Chapter 58: Promotion

The news about Chengming Hall spread quickly.

The servant boy Nanfeng reported the matter to Zhou Yuanshen.

Zhou Yuanshen remained expressionless, as if he had not heard a thing.

Over in Nonghua Courtyard, Nanny Li and the others were also discussing it.

The one most indignant was Suyue.

Suyue had a fiery temper and a straightforward manner. Moreover, she was extremely biased toward Cheng Zhao and could not stand seeing her suffer even the slightest grievance.

"...The Old Madame is determined to elevate Lady Huan. Once the decree for dual-lineage inheritance is issued, they might even request the title of Duchess for her," Suyue said.

She added, "In other households, having a noble concubine is frustrating enough, but the Duke Chen's Mansion has another official wife! If it were not for Her Majesty the Empress bestowing this marriage, why would our lady have to swallow such an insult?"

Nanny Li agreed, "It is indeed quite stifling."

Cheng Zhao, however, smiled calmly. "Do not be anxious. The Old Madame will soon ask her to move out. She is only there to tend to the sick."

"I am just afraid that tending to the sick is an excuse to let her stay there permanently. The First Madame has also compromised, wanting to ease relations with Shou'an Courtyard," Suyue said.

Cheng Zhao replied, "It does not depend on them, but on the Duke."

The others looked at Cheng Zhao.

Cheng Zhao said, "Do not panic. Let us just wait and see."

That day, when Zhou Yuanshen came to Nonghua Courtyard for dinner, Cheng Zhao felt a bit nervous.

He had tossed her about twice last night, leaving her quite uncomfortable; she would not be able to handle him acting up again tonight.

Besides, if she wanted to get pregnant, she could not afford to be too exhausted.

Facing Zhou Yuanshen, Cheng Zhao maintained her composure, quietly waiting for his next move without speaking up preemptively.

After the meal, Cheng Zhao brought up the matter of Chengming Hall.

She probed, "Sister-in-law has moved into the eastern main room."

Zhou Yuanshen remained expressionless and said indifferently, "Did they not say she is tending to the sick? That is her filial piety."

When dealing with Mu Jiang, he always referred to her as Concubine Mu; but toward Huan Qingtang, his tone was much more polite.

Perhaps it was because of their different backgrounds, or perhaps his feelings for them differed.

Cheng Zhao thought to herself that with the establishment of the Crown Prince approaching, Zhou Yuanshen would soon become the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. Seeing this connection, the Old Madame would definitely rebalance the statuses of Cheng Zhao and Huan Qingtang.

Of course, before rebalancing, the Old Madame would still test Zhou Yuanshen's attitude.

Cheng Zhao had also tested the waters, but could not make out his intentions.

She could not be bothered to ask any further.

After dinner, the husband and wife each went about their own business.

Zhou Yuanshen took a book to read in bed, while Cheng Zhao continued with her needlework.

This time, she was embroidering a handkerchief.

Zhou Yuanshen walked over to the table to pour himself some water.

Feeling a bit thirsty, he did not call for a maid. Instead, he poured himself a cup of tea, sipped it slowly, and naturally strolled over to Cheng Zhao's side.

Cheng Zhao continued her needlework.

"...That butterfly is embroidered a bit fat," he could not help but say.

Cheng Zhao's embroidery skills were quite excellent. She had embroidered a butterfly—chubby and endearingly clumsy, yet vividly lifelike and exquisite.

This showed her masterful craftsmanship, though it was a wonder why she chose to embroider such a butterfly.

"I embroidered it like this on purpose, to give to Heng'er," Cheng Zhao said. "Children like cute and amusing things, and I promised her last time."

She then explained, "Heng'er is my niece, my eldest sister's daughter."

"She should like it very much," Zhou Yuanshen said. "What other needlework do you usually do?"

"Just small things," Cheng Zhao replied.

"Last time I saw you making a sachet."

Mentioning the sachet reminded Cheng Zhao of the time he had pressed her down on this very window-side heated brick bed, scraping her knees. Her face darkened slightly.

She did not reply.

"...Let us rest, it is getting late." Without waiting for her to speak, Zhou Yuanshen set down his teacup.

Cheng Zhao was almost done tying off the thread, so she murmured an agreement and only went to bed after finishing her stitching.

He lay there quietly.

Seeing that he had no other intentions, Cheng Zhao quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

When she woke up early the next day and tidied up her sewing basket, Cheng Zhao could not find the handkerchief. She asked Nanny Li in surprise, "Did you see it?"

"The Duke took it when he left," Nanny Li said. "Did you not know?"

Cheng Zhao was speechless. "...What did he take it for? I embroidered that for Heng'er."

Nanny Li chuckled. "Perhaps he likes it. You should embroider something for him. After all, he gave you a short crossbow last time."

"That was his way of apologizing," Cheng Zhao said.

"Make him a sachet, embroider something a bit more grand so he can hang it on his belt. Courtesy demands reciprocity; consider it a thank you for his short crossbow?" Nanny Li suggested softly, observing Cheng Zhao's expression.

Cheng Zhao replied, "Wait until he returns my handkerchief first."

She felt a bit annoyed. "I told him it was embroidered for Heng'er. Why is he snatching a child's thing? It is not like he is three years old."

Taking her eyes off it for just a second, she had tragically lost a handkerchief.

Cheng Zhao decided that she would ask for it back when he returned to the estate in the afternoon.

That butterfly was extremely cute; she had spent seven or eight days embroidering it. It was vibrant and chubby, full of childlike charm. Heng'er would definitely love it.

Cheng Zhao had only come up with the idea by a stroke of sudden inspiration.

With these thoughts in mind, she finished breakfast and went to Chengming Hall to handle her duties.

The day passed peacefully.

By mid-afternoon, Sun Fenghui, the head steward of the Duke Chen's Mansion, came to Chengming Hall to report. He specifically smiled at Cheng Zhao and said, "Congratulations, Third Young Madame. Today the imperial court established the Crown Prince, and the Seventh Prince has moved into the Eastern Palace. The Duke has been appointed as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince."

The political decree from the morning had not even been announced to the world yet, but the Duke's Mansion already knew about it by the afternoon.

Everyone was both surprised and delighted.

The wealth and status of the Duke Chen's Mansion had gained another layer of security.

When the next reign arrived, they would still be close ministers to the Emperor, their prestige growing heavier by the day.

Huan Qingtang smiled, "Congratulations to the Duke, and congratulations to you too, sister-in-law."

Cheng Zhao smiled back. "I heard the Duke mention this matter before. It is indeed worthy of celebration."

Huan Qingtang's smile faded slightly, though she remained beaming.

All the compliments from the crowd were directed at Cheng Zhao.

No matter what the outside world said or how the Old Madame arranged things, Zhou Yuanshen's only official wife right now was Cheng Zhao, and Cheng Zhao also held an imperial mandate.

This grand occasion for Duke Chen was solely related to Cheng Zhao.

"The winds are changing."

"The Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince must be a highly respected veteran official. Yet the Emperor appointed the Duke to the position; this shows extreme trust in him."

"Even the Old Madame will have to weigh things carefully now, right?"

The stewards did not have much political insight, but they clearly understood the weight of the title of Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.

This was an undeniable position of honor, a massive bestowal of wealth and status by the Emperor: it guaranteed their standing not only in this reign, but in the next one as well.

The Old Madame probably never expected that the Emperor would bypass her and reward Zhou Yuanshen so heavily.

In the evening, when Zhou Yuanshen returned to the estate, he was invited directly to Shou'an Courtyard by the porters—Cheng Zhao was informed of this.

Zhou Yuanshen's servant boy, Nanfeng, came to Nonghua Courtyard to tell Cheng Zhao to wait for him for dinner.

Cheng Zhao naturally waited.

A moment later, he arrived.

"What did Grandmother say?"

"Establishing the Crown Prince is a major event, and the political landscape will become turbulent as a result. Grandmother asked about a few things," Zhou Yuanshen said.

"With the Seventh Prince named Crown Prince, the Guo family's status in this dynasty will now surpass that of the Duke Chen's Mansion," Cheng Zhao said.

The most prominent household in the current dynasty was, of course, the Zhou family of the Duke Chen's Mansion.

When it came to rewards from the Emperor and Empress, the Zhou family always received the first and best share; no one surpassed them.

But the Guo family already had prestige, and as the maternal family of the Crown Prince and the Empress, their influence would surge immensely from now on.

The Old Madame was probably panicking a little.

"...Grandmother also asked me if there were any official transfers. I said no, just the addition of the Grand Tutor title," Zhou Yuanshen added.

He was now holding multiple posts simultaneously.

Cheng Zhao asked, "Besides that? Did she say anything else?"

If she wants to pursue the dual-lineage inheritance now, would she not have to ask for your opinion first?

Did she probe you about it?