72 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. These relatives didn't live in the same place, and they rarely interacted, but they were 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. Later, many people heard that Li Cheng's attack on Yanzhou was largely due to the efforts of the Cao family, and said that he should not have lost his sense of proportion for a woman.
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 belonged 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.
等他回來後，已經是一個月後了，這一個月，徽音應紀氏之邀去了鄭家吃了一回酒，又去薛家也喝了一回喜酒。
那薛歡歡除服之後，薛家替她擇了一家，她嫁妝厚，人也生的粉雕玉琢，自然好嫁。
這女子只要有一分好錢在手裏，還有家世和家人幫忙張羅，日子其實都好過。
李澄回來的時候，正值暑熱之時，徽音原本想送吳太妃去莊上避暑，可太妃素來懶得動彈，她只好讓人搭了一間涼棚在太妃屋子前，又用薔薇架和葡萄架子在旁，逸趣橫生，讓吳太妃也歡喜的很，每日黃昏時，還出來在卷棚底下納涼。
但徽音也不指望這老妪說自己的好，若等李澄一回來，她二人還是敵對狀态。
只聽說李澄回來，她又忙讓下人去整治酒席，自己則換了一身裝扮，親自出來相迎，這次李澄算是沒費什麽勁兒就把冀州大半的地拿了回來。
“徽娘。”見着徽音迎來，更覺得熨帖。
徽音和他一伴兒走，只笑道：“不曾想你這麽快就回來了，我祖母母親都過來了，與她們買了一間新宅，安置下來。”
李澄聽了道：“那宅好不好？給岳父岳母的，定要好宅才是。”
“你放心，是一座五進五出帶園子的宅子，原先是一太守家住過，我又重新歸整了一番。”徽音道。
夫妻兩個一起走進了門，李澄從懷中依舊是拿出幾個冊子道：“這東西你星夜讓人擡了進來放着，上回打兖州全部從咱們內庫出的，好大一筆錢。”
別看李澄平日言談豪邁，實際上他是個仔細人。
徽音點頭：“你放心，我會好好收好的。”
李澄進屋脫靴換衣裳，又一面和徽音說話：“你可知道石崇背後是誰？就是太子搗鬼。他也真是，讓那些土匪拿那般的好武器，對老百姓擄掠，我很看不過，打了幾個窩子。但那石崇乖覺，占了一小塊地，便不打了，我最近幾年也是常年用兵，你還勸我說要多休養生息，我就沒有再糾纏了。”
“我也這樣想的，俗話說留得青山在不愁沒柴燒，咱們已經占據這許多地，若能安生治理，将來必定固若金湯。”徽音喜李澄近些日子不必再出去。
夫妻二人□□好，自不必提。
次日，他又去軍營親自參加慶功宴，把岳父和內弟都介紹給衆人，鄭放是頭一次到李澄軍中，衆人雖然說笑，但并不敢放肆。
據說只有打完勝仗慶功之時才許吃酒，若平日打仗時，李澄是不許吃酒的。
且各司其職，無敢違令之處，鄭無恒本就和李澄關系好，這次跟着李澄打仗，收回冀州，愈發崇拜姐夫，還能和哥哥一道并肩作戰，兄弟二人還一伴過來給他敬酒。
李澄喝了一杯，又笑道：“日後大家在軍中，一起同心共力。”
裴朔和鄭無恒齊聲道：“喏。”
再說鄭放吃醉了酒，由兩個兒子扶着回去的，他這次出了大力，但有點強弩之末，平素并不保養，方才在外頭還死撐着，回到家，只一個勁兒的睡在紀氏床上。
熱帕子敷臉，紀氏也數落他：“你也是，喝的臉通紅，兒子說他都勸你不住。”
“唉，我是終于松了一口氣，我如今不想白費腦筋了，本來還想着要不要厚着臉皮讓女婿把冀州給我。”鄭放把熱帕子拿下來，覺得清醒了幾分。
紀氏聽鄭放提起反複之事，又想起徽音的忠告，連忙說了：“女兒說了，說你要是再反複，她都救不了你。”
鄭放惱羞成怒：“我哪裏再反複了？”
“人要服老，你既然不能再像以前那般，投靠女婿有什麽不好，女婿也是當今一流人物，龍子風孫，正經的李姓子弟。”紀氏不免勸道。
要說誰不願意自立門戶，紀氏雖然常常說想和鄭放去老家過活，但事實上她們還真的離不開女兒這裏。
鄭放明白：“但自從我把這些托付給女婿之後，我又輕松了許多，之前我都愁的睡不着覺，我以為是吃酒貪色的緣故，戒了幾日，還是不成，現下我真的是渾身輕飄飄的。”
紀氏笑道：“咱們年紀大了，許多都交給年輕人吧，你既然想睡，就好生歇息一二。”
鄭放又嚷着要喝水，紀氏親自捧了一大盅水給他：“慢點喝。”
見丈夫吃了一杯茶清醒多了，紀氏就道：“你不知道上個月咱們剛來，你母親在老太妃面前說讓咱們女婿把德音救過來。我知道德音也是她老人家最疼愛的那個，可吳太妃對咱們徽音本來就有芥蒂，若是知曉你幾邊下注，将來如何？女婿如今是對咱們女兒好，但将來他位高權重，身邊美女多如牛毛，難免些許小事都會被尋錯。前兒我接她來家中吃酒，知曉她閨門嚴謹，擋了許多禍事，直說咱們來了，她有臂膀。”
其實徽音自小就非常有見地，又有主見，在家時能幫紀氏打理家務，在外面騎馬作詩樣樣在行，往往一語中的。
鄭放雖然有兒子，但鄭無恒性格一直都孩子氣，就不如女兒沉穩，一針見血。
現下他一家子投奔女婿，也不是随便投奔的，自然是投奔女兒，怎麽也有利，現在聽紀氏這般說，他道：“娘怎麽說那個？”
“娘的心裏只有德音，當年這個親事，咱們還沒說什麽，太夫人就上杆子帶着大姑娘去了。沒想到這次卻是太子背後搗鬼，咱們尚且朝不保夕，投靠別人，還敢提什麽要求？你即便不獻冀州，也有可能被石崇占，與其如此，還不如給咱們這仁義的女婿吶。”紀氏也是直白的說出了自己的看法。
她們是來人家這裏是因為自身無法了，有什麽資格去管德音。
鄭放感嘆：“便是要救德音，那也要等将來再說，我也沒什麽法子。”
紀氏撇嘴：“你耳根子素來軟，我也同你說一句，現在別犯傻，我們沒能力從太子那裏奪人。”
“知道了，知道了。”鄭放說着。
次日又去徐太夫人那裏請安，見徐氏立在徐太夫人跟前伺候，藕荷色的比甲，頭上簪着過橋簪，腕上松松的戴着兩個玉镯。擁有衆多妻妾的鄭放，豈是看不出來這徐氏刻意還描眉畫眼了，只他大馬金刀坐在那裏，并不動心。
倒不是因為徐氏年紀大了，這只是一小部分的原因，而是他看到徐氏就想起紀氏，紀氏之前就因為他聽從太夫人的話想接回徐氏，紀氏鬧着上吊。
別看現在紀氏鎮定自若，實際上是個火爆性子，她對別的妾侍不介意，只對徐氏不喜，說她不是好人。
徐太夫人在紀氏和徽音那裏有隔閡，但是對自己的兒子是有什麽說什麽。
“你心裏就是沒有你的長女，我們都走了，倒把她孤零零的一個人扔在了那裏。有你這樣做爹的嗎？”徐太夫人果然如紀氏所說老調重彈。
鄭放揉着太陽穴道：“娘，兒子要是有那個能耐，哪能年紀一大把了，還投奔少年女婿啊？跟着女婿後面讨食。”
徐太夫人眼皮一跳，這就是以前的鄭放，有些志氣，但市井長大，總坦誠的很，後來有了權力之後才端着些，現在仿佛是恢複以往。她是嚴母，若是以前這般，定然教訓兒子沒出息，但現在她早已年邁，還要仰仗兒子，只能慢慢勸道：“哪裏就到如此地步了，你也是一方諸侯。”
“我現在不是了，娘。”鄭放說完，就告辭離開了。
等他一走，徐太夫人氣的跳腳：“你看看他，純粹就是怕老婆的軟腳蝦。”
徐氏心裏卻發酸，她才是他的老婆呢！
姑侄二人無法。
卻說鄭放不好再回屋裏，怕徐太夫人啰嗦，徑直去了裴朔家裏，裴朔見鄭放過來，讓辛氏去請了兩個唱的來家，又叫了一桌酒席，爺倆一起用飯。
鄭放心裏許多煩惱，也只能和單門獨戶過日子的裴朔吐槽了，裴朔早就來投奔妹妹了，一心一意為李澄打算，聽鄭放這般說，又道：“爹理她做什麽，将來王爺若是真有一日榮登大寶，妹妹就是皇後，若大妹妹有造化，自是照拂她。若王爺不成，那咱們都是階下囚，還不如跟着太子呢。”
“好兒子，真真是醍醐灌頂。”鄭放竟然毫無愧疚了。
比起鄭放這樣很快就不會被良心譴責，也沒什麽心理負擔的人是少數，李澄屬于正常人，他雖然自立門戶，但是聽說謝九儀派去的冰被衛铎打傷，還是有點擔心。
“我擔心這謝九儀守不住門戶，豫章王恐怕就不久于人世了。”李澄唏噓的很。
徽音遞給他一雙用銀白绫打底，繡的仙鶴的緞子鞋，又想起李敬：“也是可憐，魏王在的時候也并不寵他，對他平平，上次要不是你救他，怕他也早就去了。我看他大難不死必有後福，你也別太擔心了。”
"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.