It had been nearly half a year since he arrived in the capital, and Second Master Cheng felt as though he were living in a dream.
His prospects rose and fell unpredictably, while family affairs were one shock after another. He had been kidnapped and taken to the Censorate, only to be released unscathed and with deference. He had seen deeds to businesses earning tens of thousands monthly assigned to him, only to have the names changed in the blink of an eye.
It was just like this house.
Second Master Cheng lifted his head and looked around. It was still the same spacious main hall, but it no longer belonged to him. Just a few days earlier, it had been taken over by First Master Cheng.
“The First Master said to add these…”
“…The First Master said to remove these. He finds them too extravagant.”
The servants coming and going chattered incessantly, their every word underscoring that the master of this household was First Master Cheng – just like back in Jiang-zhou.
Exactly like in Jiang–zhou!
As Second Master Cheng seethed with resentment, another commotion erupted outside the door.
“The First Master, Manager Wu is here!” two servants shouted.
Manager Wu!
“Please, show him in.”
From inside, First Master Cheng’s laughter could be heard, followed by his voice. Outside, Manager Wu swaggered in, flanked by two attendants.
It was early April, and Manager Wu’s visit could only mean one thing: he was here to present the account books.
The account books! The profits!
Second Master Cheng’s hands clenched tightly once more.
By all rights, he should have been the one sitting in that room at this very moment.
In the side courtyard, Second Madam Cheng lay with a towel over her forehead. Upon hearing that Manager Wu had come to report the accounts, she immediately burst into tears again.
“Master, my money…” she sobbed.
“Stop your crying! If he still refuses to leave and ends up moving the entire household to the capital, then we’ll truly have something to weep about,” Second Master Cheng snapped impatiently.
“He’s latched onto that wretched girl – he’ll never let go easily,” Second Madam Cheng said bitterly.
Just then, a maid entered and announced, “Madam, Ban Qin has arrived as well. The First Master has handed the account books directly to her.”
A look of vindication swept across Second Madam Cheng’s face – See? I told you so.
“He’s currying favor with them, plain and simple,” she said coldly.
While they were still talking, a maid hurried in from outside, her face flushed with urgency.
“Master, Madam,” she cried, “messengers from the palace are here!”
The palace?
Second Master Cheng and his wife turned to stare in astonishment.
“The Empress Dowager wishes to summon Second Madam!” the maid announced.
Second Madam Cheng bolted upright, the towel tumbling from her forehead.
“Her Majesty… wishes to see me?”
“Her Majesty the Empress Dowager… wishes to see the Second Madam of the Cheng family?”
As the current head of the Cheng household, First Master Cheng had naturally received the eunuch sent to convey the summons. Upon hearing the message, he was equally astonished.
“Indeed, First Master. Please ask the Second Madam to prepare quickly,” the eunuch replied with a slight smile.
First Master Cheng acknowledged the instruction and invited the eunuch to be seated, though he hesitated for a moment.
“Sir, if I may ask… what is the purpose of this summons?” he inquired in a low voice.
The eunuch’s expression tightened.
“Such questions are hardly appropriate. How would we servants know Her Majesty’s affairs?” he said coolly.
First Master Cheng hurriedly bowed in apology, a fine sweat breaking out on his forehead.
Just as he turned to withdraw, the eunuch gave a light cough.
“Nevertheless… it is a joyful matter,” he added, as if casually. “So have the Second Madam dress in festive attire.”
A joyful matter!
First Master Cheng’s heart pounded like a drum as he repeatedly assented and withdrew.
In the inner hall, Manager Wu and the maid were both present, their expressions grim.
“Does your lady know about this?” First Master Cheng asked in a hushed tone.
The maid shook her head.
“Not a word of warning,” she said.
“What should we do?” he pressed, voice tight with urgency.
The Empress Dowager had never liked Cheng Jiao-niang. When someone who disliked you brought “good news,” it would only be good for them – certainly not for you.
“I must inform our lady,” the maid said, already turning to leave. But she paused mid-step. “Remember this: neither the Empress Dowager nor Second Madam holds any affection for our lady. We cannot let these two – who both wish her ill – be the ones to speak for her.”
As he watched the maid hurry away, First Master Cheng’s expression grew grave.
Yes, she was right – on no account must Second Madam be allowed to enter the palace.
But how could he prevent it?
He turned his head toward the outer hall – the eunuch could not be kept waiting long. Then he glanced toward the inner chambers, where he could already seem to hear Second Madam’s gleeful exclamations.
Try to reason with her?
He had pleaded so desperately to stop Second Master from coming to the capital, and what had it achieved?
First Master Cheng’s breathing quickened.
She must not enter the palace. She must not.
“Summon someone here!” he ordered in a low voice, his hand dropping to his side.
A maid approached swiftly, bowed, and awaited instructions.
“Your orders, Master.”
In the side courtyard, Second Master Cheng paced back and forth, trembling with excitement.
Didn’t I say these days have been like a dream? One shock after another!
“Master, what… what should I say when I see the Empress Dowager?”
If Second Master Cheng was excited, she was bordering on panic, nearly faint with dread.
“Don’t overthink it,” Second Master Cheng said, taking a deep breath to steady himself. “All you need to do is agree with whatever Her Majesty says.”
But Second Madam Cheng was still trembling.
In all her life, she had never imagined a day would come when she might stand before the Empress Dowager.
“Her Majesty is surely summoning you because of that fool,” Second Master Cheng said. The more agitated he grew, the clearer his mind became.
Every twist and turn since their arrival in the capital – good or bad – had been tied to that fool.
“This time… whether we rise or fall, whether we prosper or perish – it all rests with the Empress Dowager,” he said, his expression darkening.
At his words, Second Madam Cheng’s nerves stretched even tighter.
“Think of your money!” Second Master Cheng snapped, his expression stern.
My money!
The money that had been stolen by that wretched girl!
At once, Second Madam Cheng straightened up, her resolve hardening.
“Help me change into formal attire,” she commanded.
Maids hurried in from outside, and the room buzzed with activity as they began preparing her. Just then, another woman rushed in.
“Ah, Second Madam! The First Master has sent me to assist you,” she said.
Both Second Master Cheng and his wife stared at the woman in surprise.
She was one of First Master Cheng’s personal servants – the very one who had taken over managing the household affairs from Second Madam Cheng. On ordinary days, she looked down her nose at them.
So why was she here now, wearing such an ingratiating smile?
“The Master inquired,” the woman said, glancing around before lowering her voice. “The messenger from the palace mentioned that summoning you, Madam, is for a joyous occasion.”
A joyous occasion!
Second Master Cheng felt a flicker of understanding, mixed with disdain.
So that was it. Now the First Master was scrambling to bask in their reflected glory?
Too late! The pretense between them had already been torn away. No amount of currying favor would mend it now.
Second Master Cheng let out a derisive snort.
“Second Madam,” the woman continued, “for such happy news, you should wear something festive.”
Second Madam Cheng glanced at her husband, who gave a firm nod.
“Quickly, bring out the gold-threaded robe!” she instructed promptly.
At once, the maids in the room sprang into action.
The woman moved to assist, but Second Madam Cheng pointedly ignored her. Unfazed, the servant merely offered an awkward smile and hovered nearby, trying to ingratiate herself.
Once dressed, Second Madam Cheng looked over her simple, sparse hair ornaments and jewelry. They made her entire appearance seem shabby – and the sight fueled her resentment.
Her money. Her jewels!
“Let’s go,” she declared. Summoning her courage, she turned and strode forward.
The attendants surged forward to accompany her, the unwanted woman among them, pushing her way closer as if eager to serve. Her jostling created chaos at the doorway.
“Hey, get out of the way!”
A servant snapped impatiently, shoving the woman hard.
With a sharp cry, the woman stumbled forward – and crashed directly into Second Madam Cheng, who was just descending the steps.
A scream tore through the air as Second Madam Cheng was thrown off balance and tumbled down.
“Oh, Madam!”
As the other servants rushed in panic to help their fallen mistress, the woman who had caused the fall drew a sharp breath, narrowed her eyes, then stamped her foot and threw herself forward with brutal force.
A piercing shriek ripped through the courtyard.
The eunuch seated in the front hall’s reception room flinched, his hand trembling slightly as he held his tea. He looked up in surprise, glancing around.
“What was that sound?” he asked.
The steward waiting outside hurried in, his face a mask of bewilderment as he scanned the room.
“There… there was no sound, sir,” he replied.
No sound?
The eunuch frowned and set down his teacup.
“It is growing late, and Her Majesty is waiting. Please ask Second Madam to make haste,” he said.
Before the words had fully left his lips, First Master Cheng rushed in, his face pale with panic.
“Your Excellency! Your Excellency! Something terrible has happened!” he cried.
…
“What?”
In the imperial palace, the Empress Dowager stared at the messenger in disbelief.
“The Second Madam of the Cheng family broke her leg?”
The eunuch nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow.
“When did this happen?” the Imperial Consort asked with a frown.
The eunuch bowed his head.
“J-just now, Your Highness,” he stammered.
Just now?
The Consort’s surprise quickly gave way to a knowing smile.
“How remarkably convenient! Not a moment sooner or later – precisely when Her Majesty summons her, she breaks her leg?” she said with a light laugh.
The Empress Dowager’s expression darkened.
She was right – this was far too coincidental.
“The Second Madam was so overjoyed that she tripped on her way out,” the eunuch explained. “The servants rushed to help, but in their haste, they stumbled and fell directly on her, injuring her lower leg.”
Is that so?
It sounded plausible enough – unsophisticated women, overwhelmed at the prospect of an imperial audience, might easily panic and cause such a mishap. Yet something about it felt distinctly off.
The Empress Dowager frowned.
“Then this works out rather well,” the Consort said with a faint smile. “Since her leg is injured, have her carried into the palace. The imperial doctors can examine her here.”
The Empress Dowager nodded.
“She injured her leg, not her tongue. Grant her special permission to be brought in on a soft litter,” she declared sternly.
The eunuch hesitated, then lifted his head.
“Your Majesty, First Master Cheng expressed that… with her leg injured, she feels too ashamed to offend Your Majesty’s eyes. He also mentioned that an aunt stands as a mother – and though Second Madam is injured, the young lady’s maternal aunt is here in the capital. Since the matter Your Majesty wishes to discuss concerns Lady Cheng, he humbly inquires whether her aunt might attend in Second Madam’s stead.”
Her maternal aunt?
The Empress Dowager frowned slightly.
This Second Madam Cheng was a stepmother – when it came to actual kinship, she indeed held less legitimacy than the girl’s maternal aunt.
“Whoever they send makes no difference. This solitary one will say what must be said, and they need only listen – that is all that matters,” declared the Empress Dowager.
The eunuch promptly acknowledged the order and hurried out, moving so quickly that the Consort had no chance to speak.
Never mind. Whatever schemes that Cheng girl might be weaving, it changed nothing now that Her Majesty had made up her mind – the matter was already settled.
The Consort let her hand fall back to her side and straightened her posture.
…
“What? Me, go?”
At the Zhou residence, Madam Zhou stared in disbelief, then immediately began shaking her head.
“No, no, no – I won’t go.”
She wanted no part of that girl’s affairs.
“You’ll go whether you want to or not!” Master Zhou snapped, his expression stern.
Madam Zhou shrank back, tears welling in her eyes.
“Sir, the palace messengers are waiting,” an attendant urged anxiously from outside the door.
“Go now! It’s not as if you’ve never met the Empress Dowager before – what are you afraid of?” Master Zhou pressed.
But was the past the same as the present? Back then, her audience with the Empress Dowager had nothing to do with that fool.
“If you don’t go, are you going to make Jiao Jiao go instead? You’re doing this for her,” Master Zhou pressed again.
Right – this was for that girl. If she refused, wouldn’t she be crossing that fool?
Madam Zhou drew a sharp breath.
She knew all too well what would happen if she offended that fool.
“And one more thing.”
Master Zhou stopped her.
“You know what to say when you see the Empress Dowager, don’t you?”
Madam Zhou’s body went rigid.
The Cheng woman – because she might have said the wrong thing, or didn’t know what to say – had her leg broken by First Master Cheng just as she was leaving.
Madam Zhou swallowed hard.
So this is what the Chengs are really like. She had never understood how that Cheng girl could be so ruthless, but now she saw it – it ran in the blood.
How utterly ruthless!
“How ruthless! Brother! You are utterly ruthless!”
Wails of agony echoed from the courtyard.
The door shuddered and rattled violently, but the solid gate of the well-built residence held firm.
“Open this door! Open it!” Second Master Cheng screamed, his voice raw with fury.
No one answered from outside.
“Cheng Huai! How dare you harm your own sister-in-law!” he roared, using his brother’s given name.
He was nearly mad with rage, driven to the brink of insanity.
Never in his wildest nightmares had he imagined that First Master Cheng would stoop to such an act!
My heavens, my heavens – what kind of heart must one have to do such a thing!
To coldly order someone to deliberately break his own sister-in-law’s leg!
