Chapter 66: Face-to-Face Instigation

The niece-in-law, grandnephew, and grandniece from the Qingyuan Marquis Manor, Dowager Madame's maiden home, came to visit.

They greeted each other.

Cheng Zhao had met them during the New Year. She stepped forward, called out to her cousin-aunt, then to her younger cousin-brother and cousin-sister, and stood to the side.

They were much more familiar with Huan Qingtang.

"...Cousin-in-law, why do you look a bit thinner?" Dowager Madame's grandniece, Sun Zhiya, held Huan Qingtang's hand and asked affectionately.

The grandnephew, Sun Zhisheng, also glanced at Huan Qingtang. "Cousin-in-law must be tired, right? Managing the household is not easy and takes a lot of hard work."

"It's not too bad," Huan Qingtang smiled, then added, "The calligraphy copybook you asked me to write last time is finished. I was planning to send it to you soon. Since you are here, you can just take it back with you."

Sun Zhiya was very happy. "Thank you, Cousin-in-law."

They started chatting about calligraphy copybooks.

Sun Zhiya said, "Cousin-in-law, does your maiden family have any calligraphy copybooks by Mister Qu Lian? Last time, County Princess Xizhen brought one out and showed it off everywhere."

"Aya, what kind of talk is that!" the Marchioness of Qingyuan immediately chided.

Cheng Zhao listened quietly without changing her expression.

Huan Qingtang smiled and spoke up to bail Sun Zhiya out, "Cousin-aunt, I didn't take offense."

She continued, "Mister Qu Lian's copybooks haven't been seen for many years. I don't know who collected them. Over the past two years, many convincing fakes have appeared. They are all forgeries."

Sun Zhiya's eyes lit up. "Cousin-in-law, next time you can go and expose County Princess Xizhen."

The Marchioness of Qingyuan was quite helpless. "Aya..."

"Aya is innocent and pure; she cannot tolerate falsehoods. This is what makes her lovable," Huan Qingtang smiled.

She added, "Next time we visit Princess Qing'an's residence, if we see County Princess Xizhen, perhaps I can help her appraise the copybook."

The group chatted about calligraphy.

Cheng Zhao stood by the side the whole time, quietly listening to them talk without interrupting.

Madam Song, seeing that everyone from the Qingyuan Marquis Manor liked Huan Qingtang, also flattered her with a few words.

"...The Huan family daughter is a true lady of a noble and pure lineage. When it comes to talent, no one in the entire capital can match her," Madam Song said.

Sun Zhiya, however, looked at Cheng Zhao.

Cheng Zhao acted as if she didn't notice.

When her eyes met Sun Zhiya's for a moment, Cheng Zhao only smiled faintly.

Sun Zhiya's expression changed slightly.

She was a bit displeased.

"Third Cousin-in-law seems unconvinced. After all, the Cheng family is also a scholarly family," Sun Zhiya said.

The Marchioness of Qingyuan spoke up again, "Aya, don't talk nonsense."

She smiled at Cheng Zhao, "Please don't take offense."

Madam Song took the opportunity to say, "Madam Cheng won't take offense. She is the most tolerant and generous, and never fusses over anything."

She couldn't help but add, "Since she married into the family, our manor has become much livelier. Indeed, a large family brings prosperity."

In the less than half a year since Cheng Zhao married in, Madam Song had suffered setbacks twice.

The first time was the poisoned rice in the main kitchen, which caused her trusted aide to be beaten and driven out; the second time was sending "tonic" to the Duke, which was also related to Cheng Zhao, resulting in her being grounded.

Whenever Madam Song saw Cheng Zhao, an inexplicable anger would flare up inside her.

She held it in again and again, but still said, "Since Madam Cheng married in, she has been excellent in every aspect, making the rest of us look inferior. Look, Qingtang has lost so much weight these days; she was also forced into a helpless situation."

Dowager Madame remained silent, glancing at her lightly with a hidden warning.

The Marchioness of Qingyuan felt a bit helpless.

"Did she bully Cousin-in-law?" Sun Zhiya asked from the side.

Her brother, Sun Zhisheng, immediately shot an unfriendly glare at Cheng Zhao.

Cheng Zhao merely looked back at Dowager Madame. "Grandmother, do you also feel that I haven't shared Eldest Sister-in-law's burden?"

Dowager Madame: "..."

Her underlying meaning was: Grandmother, do you need to give me more household management tallies?

Madam Song harbored ill intentions, and Sun Zhiya was purely naive; they were practically handing Cheng Zhao a knife to use against them.

Dowager Madame had ten thousand ways to deal with Cheng Zhao, but currently, she did not want to tear all face with Zhou Yuanshen.

"...Mother, you've misunderstood Sister-in-law. She has always worked very hard," Huan Qingtang spoke up, then said to Sun Zhiya, "Cousin, come with me to fetch the copybook."

She added, "Cousin-brother, you come along too. The Cuiyun Courtyard has very delicious pastries, Peach Blossom Crisps rewarded by the palace."

The three of them bowed to Dowager Madame and left the Shou'an Courtyard first.

On the way, Sun Zhiya still asked Huan Qingtang, "Cousin-in-law, is that sister-in-law of yours deeply scheming and always working against you?"

Huan Qingtang remained silent.

Sun Zhisheng was more impulsive. "It looks like it. Her marriage was bestowed by the Empress. She has backing, so she bullies people everywhere."

At the mention of the Empress's maiden family, the Guos, the two Sun children were filled with resentment. They had conflicts with several young masters and misses of the Guo family.

The Guo family had a very domineering young miss. Everyone had suffered at her hands, yet no one dared to clash with her head-on.

Sun Zhiya had also been lectured by Miss Guo before.

Since Cheng Zhao was bestowed upon the Zhou family by Empress Guo, and Huan Qingtang tacitly acknowledged her arrogance, Sun Zhiya immediately transferred her anger onto Cheng Zhao.

"At the Peach Blossom Banquet three days from now, I will teach her a lesson," Sun Zhiya said.

She glanced at her brother.

Sun Zhisheng gave a cunning smile.

Huan Qingtang said, "Cousin, don't be angry anymore. With your beautiful face, getting angry easily makes you pale, and then you won't look pretty."

The three headed toward the Cuiyun Courtyard.

Cheng Zhao and Madam Song also left the Shou'an Courtyard.

Madam Song walked very fast.

Cheng Zhao still caught up with her. "Eldest Aunt, do you feel no guilt at all for drugging my husband last time?"

Madam Song froze.

Her face instantly turned ugly. It was a mix of resentment and feeling utterly ashamed.

When facing their own disgraceful behavior, ordinary people could not remain as rational and calm as Zhou Yuanshen, so Madam Song's voice raised a few pitches. "Madam Cheng, you dare to question an elder like this?"

"Elders should be loving, and juniors should be filial. If an elder has not a shred of self-respect and dignity, do not expect the junior to be completely obedient," Cheng Zhao said quietly. "I still want to ask First Madam Zhou one sentence: have you reflected on the drugging incident?"

She no longer called her Eldest Aunt, but First Madam Zhou.

When Cheng Zhao said this, she even took a step forward, forcing Madam Song to retreat two steps in a row, almost falling over.

Her maid supported her.

Intimidated by Cheng Zhao, Madam Song's trusted maid did not dare to say a single word.

"Sooner or later, you will have to apologize to the Duke and me." Cheng Zhao's gaze fell unblinkingly on her. "Grandmother let you out to resume managing affairs, not to stir up trouble out of nothing again."

With that said, Cheng Zhao turned and left.

When she spoke, the maids beside Madam Song and the maids from the Shou'an Courtyard who were seeing them out were all present.

The news reached Dowager Madame's ears.

After the people from the Qingyuan Marquis Manor left, Dowager Madame leisurely drank her tea.

"A bunch of little monkey cubs, chattering away quite livelily," Dowager Madame smiled.

She had seen mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

These petty scratching tricks against each other weren't even enough to fill the gaps between Dowager Madame's teeth.

Everything was under the old lady's control.

Dowager Madame was even more willing to see them fight amongst themselves.

Only by competing with each other would they realize who the true master of this household was, preventing them from forming cliques based on petty cleverness.

Dowager Madame, just like the Emperor, did not like her "courtiers" to be too united.

The court was most stable when the courtiers kept each other in check. Whichever side grew weak, she would lend a hand, ensuring that no one could dominate alone.