The Empress sighed and said, “There’s nothing that can be done about this! As the saying goes, when a tree grows large it branches out, when children grow up the family divides. When the children are grown, each has their own thoughts. Can we still pull and drag them along?” Her tone was quite sympathetic.
Old Madam Guo’s eyes immediately reddened as she said, “Exactly so. So let me bear this bad reputation, and it will spare those censors from gossiping behind people’s backs.”
Upon hearing this, the Empress’s brow furrowed.
Zhou Shaojin’s heart couldn’t help but rise in her chest. She heard the Countess of Pengcheng immediately cry out, saying, “Exactly! Those censors have nothing to do after eating their meals. They just stare at other people’s inner courtyards all day. This spring the Yellow River burst its banks, this summer there was a great drought in Jiaxing—they don’t think of ways to share His Majesty’s worries. Instead they spend all day impeaching this person and that person. They’re truly shameless!”
Madam Qiu quickly pushed the plate of snacks before her toward the Countess of Pengcheng, saying, “Grandmother, didn’t you always say the palace’s rose cakes are delicious? Have a rose cake.”
The Countess of Pengcheng said “Oh,” picked up a rose cake with her fingers, but her expression showed some apprehension as she glanced toward the Empress.
The Empress sighed again and said, “What can I say about you? Fortunately there are no outsiders here, and Ah Shen is tight-lipped. If these words got out, I’m afraid they would bring trouble to the Earl of Pengcheng’s household. Look at Ah Shen—whether sons, grandsons, or daughters-in-law, there isn’t one who isn’t virtuous and proper. Can’t you learn from Ah Shen!”
The Countess of Pengcheng said nothing.
Old Madam Guo quickly said, “Deep love brings strict discipline. Your Majesty need not take these matters too much to heart. Which of those censors doesn’t want to use the imperial family’s reputation to achieve their own fame? They target the Earl of Pengcheng’s household precisely because it’s prominent enough. Your Majesty should feel pleased.”
The Empress listened and laughed, saying, “You needn’t comfort me. I have no other recourse.” Then she changed the subject, not wishing to discuss it further: “Are you settling in well after moving to the capital? I heard your second son is still at the Hanlin Academy? Do you want to change his posting? Though the Hanlin Academy is good, it’s too purely prestigious. What do you think about posting him outside for a year or two, perhaps as a Salt Distribution Commissioner or something similar…”
Wasn’t this blatantly letting the Cheng family profit financially?
Was this really the Empress?
Zhou Shaojin felt heat rising from her body, perspiration breaking out.
Old Madam Guo, however, wasn’t surprised at all. She quickly bowed toward the Empress in thanks, saying, “You know me—born in Jinling, raised in Jinling. But after marrying into the Cheng family, I spent most of my time in the capital. If you let me choose, I’d still prefer to come to the capital. With your protection, and being able to visit the Countess of Pengcheng to chat about family matters, it’s more comfortable than Jinling. Though Second Son’s position is purely prestigious, it suits his temperament. Let him stay properly at the Hanlin Academy for a few more years. In a few years when he’s more steady, it won’t be too late for me to seek Your Majesty’s favor for him.” She tactfully declined the Empress’s proposal.
The Empress wasn’t angry either, smiling as she said, “When Lady Fengsheng was alive, she said you were someone who planned well. Since you have this intention, it surely won’t be wrong. In the future you must often enter the palace to see me. You should also frequently visit the Countess of Pengcheng—she’s someone without guile in her heart who easily offends people. With you watching from the side, I won’t have to worry about her all day long.”
These words made both the Countess of Pengcheng and Madam Qiu’s faces turn completely red. Old Madam Guo repeatedly said “I wouldn’t dare,” saying, “The Countess of Pengcheng has Your Majesty’s protection, which is why she doesn’t worry about these social interactions. Now with such a tactful granddaughter-in-law as Madam Qiu, she has even less to worry about. Please rest assured—with Madam Qiu serving beside her, nothing will go wrong.”
The Empress’s gaze gently fell upon Madam Qiu as she smiled and said, “This child is also good!” Then she grabbed a handful of peanuts and gave them to Madam Qiu, saying, “I want to chat privately with your grandmother and Old Madam Guo. You and Madam Zhou go out and enjoy yourselves!” She then grabbed a handful of melon seeds for Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin and Madam Qiu immediately stood up, curtsied to the Empress and the others, withdrew from the side hall, and rested in the tea room beside it.
Madam Qiu divided half the peanuts and gave them to Zhou Shaojin, saying, “These should be Shandong peanuts—red-skinned, with three or four peanuts in each shell. Though the kernels are somewhat small, they’re very delicious. Try them!”
Zhou Shaojin wasn’t stingy either and divided half her melon seeds to give her.
The two sat in the tea room eating refreshments, drinking tea, and making inconsequential conversation. Neither brought up Old Madam Guo’s intentions or the current dangers in the palace.
After drinking about two or three cups of tea, a palace maid walked in softly and said in a low voice, “The Grand Dowager, Madam, and Heir’s Wife of the Marquis of Cheng’en have all arrived.”
Madam Qiu glanced at Zhou Shaojin. Seeing Zhou Shaojin’s completely unruffled appearance, she smiled with pursed lips and directly asked the palace maid, “Where did they come from?”
The palace maid, seeing she didn’t avoid Zhou Shaojin, stated frankly, “From the Eastern Palace.”
Madam Qiu smiled and said “I understand.” The palace maid quietly withdrew.
“What does Fourth Madam usually do at home?” Madam Qiu continued chatting with Zhou Shaojin. “In a few days it’s my daughter’s birthday. If Fourth Madam has time, please come sit at our home!”
Zhou Shaojin smiled in agreement, but in her heart she was pondering matters concerning the Earl of Pengcheng and the Marquis of Cheng’en’s households.
In her previous life, the Lin family had merely been a hereditary fourth-rank military official household. Only because they had an aunt who became an Imperial Dowager Consort and could speak before the Empress Dowager, and because Lin Shisheng was capable, did the Lin family get ahead of others. But the Lin family ultimately couldn’t compare to those descendants of founding families. She had never heard of any conflicts between the Marquis of Cheng’en’s household and the Earl of Pengcheng’s household… Now that Cheng Chi wanted to investigate the Cheng family’s massacre case from years ago, she wondered if this matter would be useful to him?
No wonder Old Madam Guo had rebuked Yuan Zheng for being foolish. Just by following Old Madam Guo into the palace once, she had discovered problems between the Earl of Pengcheng’s household and the Marquis of Cheng’en’s household. If she frequently gathered with those madams, she would probably know even more.
It was just that her personality was too introverted, unlike Cheng Zheng who could move in and out of the palace… Thinking of this, her heart stirred.
If she could draw Cheng Zheng into this matter, wouldn’t that be twice as effective with half the effort?
Zhou Shaojin smiled and chatted idly with Madam Qiu until a palace maid came in to invite them to the side hall, saying the people from the Marquis of Cheng’en’s household had arrived and asking them to go greet them. Only then did the two go shoulder to shoulder to the side hall.
The Marquis of Cheng’en’s household also didn’t have high origins. Before Empress Xu was enfeoffed, their family had merely been craftsmen working with mud and tiles. The wives they married afterward were either daughters of powerful officials or young ladies from newly promoted official families. Their conduct and style were even inferior to the Earl of Pengcheng’s household—at least the Earl of Pengcheng’s household knew to marry young ladies from scholarly farming families. The Marquis of Cheng’en’s household, however, valued their daughters-in-law’s dowries more.
Looking at the room full of women adorned with gold and silver, Zhou Shaojin had absolutely no desire to speak.
However, the Countess of Cheng’en’s eyes lit up upon seeing her. She asked Old Madam Guo, “Is this your youngest daughter-in-law? The Zhou family’s Second Miss?”
Old Madam Guo smiled and nodded, also showing no intention of conversing with them.
The Countess of Cheng’en then brazenly scrutinized Zhou Shaojin, asking Old Madam Guo, “Does your youngest daughter-in-law’s family have any other sisters of marriageable age? My natal family’s nephew hasn’t married yet. He doesn’t ask for anything else, only that the young lady be beautiful. Your youngest daughter-in-law is truly beautiful!”
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “They’re three sisters. The eldest has already married, and the younger sister is only three years old this year. None are quite suitable!”
The Countess of Cheng’en clicked her tongue, saying, “What a pity! What a pity!”
Not to mention Old Madam Guo—even the Empress’s expression turned somewhat unpleasant upon hearing these words.
Old Madam Guo took the opportunity to take her leave.
The Countess of Pengcheng also stood up.
The Empress, however, glanced at the Countess of Pengcheng and said, “Tomorrow is the Crown Prince’s birthday. Wait a while and accompany me to wish the Crown Prince a happy birthday!”
The Countess of Pengcheng respectfully assented.
The Empress instructed Aunt Song to escort Zhou Shaojin and Old Madam Guo out of the palace.
Zhou Shaojin followed behind Old Madam Guo and saw Old Madam Guo quietly slip a purse to Aunt Song who was walking alongside her.
Aunt Song didn’t demur, smiling and chatting with Old Madam Guo as she escorted them to Xizhimen.
Zhou Shaojin helped Old Madam Guo into the carriage. Both breathed sighs of relief in unison.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “Very tiring, wasn’t it!”
Zhou Shaojin nodded, smiling as she said, “But also quite rewarding! That Madam Qiu’s daughter is celebrating her birthday in a few days and invited me to come drink.”
“Then go!” Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “Our family is, after all, from the scholarly community. It’s not good to be too close to them. But having no contact at all isn’t good either. If you younger generation can get along, that’s not a bad thing.”
Zhou Shaojin nodded, thinking that if it weren’t for wanting to investigate the Cheng family matter from her previous life, she probably wouldn’t want to go out even for a single day.
Returning to her room, she immediately wrote a letter to Cheng Chi.
By the time she received Cheng Chi’s reply, Chaoyangmen had already been swept clean, talismans posted, the Kitchen God worshipped, preparing to celebrate Little New Year.
In the letter, Cheng Chi told her he would rush back on the twenty-sixth or twenty-seventh of the twelfth month to spend New Year with her. Whatever matters there were, they would discuss when they met.
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed. She pressed the letter to her chest for a long while before locking it in the rosewood box, happily directing maids and servants to air out bedding and change the furnishings.
Old Madam Guo had just returned from the home of Lady Fengsheng’s younger sister, the household of Director Peng of the Ministry of Revenue’s Bureau of Evaluations. Hearing this, she asked curiously, “Didn’t we just sweep the dust a couple days ago? Why clean the rooms again?”
Biyu smiled with pursed lips, saying, “I heard Fourth Master will return for New Year!”
Old Madam Guo was both surprised and delighted, then laughed and instructed Biyu, “You all go help Fourth Madam. Don’t let her tire herself out alone.”
Biyu smiled and said “Yes.” People from Xinglin Alley sent someone over, saying they were preparing to fetch Old Madam Guo tomorrow to spend New Year there.
Old Madam Guo smiled and said, “Go tell Madam that Fourth Master will return in a few days. I’ll come over after Fourth Master returns.”
The person who came to invite Old Madam Guo respectfully assented and withdrew.
The Cheng family’s Little New Year’s Eve feast was set at Chaoyangmen.
On the twenty-sixth, Zhou Shaojin rose early and waited restlessly at home for Cheng Chi.
But even when the lanterns were lit and the city gates locked, the steward who had gone to wait outside Chaoyangmen still hadn’t seen any trace of Cheng Chi.
Zhou Shaojin was extremely disappointed.
Lying in bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep—just like that night when Cheng Chi left, the bed suddenly became large and empty, making her feel a bit cold.