Yеs!
Whаt соuld роssibly drive Сhеng Хun tо risk suсh grave cоnsеquencеs by offеnding thе аlrеаdу establishеd Fourth Prince?
Zhou Shaоjin gаzed аt Chеng Сhi, thinking оf thе deаths оf thе Сrоwn Prinсe and the imреrial grаndson, and reсalling the nеws Cheng Сhi hаd rесеivеd thаt day—thаt thе Fourth Рrinсе alsо knew аbоut the Crоwn Рrincе's illness... She hesitаted for a mоmеnt bеforе whispering, "Cоuld thе dеaths оf thе Сrоwn Рrinсe аnd thе impеrial grаndson be rеlatеd tо him?"
Сheng Сhi rерliеd exprеssionlessly, "Even if thе Crown Prinсe and thе impеriаl grandsоn were killed by the Fourth Prince, what does that have to do with Second Uncle? Besides, the Fourth Prince is already the acknowledged heir by the Emperor. Why would Second Uncle stick his neck out like a meddler?"
Then what could it be?
Zhou Shaojin bit her lip, racking her brains.
Seeing this, Cheng Chi's gaze instantly softened, and his voice gentled considerably. "Don't bite your lip—you might hurt yourself. Most likely, the Emperor was killed by the Fourth Prince. Second Uncle happened to be on duty in the palace at the time and witnessed the incident. The Emperor may have entrusted him with a task, something crucial to the Fourth Prince's smooth succession. But in the end, Second Uncle failed to accomplish it and lost his life. That's why, after Second Uncle's death and the Fourth Prince's ascension, my elder brother clearly knew something was amiss but dared not investigate, let alone expect any imperial decree of favor. My brother's appointment as Grand Secretary after the Fourth Prince's accession might even be connected to this..."
Patricide?
"No, that can't be, can it?" Zhou Shaojin broke into a cold sweat.
Seeing her terror, Cheng Chi held her close, gently patting her back to soothe her. "It's alright, it's alright. Even if he did commit patricide, that's his affair. If our guess is correct, we just need to keep an eye on Second Uncle and ensure he stays home instead of going to the palace..."
But Zhou Shaojin thought of something else.
She tightly clutched Cheng Chi's sleeve and whispered, "Do you think the Cheng family's confiscation might be related to this?"
Suddenly, a wild idea struck her: What if the Emperor had entrusted Cheng Shao with an edict to depose the Fourth Prince and establish a new emperor? If that edict was never found, and Cheng Shao's coffin was quickly sent south for burial, the Fourth Prince might suspect the edict had fallen into the Cheng family's hands... That would align with what happened in this lifetime.
She shared her speculation with Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi stroked her hair and said, "Probably not—if Second Uncle died in the palace, his body would have been thoroughly examined when it was returned. If he had the edict you mentioned, it would have been discovered. From the charges used to confiscate the Cheng family's property, it's clear the Emperor was fabricating accusations—in such a situation, the Emperor would only try to cover things up, never letting others catch even a hint of the truth. As long as it was confirmed that Second Uncle didn't have any such edict, the Emperor wouldn't make a big fuss about it."
Zhou Shaojin thought Cheng Chi made a good point.
But would simply keeping Second Uncle Cheng Shao from entering the palace for a few days be enough?
Still worried, she asked, "What should we do next? Should we continue investigating the Fourth Prince and the Crown Prince?""Of course we must investigate," Cheng Chi said. "Even if all this is just our speculation, even if it turns out to be true—it's still six or seven years away. Who can guarantee nothing will change by then? Rather than passively worrying here, it's better to take the initiative and see whether the Fourth Prince is truly the rightful heir to the throne or just a petty man stealing someone else's fortune!"
Zhou Shaojin felt a bit fearful and hesitated, "Are you going to confront the Fourth Prince?"
"I wouldn't call it confrontation," Cheng Chi said calmly. "I just want to see how exactly the Fourth Prince ascends to the throne."
He refused to believe he couldn't outmaneuver the Fourth Prince.
Not wanting Zhou Shaojin to worry, Cheng Chi leaned down and kissed her forehead, smiling as he said, "Alright, let's not talk about these matters anymore. Your second uncle is alive and well, and we already know what will happen in the future. He definitely won't lose his life in this lifetime. You've been sleeping for a while—I heard from the maid that you only ate half a steamed roll and a bowl of plain porridge for dinner? I haven't eaten yet! Get up and keep me company for a bite. After we eat, we can rest early. The day after tomorrow is a day off—would you like to go out for a stroll with me?"
It hadn't been three months yet, and Zhou Shaojin was afraid it might harm the child. "I'm feeling a bit lazy, so let's not go out. If you think it's boring, why not invite some friends for a walk? My embroidery of Guanyin is almost finished these days, so I might as well stay home and complete it."
Cheng Chi said, "I grew up in the capital—there's nowhere I haven't been. Going out is just to accompany you. If you don't want to go, we'll stay home. You can embroider, and I'll practice calligraphy. Come to think of it, it's been two or three days since I last practiced!"
Zhou Shaojin agreed with a smile, accompanied Cheng Chi for dinner, and then snuggled together chatting about household trivialities until she began to yawn.
Cheng Chi cradled her in his arms like a child, whispering softly in her ear and gently soothing her until she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Watching her, the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile as he recalled Grand Secretary Song's advice: "...Zhang Hui is the Vice Minister of Works. He can't keep managing affairs at the River Governor's Office forever—sooner or later, he'll return to the capital. Once the Yellow River dredging begins, the Censorate will definitely send someone to supervise the river works. By then, you can go there under the title of Surveillance Censor. When the river works are completed, and the flood control is deemed effective, you could be promoted to Assistant Censor-in-Chief—that's a proper fourth-rank position. Many people never manage to cross that hurdle in their entire lives, yet you could smoothly step over it."
But if he did that, he would have to stay in Kaifeng and other places until next May.
Gazing at Zhou Shaojin's gentle, relaxed face in sleep, with its slightly childish features, Cheng Chi decided to give up this opportunity.
He was still young—he might encounter such opportunities again. But Shaojin was carrying his first child, and once this opportunity was lost, it would never come again.
Cheng Chi didn't want to regret it one day.
He thought back to what he had just discussed with Zhou Shaojin.
He needed to find a chance to sound out his second uncle.
It would be best to tell his second uncle about the Crown Prince's illness and the Fourth Prince's attention toward the Crown Prince, to see what he had to say.
If he could uncover something from his second uncle, that would be good. But if not, he might have to increase surveillance on his second uncle.
With these thoughts, he lowered his head and gave Zhou Shaojin a fierce kiss.
This little girl had landed him with such a troublesome matter!Zhou Shaojin frowned, let out a soft "mmph," and burrowed into Cheng Chi's embrace. Finding a comfortable position, she fell into a deep sleep once more.
Cheng Chi chuckled softly, gently brushing his cheek against Zhou Shaojin's. He then drew the bed curtains, shutting out the faint glow of the lamp.
※
Since Zhou Shaojin was still in the early stages of her pregnancy, Old Madam Guo's birthday on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month was not celebrated on a grand scale. Only the families from Xinglin Alley, Cheng Wei's household, and the families of Cheng Zheng, Cheng Xiao, and Cheng Sheng were invited for a meal.
Cheng Jing, Cheng Xu, and the other men only came in during lunch to toast Old Madam Guo before having their own banquet set up elsewhere. Old Madam Guo's side was accompanied by female relatives such as Madam Yuan and Zhou Shaojin.
Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao were still unaware of Zhou Shaojin's pregnancy. Seeing her seated on a heavily cushioned armchair and moving with particular caution, and considering the time since she had married into the Cheng family, they couldn't help but ask if she had good news.
Zhou Shaojin nodded shyly.
Both Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao were delighted for her. Guessing that she might still be in the early stages, they didn't dwell on it among relatives but instead took turns advising her on what to pay attention to.
Zhou Shaojin listened attentively to each piece of advice.
Cheng Sheng stood nearby, giggling.
Cheng Zheng could tell at a glance that she had already been informed and chided, "You little rascal, you didn't even think to tell me such wonderful news. If I hadn't come today to wish Grandmother a happy birthday, I might have missed it again."
Cheng Sheng laughed, "I only found out because my mother has been staying at the Chaoyang Gate residence lately to take care of Fourth Aunt. Don't blame me—I'm so busy these days I hardly have time to sleep."
Once the three sisters married, their responsibilities increased, making it impossible for them to visit as frequently as before.
The group chatted and laughed merrily.
Min Jia, however, sat quietly to the side. She merely smiled as she watched them talk, seeming somewhat distracted, with a faint trace of melancholy between her brows.
Zhou Shaojin paid no mind to this.
She and Min Jia only exchanged polite nods when they met as relatives.
During dinner, Madam Yuan and Madam Qiu helped Old Madam Guo to her seat, while Cheng Sheng whispered to Zhou Shaojin, "You know Fang Xuan, right? I heard that a few days ago, she and her husband had such a loud argument that it alarmed the relatives. Madam Fang even took her back to her maiden home. If it weren't for Madam Min's repeated persuasion, Fang Xuan would have followed Madam Fang back. Because of this, the Min family even brought their eldest daughter-in-law back to persuade her."
Zhou Shaojin smiled and asked, "Who did you hear this from? If Fang Xuan and her husband argued, the Min and Fang families should have kept it quiet. How did you find out about the eldest daughter-in-law returning to persuade Fang Xuan?"
Cheng Sheng replied with a laugh, "The eldest daughter-in-law certainly wouldn't tell me—I heard it from our eldest sister-in-law."
Peng Zao's eldest sister had married into the Fang family.
"Do you know what it was about?" Zhou Shaojin asked curiously.
The Fang family had been quite satisfied with this marriage initially. When the Min family sent the betrothal gifts, the Fang family had even specially invited Madam Yuan to witness the ceremony.
"Our eldest sister-in-law didn't say," Cheng Sheng replied with a smile. From her tone, it sounded like she was criticizing the Fang girl for lacking manners, but I didn't press her for details."
Zhou Shaojin had no particular fondness for the Fang family and saw no need to inquire further.After everyone finished their evening meal, Zhou Shaojin stood up to see the guests off but was stopped by Old Madam Guo, who had Nanny Lu see the guests off instead, saying, "It's pitch dark out there—what if you bump or knock into something? You're in a special condition right now. Your sisters-in-law and nieces won't think you're being impolite."
Madam Qiu quickly chimed in with a smile, "Yes, yes! You should stay indoors and rest. I'll see the guests off for you!"
Cheng Xiao couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Second Aunt, are you planning not to go home today?"
After all, Madam Qiu was also a guest.
Everyone burst into laughter and stood up to take their leave.
Zhou Shaojin still accompanied them to the gate of Tingxiang Courtyard before turning back.
It was September, the season when golden osmanthus filled the air with fragrance. Along the way, bright red lanterns hung high, and a subtle fragrance drifted through the air. Walking among the lush, verdant flowering trees was pleasant and comfortable.
Madam Yuan paused briefly in her steps and glanced toward the east.
The entire eastern wing was shrouded in the night.
Such a large estate, yet only the western half was occupied... She couldn't help but purse her lips and smiled as she said to Min Jia, "Speaking of which, it's been almost half a year since you married into the family..."
※
Dear readers, today's update.
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: Tomorrow's extra update is still scheduled for noon at twelve o'clock.
※ (To be continued ~^~)
OpenNovel