Chapter 117: Pretending to Be Ill to Force Him to Show Up
Zhou Yuanshen had vanished without a trace.
No one knew where he lived.
His manservant, Nanfeng, went to the main kitchen every day to fetch his evening meal, leading everyone to believe he was resting in the Morning Glory Courtyard or his outer study.
Mu Jiang sobbed to the Dowager Madame, “Third Brother never comes to the Scenic View Courtyard. Cheng Shi is going too far—she’s monopolizing him.”
The Dowager Madame had no heart for such matters.
She merely said, “Cheng Shi is the Duchess. Whatever quarrel you have with her must be settled between yourselves. You can also ask the Lord Duke directly.”
Mu Jiang was displeased.
She wanted to wheedle, but the Dowager Madame was clearly out of sorts.
Mu Jiang had seen the Dowager Madame lose her temper before, though only twice. It was terrifying, and she was afraid.
As she left the Longevity Courtyard, her maidservant had picked up a little secret and whispered it to her.
“...I heard from the carriage house that on the day of the Fan family’s carriage, Cheng Shi was also inside,” the maidservant murmured.
At first, Mu Jiang didn’t recall.
Then, as she slowly pieced it together, rage flared within her.
Third Brother hadn’t let her board the carriage. To stop her, he hadn’t even hesitated to strike her with an earring—because Cheng Zhao was in the carriage.
Those earrings belonged to Cheng Zhao.
But as Cheng Zhao was the Duchess, what was she afraid of in seeing Mu Jiang?
Unless...
Unless the two of them were in no state to be seen at that moment.
Third Brother had always taken care of her, yet that day, in front of the servants and Huan Qingtang, he told her to go away—just to cover up Cheng Zhao’s disgrace?
That woman stopped at nothing to monopolize Third Brother and secure an heir.
Mu Jiang’s chest tightened with a dull ache.
After brooding half the night, Mu Jiang decided to “feign illness.” She was desperate to see Zhou Yuanshen, but the Dowager Madame was unwilling to help her.
“Ever since the Fifth Prince died and Third Brother got the post at the Capital Garrison, Grandmother has been wary of him,” Mu Jiang said to those around her.
The most loyal maidservant in the Scenic View Courtyard had been sent by her to kill the crane and was subsequently dealt with.
The current servants were mostly terrified of Mu Jiang.
But they feared the Dowager Madame even more.
Mu Jiang dared to say such things, but the maidservants dared not listen—each kept her head low.
The palace-attended governess assigned to care for Mu Jiang’s pregnancy grew worried when she heard about the feigned illness and said, “Secondary Wife must be careful not to tempt fate.”
A pregnancy was always fraught with uncertainties, prone to accident. Newborns, too, could easily be lost.
Frail as glass—how could one use a child to claim illness?
Even the palace ladies, with imperial physicians at hand, dared not do such a thing.
If the worst came true, there would be no time for tears.
Ever since these governesses arrived at the Scenic View Courtyard, the Lord Duke had hardly set foot there. If Mu Jiang made trouble and lost the child, the Lord Duke would be even angrier, and he might cut ties with the courtyard for good.
They had been sent to look after Mu Jiang; if harm came to her unborn child, they would be blamed.
“My child is fine. He is blessed. How could the future Duke of Chen be harmed by a little wind or rain?” Mu Jiang said.
The governess fell silent.
She wanted to argue further, but another governess shook her head, silently telling her to save her breath. If she couldn’t persuade Mu Jiang, she should leave no evidence of their conversation, lest the Secondary Wife later turn around and accuse them of cursing the child.
Both governesses held their tongues.
The next day, when Cheng Zhao and Huan Qingtang arrived at the Hall of Inheritance to attend to their duties, they saw a maidservant from the Scenic View Courtyard hurry over to say to the First Madam, “The Secondary Wife says her stomach hurts.”
The First Madam Song’s first reaction was not worry but smugness. She turned her gaze to Cheng Zhao, waiting to see how she would react.
Cheng Zhao put on a perfectly standard look of concern.
Madam Song was at a loss for words.
Cheng Zhao was truly skilled at putting on an act.
The maidservant had spoken, but no one answered her.
After a few moments of silence, Huan Qingtang picked up the thread: “What happened?”
“She said she felt unwell yesterday. Last night she had a nightmare—dreamt the Lord Duke was injured. She barely slept, and this morning she woke up feeling unwell,” the maidservant explained.
Again, silence.
The First Madam and Huan Qingtang both looked at Cheng Zhao.
Cheng Zhao looked back at them with an almost girlish, panicked expression, as if lost—as if to say, What should I do, Eldest Aunt-in-law, Sister-in-law?
The First Madam’s heart seized up.
Cheng Zhao was too cunning, too troublesome.
When there was benefit to be had, she lunged forward like a beast, refusing to let go until she had bitten into her prize. But the moment trouble arose, she played the fool.
To saddle her with a burden or responsibility was an almost impossible task.
Even Huan Qingtang didn’t have that kind of sharpness.
The First Madam suddenly felt her own daughter-in-law was somewhat inferior to Cheng Zhao.
Only half a year ago, she had thought Cheng Zhao had no way forward, that the Duke’s mansion had no place for her, that she was utterly unremarkable.
Huan Qingtang had been the one to say they should scrutinize Cheng Zhao more closely, learn her background.
In less than half a year, they still hadn’t uncovered her background, but the mansion had already made room for her.
“...Mother, shall we inform Grandmother, or send directly for a physician?” Huan Qingtang broke the silence once more.
The one ruling the Hall of Inheritance was the mistress of the Duke’s mansion; the two women, mother and daughter-in-law, had to decide.
“Go tell the Dowager Madame and ask which imperial physician she wishes to summon. Use her name card to request the visit,” the First Madam said.
Only titled ladies had the right to summon imperial physicians. The one who could get the best was no doubt the Dowager Madame of the Zhou family.
Huan Qingtang said, “I’ll go.”
Without waiting for the First Madam’s reply, she rose and left.
The First Madam felt an urge to call her back and rebuke her, an instinct to keep Huan Qingtang in line.
But she hadn’t lost her mind.
If anything happened to Mu Jiang, the Dowager Madame would flay her alive. With Mu Jiang involved, this was a hot potato—let Lady Huan handle it.
The First Madam said to Mu Jiang’s maidservant, “Go to the Longevity Courtyard and see what happens.”
The maidservant answered in the affirmative.
After they left, the First Madam got up and headed to the western side-room to rest a little, leaving Cheng Zhao and the stewards in the main hall.
The stewards hardly dared discuss the Secondary Wife. They chatted idly; Cheng Zhao answered in a leisurely manner, her demeanor unchanged.
“...Why do I find Lady Huan so unbearable these days?” the First Madam wondered as she sipped her tea.
Shouldn’t she hate Cheng Zhao more?
In a short time, her distaste for Huan Qingtang had grown intense. Every time Huan Qingtang spoke, she felt like she was about to explode with rage.
Had Cheng Zhao poisoned the well?
Or was it Huan Qingtang’s attitude that was off?
The First Madam couldn’t think straight; she was simply irritable.
Soon, someone from the Longevity Courtyard arrived and said to Cheng Zhao, “Third Young Madam, the Dowager Madame requests your presence.”
Cheng Zhao stood up. “I’ll inform the First Madam and then go.”
She stood at the entrance of the western side-room, exchanged a few words with the First Madam, and then turned to leave.
As she stepped out of the Hall of Inheritance, she glanced at her maidservant, Suyue, and said to her, “I’m going to the Longevity Courtyard.”
Suyue softly assented.
Watching her walk away, Suyue hurried to the Morning Glory Courtyard and found the manservant Nanfeng.
“Where is the Lord Duke? The Third Young Madam has been summoned to the Longevity Courtyard by the Dowager Madame,” Suyue said. “If anything happens, call the Lord Duke to save her.”
Nanfeng said, “I don’t know.”
“Tell the truth. Otherwise, you won’t get to eat the Lord Duke’s evening meal anymore.”
“The Lord Duke is at the General’s Mansion. He has been staying there these days.”
Suyue was speechless.