34 Chapter 34
◎Two chapters in one◎
Nanny Fan had always tacitly accepted that Huiyin was a person who loved to fight for power, but unexpectedly, after she came to Jianye, she had been taking care of the children and even stayed at home. The servants said that the little princess was calm and behaved in a disciplined manner, and that the courtyard was in order. Even now, when she was going to the Huo family, she sent someone to ask about the travel carriage and the list of gifts she had sent before.
Because Concubine Wu got angry again for some reason, she stayed in her room and refused to go out for the past few days. When Concubine Wei sent someone to pick her up to play, she said she was not feeling well.
Nanny Fan brought in some snacks. Seeing that Concubine Wu looked depressed, she smiled and said, "The kitchen has made some new snacks and asked me to give them to you to try."
Concubine Wu said, "You are old now and don't like to eat these anymore. You can let the young girls do the work of serving tea and water. Why do you have to come here in person?"
But Nanny Fan knew that if she really took too much, she would not be able to stand firm in front of Concubine Wu. So she smiled and said, "I am happy to serve it to the Concubine, and it is what I should do. I would not trust others to do it."
This was a soothing remark, and Concubine Wu liked it. She was a fussy person. She said she didn't want to have any snacks, but when the snack was served, she took half of it and put it in her mouth, complaining: "There is too much icing sugar, and the texture is not soft enough. Last time, I told her that the topping didn't need to be made with acacia honey and osmanthus honey, but she added osmanthus honey."
Even though the food on a plate is almost the same, he is always so picky and never praises others.
Nanny Fan said, "I will definitely give them a lecture. This Wang sister-in-law who makes snacks has no progress."
After Concubine Wu finished her snack and went to her morning prayers, Nanny Fan came out. Seeing Sister Wang smiling, she stopped her and said, "You seem so happy, but what good news has happened to you?"
"It was the young princess who said that I made good snacks and rewarded me with a hundred coins. Actually, the reward was nothing. It's just that the master is a good person, so we should receive fewer honors." In fact, Wang's wife was being subtle. The young princess heard that she had a daughter who was in poor health and could not do heavy work, and she could not fit in the position of the dowager princess. The young princess also said that she was short of a third-rank maid. Wang's wife was naturally overjoyed.
But I can't tell all this to Madam Fan, because secrets can only lead to failure.
Nanny Fan saw the clues and compared the actions of Zheng and Concubine Wu, and she had an idea in her mind. Although Concubine Wu is still the same as before, there has never been a comparison before. Concubine Wu is the only master in the mansion, but now that the little princess has come, it is not surprising for her to pull a few people with her status.
The former Concubine Wu was younger and quite shrewd, but now she is older and more confused. She had Xun Rou before, but now she is completely confused. However, she only cares about the money on the account and demands a frightening amount of money.
Since she was going to the Huo family, Huiyin had to ask someone to prepare a birthday gift. The chief steward of Jianye was the concubine of Concubine Wu, who was not really a concubine. When she entered the palace, she was not allowed to bring even maids. These people were promoted by her after Princess Wu passed away. In fact, it was clear without seeing. Seeing that Concubine Wu's people were lavishly bribed in Xuzhou, it was known that they would not be honest and upright in Jianye, and they might be even more corrupt.
But now is not the time to expose them. No matter what we do, we have to consider the right time, right place and right people.
"Is this the gift list from before? Why is it so thin?" Huiyin frowned.
Manager Qian smiled and said, "Originally, we in Jianye sent gifts to various places, but then the young prince said he sent them directly from Xuzhou, so we don't have any here..."
"I see. But since I'm here this time, I'll send it from here. For Old Lady Huo's birthday, just longevity noodles, longevity peaches and a walking stick are not enough. Do you have any satin with the Three Friends of the Cold in the storehouse? That's tribute satin, use it to reward respectability." Huiyin said.
Manager Qian said in embarrassment: "Little Princess, I'm not trying to evade the question. The Concubine Dowager seemed to have mentioned who she gave it to before."
This is not what I meant. The tributes were quite a lot, and I don't usually give rewards to random people.
Huiyin had no choice but to say, "Then take it from me. It can't be too shabby. The Huo family is not an ordinary family. If the gift is too small, it will lose the face of our Huaiyin Palace."
She asked Mother Nan to open the western storehouse, which was filled with her dowry and the proceeds of the palace. She not only took out the tribute silk from the Three Friends of Sui Han, but also prepared a pair of glass vases with purple flowers on a green background, and a mutton-fat jade Buddha's hand on a rosewood base. Only then was Huiyin satisfied.
No matter what, regarding Jiang Bibo's incident, Huo Qi did not do anything evil for her sake.
Giving a heavier gift is also a way to establish good karma. Huo Qi is not the only one in the Huo family. Besides, as a trader would say, the gifts Jiang Bibo has given in these few times are already more expensive than these.
When Manager Qian saw these birthday gifts, he couldn't help but nod in his heart. This really showed the grandeur of the Prince's Mansion. Don't just say that everyone is showing off. Only when you have the capital to show off will everyone be willing to follow you and know that you have the power.
Huiyin heaved a sigh of relief only after the birthday ceremony was ready.
Unfortunately, Yin Liyi came to visit. She really had something urgent to do. When she saw Huiyin, she felt like she had found her savior: "Little Princess, I really have something to ask of you this time. You must agree to it."
"I don't know what's the matter? You come to me for help." Huiyin was puzzled.
Yin Liyi continued, "I want to go to Qingzhou to take care of my husband, but the King of Wei said I can go, but there is chaos ahead. If the pass I got is for Qingzhou, it would be bad if I get caught on the way. So we want to take a detour and choose Jizhou as our destination. You are the daughter of the Grand Commander of Jizhou, so I am begging you, right?"
So this was her idea. Yin Liyi was different from Jiang Bibo. She helped Jiang Bibo to save people, but now she was helping Yin Liyi, which might harm others and even backfire on her.
"The journey to Qingzhou is long, and it's difficult for me to go back. How can I help you? Don't you know that when I got married here, I was almost robbed on the way." Huiyin declined politely.
Yin Liyi was not willing to give up: "Little Princess, I actually need a handwritten letter from you."
"Madam Xie, how can my handwritten letter compare to the one from the King of Wei? Even I wanted to send a holiday gift back this year but I couldn't ask anyone to do so because of the war." Huiyin shook her head.
Yin Liyi felt that Huiyin was too difficult to talk to, while Huiyin felt that they were putting the risk on her and going to Qingzhou under her name. If something happened to Yin Liyi, wouldn't that be trouble for her?
Seeing that she still disagreed, Yin Liyi had no choice but to pay respects to Concubine Wu. Her request was simple: if Huiyin's request didn't work, she would let Li Cheng's troops escort her there. The King of Wei said that he could send someone to escort her there, but he couldn't mobilize many people, and there was a military camp ahead, so as a prince, he couldn't disrupt the military order.
Therefore, after paying her respects to Concubine Wu, Yin Liyi resolutely left.
Nan's mother had never liked Yin Liyi, and when she saw her leaving, she said, "I think she is the troublemaker. You said she couldn't get the King of Wei, so she went to ask the young prince for help?"
Huiyin smiled and said, "Then let her beg?"
“But if something happened on the way, the little prince is not to be blamed,” explained Nan’s mother.
Huiyin said coldly, "That's his business. He is so weak-willed even on such a small matter. He will probably fail at every step in the future. Yin Liyi looks like a rough-and-tumble person, like a headless fly. It would be better for her to send a miracle doctor to the frontline than to go there herself. Is she a doctor?"
Let’s not talk about Yin Liyi. After Huiyin got dressed, she went to the Huo family to celebrate the birthday.
Old Lady Huo first heard others report birthday gifts, and when she arrived at the Huaiyin Palace, she found that the gifts were extremely heavy. Old Lady Huo couldn't help but say, "It's different when there's a mistress in the house."
Madam Huo was the mother of Princess Wei. She smiled and said, "That's true. The gifts we gave before were also generous, but not as heavy as this one."
"We can't pick on the gifts from the princes." Old Lady Huo would not allow anyone to say anything.
Madam Huo nodded her head in agreement, but the joy on the two of them could not be concealed. After all, this time it was old lady Huo's birthday, and the Princess of Wei was going back to her parents' home to celebrate. This was a great honor, so how could the Huo family not be smiling.
When Huiyin came to the Huo family, she lifted the curtain and took a look. There was a colorful pavilion and lanterns at the door of the Huo family, which looked very grand. The housekeeper Liu, who followed her out, said, "Little Princess, the old lady of the Huo family is usually very compassionate to the poor and the weak, and she is not usually so high-profile. This is her birthday celebration, so it is very lively. It is said that the Princess of Wei is going to visit her relatives to celebrate her birthday."
Huiyin nodded slightly, and when the car stopped, the women of the Huo family were already waiting to pay their respects.
"Get up quickly. Why do you have to perform such a grand ceremony? Old birthday star, I didn't talk to you much last time in Zhaoming Palace. Today we should be closer." She stepped forward and personally helped Old Madam Huo up.
The last time Old Lady Huo saw Huiyin, she felt that she was neither humble nor overbearing. It was obvious that Concubine Wu was no match for her. She seemed to be intimidating, but today she spoke in a tactful and thoughtful manner. As an old and experienced person, she dared not show any such thoughts on her face. She only said, "It's good that the young princess doesn't mind that I am too old and nagging."
Huiyin pursed her lips and smiled.
The other people in the Huo family saw that she was young, didn't talk much, and seemed extremely dignified, so they didn't dare to pry into her and were a little more afraid.
This is exactly what Huiyin wanted. When she was young, she was very lively and spoke to everyone without reservation. Later, she found that her sincerity towards others made others know her clearly in an instant, and they lost interest in her.
Furthermore, if people are too familiar with each other, it is difficult to talk to each other, but if they are not too familiar with each other, they can talk without any scruples.
甫一坐下，就聽霍大夫人對徽音道：“我聽說謝夫人要去找您幫忙？如此才能去青州。”
“唔，是去我府上了，可我哪能幫上什麽忙啊。”徽音笑着搖頭。
霍大夫人和霍老太君對視了一眼，都有些詫異。要知道謝九儀夫妻和李澄關系不錯，謝九儀和李澄二人都是魏王的左膀右臂，怎麽這鄭氏仿佛和謝夫人有些龃龉。
可她二人不會傻傻的問出來。
霍老太君又讓魏王妃的兩位妹妹出來見客，都是豆蔻之齡的女孩子，徽音從手上退下自己戴的白玉镯，正好送給這兩位姑娘，還誇贊道：“不愧是魏王妃的妹子，通身之氣派就與衆不同。”
兩位霍家姑娘都含笑而立，舉止端雅。
“不知兩位姑娘可曾許了人家？”徽音問起。
霍老太君笑道：“還沒呢，兩位年紀都還小呢。”
徽音道：“都是好姑娘，您家門第又高，肯定能嫁得如意郎君。”
大家随口說了幾句，又說魏王妃回來，諸人又起身迎了一回。如此大家入席，魏王妃和徽音在上捶手東西兩桌，下面再是各侯爺、之後才是霍老太君等人入座。
霍家的席面當然是極好的，有些菜爽口清新，完全沒有平日去吃席的那種油膩感。
其實徽音今日過來也是想看看霍家對于她保下江碧波是什麽看法，女眷們在後宅行事，還不是要看前頭男人們行事，現在魏王妃來了，她就等着。
宴畢，霍二奶奶捧了戲本給魏王妃和徽音各點了一出戲，看戲的功夫，魏王妃正和徽音道：“你一切可妥當？得閑了要來我們府上多給我們太妃請安，她可惦記着吳老太妃和你們呢。”
徽音客套了幾句。
又聽魏王妃問起：“小王妃可曾游覽過建業？”
“倒是不曾，我這麽一過來，孩子不舒服，我又在家照看，哪裏還有閑心去游玩呢。不知王嬸平日在何處賞玩？”徽音吹了吹茶沫子。
魏王妃笑道：“我們這樣的身份也不常常出去，先前倒是常常在澄園作耍，那裏極大，有馬場也有園子，那園子歷經十年修建而成，精美極了。後來，我聽聞是被個姓江的鹽商買去了，我們就沒去了。”
姓江的鹽商？徽音一聽哪裏有不明白的，她放下茶盞道：“說起來我在徐州時倒是認得一個姓江的姑娘，與她十分投緣，遂認作了妹妹，不知道我與王嬸說的是不是一家？”
“這我就不知道了。”魏王妃也是點到為止，她現在也不願意得罪李澄和鄭氏，李澄就不必說了，悍勇可靠，鄭氏是冀州昭節侯還是大都督的女兒，身份很高。
徽音瞬間就明白魏王妃的意思了，我們霍家都是看在你的面子上不予追究了，但是以後可別太過了。
外人不知道這些眉眼官司，還以為她二人相談甚歡呢。
魏王妃回府當然也是有事情要和家人商量，等戲聽完後，徽音告辭了，她們一家送走客人，關起門來說話。
“王爺有意立許次妃的兒子做世子，偏偏殷次妃的兒子是長子，若是我倒寧可是殷次妃的兒子，但王爺未必聽我的。”魏王妃道。
霍老太君先沒做聲，霍大夫人則有些急：“那王妃您可不能讓那姓許的鑽了空子啊？殷次妃和咱們家親近，人雖然受寵過一段時候，可素來都是唯您馬首是瞻。”
霍老太君看向魏王妃：“如今小王子們年紀都還小呢，您何必着急，到時候您若是生一個，他們那還算什麽。”
“祖母的寬慰讓孫女心裏稍稍安心了。前幾日見到淮陰王妃初嫁過來，一舉得男聲勢浩大，讓孫女實在是有些輾轉難眠。王爺十五歲與我成婚，王爺的年紀只比淮陰王大三歲，我倆成婚十一年，王爺膝下不過二子一女，也是我的不是。”魏王妃拿起帕子抹淚。
霍家人忙安慰魏王妃，魏王妃又道：“日後二弟那裏多勸着些，讓他多收斂些，多收斂性子為王爺辦事。”
這就是在點霍家，當着外人的面她肯定要維護娘家，但是對娘家人她也得告誡一番。
又說徽音得知了霍家的态度後，心下一定。
**
殷麗儀卻悄悄的坐小船到了徐州，三天之後到了徐州之後，遂直奔淮陰王府。李澄這個時候當然還沒有去青州，就像徽音說的，徐州多半是他的兵士，全部帶去青州，若是折損了，那他日後就無兵可用了。
這個時候卻被告知殷麗儀過來了，李澄眉頭一皺：“她來做什麽？”
之前不是和徽音一起去徐州了嗎？
“謝夫人說有魏王的手書。”
“那就讓她進來吧。”
殷麗儀見徽音不肯幫她，又想直接來徐州，還是她姐姐殷麗芳出主意，從魏王那裏讨得手書，魏王的命令，李澄不可能不聽的。
因此，她進來時二話沒說就把信遞給了李澄：“請小王爺替我安排。”
李澄挑眉：“沒想到魏王竟然親自寫信過來。你有這個能耐，能讓魏王替你手書，倒是比以前長進許多。”
“澄哥哥，你這是瞧不起誰呢。”殷麗儀再一次覺得自己受到了攻擊。
李澄搖頭：“原本我肯定是不願意你去青州的，戰亂紛飛，誰也不知道将來如何。但你執意要去，又有魏王背書，我這就替你安排人手。”
李澄這樣痛快，殷麗儀還有些吃驚，她有點想說徽音不願意幫忙的事情，但她也不知道為何就閉嘴了，因為她隐約有一種預感，如果她說了鄭氏不願意幫忙，可能李澄也不願意了。故而，她想了想，忍不住道：“其實我也沒想到魏王會幫我的，還是我姐姐跟我說的。”
“原來是令姐。”李澄說完垂眸。
殷麗儀笑道：“是啊，我姐姐腦子比我聰明，我原本是想直接過來的，還是我姐姐說你是個公事公辦的人，若是沒有魏王的命令，你肯定不會安排我。我這個腦子啊，的确沒我姐姐轉的快，以前做女官時，我姐姐就比我聰明仔細。”
“好了，你先回去你們別院，今日我就安排好人，明日你再上路吧。”李澄辦事情素來執行力很強。
殷麗儀到的時候已經是黃昏了，等會兒回府就晚上了，明早就直接去青州，這未免太快了一些吧。
但李澄卻無意多問什麽，只喊來宇文當過來安排，宇文當還道：“我聽說謝将軍都快回來了，謝夫人還去做什麽？”
“魏王都同意了，咱們還能說什麽呢，去安排吧。”李澄揮揮手。
宇文當得令下去。
之後，李澄又去了書房，謀士簡覃正在，他對簡覃道：“太子大獲全勝，先生讓我多觀望不出兵，可萬一魏王讓我出兵呢？”
簡覃笑道：“那您就推脫一二，說糧草不足，今年不是鬧了一回饑荒嗎？現成的理由。”
“您說的是，可是呂家和何家原本也不和，我們徐州打過去也未必會輸啊？”李澄的看法是這樣，該出手時就出手，李珩雖然大獲全勝，可是長久了，呂、何兩家必定是有矛盾的。
簡覃道：“據我所知，東宮的太子妃有了身孕，您想啊，若是太子妃生了兒子，那麽呂家不會扶持自己的外孫子嗎？太子還有存在的必要麽？何皇後沒有了太子做仰仗，何家憑什麽允許這般。如此，您耐心等待即可。”
李澄點頭：“好，如今我除了操練水軍，将來也要操練步兵。”
簡覃笑道：“小王爺好志向。”
……
從書房出來，李澄回到房中，平日這裏是最熱鬧的，有徽音在，也有璟兒在，現下就只剩他一個孤家寡人了。
不知怎麽，他有點呆不下去了，索性出去外面走走。
正好碰到雲慧了，雲慧今日着意打扮了一番，之前恨不得穿寡婦裝，現下卻別上了淡淡的小花兒，嘴唇也微微塗紅了一些。
雲慧見李澄看了她一眼，有些嬌羞，又有些不好意思道：“方才我出去了……”
李澄卻想的是他曾經行軍途中，被人追趕，到一個尼姑庵中。那時他才十六歲，也是頭一次知曉尼姑也做半掩門的生意，白日做尼姑，晚上卻招待男客人，十分□□。這雲慧，他不想往那方面想，但是之前一直如槁木似的，現在卻打扮一新，尤其是這些日子天天這般。可能她并不想離開王府，但又有某些需求。
索性他還說的委婉一些：“雲慧，你其實也不必守那望門寡的，你還年輕。”
雲慧卻是一喜，她以為李澄終于注意到她了，如今鄭氏離開了，她機會大好。這些日子也開始打扮起來了，她可沒想過要為之前的未婚夫守一輩子，只不過是不願意離開王府罷了。所以紅了臉：“小王爺說的是，我娘也說我不必死守着，這輩子她最大的指望就是想看我讨個好人家。”
“我也這麽想的，你還年輕何必虛耗青春。”李澄笑道。
Yun Hui pointed to her forehead and said, "Back then, the little prince was naughty and insisted on playing on the rockery, but was afraid to stand on it. In my attempt to save you, I dug a hole here, and I can never grow back properly." She said this of course to express her true feelings, so that Li Cheng would have the opportunity to accept her as his wife. By then, the matter would have been done and Zheng would be of no use. Otherwise, the war would not have been fought and Zheng would probably have come back.
Li Cheng thought that she remembered that it was because of this that Yun Hui was assigned to him as the head maid. Mother Chao was able to be the housekeeper for so many years. He heard Huiyin mention that Mother Chao's private property was probably much richer than those of the landlords outside. This was evident.
However, seeing Yun Hui bringing up the past, Li Cheng didn't care: "Yun Hui, you did your best in the past, so if you get married, I will definitely give you a generous gift, don't worry, but I don't know which family you are interested in? If it is a family with a higher background, I will help you match it up, and if it is a family with a lower background, I can also promise him a future in the future."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yun Hui's face turned pale and she was about to fall.