Chapter 54: Zhou Yuanshen's Apology

Cheng Zhao did not accept Zhou Yuanshen's apology.

It was her mother's first time visiting the Nonghua Courtyard as a guest, yet Zhou Yuanshen had let such a thing happen. Cheng Zhao could not find any excuses to absolve him.

She stood up, not looking at him. "I am going to the Jiangyun Courtyard. My Lord Duke, you can have your meal by yourself; there is no need to follow me."

She turned and left.

Her senior maid Suyue followed her.

Nanny Li absolutely did not dare to persuade her. If she said one more word, her mistress would probably harshly scold the Duke. She was trying her best to hold back her temper.

Walking out of the Nonghua Courtyard, the cold wind blew against Cheng Zhao, finally calming her down a bit.

She did not go directly to the Jiangyun Courtyard, but instead took a walk along the small path for a while.

Letting the cold wind blow over her, she thought about what had just happened and how to resolve the matter.

As her mind cleared, that surge of emotion also faded away.

"...Young Madam, what do you plan to do?" Suyue asked.

Cheng Zhao replied, "We will talk about it this afternoon."

She finally headed to the Jiangyun Courtyard.

Madam Cheng had drunk a couple of extra cups of wine, bringing a flush of color to her cheeks. The Second Madam had a good tolerance for alcohol; she drank even more but remained completely clear-headed.

The two women looked at Cheng Zhao.

The Second Madam did not know what to say, nor could she ask too much.

Madam Cheng spoke up, "Zhaozhao, come and eat something. It is cold, do not starve yourself."

Cheng Zhao agreed.

"I went back to my room to change clothes. How come you came to the Jiangyun Courtyard to eat?" she asked with a smile.

Madam Cheng replied, "It is cold, and I am too lazy to walk back and forth. I am saving my energy, as I am not like you young folks anymore. You are all like little cats, full of energy to toss about."

Cheng Zhao smiled.

The Second Madam smiled along.

After the meal, they sat for a little longer. Cheng Zhao and the Second Madam accompanied Madam Cheng to bid farewell to the Dowager Madame, and then she left the Chen Duke's Mansion.

Cheng Zhao and the Second Madam saw her off at the main gate.

Once the carriage had gone far, the Second Madam asked Cheng Zhao, "What happened just now?"

Cheng Zhao linked arms with her, and only after the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got into the small carriage did she say, "The Duke is feeling a little unwell."

The Second Madam frowned, "What on earth is wrong with him?"

Cheng Zhao did not want her mother-in-law to act on impulse and stir the matter up until it was unmanageable, so she said, "Rest assured, Mother, my mother will not blame the Duke."

She added, "Besides, no one saw the Duke enter the Nonghua Courtyard, so it is fine. Just pretend we do not know."

The Second Madam was speechless.

She still felt indignant, blaming Zhou Yuanshen for failing to live up to expectations.

Zhou Yuanshen did not rest in the Nonghua Courtyard that night.

The next day, the imperial court finally resumed morning assemblies, and he was away from home for the entire day.

Cheng Zhao called Nanfeng over to ask.

Nanfeng told Cheng Zhao, "The old woman who delivered the soup has a round face and is slightly plump. I looked around everywhere but did not run into her. If I ever meet her, I will definitely recognize her."

Cheng Zhao said, "I suspect they will not let you run into her again."

First Madam Madam Song had managed the household for many years; she still possessed some cunning methods.

The old woman who delivered the medicine was certainly someone Nanfeng and Zhou Yuanshen did not know. With an unfamiliar face and no distinctive features, she would be hard to remember. If she was secretly sent away afterward, it would be done without anyone noticing.

According to the First Madam's plan, once Zhou Yuanshen drank the tonic, he would definitely take in her niece.

Once the deed was done, her niece could only become Zhou Yuanshen's concubine. With her around, Zhou Yuanshen's relationship with the eldest branch would become closer.

It would also serve as a warning to Huan Qingtang that the First Madam did not rely entirely on her.

Today was also the day his mother-in-law came as a guest. Zhou Yuanshen would absolutely not dare to make a scene and would have to quietly suppress the matter.

Although risky, the First Madam would indeed grasp a vulnerability of Zhou Yuanshen, giving her a leash to control him in the future.

But Zhou Yuanshen was a military general. Even with his last breath on the battlefield, he could hold on and ride his horse back to camp.

Let alone a mere bowl of drugged medicine.

If he did not want to be manipulated, he could have gone to Mu Jiang's Lijing Courtyard. The Lijing Courtyard was closer to the Chenhui Courtyard.

Although Mu Jiang was pregnant, the Lijing Courtyard had two beautiful maids arranged by the Dowager Madame. These two were officially recognized and meant to be given to Zhou Yuanshen as bed-attendants.

The First Madam calculated everything, but she solely misjudged Zhou Yuanshen as a person.

He was not the type of weak, scholarly young master who looked impressive on the outside but was ruined on the inside.

"The Duke ordered this lowly one to keep investigating," Nanfeng said.

Cheng Zhao said, "If you find out anything, let me know as well."

Nanfeng complied.

Cheng Zhao made a trip to the Dowager Madame's courtyard.

She said to the Dowager Madame, "Grandmother, the tonic you sent someone to deliver to the Duke yesterday, what medicinal ingredients were used in it?"

The prayer beads in the Dowager Madame's hand paused slightly as she smiled and asked, "Why do you ask?"

"I do not know which ingredient in the tonic was wrong, but the Duke suffered from an upset stomach all night. This granddaughter-in-law thinks that Grandmother has a heart full of care for the Duke, but because the imperial court has been chaotic and he is exhausted from dealing with it, he is a bit overworked and actually cannot handle such strong tonics," Cheng Zhao said with a smile.

The Dowager Madame replied, "I will ask the manager about it later."

She added, "Tell Yuanshen to come to me after the morning assembly. I will see how he is doing."

Cheng Zhao agreed.

In the mid-afternoon of that day, as soon as Zhou Yuanshen returned to the mansion, he was called over by the Dowager Madame.

The Dowager Madame asked him what tonic it was.

Zhou Yuanshen recounted everything to her in detail.

"The old women in my courtyard are only these few. You can take a look and see who it was," the Dowager Madame said.

Zhou Yuanshen replied, "Grandmother, there is no need to look. This grandson knows it was not your people."

"In this household, for someone to dare falsely pass on my words, they truly do not take me seriously anymore," the Dowager Madame said lightly.

Zhou Yuanshen said, "This grandson feels the same. Why not call Eldest Aunt over to investigate this matter thoroughly?"

He added, "Eldest Aunt's health might be poor, and her energy cannot keep up. Why not hand over the management of the gatehouse to my wife Cheng Shi, letting her share Eldest Aunt's burdens?"

The Dowager Madame looked at him.

"Handing it over to Huan Shi would be the same," the Dowager Madame said.

Zhou Yuanshen said, "Grandmother, if I make a fuss, not only will the eldest branch look bad, but you will also get angry. Why bother?"

Just one sentence, spoken not loudly, yet the Dowager Madame felt a dull ache in her chest.

"The household is indeed a bit messy," the Dowager Madame said. "Allow me to consider this matter further."

Zhou Yuanshen was unusually obedient; this time he was not aggressive and simply left.

He went to the Nonghua Courtyard.

Cheng Zhao curtsied in greeting, helped him take off his fur-collared crane cloak, and instructed the maids to serve tea and water.

"...Nanfeng has already told me. Everyone knows it in their hearts, but unfortunately, we have not caught any evidence," Cheng Zhao said. "However, I told Grandmother."

Zhou Yuanshen said, "Grandmother called me over to ask about it."

"What did she say?"

"She might give you the management of the gatehouse to appease me," Zhou Yuanshen said.

Cheng Zhao paused.

She should have been happy. After all, her eldest sister and second sister-in-law had both suggested she obtain the management rights of the gatehouse, so that she could have a clearer view of the social engagements of the Chen Duke's Mansion.

But Cheng Zhao had never thought of exchanging for it in this way.

For Zhou Yuanshen, yesterday's incident was very humiliating.

He could have made a huge fuss.

"My Lord Duke..."

"This is for you." Zhou Yuanshen handed Cheng Zhao a small box.

Cheng Zhao took it.

She assumed it was jewelry, but upon opening it, she found a small crossbow.

Cheng Zhao looked at him in astonishment.

"The mechanism of this small crossbow allows it to fire four short arrows in succession," Zhou Yuanshen said. "It is more sensitive than an ordinary small crossbow, so you must be extremely careful when wearing it."

Cheng Zhao looked at him fixedly, unable to speak for a moment.

"If you do not like it, I will exchange it for ten thousand taels of silver notes for you," he added. "Cheng Zhao, yesterday was my fault, making you lose face."