Chapter 14: Countering Every Move

The birthday banquet at the Princess's estate invited distinguished guests from noble and meritorious families, seated in two separate rows.

The Zhou family's seats were at the very front, close to the Princess. Cheng Zhao sat just below Eldest Madam Song; directly opposite them was the Duke of Chen, Zhou Yuanshen.

Zhou Yuanshen barely glanced at Cheng Zhao; he was engaged in constant conversation with the Prince Consort beside him.

The Prince Consort was very amiable. Zhou Yuanshen did not show the slightest smile, but he wasn't overly stern either, showing a good deal of respect toward the Prince Consort.

The banquet featured singing and dancing, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Halfway through, the Princess left her seat to change clothes and instructed the guests that they were free to admire the plum blossoms in the estate's back garden.

"Are the wintersweet blossoms already blooming at this time of year? They haven't bloomed at our estate yet," someone remarked.

"The Princess's estate has skilled gardeners, and since it is the Princess's birthday, how could there not be early-blooming wintersweets?"

Cheng Zhao had been sitting for quite a while, and the leg that had cramped the day before yesterday was aching a bit, so she also rose from her seat to stretch her legs.

Right next to the banquet hall was a small courtyard specifically designated for female guests to change and freshen up.

Eldest Madam Song went there as well.

Three or four other female guests also arrived at this resting courtyard.

For convenience, the Princess was also changing her clothes here.

The main room of the courtyard was warmed by the underfloor heating. A few women stood around chatting. Upon seeing Cheng Zhao, they grew curious about her and pulled her into their conversation.

When the Princess emerged, everyone curtsied in greeting. Following behind the Princess was the Zhou family's Eldest Madam Song.

"...This buyao hairpin of yours, Princess, looks as though it was crafted by the same hands as the golden hairpin worn by our Duke's wife," Eldest Madam Song said with a smile.

Everyone looked over.

"This kind of gold jewelry looks far more dignified and elegant when worn by you, Princess," the Eldest Madam smiled again. "I have never seen anyone who suits this jewelry better than the Princess."

By elevating the Princess, the implication was clear: only you are worthy of wearing such gold jewelry; anyone else imitating you is stealing your thunder and showing disrespect.

Moreover, the fact that this person was young and beautiful made the gold jewelry crafted by a famous artisan seem common, as if anyone could wear it.

What was so rare about gold jewelry?

Compared to precious gemstones, it was truly too ordinary. What made it valuable was the craftsmanship of a renowned master.

Grand Princess Fukang looked at Cheng Zhao.

The other ladies did the same.

Some sensed that something was amiss and felt a bit uneasy, wishing to leave the area to avoid getting caught up in the drama.

Of the people present today, the majority could afford to offend neither the Princess nor the Zhou family.

Without waiting for the Princess to say anything, Cheng Zhao smiled and chimed in: "Yes, the Princess's buyao is truly beautiful. Its luster is exquisite, just like the bright moon.

The brighter and more dazzling the moon shines, the more the stars can borrow a bit of its radiance to illuminate the night sky. If it weren't for the Princess's favor, Master Wan would not have been able to create such fine jewelry, and we wouldn't have been able to benefit from his work.

Master Wan often tells people that if not for the Princess's appreciation, his talent would have been a pearl covered in dust, and back then, he and his wife and children would have starved to death."

Grand Princess Fukang burst into a chuckle.

She said to Cheng Zhao, "This clever mouth of yours, has it been smeared with honey?"

"It's the truth!" Cheng Zhao said earnestly. "Who doesn't know of the Princess's keen eye for talent regarding Master Wan back then?"

Cheng Zhao then recounted to everyone the story of how the renowned jewelry artisan, Master Wan, first met the Princess in his early years.

Many people knew this past event, but Cheng Zhao knew it in greater detail. Furthermore, by telling it again in front of everyone, she was essentially praising the Princess once more.

Why would Grand Princess Fukang care about some piece of jewelry?

This grace of recognizing talent and elevating a globally renowned goldsmith was her true glory.

The smile on the Princess's face was radiant as she listened to Cheng Zhao finish her story with a smile.

That kind of delight was evident to anyone who looked.

"...Look at this eloquence, she has simply inherited the true teachings of Chancellor Cheng," Grand Princess Fukang said with a smile.

She casually took off her own dangling hairpin, not caring whether it messed up her hair, and pinned it into Cheng Zhao's hair at the temples. "This is from a set of jewelry that Master Wan specially crafted for my birthday. This hairpin is my absolute favorite, and your eldest aunt also praised its beauty. It looks even more beautiful on a young person, and it brings me joy just looking at it."

Cheng Zhao curtsied gracefully and generously, "Thank you, Your Highness. A gift from the Princess can never be declined. I will certainly save it for my future daughter's dowry."

Everyone burst into laughter.

The Princess was even more delighted.

Eldest Madam Song, who was standing to the side, maintained a smile the entire time. However, when people looked at her, they all felt her smile was too forced.

Her slight stiffness could not be concealed.

Grand Princess Fukang did not look at her again. She instructed a maid to fetch her another gold hairpin and redo her hair.

She then called out to Cheng Zhao, "Come here. I enjoy listening to you speak; come sit beside me."

Cheng Zhao accompanied her to the side room.

Grand Princess Fukang chatted with her extensively, and Cheng Zhao took the opportunity to praise her son: "The Heir Apparent often consults my grandfather on academic matters. My grandfather praises his handwriting."

"Is that so?" The Princess was pleasantly surprised.

The Heir Apparent was not cut out for scholarly pursuits and had made quite a few jokes of himself in academic circles because of his superficial knowledge, often misquoting classical allusions and confusing facts.

"Yes, grandfather said the Heir Apparent's calligraphy is elegant and free-flowing, showing he is a man of a free and unconstrained nature. He doesn't care much for worldly fame; he is a rare, transcendent figure," Cheng Zhao said.

The Princess was even more overjoyed.

Of course, she knew Cheng Zhao was flattering her. But as the Emperor's only biological sister, she held a high position and was surrounded by flattery every day.

She had grown tired and annoyed of hearing the same complimentary words.

Yet Cheng Zhao's two compliments today perfectly suited her temperament without being overly exaggerated; they sounded fresh, and it had been a long time since anyone had spoken so pleasingly to her ears.

She patted Cheng Zhao's hand and asked with a smile, "It's hard being a new daughter-in-law, isn't it?"

How could the Princess not hear the obvious fault-finding in Eldest Madam Song's words earlier?

Even if Cheng Zhao hadn't reacted so astutely, the Princess wouldn't have made things difficult for her; after all, she was Chancellor Cheng's granddaughter.

But Cheng Zhao's performance not only made the Princess look at her with new respect, but also fostered a sense of affection. She felt that Cheng Zhao was very considerate and understood her well.

Therefore, her words became much more intimate.

Cheng Zhao slightly lowered her eyelids and seemed to sigh softly.

She did not complain, but smiled and said, "A new daughter-in-law is an outsider. To go from an outsider to a family member always takes a bit of time and patience. I am not in a hurry, Your Highness."

The Princess gladly patted her hand: "So perceptive."

She did not complain about her husband's family, nor did she deny her difficulties.

The Princess then thought that when her son married in the future, they might also seek a bride from the Cheng family.

Beautiful, well-educated, with a kind and open-minded disposition.

When the Princess returned to the banquet hall, she was holding Cheng Zhao's hand.

And on Cheng Zhao's head, she wore the dangling hairpin the Princess had just given her.

Everyone's eyes fell on her, including the Dowager Madame of the Zhou family.

The Eldest Madam had already returned to her seat, looking gloomy; the Dowager Madame looked at her, wanting to ask what had happened, but the Eldest Madam was immersed in her own emotions and did not react.

The Dowager Madame had no choice but to smile.

"How did Your Highness's hairpin end up with her? How can a child like her bear such a precious gift?" the Dowager Madame said with a smile.

Opposite them, Zhou Yuanshen also raised his eyes and looked over.

The Princess smiled: "A hairpin is merely a piece of jewelry; it only has value when worn on the head of someone beautiful."

Everyone praised her words.

Every madam and young lady from the noble families in attendance committed Cheng Zhao to memory.

She was a prominent noblewoman from an illustrious family, as well as an honored guest of the Grand Princess.

The Dowager Madame looked amiable, smiling with a sense of shared pride.

On the journey back, Zhou Yuanshen did not ride his horse. Instead, he boarded Cheng Zhao's carriage, while her maid, Suyue, moved to the trailing carriage.

He had something to ask Cheng Zhao.