Chapter 72
◎Two chapters in one◎
When Madam Xu said this, Huiyin smiled sarcastically. She thought that there really was a destiny between people. Madam Xu might not be as good to her son as she was to her granddaughter. If she was thinking for Zheng Fang's sake, she shouldn't have said this at this time.
She said these words in front of Concubine Wu, clearly trying to say that Zheng Fang was betting on both sides.
As expected, Concubine Wu was displeased after hearing this, and she also thought that Madam Xu was absurd. She was about to say something when she heard Huiyin say, "Madam, aren't you making things difficult for the prince? The prince is also the governor of the people in the world, how could he seize the prince's woman? If you are really worried that the prince will torture my elder sister because her father has taken refuge with my prince, then we will try our best to find out in the future. Now, what will people who don't know say about my prince?"
Madam Xu often did many incomprehensible things for Deyin. Concubine Wu heard all of them and felt that all the heroes in the world followed Sun Er to conquer the world, but it would ruin their reputation just to snatch her away for some woman.
No one wants women from your Zheng family. You already have a grandson's wife named Zheng, who has been dominating her grandson. If another Zheng daughter comes along, will she still be able to survive? So, she continued Huiyin's words and said, "That's exactly the reason, Madam. You'll have to wait and see."
Mrs. Xu didn't expect that Huiyin would completely turn the rescue of her sister into the rescue of Deyin, which would damage Li Cheng's reputation. She deliberately used reputation to make a fuss, which also showed that she knew Deyin was always better than her. If Deyin really came out of the palace, she would be restless.
When she was about to say something else, Ji interrupted and quickly changed the subject. She really hated this mother-in-law. Since you like Deyin so much and are willing to accompany her, why didn't you go to the East Palace to accompany her? You walked faster than anyone else, and you were afraid that they would not bring Xu.
Concubine Wu was old and in poor spirits. After sitting for a while, she looked tired. Huiyin asked Madam Fan to have someone carry her back on a sedan chair.
He then sent someone to take Madam Xu to the guest room to rest, leaving Ji and Cui alone to talk.
Ji thought Huiyin was going to criticize Madam Xu, but she actually asked, "Why is Shi Chong so powerful now?"
"Don't mention it. He also provoked your father. You know that kind of person your father is. He really competed with him and didn't take him seriously. In the end, he was defeated by him. Later, he provoked you many times. Moreover, your father said that the person behind the banditry in Jizhou was Shi Chong. He did it on purpose." Ji was still a little angry when she spoke.
Huiyin was calm: "I am not as skilled as others, how can I say it is intentional or not. I don't think Shi Chong is that capable, and he has the support of the crown prince. Now that my father and brothers are ready to follow the prince, they should not have second thoughts, otherwise I will not be able to help them when the time comes."
She knew her father's character very well. If he really had the ability to dominate the world, that would be great. But if he didn't, and it would be easy for him to change back then, she wouldn't be able to control what happened to Li Cheng in the future.
When Ji heard Da Lin's words, she quickly said, "Don't worry, my daughter. Your father will definitely not do that."
When Cui Yuehuan met Huiyin before, she felt that she was sharp and alert, and not the kind of person who would keep her head down and obey orders. Now, seeing that she had arranged everything properly and spoke with an unquestionable attitude, even speaking frankly to her own parents, Yuehuan did not dare to say a word.
Seeing her mother say this, Huiyin nodded and said, "It's getting late today. You can stay in the palace for one night. Go back tomorrow morning after breakfast. I have some things to send over."
"I'm sorry to trouble you, Princess." Ji said hurriedly.
After finishing the official business, Huiyin smiled and said, "Mother, why call me princess? It's better to call me by my name in private. Just now, the two elders were here, so we couldn't let go. At this time, the small hall has specially prepared cheese, fruits, and snacks. Everyone can have some and we can have a good talk."
It is also said that as the three of them walked along the way, they either saw fields of peonies, rose racks, osmanthus trellises, etc. The breeze blew, and the fragrance of flowers filled their noses. After passing through a screen wall, there were green bamboos and pines, pavilions and towers, all of which gave off a sense of wealth and luxury.
When Ji saw her daughter leading them into the main courtyard, she asked someone to lock the door and asked, "Why is it locked at night?"
Usually they just find a few maids to look after them.
Huiyin said, "My husband has been away from home for a long time. If the door is not kept strictly, and someone causes trouble, the servants will surely chew maggots. People have always said that this is something to be feared."
Although she had given birth to two children, Li Cheng's status had risen sharply. Many people offered themselves to be her husband, and even Qiao Zhang and others tried to find fault with her.
"So that's how it is. Now that we're here, you'll have a helping hand." Ji remembered that her daughter had married far away, and because she had no help, she was cautious in everything she did.
Huiyin walked to the front of the steps and led Ji's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law up. After the three of them went in together, they saw red candles burning inside, as if it were daytime.
Cui Yuehuan only felt that the light on the pearl wall moved with the shadows here. When she got closer, she saw that they were actually two glass lamps.
Six silver high plates had already been placed on the table, on which were placed a bunch of juicy purple grapes, orange kumquats with green leaves, egg-sized, misty red-shelled, white-fleshed lychees, sliced snow-white crisp pears, two kinds of fresh fruits, a platter of jerky, another of dried fruits, and several other trendy snacks.
Several people sat down according to their seats. They had just eaten a greasy banquet, but now they had some fresh fruit dishes, which was very refreshing.
Huiyin asked Cui again: "How is my nephew?"
Cui stopped eating and said, "Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern."
"Gu'er has gone to study, and your child is still young, so you should take good care of him. How does Erlang treat you?" Huiyin asked with a smile.
Needless to say, Cui Yuehuan and Zheng Wuheng had a good relationship. She only said that her husband treated her well, and it was not appropriate to say much in front of his sister.
Huiyin ate a bowl of yogurt and said, "Erlang has gone to fight with your brother-in-law now. You should stay at home and serve your mother-in-law well. If you want to play, just come to my place."
When she mentioned Cui before, Xin looked embarrassed, so she knew that there was a grudge between them, and she didn't tell her to go find Xin, but just let her come here to play. Xin and Cui were sisters-in-law, so it was normal for them to be at odds with each other, otherwise why would her brother come all the way to her, and she and Zheng Wuheng were also very good friends. close. If they were too close, it would easily cause trouble.
Now that she said this to Cui, Cui Yuehuan quickly said yes and flattered her.
After drinking a glass of wine, Ji felt tired and told Huiyin, "Wait for me to pack up in a few days, and then invite the princess and grandchildren to go and play by themselves."
"I will definitely go. With mother and my sister-in-law here, I won't be alone here anymore. As for the officials' families in Xuzhou, I will tell you in detail first..."
They talked for half an hour and then went to rest.
The next day, another breakfast was arranged, and Ji, Madam Xu, and Cui went home together.
Madam Xu had slept restlessly yesterday. After arriving home, she saw Xu coming over and couldn't help but say to her, "I did say that Deyin should be brought back, but the second girl disagreed and said something very unpleasant. I think Concubine Wu doesn't look like a housekeeper. The entire Huaiyin Palace is ruled by the second girl."
"Alas, it really is raining cats and dogs." Xu was speechless.
The same was true for Xie Jiuyi. He learned that Wei Duo's army was approaching without any preparation, and he was also recruiting soldiers. However, the Guo brothers had passed away, and some civil officials were afraid of Wei Duo. Some suggested that Prince Yuzhang should just surrender to Wei Duo, since the Wei family was related to them by marriage. Others suggested that he should surrender to Prince Huaiyin.
While the quarrel was raging, word came that Concubine Xu's brother had joined Wei Duo and had brought the King of Wei's second son with him.
It's like when it rains it pours!
Seeing Xie Jiuyi coming back and preparing to go to war again, Yin Liyi couldn't help but say, "My husband, the people of Jianye are restless. Our territory is so large, why do these people just want to surrender?"
"Alas, although I assist Prince Yuzhang, I am not Prince Yuzhang after all. My master cannot obey the people, so I have to work harder." Xie Jiuyi returned the money to the Cao family last time. He originally had his own intentions, but he did not expect to lose his wife and his soldiers.
Yin Liyi didn't care. She thought that Li Cheng could beat Wei Duo, so why couldn't her husband do it? At least she could stop Wei Duo, so she packed her bags again.
But Wei Duo was fully prepared to attack Jianye. He could not touch Li Cheng for the time being. After all, the land of Jizhou now belongs to him, and he had countless talented people under his command. However, Prince Yuzhang was just a child. If he did not take him now, when would he take him? In this way, he could also take Jingzhou as well.
They were originally relatives, but now they have become enemies after the death of King Wei.
Although Yin Lifang had her brother-in-law to help her, she was still very scared. Yin Liyi advised her sister: "Why are you so scared? With your brother-in-law here, he will chase Wei Duo away."
"It's hard to say about this war. I just think that if I can't defend this territory, I will be sorry to the King of Wei." Yin Lifang wiped her tears.
No matter how powerful and scheming she is, she can only be in the inner house. She knows nothing about fighting. Now the only person she can rely on is Xie Jiuyi. Xie Jiuyi is certainly trustworthy, but if something goes wrong, she doesn't know what to do?
The two were like headless flies. Li Cheng led Zheng Fang and his son, Pei Shuo, Yu Wen Dang and others to fight against Shi Chong's army. Shi Chong fought a battle first and saw that Li Cheng and Zheng Fang had completely different ways of managing the army. He was quite strict in his rule and was also good at commanding his father-in-law. In Li Cheng's place, Zheng Fang became more organized. He occupied a small place and reported to the prince. Li Cheng did not want to fight anymore and returned to Xuzhou with his father-in-law and others.
It was already a month later when he came back. During this month, Huiyin went to Zheng's house for a drink at Ji's invitation, and also went to Xue's house for a wedding banquet.
After Xue Huanhuan finished mourning, the Xue family chose a family for her. She wore thick make-up and had a pretty face, so it was easy for her to marry.
As long as this woman has a good sum of money in her hands, a family background and family members to help her, her life will actually be easy.
When Li Cheng came back, it was the hottest time of the year. Huiyin originally wanted to send Concubine Wu to the manor to escape the heat, but the Concubine was always too lazy to move, so she had to have someone build a shed in front of the Concubine's room, and put rose racks and grape racks next to it. It was very interesting and Concubine Wu was very happy. Every evening, she would come out to cool off under the shed.
But Huiyin didn't expect the old woman to say good things about her. If she waited for Li Cheng to come back, the two of them would still be in a state of hostility.
As soon as she heard that Li Cheng had returned, she hurriedly asked her servants to prepare the banquet, and she changed her clothes and went out to greet him in person. This time, Li Cheng took back most of the land in Jizhou without much effort.
"Hui Niang." Seeing Huiyin coming to greet her, she felt even more at ease.
Huiyin walked with him and just smiled and said, "I never thought you would come back so soon. My grandmother and mother are here. I bought a new house with them and settled down here."
Li Cheng listened and said, "Is that house good? It must be a good house for my father-in-law and mother-in-law."
"Don't worry, it's a house with five entrances and exits and a garden. It was originally occupied by a prefect, and I renovated it." Huiyin said.
The couple walked in together. Li Cheng took out a few books from his arms and said, "You asked someone to carry these things in at night. They were all taken from our inner treasury when we attacked Yanzhou last time. It was a huge sum of money."
Although Li Cheng talks in a grand manner, he is actually a careful person.
Huiyin nodded: "Don't worry, I will keep it well."
Li Cheng went into the house to take off his boots and change his clothes, while talking to Huiyin: "Do you know who is behind Shi Chong? It's the prince. He is really a scoundrel, letting those bandits rob the common people with such good weapons. I couldn't bear it, so I attacked a few of them. But Shi Chong was sensible and occupied a small piece of land, so I stopped attacking. I have been using troops all year round in recent years, and you advised me to rest more, so I didn't bother him anymore."
"I think so too. As the saying goes, if you keep the green mountains, you will never worry about firewood. We have already occupied a lot of land. If we can govern it peacefully, it will be as solid as a rock in the future." Huiyin was happy that Li Cheng didn't have to go out for the next few days.
The couple got along very well, needless to say.
The next day, he went to the military camp to attend the celebration banquet in person and introduced his father-in-law and brother-in-law to everyone. It was Zheng Fang's first time to visit Li Cheng's army. Although everyone joked, they did not dare to act presumptuously.
It is said that drinking is only allowed when celebrating a victory. Li Cheng is not allowed to drink during normal battles.
Moreover, everyone performed their duties and no one dared to disobey orders. Zheng Wuheng already had a good relationship with Li Cheng. This time, he followed Li Cheng to fight and reclaim Jizhou. He admired his brother-in-law even more. He was able to fight side by side with his brother. The two brothers even came together to toast him.
Li Cheng drank a cup and said with a smile: "In the future, we will all work together in the army."
Pei Shuo and Zheng Wuheng said in unison: "Yes."
Besides, Zheng Fang was drunk and was supported by his two sons to go home. He had exerted great effort this time, but he was a little exhausted and had not taken good care of himself. He was still holding on outside just now, but when he returned home, he slept alone on Ji's bed.
He applied a hot towel to his face, and Ji scolded him, "You too, your face is red from drinking. My son said he couldn't persuade you."
"Ah, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I don't want to waste my thoughts anymore. I was thinking about whether I should shamelessly ask my son-in-law to give me Jizhou." Zheng Fang took off the hot towel and felt a little more sober.
When Ji heard Zheng Fang mention the repetition, she remembered Huiyin's advice and said quickly, "My daughter said that if you relapse again, she can't save you."
Zheng Fang was so angry that he asked, "Where did I go back on my word?"
"People have to accept their age. Since you can no longer be like before, there's nothing wrong in relying on your son-in-law. Your son-in-law is also a first-rate figure today, a descendant of the dragon, and a legitimate descendant of the Li family." Ji couldn't help but persuade him.
Who wouldn't want to start their own business? Although Ji often said that she wanted to live in her hometown with Zheng Fang, the fact is that they really couldn't leave their daughter.
Zheng Fang understood: "But since I entrusted these to my son-in-law, I feel much more relaxed. Before, I was so worried that I couldn't sleep. I thought it was because of drinking and lusting. I quit for a few days, but it didn't work. Now I really feel light and carefree."
Ji smiled and said, "We are old now, so let's leave many things to the young people. Since you want to sleep, you can take a good rest."
Zheng Fang asked for water again, and Ji personally handed him a large cup of water: "Drink slowly."
Seeing her husband sober up after a cup of tea, Ji said, "You don't know that when we first came last month, your mother told the old concubine to let our son-in-law rescue Deyin. I know Deyin is also the one she loves the most, but Concubine Wu has always had a grudge against our Huiyin. If she knew that you had bet on several sides, what would happen in the future? The son-in-law is good to our daughter now, but in the future he will be in a high position and have many beauties around him, and it is inevitable that he will be found guilty of some small things. I invited her to my house for a drink the other day. I knew that she was very strict with her family and had prevented many troubles. She said that we were here and she had a strong hand."
In fact, Huiyin has been very insightful and independent-minded since she was a child. When she was at home, she could help Ji with housework. Outside, she was good at riding horses and composing poems, and her words were often very accurate.
Although Zheng Fang has a son, Zheng Wuheng has always been childish in character and is not as calm and to the point as his daughter.
Now his family is going to his son-in-law, not just for no reason, but naturally to his daughter, which is beneficial in any way. Now hearing what Ji said, he said, "What did mother say about that?"
"Mother only has Deyin in her heart. When it came to the marriage, we hadn't said anything, but the lady took the eldest daughter away. I didn't expect that this time it was the prince who was behind it. We are already in danger of losing our lives, so how dare we ask for anything if we rely on others? Even if you don't offer Jizhou, it is possible that it will be occupied by Shi Chong. Instead of that, you might as well give it to us, your kind and righteous son-in-law." Ji also expressed her opinion frankly.
They come here because they are unable to do anything themselves. What qualifications do they have to manage Deyin?
Zheng Fang sighed: "Even if we want to save Deyin, we have to wait until the future. I can't do anything about it."
Ji curled her lips and said, "You are always easy to deceive. I have something to say to you. Don't be stupid now. We don't have the ability to take someone away from the prince."
"I know, I know." Zheng Fang said.
The next day, he went to pay his respects to Madam Xu again. He saw Xu standing in front of Madam Xu, serving her. She was wearing a lilac-colored bodice, a cross-bridge hairpin on her hair, and two jade bracelets loosely worn on her wrists. Zheng Fang, who had many wives and concubines, could see that Xu had deliberately painted her eyebrows and eyes, but he just sat there with a big horse and a golden sword, not tempted.
It wasn't because Xu was old, that was only a small part of the reason, but because when he saw Xu he thought of Ji. Ji had hanged herself because he listened to the lady's words and wanted to take Xu back.
Although Ji appears to be calm and composed now, she actually has a hot temper. She doesn't mind other concubines, but dislikes Xu, saying that she is not a good person.
Mrs. Xu had some distance between herself and Ji and Huiyin, but she was willing to speak her mind to her own son.
"You just don't have your eldest daughter in your heart. We all left and left her alone. Is there any father like you?" Mrs. Xu repeated the same old tune as Ji said.
Zheng Fang rubbed his temples and said, "Mother, if my son had that ability, why would he go to a young son-in-law at his age and beg for food behind him?"
Mrs. Xu's eyelids jumped. This was the Zheng Fang of the past. He had some ambitions, but he grew up in the market and was always very honest. Later, when he gained power, he became more reserved. Now he seemed to have returned to his old self. She was a strict mother. If she had been like this before, she would have certainly taught her son a lesson. But now she was old and still had to rely on her son. She could only slowly persuade him: "How can it be so serious? You are also a local lord."
"I'm not that now, mother." Zheng Fang said, then said goodbye and left.
As soon as he left, Mrs. Xu jumped up in anger: "Look at him, he is just a coward who is afraid of his wife."
But Xu felt sour in her heart, because she was his wife!
The aunt and nephew were helpless.
But he said that Zheng Fang could not perform well and should go back to the house, fearing that Madam Xu would nag him, and went straight to Pei Shuo's house. When Pei Shuo saw Zheng Fang coming, he asked Xin to invite two singers to his house and ordered a banquet for the two of them to have dinner together.
Zheng Fang had many worries in his heart, and he could only complain to Pei Shuo who lived alone. Pei Shuo had come to his sister a long time ago, and was wholeheartedly planning for Li Cheng. After hearing what Zheng Fang said, he said, "Dad, why should I care about her? If the prince really ascends to the throne one day, my sister will be the empress. If my elder sister is lucky, I will take care of her. If the prince fails, then we will all be prisoners. It is better for us to follow the prince."
"My good son, this really is an eye-opener for me." Zheng Fang felt no guilt at all.
Compared to Zheng Fang, who will not be condemned by his conscience so quickly and does not have any psychological burden, Li Cheng is a normal person. Although he has his own business, he is still a little worried when he heard that Bing sent by Xie Jiuyi was injured by Wei Duo.
"I'm worried that Xie Jiuyi won't be able to guard the household, and Prince Yuzhang might not live long." Li Cheng sighed.
Huiyin handed him a pair of satin shoes with silver-white silk as the sole and cranes embroidered on them, and then she thought of Li Jing: "It's pitiful. When the King of Wei was alive, he didn't dote on him and treated him indifferently. If you hadn't saved him last time, I'm afraid he would have died long ago. I think he will have good fortune in the future after surviving a disaster, so don't worry too much."
"Yes. This time I can only stand by and watch." Li Cheng was an old minister of King Wei, but now he has to stand by and watch. There is nothing he can do about it. He also needs to recuperate. He can't fight all at once. His soldiers can't bear it.
Huiyin smiled and said, "Even though you look down on my father, sometimes we should all learn from him and not force things."
Li Cheng was also happy when he heard it.
I heard the other day that Madam Xu was so noisy that Zheng couldn't stand staying at home. Today, she rode a horse to visit the scenery of Xuzhou, and she was very comfortable calling the servants. She even thought that the six-square hat prepared by Qi Ji was not beautiful enough, so she borrowed a crepe hat from Li Cheng.
【Author's words】
Everyone dislikes Zheng Fang's mental state every day, but at the same time they envy him.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
