Chapter 123: Cheng Zhao Hao Ruan
Cheng Zhao hurried to Chengming Hall, where First Madam Song and all the stewards had already gathered.
“Where is the eldest sister-in-law?” Cheng Zhao asked.
First Madam said, “The Dowager Madame sent her to see the Secondary Wife.”
She wanted to say that the matter should have been handled by Cheng Zhao, not Huan Qingtang.
But the Dowager Madame had sent Huan Qingtang for two reasons: Huan Qingtang would eventually become the mistress of Chengming Hall, entrusted with major affairs; she would also become Zhou Yuanshen’s wife, and Mu Jiang was connected to this.
Both points irritated First Madam.
She recalled how she had previously advised Huan Qingtang and now felt like a laughingstock, her mood dejected.
“Is the Secondary Wife alright?” Cheng Zhao asked.
First Madam replied, “They won’t let you see her, nor me. Even if something is wrong, would they tell us?”
She said this to complain about the Dowager Madame, but the entire hall of stewards was present.
Cheng Zhao fell silent immediately.
First Madam also regretted her careless words. “Let’s begin. No need to wait.”
By the time the morning’s work ended, First Madam was summoned to Shou’an Courtyard.
When she returned for the afternoon affairs, her face looked even more worn, clearly having been scolded.
Cheng Zhao pretended not to notice, silently sitting beside her.
Huan Qingtang came back and, in front of several stewards reporting their tasks, said to Cheng Zhao and First Madam, “The Secondary Wife is in low spirits. I called Doctor Feng again and had him prescribe some calming powders.”
“Doctor Feng is a skilled physician,” Cheng Zhao commented.
Just yesterday, they had said Doctor Feng was too close to Imperial Consort Dou’s family and didn’t dare use him. Yet today they summoned him, meaning Mu Jiang was likely not well.
She was five months pregnant.
If she stayed calm and didn’t stir trouble, the pregnancy should have stabilized by now. But after Mu Jiang’s fuss yesterday, even a healthy person might fall ill from anger.
“Sister-in-law, please urge the Secondary Wife to rest and recover well. I’ve recently caught a mild chill and fear I might pass miasma to her, so I won’t visit her,” Cheng Zhao said.
With that, she deliberately coughed twice.
Song thought to herself that Cheng Zhao was clever and good at evading trouble, never letting any bothersome matters touch her.
“Send an experienced matron to see her. You’ve never given birth, so you don’t understand women’s matters of childbirth,” First Madam said to Huan Qingtang.
The stewards lowered their heads.
Huan Qingtang acknowledged the comment, her face betraying no sign of embarrassment. Everyday jokes played out in Chengming Hall.
That evening, Zhou Yuanshen did not return for dinner. Cheng Zhao assumed he was again at the General’s Mansion.
Unexpectedly, just as she was about to rest, he came back.
“... Had some drinks with colleagues during the evening engagements,” he said. “I’ll bathe first. You go to bed, no need to wait.”
But how could Cheng Zhao sleep now?
She sat by the lamplight, picking out a lake-blue fabric to make a pouch.
She had only embroidered a few patterns when Zhou Yuanshen emerged from the bath.
He walked over. “Did you like the kite I gave you last time?”
Cheng Zhao: “The butterfly was too plump.”
“Don’t you like plump butterflies? We’ll fly kites together with her next time,” he said.
Cheng Zhao: “Am I supposed to spend all my time playing with children?”
He said nothing, just reached out and touched her face.
The palm of his hand carried a hint of alcohol, seeming to burn her cheek. Cheng Zhao wanted to dodge.
“Is this pouch for me?” he asked.
Cheng Zhao looked up.
He wore plain undergarments. Perhaps due to the wine, his eyes were unusually bright, staring at her intently, but his lips were flat, without a trace of a smile.
“No.”
“Didn’t we agree you’d make me one?” He sat down across from her, deliberately bargaining.
Cheng Zhao felt provoked again. This man was pushing his boundaries, increasingly disregarding her importance. He even dared to sulk with her now.
Cheng Zhao’s face darkened. “Yours is already done.”
“Really?” There was a note of surprise in his voice. “Sent it to Chenhui Courtyard?”
“I cut it up,” Cheng Zhao said.
Zhou Yuanshen stared at her steadily.
“You didn’t come home, so you didn’t care about my gift. I worked hard on it; why should I beg you to accept it? So I cut it up.” Cheng Zhao continued, “I made one. There won’t be any more.”
Zhou Yuanshen walked behind her and pulled her into his embrace.
Cheng Zhao: “...”
He still dared to lay his hands on her.
Zhou Yuanshen held her tightly from behind, burying his face in her hair. “Cheng Zhao, how old are you?”
His tone carried a hint of helplessness, like when he teased Zhou Yuanqi.
The implication was, “How old are you to throw such a childish tantrum?”
“Lord Duke, please be proper,” Cheng Zhao pushed him. “I want to sleep.”
He grabbed her chin.
His fingers exerted slight pressure, tilting her head back, and he kissed her stubbornly.
His other hand had already loosened the tie of her under robe.
“Cheng Zhao, you’re so soft.”
Half-dazed, Cheng Zhao heard him say this.
His voice was very light.
As he spoke, he caught her lips again, gently sucking on them.
Cheng Zhao thought of the elderly matriarchs, each dignified and commanding. They must have been decisive and tough in their youth, wielding authority with skill.
She believed she was doing well, fated to be like them one day.
Yet he called her “soft.”
He had stripped away all her authority.
“Bodhisattva, bless me that I quickly become pregnant!” This time, Cheng Zhao kowtowed three times more devoutly. Fearing it wasn’t enough, she added three more.
She was truly fed up with his lack of respect.
Once she was pregnant, he wouldn’t be able to get near her. Distance would bring authority, and she would never let him kiss her again.
The next day, Cheng Zhao didn’t go to Chengming Hall; she took leave.
“... This incense is called ‘Fragrant Shadow,’ also known as ‘Sweet Cherry,’ often used in rouges and powders. It’s made from bitter almonds and sweet gardenia,” said the maid Qiubai.
Cheng Zhao was surprised. “The shopkeeper told you?”
“A merchant wouldn’t reveal that,” Qiubai laughed. “I didn’t go to Yizhen Tower. Instead, I took it to Fourth Young Master and asked him to find a perfume maker to inquire.”
Cheng Zhao praised her for her cleverness.
“And Fourth Brother has some use after all, knowing all sorts of people from different walks,” she added.
Qiubai lowered her voice: “Young Madam, this incense is toxic.”
Cheng Zhao was stunned.
“Bitter almonds and sweet gardenia are both poisonous if consumed,” Qiubai said. “The scent is nice, but you can’t inhale too much either.”
“But Yizhen Tower still sells cosmetics with it!” Cheng Zhao exclaimed.
“As long as it’s not eaten, it won’t poison you,” Qiubai said. “Didn’t you mention that this same fragrance is in the Secondary Wife’s inner chamber?”
“Yes.”
“If it’s in her lip balm, she’s in some danger. She still applies lip balm,” Qiubai noted.
Cheng Zhao frowned.
“However, you can’t warn her. She’s already on guard against you. You can tell the Lord Duke and have him speak to the Secondary Wife,” Qiubai suggested.
Cheng Zhao pondered.
“Huan Qingtang has been visiting Lijing Courtyard often these days. Could she know about this?” Cheng Zhao suddenly asked.
Qiubai couldn’t guess.
“The Secondary Wife’s pregnancy cannot risk any mishap. The Emperor highly favors the Lord Duke because he is obedient in every matter and carries out his orders well. He commanded the Lord Duke and the Secondary Wife to conceive, and she did. If anything goes wrong, the Emperor will hold the Lord Duke accountable,” Cheng Zhao said.
She called Suyue and told her to go to Chenhui Courtyard.
“Tell Nanfeng that when the Lord Duke returns, send him back to Nonghua Courtyard. I have urgent matters to discuss,” Cheng Zhao instructed.
Suyue acknowledged and left.
Cheng Zhao herself went to find Zhou Yuanqi.
Little did she expect that at the entrance of Zhou Yuanqi’s courtyard, she would catch sight of Huan Qingtang, who had only just left.