Chapter 76
◎Two chapters in one◎
Today is the birthday of Huiyin's second son Zhan'er. His family sent birthday gifts early in the morning. Pei Shuo sent a load of longevity peach cakes, two loads of silver silk noodles, two suckling pigs, two sets of brocade clothes and a short and docile mare. Zheng Wuheng sent Cui Yuehuan to send six sets of top-quality study treasures, six pieces of top-quality Sichuan brocade with longevity patterns, two handkerchiefs with gilt turtle back patterns and a pair of socks.
In addition, there was a complete set of gold bracelets, gold necklaces, and gold anklets given by Ji and Zheng Fang and his wife, and there were others as well.
Huiyin did not want to hold a grand ceremony and only planned to invite close relatives to eat at a few tables. The male guests were dining with Li Cheng in the front, while the female guests were chatting in the flower hall where Huiyin was.
"When a child's birthday comes, you want to have fun at home and keep a low profile. I heard that some families don't give their children names until they are seven or eight years old, for fear that if others know about it, it will shorten their lifespan." Huiyin touched Zhan'er's head, feeling a little worried.
Cui Yuehuan said, "That's for people with weak bodies. I see that our Erlang is strong and healthy. Princess, please don't worry."
After her brother's reminder, Cui Yuehuan, who was originally a smart person, has been very talkative recently.
Xin was also joining in the fun. She was still thinking that Cui Yuehuan used to be quite arrogant since she came from a noble family. But now she has changed a lot. It seems that one really has to bow down when under someone else's roof.
But after complaining in her heart, Xin wondered if the gift she gave was not enough. However, she could not be partial to her two nephews, so she had to do so.
Huiyin also smiled as she listened to Cui Yuehuan's words, "I just said that. I don't believe in gods or ghosts. But, I heard that Madam Zhang is here too?"
Madam Zhang is Cui Yuehuan's half-sister, who married the Zhang family of Qinghe. It is said that she also plans to bring her children here.
"Yes, brother-in-law Zhang is now working as a teacher in the county, thanks to the prince, so my sister plans to bring the children over." Cui Yuehuan is not very close to this sister, but even if they are not close, they still talk about each other in public.
Huiyin said, "If you need anything, just tell me."
This was just a polite remark, Cui Yuehuan did not take it seriously, but instead flattered: "Thank you, Princess."
Huiyin thought it was a good thing that Yin Lifang didn't come, otherwise the two of them would look very similar standing together.
Thinking of this, she asked everyone to start the feast and called a few singers. Naturally, there were all kinds of food on land and sea. Cui Yuehuan thought that the princess usually didn't spend money, but when she did, it was such a feast, with rare things from all over the world.
After everyone had eaten their fill, they left one after another, leaving Ji alone to talk.
"Princess, please take care of yourself. I think you look like a willow branch, swaying when the wind blows." Ji felt very distressed.
Huiyin smiled and said, "Mother, I'm not exaggerating as you say. I was just too fat, so I wanted to lose some weight. Now that I've regained my figure, the clothes I wore three years ago are now too loose for me. But don't worry, I'm still drinking the tonic soup, and the prince even gave me a massage at night."
Ji couldn't help but feel happy for her: "My son, I have no other hope but to hope that you, the prince, and the prince are all well. That would be better than eating honey water for me."
"Speaking of which, I have to thank my brother. If he hadn't come to find someone, I wouldn't be so thin." Huiyin used to love eating fried bones. She would easily get acne on her forehead and cheeks, or she would stay up late and sleep too late. Now, she has kept her body smooth and shiny, so tender that you can pinch water out of it. How can she not be proud?
Thinking of Pei Shuo, Ji nodded hurriedly: "Your elder brother has been the closest to me since childhood, and he is also the most capable. But he is too capable in everything, so you should encourage him more."
This is of course referring to someone who came to ask for Pei Shuo to be promoted to the second branch. Last time, it was said that Xin's uncle had come, and that great scholar was very self-righteous and hoped that Li Cheng would recruit him. It was obvious that Li Cheng preferred to use young people rather than these old people. This uncle Xin was not promoted, so Xin got angry and got angry with Pei Shuo, and the couple had a cold war for some time.
Pei Shuo inevitably went out to drink, and someone with ulterior motives found out and wanted to tell him about his second wife, who was of considerable importance.
It was probably Xin who came to Ji for help, and Ji wanted Huiyin to help speak for him.
But Huiyin said, "Mom, my brother is an adult now, not like when he was little, so there are some things I can't say to him."
No matter how high her status as a sister is, she would not care about her brother's bedroom affairs. She could say that she and Li Cheng wanted to be together forever, and Li Cheng also had such an idea, but she never stopped him. She would not even stop her own husband, so how could she possibly take the lead for Xin?
Besides, Ji herself couldn't speak for her own son, so she had to do it for her.
After hearing what Huiyin said, Ji Shi had no choice but to say, "You don't need to talk about other things. I just heard that your brother seems to be planning to marry someone. Do you know anything about it? I'm afraid that after that person enters the mansion, he will not get along with your sister-in-law, and then the family will be in turmoil."
"I really don't know. If you say that my brother is a sensible person, you might as well go and find out about the girl's character. If she is really not a good person, I will tell you. Don't you think he will listen?" In fact, Huiyin sometimes felt very strange. As a mother, except for Madam Xu, no one dared to offend their son. They wanted others to do the evil things.
When Ji heard her daughter say this, she also said, "I'm afraid of alerting others and making them think I want her to come in. That's not good."
"If you can't do this or that, then I can't do anything." Huiyin was unwilling to be the first to speak.
She has a very good relationship with her family, but the better the relationship, the more careful she should be.
Seeing that her daughter did not respond, Ji Shi had no choice but to leave on the pretext of having something to do. As soon as she left, Li Cheng came in, and the two of them happily talked, especially when they talked about their son.
"What did your mother come here for just now?" Li Cheng asked.
Huiyin smiled and said, "What else could it be? It's nothing more than some family gossip. Most likely, it's because I heard that my brother wants to take a concubine."
Li Cheng sat down and said, "I heard that she was the widow of the Yu family in Dongcheng?"
"Do you really recognize him?" Huiyin's eyes widened slightly.
Li Cheng said, "Master Yu was originally a pearl merchant employed by the palace. His wife was Lu Wei's concubine. I heard that after Lu Wei died, she took away the money. Later, she married Master Yu as his wife. All the wealth of both the Yu and Lu families belonged to her. She has no children. If she doesn't find someone to marry, her money will probably fall into the hands of Master Yu's brothers."
If a woman has no son, it is very easy for her to be eaten up and her family become destitute. Huiyin felt this deeply.
This was also the reason why she had to give birth even though she was unwilling. Naturally, she loved her two sons very much.
"So what you said means that she found my brother. Then where is my brother..." Huiyin was puzzled.
Originally, she thought she was a concubine's daughter from some noble family, so Ji found her difficult to deal with.
Li Cheng said, "Your elder brother is not like your younger brother. Heng'er is simple-minded and sincere. He has his parents' support and his wife is related to me. This time he brought 50,000 elite soldiers from Jizhou as his troops. Look at your elder brother. He only has 300 soldiers in total. Although the Pei family has money for him, it is just a drop in the bucket. If he marries Madam Yu as his second wife, at least his wealth will increase. I heard that Madam Yu is also very knowledgeable."
"So that's how it is. My mother is eager for me to help my sister-in-law get rid of the guy from the Yu family, but I always feel that it is not appropriate for me, as his own sister, to interfere in my brother's bedroom affairs." Huiyin said.
Li Cheng waved his hand quickly: "Don't worry about such things. I think your brother is determined. He will definitely respect your sister-in-law, but he will not let go of the opportunity to increase his power."
If you want to lead troops to victory, you need money to buy military equipment. Even Li Cheng himself had troops to follow him to fight because King Wu left him a large inheritance. Zheng Fang and others brought so many elite soldiers and lands, and in an instant, their reputation surpassed Pei Shuo. Pei Shuo certainly had his own considerations.
There were no secrets between the two of them. Li Cheng was happy to know that she had told him all the private matters of her family, and he couldn't help but say, "Now that the two children are grown up, let's have another child."
"Oh no, I have finally lost weight, and you keep thinking about this. Did you do your job well today?" Huiyin murmured softly.
"I have done my job well, but this does not conflict with my missing you. Forget it, if you are not angry, let's soak that thing." Li Cheng was quick to take out the box from the cupboard, opened it, took out a nearly transparent object, put it into the water, and it slowly grew larger.
Not to mention how loving the couple was, Ji had her own thoughts, so she couldn't tell Zheng Fang about this. The couple just talked about the affairs of the mansion, and it was not appropriate to tell him about the eldest son's affairs.
Besides, Zheng Fang didn't think anything was wrong.
Look, he's not coming back today.
"Madam, the lady-in-waiting invited the Xu family to come here today to attend a party and drink. It was very lively and the money was being spent like water." The servant came to report.
Ji said, "I have handed it over to your grandmother now. Just let her take care of it."
Now Ji no longer manages the household, and has handed it over to Cui Yuehuan. Her daughter-in-law is also a good housekeeper, but Madam Xu and Mrs. Xu are her elders, and it is not easy for her to disobey their requests, so they come to her.
But Ji was afraid that her son would be deceived by the widow she had told Xin about, so she wanted her daughter to help her, since she was a princess, but her daughter did not want to get involved. Now her daughter-in-law was eager for her to step forward and help her fight against Madam Xu and her aunt and nephew.
If she were the housekeeper, she would definitely take the lead. In fact, she has always done so before. But now Zheng Fang has retreated to the second line and is only holding a sinecure. Zheng Wuheng has begun to take on the big responsibility. As the wife of the prince, her daughter-in-law has to be in charge of the household and make a living.
Ji's words were quickly passed to Cui Yuehuan, who said to Rong Madam, "Our madam is still strong and healthy at her old age. No one from the Donghai Xu family passed the exam, and they still blame us for not helping."
Each generation is different. If Zheng Fang was in power, they could have found Zheng Fang. But now, Wang Ye's brother-in-law is in charge, and her brother is barely a county magistrate.
Rong Ma said, "It's not a lot of money, so forget it. Xu is the same. She is quite old and doesn't even serve the Madam well. She always wants to put on airs. Our Madam ignores her because she looks down on her and doesn't think she is a match. But she really thinks that others are afraid of her."
"That's right. My mother-in-law is now the mother-in-law of Prince Huaiyin. Xu is only doing this for the sake of the lady dowager's face. Otherwise, she would be nothing." Cui Yuehuan was very disdainful.
Rong Ma Ma smiled and said, "That's right. Don't be angry. You were flattering the princess in the first half of the day. I found that the princess is a calm person and doesn't take her troubles to heart. Grandma, don't be angry about these. She is old and can't have banquets every day."
Cui Yuehuan thought it made sense. Madam Xu was already quite old, and she still needed to have a banquet to eat abalone and sea cucumber? Thinking of this, she felt kind-hearted and said, "I remember the princess gave me a piece of Sichuan brocade. Cut a few feet of it and ask the sewing people to make two sets of clothes for Madam Xu."
Rong Ma Ma nodded in agreement. She thought that the Ji and Cui families in this house were actually good people. After all, Xu's status was awkward, and they only complained about her verbally, because their stance was wrong. But in fact, they gave a lot of money, and the Xu family also treated her very well and gave her face.
Because she is the winner, she is unwilling to beat the downtrodden dog, which is also a way of giving her some dignity.
Xin also wanted to be respectable. Their Xin family was considered a big family in Jizhou, but they were nothing in Xuzhou. She had a good relationship with the princess, but Cui Yuehuan seemed to have come to her senses. She could confide her grievances to her family before, but now she had no one to talk to.
Pei Shuo originally had two concubines, one was her dowry, and the other one had served Pei Shuo since childhood. After the curtain was opened, these two stood with sore backs and waists. After they left her place, they started talking behind her back.
Xin was the mistress of the family, and Pei Shuo was not the kind of person who indulged in sensual pleasures. The two of them had little sense of existence, and they only served Pei Shuo when Xin was not convenient.
But no matter how honest a person is, it is impossible for him to be completely free of his own little thoughts.
"If you ask me, our eldest master is really going to have a second wife, there will be no room for us in this family."
"That's fine. When they quarrel with King Yan, we little devils will suffer."
…
Xin's troubles could not stop Pei Shuo's wishes, so he personally asked Xin to prepare a courtyard. Madam Yu's original surname was Dong. This Dong was indeed a sensible person. After entering the house, she did not put on airs at all. Instead, she was gentle and kind, and was humble to everyone.
When Lian Ji came to Huiyin's place, she was wearing very unique clothes and said, "This is a gift from Aunt Dong to me. Your brother and sister-in-law personally brought her to see me once. She has a very good temper."
"Does she respect her sister-in-law too?" Huiyin asked, putting down her teacup.
Ji was embarrassed. "She does respect your sister-in-law, but your brother likes her very much, so your sister-in-law will definitely complain. However, this person is a good person. The two concubines secretly ridiculed her, but she did not complain to your brother. If she were someone with a sharp tongue, she would definitely cause unrest in the family."
Huiyin smiled and said, "Look at you, you are easily soft-hearted."
"That's because I can understand her. She used to be Lu Wei's concubine, and later married Master Nayu, and wanted to find someone to settle down. Your brother is handsome and has good character. If he can be entrusted with his life and have a child with him, she will feel at ease. In fact, women have very few requirements." Ji didn't sympathize with Dong, but if she didn't marry someone, her huge fortune would probably be gone.
Moreover, they gave such a large sum of money to their son. Pei Shuo heard that he used the money to smooth over relationships with people above and below him, and even arranged for his own troops who had been killed or wounded, and recruited 2,000 private soldiers again.
When Huiyin was still a girl, she didn't like people who became concubines, but sometimes she felt very sympathetic towards them. Some of them had no choice, while others had to take the opportunity to choose. It was very difficult to understand.
But she couldn't control others. Her brother was successful, Dong was patient and kind, and Xin couldn't find any fault with her, so it was even harder for her to control them.
Ji took out another nanmu box and said, "This is what Dong asked me to give to the princess. It is not a rare item, but a Canaan bead. This will protect your safety."
The most precious of these agarwoods is called agarwood, and because agarwood is rare in quantity but of high quality, it is known as the most precious in the world.
Huiyin shook her head: "Please take it back and let her live a good life. If I accept this bracelet, she will definitely think that I support her, and it will be bad for her to compete with my sister-in-law in the future."
Ji also agreed with this and said, "I was reckless."
Huiyin thought that she was very compassionate to spare a woman like her mother, but she was in a different position from her daughter-in-law, so she still couldn't sympathize with Xin. She only saw that Dong respected Xin and loved Dong even more. After all, to her, these were all his son's women.
"Mom, don't be too close to Mrs. Dong. It would be bad if my sister-in-law saw it. She is my brother's first wife, and also the biological mother of Gu'er and Xian'er. It's good that they get along well, and you don't have to make a fuss about it." Huiyin warned.
Ji nodded repeatedly: "My son, you should give me more advice like you do at home, otherwise it will be bad if I do something wrong."
In fact, the reason why everyone in the Zheng family listened to Huiyin was that when Deyin frequently participated in the so-called poetry banquets and tea parties, Huiyin was very concerned about her family and would often read books or ask for advice when she didn't understand something. Moreover, she was a decisive person, so she often made plans.
Huiyin said, "It's not that serious. Our family is already good. As a mother-in-law, you never send girls to your sons, and you don't ask your daughters-in-law to follow the rules. You are considerate and give money. This is better than many people. I will prepare some flower banquets in a few days. Then mother can go out and get to know more people of the same age. It will be good to have people to interact with."
Ji was touched by her daughter's thoughtfulness and stopped talking about the troubles at home.
However, she looked at Huiyin and said, "Your elder brother and your younger brother both have many people trying to get close to you. Do you have many people here too? I remember that Governor Song of Yanzhou was like this."
"Yes, I used to be worried, but not anymore. It's not that I am confident in men, but that I am confident in myself." Huiyin shook her head.
The mother and daughter talked about some private matters before Ji left.
Now that her parents were here, Huiyin felt much better than before. After she finished talking to Ji, she felt her waist ache again, so she went in and lay on the couch to rest.
A few days later, Mrs. Zhang came. She was brought by Cui to kowtow, and Huiyin rewarded her with a few rolls of colorful silk, spices and a few boxes of snacks.
"I didn't expect the princess to treat me with such courtesy. I am really overwhelmed." Mrs. Zhang originally didn't think she would meet Huiyin, but she didn't expect the princess to be so friendly.
Huiyin glanced at her and found that she really looked like Yin Liyi, but her actions were completely different.
Although Yin Liyi was born in a poor family, she was lucky and had good luck. She was loved by her parents and was confident, lively and fearless. However, Madam Zhang was born out of wedlock. Her biological mother died early. She lived under the care of her stepmother and grew up on a farm. Therefore, she was very reserved. Even if she appeared generous, she looked very nervous.
However, Yin Liyi would probably never meet her again in her lifetime, and as for Yin Lifang, she was also missing. They would not casually tell anyone about the real and fake daughter. After all, the Cui family did not admit it, so why should Li Cheng expose it?
"We are all family after all, so why should we talk about different things? Last time, my sister-in-law said that you were coming over, and I told her about it." Huiyin said with a smile.
They did not have a close relationship with Madam Zhang, so they did not invite them to stay for dinner. Madam Zhang was very satisfied with this, and after leaving the palace, she kept thanking them.
"Why thank me? We are sisters, and it is what we should do." Cui Yuehuan used to dislike this half-sister, as if her mother treated her unfairly. They studied the same, had similar dowries, and did not look for crooked in-laws. But outside, if you bully your own sisters, others will think you are not a good person.
Besides, she was living a good life now. Zheng Wuheng and she were a young couple and had a good relationship. Her mother-in-law was also nice. The only difficult person she had to deal with was Mrs. Xu, the mother-in-law.
They are close relatives as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and she even called her sister over as well. They are having a competition like this, and who is afraid of who?
Why can I only entertain relatives from your Xu family and not relatives from the Cui family?
Naturally, after Mrs. Zhang came in, Cui Yuehuan entertained her exactly as she had entertained the Xu family, hosting a banquet, using expensive fabrics to make clothes, and preparing a lavish banquet.
Mrs. Xu was furious: "If it was just one day, it would be fine, but it's been three days, and they invited some storytellers to come over."
"That's all for her own benefit. I heard that she wants to compete with our Xu family. How shameless." Xu watched the money being spent like water.
You have to know that they had thrown away a lot of boxes and cages when they came from Jizhou, and they had to use the money they earned to manage servants and add a few more dishes on weekdays, which was quite a lot of money. In particular, Xu was looking for good longevity wood for Mrs. Xu, and golden nanmu cost a lot of money.
Madam Xu snorted coldly: "I can see that this family can't tolerate us. But we will become rich soon."
"What does aunt say?" Xu was puzzled.
Madam Xu said, "Your brother told me that he met the widow of the King of Wei, that is, the King of Wei's legitimate son, the King of Yuzhang, and the mother of the King of Yuzhang, Yin Lifang. He said that Yin told him that she and Li Cheng were originally engaged, but were later forcibly taken away by the King of Wei, and now she wants to seek refuge with the prince. You said that this mother and son are rare and valuable, and the prince should be grateful to us. When the Xu family rises in the future, why should we have to look at other people's faces?"
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