Far away in Jinling, Old Madam Guo finished reading the letter her youngest son had sent someone to deliver and burst out laughing. She called Nanny Shi in and said, “Send this over to the old ancestor of the second branch.”
Whether to take the silver and completely offend the first branch, or to protect the descendants’ future prospects and preserve some goodwill for future encounters—let the second branch choose for themselves.
Thinking of this, Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but sneer coldly.
Truly, thirty years on the east side of the river, thirty years on the west side!
Back then, that old scoundrel Cheng Xu had used the first branch descendants’ future prospects to force the old master to throw Fourth Son out as a sacrificial offering. Because of this matter, she didn’t even want to visit the old master’s grave. Now, let that old scoundrel taste this same flavor!
Old Madam Guo’s eyes grew slightly moist.
Her youngest son, her eldest grandson—the old lady’s lifeblood.
How could she not favor Fourth Son?
This grievance had finally been vented by Fourth Son.
Among her three sons, he was the most caring.
He knew what she thought, what she brooded over… He was also the most filial… yet also the one she had wronged the most…
Old Madam Guo wiped the corners of her eyes.
It seemed Fourth Son had made up his mind to marry Shaojin.
This was what gave her a headache.
Outsiders could be dealt with—there were always ways to deceive them. But the people in this family… there was no way around them no matter what… That tender young girl had been abducted by her own son—how could she face Zhou Dacheng with any dignity… Moreover, that little girl had such a gentle and weak temperament. Fourth Son had expended such great effort to marry her—did she know Fourth Son’s feelings? Would she value Fourth Son as much as he valued her?
If she only married over because Fourth Son wanted to marry her… that would be too unfair to their Fourth Son’s devoted heart!
In a mother’s eyes, her own sons were all first-rate in this world.
Old Madam Guo was no different.
When she thought that Zhou Shaojin might only have the mutual respect between husband and wife for her youngest son, her heart felt stuffed with cotton wadding, unable to get a breath of relief no matter what.
This won’t do!
She had to go see for herself.
Once the thought arose, Old Madam Guo could no longer sit still.
She called Nanny Lü in and said, “When exactly has Jiashan’s wedding been set for?”
Nanny Lü smiled and said, “The sixth day of the second month.”
Old Madam Guo arranged her hair at the temples and said, “I think it would be better for me to make a trip there! Yuan Shi is making such a fuss with the second branch, and the old ancestor of the second branch comes to me whenever there’s trouble—what am I supposed to say? Better to take this opportunity to go to the capital, and I can also see how the wedding preparations are going at the capital residence.”
Nanny Lü, thinking she understood Old Madam Guo’s meaning, smiled and said, “You should have done this long ago. If you’re not present for Young Master Xu’s wedding, what’s the point? Moreover, those family friends from the old master’s time who know Young Master Xu is getting married in the capital all ask when you’ll be going to the capital. If you don’t go, when Madam answers them, she stammers and stutters—how can she save face?”
Old Madam Guo sighed secretly in her heart.
Nanny Lü had followed her for so many years, yet still couldn’t compare to Nanny Shi in perceptiveness.
She wasn’t going to the capital, first because she was a widow. When the actual ceremony took place, she would need to withdraw, and she didn’t want to trouble the children or make things difficult for them. Second, she didn’t want to give face to that Min family, as if the entire Cheng family was eagerly fawning over them, which would cause them to lose the initiative in future words and actions and lack confidence.
But now, as soon as she thought of Zhou Shaojin, she couldn’t sit still for even a moment.
No matter what, that child had to wholeheartedly come to like Fourth Son.
Otherwise, she truly felt suffocated in her heart.
She called Steward Qin in to ask, “Is Fourth Son’s residence at Chaoyangmen large? If I were to stay there, would there be room?”
Steward Qin smiled and said, “It has five courtyards in three sections, plus two gardens with running water. What do you think—is there room for you?”
Old Madam Guo was startled and said, “This child! Why did he buy such a large residence? And we’re still dealing with dividing the clan here!”
Steward Qin smiled and said, “It was purchased with your personal silver. Fourth Master is probably planning to keep it for his own use.”
That bit of her personal silver was all given by Cheng Chi anyway!
Madam Guo laughed and said, “He should indeed make some plans for himself!”
Steward Qin probed, “Could it be that Fourth Master is thinking of starting a family?”
A trace of pride flashed in Old Madam Guo’s eyes, and she whispered, “Why don’t you come with me to the capital to take a look?”
Steward Qin was greatly interested.
Cheng Chi’s martial arts had been initially taught by his father. Although later he learned from the secret manuals brought back by Duke Lie, Cheng Chi had also learned quite a bit of the Qin family’s hereditary skills. By ranking and seniority, Cheng Chi should be his junior apprentice brother. Moreover, when his father passed away, it was Cheng Chi who helped arrange the funeral. Steward Qin naturally had deeper feelings for Cheng Chi than for the other young masters of the Cheng family.
As soon as Old Madam Guo mentioned it, his heart was moved.
After hesitating a moment, he said, “But what about the clan division matter here…”
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “Three million taels of silver—that’s impossible. Even if Fourth Son produced it, Yuan Shi would think that this is all silver from the first branch’s public funds, and divided by households, her son would also get one-third, meaning one million taels belongs to her son. Sending silver from her own son’s pocket into someone else’s bosom—she’d probably rather cut her own flesh than bear to take it out.
“What’s more, there’s still Yuan family’s maternal uncle there. As for Cheng Xu’s side, when Duke Lie was around, those were chaotic times. Speaking of silver, the second branch lacks it least of all. However, there’s no one among the descendants who can truly stand firm, so they just want more silver on hand when dividing the clan. If they can protect Cheng Shi’s future prospects, silver and such—Cheng Xu truly doesn’t care about it.
“If we stay here, we’ll just be listening to them haggle. Better to go to the capital to see Fourth Son.
“He’s been running around so much lately, my heart feels a bit uncertain.”
Old Madam Guo wasn’t entirely clear about what her son was actually doing outside. But she wasn’t some sheltered inner-chamber woman without worldly experience. The Seven Star Hall had started by trafficking in illegal salt, which inevitably meant dealing with those ruthless bandits from the jianghu who killed without blinking. Otherwise, Cheng Xu wouldn’t have had Cheng Chi start practicing martial arts at such a young age, nor would Cheng Li have been killed while Cheng Xu, despite being a cabinet minister, still couldn’t avenge his son.
Steward Qin knew what Cheng Chi was doing, but couldn’t tell Old Madam Guo.
He simply changed the subject and smiled, “Fourth Master… has he taken a liking to the second young miss of the Zhou family?”
“So you know about this too.” Old Madam Guo knew that the Qin family was no ordinary household, and moreover, the Qin family members were all serving at Cheng Chi’s side, so it wasn’t strange that they knew something. “I just don’t know if it can be accomplished? I’m a bit worried.”
Steward Qin smiled and said, “Fourth Master has always been capable. There’s nothing he can’t accomplish. You can rest assured.”
Old Madam Guo said, “Without seeing it with my own eyes, I have no way to feel at ease.”
Steward Qin smiled and said, “Then I’ll accompany you to take a look.”
He hadn’t yet carefully observed Zhou Shaojin.
Old Madam Guo immediately began enthusiastically packing things. She thought that if this matter could truly be accomplished, Zhou Shaojin would soon reach the hairpin ceremony age, and it would be best to hold the wedding this year. Next year, she might be able to hold a grandchild.
She was getting old and couldn’t wait much longer.
When Zhou Shaojin had previously been a cousin miss, she was indeed of upright character, gentle and proper. But as her daughter-in-law, who knew whether she could shoulder the responsibility of managing the household… That soft and weak appearance… Fortunately, the Cheng family wasn’t some small household. The family didn’t lack experienced and loyal steward matrons who could offer guidance from the side and manage things somehow. And she wasn’t a clan wife… Managing the household could be set aside. As long as she could take good care of Fourth Son, that would be enough…
Old Madam Guo thought about how to arrange the household staff at the Chaoyangmen residence. One moment she instructed Zhenzhu to open the storeroom and take out all her gold and silver jewelry, the next moment she told Nanny Lü to pack up several of her favorite objects to take with them, then had Nanny Shi find all the indenture contracts for the first-rank maids and matrons born as hereditary servants who had managed affairs at her side. She also thought that since she was going to the capital, she needed to send word to the Guo Mansion, Gu Mansion, and Duke Liangguo’s mansion—ordinary matrons naturally couldn’t go deliver such messages, it would have to be Nanny Lü or Nanny Shi… Then she discovered she hadn’t yet told Yuan Shi about this matter, but the people around her were already spinning in circles with busyness. So she casually pointed to a maid and had her go invite Yuan Shi over.
Yuan Shi was currently talking with her own brother: “…Fourth Uncle’s business has indeed done well these past years. But three million taels of silver—I think the first branch simply can’t produce it. The old ancestor of the second branch is deliberately making things difficult for us, not wanting to divide this family.”
“How much can Zichuan produce?” Yuan Shi’s brother was nearly twenty years older than her. Of medium height and slightly prosperous build, he had a pair of very sharp eyes. He didn’t resemble Yuan Shi much in appearance, but their temperaments were quite similar. He paced around the room with his hands behind his back, pondered and said, “Even if the first branch can’t produce this much silver, when they ask for the sky, you negotiate from the ground—there has to be a number to settle on. Or perhaps this way.” At this point, he stopped walking, his gaze darkening slightly as he said, “On our side, we promise that as long as Cheng Shi passes the imperial examination, we absolutely won’t block his future prospects…”
Yuan Shi’s eyes lit up and she said, “You mean, secretly trip him up…”
“Ptui!” Uncle Yuan from the maternal family spat at Yuan Shi and said, “We scholarly people keep our word. If we say we won’t block his future prospects, we won’t block his future prospects…”
“But…” Yuan Shi’s face reddened, but she still said unwillingly, “If we do this, the two families will have formed a feud. We can’t just let an enemy constantly parade before my eyes, can we?”
“You, oh you!” Uncle Yuan said resentfully, “Do you think becoming an official is so easy? As long as when you two families divide the clan, the second branch is in the wrong, even if that Cheng Shi passes the imperial examination and enters the Hanlin Academy, who would dare associate with him? Right now is not the time for you to haggle over what conditions the second branch proposes, but to find a way to put the second branch in the wrong!”
Yuan Shi perked up again and said, “Then I’ll have people spread the word…”
Uncle Yuan covered his face in dismay and said, “You’ve really married into the Cheng family with your maternal uncle protecting you. If you’d married into another family, you’d probably have been devoured without even bones remaining. Even your steward knows that if it really doesn’t work out, just sell all the ancestral property in the public funds. How can you not think of this?”
“Steward? You mean Chief Steward Qin?” Yuan Shi was still somewhat confused.
Uncle Yuan couldn’t be bothered with her anymore and said, “Think about it—if the first branch divides the clan by giving a large sum of silver to the second branch, wouldn’t it be because the second branch previously refused to divide the clan because they weren’t given enough silver?”
Yuan Shi understood and couldn’t help clapping her hands, “Excellent! Excellent!”
Uncle Yuan puffed up with pride and satisfaction, snorting coldly as he raised his head, saying, “I’m just afraid your mother-in-law won’t agree! You’d better think of a way to keep this from your mother-in-law.”