Chương 457: Cai Yanzhang and the Cai Family Mansion

As a result, this Prince of Yan, who held the reins of power, turned himself into an "ascetic," spending his days working and spending time with his wife and children. He never even glanced at other women, let alone went out to find someone else.

At first, Cai Yan thought it was great; her husband was devoted to his family, which was a great blessing.

But as time went on, she started to worry.

She had been with Liu Ce the longest and knew best how skilled her husband was in that area.

Before she was pregnant, the two of them would often stay up until the middle of the night, and Liu Ce would still be full of energy to handle government affairs the next day.

Now that she's been holding back for so long, seeing her husband staying up late every night in the study, either reading military books or reviewing official documents, Cai Yan felt a little sorry for him, always worried that he would ruin his health by holding it in.

That evening, Liu Ce was busy in his study until 9 PM before returning home.

He first went to the courtyards of several pregnant ladies, then to check on the sleeping children, before finally returning to his study.

Cai Yan carried a bowl of calming soup into the study. Seeing Liu Ce rubbing his temples, she felt even worse.

He placed the soup on the table and said softly, "Husband, don't stay up too late. Drink the soup and get some rest."

Liu Ce looked up and smiled, took her hand, and kissed the back of it: "Okay, that's all there is. Go to sleep after you finish reading. Thank you for your hard work, Yan'er, you even brought me soup."

Cai Yan felt even worse when she saw the bloodshot eyes in his eyes.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but swallowed the words back.

She simply nodded and turned to leave the study.

Back in her courtyard, Cai Yan sat on the edge of the bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

She stared at the top of the tent, her mind revolving around only one thought: she had to find someone for her husband.

It's not jealousy, it's genuine heartache.

She thought for a moment, and then a thought suddenly popped into her head: her younger sister, Cai Zhenji!

Zhen'er is exactly eighteen years old this year, which is exactly the best age her husband said she should be.

She is well-educated, gentle, and good-looking.

Most importantly, Zhen'er and Liu Ce had known each other for a long time. Back in Zhuo County, Zhen'er often came to the Prince's Mansion to play and was very familiar with Liu Ce.

She remembered that back then, Zhen'er liked to follow Liu Ce around asking all sorts of questions. Every time Liu Ce finished telling a story, Zhen'er's eyes would sparkle with admiration.

Moreover, Zhen'er is still unmarried.

I had arranged several marriages for her before, but she turned them all down, saying things like "I have to stay with my father" and "I have to wait until I'm eighteen."

Looking back now, this girl probably already had a plan in mind.

Cai Yan thought about it more and more and felt it was feasible, and secretly made up her mind.

...

The next morning, Cai Yan greeted Liu Ce and said she wanted to go back to the Cai residence to see her father and sister.

Liu Ce naturally agreed and even specially dispatched a team of personal guards to escort her, and had his servants load a cart full of gifts for her to deliver to Cai Yong and Cai Zhenji.

"Spend more time with your father-in-law," Liu Ce instructed.

"He gets bored staying in the house all by himself. Talk to Zhen'er, that girl, and don't let her stay cooped up in her room all day."

Cai Yan smiled and agreed, then got into the carriage with her maid.

The servants of the Cai household had already received the news, and when they saw Cai Yan's carriage approaching, they quickly ran in to report it.

Cai Yong, accompanied by Cai Zhenji, was already waiting at the door.

Cai Yong was dressed in dark casual clothes, his hair was gray, but he was in good spirits and had a kind smile on his face.

He saw his daughter get out of the car and a smile appeared on his face.

Cai Zhenji stood behind him, dressed in a light pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), graceful and elegant. Her black hair was styled into a simple bun, and her eyebrows and eyes bore a resemblance to Cai Yan. She had grown even more beautiful since the last time he saw her.

"Daughter greets Father!" Cai Yan got out of the carriage and bowed gracefully to Cai Yong.

Cai Yong smiled and helped her up, looking her over. He nodded in satisfaction and said, "You look well. It's good that you weren't mistreated in the Prince's mansion. You have a radiant face and bright eyes. It seems that Liu Ce didn't treat you badly."

Cai Zhenji, who was standing next to her, also stepped forward with a smile and bowed, saying, "Greetings, elder sister."

The two sisters walked in hand in hand, chattering away.

Cai Zhenji, clinging to Cai Yan's arm, kept asking, "Sister, has your husband bullied you? If he dares to, I'll beat him up for you!"

Cai Yan was amused by her: "You're going to beat him up? Do you think you can beat him?"

Cai Zhenji stuck out her tongue: "Even if we can't beat him, we have to fight! He's my brother-in-law, after all!"

Behind her, Cai Zhenji kept talking about things in the manor, such as what calligraphy her father had recently written, which maid had made delicious snacks, and how many new orchids had been planted in the courtyard.

Cai Yan listened with a smile, occasionally interjecting with a comment.

Cai Yong followed behind, looking at his two daughters with a smile on his face.

...

Upon entering the residence, Cai Yan first chatted with Cai Yong about everyday matters for half an hour.

"Father, how have you been feeling lately? Have you been taking your medicine on time?" Cai Yan asked as she poured tea for Cai Yong.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." Cai Yong waved his hand.

"I'm taking all the tonics you sent. It's just that I'm a little bored being home alone."

"Then you should go out more often and meet up with your old friends. Isn't Master Lu in Luoyang? Why don't you go and play chess with him and have some tea? That would be wonderful."

"Lu Zhi? That old fellow writes books at home every day. I've gone to see him a few times, but we always end up talking about politics, and the more we talk, the angrier I get. It's better not to go." Cai Yong sighed.

"Forget it, I'll just stay home and write calligraphy and tend to my flowers. It's quite nice."

Cai Yan smiled and then started talking about things in the Prince's mansion, recounting how Liu Ce governed the country and cared for the people, which made Cai Yong beam with joy.

"Bo Lue is indeed a capable young man," Cai Yong said, stroking his beard.

"Back in Zhuo County, I could tell he was destined for greatness. Now he has indeed unified the world, and the Han Dynasty is on the verge of revival."

Cai Yan nodded and said, "Yes, my husband is indeed very capable."

"Father, I'll take a few of your recent calligraphy pieces back to frame and hang in the study," Cai Yan said with a smile.

Cai Yong waved his hand: "What are you going to take? My lousy calligraphy isn't worth hanging. If you want to hang something, hang your husband's."

"My husband's handwriting is nowhere near as good as my father's," Cai Yan said with a smile, "My father's handwriting has the style of a great man, while my husband's handwriting is... just like a military general's, stiff and unattractive."

Cai Yong laughed heartily, stroking his beard, and said, "You're good at making me happy."

Cai Yan glanced at Cai Zhenji beside her, hesitated, and finally smiled and said, "Father, I want to talk to Zhen'er alone. You rest first, and I'll play chess with you later."

Cai Yong glanced at her, roughly guessing what was going on, and waved his hand: "Go on, go on, you two sisters have a good chat."

...