Chapter 131: The Prestige of the Sister-in-Law Is Damaged

It was already May, and the back garden of the Duke of Chen’s mansion was a riot of colorful blossoms.

Compared to the fiery pomegranate flowers in full bloom, the atmosphere within the mansion was stagnant and oppressive; everyone moved with caution.

The only light and unrestrained things were the sparrows flitting and chirping among the branches.

“They really are holding a rites ceremony at the Hall of Reverence!” Second Madam heard the news, went to see for herself, and returned to tell Cheng Zhao.

Seeing that a small Daoist ritual was set up inside the Hall of Reverence, she was somewhat surprised.

She hadn’t expected Eldest Madam to be so fearful, nor had she thought the Dowager Madame would agree to it.

“If she’s that scared, she might as well give up the Hall of Reverence and let me take it. I’m not afraid,” Second Madam added.

Cheng Zhao had been working at the Dawn Courtyard these days, which was quite close to the Hall of Reverence, so she had long been aware of the commotion there.

“This is to win sympathy,” Cheng Zhao said.

Second Madam thought it over and immediately understood: “Is that really the case?”

Doctor Feng had died at the Zhou residence.

The Court of Judicial Review had ruled it a suicide, with various pieces of evidence pointing to him having harmed Mu Jiang’s child, fearing the Zhou family’s retaliation.

The Zhou family had also uncovered other evidence of his crimes.

Consort Dou and the Duke of Pi’s mansion were busy covering things up; no one stepped forward at this time to seek justice for Doctor Feng.

But there were many holes in this story.

For instance, the Imperial Guard had ransacked Doctor Feng’s home in the dead of night.

Was the Emperor spending the night at the Zhou mansion?

Even if they guessed the truth, out of deference to the sovereign, no one would speak of it openly.

The Dowager Madame had agreed to the rites ceremony to garner a bit of sympathy for the Zhou family—to show that the main courtyard of the mansion had seen a death, the womenfolk were terrified, and the Zhou family had also lost an unborn child. The Zhous were pitiful.

At the same time, it diverted the curious eyes away from the Emperor.

“Zhaozhao, this household is getting messier. It used to be not so harmonious, but at least we had peace day to day, with only one or two incidents a year,” Second Madam said.

She then quickly added, afraid Cheng Zhao might misunderstand, “It’s not because of you. None of this is your fault.”

Ever since Cheng Zhao married into the family, conflicts had been constant. The timing lined up, but the responsibility wasn’t hers. Second Madam feared that Cheng Zhao might take her words to heart.

Cheng Zhao smiled. “Mother, I understand.”

She added, “It’s because the title fell to the wrong branch, and the burden and power became misaligned, that calamities erupted.”

With no man left in the senior branch, under the laws of inheritance and custom of this age, that branch had lost its authority.

This wasn’t a rule Cheng Zhao had set; it was the law, the way of the world.

The senior branch was unwilling to accept it, and the Dowager Madame refused to let go, turning the household of the Duke—who held the title—into a place where a wife was no proper wife and a concubine no proper concubine.

When the joints and mortises don’t fit, the wheels of the cart can never roll smoothly forward.

Cheng Zhao had suffered much injustice.

She had never received the treatment and authority befitting her role as the Duke’s wife and a lady of the highest rank. And she had never been the one to stir up trouble.

She was very careful. Stirring trouble could lead to failure, ruining her reputation; and as one who would play the role of the honored elder matriarch, her lifelong standing was vital.

So no matter how you looked at it, it made no sense to blame Cheng Zhao. She had never been the source of these disasters.

On the contrary, she had been the one enduring their impact.

Cheng Zhao did not blame herself, nor did she feel that her mother-in-law blamed her for anything.

Her mother-in-law might not be able to articulate the logic, but her sense of right and wrong was razor-sharp; she was never confused. Cheng Zhao understood her intentions and did not take offence at her choice of words.

The truly confused were those who thought themselves wise.

“...Eldest Aunt has been resting at the Jade Embroidery Courtyard these days,” Cheng Zhao told her mother-in-law.

The Jade Embroidery Courtyard was close to the Hall of Reverence and also connected to Mu Jiang’s Beautiful View Courtyard.

It was a residence traditionally given to the favored concubines of the dukes.

Hearing this, Second Madam sneered again. “She doesn’t want to be too far from the Hall of Reverence. The Jade Embroidery Courtyard was built as a residence for concubines, yet she willingly lives there just to stay close to the Hall of Reverence.”

Around the Hall of Reverence, there weren’t many habitable courtyards to begin with; everything was built around the “needs” of the Duke as head of the family.

For instance, the Alchemy Fragrance Courtyard was the wedding home of the eldest son. As the heir, the eldest son could not be too far from the Hall of Reverence.

There were also several courtyards for banquets and entertaining.

The Dawn Courtyard, which served as the inner study, was also nearby.

The rest consisted of two connected courtyards set aside for the Duke’s favored concubines, making it convenient for him to visit them overnight.

“Zhaozhao, look at this household—everyone is a mess, like ghosts with disheveled hair. No wonder it’s such chaos,” Second Madam went on.

For the second time, she thought of moving out and setting up her own household.

“Mother, every storm eventually calms,” Cheng Zhao said.

Second Madam considered this and thought, yes, how could she act like a deserter?

As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were talking, Nanny Fan entered: “Third Young Madam, the steward at the gate is looking for you.”

Before Cheng Zhao could ask, Nanny Fan had already gathered the details. “The Secondary Wife is not doing well. The Dowager Madame has instructed you to summon a physician.”

Second Madam asked, “What happened to her?”

Losing a five-month-old fetus was a brutal blow to any woman, both physically and mentally. Second Madam did not much care for Mu Jiang, but she pitied the pregnant woman.

Without seeing Mu Jiang face to face, she was just a pitiable, unrelated pregnant woman, and Second Madam couldn’t help worrying that something had gone wrong.

“She’s bleeding again, and they can’t stop it,” Nanny Fan said.

Nanny Fan was efficient; she didn’t wait for the mistress to ask but learned all the particulars before reporting.

Cheng Zhao stood up: “I’ll fetch the token and tell the steward to call for a physician.”

She left.

A few days ago, Zhou Yuanshen had gone to the Capital Garrison camp. He had specially urged Cheng Zhao to be cautious in all matters and, for the first time, told her: “If anything goes wrong, go to the outer study to seek help.”

He added, “Mingyu can be trusted.”

Cheng Zhao sent someone to call the physician and then went to the Longevity Rest Courtyard.

The Dowager Madame did not receive her.

Nanny Sun came out and said to Cheng Zhao, “Third Young Madam, you should focus on your own affairs. The Dowager Madame knows you are filial.”

“I came to tell Grandmother that I won’t visit the Secondary Wife at the Beautiful View Courtyard. She’s in low spirits, and seeing me will only make her feel worse,” Cheng Zhao said.

She had come specifically to say this.

She did not flaunt her status as the victor by going to provoke Mu Jiang. Instead, she yielded and kept her distance.

In every aspect, she displayed her magnanimity—and she made a point of saying so, so that the servants also heard.

Cheng Zhao’s character was such that while she was sharp and formidable, she also had a certain compassionate discernment; yet if you called her pure-hearted, her thirst for authority was extremely strong.

Given her demeanor, even someone as worldly as Nanny Sun couldn’t help but take a second look at her.

In every way, she was a qualified matron of the household.

“The Secondary Wife wouldn’t be so petty,” Nanny Sun said flatly.

Cheng Zhao replied, “That may be, but perhaps I simply don’t please her. Even a beautiful flower can be disliked by some—it has nothing to do with being petty or generous.”

Nanny Sun was taken aback for a moment.

She said nothing more.

Time passed.

After the rites ceremony at the Hall of Reverence ended, First Madam Song still did not move back, but Huan Qingtang and Cheng Zhao began conducting business at the Hall of Reverence again.

As the Dragon Boat Festival approached, the steward of the storage asked, “Should the painted pleasure boat be launched? We need to prepare early.”

“Not this year,” Huan Qingtang said.

But the steward glanced at Cheng Zhao.

Huan Qingtang froze.

The steward, noticing her expression, smiled and explained, “I was wondering if the Dowager Madame might want to go for an outing.”

A knot formed in Huan Qingtang’s chest.

Questioning her words was a denial of her authority; looking to Cheng Zhao instead, as if seeking her opinion, showed that Cheng Zhao’s standing among the servants had already surpassed Huan Qingtang’s.

But Cheng Zhao did not say a word, as if she hadn’t even noticed the steward’s look.

We can discuss this matter another day, said Huan Qingtang.