Chapter 38: The Concubine Is Pregnant

The Zhou family's New Year's Eve was very lively.

After the ancestral worship at the Duke's estate concluded, there was another ceremony at the main Zhou family shrine.

The main shrine accommodated hundreds of men and women.

After the ceremony, the Old Madam invited the collateral branches over to stay up together for New Year's Eve.

The collateral branches consisted of the descendants of Zhou Yuanshen's grandfather's brothers and cousins.

There were many of them; some had even lived in the Chen Duke's estate before moving out.

Thus, among these people, some watched like tigers eyeing their prey, their eyes filled with greed and wildness, making Cheng Zhao feel uneasy just looking at them.

But the Old Madam's gaze upon them was like a master teasing naughty kittens; everything was firmly under her control.

Meeting the Old Madam's eyes, those people immediately became docile.

Cheng Zhao sat with the members of the Second Branch.

Zhou Yuanshen, however, did not share a table with them. He sat beside the Old Madam, accompanied by Mu Jiang, First Madam Madam Song, and Huan Qingtang.

Mu Jiang enjoyed every privilege, yet no one dared utter a single word.

The only one who dared to speak was the Second Madam. She was about to open her mouth again.

Cheng Zhao held her hand: Mother, these rose melon seeds smell so good. How are they roasted?

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law listened to the opera and discussed food. The Second Madam did not look over there anymore to avoid getting annoyed.

She understood what Cheng Zhao meant.

Earlier during the ancestral worship at the Duke's estate, Zhou Yuanshen and the Old Madam had a silent contest, and Zhou Yuanshen won. But the Emperor still trusted the Old Madam the most.

Zhou Yuanshen had narrowly won a round; if the Second Madam made a fuss now, it would give the Old Madam an excuse to lash out at Zhou Yuanshen.

...Come, kowtow to your great-aunt. Amidst the chatting and laughing over there, a woman in her thirties led a child over.

Seeing this child, First Madam Madam Song showed a bit of tender affection in her eyes.

The little boy was about five or six years old. He had lost his front baby teeth, making his smile look endearingly silly and very cute.

He bowed respectfully.

What a smart and lively boy. The Old Madam chuckled and patted the child's head, instructing a maid to hand him a purse.

The purse contained silver ingots, the Old Madam's New Year's reward for the children.

The child was led away, and a woman in her fifties, likely one of Zhou Yuanshen's great-aunts, smiled and asked the Old Madam, Sister-in-law, do you like that child very much?

He is very cute.

He looks a bit like Yuancheng, the great-aunt said.

Yuancheng was Zhou Yuanshen's eldest cousin, the original heir of the Zhou family.

First Madam Madam Song's eyes grew a little moist upon hearing someone mention her son.

The Old Madam, however, smiled, I am getting old and can't quite remember. I only recall what Yuancheng looked like when he got married.

She then said to Madam Song, Does he look like Yuancheng when he was little? I don't think they look very much alike.

First Madam Madam Song replied, He does, Mother.

The great-aunt then asked, Sister-in-law, are you planning to adopt this child for the First Branch?

As soon as this was said, the entire venue fell silent, leaving only the sound of gongs and drums from the opera stage.

The stage was a bit far away, lively but not noisy.

Cheng Zhao looked over.

For a moment, she couldn't figure out who was actually directing this scene.

This great-aunt, who could sit beside the Old Madam, wouldn't possibly say something foolish.

Every word and action had underlying conflicts of interest.

The Old Madam's expression did not change.

First Madam Madam Song looked at her eagerly, as if waiting for an answer.

An adopted child's bloodline is distant. Talking about the First Branch or Second Branch is flattering them. They are all juniors, all part of the Duke's estate. From now on, let's just be one close family, the Old Madam said.

The great-aunt seemed very surprised: One close family? Sister-in-law, I don't quite understand. How will we be one close family?

The Old Madam smiled, Figure it out yourself.

The great-aunt thought for a moment: I'm thinking, could it be that the Duke will assume dual inheritance? If so, both branches would be fulfilled, and we would never be separated.

Cheng Zhao understood this time.

This great-aunt was the Old Madam's person. She was speaking on behalf of the Old Madam, using New Year's Eve to convey what the Old Madam wanted to say.

The collateral relatives present were all shocked to hear this.

Perhaps in their eyes, dual inheritance was something only merchants or poor families did, and it wasn't quite honorable; a Duke shouldn't stoop to such a thing.

But the Old Madam had spoken, and who dared to disobey her?

Everyone looked at the sisters-in-law, the First and Second Madams.

They thought the Second Madam would fly into a rage.

Yet the Second Madam sat quietly.

First Madam Madam Song paled: Aunt, don't make wild guesses. What kind of joke is this? It's truly frightening.

The Old Madam looked at her quietly.

First Madam Madam Song's hands trembled in disbelief.

Huan Qingtang sat there quietly, enduring the scrutinizing gazes. She was quiet and dignified, perfectly holding the demeanor of a noble family's matriarch.

Just as unfazed as her was the Duke's wife, Cheng Zhao.

These two young daughters-in-law truly made people look at them with new respect; neither was a pushover.

There was another person who was greatly shocked, and that was Mu Jiang.

Mu Jiang suddenly lost her temper at the great-aunt: What nonsense are you talking about? At your age, have you gone senile?

Her voice was fierce.

The Old Madam seemed to sigh: Ah Jiang, apologize to your great-aunt. Shouting and yelling, what does that look like.

Mu Jiang was like a cat raised by the Old Madam. She extended her sharp claws to scratch people, and the Old Madam, seemingly thinking she wouldn't understand a lecture, just reached out and tapped her lightly on the forehead.

She told her in a casual tone not to run wild.

As for the others, who dared to argue with the Old Madam's people?

The great-aunt smiled: The Secondary Wife is right, I am truly old. Sister-in-law, I will come around more often in the future. If you don't move around when you get old, your brain doesn't work well.

The Old Madam smiled: Come often, I always hope to have someone to share intimate chats with. We have been sisters-in-law for decades, and you suit my temper the most.

Mu Jiang's face was full of anger, yet she still had to apologize: Great-aunt, I was rash just now. Please don't hold it against a junior.

Of course, of course, the great-aunt smiled.

With this commotion, the entire Zhou clan knew that the Duke's estate's pie would not be shared with the clansmen, and they shouldn't harbor any crooked ideas.

The Old Madam was going to stuff the whole pie into Zhou Yuanshen's arms.

Zhou Yuanshen had never been well-liked since he was a child. It was said that when he studied at the clan school, he outshone his eldest cousin, causing a rift between the brothers.

Later, it was said he didn't want to study anymore and went to the frontier.

It seemed like he was yielding to his cousin, and the Old Madam even praised him for being humble.

Unexpectedly, after the second young master died prematurely, the eldest young master's health also failed, and he passed away within two years, leaving the First Branch without an heir.

Zhou Yuanshen was older than his two younger brothers, making him suitable to inherit the title and the dual inheritance.

The Zhou family's wealth and status all fell onto his shoulders alone.

To put it bluntly, so did the women.

Huan Qingtang was exceptionally beautiful and came from a noble background; Mu Jiang was charming and lovely with an extraordinary background. They both belonged to Zhou Yuanshen, which was tacitly approved by the Old Madam.

The Empress had also bestowed upon him a legitimate wife as exquisite and beautiful as jade.

There was no need to guess; throughout the spring banquets of the first lunar month, everyone would be discussing this matter of the Chen Duke's estate.

The Old Madam wanted to build momentum for Huan Qingtang.

Cheng Zhao knew she might be slandered. Only by stepping on one could another be elevated.

The Second Madam also worried for Cheng Zhao.

It's fine, I have my imperial mandate, Cheng Zhao remained relatively optimistic.

She held no grievances.

However, things did not go as the Second Madam and Cheng Zhao had anticipated, with Huan Qingtang stealing the spotlight at the New Year spring banquets.

Because Mu Jiang stole all the thunder.

She was pregnant.