Chapter 61: Master of the Manor Is Not Easy to Use

Cheng Zhao had dinner at Jiangyun Courtyard and sat down to chat for a long time.

Zhou Yuanshen also came.

The Second Master and his wife were both a bit surprised.

Zhou Yuanqi disdained to pay attention to him.

"...Have you gone to the Eastern Palace to handle official duties?" Second Master asked him.

Zhou Yuanshen: "Just like at the Capital Garrison, it's just clocking in."

Second Master: "You now hold three official posts."

Cheng Zhao didn't expect that his post at the Capital Garrison was also a sinecure.

When the marriage was bestowed, the family all said he was serving at the Capital Garrison.

He was also frequently away from home a while ago.

Recently, he had spent more days at home.

"I'm merely acting as the Emperor's eyes," Zhou Yuanshen said lightly.

His pupils were pitch black, and in the dim candlelight of the night, his gaze was tinged with the coldness of a deep pool. Even when sitting quietly and chatting, he carried an innate aloofness.

Zhou Yuanqi rolled his eyes: "Not just his eyes, but also the Emperor's knife."

His voice hadn't broken yet, and Cheng Zhao always felt he spoke with a "milky" voice. Saying such sharp things in a child's voice was particularly amusing.

Zhou Yuanqi was very sensitive about being "laughed at," so Cheng Zhao had to hold it in.

"Only the sharp and precious are qualified to be the Emperor's knife. A famous blade. The Emperor would look down on ordinary scrap iron," Cheng Zhao said.

Zhou Yuanqi also rolled his eyes at her.

Cheng Zhao smiled at him, indicating that the two of them were on the same side.

Zhou Yuanqi seemed to secretly curse her as a "traitor" and turned his head to the other side.

Second Madam was a bit worried: "Ah Shen, you need to take it easy and consider yourself. Killing Grand Tutor Wu last time was truly going too far."

She then cursed the Emperor, "He can't even tolerate a Grand Tutor, so narrow-minded!"

Cheng Zhao: "...Mother, these words are treasonous and will get our heads chopped off."

Second Madam: "Then I'll say it at the execution ground too."

Cheng Zhao: "..."

"I know what I'm doing, Mother doesn't need to worry," Zhou Yuanshen spoke up.

His tone had no fluctuations, his dark eyes were silent and still, and no one knew what he was really thinking. He always remained impassive, neither joyful nor angry.

Good things, bad things, flowed past him without leaving a trace. He didn't change for anything, remaining steadfast.

Perhaps, his attitude towards women was the same.

Whether towards Cheng Zhao, Mu Jiang, the two beautiful bedmaids, or Huan Qingtang, Zhou Yuanshen equally didn't take anyone to heart.

He would just do what he should do at the appropriate time.

The Emperor wanted him and Mu Jiang to have a child, so Mu Jiang got pregnant; the Duchess needed an heir, so he worked very hard on Cheng Zhao.

In the future, when he took Huan Qingtang as a co-wife, he would probably treat her the same way.

Thinking of this, Cheng Zhao felt there was nothing bad about him.

Zhou Yuanshen was a very rational person, albeit very ruthless. But his eyes could see the value of others, he would handle matters more fairly, making him more suitable to be the head of the family.

For a large family to prosper for a long time, the head of the family needs to abandon personal likes and dislikes, putting the family's interests first in everything.

Cheng Zhao didn't expect him to favor her, only that he wouldn't favor anyone else.

As long as he wasn't biased, Cheng Zhao was confident she could win.

"...You are now also a Grand Tutor. Don't you find it ironic? You killed the Emperor's Grand Tutor, yet the Emperor made you the Crown Prince's Grand Tutor. Isn't he just waiting to deal with you in the future?" Second Madam said.

Her words pulled Cheng Zhao's thoughts back.

Cheng Zhao was probably a bit distracted, causing her thoughts to be less profound.

She casually said, "Since you've become a knife, be the sharpest knife. Everyone else is just meat on the chopping block. Dealing with the knife in the future? That also requires skill and opportunity."

Everyone looked at her.

Including Zhou Yuanshen.

Cheng Zhao instinctively bit her lower lip, wanting to cover up her slip.

Zhou Yuanqi sneered: "What a big tone, what big ambition! What, do you want to be a rebellious subject and traitor along with the brute?"

Zhou Yuanshen: "So that's how it is."

"What 'so that's how it is'?" Second Madam asked.

Zhou Yuanshen didn't answer.

His words were out of nowhere, only Cheng Zhao understood.

Cheng Zhao had called him a "brute" in the bedroom, and he definitely heard it.

He probably wondered in his heart why Cheng Zhao would evaluate him like that.

He found the source of this word today, which was why he said "so that's how it is."

Because Zhou Yuanqi and Second Madam were always bantering, the topic couldn't stay on one track, and it soon went off course.

Unknowingly, the night grew late.

It had been a long time since the family chatted for so long, even though the chat was a mess.

However, this was life. No family's casual chat stuck to just one topic; it was usually all over the place.

"It's getting late, and we all have things to do tomorrow. You should all head back," Second Master said.

Zhou Yuanshen and his wife, along with Zhou Yuanqi, stood up to take their leave.

They parted at the fork in the road.

Cheng Zhao and Zhou Yuanshen walked back slowly, stepping on the thin moonlight of the crescent moon.

"...Weren't you originally commanding the Capital Garrison?" Cheng Zhao asked him. "When the marriage was bestowed, you seemed to still be in the Capital Garrison."

"Now I serve as the Grand General of the Left Martial Guard. When the Zhou family handed over military power, I served in the Capital Garrison, which was nothing more than to pacify the border troops.

The Left Martial Guard is my actual duty; there is someone else for the Capital Garrison, and I just hold an empty title," Zhou Yuanshen said lightly.

Cheng Zhao: "You hold quite a few empty titles."

"The head of the Zhou family can also take a lot of the blame," Zhou Yuanshen said.

The Emperor still needed the Zhou family.

Just like in his early years when his position was unstable and he needed the Zhou family's support, now he also wanted to make the most of the Zhou family.

Hearing this, Cheng Zhao paused slightly: "You are also surrounded by danger in the court."

"Danger is also opportunity," Zhou Yuanshen said.

"Then you must be careful everywhere," Cheng Zhao said.

"Even if you become a widow, you will still be a top-rank titled lady. What are you afraid of?" Zhou Yuanshen said.

Cheng Zhao: "...There is no heir yet."

Under the faint moonlight, Zhou Yuanshen's face showed no emotion.

He turned to look at Cheng Zhao, "Is the Child-giving Guanyin not effective?"

Cheng Zhao really wanted to say, it's you who isn't useful!

But then she thought of the pregnant Mu Jiang in Lijing Courtyard...

He was just not useful with Cheng Zhao; Mu Jiang had already borne fruit.

Wait!

Cheng Zhao raised her eyes to look at him: "Did Nanfeng eavesdrop on my chat with Qiubai?"

Zhou Yuanshen walked forward without answering this.

Cheng Zhao decided not to bring delicious pastries for Nanfeng in the future; that kid actually eavesdropped. She also needed to speak more quietly in Chenhui Courtyard.

No wonder Zhou Yuanshen was a bit clingy these past few days; it turned out he was competing with the Child-giving Guanyin.

At night, Zhou Yuanshen wanted to toss about again.

Cheng Zhao's scalp went numb.

How did he have endless brute strength?

"No, the doctor said it's very hard to conceive if you're too tired," Cheng Zhao said. "I'm really tired. I need to rest for a few days."

"Alright," Zhou Yuanshen agreed.

Thinking about an heir, Cheng Zhao felt his mood was okay tonight and tried to discuss with him: "From now on, can we do it twice a month?"

Zhou Yuanshen seemed to find it dull, his tone very light: "Whatever you want."

He was also preparing to lie down.

Hearing Cheng Zhao's words, he got up to change clothes: "I still have some things to do. You rest, don't wait for me."

Cheng Zhao: "..."

She pulled Zhou Yuanshen's hand and whispered, "I'm discussing it with you, aren't I? If you don't agree, we can talk about it."

"I didn't disagree," Zhou Yuanshen said.

He looked down at her hand.

Her slender, pale fingers were neatly trimmed at the ends, the light pink nails seeming to have a pearlescent sheen, healthy and full.

It tightly grasped his sleeve.

Cheng Zhao gripped tighter: "If you say that you will make the decisions for everything from now on without discussion, I will just let you order me around and say no more."

"I didn't mean it like that. I just suddenly remembered something." His tone was cold as he lay back down. "Go to sleep."

Frowning, he added, "You read too much, Cheng Zhao. You always overthink things."

Cheng Zhao: "..."