Chapter 114: The Duke's Punishment

Zhou Yuanshen was grim and stern.

Even though he was usually expressionless, others could tell he was displeased.

Fan Xiao asked him, "Did you come back from the Jingyi Camp? Why are you still in armor?"

Zhou Yuanshen didn’t answer him, only said, "Lend me some of your clothes."

Fan Xiao led him to his own courtyard.

Second Madam watched their retreating figures.

Zhou Yuanqi was quite annoyed. "What’s the Brute acting out for? We haven’t done anything to him. Who’s he giving the cold shoulder to?"

Cheng Zhao replied, "It doesn’t seem that way. Lord Duke is always like this."

Second Madam said, "He’s not usually like this. Maybe something unpleasant happened at the camp. After all... forget it, the situation at Jingyi Camp is complicated."

Zhou Yuanqi grew even more dissatisfied. "If he’s unhappy, he has places to go. Why must he come here to make us feel down?"

Cheng Zhao said, "I think he came to see Uncle. Maybe he was wronged at Jingyi Camp and wanted to drink with Uncle to vent. He didn’t know we’d be here. Look, he didn’t even change out of his light armor."

Second Madam nodded. "He came straight from Jingyi Camp."

Then she looked at Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanqi. "Alright, let’s stop worrying about this. Zhaozhao, do you still want to go galloping?"

"No more galloping," said Cheng Zhao. "Mother, are you feeling a bit better?"

"The pent-up feelings in my heart have all eased," Second Madam said.

Cheng Zhao smiled. "In the future, if you’re unhappy, just go gallop. Don’t bottle it up inside."

Zhou Yuanqi chimed in, nodding. "Right, Mother. You’re at such an age. If you keep getting unhappy all the time, you’ll soon grow white hair."

Second Madam let out a cold snort. "How old do you think I am?"

She still felt quite young.

After all, she wasn’t yet a grandmother and was just over forty. Her health was good, her complexion fine, and with a little grooming, she still had charm.

In truth, at this age, she ought to be a grandmother by now. After all, Zhou Yuanshen was so grown up. If he’d married early, children would be running all over the place.

But it was coming soon.

In another four months, Mu Jiang would give birth, and Second Madam would truly become an old lady—she couldn’t deny aging.

Thinking this, Second Madam felt even more vexed. She didn’t know whether she was annoyed with Mu Jiang or with time itself for making her older.

"...With a single word, you’ve undone all the good Mother got from galloping all morning. A son like you must be collecting a debt—did Mother owe you in a past life?" Cheng Zhao asked.

Zhou Yuanqi retorted, "One must be able to hear the truth. The truth is always hard to hear."

"You don’t go along with Mother, yet you dare call yourself ‘filial’? If you’re unfilial, how can you stand among the scholars?" Cheng Zhao questioned.

Zhou Yuanqi was left speechless.

His young face turned red, whether from the galloping or from being angered by Cheng Zhao.

Second Madam couldn’t help but laugh.

"See, I’m the one who can cheer Mother up. There’s no one more filial than me in the whole world," said Cheng Zhao.

Second Madam agreed. "That’s true. Among my children, Zhaozhao is the most filial."

Zhou Yuanqi, having been teased by his mother and sister-in-law together, was quite unhappy but had to grit his teeth and praise his mother a few words.

Before the midday meal, the main hall was lively.

Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanqi occasionally bickered; Fan Xiao cracked jokes, siding with whoever was winning, and Zhou Yuanqi called him a fence-sitter.

Zhou Yuanshen did not come.

Second Madam asked once, "Where’s Yuanshen? Did he go to talk with his grandmother?"

"He just came back from the camp; he needs to bathe," Fan Xiao said.

Waiting for his hair to dry would take some time.

Just before the meal was served, the hall filled with people, and Zhou Yuanshen arrived late.

He was wearing one of Fan Xiao’s sapphire-blue silk-woven robes, the hem embroidered with cloud patterns. The clothes were brand-new and made of expensive fabric, softening his warrior’s ruggedness and giving him the elegance of a noble son.

Zhou Yuanqi noticed that the Brute was naturally handsome; with a little grooming, he could easily attract attention.

Second Madam praised, "This robe looks good."

"The color is bright," said the Old Dowager. "Yuanshen usually doesn’t wear such striking shades. This looks much better."

Second Madam added, "We had one made for him, but he wouldn’t take it."

They chattered away, but Zhou Yuanshen remained silent, cold as ice.

Second Madam’s heart started to race, wondering what had happened. His expression seemed as if he was holding back a seething rage.

But he rarely lost his temper, and it was impossible to tell whether he was sad or angry.

Zhou Yuanqi mentally cursed Zhou Yuanshen again for spoiling the mood.

Fortunately, Fan Xiao was there, so everyone was still quite cheerful, simply ignoring Zhou Yuanshen.

After the meal, they chatted for a long time before heading home.

The Fan family arranged a horse-drawn carriage for Zhou Yuanshen.

Cheng Zhao was about to leave with Second Madam and Zhou Yuanqi when she heard Zhou Yuanshen call out, "Duchess of Chen."

Second Madam looked at him in surprise. "Who are you calling?"

She thought, What kind of strange address is that?

Cheng Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. "He’s calling me."

Second Madam: "..."

Why are you laughing? A young couple, and he calls you Duchess of Chen—what’s so happy about that?

You should be hitting him, daughter-in-law.

Zhou Yuanshen’s gaze landed on Cheng Zhao’s face. "Get into my carriage."

Cheng Zhao agreed.

She left Zhou Yuanqi and Second Madam behind and stepped into Zhou Yuanshen’s carriage.

The curtain fell, and the interior of the carriage was dim.

Zhou Yuanshen didn’t speak.

Not until the carriage left the entrance of the Grand General’s mansion did he move.

He leaned over directly, pulling Cheng Zhao into his arms.

His force was great, his movements swift.

Cheng Zhao hadn’t expected him to act this way and was momentarily caught off guard. Before she could react, she was carried and made to straddle his lap.

This posture reminded her of that night he went to Jingyi Camp, behind the tent screen...

She quickly tried to pull away, but Zhou Yuanshen’s hand held her firmly.

"Duchess of Chen, almost half a month gone, and you don’t recognize me anymore?" he asked.

His voice was muffled, as if hiding thunderous rage, his breath hot against her cheek.

Cheng Zhao stammered, "No..."

As she tried to explain, Zhou Yuanshen tore open her collar with one hand.

Half her shoulder was exposed to the cool air.

Cheng Zhao was shocked and, disregarding any explanation, hurried to cover herself. "Have you gone mad?"

Zhou Yuanshen kept one arm around her while his other hand had already pulled loose the sash of her skirt.

Cheng Zhao hadn’t yet fixed her top when her skirt came undone. "Zhou Yuanshen, you’re outrageous! If you keep this up..."

Zhou Yuanshen twisted her hands behind her back, binding them securely with her own sash in a swift knot.

He seemed to move with casual ease, and then Cheng Zhao realized her hands were tied tightly—the more she struggled, the tauter they became.

She tried to move, but in her struggle, her collar slipped off again.

Her chest was nearly pressed against his lips.

She tried to dodge again, and her skirt fell open even more.

Cheng Zhao had never been so flustered. "Zhou Yuanshen, if you dare..."

Her lips were sealed by his.

Cheng Zhao gradually heard the noisy sounds of people around—the carriage had reached a bustling street.

She froze, her movements stopping.

Zhou Yuanshen nibbled at her lips, then kissed her collarbone. "Duchess of Chen, be a little quieter. Don’t let anyone hear."

Cheng Zhao glared at him, panicked and furious. "Zhou Yuanshen, if you humiliate me like this, I will never..."

"Never what? Not want your title of Duchess of Chen?" His face was cold. "Would you be willing to give that up, Duchess of Chen?"

Cheng Zhao was stunned, caught between shock and anger.

"Go around half the city, take the long way back," he said to the driver.

Before Cheng Zhao could speak, Zhou Yuanshen kissed her again.