Chapter 40: Zhou Yuanshen's Punishment

Second Madam had been angry since New Year's Eve, holding in a belly full of fire.

"...Why does he still subsidize her with fifty taels of silver every month?" Second Madam scolded Zhou Yuanshen to Cheng Zhao. "Dowager Madame has money to subsidize her."

"Mother, the Duke also subsidizes me," Cheng Zhao said.

Second Madam did not know about this yet.

Mu Jiang had shouted about it until the whole courtyard knew, but Cheng Zhao had not mentioned it.

"How much does he subsidize you?"

"One hundred taels a month."

Second Madam could not help but laugh. "Yuanshen is quite an interesting person. If you say he is mature and old-fashioned, he can do that kind of thing in a temple; but if you say he is dissolute and frivolous, he keeps the rules of wives and concubines very strictly. I really do not know him."

Giving Mu Jiang fifty taels, he gave Cheng Zhao one hundred taels.

No matter how much merit a concubine achieved, she must be beneath the primary wife.

"Tell me, if he really takes on the dual-lineage heir duty, how will he settle you and Lady Huan? How will the two of you divide the senior and junior roles?" Second Madam asked.

Cheng Zhao: "..."

On New Year's Eve, Dowager Madame revealed the intention of a dual-lineage heir, which was like a muffled thunder striking everyone's heart, shocking everyone into a loss for what to do.

Second Madam initially thought it was just a casual remark.

Since Dowager Madame brought it out into the open, the matter was set in stone.

Second Madam's heart ached for her daughter-in-law, feeling that Cheng Zhao was very pitiful. Of course, all the women in the inner courtyard were pitiful; everyone was in a sorry state, including Second Madam herself.

What was the point?

On second thought, being pitiful was not unique to the women of their family.

From top to bottom, which woman did not suffer?

In poor families, women had to work in the fields and leave the solid rice for the men and children while drinking thin porridge themselves; if slightly wealthy, the family would have flocks of wives and concubines.

The women of the Zhou family fought back and forth, but at least they had noble titles, estates, and imperial mandates. What did the women of ordinary families have? Just a few pieces of fabric, and didn't they still have to break their heads fighting for them?

Living was truly a suffering.

Second Madam decided that she would neither make things difficult for herself nor for her daughter-in-law.

They had so many difficulties; they always had to treat themselves a little better.

"...Mother, I have the title of an imperial mandate lady. If the Duke handles things according to the rules, I am still the highest," Cheng Zhao said.

Second Madam was lost in her own thoughts, unable to return to her senses, and her tone was a bit depressed: "What is the use of being the highest? Isn't it still living a stifling life for a lifetime?"

"If I am stifled, others are just as stifled. Anyway, I am the highest," Cheng Zhao said.

She only pursued glory.

When she reached the age of Dowager Madame, the imperial court rewarding New Year's Eve sacrificial items directly to her, bypassing the children and grandchildren, would be the highest achievement of an imperial mandate lady.

That was also Cheng Zhao's goal.

She would definitely have to suffer some grievances.

She would inevitably succeed.

Second Madam reached out and touched her hair. "You child! I really cannot understand the thoughts in the heads of you girls from scholarly families."

Cheng Zhao held her hand, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law smiled at each other.

The red date black chicken soup was very delicious; the red date cake was sweet but not cloying, and Second Madam loved it very much, leaving only a little for Zhou Yuanqi.

After Mu Jiang became pregnant, Zhou Yuanshen stopped staying at Lijing Courtyard.

He spent half a month at Chenhui Courtyard and the other half at Nonghua Courtyard. That he stayed at Chenhui Courtyard was judged by Cheng Zhao based on where his dinner was served.

During the early stages of her pregnancy, Mu Jiang vomited so much that the sky spun and the earth went dark. She tormented the people in the main kitchen all day long, demanding all sorts of different things to eat.

And it was Cheng Zhao who managed the main kitchen.

"The Duke subsidizes me with fifty taels of silver. Can I set up a small kitchen for myself?" Mu Jiang asked Dowager Madame.

It just so happened that Cheng Zhao, the First Madam Madam Song, and Huan Qingtang were all reporting at Shou'an Courtyard.

Hearing this, Huan Qingtang glanced at Mu Jiang but did not say anything.

Dowager Madame smiled and said, "You have to ask the Duchess; she manages the main kitchen now."

"Grandmother, this matter should be handled as a special case. If you and the Duke agree, naturally a small kitchen can be added for Secondary Wife," Cheng Zhao said.

She refused to take the bait.

Concubines could not have their own small kitchens.

Under normal circumstances, apart from Dowager Madame and the lady of the house, no one could open their own private stove.

Some things represented status and position. For example, what clothes to wear and what jewelry to wear in the palace all had to be based on rank; it was not something you could do just because you had money.

Without that status, no matter how much money you had, you could not do it.

Cheng Zhao did not have a small kitchen. On her side, she set up a stove in the wing room to stew soup and make some small snacks. Full meals could also be made, but she did not touch them; this was about following the rules.

Mu Jiang was a concubine. If she wanted privileges, no one had the qualifications to agree except Dowager Madame and Zhou Yuanshen.

"The child A-Jiang is carrying is the first of my great-grandchildren. With her starting things off, the descendants will flourish. Logically speaking, giving her a small kitchen is also permissible?" Dowager Madame asked the First Madam.

The First Madam, Madam Song, smiled: "Mother, if you agree, tell Cheng Shi to go to the main kitchen and give the order, and Secondary Wife's allowance will be separately allocated to Lijing Courtyard."

She did not get involved either.

Dowager Madame agreeing and Cheng Zhao handling the matter had nothing to do with her.

Mu Jiang tossed and turned for a few days, and seeing them making excuses, she became a bit annoyed.

"I will go and tell the Duke myself," she said.

Cheng Zhao: "Then I will wait for the Duke's instructions. Grandmother, do you think that is okay?"

Mu Jiang wanting to bypass Dowager Madame herself was exactly what Cheng Zhao wished for.

She was very clever and knew how to chime in at the right time. If Mu Jiang had no one to protect her, it would be very difficult for her to have a good life under her hands.

Dowager Madame forced a smile. "Then we will wait for the Duke to decide."

It was estimated that it would not work out. Zhou Yuanshen would not be willing to give anyone in the inner courtyard the opportunity to overstep the rules.

On this day, Mu Jiang specially waited for Zhou Yuanshen at Chenhui Courtyard.

Zhou Yuanshen rejected it without a second word.

"If you do not like to eat, then take medicine. If you do not want to give birth, then do not give birth," he said lightly.

Mu Jiang was stunned. "Third Brother, this is also your flesh and blood."

"Then do not cause trouble, and nourish your pregnancy properly," Zhou Yuanshen said.

Mu Jiang felt extremely wronged, tightly clenching her fingers, very much wanting to have an argument with Zhou Yuanshen.

But she thought about it and held back.

If they argued, it would only benefit Cheng Zhao. Perhaps even Huan Qingtang.

Between the two of them, one was more sinister than the other.

Mu Jiang swallowed this breath of anger.

However, enduring until the evening, she broke her composure and rushed to Nonghua Courtyard to settle the score with Cheng Zhao.

Her servants had heard from elsewhere that because of her pregnancy, Zhou Yuanshen subsidized Lijing Courtyard with fifty taels of silver, but subsidized Nonghua Courtyard with one hundred taels.

She was the one suffering, and Cheng Zhao got to benefit from it. She did not object to that, but Cheng Zhao could not get twice as much as her.

This was simply humiliating her.

Cheng Zhao did not let her enter the courtyard gates.

"Go and tell Dowager Madame. If Secondary Wife goes crazy, she must be sent to the estate to nourish her pregnancy," Cheng Zhao said.

Mu Jiang's managing old maidservant persuaded her to go back.

Zhou Yuanshen grounded her.

She cried and complained that he was heartless and ungrateful, but Zhou Yuanshen remained unmoved.

"She is pregnant..." Dowager Madame felt a bit powerless, wanting to say a few good words.

Zhou Yuanshen then said, "Having a pregnancy makes her hot-headed. Once she does something wrong, you and His Majesty will lose face along with her. Lock her up for two months first. Wait until she passes the early stages of pregnancy and her mood stabilizes, then let her out."

Dowager Madame: "..."

With the pregnant Secondary Wife being grounded, the prestige brought by her pregnancy was instantly shattered.

Dowager Madame had nothing to say.

This was Mu Jiang handing over the knife herself; Dowager Madame could not blame anyone else.

"How did A-Jiang know about Nonghua Courtyard getting an extra one hundred taels of monthly allowance?" Dowager Madame asked. "Did Cheng Shi deliberately provoke her and tell her? Go and investigate."