The closer it got to Mid-Autumn, the hotter it became—especially at night. It was completely different from Jizhou, where although the days were hot, the evenings were still quite cool.Four basins of ice were placed in the room, and Huiyin only felt a bit cooler after drinking a bowl of iced custard.Prince Huaiyin's residence had a dedicated ice cellar. She spent almost every day at home, only going out to stroll in the garden after dinner. Life was truly delightful."Miss Xun's quarters should be given plenty of ice, and her allowances should be generous as well. I can't have people gossiping about me," Huiyin said with a smile.Fugui replied, "Don't worry, we've been sending them everything in full. To be honest, you've already been more than generous to her. Does she really think she's a princess? And that maid of hers is quite clueless—trying to get some distant cousin of a young lady to manage the household."Huiyin sighed. "As for this matter of hers—regardless of what Consort Dowager Wu may have promised her before, I absolutely cannot let her come through that door. I don't even have a child yet, and they want to bring in some secondary consort or concubine? That's just not right."With that, she looked at the maidservants Fugui and the others. "Do you all have enough ice in your rooms?"Dongshun and the others smiled. "Thanks to the ice, we've been sleeping much more comfortably.""That's good." Huiyin rose to prepare for washing up.Today was the thirteenth of the eighth month. She looked at the darkening sky and thought Li Cheng might return tomorrow. Unexpectedly, an attendant from outside came in to report that Li Cheng had arrived.Huiyin immediately ran to the doorway and saw Li Cheng appear before her in his armor. Her eyes grew warm—finally, she saw someone familiar. "Young Prince, your wife greets you."Li Cheng rarely came home before. As a solitary man, there was no point in returning. Now, seeing Huiyin rush toward him like a little bird seeking shelter, he quickly caught her. "I'd planned to arrive tomorrow, but I rode hard because I wanted to see you, so I came back early.""Why haven't I seen you so smooth-tongued before? Are you hungry? Should I have the small kitchen make you some late-night snacks…"These words warmed Li Cheng's heart. Ever since his parents passed, his grandmother had treated him well, but that kindness always came with expectations. Every bit she gave, she expected back in return—nothing was given freely.But his wife seemed different. She truly regarded him as her husband."I'm a bit hungry. Just have the kitchen make a few simple dishes—nothing too heavy, I can't stomach that," Li Cheng said with a smile."Coming right up!"Two red candles stood on the tall stand, and on the table were exactly four small dishes and a bowl of soup. Li Cheng held his bowl, picked up a large chicken drumstick, and listened as Huiyin recounted in meticulous detail everything that had happened over the past month.When she brought up Xun Rou, he listened attentively."She just came running over all by herself—I kept feeling it wasn't quite safe. Then she made a fuss about going out. I thought it best to wait until you returned to arrange someone to accompany her outside. After all, she's at the age for marriage; she can't just be wandering the streets so openly, or even going to people's homes without so much as sending a visiting card first."When the topic turned to Xun Rou, Li Cheng said, "You did the right thing. She's a young lady now, and she can't go on like she used to. She's been unconventional since she was a child—when she was little, she'd quarrel with her father and then secretly hide in a trunk, riding along on the carriage delivering his congratulatory gifts all the way to our house. She's got quite the nerve."Huiyin smiled. "I'm just her cousin's wife, after all, not like you two who grew up together. If she comes to you about something, do talk to her properly. Besides, she's the same age as me—she's a grown young woman now. The old consort asked you to help find her a good husband, so do put some thought into it."Li Cheng set down his chopsticks. "That's something for you to handle. I'm drilling the troops every day—where would I find the time to go husband-hunting? Besides, even the youngest of my men, Yuwen Dang, already has a house full of children.""Me? She couldn't find a good match in Jianye, a place teeming with talent. Xuzhou can't compare to Jianye, and I don't know anyone here either." Huiyin had no desire to play matchmaker, and besides, she could tell that Xun Rou wasn't truly looking to marry away.Li Cheng figured she had a point. He took another mouthful of rice and drank a bowl of soup, then Huiyin handed him a cup of tea to rinse his mouth.Huiyin was about to say something more when Li Cheng scooped her up in his arms. "Let's take a bath together." She couldn't push him away, so she simply let him have his way.Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Li Cheng lingered over her so long that afterward, Huiyin couldn't help but remark, "Honestly, the most we ever talk is in bed."Li Cheng didn't know why, but he felt a sense of security buried against her. "I didn't expect to be so desperate to see you.""So you see, it's good that I stayed by your side. At first, you were trying to send me away." Huiyin couldn't help but chide him.Li Cheng had to admit he was led by lust, and he had no other explanation for it. Lady Zheng was indeed beautiful, but he'd seen women just as lovely before.He seemed to crave the easy, relaxed feeling she gave him—that sense of being grounded in everyday life without being mundane."My mistake, alright?" Li Cheng said with a grin.It was rare to see him look so at ease, and it lifted Huiyin's spirits as well.Xun Rou only learned the next day that her cousin had returned. She was afraid Huiyin wouldn't let her meet and speak with him, but to her surprise, Huiyin sent word that they would all dine together that evening.Upon hearing the news, Meixiang hurriedly opened the dressing case. "Miss, you should dress up nicely before you go. It's rare for her to be this kind—usually she won't even acknowledge you."Xun Rou glanced at the white jade hairpin in the case and said knowingly, "It's not kindness on her part—that's just for show, for my cousin's benefit."…Because Li Cheng had returned, no small number of visitors came to call, and he had scarcely a moment's rest from receiving them.The local gentry came calling, mostly to curry favor with Prince Huaiyin. Originally, Li Cheng had only intended to station himself here, but now that everyone was dealing with him and treating him like a regional lord, he increasingly began to act the part of one in his own right. Naturally, some even tried to offer him their daughters in marriage, but he politely declined.His reason for refusing was, of course, that his lawful wife was a daughter of the Zheng clan—the daughter of Marquis Zhaojie of Jizhou. Moreover, taking another wife now would serve little purpose and would only make him a source of blood and wealth for others.Huiyin, of course, had also received visits from many of these aristocratic ladies bringing their daughters along, praising them as the most obedient and well-behaved girls one could imagine. She understood perfectly well what this meant—her own mother's household saw such visitors constantly, and her father's newest favored concubine, Concubine Hu, had been sent by the Zhang family, a prominent local clan of Jizhou.She had been pondering how to handle the situation, but to her surprise, Li Cheng had turned them all away without even mentioning it to her.As Huiyin helped him change his clothes, she asked directly: "Today Lady Miao came calling with her daughter, going on and on about how obedient and sweet the girl is. Tell me, what do you think she meant by that?"Li Cheng was taken aback. "How would I know?""Don't play dumb. You know exactly what I mean." Huiyin sometimes felt that women were truly pitiable—was she destined to spend her life begging her husband not to take concubines? It was all too easy; any man with even a sliver of power seemed to think he could surround himself with beautiful consorts.It was the first time Li Cheng had seen displeasure on Huiyin's face, her eyes even carrying a hint of coldness. For a moment, he couldn't find the words, because even his own father, Prince Wu, enjoyed a harmonious marriage with his mother, Lady Cui, yet had still taken concubines to consolidate power and maintain stability.In this era of warlords vying for supremacy, those without power and influence would be swallowed up without a trace.But looking at Huiyin, he couldn't help speaking from the heart: "These people simply want to offer their daughters to me, hoping I'll protect their entire families. But I've already taken this territory—the people here are already within my grasp. There's no need for such gestures.""I thought you did it for me. Well, never mind, let's not talk about it anymore. Your clothes are changed—I've arranged a welcome banquet for you, and I've invited your cousin Xun Rou as well." Huiyin curved her lips into a faint smile and said no more.With that, she turned to leave, but Li Cheng caught her arm. "I'm sorry."Huiyin shook her head. "You don't need to apologize to me. The fact that you're willing to be honest with me already makes me happy."At the evening banquet, Xun Rou appeared in a peacock-blue gown with a slanted placket, a silver-gilt hairpin inlaid with gems and tourmaline, adorned with kingfisher-feather ornaments—she looked every bit the picture of wealth and elegance.She chatted with Li Cheng with effortless ease, and in a sweet, coquettish voice said: "Cousin, look at you—the moment you return, you go off meeting all those people instead of spending time with your wife."Li Cheng had just offended Huiyin moments ago, and hearing Xun Rou speak this way, he assumed the two women were on good terms—otherwise Xun Rou wouldn't be teasing so lightly. So he laughed and said: "People I couldn't turn away, I'm afraid. You should keep your cousin-in-law company more often in your spare time."Huiyin hadn't been particularly bothered before—after all, theirs was a political marriage, and Li Cheng hadn't even kept a chambermaid before their wedding, no matter how much she'd probed. He'd entrusted the household to her, and he'd made a special trip back this time, perhaps partly for her sake.But she had clearly told him about her feelings regarding Xun Rou without saying she was close to her, and he hadn't picked up on it at all.She didn't believe in the excuse that men and women simply think differently—the plain truth was that Li Cheng simply didn't care enough about her."Very well, cousin, your instructions I must obey. Oh, cousin, do you remember Sang Zao'er? Last year she gave birth to the most adorable puppy, and I built it a little doghouse…" Xun Rou went on and on, recounting shared memories with Li Cheng—the puppy, Jianye, and when she got excited, she'd even slip into a few phrases of dialect.She felt she had finally found the way to counter Huiyin—her familiarity with Li Cheng. That was ten years; who could change that? To have someone barge in and cut ahead of her, how could that not make her anxious?By the time she finished, Xun Rou was even a little reluctant to stop.But Li Cheng suddenly said, "Cousin, you've spent all these years in our household accompanying Grandmother, and you've been most devoted. Still, it wouldn't be right to keep delaying you. I've already spoken with your sister-in-law—my wife and I will find you a good match. From now on, treat your cousin and cousin-in-law as your own elder brother and sister. We'll still be family."Xun Rou's smile froze mid-expression, not yet faded, yet she was on the verge of tears without being able to cry.Huiyin thought to herself, see—men actually understand everything perfectly well.
Chapter 17
Rebirth of the Empress