Chapter 95: Misdirected Anger

Cheng Zhao opened her eyes wide.

She looked around, and no one was paying attention to them. As the night deepened, the people on the street gradually dispersed.

She seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

She looked at him. He was expressionless, and his burning eyes stared back at her in the dark.

Cheng Zhao turned around and was about to leave.

Zhou Yuanshen didn't pull her but followed her steps. Soon, the two of them returned to the entrance of the Drunken Immortal Tower. Cheng Zhao got into the carriage first.

As soon as she sat down firmly, Zhou Yuanshen also got in.

The carriage slowly made its way back to the mansion.

There was originally a small horn lantern, but Cheng Zhao didn't light it, so the carriage was pitch - black. Zhou Yuanshen sat there, only a faint outline.

She couldn't see his face clearly.

After a while, Cheng Zhao said, "Duke, what you did just now was inappropriate."

"Why?" In the darkness, he asked her back. There was a faint smell of wine on his breath, mixed with the man's body heat.

Cheng Zhao could feel it. She subconsciously moved a bit to the side and bumped into the carriage wall.

"We are a proper couple, married by the order of the Empress Dowager," Cheng Zhao said. "How could you treat me lightly?"

"I didn't treat you lightly. You are my wife," Zhou Yuanshen said.

He wasn't his usual silent self.

Whenever Cheng Zhao asked him a question, he would answer, not giving in a single word.

"I'm also the Duchess, a super - grade imperial - conferred lady. If people saw us, how could I have the face to live?" Cheng Zhao said.

She had her own dignity and status.

In the current world, the social customs were good, and women weren't overly restricted. But Cheng Zhao was determined to be the matriarch of the clan, and her prestige was very important.

"Cheng Zhao, is the title of imperial - conferred lady really that important?" he asked.

"For a woman, if she doesn't strive for this status, what else can she strive for?" Cheng Zhao asked him angrily.

Strive for the little pleasure with him?

He could be with her today and go to the Lijing Courtyard tomorrow.

Cheng Zhao's eyes followed him around every day. Wouldn't all the books she had read since childhood, the principles she had learned, and the house - managing experience taught by her mother be in vain?

Since she could remember, she had never shed tears over the romances of talented scholars and beautiful ladies when watching operas. She had never envied the young and loving couples in other families, who were well - matched in appearance and talent.

As she grew older, the girls of the same age among her relatives and friends were all discussing their betrothals.

During the gatherings in the boudoir, when they mentioned their fiancés, they would talk about what kind of person he was.

Cheng Zhao sat silently beside them, thinking, "Don't you consider the family's ancestral property, the mother - in - law's character, and the inheritance of the title and estate?"

Ancestral property meant a wealthy family background. In the inner - house life, the person in charge was never the husband but the mother - in - law, because the power of the household was passed down from the mother - in - law. The title was related to her own imperial - conferred status.

As for the husband, apart from helping her with procreation, what else could he do for her? Unless he was extremely unreliable and there was no elder to restrain him, he might squander the ancestral property.

Of course, this was also unacceptable.

What Cheng Zhao had envied since childhood were those old noble lords.

But today, Zhou Yuanshen asked her if the imperial - conferred title was important.

It was like asking a man if his official position was important.

If it wasn't important, what did one rely on to gain a foothold in this world?

If only she were a man. If she worked so hard, her family, parents, and wife would all strongly support her, help her become a good official, clear away internal and external obstacles for her, and assist her to rise to high positions.

They would praise her for her progress and be proud of her, allowing her to focus without distractions.

As a woman, the sad thing was that her so - called "high position" was only an imperial - conferred title.

But he asked her if it was important.

Cheng Zhao leaned her head against the carriage wall and suddenly lost the strength to speak.

All her annoyance disappeared in an instant. She just felt extremely disheartened.

In the darkness, Zhou Yuanshen moved over and hugged her in his arms.

Cheng Zhao didn't struggle and let him hold her.

He tightened his arms and whispered, "I was out of control just now. Cheng Zhao, in this world, what's noble isn't just the title of the Duchess."

Cheng Zhao didn't say a word.

She thought he was just talking without understanding the situation.

He kissed her lips again.

She turned her head away.

"I'm here to apologize to you," he said again. "You can make a request, and I'll fulfill it for you. Or, I can help you and find a match for your fourth brother?"

Cheng Zhao: "..."

When he mentioned finding a match, she remembered the matter of the Qing'an Princess Mansion that she had talked about several times.

It was when she tried to matchmake Zhou Yuanshen and Huan Qingtang.

"Forget it. A person who aims for great things shouldn't be bothered by minor details," Cheng Zhao comforted herself in her heart. "I have to get what I want."

She rolled her eyes a few times and softened her voice. "Then you answer me a question and explain it in detail."

"Okay."

As soon as the words were spoken, the carriage arrived at the Chen Duke's Mansion.

Zhou Yuanshen got out first and told the servant to lower the threshold so that the carriage could directly enter the mansion and go to the Nonghua Courtyard.

Cheng Zhao went to wash up first.

When she was alone, she suddenly thought, "Did I take my anger out on him just now?"

Seeing Cheng Chao being so confused about right and wrong and mixing with Helian Xuan, Cheng Zhao was really furious. And in front of Zhou Yuanshen and Fan Xiao, she couldn't not save face for her elder brother and was not convenient to lose her temper.

So she was full of anger.

The kiss Zhou Yuanshen gave her on the street was in a dark corner.

Just as her eldest sister said, a couple could relax some of the rules appropriately. He wasn't some other lecher.

Cheng Zhao felt that she had transferred her anger at "Cheng Chao's disobedience" to Zhou Yuanshen.

She thought Zhou Yuanshen was also disobedient.

In fact, Cheng Chao was her elder brother and Zhou Yuanshen was the Duke. They were under no obligation to listen to her.

After sorting out these thoughts, Cheng Zhao adjusted her mood, changed into her nightclothes, and came out of the dressing room.

Zhou Yuanshen had already washed up. He had let his hair down and was sitting at the table, drinking a cup of tea.

Seeing Cheng Zhao come in, he lowered the curtain hanging from the gold hook, and the couple got into the bed together.

In the small space of the bed, the horn lantern was covered by a lampshade, emitting only a faint light. There was a curtain outside the bed curtain, making the bed as private as a small room.

"What do you want to ask?"

"What happened at the Qing'an Princess Mansion back then?" Cheng Zhao asked.

Zhou Yuanshen paused.

Cheng Zhao: "Why did the Qing'an Princess suddenly want to matchmake you and the Huan family? She couldn't be that stupid to do such a thing."

Zhou Yuanshen seemed to take a deep breath.

"This matter makes me a bit embarrassed, Cheng Zhao," he said.

Cheng Zhao was slightly stunned.

Embarrassed, not sad or disappointed.

Cheng Zhao understood that there was a hidden story in it. It was definitely not as simple as "casually match - making". Maybe the mother - in - law hadn't thought it through carefully.

"... If you don't want to talk about it, let's change the topic. Tell me, why did your slow - wind snake pass by the Nonghua Courtyard?" Cheng Zhao said.

Zhou Yuanshen: "I chose the Nonghua Courtyard. This courtyard is convenient for communicating with the outside world. Whether it's the slow - wind snake or people, it's easy to get in and out."

At that time, he thought that she was like an ordinary woman, living here unawares and wouldn't discover his secret.

"I'll take you to take a closer look at the slow - wind snake and the defense of the Nonghua Courtyard when I'm free," he said. "I also want to tell you about the matter at the Qing'an Princess Mansion."

He was silent for a moment, then pulled Cheng Zhao over and hugged her in his arms.

He started to talk about the secret from that year.

As Cheng Zhao listened, anger welled up from the bottom of her heart, and she was extremely furious.

Those women had bullied him wantonly.