46 Chapter 46
◎Two chapters in one◎
"Really?" Deyin had no idea there was such a layer.
She thought Li Heng had a special liking for her, and wanted to copy her sister's path to power in her previous life, so she married him without hesitation, and was afraid that her sister would snatch her away from the marriage. Unexpectedly, the prince...
Huiyin didn't want to say bad things about Li Heng in the East Palace, but it was annoying that Li Heng always asked Deyin to stir up trouble. To put it bluntly, men's affairs are men's affairs, and it is you, Li Heng, who should show your sincerity.
Therefore, what Huiyin had to do was to make Deyin say that the He family was not contributing, so that the relationship between Li Heng and the He family would also fall apart. As the saying goes, when the world is in chaos, the situation will be good.
"Why would I lie to my sister? I will be going back to Jianye soon, and I'm afraid I'll never see my sister again. I also hope that my sister can rise to a higher level from now on, and as her younger sister, I can also benefit from it. But think about it, if father follows the prince to fight with Lu Wei, and both sides suffer, and the He family marries their daughter to us, then who will we be doing the wedding dress for?" Huiyin found that Deyin didn't seem to understand when she used the example of the overall situation, so she used the simplest explanation.
Sure enough, Deyin's eyes turned stern after hearing this: "But Uncle He doesn't have a daughter?"
Huiyin laughed and said, "A little maid in the He family can get pregnant. Moreover, if there is no daughter, there is a niece. As long as she has the surname He, what can I do in the future?"
The sound of virtue is terrifying.
Although he didn't want to admit it, it was true. The prince wanted the Zheng family and even Li Cheng to join forces to deal with Lu Wei, but how could Lu Wei be so easy to deal with? If both his father and brother were killed, wouldn't the He family be the beneficiaries?
Seeing Deyin's expression change, Huiyin said, "Sister, if Dad can preserve his strength, your position will always be there. Why can't we just sit on the sidelines and watch? Only if the Lu and He families are both defeated, can sister stand out."
Deyin thought it was a good idea. She thought to herself that Huiyin had lived a good life in both her past and present lives, and that she was indeed quite capable. However, she did not want Huiyin to be proud, so she said, "Sister, please be careful with your words. These are not words that women like you and me can say. I think the banquet is almost over. Let someone take you there."
"Okay, I'll take my leave now." Huiyin didn't want to linger.
The East Palace was not far from the Lijing Palace, otherwise Huiyin would not have agreed to come. Even if it was for celebration at this time, no one dared to make a loud noise. She stood at the door of the palace for a moment, and then went in quietly.
Everything in the palace tonight seemed like a beautiful bubble. However, after the bubble was burst, most of what one saw along the way were hungry people, and bandits were everywhere on the hills. Look, Li Cheng had just driven away a few bandits who were abducting women, and ordered the soldiers to send them home.
Some of these women looked like they were of marriageable age, some were still little girls, and some were even young women like her. Even if they smeared black on their faces, it would be useless. Huiyin thought that if she had no status and was beautiful, it would be difficult for her to survive.
"Why didn't your grandmother come back with us?" Li Cheng asked as he entered the carriage.
Huiyin smiled and said, "She and my sister probably have a lot to talk about. It has always been like this. Grandmother treats my elder sister as her own daughter."
Sure enough, Madam Xu was talking to Deyin in the East Palace about Huiyin: "She is just a mean person. I wanted to see her son, but I didn't expect a big party to happen. She even asked me to show my respect and put on airs. I don't know how she bewitched the Prince of Huaiyin. The Prince of Huaiyin always speaks for her."
Deyin lowered her eyes, "I heard from the Crown Prince that the Prince of Huaiyin came with her to visit her parents, and he was very kind to her. I don't know how my granddaughter is inferior to her, but she ended up like this. Don't worry, I'm much better now."
Perhaps it was Huiyin's coming that stopped Deyin from complaining and instead ignited his fighting spirit, and his previous fear was much relieved.
Madam Xu sighed, "It's also because Grandmother is incompetent and can't persuade your father."
"Grandma, I think Lu Wei is very powerful. Dad has always had a good relationship with Prime Minister Lu, and I also have a good relationship with the Crown Princess. On the contrary, it is Uncle He and Prime Minister Lu who are fighting for power. If they want to fight, let them fight. Your granddaughter doesn't have to worry about it. Anyway, I won't be pregnant in the next few years, so why worry about it?" Deyin listened to everything Huiyin said.
Mrs. Xu didn't know Huiyin had come yesterday, and thought Deyin had figured it out. She thought it made sense: "Liang Di has lived in the deep palace for a long time, but she sees things clearly."
"Grandma, you should worry less about me in the future and take care of your health first." When the situation is different in the future, she will let her grandmother and mother enjoy life.
Mrs. Xu felt more and more relieved.
But Madam Xu was different from Li Heng. Madam Xu thought Deyin was good in every way and would support whatever she said. However, the prince saw that Deyin was not keen on what he said that day and did not try to please the Prince and his wife Huaiyin, so he tried to find out more indirectly.
But to Deyin, these had a different meaning. The prince and Huiyin were very loving in their previous life and were even better to her than she was. If Deyin let Huiyin come over again, what if their old love was rekindled?
Therefore, in order to verify the truth of Huiyin's words, Deyin only said: "Yesterday I asked my sister to come over, and she asked me to thank the prince, saying that you helped her back then."
Li Heng knew about this, of course. At that time, Zheng Fang was under the orders of Lu Wei and had killed Queen He's men. Queen He was naturally unhappy with the Zheng family's daughters, and she was deliberately making trouble for them. He happened to be able to save Zheng Fang's two daughters in order to win the favor of the Zheng family. As it turned out, he was successful.
But he glanced at Deyin and said with a smile, "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten about it. I just happened to pass by and saved her."
If Huiyin were here, she probably wouldn't believe his words. However, Deyin believed it without a doubt and even wondered if the prince saved Huiyin because she was her sister. This was enough to show that the prince was kind-hearted.
"I see. Well, it's not that I don't want to keep my sisters, but they are in a hurry to go back. They said they are going back after attending my brother's wedding." Deyin smiled and thought of a reason.
Li Heng folded his folding fan and said, "In that case, why don't we go back to your mother's house together and attend your brother's marriage. Last time we went back, we had something to ask for, and your father looked down upon you. This time, we must return home in glory."
Deyin always felt something was strange. She didn't know whether Li Heng was trying to win over Li Cheng, or for Huiyin, or whether he really wanted to accompany her back.
But she couldn't interfere with the prince, so she had to agree.
But it is said that when Huiyin returned home, she happened to meet the Cui family delivering dowry. Cui Yuehuan was worthy of being from the Qinghe Cui family, and her dowry was unusually rich. The housekeeper and servants beside Cui came to make the bed a day in advance, and at this time, they were answering Ji.
"This is the dowry list that our master and mistress are sending. Please take a look, Madam Marquis." Although the Cui family is not as powerful as when Cui Xun was a general, their status as an aristocratic family is still superior to that of Jizhou, and the dowry can also reflect the Cui family's background.
Ji looked through the dowry list and saw that many of the items on it were Princess Shouchang's rambutan-inlaid gemstone target mirror, Gu Kaizhi's flower and bird paintings, Madam Wei's calligraphy, etc. All of these dowries were of great origin, which was enough to show that the Cui family's background was different from that of ordinary wealthy families. She nodded slightly and asked these people to go back to work.
After they left, Huiyin came out from behind the screen.
Ji laughed and said, "You are the princess, why do you have to act so strangely and hide behind the screen as if you are hiding from them?"
"Mom, I'm afraid of trouble. With my status here, it will take a long time to pay my respects. Let's just forget it." Huiyin waved her hand.
The mother and daughter smiled at each other. Ji was busy with her son's marriage, but she was also worried about her daughter's departure. She asked, "Are you leaving so soon?"
If they were not married, it would be most comfortable to stay at home, but Li Cheng had his responsibilities on his shoulders, and it was already very good to be able to accompany her back this time. Staying in Beijing for a long time was not a good thing either. I don't know if anyone has interfered with Xuzhou's military and political power, and the people in Beijing are sharpening their knives against Lu Wei.
In troubled times, it is best to take control of your own rights first.
"It's time to go. I can't bear to leave my parents, but being able to come back and see you is better than anything else." Huiyin held Ji's hand, feeling regretful.
Although she misses home, she knows what is important and what is not. As long as everyone is doing well, it is better than being together every day.
The wedding was to take place tomorrow, and Zheng Wuheng had changed into two sets of wedding clothes. When Huiyin came in, she saw his silly look and laughed, "You, you are so happy."
"Sister, I'm not happy. What's the good of getting married and having a tigress controlling me? It's just that when I'm not married, everyone treats me like a child." Zheng Wuheng was a little depressed.
Huiyin said: "Your brother-in-law was not married at that time, but he also occupied Xuzhou..."
"My sister is now comparing me with my brother-in-law more and more. My brother-in-law is older than me, and more capable than me, too." Zheng Wuheng was still a little unconvinced.
Huiyin begged for mercy: "It's my fault. You are still young and haven't been to the battlefield yet. You must be good in the future. I don't expect you to dominate the world, I just hope you are safe."
Thinking of the brother who took the poison arrow instead of Li Heng in the previous life, Huiyin's eyes were red. Whoever she married, her brother would be kind to that brother-in-law. Li Cheng, who had just come in, saw it. He thought that after Zheng Wuheng got married tomorrow, they would have to go back to Xuzhou, so his wife was reluctant to leave, and sighed in his heart.
When Li Cheng's father and mother were alive, he was also doted on, but after his parents passed away, he had to rely on himself for everything, and he hadn't had this kind of family warmth for a long time. At his parents-in-law's house, they loved him like a child. When they went out together, his father-in-law even sent him a saddle, fearing that he didn't have enough to eat. His two uncles also tried their best to entertain him, but they still felt it was not enough.
他們的做法完全是把他當成自家人看待，對他接近所有的好，甚至他說出計劃時，岳父滿口答應，根本就不加思索。
到了次日一早，鄭無恒穿戴一新，拜別父母姐姐姐夫，帶着衛士去崔家接人。
徽音想幫忙，紀氏并不讓：“若是讓你幫忙，那豈不是折煞你了，你是嬌客，好好地就在家裏休息。”
“好，那就不忙活了。”若是普通的姑奶奶，回娘家幫忙迎來送往當然可以，她現在淮陰王妃，若是這般，會被人說失了體統。
況且連着趕路，風餐露宿，日夜颠倒，她小日子又不正常了，先來了五六日，結束了兩日之後，又少量出血。
身體不舒服，心情當然也郁郁，回到房中，恰逢李澄也過來，還特地問起：“小日子走了嗎？”
“又來了？”
“這不成啊，日後還是要找大夫專門看看。”李澄很擔心。
徽音笑道：“沒事兒的，成婚前小日子來總是痛，現如今已經比之前好多了。”說完，她又道：“我現下讓人正收拾東西裝箱，等明日我們見了新娘子再走。”
李澄也無法，不是他不疼妻子，而是他也記挂徐州，将帥不在，就怕底下人心思變。
徽音換了個月事帶，和李澄一起出去，倒是碰到了崔家陪嫁的榮嬷嬷，她見到李澄連忙上前請安，李澄似乎也認得她，還道：“您怎麽跟着過來了？”
榮嬷嬷笑道：“早聽聞您和王妃歸寧，現下總算可以給小主子請安了。”
李澄介紹給徽音道：“這是我母親當年的貼身丫鬟，後來母親出嫁前她就留在了崔家，小時候我還見過她一次。”
“現如今大家都到了一家子來了，可見有緣分。”徽音笑道。
榮嬷嬷也是止不住的點頭，看向李澄的目光很慈愛。
李澄還欲說什麽，又說太子和德音回來，鄭放讓大家一起去接駕，衆人又得過去。說來奇怪，這德音之前都沒聽說她們會回來參加婚禮，現下太子卻帶着她一起回來，不知所謂何事？
鄭家人自是跪了一地，徐太夫人跪的心甘情願，看着矜貴的太子，嬌媚的孫女，徐太夫人斜睨了李澄和徽音一眼，再耍橫，也得在太子面前下跪。
太子進來之後，自有鄭放和李澄等人招待，德音這邊則由徐太夫人和紀氏請上座，徽音坐在她下首。王妃的地位當然不遜色于良娣，但是太子的身份高于郡王，好在德音想去看看她母親徐氏，徽音也不必作陪在這裏應付。
德音肯定想去看看徐氏，她和徐太夫人見面容易，因為太子和何皇後巴不得她常常影響娘家人，所以徐太夫人遞了牌子，很快就能排上了，但是徐氏在尼姑庵裏，她無法見面。今日人多，又有妹妹這個郡王妃在，大家的目光也都不在她身上，所以她想去見見母親。
至于徽音，索性她就去鄭無恒的新房看看，不曾想那位榮嬷嬷正在此地，見她進來，連忙過來。
“您忙您的，我就來這裏看看。”她看着阿弟的新房，一瞬間有些恍惚，自己的弟弟也要成婚成家了。
榮嬷嬷倒是對李澄很感興趣，專門過來問起：“請王妃安，奴婢看王爺出落的這般好，心裏是真高興啊。”
“是啊。王爺他智勇雙全，又骁勇善戰，大事兒小事兒辦的身邊的人無不滿意的。”徽音誇起李澄來輕車熟路。
榮嬷嬷一個勁兒的說：“這就好，這就好。”
不知怎麽，徽音想起吳王妃臨終前讓殷麗芳當王妃的事情，又聽聞殷家姐妹很小就進王府當伴讀，她都覺得很奇怪，但在淮陰王府時，此事知曉的人又不多，甚至連晁媽媽她安插了人去問，晁媽媽仿佛也不太清楚。
正好有這麽個人，徽音看着她道：“嬷嬷，其實我有一件事情想問你。”
“王妃請說，我一定知無不言言無不盡。”榮嬷嬷正色道。
徽音微微一笑：“你別緊張，我問的也是一些小事情。”
“您可知曉殷家和崔家有姻親關系？”
榮嬷嬷立馬搖頭：“我們家都不認識姓殷的。”
“哦，那可能是我搞錯了。”徽音道。
榮嬷嬷一臉茫然。
新娘子崔月環是黃昏時拜堂進來新房的，榮嬷嬷作為崔家資深管事嬷嬷，已經把這裏一切都打聽好了，等新郎官掀了蓋頭後，榮嬷嬷就把這裏的一切都和她說了。
“咱們住的是府上的東院，兩邊是廂房，後面是後罩房。家裏太夫人深居簡出，平日多在家中禮佛，侯夫人紀氏脾氣倒是爽快，唯一兩位姑奶奶，都是皇家的人，與您怕是難得見上一面。”
崔月環笑道：“方才我們拜堂時，已經見過太子和鄭良娣還有淮陰王夫婦，鄭良娣總笑，看起來極為和氣，淮陰王妃神采飛揚，眼帶鋒芒。”
榮嬷嬷卻道：“事情不能看表面，鄭良娣很得寵，自然也和她的性情有關，但淮陰王妃能讓淮陰王千裏迢迢陪她回來省親，也是不容小觑。”
“嬷嬷，之前姑母不是寫信回來說讓表兄娶姓殷的姑娘，怎麽後來娶了鄭家的——”崔月環到底年紀小，也有許多疑惑。
李澄算起來是她嫡親的表兄，只不過兩家往來不多，一方諸侯，年輕英俊又護妻，即便是她，看了也羨慕的很，尤其是她近來要成婚，心中很恐懼，母親就拿淮陰王夫妻舉例，說天下也有十分恩愛的夫妻的。
榮嬷嬷聽了這話眉心一跳：“這話您可千萬別提了，萬一被人聽到就不好了。”
崔月環當然也有分寸：“好，我知道了。對了，嬷嬷，大姐姐今兒送嫁，又是一幅好似我母親苛待她的樣子，小家子氣的很。她是庶出，跟着她親娘在外長大，後來才被接回來的，可是我娘也沒虧待她啊。”
崔月環心想舉凡士族子弟為了娶到門當戶對的女子，之前都會納妾侍操持，等娶妻之時，把妾侍送走。
偏大姐姐的母親不認命，還想和正夫人一較高下，也是活該。
……
更深露重，徽音打了個哈欠，忍不住問李澄：“太子今日來做什麽的？”
李澄彎了彎唇：“太子想空手套白狼呢。”
“哦，那你們準備怎麽做？”徽音看向他。
李澄打了個哈欠：“我和岳父商量好了，但此事還要回禀魏王，所以，明日我們要日夜兼程的回去，璟兒那裏就有勞你照看了。”
徽音笑道：“那是自然，诶，對了，你猜阿弟現在和弟媳婦在做什麽？”
她想問的是他們是在吃飯還是在喝交杯酒，李澄卻語帶暧昧道：“當然是做夫妻之間能做的事情了，只可惜你現在身子不好，我還得等。”
“你呀……”徽音臉一紅。
提起婚嫁，她看向李澄道：“我且問你，當年你母妃和你為何都看中了殷麗芳呢？你母妃娘家哥哥為了娶門當戶對的士族之女，寧可拖到三十多歲才婚，而你也是很重規矩的，這我着實不懂了。”
一直到現在她都覺得李澄那日破釜沉舟的救人來切斷和殷麗芳的關聯，這個犧牲太大了，這裏也許有他果決的一部分，但究其根本，她還是想知道。
若李澄不跟她說實情，她也一直無法完全對李澄敞開心扉，盡管她其實已經很喜歡李澄了，當仍舊有所保留。
如果以前真心喜歡殷麗芳，她有自信讓李澄愛上她，現在李澄已經很喜歡她了，但若是別的事情，還是要他說清楚才好。
李澄沒想到一直到現在徽音都在糾結此事，他以為那次她已然是信了。
“明日在路上說給你聽吧。”李澄拍了拍她的肩膀，現在還不能說。
徽音只好點頭。
次日，一早，新婚夫妻過來請安，徽音見鄭無恒挺拔英氣，崔月環嬌媚可人，二人倒是十分相襯，想必昨夜也頗為和諧。
“祝你們百年好合，早生貴子。”徽音笑眯眯的。
崔月環聽到早生貴子這四個字，頗有些羞赧，她以前是大姑娘，原本就覺得不自在，聽到這些話，總覺得自己變成大人了。
她害羞，鄭無恒倒是不害羞，還笑呵呵的道：“那就承姐姐吉言了，您一說一個準。”
衆人都會心一笑。
見了她們夫妻這般，徽音也就放心回家了，紀氏還要讓裴朔送她們，又要準備踐行，都被徽音阻止了。
“弟妹才剛進門，家裏正忙，就別管我們了，我們現在也是趕着回去。”徽音也不便打攪家人了，因為她現在也想知道李澄昨日說的事情。
徽音歸心似箭，紀氏也不好再留，準備了五車土産讓她們帶回去。上了馬車之後，李澄先騎馬在外，在第一個驿站的時候，徽音就看着他，連關心的話都不說了，只道：“快說。”
"I've never met a woman as persistent as you. If I hadn't told you, it would have been a thorn in your heart. So I'll tell you now." Li Cheng thought it didn't matter if he told her now that they were far away.
Huiyin prepared tea and snacks, and looked at him with her chin in her hand: "Go ahead."
Li Cheng was not going to tell this secret, after all, he was doing it for the sake of his respected wife. But now he knew that if he didn't tell her, his wife would probably always be alienated from him.
【Author’s words】
Let's see if I can update it tomorrow with 10,000 words