Chapter 99: Calculation
When Cheng Zhao woke up in the morning, Zhou Yuanshen had surprisingly not left yet.
Their bed was like a small, warm chamber, with a canopy hanging on the outside; inside it was a large bed, complete with a footstool, bedside tables, and a row of drawers and compartments; and then beyond that was the actual sleeping area.
Within the sleeping area, there was another curtain hung. When it was cold, both the outer canopy and inner curtain were lowered, plunging the bed into pitch darkness; when it was hot, only a thin gauze curtain was hung, and a screen was placed in front of the bed.
A horn-paned lamp sat on the bedside table, fitted with a shade, leaving only a sliver of light seeping through cracks, blurry and dim through the curtains.
When Cheng Zhao first awoke, she could barely make out Zhou Yuanshen’s silhouette, but she had no idea how bright it was outside. Still, having slept very well, she guessed it was already late.
She nudged Zhou Yuanshen: “Lord of the Manor, it’s time to get up.”
Then she added with an unnecessary question, “Are you off duty today?”
Zhou Yuanshen stirred.
“Yes,” he said.
He sat up and, ignoring that Cheng Zhao was still groggy, quickly lifted the outer canopy. Light rushed in, stinging Cheng Zhao’s eyes.
He briskly went to change clothes and wash up, his face expressionless. There was none of the relaxed ease after a sound sleep, nor did he seem about to lose his temper. In short, he was very distant.
Outside the canopy, the morning sun had already risen, casting warm rays on the rear window.
Cheng Zhao was also running late.
She asked Nanny Li, “Why didn’t you wake me?”
Nanny Li replied, “You still have half an hour before you need to report to the Hall of Honoring Heirs, so there’s no rush.”
Cheng Zhao: “...Half an hour is nowhere near enough time?”
Nanny Li chuckled, “The Lord of the Manor is off duty today, so I thought you could sleep a little longer.”
It was rare for the couple to have such an intimate moment together.
Nanny Li had specifically asked the maid Mingyu from the outer study and confirmed that the Lord of the Manor had no early commitments today, so she let them sleep in.
A maid was combing Cheng Zhao’s hair when Nanny Li came in with a bowl of bird’s nest porridge: “Eat something first to fill your stomach.”
Zhou Yuanshen re-entered, and Suyue, along with another senior maid, helped him dress.
Once he was fully dressed, he said, “I’ll have breakfast in the outer study. I need to go to the Eastern Palace this morning. I have an appointment with the Crown Prince, and I’m almost late.”
Cheng Zhao: “...”
He strode off.
Unlike his fervent attitude when he had come home last night, he had returned to being cold and aloof this morning, keeping her at arm’s length. Cheng Zhao felt dizzy, as if he hadn’t been “satisfied” last night.
But clearly...
Men really do draw a clear line between what happens in bed and matters outside the bedroom.
His passion was only a fleeting “urge.”
Cheng Zhao suddenly realized that she was nothing special to him. When he was passionate, he was merely amusing himself with her.
“...Well, it’s not like I lost anything,” she thought, sipping her bird’s nest porridge slowly.
She just shouldn’t misunderstand his attitude, mistaking his warmth for genuine affection. As for the pleasure within the curtains, he had given that to Cheng Zhao too.
Having been “satisfied” last night, she was in a very good mood this morning, feeling unusually generous.
She had no time for breakfast, finishing only the bowl of bird’s nest porridge before rinsing her mouth and rushing to the Hall of Honoring Heirs.
Qiubai himself drove a small oilcloth cart, whipping the horse furiously for fear Cheng Zhao would be late.
When Cheng Zhao arrived, Huan Qingtang had already taken her seat and was speaking to the stewards; the eldest madam had not yet emerged from her inner chamber.
“...The madam said she is unwell today, so she’ll leave matters to the eldest daughter-in-law to handle as she sees fit.” A trusted stewardess from Madam Song came to the main hall and said this.
Everyone in the hall exchanged glances.
Only yesterday had the eldest madam confronted Huan Qingtang, and now today she was hiding away from affairs. The underlying attitude was quite subtle.
It somewhat resembled the period when the eldest madam had been “resting due to illness.”
“Could it be that the eldest madam has been confined to her quarters by the old madam again?” the stewards wondered among themselves.
If that were the case, then the old madam was Huan Qingtang’s patron. From now on, the eldest daughter-in-law would command great respect and could not be underestimated.
As for Cheng Zhao, who had clearly shown great ability and shone brilliantly at the birthday banquet, she seemed to have been overshadowed yet again.
“Grandmother mentioned that in a few days, she wants to go to the Temple of Double Yang for an offering. The birthday banquet was very lively, and grandmother is happy, so she plans to hold a three-day Peaceful Purification Ritual there,” Huan Qingtang said with a smile.
The Peaceful Purification Ritual was a common, grand prayer ceremony, praying for the nation’s peace and favorable weather.
The Emperor had favored the Manor of Chen State with a special gift by personally congratulating the old madam on her birthday. The Zhou family holding this ritual to pray for peace under heaven was also a way of repaying the imperial grace.
“Have the dates been chosen?” asked a steward.
Cheng Zhao sat quietly to the side, listening silently.
“The twenty-fifth is a good date,” Huan Qingtang said. “I checked the almanac. That day is favorable for all matters. If no one objects, I’ll inform grandmother.”
She conducted herself like the head of the household, having already made her decision.
Everyone agreed.
Cheng Zhao also said, “I defer to grandmother and eldest sister-in-law’s arrangements.”
She wore a proper smile on her face, her tone warm and gentle.
Halfway through the morning, after a batch of stewards had finished reporting and left the Hall of Honoring Heirs, they couldn’t help whispering about Cheng Zhao and Huan Qingtang.
Neither of these young madams was simple.
“They have their own opinions and can make decisions. The old madam likes people who have a clear mind. Back then, when the eldest madam asked her opinion about everything, the old madam scolded her for it,” the steward praised Huan Qingtang.
Another steward praised Cheng Zhao: “She’s calm and composed, not a flicker of change on her face. Even though she shone at the banquet, she still didn’t overshadow the eldest daughter-in-law.”
Both possessed a wisdom and scheming far beyond their years.
One generation surpasses the next. Compared to the previous two madams, these two young madams of the Zhou family were much deeper in their schemes and calculations.
It was truly hard to predict which of them would come out on top by the end.
The next day, they confirmed the date for going to the Temple of Double Yang to hold the Peaceful Purification Ritual: the day after, the twenty-fifth of the third lunar month.
The old madam would attend in person.
Cheng Zhao felt a vague unease. She sent Nanny Li back to the Cheng family and asked Suyue to go to her elder sister, seeking information about all kinds of details regarding the Temple of Double Yang.
In the mid-afternoon, before Nanny Li and Suyue had returned, Zhou Yuanshen arrived home first.
Cheng Zhao told him about the matter.
“...Strictly speaking, the birthday banquet wasn’t well done. Sister-in-law’s side was full of flaws. The dishes ‘Lotus Seed Soup’ and ‘Dance of the Cranes’ were both heavily criticized. Given grandmother’s nature, this would be the time to keep a low profile. The Temple of Double Yang is a grand temple, and holding a Peaceful Purification Ritual there will draw plenty of attention. Isn’t this inviting gossip and criticism?” Cheng Zhao analyzed it for Zhou Yuanshen.
Among Taoist offerings for blessings, the Peaceful Purification Ritual was the grandest because it prayed for the prosperity of the nation.
A ceremony like this would be noted by all the meritorious noble families in the capital, once again thrusting Huan Qingtang into the spotlight. Faced with unfavorable rumors, letting things cool down and be forgotten would be the wiser approach.
If the old madam was trying to promote Huan Qingtang, raising the idea of holding such a ritual now made Cheng Zhao question the intentions behind it.
Zhou Yuanshen’s manner was cold, but he listened intently to what Cheng Zhao said.
“It is indeed a bit odd,” Zhou Yuanshen said.
“You don’t think I’m being overly suspicious, Lord of the Manor?”
“Being suspicious isn’t wrong. I don’t fully trust grandmother’s actions either. It’s good for you to be more cautious,” Zhou Yuanshen replied.
Then he added, “Cheng Zhao, you might have incurred grandmother’s displeasure. If you value your life, you need to be even more careful.”
Because during the birthday banquet, while Huan Qingtang lost face, Cheng Zhao stole the spotlight. This outcome had slipped out of the old madam’s control.
That was what she found most unacceptable.
As for how her aunt had died, Zhou Yuanshen had heard his father recount the story several times.
After that incident, his father had become disheartened, given up on any ambition for the title, and done nothing. Regarding the old madam, he heeded her every word.
He had to survive—he had a wife and children.
The old madam called him a lost cause that could not be propped up.
Even toward her own daughter, who might one day become an empress, the grand madam could be ruthless, simply because she had gone “out of control”—let alone someone as insignificant as Cheng Zhao.
Besides, the eldest branch had lost three men, and not all of them had died from illness.
Zhou Yuanshen knew that his eldest cousin had always been in poor health, frail and sickly. But his eldest uncle and second cousin had not been weak or prone to illness since childhood. The second cousin had even been a military officer, having followed their grandfather in his youth—and they had died even earlier.