Chapter 113: Cheng Zhao Did Not Recognize Her Own Husband
They ran into the Dowager Madame’s party, and everyone’s expressions were varied.
Cheng Zhao and the Dowager Madame acted as if nothing was amiss; Huan Qingtang smiled gently and returned the greeting warmly: “Sister-in-law.”
Second Madam’s face was stiff.
If the Dowager Madame chose to make things difficult, accusing her of disrespect toward her mother-in-law, Second Madam would be put on the defensive, and might even get her daughter-in-law scolded.
But she simply couldn’t bring herself to put on a false front.
Mu Jiang glanced disdainfully at Cheng Zhao, then looked at Cheng Zhao’s flat stomach, deliberately puffing out her own.
She was nearly five months pregnant; her belly wasn’t very large, but she stuck it out constantly, making it quite conspicuous.
“...This is the last season of peonies,” the Dowager Madame said cheerfully. “I’ll cut some to arrange in vases at home. You should cut some too—don’t let them wither away in the fields, what a waste.”
Cheng Zhao replied, “Yes. Mother and I were just thinking of picking some peonies and also gathering some lotus leaves.”
She added, “Grandmother, please continue your stroll. We’ll go see how the lotus leaves in the pond by the river are doing.”
The Dowager Madame nodded slightly. “Go on, then.”
Second Madam bowed stiffly and left with Cheng Zhao.
Along the way, Second Madam didn’t want to speak anymore.
Later, the gardener sent a good number of peonies and lotus leaves to the Courtyard of Luxuriant Grace and the Crimson Cloud Courtyard.
Second Madam refused them: “Just looking at them irritates me.”
Because they reminded her of the encounter with the Dowager Madame in the back garden.
Now, whenever she looked at her, she found her even more ugly and could hardly bear to meet her eyes. Second Madam felt both disgusted and pitiful for her; it was a tangle of complicated emotions.
Cheng Zhao tried to soothe her.
Seeing that she was still unhappy, Cheng Zhao smiled and said, “Mother, how about we go to the Pillar of the State General’s mansion?”
That was the Fan family, Second Madam’s maiden home.
“What for?”
“The training ground in the General’s mansion is so big. Let’s go horseback riding,” Cheng Zhao said.
Second Madam’s eyes lit up slightly.
“Alright,” she said.
She finally managed a hint of a smile.
All the peonies and lotus leaves were delivered to the Courtyard of Luxuriant Grace.
“The peonies go in vases; put a lotus leaf in a vase for the inner chamber too—it has a fresh scent,” Cheng Zhao said.
The maids acknowledged her orders.
The next day, Cheng Zhao requested leave from the Hall of Reverence and went with Second Madam to the Fan household.
At the breakfast table, Zhou Yuanqi immediately said, “I want to go too!”
“You again? To ride horses?” Second Madam refused to take him. “Have you forgotten your lesson last time? Your Third Brother isn’t home. If anything happens again, you’ll frighten me to death!”
“I’ll choose a gentle horse this time,” Zhou Yuanqi said.
Then he added, “Last time I went shopping, I bought gifts for you and Third Sister-in-Law. If you take me, I’ll give you the gifts.”
Second Madam: “Do I really care?”
The mother and son bickered for a while before finally reaching an agreement.
Second Madam took Zhou Yuanqi along, and Zhou Yuanqi brought his gifts.
In the carriage, Cheng Zhao received the gift from Zhou Yuanqi—a box of face powder imported from overseas.
“They say it’s very fine, and it makes your complexion look good,” Zhou Yuanqi explained earnestly. “The shopkeeper charged me a hundred taels of silver per box.”
Cheng Zhao: “Fifth Brother, you alone could support an entire street.”
When Second Madam heard the price, she nearly fainted: “You’re throwing money away again! What face powder costs a hundred taels a box? A hundred taels could buy a cartload.”
Cheng Zhao opened it to have a look.
As the carriage jolted along, the moment she opened the small box, powder flew up and dusted her face.
Cheng Zhao sneezed, and couldn’t help bending over. The powder nearly covered her face. It was too heavy, and the scent was overwhelming; her eyes stung sharply.
Second Madam quickly closed the lid.
“What kind of devilish thing is this?” Second Madam wiped Cheng Zhao’s face while scolding Zhou Yuanqi. “Are you trying to harm someone?”
Cheng Zhao’s eyes were still watering: “Mother, don’t blame Fifth Brother. I wasn’t holding it steady.”
“That’s right. The powder is excellent, and especially fragrant. We can’t make a scent like this ourselves,” Zhou Yuanqi defended himself.
Second Madam: “This fragrance is practically poisonous.”
She hastily turned her head away, sneezed loudly, and shifted to the other side.
By the time the carriage arrived at the Fan mansion, all three who got out were a bit disheveled.
Cheng Zhao’s vision was slightly blurry. She still felt like something was in her eye—maybe the powder hadn’t come out yet. Second Madam sneezed again.
Zhou Yuanqi, having been thoroughly scolded by his mother, was also downcast.
Once they were in front of the Old Dowager, however, they all perked up again.
The Old Dowager had also heard about what happened at the Zhou household.
The Fifth Prince had died; the public announcement would spread across the realm, and the details of his death were already widely known.
Zhou Yuanshen had told Fan Xiao the inside story, and Fan Xiao in turn informed the Old Dowager, so she knew Cheng Zhao hadn’t been bitten by a poisonous snake.
But she still asked with concern: “Were you very frightened, Zhao Zhao?”
Cheng Zhao smiled. “Everything was under control at the time. There was no real surprise, so I wasn’t scared, Grandmother.”
“Truly bold,” the Old Dowager said with a laugh.
She sent someone to summon Fan Xiao and also asked an aunt-in-law to keep them company.
Second Madam didn’t need company; she only wanted to go to the training ground and ride.
Cheng Zhao still felt something in her eye—not pain or itch, just a sense that some powder was still there, making everything she saw seem as if through a thin mist.
She picked a tall, brown horse with a glossy coat and was delighted with it. Fan Xiao praised her good eye.
They went to the training ground to ride, round after round.
After ten laps, Cheng Zhao stopped and sat to the side for tea. Second Madam was still riding, with Zhou Yuanqi following behind her.
Fan Xiao also spurred his horse to accompany Zhou Yuanqi.
After a while, they slowed down and let the horses amble, chatting idly. Fan Xiao spoke now with Second Madam about serious matters, and now teased Zhou Yuanqi.
Cheng Zhao felt someone watching them from not far away, with a focused gaze.
She turned and saw a person wearing a dark, soft armor outfit—somewhat familiar, like one of the Fan family’s deputy generals.
And because of the lingering irritation in her eyes, she had to strain to see his face clearly.
Since she was a guest and also an honored duchess, staring intently at someone who was clearly a man would have been highly improper.
So she turned her face back and continued drinking her tea.
The person didn’t approach or move—he just stood there, still looking at her.
Cheng Zhao noticed it from the corner of her eye and glanced again.
More familiar now.
Just then, Zhou Yuanqi’s horse came closer, and he called out, “Third Brother is here.”
Cheng Zhao: “...”
No wonder he looked familiar.
Zhou Yuanshen rarely wore soft armor; she had only seen him in it twice, so she had some memory of it—but the way he looked and carried himself in soft armor was completely different from usual.
The aristocratic refinement of a noble lineage dissipated entirely, leaving only a rugged composure.
He seemed to prefer wearing the soft armor.
Cheng Zhao did a quick calculation: “Why is he back? It hasn’t even been half a month yet.”
Still thinking this, she rose to her feet.
Zhou Yuanshen also heard Zhou Yuanqi’s shout and walked in their direction.
Cheng Zhao took a couple of steps to meet him.
As the distance closed, looking again, it was indeed him.
She greeted him with a bow: “Lord Duke.”
But Zhou Yuanshen ignored her and walked past her toward the training ground.
Cheng Zhao: “...”
It seemed he didn’t recognize her.
But that wasn’t unusual—she thought he looked very unfamiliar too.
They were, after all, no more than vaguely familiar strangers, and after nearly half a month apart, they had grown even more distant.