Chapter 55: Cheng Zhao Gets Another Benefit

Cheng Zhao was not a capricious person.

Once she felt respected, she could handle things calmly.

"Thank you, Duke. I really like the small crossbow," Cheng Zhao said.

She added, "Secondary Wife knows how to use hidden weapons, but I don't. The next time she dares to use a hidden weapon against me, I will shoot her with the small crossbow."

"Concubine Mu," he said. "You don't need to call her Secondary Wife."

Cheng Zhao: "..."

With the topic reaching this point, Cheng Zhao formally discussed some matters with Zhou Yuanshen for the first time.

"Duke, you could have gone to Lijing Courtyard yesterday," she said.

Lijing Courtyard was closer and fully justifiable. His concubines and bedmaids were already there.

He certainly knew that his mother-in-law was a guest at Nonghua Courtyard.

If one said he was out of his mind, he still knew enough to climb in through the rear window; if one said he had some reason left, he deliberately abandoned the near for the far.

"...The matters of Lijing Courtyard have nothing to do with you," Zhou Yuanshen said.

Cheng Zhao: "..."

Her anger almost flared up again.

"I mean, Lijing Courtyard is solely my own affair; it has nothing to do with you as the Duchess. You don't need to worry about it." Sensing that his words might be ambiguous, he explained further.

Cheng Zhao caught that hint of guilt in him.

Taking advantage of this slight apology and the topic of Lijing Courtyard, Cheng Zhao planned to bring up something she had been considering for a long time.

"Alright, I assure you that I will never interfere in the affairs of Lijing Courtyard," Cheng Zhao said. "However, speaking of Lijing Courtyard, there is something I want to tell you as well. It's about Nonghua Courtyard."

Zhou Yuanshen looked at her and nodded slightly: "Speak."

"I have six dowry maids in total, and none of them are prepared to be your bedmaids. Although my place here is not the main courtyard, back in my maiden home, my mother's courtyard did not have any bedmaids either," Cheng Zhao said.

She would also become pregnant in the future.

Cheng Zhao did not want Zhou Yuanshen to subconsciously think that, just like at Mu Jiang's side, there would always be someone here to serve him.

Once Cheng Zhao became pregnant, Zhou Yuanshen would not be able to spend the night at Nonghua Courtyard.

Cheng Zhao did not want to leave things ambiguous and let Zhou Yuanshen misunderstand. If one day he insisted on having her maids, tearing face then would be even uglier.

Regardless of whether he was displeased or not, Cheng Zhao wanted to make it clear in advance.

Some rules of the Duke Chen's Estate were different from those of the Cheng family.

The Cheng family's reputation in the capital was better than that of the Duke Chen's Estate, and their rules were more in line with secular conventions. This was why Cheng Zhao dared to tell him so directly.

If he disagreed, it would mean that his Zhou family was vulgar and ignorant of etiquette, which would be despised.

Cheng Zhao secretly applied pressure to resolve this matter first.

Zhou Yuanshen looked at her steadily: "Cheng Zhao, the mistress's maids are all literate. They were cultivated to be managers in the first place."

Cheng Zhao: "Yes."

"Do you think I don't understand that?"

"No, I was just afraid there might be a misunderstanding," Cheng Zhao said.

She explained further, "I am not looking down on you."

"It's good for husband and wife to speak clearly when there's an issue. I didn't take offense," Zhou Yuanshen said. "You were afraid I wouldn't behave, and I was also afraid you would force someone on me."

Cheng Zhao burst into a laugh.

The cold aura surrounding Zhou Yuanshen melted away with her laugh.

His posture and demeanor visibly relaxed quite a bit.

Cheng Zhao even felt that he was secretly sighing in relief.

Regarding yesterday's incident, the person who had truly lost all face was him. He had embarrassed himself in front of his mother, mother-in-law, and wife.

When many people face embarrassment, they use anger to cover it up, first treating themselves as the victim and recklessly venting their resentment.

But Zhou Yuanshen did not fly into a rage out of humiliation. Not only did he fight for the household management rights for Cheng Zhao, but he also earnestly apologized to her.

He dared to face his own ugly state directly—this was easy to say but very hard to do.

Zhou Yuanshen might not be a good husband, and she might not be able to share mutual affection with him, but he was indeed a good family head.

He had principles.

Even covered in mud, he would still grasp the maximum benefits.

If he remained unchanged, the two of them walking forward hand in hand wouldn't be a bad thing for Cheng Zhao.

Zhou Yuanshen could not only defeat his opponents but also conquer himself. Cheng Zhao needed such a powerful and rational ally.

Therefore, reaching this point, all of Cheng Zhao's dissatisfaction and anger completely vanished.

She even showed concern for Zhou Yuanshen: "Duke, how are you feeling today? Is that drug still bothering you?"

Zhou Yuanshen: "I'm alright."

He added, "I asked the imperial physician for some detoxifying medicine and have already taken a dose."

Cheng Zhao told him to take care of his health.

After finishing these matters, Zhou Yuanshen left Nonghua Courtyard and did not stay the night.

Cheng Zhao carefully put the small crossbow away and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I told you there was no need to rush, just wait for First Aunt to deliver the management rights to me," Cheng Zhao said to her trusted aides.

Her aides were all very irritated, feeling that the First Madam was truly unpresentable.

Cheng Zhao, however, had a different view from theirs.

"You only think her methods are clumsy, but in reality, she looks down on me, and she also looks down on the Duke," Cheng Zhao said.

Cheng Zhao did not believe that the First Madam would use such methods to deal with the Old Madam.

She had suppressed the second branch for decades and was used to it. The Second Master and his wife could not get even a bit of respect from her, let alone the younger generation.

She was even too lazy to bother thinking of a more complex and long-term method to win over Zhou Yuanshen.

She wanted to have a close relationship with the Duke, yet she looked down on Zhou Yuanshen, which was why she wanted to put a leash around his neck.

She almost succeeded.

Because she utilized the relationship between the Old Madam and Zhou Yuanshen.

The Old Madam frequently sent tonics to Zhou Yuanshen. Such small favors were most suitable for an elder to do; it required no effort, and Zhou Yuanshen was obliged to accept the sentiment.

The grandmother's affection was bestowed very well, and the relationship between the two was harmonious.

The First Madam, however, severed this relationship.

From now on, the Old Madam could no longer casually send food to Zhou Yuanshen. With what face could she show her concern for her grandson?

This concern had to be out in the open, for Zhou Yuanshen and everyone else to see.

"First Aunt didn't offend me, but Grandmother is probably furious," Cheng Zhao said.

Just as Cheng Zhao guessed, a violent storm occurred in Shou'an Courtyard.

Madam Song knelt before the Old Madam, a large patch of her skirt wet, and her cheek burning with pain.

The Old Madam had first thrown a teacup at her, the tea soaking her long skirt. After scolding her a few times, she actually argued back and talked back, so the Old Madam slapped her.

Madam Song was stunned by the slap.

Having been married into the family for over twenty years, she had never been beaten.

The Old Madam's furious rage was vented through this slap.

"You really don't know how the word death is written, daring to even use me," the Old Madam said. "If I find a fault, having the Marquis of Changling's estate stripped of its title and confiscated would be as easy as lifting a finger."

Madam Song was scared pale, trembling all over.

She began to cry bitterly and defend herself.

"...I have spoiled you too much over the years, spoiled you so much that you don't know your limits," the Old Madam said.

Without committing a major mistake, a mother-in-law generally would not beat or scold her daughter-in-law.

This matter was extremely serious.

The Old Madam ordered Madam Song to claim illness for a month and stop managing affairs.

"Let Lady Huan manage things in your stead. Let you see whether this Duke's Estate will starve without you," the Old Madam said.

She added, "I never thought of handing the gatehouse tallies over to Cheng Shi. Now I must give them to her. You truly care for Cheng Shi; those who don't know better would think you are Cheng Shi's proper mother-in-law."

Madam Song lay on the ground, weeping bitterly.

The Old Madam watched her quietly.

The Old Madam completely refrained from mentioning the matter of driving away the niece from Madam Song's maiden family.

She had other plans in mind.