Chapter 109: A False Alarm
Public outcry was immense, and popular sentiment seethed.
The Marquis of Qingyuan’s residence, the Sun family, became the target of public wrath, scorned by everyone. Sun Zhiya was vilified as a “poisonous woman.”
The Dowager Madame’s natal family had retained their hereditary title, and no deaths had occurred, but their reputation was utterly destroyed. A stain had been added to her wealth and honor, one that not even twenty years could wash away. Whenever the opportunity arose, Consort Dou’s natal family would certainly fight tooth and nail against the Suns and even the Zhou family.
She had even developed resentment toward the Emperor.
The Dowager Madame had no choice but to spread the word: “The Duchess was bitten by a venomous snake. The snake was arranged by Consort Dou, who couldn’t stand Lady Zhou.”
The implication was that Consort Dou was also at fault, that she was not merely a victim.
This only added more fuel to the gossip.
Even the Cheng family was dragged into the midst of it.
“Grandmother is furious to the point of death,” Cheng Zhao said to Zhou Yuanshen as they played chess by the open window on the kang bed.
In early summer, it was neither hot nor cold. A night breeze drifted in through the window, carrying the faint, sweet fragrance of flowers, a pleasant and intoxicating aroma.
Zhou Yuanshen placed a piece and said indifferently, “She’s always been invincible. This time, she capsized in a ditch and took a major blow.”
She would probably quiet down for a while.
“How did you manage to capture Grandmaster Yang?” Cheng Zhao asked again.
Zhou Yuanshen replied, “Young Uncle provided the secret intelligence. You mentioned last time that taverns like Drunken Immortal Pavilion are places for gathering information. That was spot on.”
“Young Uncle can be relied upon after all.”
“He’s only playful with trivial matters; he’s never slipped up on important things. Previously, at the border, he was in charge of these matters for Grandfather,” Zhou Yuanshen said.
Fan Xiao had returned to the capital in his teens and established roots there. After a decade of laying his networks, he now had some achievements. Even if the Emperor wanted to reclaim the Fan family’s military power, the Fans wouldn’t be utterly passive.
The Zhou family, however, had no such option.
There were too few people who could take charge, and the Dowager Madame detested military officers. She had forced the Zhou family to surrender all their military power, take up civil offices, and befriend literary officials, becoming true nobility.
Military officers were considered inferior.
“... Fortunately, you understood the art of stratagems. Otherwise, even if we found him, we couldn’t have caught him,” Cheng Zhao said.
Zhou Yuanshen reminded her, “You’ve won this move.”
Cheng Zhao withdrew her piece and casually placed another, her mind entirely absent from the chessboard. “Lord Duke, will the Emperor really let you command the Capital Garrison?”
Zhou Yuanshen glanced at her.
He was silent for a moment, then wiped out a large cluster of Cheng Zhao’s pieces.
This time, Cheng Zhao didn’t care about winning or losing. She only urged him to answer quickly.
“Grandmother might oppose it, but what use would that be? Unless the Emperor decides he no longer wishes to use me,” Zhou Yuanshen said after a long pause.
“Then your odds of victory increase by one more point,” Cheng Zhao said.
She also asked Zhou Yuanshen, “This time, aside from getting rid of me, this ‘rebel’, wasn’t it also about the concurrent marriage system? What do you think?”
“That won’t happen,” Zhou Yuanshen said firmly.
Cheng Zhao nodded. “Lady Huan schemed against you so much. If she really married you, setting aside how disgusted you’d be, I’d feel terrible for you too.”
Zhou Yuanshen hummed in agreement.
He placed another piece.
Since Cheng Zhao’s mind wasn’t on the game, he won with ease.
“I win, Cheng Zhao,” he said.
Cheng Zhao replied, “Oh...”
Win or lose, they hadn’t placed any bet.
Zhou Yuanshen walked over and lifted her horizontally into his arms. The weather had turned warm, so the bed curtains weren’t let down. Instead, a screen was placed beside the bed.
He easily maneuvered around the screen, laid her down on the bed, and leaned in to kiss her.
Cheng Zhao turned her head aside. “...Aren’t I supposed to be in recovery from poison?”
“Don’t you want to?” he actually asked.
Cheng Zhao gritted her teeth inwardly. “Time to sleep.”
Wait—her period hadn’t arrived.
Before her marriage, Cheng Zhao’s monthly cycle was fairly regular. Now, it was always delayed.
Thanks to Zhou Yuanshen’s relentless attentions.
“... Could I be pregnant?” she said. “It’s been delayed by four or five days.”
She quickly pushed Zhou Yuanshen away, got up, and called for the maid on night duty.
It happened to be Suyue.
“What day was my last period?” she asked.
She had a vague memory but couldn’t recall clearly.
Suyue told her.
It was indeed five days late.
“... You’re recovering from a venomous snake bite. Can we have the doctor take your pulse?” Suyue asked.
Cheng Zhao said, “Send someone to the Cheng residence. Have my mother bring a doctor over.”
For the past few days, she had been feigning illness, acting as if she were very sick. Her family members had sent in visiting cards to see her, but Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen felt that walls have ears. They needed to keep this matter confidential.
They would wait until most of the problems were resolved before inviting her family to come.
Now, with public opinion heavily against the Dowager Madame and her in deep trouble—the concurrent marriage plan becoming a fantasy—it was time to let her family know.
“... Let’s wait a bit longer. Once Lord Duke’s official appointment is settled, then we can invite my family over,” Cheng Zhao said.
That night, she refused Zhou Yuanshen.
If she really were pregnant, the embryo might still be unstable and easy to harm. And Zhou Yuanshen—though he appeared cool and detached—never went easy on her when he had his way.
Cheng Zhao was always left utterly exhausted without exception.
Zhou Yuanshen said nothing.
His personality was cold; he might be secretly annoyed when rejected, but he never made a fuss.
A few more days passed. The court was still wrangling over Sun Zhiya’s killing of the Fifth Prince when Zhou Yuanshen obtained the position overseeing the Capital Garrison.
He became its true commander, and the Capital Garrison fell into his hands.
Naturally, some found this inappropriate and tried to oppose it, sparking another round of heated debate.
On the eighth day of her period’s delay, Cheng Zhao finally got it.
She wasn’t pregnant, after all.
She sent people to invite her mother and sisters to visit, and let out a discouraged sigh.
“Time after time, why is it so hard for me? Madame Concubine got pregnant so easily,” Cheng Zhao said.
The doctor said there was nothing wrong with her, and she had prayed to the Child-Giving Goddess. Why was there still no sign?
That day, feeling unwell, Cheng Zhao sat quietly reading a book.
Mid-morning, Cheng Zhao’s mother, eldest sister, second sister-in-law, and third sister all arrived.
Second Madam had sent someone to fetch them.
After dismissing the servants, the eldest sister took Cheng Zhao’s hand and choked up. “How are you? Where does it hurt?”
“I’m on my period, Eldest Sister,” Cheng Zhao said with a smile. “The snake didn’t bite me at all.”
Everyone was stunned.
The eldest sister’s tears burst forth. “So it was a false alarm all along.”
In life, nothing was more joyous than a false alarm. She wept with happiness.
Cheng Zhao leaned into her embrace.
Madam Cheng repeatedly inquired about the details.
The rumors outside were outrageous, but within the wild tales, there was some truth.
“... They argued a few words, and she set a venomous snake to bite you? If something really happened and it was traced back to her, would she have gotten off so easily?” Second sister-in-law asked with indignation.
Cheng Zhao’s mother said, “The Duke of Pi had some old grudge with your grandfather. His punishment back then was due to your grandfather. They’ve always held a grudge.”
“Those who do many unrighteous things will bring about their own doom,” the third sister said. “She didn’t care about other people’s lives, so her son easily lost his—karma.”
“But the real culprit has...” Second sister-in-law trailed off mid-sentence, swallowing her words.
After all, they were in the Zhou residence. She feared the walls had ears and might implicate Cheng Zhao.
Her mother-in-law, Second Madam, let out a deep sigh. “The Dowager Madame is truly an overbearing woman. I still can’t believe she orchestrated this entire scheme.”
Madam Cheng said, “Perhaps there’s some misunderstanding.”
“There’s no misunderstanding. It was all her,” Second Madam said.