Chapter 85
◎Two chapters in one◎
After sorting out the palace affairs in the morning, Huiyin felt sore in the waist and back. She really could not be as healthy as some women. Last time, a lady came to the palace and said that she was in better spirits after giving birth to a child. Now at the age of over 60, she is still full of energy and more vigorous than young people.
She was not like that. She had to take a rest. She was too lazy to eat lunch at noon and just ate a few snacks casually. When she woke up from her nap, she felt much more comfortable.
The people who served her also developed this habit and would almost always take a nap at noon. Mother Nan would come over with needlework, Linglu would make tea for everyone, and Huiyin would read a book on the side.
After finishing the book, I remembered something: "It seems like my eldest brother has another son."
Fu Gui smiled and said, "You are a noble man who forgets things easily. Yesterday you sent me to visit Pei's family."
"I've been so busy these days that I forgot about it." Huiyin said.
Now the eldest brother has two sons and a daughter, so they are brothers. But as for Sister Xian, Huiyin wants her to marry Guo Zhao's eldest son Guo Xing. This is also a combination of new and old officials.
Besides, Xianjie is sensible, and Guo Xing is also a very sensible child. Their marriage may not necessarily lead to a passionate relationship, but it will be very good and stable, which is better than many people.
But some things are not just about what she thinks is good, it also depends on whether her brother and sister-in-law are willing to do so.
Marriage is a union of friendship between two families, not a union of enmity.
It is also said that after Dong gave birth to a son, she had to take more care of her postpartum blood loss, but her eyebrows and eyes were relaxed. She had been married several times, but she married into a family like the Pei family. Her husband was handsome and powerful, and she also had a son. For her, life was already very perfect at this point.
Therefore, she asked someone to take five hundred taels and donate them to the temple as a merit.
If I don't wish for anything else, I'd just wish her a peaceful and simple life in the future, which is better than anything else.
Pei Shuo actually understood Dong's actions. When he came to live with his sister, he needed financial and human resources the most. Dong helped him without hesitation. This was a favor to him. What's more, all she needed was a place to live, which he could easily give her.
This time it was also because Pei Shuo was the Empress's brother and a general of the cavalry, a much higher rank than the Lieutenant General of Jizhou. His home was very lively, and Xin felt jealous seeing all this.
But the relationship between husband and wife was mostly determined by the power behind both parties. The Xin family was considered a prestigious family in Jizhou in the past, but now that the new dynasty has been established, the Xin family is nothing at all. So Xin was sarcastic and uncomfortable for a while, but she just let it go.
Moreover, she watched from the sidelines. Dong was a docile person and would usually push Pei Shuo to her place. Although she didn't know whether she was hiding evil in her heart or deliberately trying to please him, in short, if she used thundering means to deal with Dong now, she would be known as a jealous person. If Pei Shuo disliked her, her life would be difficult.
This is also why she, despite being jealous, still held a grand ceremony for the third-day wedding of Dong's son Jiange'er, treating him the same as her own son.
Seeing this scene, Ji said to her son Pei Shuo: "Your wife is a virtuous woman. You should be nicer to her."
"Don't worry, I will never treat Xin badly." Pei Shuo never thought about how to treat Xin. Xin was his first wife and she gave birth to his children. How could he possibly treat her badly?
Ji smiled and said, "That's good, that's good."
The mother and son came to an end of the topic and talked about the completion of the Yuzhang Palace. Pei Shuo's other mission in Beijing was to monitor the Yuzhang Palace.
Zheng Fang happened to come in from outside and also interrupted the topic: "The Prince of Yuzhang has no hope. The group of people in the territory of the Prince of Wei is leaderless. Some of them have joined Wei Duo, and most of them have joined the emperor. The emperor is now fighting Wei Duo on the front line. He is the emperor of Daye, and many people have secretly joined the emperor. But what does the Prince of Yuzhang have? He is a child, more than ten years old, not proficient in archery and horse riding, and can't recognize a few words. Even if he is a little smart, can he turn the world upside down? The premise of pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger is that you have to be a real tiger."
"Dad, I understand what you mean, but the queen told me to be more careful, I dare not be careless." After seeing how his sister caught the adulterer and seeing his words work, Pei Shuo's heart inevitably leaned towards his sister.
Zheng Fang was not as open with his stepson as he was with Zheng Wuheng. He just sighed slightly and said, "The emperor is not here now, so it's normal for your sister to be concerned about him. But if she's too concerned, I'm afraid the emperor won't like it."
He still thought like a traditional man. Pei Shuo was not without worries, but he thought about it and smiled: "Don't you know that the emperor hastily appointed the crown prince just to ensure the status of his sister? Maybe he wants his sister to be stronger so that she can help the crown prince keep the throne."
Zheng Fang's thoughts immediately diverged. Yes, everything he said now was based on the premise that the emperor would return. But if the emperor did not return, then with his daughter's qualities and talents, she could really stand on her own.
If his daughter really holds all the power, then he, the prince's grandfather, will definitely be given important positions.
"Ahem, Dad, what are you thinking about?" Pei Shuo poured wine for Zheng Fang.
Zheng Fang took a few sips from his wine glass and said, "No, I'm not thinking about anything. I just think you're too tired to do this and that."
Pei Shuo laughed and said, "What are you talking about? I can leave things to my son, which means I trust him."
This is actually a good thing for Pei Shuo. Although he can make achievements in the war, with Yuwen Dang here, no one can surpass him. Being able to help his sister in the capital and gain some favor in front of his nephew is better than anything else. People are most afraid of being idle. It is good to be idle for a day or two, but after a long time, nothing can be surpassed.
Speaking of the completion of the construction of Prince Yuzhang's Palace, Huiyin went to the Empress Dowager's Palace and said to Princess Wei and Yin Lifang: "I want to wait for an auspicious day, and then the ladies can go there."
Princess Wei was very happy: "Thank you, His Majesty, and the Empress, for your care." Yin Lifang also said a few words.
Of course, Huiyin was very happy to see these things. For now, Princess Wei and Yin Lifang could maintain peace for the time being with Empress Dowager Xun, but it would be hard to say what would happen after they leave the palace in the future.
Therefore, Huiyin would not let them off so easily, but pretended to be embarrassed and said: "But I have to complain to you two first. The country is just established now, and the emperor is fighting outside. These allowances may not be enough. I hope you two ladies will bear with me when the time comes."
There was a war going on outside, and even the palace had to live frugally, let alone outside the palace. Under the current circumstances, it was already very good that Prince Yuzhang was taken in.
Furthermore, when you are under someone else's roof, you have to bow your head. This is a truth that neither Princess Wei nor Yin Lifang can argue with.
They waited for an auspicious day after the beginning of spring and moved to the Prince of Yuzhang's Palace.
Huiyin's natal families, the Zheng and Pei families, as well as Yuwen's head family, the Guo family, all came to congratulate Qiao on her relocation. Cui Yuehuan and Ji said when they came back, "The outside of the Yuzhang Palace looks quite impressive, but the inside feels too delicate and detailed, not spacious enough."
"There aren't so many spacious places for him. This house is so beautifully built. I think it's suitable for him to live in. Even if the King of Wei has a close relationship with him, he was able to save the life of his widow and was given a house and good farmland. There's nothing to complain about." Ji thought that compared to those who were sent to the imperial tomb, they were already doing very well.
Cui Yuehuan nodded: "You are right."
Ji smiled again: "However, if the stepmother and biological mother of Prince Yuzhang live together, I'm afraid there will be no peace in the future."
"My daughter-in-law thinks they are all doing well in the palace." Cui Yuehuan said.
"That's because in front of the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager is not someone who can calm down trouble. But it's different with the Empress. If they keep causing trouble, they may not be able to get out of the palace." When Ji said this, she was quite proud of her daughter.
Cui Yuehuan recalled that in the list she sent last time, only one person had a problem, and the others were fine. She originally wanted to go to the palace to admit her mistake, but the queen not only did not blame her, but also said that she had worked hard.
In fact, it also shows that the Cui family did not do a good job. Fortunately, the queen was not the kind of person who would make things difficult for others. She encouraged her, saying that even if she had no merits, she had worked hard.
This incident also made Cui Yuehuan calm down a lot. She realized that there are always people better than you and that things cannot be handed over carelessly. From then on, she became more convinced of Huiyin.
It is also said that Yin Lifang and others are staying here for the first time, so how should they live here? This is not arranged by the palace, but purely arranged by themselves. In fact, the identities of the two are now equivalent. It is true that the Princess of Wei is the principal wife, but she is not the biological mother of Prince Yuzhang. This is the residence of Prince Yuzhang.
The Princess of Wei naturally wanted to live in the best courtyard, and Yin Lifang was willing to live there, but she was not Yin Liyi and could tolerate it, so she said in front of Prince Yuzhang: "Jing'er, let's give the best courtyard to the Princess."
"Mother..." Prince Yuzhang was of course closer to his mother. The Princess of Wei was kind to her only because she herself had no son.
Yin Lifang shook her head slightly and said to Princess Wei, "Princess, you should live in the upper courtyard."
With a look of being wronged, Jianjia couldn't help but speak up for her mother: "My mother is the principal wife, she should live in the upper house."
As soon as these words came out, Princess Wei secretly thought that it was not good. As expected, Yin Lifang was happy in her heart, but she said submissively: "Yes, yes, we will follow the arrangements of the princess and the county lord in everything."
Prince Yuzhang was young and didn't understand the intricacies of the situation. He just felt resentful that his mother still had to give way to him even though he was already a prince. Although Princess Wei came out to ease the situation, it was useless. Prince Yuzhang and Yin Lifang already hated her deeply.
However, Princess Wei also has her own considerations. Her daughter is not married yet, and she needs this identity. Otherwise, if Yin Lifang really becomes the hostess, it will be embarrassing for her to come out again, so she will not give in.
It was only the first day when someone reported the dispute in Prince Yuzhang's mansion. Huiyin smiled and said, "Let them fight each other, then they won't think about anything else. I'm afraid that they will unite against the outside world, which is not a good thing."
Fu Gui said, "Yes, they are both not good people. Before, the Princess of Wei wanted to marry her sister to our emperor, and she didn't care about the incestuous relationship. Let alone the Second Princess of Yin, she is full of ulterior motives. She is short, but she has many ulterior motives."
"Although Prince Yuzhang is a child, he is also the king of a mansion. How to quell the disputes in the mansion depends on his wisdom. The lack of coordination in Prince Yuzhang's mansion is a bad thing for them, but a good thing for us. Since Princess Wei lives in the main courtyard, when we send gifts in the future, we should send the same gifts to Yin Lifang and Princess Wei, so that they can be on an equal footing."
Wasn't it that the mother of the King of Wei, Concubine Wei, who instigated Concubine Wu all the time? Now after leaving the King of Wei's Palace, Concubine Wu no longer dared to act like a troublemaker. This shows where the problem lies. Huiyin is not the kind of person who would forget the pain once the wound has healed.
She will never be polite to anyone who can reciprocate.
However, she stood up and walked to the window, and saw that the peach tree outside had already had pink buds, and murmured: "Your Majesty has been away for more than half a year, why hasn't he come back yet..."
Li Cheng was fighting at the front line at this time. He knew that Wei Duo was difficult to deal with, but he didn't expect him to be so difficult. The reason he was able to defeat Wei Duo before was purely because Wei Duo did not understand his ways. But now Wei Duo seemed to know him well, and this was of course inseparable from the subordinates of King Wei who had previously defected to Wei Duo.
These people had fought with Li Cheng before, and they understood Li Cheng's ways and his character very well.
Li Cheng has a very distinct personality, which is different from Huiyin. Huiyin can tolerate people she doesn't like, and will find an opportunity to strike back after ten or eight years. But he is more sincere. When he first saw Huiyin's gift list, he thought it was inappropriate and changed it one by one. Fortunately, Huiyin didn't care at all.
Now Wei Duo specifically attacks this point of his, making him feel unhappy when he wins and unwilling to accept his defeat.
Zheng Wuheng was the youngest and did not dare to offer any suggestions. Yuwen Dang was eager to win the battle in one go, because if he retreated, Wei Duo would advance.
You can only endure it and find another solution.
"Your Majesty, there's a letter from the Queen." said the guard outside.
When Li Cheng was working hard outside, his greatest satisfaction was reading the letters written by Huiyin. However, Huiyin was too prudent and often took a long time to write a letter. There was a spy of Weiduo around him before, and he finally found him out. At that time, he could not send the letter back for fear that it would be intercepted.
Now that these people have been sent away, he can believe openly.
The letter first said that she originally did not want to bother him, but he had been away for a long time and she missed him badly. She also said that she had captured many spies sent by Wei Duo in Beijing.
Seeing this, Li Cheng grinned, Huiyin is so smart.
She also wrote in the letter that the peach blossoms by the window had budded, and she didn’t know if she would be able to see him when the flowers bloomed…
Li Cheng was also in pain, and he wanted to go back and see his wife as soon as possible. The couple had been apart for so many years. Fortunately, Huiyin encouraged him at the end of the letter, saying that the more difficult and arduous the time, the more he should relax and be more patient. Otherwise, if he had already taken the ninety-nine steps, why would he fail at the last step?
There was even an old silk handkerchief hidden in the letter. He could recognize that it was something Huiyin often used. Suddenly, Li Cheng blushed.
His impatience was thus calmed down a lot. On the next day, he personally rewarded the three armies and discussed with Guo Zhao, Yuwen Dang, Zheng Wuheng and others in the tent. It was obvious that they all felt that Li Cheng was in much better spirits.
"They either raid our granaries or bribe our people. There are a few of them who are useful during the war, but that's because they know my methods. This time I'm going to devise a method that he can't predict, or even a person that he can't predict." After Li Cheng finished speaking, he looked at Zheng Wuheng.
Although Zheng Wuheng had a lot of experience, he was like a rookie here. Seeing everyone looking at him, he quickly said, "Your Majesty, I don't have any other ideas for the time being."
Li Cheng smiled and said, "Just tell me. If you are wrong, I won't blame you."
Seeing his brother-in-law looking at him encouragingly, Zheng Wuheng said, "I think that old thief Wei loves land warfare and trickery. If I tell him to do something and we don't care and we just stand there and do nothing, what can he do?"
"Okay, what you said does make sense. But if we don't move, he will attack us, so we can't retreat at all. Not only can we not retreat, we have to give the opponent more bargaining chips." Li Cheng also thought of a good idea.
Both sides would like to lure the enemy deeper into their territory, but it is not so easy.
Wei Duo is now trying to recruit Zhao Hong, but Zhao Hong wants to join Li Cheng. Li Cheng was originally prepared to recruit this person under his command, but then he thought of a good idea.
But Yuwen Dang said: "It's easy to make a fake come true, right?"
"This is the litmus test. If Zhao Hong and Wei Duo join forces, we should give them two battles, let them come from Pingshan, and we will encircle them from behind." Li Cheng quickly formulated a strategy.
It's very risky, but we have no choice but to take risks. We have to take risks first.
After formulating the strategy, Li Cheng led the soldiers to train day and night very diligently. The food and fodder from several fields were delivered on time. Zheng Wuheng followed his brother-in-law in training without any regrets. He and the brother Pei Shuo were actually very similar in this respect. They were not easily disloyal, unlike Zheng Fang, for whom changing his mind every day had almost become the norm.
Although the situation on the front line was so tense, the palace returned to peace after Princess Wei and Yin Lifang left the palace.
But Huiyin still didn't dare to relax, she knew very well that there must be some spies of Weiduo who had not been pulled out. However, what made her feel most sorry was that Yuwen Dang's daughter was going to marry Guo Zhao's son, and the fathers of both sides arranged the marriage on the battlefield.
Since Guo Xing was promised marriage, he could no longer live in the palace. Huiyin prepared a lot of gifts for him to take back to the mansion. Jiang Bibo had already tidied up the mansion and was waiting for Guo Xing to come back. She personally arranged all the furnishings and arrangements, just to satisfy her stepson.
When she got married, Guo Xing was only seven years old and was raised by the empress in the palace. Now, five or six years have passed, and the child has become a young boy. He has even been promised marriage and will be married in two or three years. He has also been named the crown prince, so he can no longer be treated as an ordinary child.
Little did they know that before Guo Xing returned home, he had actually talked to the two princes about his inner thoughts, namely how to get along with his stepmother.
The prince advised like a little adult: "Why are you afraid? I've heard my mother talk about her. She said she's a very capable person who can manage a lot of business by herself. People like her will never do anything to save face. Even if she does do something bad, don't you still have me? And my mother will make the decision for you. Don't be afraid."
Pulling his thoughts back, Guo Xing had actually seen Jiang Bibo before, but he had never met her up close. Now that they were face to face, he quickly bowed and said, "Son greets Madam."
Jiang Bibo was a little excited, but he still suppressed it: "Good child, the yard has been arranged for you. If you don't like it, just tell me. Come, Sister Shi, come and meet your brother."
Guo Shi is Guo Zhao's beloved daughter and is treated as the apple of his eye. However, she is not at all proud. She is sensible and well-behaved at a young age and quickly stepped forward to meet her brother.
Guo Xing breathed a sigh of relief.
Little did people know that Xin was very happy to see the marriage between the Guo and Yuwen families. Although the queen had mentioned it before, Xin felt that it would be a good idea for her daughter to be the Crown Princess. However, this was just what she thought in her heart.
After a few drinks, he seemed to have some ideas when talking to Pei Shuo: "I never thought that the Yuwen family and the Guo family would get married so soon. When I was in Xuzhou, I was also very optimistic about Guo Xing's child."
Pei Shuo took a sip of wine and said, "The Guo family is the newly-minted earl, Guo Xing is the earl's son, and he is also the prince's companion. He has a bright future ahead of him. What a pity."
"Actually, there's nothing to regret. Our daughter's good days may still be ahead," Xin said with a smile.
Pei Shuo was puzzled: "What do you mean? Could it be that you have set your sights on a better young man with a higher official rank for our Sister Xian?"
Xin smiled but didn't say anything.
Pei Shuo made some calculations and said, "Yuwen Dang's son is not like his father. Prime Minister Jian's grandson is okay. The Xun family wants to marry our family, but the Xun family is obviously not promising. They are all mediocre people who are just trying to get close to us."
"You can look higher." Xin said with a smile.
She thought her husband would guess it, but Pei Shuo said, "Prince Yuzhang, are you talking about Prince Yuzhang? No, no, although Prince Yuzhang is a prince, his family is complicated. In the future, these royal families will not have real power. If our daughter marries into such a family, the rules are too strict and it is not practical."
Xin shook her head, dipped her finger in wine, and wrote two words on the table. Pei Shuo saw it and quickly wiped it off, feeling his heart beating faster: "Are you crazy? The Queen didn't mean that."
"So what if I was just dreaming? Our sister Xian is perfect in every way. She is the niece of the Empress. The Empress likes our sister Xian so much." Xin didn't think she was bad.
Pei Shuo said, "You are just dazzled by all these beautiful things. If the battle on the front line is victorious and His Majesty returns to the court, the whole of Daye will be reshuffled. If my daughter becomes the Crown Princess, what will those former ministers who followed the Emperor do? Why did the Guo family suddenly marry the Yuwen family at this time? It's obvious that the Guo family wants to kill the chance of Yuwen's daughter becoming the Crown Princess in advance."
After hearing this, Xin still had something to understand: "You mean the Guo family wants to marry their daughter to the prince?"
Pei Shuo nodded: "I'm afraid that's exactly what they were planning. Madam Guo is the Empress's adopted sister, and Guo Zhao is a humble man who became an earl. They are planning every step carefully! That's why I say you are blinded."
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