people were sent by Ma Kui, the governor of Qingzhou. The King of Wei has tolerated him for a long time, so naturally he doesn't want to tolerate him again. They waited for me to come back, and they also hoped that I could greet your family and avoid misunderstandings."
Huiyin had guessed this, but she looked at Li Cheng and said, "I have no opinion on Governor Xie, but if you want to suppress my father, why didn't the King of Wei send you? If you go, I can also write a letter for you, so that you can also make achievements."
Li Cheng said, "Xuzhou can't do without me. I have been training the navy for a long time. What will happen to Xuzhou if I leave like this?" He said this, but in fact he might have been thinking so in his heart. However, in front of his wife, he had to put the overall situation first.
Military generals have always been in favor of war, and they believe that by fighting in a war they can gain merit and be promoted.
Huiyin said coquettishly, "Chenglang is the best in my heart. I hope you can conquer the world, so that I can be worthy of you. However, you are so noble and upright, and I support you. I am afraid my father will not believe your letter, so I will write another letter and let my brother take it back."
"Huiyin, you... why are you so nice to me?" Li Cheng was a little overwhelmed by the flattery.
Huiyin was certainly thinking about her own family, not being a pawn of Lu Wei and the He family. If she did a favor now, the King of Wei would not continue to go north, and then the He and Lu families would fight the King of Wei on their own.
But she looked like she was thinking about Li Cheng: "You are my husband, of course I will treat you well. Besides, husband and wife are one body. If the King of Wei gives you a chance in the future, I will also be a husband and a wife."
After Li Cheng's father and mother passed away, he walked alone. Even though the King of Wei was kind to him, he had to stand firm on his feet. Only he knew the bitterness in his heart.
Fortunately, Huiyin was very good to him. Although his love for her was for her husband and not for her as a person, he still thought it was very good.
And what she said was also very true. Who doesn't want to have power and wealth in this world? In troubled times, ordinary people are worse off than dogs in peacetime. When he was isolated and helpless, the people below him could justifiably withhold the salary from King Wu's fiefdom.
While he was thinking about it, Huiyin held his hand and said, "Go to bed, it's getting late."
Originally, she wanted to ask Li Cheng about Yin Liyi, but since they were a couple on paper, if Li Cheng deliberately concealed it, it would only make things worse. If the two of them were having an affair, she had to get hold of it in advance.
Because now she didn't know what kind of person Li Cheng was. Just like Li Heng could act for three years, but he turned out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. At least she found out and killed him, but Lu Xiao and Dong Yu Niang knew nothing.
The next day, Li Cheng took Zheng Wuheng to Xuzhou City for a tour. He also set up a banquet at home and invited celebrities from Xuzhou to come. He introduced Zheng Wuheng to everyone and told Zheng Wuheng that he would take him to meet the King of Wei after the spring.
Li Cheng is an only child, with no brothers. Zheng Wuheng is sincere and has a very good manner, which is completely different from his father Zheng Fang. Therefore, Li Cheng really treats this brother-in-law as his own brother. After Zheng Wuheng and his brother-in-law got to know each other, the two even called each other brothers.
Huiyin saw that he had just returned from outside and remembered to bring her a rattle, saying that he bought it for his little nephew. She couldn't help laughing: "You, you didn't buy it for the baby in my belly, you bought it for yourself. I saw you playing crazy these days, you have to calm down and study more and practice martial arts, this is the right way."
"Sister, I understand." Zheng Wuheng, like all the other teenagers in the world, doesn't like to be nagged.
Huiyin also shut up in time: "If you don't want to read on New Year's Day, forget it, but learn more about how your brother-in-law behaves and learn how to behave. When you go to see the King of Wei in the new year, talk less and think about things yourself first."
Zheng Wuheng nodded: "Okay, brother will listen to you."
Huiyin couldn't help but laugh and shake her head, and pushed the snacks on the table: "Look, this is your favorite pea crisps that I asked them to buy from Dehelou, try it."
The brother and sister talked about the customs and culture of Xuzhou for more than half an hour before Zheng Wuheng said goodbye.
Li Cheng, who had just returned from outside, said, "The officials from Xuzhou will all come to pay their respects to you later. Have you prepared the gifts?"
"You don't need to worry about this. It has been prepared long ago. Here is the gift list. Take a look." Huiyin handed him the gift book beside her.
Li Cheng pointed at the Xue family and said, "Add two more Ruyi here." He then pointed at the Wei family and said, "You gave too many to the Wei family. People who surrender are born to be rebellious. No matter how good you treat them, they will take advantage of the situation. Remove these two."
Then the whole gift list was picked out.
He thought Huiyin would be angry because when he was so picky before, everyone else seemed to tolerate him for a long time.
Unexpectedly, Huiyin smiled and said, "I didn't think it through. Wait a minute, I'll write a new one and let them prepare it quickly."
For Huiyin, as long as they are not trying to make fun of her, they are just teaching you and you should accept it with an open mind. People who teach you how to do things are always better than those who flatter you superficially and wait to see you make a fool of yourself.
She had a very good memory and was only unsure about one part, so she rewrote the rest for Li Cheng.
Li Cheng took it and read it, praising it: "Not bad, that's it."
Huiyin was afraid that the servants were not clear about their arrangements, so she went over to check everything herself. Only then did she sit calmly on the high seat waiting for the officials from Xuzhou to come and pay their respects to her.
Madam Miao secretly said to Madam Xue: "Although the young princess is young, she handles important matters with ease and never makes mistakes. This is really rare."
In fact, ten years of hard work off stage are all for the less than a cup of tea on stage. No one is born with the ability to do many things. It all comes from hard work.
After seeing off the guests, she looked at the gift book again and mentioned Concubine Yin casually, as if she wanted to use Concubine Yin to find out what Li Cheng thought of Yin Liyi.
"Hey, I see why the gifts you gave to Princess Wei and Concubine Yin are similar? Although Concubine Yin gave birth to the eldest son, she is still the second concubine. Who knows what will happen to her in the future?" Huiyin said with a smile.
Just like when Dong Yu Niang was pregnant, many people praised her and criticized her, and in the end, Dong Yu Niang never gave birth to the baby.
When Li Cheng heard her mention this, he explained, "The Princess of Wei is of noble birth and has a daughter. She was favored by the emperor in the past, but the Second Concubine Yin is more favored. Even if the Princess of Wei gives birth to a child in the future, she will probably be ranked behind her."
"I didn't expect that this concubine is so favored. She must be a great beauty. I have met Madam Xie, and she is indeed a great beauty. Well, since you said so, I won't say anything." Huiyin was already somewhat certain in her heart before Li Cheng mentioned his relationship with the Yin sisters, so she was quite disappointed, but she forced herself not to show it.
Li Cheng thought she was embarrassed by the beauty of Concubine Yin Ci, so he could not help but comfort her, "You are much more beautiful than her."
Huiyin was even more unhappy. It was easy for a beautiful woman to win the love of men, but for an ordinary-looking person to be liked by everyone, it meant that her charm was extremely outstanding.
It is very easy for a couple who don't know each other well to misunderstand each other and get angry in this way. It is inevitable.
Being pregnant, she couldn't go anywhere and spent most of her time in her room. She was afraid of the wind if she went out. In such a boring New Year's Day, Li Cheng brought her a revolving lantern. Even such a small gift made her very happy.
But she looked at Li Cheng and said, "I want to build a snowman. Can you help me build one?"
In the summer, when I saw her wearing a tube top, I always thought she was plump and seductive, nothing more than that. She was really charming. But now she was wearing a furry padded jacket, and for fear that it would be too heavy on her head, she just tied it with a pom-pom. She looked cute and charming, and not at all like that coquettish and charming person.
Li Cheng's heart suddenly moved, and he agreed for some unknown reason.
A tiny snowman was placed on a white porcelain plate with gold-painted patterns. Huiyin used her own rouge to paint its little mouth red, and then she rested her chin on her hand and looked at the little snowman.
It was snowing and Li Cheng couldn't go out, so he accompanied her to watch the little snowman.
Gradually, his vicious nature was exposed: "You didn't even eat? Just to see this little snowman. When the sun comes out, your little snowman will all melt away."
Huiyin pouted and said in dissatisfaction: "My little snowman won't be gone. Besides, I really don't want to eat. I ate too much yesterday and my face is swollen. I can't even recognize myself when I look in the mirror."
Giving birth really makes a woman ugly. She doesn't know what other people think, but she is a really beautiful person. She couldn't wear tight clothes before, and it was inconvenient for her to move. She even got spots on her face and leg cramps. She felt really uncomfortable.
She thought Li Cheng would not be very patient to hear such a girlish way of acting coquettishly. Men are usually only patient with women they like, and she is not someone he really likes. But having a child is really hard. Just like before, she could go out to make snowmen, and after playing with her palms red, she would come back and drink a bowl of boiling ginger soup and take a nap, and everything would be fine.
But now I can only sit in the room and enjoy the snow.
Unexpectedly, Li Cheng picked up the ball of fur on her headdress and touched her face unconsciously, "Thank you for your hard work, but you are still very beautiful, don't doubt it."
After he finished speaking, he leaned over and kissed her lips, as if to prove it with practical actions.
Their lips and tongues were touching, Huiyin's lips were warm and his were cool. She really liked kissing him, there was always a lingering feeling in it.
The two of them kissed passionately, and Huiyin became a little moved, so she pushed him away slightly.
Li Cheng hugged her and carried her to the bed.
After the incident, Huiyin and Li Cheng both felt it was incredible because they both lost control. She was very picky about people, but Li Cheng's scent was pleasant and refreshing, and kissing him was sweet. Everything made her want it very much...
"It's okay for us to do this. I asked the doctor before, and he said that we need to be careful with the first three and the last three, but the parts in between are fine." Li Cheng explained.
Huiyin thought that he was indeed a man of action, and at this moment he had put aside her biggest concern. She touched her face; "It's so hot."
Perhaps because he was afraid that the two would have another affair, Li Cheng said the next day that he wanted to take Zheng Wuheng to Jianye to pay a visit to the King of Wei. Huiyin also felt that she should be pure and free from desires, so she asked someone to clean up the small Buddhist temple.
"Your Highness, I'm sorry to trouble you with Brother Heng." Huiyin bowed after saying this. She saw that his lips were a little swollen and his face was still slightly hot, but he still had to pretend to be calm.
Li Cheng also turned his face away and said sternly, "Then the princess must be careful in the mansion."
"Yes." Huiyin nodded.
Zheng Wuheng thought that his sister and brother-in-law seemed to be not very close. Otherwise, it was not until the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and his sister was still pregnant, but his brother-in-law was unwilling to spend more time with her. In this case, he must work hard to learn martial arts in the future, so that he can support his sister in the future and make it worthwhile for his sister to plan everything for him.
Huiyin couldn't explain to her brother the relationship between husband and wife, because they had too little experience and didn't know how to understand many things. Naturally, it was not Zheng Wuheng's fault that he didn't understand these things, and Huiyin didn't know that her brother cared about these things.
…
But Chao's mother knew the whole story. She said to her daughter Yun Hui, "The little princess is still pregnant, but she didn't even bother to help the maids around her and relieve the little prince. Instead, she made the young man feel embarrassed for a long time. Now that she is pregnant, she is still seducing men. Do you have any shame?"
"Mom, be careful not to let anyone hear this." Yun Hui was very alert.
Mother Chao laughed and said, "I didn't know. This is my room. Even the laundry lady has been sent away."
As Li Cheng's wet nurse, Mother Chao was treated quite well and had several maids to serve her. But as someone who had been in charge of things, she suddenly had no power at all and was not even allowed to see the little prince when he returned. Naturally, she felt lost.
The ones who are in charge of the inner courtyard now are the mother and the maidservant of the little princess, and the ones who serve the little prince are the maids around him. No one is allowed to enter the main room at will.
Yun Hui came here with a New Year gift: "I was busy a few days ago and didn't have time to come. This is a reward from my superiors. I can't finish it, so I put it here with you. Just consider it as a gift to you."
Mother Chao took a closer look and saw that there were two rolls of emerald blue satin, a set of green onion white silk skirt, two packages of snacks, half a mouthful of pork, and two packages of tea.
"My son, this snack is from Deyunlou. You don't like sweets, so it's a bargain for me." Mother Chao was old. If she were asked to buy this snack for two silver coins, she would definitely not buy it. But since it was given by the palace, she was not polite. After opening it, she ate it vigorously. Some snack crumbs fell off, and she wiped them away casually with a handkerchief.
Yun Hui patted her on the back and said, "Go slowly. If it's not enough, just buy more."
Mother Chao waved her hands and said, "Do you think this money is all blown by the wind? You only make a few taels of silver a month, and you don't have any money. You rely on your superiors to give you a few sets of clothes during festivals. You have to save it all for your dowry in the future."
"Mother, my daughter has already decided not to get married, so please don't say anything more." In fact, she did not serve in the inner courtyard, but she had good relationships with people. Although half of the things in the little princess's courtyard were her dowry, the maids who did the sweeping and rough work and the curtain-making were all from the palace. With a little understanding, she could understand the relationship between the little prince and Zheng.
A woman with a baby in her belly in broad daylight, but she was as bold as a man, this Zheng was a match. She was different from others, not the kind of person who would do anything to achieve her goals, and she managed the internal affairs fairly and justly, which was completely different from Xun Rou, who was eager to get promoted and exclude dissidents.
Mother Chao said anxiously, "You are still young, how can you just say you don't want to get married?"
In fact, as a mother, it's not that she doesn't understand her daughter's thoughts at all: "Or are you willing to stay in the palace for the little prince? Silly girl, it's not worth it. The little prince now has a little princess, who is a foxy and domineering woman. How can she allow you to stay by his side? Besides, the little prince doesn't seem to care much about you. The last time he made a pair of shoes for you, he gave it to someone else."
Mother Chao understood her daughter. She didn't want to marry into a rich family. She really wanted to marry the man she loved.
It's pitiful. She has been serving the young prince for so many years. In the entire palace, including the whole of Jiangnan, she has only seen a few people whose appearance and status are better than the young prince. Once she has high standards, she will definitely look down on outsiders.
But such a thing would have been fine in the past, after all, she was the girl who was with King Wu's son back then, but it would be difficult to do so now.
Yun Hui shook her head: "Mother, I don't expect to be the little prince's woman. As long as I stay with him like this, I will be satisfied. It's normal for him to dislike me. I'm just a slave. How can I make him like me?"
If she couldn't marry a good man, she would rather not marry. Although Yun Hui was a servant, she didn't think she was any worse than those young ladies. The only thing she lacked was her status.
That is enough for now.
Mother Chao walked into the house and took out two pickled crabs from the box and ate them. "You, you have given so much to the palace and to the young prince, but you don't know what the result will be. Look, now the Zheng family will not use you."
Yun Hui sighed slowly.
Of course Huiyin would not use Yunhui. To put it bluntly, who wouldn't want to use their own people? Yunhui is the daughter of Mother Chao, and Mother Chao wanted to trick her from the beginning.
It is also said that after the New Year, Zheng Wuheng returned to Jizhou with all the return gifts prepared by Li Cheng and Huiyin.
This time, it was heard that the King of Wei also rewarded Zheng Wuheng with many treasures. He also had some contact with various princes. Zheng Wuheng lost some of his youthfulness and was no longer the boy who was easily at a loss when talking to adults.
In front of Li Cheng, Huiyin personally handed over the letter she had written to her father. Li Cheng was of course very moved by this, this is what it means for a couple to be of one mind!
"Heng'er, go back and tell your parents that I'm doing well and your brother-in-law treats me very well. Tell them not to worry. Wait a few months, after I give birth to the baby, I will write home." Huiyin stroked her belly and said some polite words.
Zheng Wuheng followed his brother-in-law this time. The counselors and soldiers around his brother-in-law treated him very courteously. Even His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei was quite appreciative of him, which made him happy. Although he was reluctant to leave, thinking of his parents and sister's instructions, he said goodbye to his sister properly, got on his horse and left.
After his brother left, Li Cheng did not go to Huaisi to train troops this time, but focused on defense in Xuzhou, so he did not leave this time. Huiyin was the happiest that he could stay in the palace. After all, her husband was by her side, and she could discuss everything with him, and she also had more time to spend with him.
"Are you really not leaving?" Huiyin asked, hugging his arm.
Seeing her so happy, Li Cheng curled his lips unconsciously: "I have been in Xuzhou these days."
Huiyin found that after the polite period, this man started to speak in a different way. If he had said at this time, "I will stay and accompany you to give birth," she would have been very touched, but now he said that he had been in Xuzhou these days.
After she finished her complaints, she let go of her hand that was wrapped around his arm, and took his hand instead, and sat down on the desk. She smiled and said, "In order for us to get to know each other faster, I've come up with a plan. Let each of us write down our interests and hobbies on a piece of paper. Here, fill it out according to mine."
Li Cheng happened to have nothing to do, so he played with her.
After a while, Huiyin took it and read it one by one. There was a long list of things he was good at, such as riding, calligraphy, playing the zither, swimming, brewing, and Cuju...
"You know so much." Huiyin couldn't help but sigh.
Li Cheng actually disdained to write so much, but he also didn't want Huiyin to look down on him, so he wrote so much. Now seeing her looking at him with admiration, Li Cheng felt a little happy, but at the same time he felt childish.
Therefore, he pretended to be calm and said, "Fortunately, many of them have not been written yet."
Huiyin felt like her stomach hurt from laughing so hard, but she still agreed and said, "Do you know why I wrote this? It's because I want to know more about you. I didn't expect you to be even more amazing than I thought."
"You are not feeling well now. After you give birth to the baby, I will mix you a glass of wine. I guarantee it will be something you have never drunk before." Li Cheng curled his lips.
Huiyin didn't flatter him without thinking. She just glanced at him and said, "As the saying goes, one should be loyal to the emperor while eating his salary. You made me a drink, so how can I repay you?"
Li Cheng saw her ambiguous expression and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. Huiyin looked at him with a red face: "Why do you always think about this?"
"It's natural for husband and wife to respect each other. Why should I be shy?" Li Cheng didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
As the couple was talking, the King of Wei officially appointed Xie Jiuyi as the general of the Northern Expedition to capture Ma Kui, the governor who had occupied Qingzhou. At the same time, Zheng Wuheng also arrived home, first gave Huiyin's letter to his parents, and then told them what his sister had told him.
Zheng Fang knew that among his three children, his eldest daughter Deyin was good at writing and was known as a talented woman, and everyone praised her the most. His youngest son was simple-minded and young, but hardworking. Only his second daughter Huiyin was different. She was a careless and sloppy girl when she was young, but she became more capable as she grew older. She could solve almost any problem in a few steps.
Even when he was hesitant about some military matters, he would consult his daughter. She was decisive and comprehensive, and was not one to sit idle.
Zheng Wuheng said, "Dad, my sister said that your value now is like a knife beside Lu Wei. If this knife kills Lu Wei immediately, then the value of your existence will be gone. It is not easy for us to occupy Jizhou. Now that the King of Wei is attacking Qingzhou, we might as well hold back and do the King of Wei a favor. Prime Minister Lu will definitely not tolerate the King of Wei's power. When the two tigers fight, we will reap the benefits. By the way, my sister also told you to put the interests of Jizhou first, and don't believe everything your brother-in-law says."
Zheng Fang stood up and couldn't help but smiled at Ji, "Hui'er is really smart. Besides, Deyin has no children yet. Even if we help the prince, we don't know who will benefit the next day."
Ji said, "Your Majesty has a military advisor to consult, but Hui'er only has the opinion of a little girl. You should discuss what to do with the ministers."
Zheng Fang waved his hands: "That's totally unnecessary. There are definitely some people in this group who have been bribed and are whispering things in my ears on purpose."
"Since Lord Marquis said so, why don't we listen to Hui'er first. If there is something wrong, we will make a decision immediately." Ji was also a female general, and she was quite strategic.
Zheng Fang nodded.
Xie Jiuyi had already selected his troops and made sufficient preparations, so the attack on Ma Kui in Qingzhou was very smooth. Firstly, the King of Wei had been prepared, and secondly, Ma Kui loved luxury and enjoyment. In addition to robbing passing property, the army became bandits.
Ma Kui was Lu Wei's man. Lu Wei sent a letter to Zheng Fang asking him to help. Zheng Fang then said that it was just the end of spring and the food and grass had not been collected yet, so the soldiers should not move rashly. Lu Wei also knew that Zheng Fang and Ma Kui had a mediocre relationship and were unwilling to help, so he did not force him.
The King of Wei had occupied Qingzhou for only a few days. Although he explained in a humble manner that it was Ma Kui who was causing chaos in Qingzhou, the King of Wei had no choice but to help the emperor share his worries and solve his problems.
The emperor was weak and unable to attend state affairs, so Empress He naturally wanted her brother to continue to occupy Qingzhou, so she ordered the King of Wei to return to Qingzhou.
How could the King of Wei be willing to do that? How could he spit out the meat that was already in his mouth?
Lu Wei simply suggested that the crown prince lead the army on behalf of the emperor and personally take Qingzhou back to the court's management. Crown Prince Li Heng then led the He family's troops and prepared to march south.
However, he specifically gave his luggage to Deyin to take care of, which, for the people in the harem, represented which female member of his family he favored the most.
Deyin felt that she was so honored that her heart was filled with joy. She and Lu Xiao were originally arranging flowers together, so she said something apologetic to Lu Xiao and left with the palace maid.
In Deyin's opinion, the prince treated her as his wife. Even though he did not say it out loud, all his actions showed this.
Just like now, Li Heng told her not to worry and just said his worries: "My mother asked me to go to the army, but the people of the He family didn't listen to me at all. I'm afraid I'll die in vain if I go."
Deyin was well aware of the King of Wei's evil ambitions, and she asked anxiously, "What should we do?"
Li Heng smiled and said, "Don't worry. If I'm really gone, I will write a letter here and ask the queen to let you go home. You can still remarry."
"No, I just hate that I can't help you." Deyin felt guilty.
Li Heng shook her head: "I know you have done your best. You are just a woman in the palace. What can you do to help me?"
Deyin looked at him and said, "I think I can't help you, but my father and brothers can help you. You know, our Jizhou and Qingzhou are adjacent. As long as my father sends troops, everything will be easy."
Li Heng's eyes lit up: "Marquis Zhaojie? If I have his help, I will be completely safe. You also know that I am not the biological son of Queen He. How can the He family do their best for me?"
Deyin had told her grandmother a long time ago that she wanted her father to help Li Heng, but her grandmother said that her father had not agreed. Now that her daughter had gone to ask him in person, he would have to agree. If he didn't agree, she would have to kneel down and force him to agree.
【Author's words】
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