Chapter 196: All That Was Gained Was as Cheng Zhao Had Wished

After night fell, Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen arrived together at Crimson Cloud Court for the evening meal.

The Second Madam could not wait to ask about Senior Kitchen Nanny Qin's matter.

"...Nanfeng did interrogate her. The remaining minor stewards were handed over to Grandmother. It was only after Grandmother conducted her own investigation that she dismissed Nanny Qin." Zhou Yuanshen said.

The Second Madam was equal parts exasperated and amused.

"The old lady must be furious. The Mid-Autumn Festival vegetarian feast is a significant matter, and her own people sabotaged her.

Though it did not succeed, Nanfeng locked the woman up and interrogated her — the news might as well have gotten out. It is the same as if the deed had been done." The Second Madam said.

Cheng Zhao laughed: "Exactly, that is why Grandmother is angry."

She added, "Grandmother only observes vegetarianism on the first of every month, plus the various Buddhist festival days; she is not strict about it otherwise. Mid-Autumn does not count. Precisely because she is not overly particular, Nanny Qin dared to use underhanded means, swapping in chicken broth with my people to dilute the vegetarian soup."

Cheng Zhao knew that trouble would inevitably arise in the Senior Kitchen.

Rather than analyze and guard against it, it was better to eliminate those who might cause chaos at the source.

Of course, doing so carried great risk.

If Nanny Qin had truly been innocent, Cheng Zhao's arbitrary act of detaining her would not only offend the Grand Dowager but also bring trouble upon herself.

After much deliberation, Cheng Zhao shifted the blame onto her young brother-in-law, letting him handle the matter in her stead.

If Nanny Qin were innocent, it would be dismissed as a child's ignorant mischief. Even if everyone knew Cheng Zhao was behind it, Grandmother could not do anything about it.

Cheng Zhao had learned this trick from Huan Qingtang.

Huan Qingtang used this tactic again and again. Not because it was particularly brilliant, but simply because it worked — it never failed.

"The old lady has always loved to torment people, deliberately making others uncomfortable to display her authority. Now her own people are slapping her in the face." The Second Madam laughed.

She then covered her mouth: "I must not say such unfilial things before the children. I am guilty."

Zhou Yuanqi said: "Mother, your children are not fools. If elders are unkind, the younger generations need not be respectful. We will not follow that example."

The Second Madam patted his head: "Yuanqi is truly good, coming to your sister-in-law's aid."

"I am reliable." Zhou Yuanqi said proudly, casting a glance at Zhou Yuanshen. "More reliable than the Duke of Chen."

"Yuanqi gets the top credit this time." Zhou Yuanshen said. "We owe you a favor. What do you want?"

He spoke slowly and coolly, without any hint of gratitude in his demeanor.

Zhou Yuanqi rolled his eyes, thinking to himself — what business is it of yours?

Are you really tied to my celestial sister-in-law's boat now?

That remains to be seen.

Who knows whether you will still marry for two branches of the family, or whether you will take more concubines.

Just wait and see.

My sister-in-law and I are ties for a lifetime. We are family; there is no need to stand on ceremony.

"What favor? Must we count everything so precisely from now on, Third Sister-in-law?" Zhou Yuanqi asked.

Cheng Zhao laughed: "Yuanqi is right. It is his duty to help me. Why call it a favor? I even made him a sachet."

She added, "Next time we play cuju, you and I will be on the same team."

"Fine. Practice well." Zhou Yuanqi said.

Cheng Zhao: "..."

The Second Madam watched her capable, astute daughter-in-law playing with the children and becoming childlike herself, and could not help but laugh.

The room was full of laughter and joy.

Zhou Yuanshen glanced at Cheng Zhao.

After the meal, returning to Verdant Fragrance Court, Zhou Yuanshen reached out and took Cheng Zhao's hand as they walked.

Held within his grasp, her steps felt light, and her heart felt light too.

"Cheng Zhao, you are someone with great foresight and a sense of the bigger picture." Zhou Yuanshen said.

This was a good opportunity.

For the sake of the family enjoying a peaceful Mid-Autumn Festival, Cheng Zhao set aside everything, suppressed all matters, and sought only to avoid trouble.

She possessed the magnanimity befitting a principal daughter-in-law.

"Not really — I am afraid of the Emperor." Cheng Zhao said in a low voice, laughing.

"He is the Son of Heaven; it is proper to fear him." Zhou Yuanshen's tone grew three degrees colder.

Cheng Zhao: "I fear him, not revere him. We are all one family here. If he were to start killing at will, I worry it would frighten Yuanqi."

Zhou Yuanshen turned his head back, a bit of warmth returning to his eyes.

"Have no fear."

"Mm."

"Cheng Zhao, is my sachet finished?" he asked.

"Almost done." Cheng Zhao said, this time with full confidence.

She had put in effort over the past few nights; both his sachet and his pouch were complete. A few finishing stitches, and everything would be done tonight.

"I will be waiting." he said.

When Cheng Zhao returned, she washed up first.

By the time Zhou Yuanshen came back from the bath, Cheng Zhao had already placed the pouch and sachet on the bedside table.

He picked them up with great solemnity.

Looked at them, then smelled them.

"Your needlework is truly fine. You learn everything, and you do it all well — you put real effort into everything." Zhou Yuanshen said.

Her hard work and dedication, seen by him — Cheng Zhao smiled: "I am best at superficial display."

"Only when the foundation runs deep can the surface be so well done. You need not be modest." Zhou Yuanshen said.

Cheng Zhao smiled.

He leaned over and kissed her lips. "Thank you."

Cheng Zhao was wrapped in his arms.

By the end, Cheng Zhao was limp and soft all over, yet Zhou Yuanshen still stubbornly insisted on kissing her.

The lamps were out, but the little lanterns under the eaves had not yet been taken down, their glow reflecting off the glass-bead curtain at the door — light and shadow shifting, the indoor night scene was also resplendent.

Cheng Zhao knew she had gained much.

"Perhaps — let things take their natural course. Neither push away, nor desperately cling. Then I can keep the good things for a long, long time."

She thought drowsily.

When she rose in the morning for the Hall of Inherited Radiance, she knew the situation was more favorable to her, and her mood was bright. She fell into sleep and dreamed a sweet, beautiful dream.

Zhou Yuanshen did not sleep.

He was somewhat exhilarated, joy washing over him like tides. He picked up the sachet and pouch, looking at them again and again.

Then he looked at her quiet sleeping face, and gently stroked her cheek.

He kissed her lips once more.

In Long Life Court, the Grand Dowager — like Zhou Yuanshen — also had not slept.

At Mid-Autumn Festival, the Emperor had personally taken the Sun family matter upon himself, and the Grand Dowager should have been able to set aside that worry.

As for Mu Jiang, she had planned to speak plainly with her. Perhaps Mu Jiang would have another child.

The Grand Dowager knew Mu Jiang's character best — greedy for vanity, easily swayed, and the easiest to manipulate.

Yet Mu Jiang had dared to resist her, to try to escape.

Then she could not be kept.

Dealing with Mu Jiang was simple.

But every pit needs a stone, and who would fill this one, burying herself as fertile soil to nourish the Zhou family's prosperity and glory?

The Grand Dowager could not decide for the moment.

And just then, her confidante Nanny Qin made her look a fool.

The matter of Nanny Qin had already spread.

"The Grand Dowager's own trusted servant plotted to ruin the Grand Dowager's vegetarian feast."

Nanny Qin had to be removed; such betrayal could never be pardoned.

Betrayal is like a cough among trusted retainers. Once one coughs too loudly, the others involuntarily start coughing too.

But with Nanny Qin gone, the entire Senior Kitchen fell into Cheng Zhao's hands.

From the moment Cheng Zhao married into the Duke's household, the first place she worked to gain influence was the Senior Kitchen; the first department she obtained managerial authority over was also the Senior Kitchen.

With Nanny Qin gone, the few remaining minor stewards of the Senior Kitchen were no match for Cheng Zhao.

This had opened a crack in the Grand Dowager's dominion.

"All under heaven belongs to the king." And upon the king's land, a vassal state had suddenly appeared — no matter how tiny — it was an affront to imperial authority.

Such small cracks were but ants' nests that breach a thousand-li dike.

The old Madam watched helplessly as Cheng Zhao established his own separate kitchen in the main compound, and for the first time in her life, she lay awake all night, unable to sleep.