Lizan's attitude confirmed Cui Huan's suspicions. Working under Cui Yi must be challenging due to his temper. "Today's bad luck prevents us from enjoying drinks together. Let's reschedule for a visit to the Spring Wind Tower," Cui Huan extended an olive branch. Lizan hesitated, glancing at Cui Yi, who wasn't paying attention, and answered ambiguously. "Perhaps not appropriate."
Cui Huan understood his concerns and didn't press. "No rush. Let me know when you decide." Lizan feigned deep thought, bowed, and left, signaling Chu Ying—the first phase was complete. Chu Ying received the signal and poured wine for the brothers. "Mr. Lizan mentioned maintaining correspondence despite years apart. He didn't realize the Third Prince was royalty. It was the Third Prince who suggested he seek office in the capital."
Cui Jie repeated doubtfully, "The Third Prince recommended him? A talented individual should be recommended to the Ministry of Personnel. Leaving him to fend for himself isn't wise." Chu Ying smiled, "Maybe the Third Prince had other plans." She intentionally left it ambiguous, letting Cui Jie speculate. Based on her understanding, he appeared open-minded but was deeply suspicious. Loyal followers faced execution, let alone those suspected of betrayal.
Cui Huan's fate mattered little to Cui Yi. Her true goal was to ensnare the bigger fish. The banquet continued, and Lizan reappeared. "Your Highness, I found a rare book you once mentioned, 'Notes from Zhaohua River.' Though damaged, it's mostly intact." Cui Huan accepted it, surprised. "You knew about this book?" Touching the patched cover, he noted Lizan's effort.
Lizan asked, "Didn't you tell me about it?" Cui Huan realized his slip and quickly covered it. "I meant, thank you for remembering." Lizan pretended ignorance and left after delivering the gift. The hidden message inside the book would reach Shan Jian. Even if inspected, the result would be the same.
After dark, guests departed. Cui Yi pretended to be drunk and didn't go out to see them off, giving Cui Jie a chance to speak with Cui Huan. "Third Brother, be careful. Even confidants might betray you, let alone a guest." Cui Huan, humiliated, agreed.
In the Wu王府, Cui Yi played with the baby while Chu Ying bathed. "Stop disturbing her; let her sleep." Cui Yi reluctantly left the cradle and lay on the bed. "Shouldn't you move back to the main room now?" Chu Ying shook her head. "Not yet. Remember the Emperor's words? If I have a daughter, you must marry a primary consort. It's inappropriate for me to stay in the main room. I've arranged a courtyard next door for us."
Cui Yi protested, "This is my decision. No one tells me where to sleep." Chu Ying teased, "But you did say I'd be in charge." Cui Yi, frustrated, pinned her down. "I'm not dead yet. I decide who to marry and where to sleep."
At the Jin王府, Cui Huan returned home exhausted. His wife Chen pretended to be asleep. After a heated argument earlier, she refused to attend the celebration. Pretending to wake up, she asked about his injury. "Have you stopped blaming me?" Cui Huan ignored her. Chen, feeling wronged, listed her contributions but received cold responses. Their strained relationship persisted.
She hadn't finished her sentence when Cui Huan suddenly stood up and walked out with large strides. Chen was startled and hurriedly followed behind, "Your Highness! Where are you going at such a late hour?"
Cui Huan coldly replied with his hands clasped behind his back, "I still have some matters to attend to. I will sleep in the study tonight."
"Your Highness!" Chen cried out tearfully.
But Cui Huan didn't even look back as he walked away.
The next day, after Cui Yi went to court, Chi Ying instructed the maids to move all her belongings, including her wardrobe and dressing table, to the adjacent courtyard. The courtyard wasn't large, but it had ample sunlight, and there was a big parasol tree in the corner that provided shade during the hot summer months.
On this sunny day, Nong Yue was airing out the quilts while saying, "Lady, you didn't need to rush to move. It's not like Emperor Jianyuan just decided to find a wife for His Highness overnight. He said that because Lady gave birth to a daughter, His Highness must get married, but they haven't even selected a candidate yet. Even if they were to marry, it wouldn't happen in a day or two. Maybe the Emperor likes little Princess and will change his mind and make you the official consort."
Chi Ying, holding the child and basking in the sun in the courtyard, smiled and said, "If the Emperor intended to make me the official consort, he wouldn't have set this rule. Rather than waiting for the new mistress to come and kick me out, it's better to take the initiative and leave a good impression on the Emperor and Empress."
Nong Yue sighed, "Lady, you always put yourself through so much hardship."
Chi Ying smiled without responding.
Cui Yi would eventually marry someone else, something she had already prepared herself for before entering the household. However, who this "someone" would be, she did not know. In her previous life, she was the Crown Princess, and Cui Yi never married until his death. As for concubines, it was uncertain whether he had any, but even if he did, they wouldn't become his official wife in this life, so it didn't matter.
What kind of wife would Emperor Jianyuan choose for his son? Although Changsun Chi Ying was now described as "disabled due to illness," she was once the eldest legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor and the elder sister of the Crown Princess. If she could only be a concubine, then within Purple Chapter City, how many unmarried young ladies could surpass her in status and be worthy of the title of the wife of the War God Cui Yi?
The eldest legitimate daughter of the Grand Tutor and the elder sister of the Crown Princess could only be a concubine to the Duke of Wu. What kind of woman could be the Duchess of Wu?
It wasn't just Chi Ying; all the young ladies in Purple Chapter City, along with their parents and brothers, were curious.
However, one month passed, then two months, and Emperor Jianyuan seemed to have forgotten about this matter entirely, making no mention of finding a wife for Cui Yi. Countless noble daughters in the capital stretched their necks in anticipation, hoping to fly onto the branch and transform into a phoenix.
In the blink of an eye, the Duke of Wu's little princess, Cui Xian, reached her hundredth day, and Cheng Fengyi also safely gave birth to a daughter named Zhai Shujin. Since they couldn't form a marriage alliance, they had to wait for the next child.
"It's better not to mention it. Who knows what kind of person might come. If she turns out to be like Xie Yuchan, it would be unbearable," Cheng Fengyi, always straightforward, expressed her joy at Emperor Jianyuan's apparent forgetfulness.
Cheng Fengyi was still in confinement after giving birth, and Chi Ying visited her with her child. Little Cui Xian couldn't crawl yet but tried to reach out to touch her sister. Little Shujin, disturbed while feeding, started crying loudly. Seeing her cry, Little Cui Xian also burst into tears. Both mothers were instantly overwhelmed and quickly comforted their children, handing them over to the nannies to put them to sleep before they could chat privately.
Chi Ying smiled and said, "A girl like Miss Xie is unlikely, but if His Highness really marries someone else, she might secretly make things difficult for me. Whether she is favored by His Highness or not, either way, she might turn against me. Just thinking about it makes my back break out in a cold sweat."
Cheng Fengyi teased, "Who was it that kept urging His Highness to marry?"
Chi Ying groaned, "Sister, spare me. I was just being immature back then."
Cheng Fengyi laughed again. A maid brought in some medicine, and as she drank it, she remembered something from when Chi Ying was in confinement and asked, "By the way, has the traitor inside the mansion been found?"
"Not a single clue," Chi Ying said, her smile fading. Three months had passed, and despite all her efforts and those of Bai Li Zan, the traitor hadn't shown any signs. Though unwilling to admit it, she had to acknowledge that the person was indeed very patient.
Cheng Fengyi thought for a moment and said, "Could it be that there is no traitor in the mansion at all? Maybe Shan Jian just happened to see Master Bai on the street and realized he was working for His Highness, so he devised this counter-espionage plan to make His Highness suspicious."
Chi Ying said helplessly, "That possibility isn't ruled out. When we discussed it with Master, he considered that we might be overly suspicious and that there might be no traitor in the mansion. But if that were true, how did Shan Jian know that Master Bai escorted me back to the main courtyard? There must be a traitor, but we can't find them."
Cheng Fengyi sighed deeply and patted her hand gently, "I can't help you much. Be careful and keep your distance from His Highness's close aides. Don't get too close. They say women are jealous, but how many men aren't?"
Chi Ying nodded in agreement, and they chatted about everyday matters. As autumn twilight fell early, Chi Ying bid farewell around 3 PM with her daughter. Cheng Fengyi lay lazily on the bed, yawning.
"A soldier delivered this box for you, Lady," a maid reported, carrying a small wooden box.
Cheng Fengyi motioned, "What is it? Open it for me to see."
The maid opened the lid, revealing several bright orange-red maple leaves lying quietly at the bottom of the black box, capturing the brilliance of an entire autumn in a small square space, breathtakingly beautiful.
Cheng Fengyi picked up a leaf and admired it, "These must be from Drunken Butterfly Mountain. Every autumn, I used to go with Father to see them. I wonder if we'll make it this year." She asked, "Who would be so thoughtful? What did the messenger look like? Did he say who he was?"
The maid replied truthfully, "The gatekeeper said it was just a soldier in armor who didn't give his name, just asked us to give the box to Lady as thanks for saving his life."
"Oh…" If it was gratitude for saving his life, it made sense. Cheng Fengyi nodded. Last year, she saved thousands of soldiers from the Western Camp with a prescription. Perhaps one of them heard she liked maple leaves and specially picked them to show their gratitude, which wasn't surprising.
"Place it somewhere visible, standing upright."
The golden light of dusk shone through the window, illuminating the maple leaves, making them glow warmly like a cluster of flames.
As September arrived, the wheat planted in spring ripened. To harvest and dry the grain before the autumn rains, the soldiers of the Western Camp busied themselves with farming tasks. By mid-September, over a thousand catties of flour had been delivered to the Duke of Wu's residence, and the soldiers enjoyed hearty meals of white steamed buns. With the meat hunted in spring preserved with salt in cellars, their rations improved compared to before the military budget cuts.
When paying respects at court, Emperor Jianyuan didn't mention finding a wife for Cui Yi. Thus, Chi Ying's daily routine involved taking care of the child and listening to reports from the steward about grain contributions from various camps, how much was sold for cash, and how much was stored for winter. Her life was leisurely.
Without worrying about his father forcing him to marry, Cui Yi also lived a relaxed life, focusing on attending court, training troops, and playing with his daughter.
However, Chi Ying's leisure stemmed from knowing that Emperor Jianyuan's death, Prince Jie's ascension, and Cui Yi's exile were six months away. During this time, she aimed to poach more soldiers and organize agricultural knowledge collected by Cao Qian for future use in Ganzhou. Unlike Cui Yi, who was practically idle.
After court one day, Cui Yi excitedly told Chi Ying, "Next month on the fifth, Father Emperor is going to Drunken Butterfly Mountain to admire the red leaves. Everyone will join. You haven't been to the imperial retreat there, have you? Pick some nice fabric and have a new outfit made for the occasion."
Chi Ying, having just put the baby to sleep, rubbed her sore waist and stood up, "Another new outfit? Didn't we just get one last month? Do you know the saying 'diligence leads to prosperity, extravagance leads to ruin'?"
Cui Yi glared at her, "For you! You hardly ever think of getting yourself new clothes. Wearing tattered garments every day is embarrassing!"
Chi Ying chuckled, "Yes, yes, I'm embarrassing Your Highness again." Reflecting on the past half-year, she realized she hadn't gotten many new outfits, appreciating his consideration.
Her frugality wasn't without reason. Ganzhou was a battleground between Great Chu and the Northern Di tribes. Land changed hands frequently, and people struggled to farm. Saving now would prepare for the lean times ahead. But appearing presentable before the Emperor was necessary, so she decided to get a new outfit.
On the fifth day of October, Emperor Jianyuan led his retinue to Drunken Butterfly Mountain. Chi Ying, still as the Duchess of Wu, rode in a carriage, admiring the scenery. The autumn maple leaves were stunningly red, almost dripping with color, stretching endlessly.
However, since waking up that morning, Chi Ying felt an ominous premonition, heavy as dark clouds, and her eyelid twitched incessantly. Despite the beautiful views outside, she couldn't focus.