answered bluntly

On July 20th of the second year of Qisheng, Governor Zhong Yuanshan led 10,000 elite troops and 20,000 newly recruited soldiers, defeating Shi Bangze, who fled back to the capital.

Meanwhile, Cui Yi continued capturing cities in Xuanzhou, recruiting remnants of the court's forces, bolstering his numbers to 40,000, plus Zhong Yuanshan's 30,000 troops and Yan Zhou's 10,000 defenders, totaling 80,000 men.

News of this spread terror throughout the capital. In four months, the Wu King had seized Xuanzhou, controlling Yan Zhou and Jiangzhou, claiming one-fifth of the empire's territory. With Xuanzhou's rich resources, the Wu King controlled the economic lifeline, rendering the treasury incapable of supporting further warfare. Emperor Cui Jie reluctantly sought peace.

In Xuanzhou, Cui Yi sat in his former father-in-law's chair, now a prisoner. An envoy read the imperial edict, starting with "By the grace of heaven," but was cut short by a splash of ink.

Cui Yi arrogantly said, "Imperial edict? I don't care. Just tell me what my brother wants."

Shan Jian reminded with a smile, "Your Highness, Governor Xie used Xuanzhou's finest Junzi Ink. Lady Chi enjoyed it very much. It's a waste."

Cui Yi nodded, ordering, "Pack all the Junzi Ink in the warehouse." Turning to the envoy, "Continue, but hurry, I'm hungry."

The envoy, covered in ink, dared not wipe it off, rolling up the stained edict, "Your Highness, His Majesty says you are brothers bound by blood. Conflict between siblings brings harm to the people and risks border security. He hopes you prioritize the nation's stability, offering you dual governorship of Yan and Xuanzhou, along with the title of Dragon Might Wu King, hereditary First Class Duke, and elevating Consort Changsun to Third Rank Lady, and naming your daughter Cui Xian as Princess Huaining… Posthumously honoring your mother, the late Empress Xiaoling, as Empress Dowager Yuanmin."

Cui Yi paused, pen in hand.

Shan Jian urged, "Your Highness, honoring your mother yourself would showcase filial piety. If done by others, it's meaningless. Now is the time to press on and capture the capital!"

Cui Yi motioned for silence, telling the envoy, "Return and tell my brother I'll consider it."

"Your Highness!"

"Go."

The envoy left. Shan Jian fumed, "Your Highness, great men shouldn't hesitate over trivial matters. Titles mean nothing compared to actual control. Once you ascend the throne, you can honor your mother however you wish!"

Cui Yi shook his head, "It's not about titles."

Shan Jian breathed deeply, asking, "Then why hesitate to attack the capital?"

Cui Yi tilted his head, "Are you asking me to remove his crown or his head?"

Shan Jian fell silent. Cui Yi handed him a cup of cold tea, "Drink and calm down before answering."

Shan Jian accepted, staring into the yellowish tea, reflecting his anxious face.

"I do want to march westward and seize the throne," Cui Yi admitted, "But when he mentioned honoring my mother, I felt a flicker of hesitation. That's not why I stopped."

Cui Yi gazed distantly, "I can't explain it clearly. It's just a feeling that now is not the right time to continue fighting."

Shan Jian stared at him, awaiting an explanation. Indeed, it wasn't the right time to advance further.

Although Cui Yi now held three states and more than forty counties with eighty thousand heavy troops, Xuanzhou was occupied but not yet fully under control, making it hard to ensure that subordinate officials would not harbor dissenting thoughts. More than half of the eighty thousand troops were reorganized anti-rebellion forces, not as loyal as the old Yan Prefecture troops. If they defected on the battlefield, the achieved results could instantly vanish.

"Your Highness's approach is correct. Now it is necessary to stop and reorganize the army again; it is not advisable to continue fighting," Bai Lian commented after reading the letter from Xuanzhou, approving of Cui Yi's ceasefire and rest period.

Chi Ying leaned casually on the couch, fanning herself with one hand, and said, "The most important thing right now is to reorganize the surrendered soldiers. In another month, the grain in Jiangzhou and Xuanzhou will be ready for harvest. If we don't harvest before the autumn rain arrives, there won't be enough food next year. Although Xuanzhou has a wealthy official granary and the Xie family has generations of management, it is ultimately just one state within Great Chu. The emperor still holds two out of the three southern states. In terms of food supplies, we may not win."

Bai Lian nodded repeatedly: "I think so too. Moreover, we must guard against Hu'er Hana taking advantage of the chaos to move south. Yan Prefecture now only has ten thousand people. If they really encounter a large-scale attack by the Northern Di people, they might not be able to hold on."

Chi Ying smiled, saying, "Before, I was worried that His Highness would lose himself in battle without regard for anything. But now, it seems he has indeed become much calmer and more mature."

A maid brought in a bowl of herbal medicine. Bai Lian smiled and teased, "Madam, your body is special now. It's better not to worry too much. His Highness is a jade in the stone, a pearl in the box, destined to shine."

Chi Ying took the medicine and drank it. Xiao Qiu then brought in a jar of pickled plums: "Madam, I saw someone selling pickled plums on the street. Thinking you would want something sour after drinking the medicine, I bought some back. Madam, try them quickly."

"You think of everything," Chi Ying smiled and beckoned her closer. She picked up a pickled plum, put it in her mouth, and bit down. Her whole face twisted instantly, spitting it out with a scream, "How can it be this sour!"

Xiao Qiu was surprised: "Madam, pregnant women usually love sour things, don't they? I tasted it and thought it was sour before buying it."

Chi Ying covered her mouth, almost in tears: "This is too sour... It's not fit for human consumption. Quickly take it away. Looking at it makes my teeth ache."

Curious, Bai Lian also reached out to pick one up. Upon tasting it, he was almost overwhelmed by the sourness and hurriedly spat it into a nearby spittoon, then rinsed his mouth with tea water, still shaken: "Did you eat these all the time when you were carrying Miss?"

Chi Ying shook her head: "No, I ate sour things, but not so sour. Eating these every day would ruin my teeth. When I was carrying Lady Xian, I loved spicy food, couldn't live without it."

Xiao Qiu chimed in: "Sour for boys, spicy for girls. That's why you gave birth to a girl instead of a young prince. This time, you should eat more sour things to give His Highness a chubby little boy who can become the crown prince!"

"Talking about the crown prince before even having a child," Chi Ying playfully poked her forehead, "If you give birth to a chubby boy, will he marry you as the crown princess when he grows up?"

Xiao Qiu blushed and stamped her feet: "Madam always teases me!"

Both Chi Ying and Bai Lian laughed. Bai Lian waved his hand: "Since it's Xiao Qiu's good intention, Madam should eat some. If it helps to have a young prince, His Highness would be happy too, wouldn't he?"

Chi Ying groaned, "Have mercy on me. How can anyone eat this... Why don't you join me?"

Bai Lian immediately laughed it off as if he hadn't said anything. Xiao Qiu, however, seriously picked up a plum, looking resolute: "If eating with Madam means she can have a young prince, I'll do it." She was about to put it in her mouth when the two hastily stopped her.

Bai Lian said, "Don't do anything foolish!"

Chi Ying laughed and cried: "Stop fooling around. It's dinner time. Go check if the kitchen has prepared the steamed fish head with chopped peppers I wanted."

Xiao Qiu pouted, still mumbling about sour for boys and spicy for girls, as Zhong Lvping entered.

"Sister, Mr. Bai is here too," Zhong Lvping entered cheerfully with a maid. "Sister, I heard from the kitchen staff that you recently love spicy food, so I specially bought old-fashioned wild mountain peppers to make stir-fried tripe slices. My cooking skills are not great, hope you don't mind."

Seeing the fresh tripe from the food box, Chi Ying's eyes lit up, delighted: "Only you understand me!"

Xiao Qiu wasn't convinced: "Cousin, you shouldn't spoil Madam like this. They say sour for boys, spicy for girls..."

Zhong Lvping laughed, comforting her: "Sour for boys, spicy for girls is just a folk saying, not reliable. When my mother was pregnant with my two brothers, she loved spicy food. Only when she was pregnant with me did she crave sour things. Clearly, taste preferences have nothing to do with gender. Sister is often nauseous during pregnancy, vomiting most of what she eats. If we don't indulge her, she'll get thinner before her belly gets bigger. What would happen then?"

"Yeah!" Chi Ying blushed, "You're all too talkative. Since you're here, sit and eat with us. Mr. Bai?"

Bai Lian stood up: "There are matters at the prefectural office. I'll go first. General Cao's wedding preparations are almost complete. His family says August 16th is an auspicious day, set for that date. General Cao is an old retainer of His Highness, so his wedding can't be too shabby. I arranged it according to the standards of Yan Prefecture officials' weddings. Once His Highness returns, discuss with him what gifts to give."

Chi Ying smiled warmly and nodded: "Alright, thank you, Mr. Bai. His Highness will return in a few days. With Mid-Autumn Festival and General Cao's wedding, it's double happiness. We must celebrate well."

Xiao Qiu counted on her fingers: "No, no, it's triple happiness. His Highness doesn't know about Madam's pregnancy yet, which is another joy."

Zhong Lvping added with a smile, "If we count His Highness's victory as another joy, it's quadruple happiness."

"Regardless of how many joys, recently, everything is going well, and it will only get better," Chi Ying held Zhong Lvping's hand, all smiling broadly.

Chi Ying suddenly said, "Xiao Qiu, go to the side courtyard and invite Prince Jing to join us for dinner. He doesn't know His Highness is coming back. He hasn't been out much these months, staying cooped up isn't good for his health."

Xiao Qiu agreed and ran off. Zhong Lvping sat close to Chi Ying, looking uneasy, glancing nervously outside.

"What's wrong?" Chi Ying asked, patting her hand. "Huai You and you are cousins. Sharing meals together isn't unusual. Are you still hesitant?"

Zhong Lvping looked troubled, stammering: "If he sees me as a cousin, it's fine."

Chi Ying knew Cui Xiang had a crush on Zhong Lvping but pretended not to. She asked, "What do you mean?"

Zhong Lvping hesitated, and Chi Ying said, "If it's inconvenient, forget it. I'll call Xiao Qiu back."

"No, I... I..." Zhong Lvping struggled, finally whispering, "Sister, I've been hiding something from you."

"What is it?" Chi Ying asked.

Zhong Lvping hesitated, then said, "My mother... When His Highness asked about my age and if I was married, she got ideas about marrying me to His Highness for closer ties. Father scolded her, saying His Highness is deeply in love with you, and we shouldn't be the villains separating you. Mother promised not to mention it again, but... she's still not satisfied."

"So she wants you to marry Prince Jing, right?" Chi Ying finished for her.

Zhong Lvping nodded sadly, adding, "Sister, you know I prefer warriors like Father. Prince Jing is just a grown-up child. I don't want to spend my life with him."

Outside in the courtyard, Cui Xiang, hearing from Xiao Qiu that Zhong Lvping was dining in the main hall, rushed over. Just as he was about to step up, he heard this, his footsteps freezing mid-air, stunned for a long time.

Zhong Lvping continued, "General Yang is brave and devoted. Since I have no chance with him, it's my lack of fortune..."

Cui Xiang stood dumbfounded at the steps, struck by lightning—Zhong Lvping liked Yang Qiong! That poor man with no interest, what was so good about him?

"But even so, I won't change my heart."

Cui Xiang felt even more despair—knowing Yang Qiong didn't like her, she still remained infatuated?

Overwhelmed with sorrow and anger, he lost his appetite and left dispiritedly.

Zhong Lvping, unaware of his abrupt departure, continued, "I swore to marry a general, and I will fulfill my wish. If not General Yang, there will be other generals. I'm not afraid to wait. Actually, it's partly my fault. My mother told me to visit Seventh Prince, who was crying and refusing to eat. I thought it was harmless, but he became attached, visiting my courtyard daily or sending gifts. I'm scared of him but dare not refuse. Sister, what should I do?"

Chi Ying was both amused and exasperated. She didn't expect such complexity. Zhong Lvping feared offending Cui Xiang while also fearing the consequences of rejection, caught between a rock and a hard place. If she hadn't invited Cui Xiang to dinner today, Zhong Lvping might have kept it hidden indefinitely.

"The mansion is big, and I didn't know about this," Chi Ying smiled as a maid served the dishes. Xiao Qiu returned, looking hesitant: "Xiao Qiu? Where's His Highness?"

Xiao Qiu glanced at Zhong Lvping, saying vaguely, "His Highness said he wasn't feeling well and wouldn't come."

Chi Ying sensed something amiss but didn't press further in front of Zhong Lvping, nodding: "See, I said he'd get sick staying cooped up. After dinner, I'll check on him. So, Huai You rarely goes out but finds ways to send you gifts?"

Zhong Lvping served Chi Ying a bowl of soup and sat down: "That's what I wanted to say. Given your pregnancy, I didn't want to bother you, but His Highness sends gifts almost daily—jewelry, fabric—all very expensive. I wondered where he got so much money. Altogether, it's nearly a thousand taels worth of gifts."

Chi Ying was shocked: "Nearly a thousand taels worth of gifts?!"

Did Cui Xiang have so much money? Yes, despite losing real power, he retained his princely title with a thousand households' income. Plus, his previous savings, a thousand taels wasn't much. But even if he had money, it was in Beijing. He worked to repay debts, where did he find so much money to shower Zhong Lvping with gifts?

Zhong Lvping didn't explicitly say it, but it was clear Cui Xiang likely used the mansion's funds.

Yan Prefecture was poor, and Cui Yi had been stripped of his assets. The little savings they had were carefully accumulated for emergencies. Cui Xiang secretly used these funds?

Chi Ying lost her appetite, instructing Xiao Qiu to summon the steward to inspect the treasury thoroughly and report back.

Half an hour later, the steward returned, falling to his knees in tears: "Old servant failed! Please punish me!"

"Get up! Xiao Qiu, help him up," Chi Ying ordered, sipping water to calm herself.

The steward sobbed, "Madam, thirteen hundred taels are missing from the treasury. These are the hard-earned savings we all worked for. Old servant failed to guard it properly. Even death can't make up for this failure!"

Zhong Lvping gasped, dropping her needlework: "What? How could this happen? Is it... Could it be...?"

Chi Ying, gripping her teacup, suppressing her anger: "Xiao Qiu, summon the treasury guards and Prince Jing!"

Soon, several soldiers and the accountant arrived, seeing Chi Ying's stern expression and kneeling silently.

After a while, Cui Xiang arrived, looking haggard.

"Second Sister-in-law," he greeted listlessly, glancing sorrowfully at Zhong Lvping.

"Huai You, you've been in Yan Prefecture for months. I haven't checked on you," Chi Ying maintained politeness despite her anger. "Yan Prefecture is poorer than Beijing. Hope you can adapt."

Cui Xiang replied dully, "Thank you for your concern. I read books and take walks. Life is tolerable."

Xiao Qiu snapped, "Tolerable? You stole over a thousand taels and consider it tolerable? Would you be satisfied if the entire tax revenue of Yan Prefecture went to your extravagance?"

Chi Ying immediately scolded, "Xiao Qiu! Be quiet. How dare you speak to His Highness like that?"

The soldiers and accountant realized something serious was happening and kowtowed continuously, pleading for mercy.

Cui Xiang seemed confused: "What's going on?"

"Prince Jing, a question: Do you know where the missing thirteen hundred taels from the treasury went?" Chi Ying asked cautiously, hoping for clarification.

Cui Xiang answered bluntly, "I had it taken. What's the problem?"

Chi Ying nearly fainted, shocked by his nonchalance. "Where did you spend the money?"

Cui Xiang glanced at Zhong Lvping before answering, "On some small trinkets for Cousin Zhong. If you don't believe me, ask her."

Chi Ying was almost driven to collapse, unable to speak. Zhong Lvping massaged her back, alarmed by her condition, standing up angrily: "You—you! Still not ashamed? Those gifts aren't cheap. How can you say such things?"

Cui Xiang smiled faintly: "If you truly valued those gifts, you wouldn't ignore me."

Zhong Lvping was almost speechless with rage, pointing at him: "You—you—"

The steward stepped forward: "Seventh Prince, if you want to buy gifts, you should inform me. How could you take so much without telling anyone? These are the hard-earned savings of Yan Prefecture!"

"Who are you to lecture me?" Cui Xiang retorted, turning to scold the steward. "This is Wu Wang's mansion. My brother's home. When did you start making decisions here?"

The steward was speechless, utterly defeated.