Chapter 221: Who Is the Hostess

Cheng Zhao received an invitation from her second sister-in-law in her maiden family, inviting her to return home to admire the snow.

She wrote a reply and had Nanny Li personally deliver it to her sister-in-law.

When Nanny Li returned, she said to Cheng Zhao, “This old servant told the Second Young Madam about what has been happening here.”

She glanced at Cheng Zhao timidly, as though regretting her actions. “I couldn’t hold my tongue for a moment.”

Cheng Zhao smiled. “I never go out to attend social gatherings. Sooner or later, my family was bound to find out. It’s good that you told Second Sister-in-law. Otherwise, everyone at home might start guessing and end up worrying about me. You haven’t caused me any trouble.”

Nanny Li secretly let out a sigh of relief.

That evening, after the passion between them had subsided beneath the bed curtains, Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen changed clothes and lay down, chatting idly for a while.

Cheng Zhao kept her voice low, not wanting those on night duty to hear. “I don’t mind being forbidden from attending the banquet. I deliberately did nothing, too, so that the people around me would rein in their arrogance.”

After moving to Chengming Hall, Cheng Zhao knew very well that she was still a long way from the destination she desired. Yet the people around her were delighted.

Pride could easily lead to carelessness.

Cheng Zhao wanted them to calm down.

But no matter how many words she spoke, nothing worked as well as a single lesson.

“Nanny Li and Suyue are actually quite good.” Cheng Zhao was afraid Zhou Yuanshen would look down on her trusted aides, so she defended them. “They’re very loyal. They’re simply happy for me. A little pride is only human nature.”

Zhou Yuanshen turned his face slightly toward her. “Cheng Zhao, you take every step very steadily.”

“There are times when I act rashly, too,” Cheng Zhao replied.

Setting fire to the small Buddhist shrine in Nonghua Court had certainly been a risky move.

Of course, even if she had not set the fire, the Buddhist scriptures Eldest Madam Song had sent would have caught fire sooner or later. If she had simply waited, the damage might have been considerable—or someone might even have died.

“Boldness backed by certainty can’t be called rashness,” Zhou Yuanshen said.

Cheng Zhao smiled.

She rolled into his arms. His clothes had been warmed by his body heat and felt comfortably cozy.

Zhou Yuanshen wrapped his arms around her and gently kissed her brow. “Cheng Zhao...”

“No!” Cheng Zhao refused.

If they went at it twice in one night, she might as well forget about sleeping.

Zhou Yuanshen kissed her lips, his breath mingling with hers. “What if I’m quick?”

Cheng Zhao: “...”

Cheng Zhao, who did not fall asleep until midnight, decided that she would never be softhearted toward him again. Indulging him only left her short on sleep.

The next morning, when they rose, Zhou Yuanshen said to Cheng Zhao, “You’ll receive good news soon. Your sisters will all help.”

Cheng Zhao had not slept enough and was still half-asleep. She heard only the word “sisters.”

By the time she was fully awake, it was already late. She hurriedly changed and washed, completely forgetting the few words she had heard that morning.

While handling household affairs, Cheng Zhao asked about the supplies needed for winter: coal, padded clothing for the servants, the organization of the storerooms, and the heated greenhouses in the rear garden.

Huan Qingtang smiled. “You’ve already asked about this twice, Sister-in-law. There’s no need to be so anxious. I’ve taken care of everything that falls under my responsibilities.”

The reception hall suddenly fell silent.

Huan Qingtang was accusing Cheng Zhao of acting as though she were the principal mistress of the household.

Although Cheng Zhao had moved into Chengming Hall, she was not the woman in charge of the household accounts and domestic management.

The Dowager Madame was still alive. Moreover, the Dowager Madame had explicitly stated that household affairs were to be entrusted to Cheng Zhao and Huan Qingtang.

Cheng Zhao oversaw the main kitchen, the gatehouse, the carriage and horse room, and the sewing room.

The main kitchen was important, and it had already become Cheng Zhao’s stronghold. The gatehouse was equally important, but Cheng Zhao had been unable to get a hand in there. The Dowager Madame had no intention of giving it to her.

The remaining areas were managed by Huan Qingtang.

If there were any objections, the matter could be brought before the Dowager Madame, just as it had been before.

Yet Cheng Zhao had repeatedly overstepped her boundaries.

She had even tried to interfere in Huan Qingtang’s “assigned duties.”

“Sister-in-law, the Duke’s Estate is one household. The duties in your hands are also household affairs. Now that we’re managing things together, if anything goes wrong, people won’t curse the person in charge—they’ll curse me, the Duke’s wife.

“After several years, ten years, or even a hundred years, the one they’ll ridicule will still be me, the Duke’s wife.”

Cheng Zhao’s expression did not change. She merely smiled faintly as she spoke.

The household stewards were once again shocked.

The Duke’s wife had a sharp tongue. Every word struck home, leaving no room for mercy.

They had thought the Eldest Young Madam had backed her into a corner, but they had never expected Cheng Zhao to turn around and slap her with an even harder blow.

The stewards who had wavered slightly and waited to see Cheng Zhao make a fool of herself now felt as if they had each been slapped. Their cheeks burned, and they lowered their eyes, not daring to make a sound.

Huan Qingtang’s calm eyes trembled faintly.

A surge of anger rose within her, but she quickly suppressed it.

She, too, felt as if she had been slapped across the face.

It was true that Cheng Zhao was constrained by the Dowager Madame. But Cheng Zhao held the rank and prestige of a titled lady as the Duke’s wife, and she had moved into Chengming Hall. Sooner or later, this household would belong to her.

The Dowager Madame was advanced in years and would have to relinquish control eventually.

Even if Cheng Zhao was overstepping at present, what could anyone do about it? If the Duke’s Estate were compared to the imperial court, Cheng Zhao was the “heir apparent.”

The only person who could question her and accuse her of interfering too much was the Dowager Madame—not Huan Qingtang.

In truth, it was Huan Qingtang who had overstepped.

The reception hall was utterly silent.

“...Since the winter supplies have already been put away, I trust Sister-in-law’s ability to handle matters, so I won’t ask any further questions. Let’s take tomorrow off,” Cheng Zhao said.

Her words broke the silence in the reception hall.

Nanny Qian, who managed the main kitchen and was one of Cheng Zhao’s trusted aides, asked with a smile, “Tomorrow isn’t the fifth or fifteenth of the month, Third Young Madam. Why are we taking the day off?”

“My sister-in-law from my maiden family invited me home to admire the snow,” Cheng Zhao replied.

Then she added, “Sister-in-law may continue handling matters as usual.”

Huan Qingtang, who had been standing nearby, had already recovered herself.

Her expression was gentle and dignified, as though she felt no embarrassment at all. She joined in, saying, “I’ll be taking the day off as well.”

“Is Eldest Young Madam attending a banquet too?”

“The Princess Consort Jingnan is holding a snow-viewing banquet. I’m going in Grandmother’s place,” Huan Qingtang said.

Nanny Qian glanced at Cheng Zhao again.

The Prince of Jingnan’s residence was related by marriage to the Cheng family—it was the family of Cheng Zhao’s third elder sister’s husband. Yet although the Princess Consort had invited them, the Dowager Madame had not called for Cheng Zhao. Instead, she had chosen Huan Qingtang.

It was a slap in Cheng Zhao’s face.

The New Year was approaching. If the Dowager Madame also refused to let Cheng Zhao attend the spring banquet during the first month of the following year, Cheng Zhao would lose all face.

The prestige she had accumulated as the Duke’s wife would vanish. The title “Duke’s wife” would become worthless.

The Dowager Madame’s move was ruthless.

The authority of the household head had Cheng Zhao completely constrained. If Cheng Zhao truly resisted, the virtue of filial obedience would be used to force her to kneel all the same.

In her struggle against the Dowager Madame, Cheng Zhao was still too inexperienced.

“Then that’s perfect. We’ll all take tomorrow off. If there’s anything to handle, we’ll do it the day after,” Cheng Zhao said with a smile.

Everyone dispersed.

Cheng Zhao rose and returned to the inner room.

Ever since Cheng Zhao had moved into Chengming Hall, Suyue and Nanny Li had stood outside the curtains of the reception hall to attend her whenever she handled household affairs.

They knew everything that had happened in the hall just now.

Both of them held their breath and remained silent.

Nanny Li brought in a cup of tea. Seeing Cheng Zhao lost in thought, she gently urged her, “Young Madam, take your time. Don’t keep everything bottled up inside. It will only harm you.”

Cheng Zhao came back to herself and smiled. “I’m not angry. I was just thinking.”

Then she continued, “The Princess Consort Jingnan has never liked drawing attention, and she has never been close to the Zhou family. With the official iron case causing such a stir recently, given her temperament, she absolutely would not host a snow-viewing banquet—much less invite the Zhou family.”

Cheng Zhao understood the personalities of the principal ladies of her family’s relations by marriage as well as she understood her own.

Even after Cheng Zhao married into the Zhou family, the Prince of Jingnan’s residence had not increased its contact with the Zhou family.

The Prince of Jingnan still enjoyed the emperor’s favor. The princely residence kept itself apart, unwilling to become embroiled in a situation as dangerous as a fire beneath a blazing pot.

If the Princess Consort had truly changed her ways and wanted to join in the festivities, she would have invited only a few close relatives. Why invite the Chen Duke’s household as well?

“Do you find it suspicious?” her maid, Qiubai, asked.

Cheng Zhao gave a slight nod.

Then she remembered something. “The Duke called me ‘Elder Sister’ this morning. Could it be related to this? I’ll ask him when he returns.”