Zhou Chujin covered her face and cried: “When the Cheng family’s incident happened, your brother-in-law offered to relinquish his position as heir apparent, hoping to preserve you and your nephew. In the end, it was only because the great ancestor spoke up, saying the Liao family was not the kind without integrity, that the matter was dropped… Even if I work like an ox or horse for the rest of my life, I could never repay your brother-in-law’s kindness…”
At least elder sister was alright.
She felt much better in her heart, but she couldn’t help thinking constantly about the Cheng family members, remembering those days she spent at the Cheng family. Especially Cheng Gao—steady and reserved, magnanimous and benevolent. When her incident occurred, the people from the second and third households all remained silent. Only those from the fourth household stood up for her. Cheng Gao had even run off and given Cheng Xu a severe beating. In the twenty-seventh year of Zhide, Cheng Gao’s name appeared on the golden roll. He was admitted to the Hanlin Academy as a junior compiler and observed administration at the Ministry of Justice. He had even specially brought his wife and children to see her.
Such a good person with such a bright future ahead—how could he just be gone like that?
And there was Cheng Yi, who always wore a playful smile without proper decorum in daily life, yet had confronted Cheng Jia’s mother Jiang Shi for her sake and even turned against Cheng Ju.
What wrong had they committed?
Only being surnamed Cheng.
And just like that, they were all gone.
Thinking of these things, her tears flowed like a river, impossible to stop.
Later still, Cheng Lu came to find her.
She could no longer hold back.
How was it that all the good people had died, while someone like Cheng Lu—expelled from the Cheng family and struck from the clan registry—had turned misfortune into blessing and lived better and better…
Heaven was too unfair!
That was what led to the assassination attempt afterward.
Thinking of this, Zhou Shaojin’s tears began falling uncontrollably again, but she quickly wiped them away.
Since she had said she would cry no more, she couldn’t shed tears when encountering problems in the future.
How hateful that in her past life she had lived too muddled, never caring about anything except her own affairs. Now wanting to use her past life knowledge to help the Cheng family, she had no clue whatsoever.
Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but hypothesize: If elder sister encountered such a situation, what would she do?
Tell grandmother?
Probably not.
She seemed possessed by evil spirits—elder sister tried so hard to conceal it for the sake of her reputation. Much less something like the Cheng family’s house confiscation and clan extermination, which was a major matter without evidence!
Figure out a solution herself?
The Cheng family’s destruction was clearly related to court politics. Never mind women like them who never stepped beyond the inner chambers—even someone like father who was called a “capable official” and held a fourth-rank position wasn’t qualified to participate in such matters, much less change the situation.
Thinking this far, Zhou Shaojin had a flash of inspiration.
She had no way to change the Cheng family’s misfortune, but she could tell someone who could influence the Cheng family’s advancement or retreat, and have that person prevent it!
However, “telling” didn’t seem quite right either.
These past days’ experiences had made her deeply understand one thing—if there was too great a disparity in status, ability, and knowledge between two parties, one’s words would carry no weight in the other’s eyes and couldn’t possibly attract sufficient attention.
This was what people commonly called speaking without authority.
And in the Cheng family, she was exactly such a person!
Born in the inner chambers, raised in the women’s quarters, in the eyes of the elders she was someone who hadn’t even fully learned to read, much less possessed any scholarly cultivation. How could she be qualified to discuss matters of clan rise and fall? Perhaps the moment she spoke, she would be considered to have “lost her mind” and handed over to father for handling, or like with elder sister, they would think her possessed by evil spirits and summon Daoist priests and monks to perform rituals. Then no one would believe her words even less, much less save the Cheng family!
But if she could gain the trust of some elder who had a say in the Cheng family, she could offer timely warnings at the appropriate moment. Wouldn’t this allow the Cheng family to avoid disaster without implicating herself!
Zhou Shaojin immediately became excited, thinking more and more that this plan was feasible!
If the Cheng family remained safe and sound, elder sister wouldn’t lose her support, father wouldn’t be implicated, grandmother and uncle and aunt would all be fine, Cousin Gao and Cousin Yi could unfold their grand ambitions and revitalize the family… Perhaps they could even surpass the main branch!
Then the main branch, second household, third household, and fifth household of the Cheng family would all have to defer to the fourth household!
Thinking that the fourth household might possibly suppress the other branches, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help smiling. She leaned against the headboard pondering who to warn.
The most suitable would undoubtedly be the second household’s great ancestor Cheng Xu—not only did he have prestige, but his experience, vision, and learning were beyond what ordinary scholars could compare to. Whatever he said, the Cheng family would certainly not dare disobey.
But he had passed away peacefully at age eighty-eight, while the Cheng family’s incident occurred in the second year of Tianshun, four years after his death… The second household’s great ancestor… wouldn’t work!
That left only the main branch’s First Master Cheng Jing.
He was not only the eldest son of the Cheng family’s main branch, but also currently the highest-ranking official in the Cheng family. He already showed signs of replacing Cheng Xu, and after Cheng Xu’s death, he naturally became the Cheng family’s decision-maker. Moreover, he entered the Grand Secretariat and became Second Grand Secretary.
But he was far away in the capital. He hadn’t returned home for almost ten years. She had only seen him once from afar when she was small. She couldn’t even remember what he looked like, much less speak with him or gain his trust.
The main branch’s Second Master Cheng Wei?
He was also in the capital, serving as Hanlin Academician. Although he later accumulated merit to become Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, under his elder brother Cheng Jing’s brilliance, she had no impression of this person whatsoever—she knew neither his character nor his conduct. Moreover, the Cheng family’s incident occurred precisely because they caught him by the handle… Finding him would be no better than finding his brother Cheng Jing!
The second household’s First Master Cheng Yi?
He obtained provincial graduate status at age eighteen, then repeatedly failed the higher examinations. Even after his own son passed the metropolitan examination to become a presented scholar, he was still marking time in place. It was said he was quite sensitive about “father being a provincial graduate while son is a presented scholar,” so he decided never to participate in the civil examinations again, thus taking over the position of headmaster at the Cheng clan school.
In her memory, he never left Jinling after that.
The Cheng family’s honor and disgrace rested with the court. If he didn’t serve as an official, how could he influence the Cheng family’s future?
He was also unsuitable.
The third household’s First Master Cheng Lu?
Everyone said he had read himself stupid—he couldn’t even distinguish between leeks and narcissus. His son Cheng Zheng was already a provincial graduate, yet he was still just a county graduate. Whenever the third household’s old master had any matters, he never asked this son but discussed directly with Cheng Zheng… He could be completely disregarded in the Cheng family.
Such a person… naturally wouldn’t work either!