Li Shi was grateful for Madam Guo the Elder’s thoughtfulness and kept saying quietly to Zhou Shaojin, “The old madam is truly wonderful! You’re blessed to have met such a good mother-in-law!”
“Naturally.” On this point, Zhou Shaojin was never modest. She smiled and said, “My mother-in-law is not only kind and generous, but also well-informed and experienced. Her manner of treating people and handling affairs is first-rate. I’ve learned quite a lot these past few years being by her side.”
Li Shi nodded with a smile and asked about Zhou Chujin, “When are you returning to Zhenjiang? We should also send a gift.”
On the sixteenth of June, Liao Shaotang’s younger sister was getting married. As the sister-in-law, Zhou Chujin would set off to return to Zhenjiang with Guan Ge’er and her mother-in-law, Madam Liao the Elder, right after Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration.
Zhou Chujin thanked her and said with a smile, “The marriage was arranged before mother-in-law came to the capital. Because the groom is a year younger than my sister-in-law, they agreed to wait until she turned eighteen before the wedding. The dowry has long been prepared. But mother-in-law has been living in the capital these past few years, and she needs to visit all the relatives and friends, uncles and sisters-in-law, and family elders one by one. According to mother-in-law’s plan, we’ll depart on the twenty-sixth of April to rush back to Zhenjiang for the fifteenth.”
Yun Ge’er’s birthday was on the twenty-fourth of April.
Li Shi was slightly stunned and said, “So you’re leaving on the third day after Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration. I was planning to travel back with you.”
“Youjin and Zongjin rarely make a trip here—you should stay a few more days!” Zhou Chujin said with a smile. “Besides, Baoding isn’t far from here anyway.”
Li Shi laughed, “Who knew you’d leave so early! Even if I wanted to travel with you, I can’t now. When I came, your father instructed me to bring the children to drink Second Great Uncle’s celebratory wine before leaving.”
Zhou Chujin smiled and looked around. Seeing that the maids and wet nurses were all outside in the courtyard with Yun Ge’er, Guan Ge’er, Youjin, and Zongjin, and that only the three women remained quietly inside the room, she asked in a low voice about Nanny Chang, “…I heard she writes excellently. Among the palace nannies, is she considered one of the most learned?”
“I really don’t know about that.” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “But she’s very amiable and shouldn’t be difficult to get along with.”
As the several people were talking, Zhou Chujin covered her chest, her brows slightly furrowed, looking quite uncomfortable.
Zhou Shaojin quickly asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Zhou Chujin murmured bashfully, “I… I’m pregnant…”
“Ah?!” Zhou Shaojin and Li Shi exclaimed in unison, unable to help laughing. One asked, “How far along are you? Should we have a physician examine you again? Counting the days, it was about time for good news,” while the other said, “Why didn’t sister tell me about such a big thing? If I’d known, we should have held the banquet at the water pavilion—the air is better there.”
Zhou Chujin said with a red face, “Just three months. Your brother-in-law had to participate in the Spring Examination and then the Hanlin selection, so I didn’t make any announcements. Don’t worry, I’m doing well.” She added, “It’s also quite strange—this child seems afraid of disturbing his father. There were no signs at all before, but after your brother-in-law’s matters were settled, I started feeling a bit uncomfortable. Your brother-in-law says this child knows how to care for people.” After speaking, she smiled with pursed lips, joy radiating from the corners of her eyes and brows as a mother.
Zhou Shaojin was happy for Zhou Chujin.
In her previous life, elder sister had struggled to have just one child, but in this life she had the opportunity to become a mother again.
She couldn’t help but embrace her sister’s arm, saying, “Congratulations, sister!”
Zhou Chujin thanked her warmly.
Zhou Shaojin quickly ordered several more vegetable dishes to be added to the noon meal.
By the time they had lunch, Cheng Chi had also learned the news.
The two couples naturally had to drink a few cups of wine together, while Li Shi and the Zhou sisters discussed child-rearing. Time passed merrily and busily.
Zhou Shaojin and Cheng Chi saw off their guests, greeted Li Shi, and the two went to Madam Guo the Elder’s quarters.
Madam Guo the Elder was leaning against a large pillow, reading a local gazetteer.
Seeing them enter, she showed a smile and asked Zhou Shaojin if everyone had enjoyed themselves.
Zhou Shaojin relayed to Madam Guo the Elder the compliments Li Shi had given her.
Madam Guo the Elder chuckled, knowing this was Zhou Shaojin trying to please her. She didn’t take it too much to heart. Thinking of the Chang family living at Yuqian Alley, she asked Zhou Shaojin, “For Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration, have you sent an invitation card over there?”
“Yes.” Zhou Shaojin smiled. “I personally delivered the invitation.”
Madam Guo the Elder nodded with satisfaction, just about to discuss Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration with her in detail, when a young maid announced through the curtain, “Someone from the Fourth Prince’s Manor has come to deliver congratulatory gifts. A nanny from the Princess Consort’s side wishes to come in and pay respects to the old madam and madam.”
Just after the Buddha Bathing Festival, Zhou Shaojin’s fourth-rank Lady appointment had come through. Along with her, several mothers or wives of officials in the capital had also received appointments. Zhou Shaojin had entered the palace with them to express gratitude and had thus exchanged names and met several wives of fourth-rank capital officials.
After leaving the palace, the household began addressing Zhou Shaojin as “madam.”
Hearing this, Madam Guo the Elder frowned and said to Zhou Shaojin, “Have you heard Silang mention anything? The Fourth Prince has been getting quite close to us these days!”
Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to deceive Madam Guo the Elder, but didn’t dare tell the old lady about Cheng Chi’s plans either. She could only say vaguely, “My husband has been personally handling matters concerning the Fourth Prince. I don’t yet know exactly why the Fourth Prince’s Manor has been getting close to us these days. When my husband returns later, I’ll discuss it with him.”
Madam Guo the Elder instructed the young maid to lead the people from the Fourth Prince’s Manor inside, then said to Zhou Shaojin, “When Silang finishes work, have him come sit with me for a while.”
The implication was that she wanted to inquire about this matter personally.
Zhou Shaojin agreed with a smile. That evening when she saw Cheng Chi, she felt a bit worried for him, “…What should you say to mother?”
“What’s so difficult about that?” Cheng Chi smiled. “Mother isn’t someone who hasn’t weathered storms. The Fourth Prince has been bustling about the capital these days putting on a show of respecting the worthy and recruiting talent. Even if I don’t tell mother, the Duchess of Pengcheng will tell her.”
Zhou Shaojin was somewhat puzzled, “Could we have been wrong in our suspicions before—if he has designs on the throne, why would he be so frivolous? Isn’t he afraid the Emperor will suspect him?”
“He’s not parading around in front of the Grand Secretaries—why would the Emperor suspect him?” Cheng Chi let Zhou Shaojin help him change clothes while telling her about outside matters. “He has the Third Prince above him. If he doesn’t circulate more among meritorious families or officials like me who are fifth or fourth rank, with the Imperial Grand Prince above and the Third Prince below, who would even remember him!”
Zhou Shaojin’s heart stirred at these words, and she asked Cheng Chi somewhat gleefully, “Is it because we pressed him urgently, so circumstances have changed? The Fourth Prince, who was originally low-key and unnoticed, has now been forced to raise his profile?”
In her previous life, when the Crown Prince died, the Emperor was deeply grieved and wanted to enfeoff the Imperial Eldest Grandson as Imperial Grand Prince. Several princes objected. The Emperor felt they lacked fraternal affection and coveted the throne, and became suspicious. The Second Prince and Third Prince, who ranked ahead of the Fourth Prince, fell from grace one after another. When the Imperial Grand Prince died of illness, he naturally inherited the throne.
But in this life, the Crown Prince had been angered to death. The Second Prince and Seventh Prince were implicated, yet the Third Prince remained safe and sound. The Emperor was also grief-stricken from losing several adult princes in succession. Neither the remaining princes nor the court officials had the heart to oppose the Emperor establishing the Imperial Eldest Grandson as Imperial Grand Prince, and the Fourth Prince’s wishful calculations were shattered.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help muttering quietly, “How strange! If the Second Prince and the others were framed by the Fourth Prince, why didn’t the Fourth Prince endure until the Crown Prince died of illness like in the previous life? His actions seem haphazard, without any real plan… how awkward!”
What’s awkward about it?
Cheng Chi thought to himself: If not for the people he had arranged by the Crown Prince’s side helping the Crown Prince avoid traps several times, would the Fourth Prince have hastily exploited the relationship between the Second Prince and that Dai-surnamed palace maid?
However, Cheng Chi didn’t plan to tell Zhou Shaojin.
Shaojin was kindhearted—if she knew about this, she would probably feel very uneasy. Better not to tell her.
Cheng Chi smiled, “Circumstances always change. Perhaps in the previous life, the advisor who gave him that idea didn’t think of it due to various reasons?”
That was also true.
Zhou Shaojin sighed and said, “I hope it’s only these small things that have changed. Otherwise, I’ll have caused you harm.”
Cheng Chi smiled slightly, put his arm around Zhou Shaojin’s shoulder, and said, “All right, let’s go pay respects to mother first. Regarding the Fourth Prince’s matter, the Imperial Grand Prince needs to take action.”
Making the Crown Prince’s death point to the Fourth Prince—naturally the Imperial Grand Prince would investigate, and what the Fourth Prince could least withstand now was investigation.
Who should be sent to the Imperial Grand Prince’s side?
Should they use a civil or military official?
Cheng Chi’s mind raced as he went with Zhou Shaojin to Madam Guo the Elder’s quarters.
After he told Madam Guo the Elder about whom the Fourth Prince had been in contact with these days, she suddenly understood, “So that’s it! He knows the Grand Secretaries won’t pay him any attention, so he has no choice but to associate with you fourth and fifth-rank officials, hoping to gain your support.”
Cheng Chi knew his mother would understand and said, “I was already acquainted with the Fourth Prince. It’s quite normal for him to send gifts to congratulate us on Yun Ge’er’s third-day, full-month, and first birthday celebrations.”
Madam Guo the Elder still cautioned him uneasily, “It’s still better to have less contact! We don’t yet know what the Imperial Grand Prince’s temperament is like.”
Cheng Chi respectfully replied, “Yes.”
A few days later, as Yun Ge’er’s first birthday celebration drew near, Zhou Shaojin and the others became increasingly busy.
News came from the Ministry of Personnel that Cheng Xu had been appointed as County Magistrate of Mianzhu County.
Mianzhu was under the jurisdiction of Deyang Prefecture, a medium-sized county, but because it was in Sichuan and rather remote, it wasn’t a particularly sought-after post.
When Cheng Xu received the news, he was dazed for a long time.
External posting!
A real external posting!
Something he had longed for so much it had nearly become an obsession had suddenly come to pass. This feeling made Cheng Xu feel very strange.
Yuan Shi sat on the canopy bed in the inner chamber, her face deathly pale. The plain paper and hanging curtains made everything within her sight gloomy and oppressive.
In the end, Cheng Xu had still gotten his way.
He wanted so desperately to leave her.
To leave her, he was even willing to sacrifice his career prospects?
If she had married Zhou Shaojin to him back then, would he have continued to study diligently as he had for the metropolitan examination, achieving the top score and competing for the Triple Crown?
Yuan Shi couldn’t help thinking this.
But then couldn’t help stopping herself from thinking it.
Zhou Shaojin was a motherless girl living under someone else’s roof—besides a pretty face, what else did she have to offer?
How could she compare to Min Shi!