Cheng Chi sneered dismissively and said, “That’s exactly why I can’t be bothered wasting my energy on these matters.”

Let them fight among themselves like dogs.

Zhou Shaojin thought of what the Fourth Prince had done to the Cheng family in her previous life and said, “If only someone would discover this matter is connected to the Fourth Prince!”

Cheng Chi smiled and kissed her face. “If I can discover it, others certainly can too. No one in this world is a fool. It just depends on when they discover it and when the person who discovers it exposes the matter—just like that actor the Third Prince favored, wasn’t it only after ten months of pregnancy when the child was born that the news spread?”

Zhou Shaojin nodded and said, “That actor is probably doomed, and who knows what fate awaits that child in the end?”

What other fate could there be?

After the palace coup, even princesses living in the Cold Palace could be kept like pigs in pens, let alone such a child.

As for himself, fanning the flames everywhere—wasn’t it to make the Fourth Prince feel anxious and uneasy, to expose his hand prematurely?

Now it appeared the Third Prince was at a disadvantage, but in reality, after the Crown Prince and several princes had their incidents, Second Uncle had told him that the Emperor had already vaguely sensed something was wrong with this matter, just hadn’t caught any evidence. But the surveillance of the princes and imperial grandsons had become even stricter. He had done some additional maneuvering, and believed that even if the Emperor’s people couldn’t trace the mastermind behind it all, all suspicions would point toward the Fourth Prince.

As long as this seed of doubt was planted, the Fourth Prince would be forever disconnected from that throne in the Golden Hall.

Unless he could stage a palace coup!

Thinking of this, Cheng Chi couldn’t help but stroke his chin.

A palace coup?

From what he knew, the Emperor was not such a muddle-headed person!

If in the previous life it really was him who plotted behind the scenes to kill the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince’s heir, and several princes, perhaps he truly did ascend to power through a palace coup.

If so, many things would make sense.

Then let him see whether his speculation was correct or not!

Cheng Chi smiled faintly. Not wanting Zhou Shaojin to dwell on it, he changed the subject. “With the Third Prince’s incident, the atmosphere in the capital has become somewhat tense. When you go to Red Snail Temple, remember to tell me two days in advance and bring a few more guards. If you plan to stay overnight there, I’ll come pick you up after leaving the office.” As he spoke, he kissed her cheek again.

Zhou Shaojin’s heart felt as sweet as if she’d eaten honey. She said tenderly and affectionately, “Asheng said we’ll go another day… In any case, the first day of the tenth month is just a few days away. We’ll need to perform ancestor worship then, and everyone can gather again at that time.”

Cheng Chi looked at her eyes, which seemed to contain a pool of water. He couldn’t help but embrace her, and the couple lingered intimately in the study all afternoon. By the time they went to Old Madam Guo’s quarters for the evening meal at lamplight, Zhou Shaojin’s legs were still soft and weak.

Old Madam Guo was quite pleased. She took out a pair of pure gold hairpins inlaid with jade to show Zhou Shaojin, saying, “The Min family just had them delivered from Mianzhu County. They say it’s to celebrate my birthday—they probably miscalculated the time, so the hairpins arrived a bit late, but the sentiment isn’t late.”

Zhou Shaojin smiled as she poured tea for Old Madam Guo.

Old Madam Guo also took out Cheng Xu’s letter to show Cheng Chi, saying, “Judging from his tone, he’s already settled in Mianzhu and gets along quite well with his superiors and subordinates. During the Ghost Festival on the fifteenth of the seventh month, he even participated in the incense ceremony at Mianzhu County’s largest Buddhist temple… This child grew up in a honey jar, and I was worried he wouldn’t understand human relations and worldly affairs. Now it seems I worried unnecessarily.”

While Cheng Chi took the letter and quickly read through it, he smiled and said, “How would you know if a child will lose their way without letting them go out and explore? Fortunately, it’s not too late.”

Old Madam Guo smiled and nodded, drank a few sips of tea, and had someone bring out Yun Ge’er.

Cheng Chi felt Yun Ge’er was already old enough, so a few days ago he had weaned him.

The child had been listless and uncomfortable these past few days.

When he saw Cheng Chi, he turned his face away, but when he saw Zhou Shaojin, his eyes brimmed with tears.

Zhou Shaojin saw that the child had lost a considerable amount of weight in just a few days. Her heart ached terribly as she held him in her arms, showering him with “good boy” and kisses. After a long while of doting on him, Yun Ge’er’s mood improved. Looking at Cheng Chi with tears in his eyes, he said to Zhou Shaojin, “Mother, I want to be with you.”

Just over a month past his first birthday, he had suddenly learned to speak in four or six-word phrases, and sometimes he could even say complete sentences, albeit somewhat unclearly.

Zhou Shaojin looked toward Old Madam Guo.

She had heard from the experienced nannies at home that weaning varies from child to child—some take three or four days, others four or five days and still aren’t done.

These past days Yun Ge’er had been sleeping in Old Madam Guo’s quarters. Whether she could take him back depended on asking Old Madam Guo.

Yun Ge’er was extremely clever. At such a young age, just from hearing people around him say that Cheng Chi wouldn’t let him continue nursing, he had decided Cheng Chi was bad. This child was now the apple of her eye. She didn’t want Yun Ge’er to decide she was bad too, so she shook her head almost imperceptibly at Zhou Shaojin and said, “Hasn’t your cold recovered yet? Take him back once you’re feeling better.”

Hearing this, tears welled up even more in Yun Ge’er’s eyes. His little hand reached out to touch Zhou Shaojin’s face as he said, “Mother eat candy, eat candy won’t hurt.”

When being weaned, he had cried and fussed terribly. Old Madam Guo had coaxed him by saying Zhou Shaojin wasn’t feeling well, and only then did he quiet down. These past few days when he wanted to nurse, he would just pout his little mouth and eat goat’s milk porridge.

Zhou Shaojin felt terribly guilty. If it weren’t for Cheng Chi being beside her, she would have wanted to just let the child have his way—in other families, some children nursed until they were seven or eight years old.

Thinking this way, she felt some regret that she had nursed him herself.

If it had been a wet nurse, Cheng Chi might have let Yun Ge’er continue nursing.

But Cheng Chi seemed to read her thoughts. He looked up at her and said, “He’s a boy. He can’t always be acting spoiled in women’s arms.”

Zhou Shaojin knew Cheng Chi was right, but her heart still ached. So while Old Madam Guo was talking with Cheng Chi, she played nine-ring puzzles with Yun Ge’er.

Yun Ge’er was already quite skilled at the nine-ring puzzle. Zhou Shaojin was gradually finding it difficult to keep up. So Yun Ge’er took a red cord and played cat’s cradle with her.

Zhou Shaojin asked the servants attending them in surprise, “Who taught him this?”

She remembered still playing string games when she was seven or eight years old. Yun Ge’er wasn’t even two yet!

Chenxiang smiled and said, “When the young master saw us sisters playing, we accompanied him in playing a few times.”

No wonder everyone praised Yun Ge’er for being clever.

Zhou Shaojin smiled as she stroked Yun Ge’er’s head.

Yun Ge’er looked up at his mother with a sweet smile, but his hand loosened and the red cord became a tangled mess.

He got angry and began pulling at the cord.

Zhou Shaojin quickly comforted him, having him sit on her lap as she helped him untangle the cord bit by bit. Only then did he become happy again.

Cheng Chi glanced at Yun Ge’er and later said to Zhou Shaojin, “You mustn’t indulge his temperament.”

“Naturally not,” Zhou Shaojin answered, feeling a bit guilty.

※※※

The Third Prince’s matter caused an uproar until mid-October. When a flurry of heavy snow fell, the Third Prince was demoted to Prince of the Second Rank and fined one year’s stipend, and the case was closed.

The Third Prince’s mansion was busy modifying the main gate and main hall. On Zhou Shaojin’s side, after finishing with the ancestral worship, she had to begin preparing for the New Year. The Cheng family had also intermittently purchased some estates over the past few years, though most were at Xingling Alley and Cheng Wei’s area. On the Chaoyang Gate side, there were no fields, only a few shops. After setting next year’s rent, writing the contracts, and collecting the silver, they could begin buying New Year goods.

Qiu Shi had Cheng Rang send over some New Year goods including rice, flour, and pork from the estates. Cheng Rang also brought two golden pheasants. “…Last time I went to the estate, I saw them in the woods and knew they were raising these things on that estate, so I had them help raise several. I specially selected the two largest ones to send over. I’m sending two more to Abao and Aren.”

At the end of the ninth month, Chang Shi had brought Abao and Aren to Shuangyu Alley.

Zhou Shaojin quickly had a maid bring out Yun Ge’er to express thanks.

The little person properly performed a salute to Cheng Rang. Thinking of how Xie Shi was pregnant with their first child, Cheng Rang’s eyes even reddened a bit. As soon as Yun Ge’er finished his salute, he immediately picked him up, greeted Zhou Shaojin, and took him to see the two golden pheasants he had brought.

Zhou Shaojin prepared two identical New Year gift sets. One was sent to Xingling Alley, one to Qiu Shi’s place. Qiu Shi’s gift included two extra packages of bird’s nest, specifically designated for Xie Shi.

Xie Shi made two winter caps for Yun Ge’er as a return gift.

The New Year gifts from Xingling Alley arrived belatedly.

It just so happened that day Zhou Zhen sent someone to deliver New Year goods to his daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter.

Xingling Alley followed customary practice, but Zhou Zhen’s side had large and small packages filling two entire carts, with over ten pelts designated for making winter clothes for Yun Ge’er alone.

The servants from both households unloaded things at the second gate with their carts side by side—how could this not make the people from Xingling Alley flush with embarrassment?

Fan Liushi was honest and straightforward, though. She smiled and said, “Your in-law grandfather lives far away, so everything was collected together and sent at once, naturally there would be more.” She then took out the reward money she had just received from Chun Wan to distribute to everyone.

The Pozi from Xingling Alley flushed bright red and explained to Fan Liushi, “Mama, to tell you the truth, our mistress hasn’t been feeling well these past days. Since Old Madam lives here, she was afraid of disturbing her and didn’t dare send word. This year the mistress had no energy to manage the New Year gifts, so they were all prepared according to last year’s list without changing a single word. Mama, if you don’t believe it, compare it with last year’s gift list and you’ll know.”

Fan Liushi was quite surprised and said, “What? Is Madam Yuan ill?”

“Not exactly ill,” those Pozi said somewhat awkwardly, looking around. Seeing everyone was busy, they pulled Fan Liushi aside and said in a low voice, “She was angered by our eldest young mistress.”

“Didn’t the eldest young mistress go to Mianzhu?” Fan Liushi asked, puzzled.

That Pozi’s voice became even lower. “The mistress sent a trusted Pozi from her side to accompany her. That Pozi had also served the eldest young master before. But within just a few days, she was sent back by the eldest young mistress, who said she had committed the offense of loose talk… According to that Pozi, now the eldest young mistress’s entourage is entirely made up of people from her natal family, and the eldest young master is now at the eldest young mistress’s beck and call, doing whatever she tells him to do…”

Fan Liushi said in surprise, “Just because of this? But what’s there to be angry about? Which mother-in-law manages affairs in her daughter-in-law’s chambers? Once the son and daughter-in-law are married and the daughter-in-law manages the household, isn’t it natural for her to prefer using her own people? Moreover, if the daughter-in-law can stand on her own, isn’t that a good thing?”