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Chapter Twenty-One:
Two Conclusions
Shaoshang’s prediction was spot on. When Cheng Shi returned to the mansion and learned about what had happened, he was furious. He wanted to go to the kitchens and grab a knife and then dice the two women into cubes. Madam Xiao easily stopped him and, under the pretext of giving back New Year’s goods, packed Nanny Fu and Chang Pu up overnight and sent them back to the Ge family.
Therefore, apart from racing against time to beat the two of them up before they left, Cheng Shi did nothing. This time, he believed Madam Xiao was to blame. In protest, he went to eat with Cheng Cheng for three consecutive meals and slept with Cheng Zhi for two consecutive nights. “Eldest Brother,” Cheng Zhi said, “why don’t you spend the nights with Cheng Cheng and have meals with me? I’m not the one who is divorced.” He gave a pointed look and, as a result, Cheng Shi punched him.
Qing Cong felt that things couldn’t go on like this and begged Madam Sang to mediate. She pushed it onto Cheng Zhi, who ended up going to his three nephews and asked them to find a way to put a stop to this. The three brothers kowtowed in front of their tigress mother and apologized. No one dared to go to their hungry wolf-like father, and no one could agree on what to do. In the end, professional traitor Cheng Shaogong hurriedly said, “The person who untied the bell must tie the bell,” and the ball was kicked to Shaoshang’s feet.
Cheng Zhi and the others were still hesitant and didn’t expect the Cheng Fourth Young Lady, who was proud, to agree and quickly solve the problem. She only said three things to Cheng Shi:
“Now that everyone in the household knows that the incident was caused by servants, if you continue to separate yourself from Mother, it won’t matter if Second Uncle wants to know the reason why.”
“Second Uncle will be off to Bailu Mountain to study soon and it will take at least a few years for him to return home. I hope Second Uncle can go on the road with peace of mind and not have to worry about this. I also think Father should be like this.”
“Cousin Yang is not only born to Second Aunt, but is also the flesh and blood of Second Uncle. He’s not good at speaking, but I know that he not only loves my cousin, but also feels guilty.”
Seeing his daughter’s upright and dignified appearance made Cheng Shi’s teeth itch and he thought, ‘This conscious-free girl is worried about who is unjust and who feels guilty.’ So, General Cheng became angry and said, “Since my daughter is so clear about righteousness, why were you so reluctant to forgive that day? Just hold back and let your mother deal with it slowly when she came around!”
“Of course, you can understand what is just and right when the knife isn’t cutting you,” Shaoshang quickly retorted. “It was me who suffered that day and I naturally refused to let it go. Now that my father is redeeming it for me, I can naturally be righteous!”
The translation of the sentence really was, “It’s okay to be generous, but be generous to others and not to yourself.”
Cheng Shi was shocked that his daughter could say such brazen words so confidently. He had always thought he was the only one in the family that had such skills?! But, considering that he now had a worthy successor, he calmed down and went to find Madam Xiao to reconcile.
Madam Xiao did not make any excuses for herself and matter-of-factly said that she was also at fault. With the matter exposed, the couple had a candid exchange of opinions on their only daughter that night.
“
At the time, everything was so hectic and Mother was obsessed. We didn’t have time to wrestle with her, and we didn’t even know when we would be able to come back.”
Ten years ago, several princes and kings who had already surrendered suddenly rebelled, and for a while the already small Imperial realm was full of war. This was not a good thing for most people in the dynasty, but when Cheng Shi was still worried, Madam Xiao made a firm statement: Wealth and honor were in danger; this was a great opportunity for Generals Wan and Cheng, who had just defected.
Suddenly, the Emperor’s confidant general and his men were unable to turn back from the frontlines, and they used their brothers to come forward for an emergency response. Cheng Shi set out in the formation and Madam Xiao was expected to follow like usual. However, at this time, Old Madam Cheng, who was always strong as an ox, caught a cold for the first time in 800 years. Madam Ge didn’t know where to find a shaman and slyly said that the dragon and phoenix twins were auspicious and had to stay with Old Madam Cheng to maintain her health and prosperity.
With Madam Xiao’s intelligence, she knew the game Madam Ge was playing, but the situation was urgent and time was of the essence.
With the army marching out and all kinds of supplies and armaments being called in, the husband and wife were being run off their feet. In a rush, Madam Xiao seized the loophole in the prophecy, and found another shaman who said, “Just keep one of the twins.” After that, the couple set off immediately, and even the three sons followed them soon after.
The emperor was very satisfied with General Wan and Cheng Shi’s response time. In the next few years, the two sworn brothers fought wherever they were pointed, and went farther and farther away. The more the emperor used them, the easier it was, and the more trusted they became. Now, it seemed that the original decision couldn’t be said to have been incorrect.
“Since we had to leave one of them, one less was one less. Let me ask you, with children, is it the son who can cause a terrible disaster to the family, or the daughter? You can’t restrain a man who can enter the profession and travel in business from a young age! Zhi Xiangzi thought he was smart and heavenly, and came up with the plan to ‘eat away at Fengyi.’ In the end, he was defeated and died, and more than two hundred of his family members were slaughtered. The foundation of the Zhi family for hundreds of years was destroyed. And Official Chao, who advised the emperor to seize power by cutting off vassals, couldn’t resist the court’s persuasion and ended up being executed! This was a loyal minister! There are countless people who have ruined their families!”
[Zhi Xiangzi (d.453 BCE) was the leader of the Zhi Clan, which was a vassal state of Jin from 770-481 BCE. The story being told here is his downfall, he diverted a river to flood and cut off the enemy from resources. His allies were scared that this could happen to them some day. In the end, the enemy worked together with Zhi’s allies and he was beheaded and his 200 members of his family all executed.
Official Chao (Chao Cuo d. 154 BCE) was able to see that Han dynasty was headed towards instability. All the princes had been given large territories and were largely independent. To avoid the princes challenging the authority of the emperor, he suggested to cut down the size of their princedoms. Using the Rebellion of the Seven Princes as an excuse, court officials managed to convince the emperor that executing Chao Cuo would end the rebellion. He was cut in half at his waist and his family was executed as well. Unsurprisingly, this did not end the rebellion.]
Madam Xiao talked openly. Whenever this happened, Cheng Shi could only bow his head and listen.
Righteousness did not control wealth; kindness did not control soldiers. Both husband and wife had been trained in the fierce sea of swords. If there’s a moment of hesitation on the battlefield it could lead to disaster. They couldn’t bring Old Madam Cheng into that situation so they had to minimize the loss.
“We both come from humble beginnings and have seen many families suffer from the actions of their sons. Lord Li’s father, brother, and kin were all burned to death in order to rebel against His Majesty. It was shocking! Since ancient times, how many daughters have caused great trouble to their family?”
“Isn’t the Li family prosperous again?” Cheng Shi couldn’t help but ask.
“That’s Marquis Li who defected to the Ming Lord!” Madam Xiao glared at him. “Back then, when the world rose together, there were also many people around those who claimed to be kings and emperors. What happened to their trusted family members?”
“Okay, okay, okay, I know what you mean,” Cheng Shi surrendered. “The son has to be well-educated, otherwise he will be unrestrained. However, I have a family to support. I was afraid that my will would break and become a treacherous and evil person. If the family was small, I would lose my family. If it were big, I would implicate my family. My daughter
”
He couldn’t continue, the words too vile and wicked that only close relatives could be spoken of; his daughter would always marry in the future and, in the Cheng family, it couldn’t be any worse. As long as she didn’t enter the palace as a concubine or marry into a prominent nobleman’s family, there would be no big storms in these peaceful years.
“As the saying goes, Niao Niao is our own flesh and blood. I can’t bear to treat her like this,” Cheng Shi sighed.
Madam Xiao looked at her husband’s face and suddenly remembered something her ex-husband had told her. He said she had been born with a heart of iron and stone, and was more stubborn than a man.
“When I advocated leaving Niao Niao behind, I had already prepared for the worst,” she said. “No small traitor or villain could do anything. I was originally worried that Niao Niao would be too weak to be raised. To me, the word ‘weak’ is worse than evil or cunning, it’s unbearable. Once a woman is weak and has no opinion, she will be like a fish on the knife, waiting to be abused. I asked Sister Qing to find a clever but honest maid for her, so don’t say I have bias! Ten years ago, I didn’t know that she would grow to resemble my mother in the future. Who knew
”
“Who knew you were completely wrong?” Cheng Shi was full of pride.
“You’re right this time,” Madam Xiao sighed. “She’s also too smart.”
“But you’re more worried?” Cheng Shi asked thoughtfully.
“Don’t keep saying I’m biased,” Madam Xiao said. “Although Yang Yang is foolish, she is safe in her duty. I can rest assured if she marries into any family because I know she won’t cause trouble. But Niao Niao
” She sighed and raised her voice. “She is fearless. If she is unhappy, she could tear off all the beards of the eight generations of her husband’s ancestors and twist them. We won’t know when the time comes if our Cheng family is marrying or becoming an enemy!”
Cheng Shi tried his best not to laugh. Smart and sharp, rebellious and unruly, the combination of those two points really was terrible. “Then what do you want?” he asked.
“In the future, I will find her a kind and sincere home to marry into and live in peace,” she said calmly. “Even if she and her husband quarrel in the future, her father and brothers can support her! This is a good thing for her!” Then, Madam Xiao sneered. “But she is too powerful. Our son-in-law may not be able to bully her, but we have to worry about whether you and her brothers will have to go to your in-laws every day to make amends!”
Cheng Shi frowned. If the child’s qualifications were mediocre, that type of arrangement would be fine. However, even a blind man could see the ingenuity of his little daughter. “You and I have always strived for excellence ourselves,” he said. “But now we ask Niao Niao to indulge in mediocrity? Would she be willing to do that?”
“Why not? Marriage is the decision of the parents.”
Cheng Shi remained quiet for a long time. “You are too arrogant,” he finally said. “Don’t regret this in the future.”
“I have no regrets!” Madam Xiao said proudly. “I would rather die in this life than regret what I’ve done. What’s more 
”
She gave her husband a blank look. “Do you think the ladies outside are all blind and deaf? Didn’t you hear of Niao Niao’s domineering reputation, or can you not see her unruly behavior? Shun Hua* told me that the first time she saw Niao Niao, she knew she was not an ordinary lady!”
[Sang Shun Hua; Third Aunt Sang; Madam Sang.]
“Stop talking nonsense!” Cheng Shi said. “Third Younger Brother told me that Sister-in-law likes Niao Niao very much.”
Seeing that the pair was about to argue again, Qing Cong, who had been waiting outside the door to wait for the results of the couple’s reconciliation, couldn’t help but shake her head. Did she think that Madam Sang didn’t like Niao Niao?
Cheng Shi was also very interested in his wife’s bias.
In just a few days, Madam Sang had already given Shaoshang a jade necklace, two golden phoenixes, and three precious volumes of books. If it weren’t for her husband stopping her, she would most definitely change the brocade belt she was weaving for Cheng Zhi to Shaoshang.
Now she had a newly acquired jade hook on her belt and spoke about how it would suit Shaoshang.
“Yang Yang is soft and kind, why don’t you love her as much as you love Shaoshang?” Cheng Zhi wasn’t being provocative when he asked this, he was genuinely curious.
Madam Sang stroked the warm jade of the lace hook and tilted her head, thinking. She also liked Yang Yang but couldn’t deny that she preferred Niao Niao.
Ordinary girls in their teens, no matter how strong they are, hope to get the love and approval of their parents. Niao Niao was completely different. She never seemed to mind whether Madam Xiao understood her, pitied her, or even loved her.
What she wanted; she found a way to get by herself. But this time, she got everything she had wanted.
Madam Sang looked on coldly: Madam Xiao taught Yang Yang how to deal with common affairs, but Shaoshang was trapped at home and couldn’t move, as if she was greedy for something. Madam Xiao had a resolute temperament, and it was difficult to get her to change her mind in the best of times, so it was useless to ask for it. Unexpectedly, a turmoil fell from the sky and gave the girl a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
First, Shaoshang broke through the bias of her biological mother. Previously, Madam Xiao’s favoritism fell into small details which caused a commotion. Everyone would say that Shaoshang was jealous of her cousin and haggled over every detail. But from now on, Madam Xiao couldn’t be as casual as before. On the contrary, if she was prone to blame her, her husband and sons will doubt whether she is biased again.
Second, Shaoshang wanted to see the world outside and live freely, but Madam Xiao wanted her to stay in her inner residence. Both of them had their own reasons and were determined individuals. Nowadays, Madam Xiao wouldn’t say anything, but Madam Sang knew that she still had a bad taste in her heart. These past few days, Shaoshang’s brothers had been driving around the city with her. Madam Xiao never said a word against it, so it seemed that she tacitly agreed.
Recalling the situation in the Nine Zhui Hall that day, Madam Xiao was furious, and Qing Cong persuaded her. The three brothers tried their best to stop Shaoshang from continuing, but the girl had refused to bow her head.
Why did she love her? Upon closer reflection, perhaps it was because Madam Sang, like Shaoshang, had fought against the world alone.
“Sister Yuan Yi is good at everything, but she is stubborn,” Cheng Zhi shook his head and sighed. When Madam Xiao married, he was still young, and got used to calling her out sometimes. “But Shaoshang is not right, how could such a calculation be made?”
Madam Sang put the jade belt hook into the brocade box, and looked back with a smile. “Then I’ll ask you this. Our Wei Wei, do you hope she will be like Yang Yang or Niao Niao when she grows up?”
Cheng Zhi thought about it. “Niao Niao,” he said. “I’d rather she plot against us than be helpless when she suffers like Yang Yang did. There may not be somebody protecting you everywhere in this world.” Cheng Yang was lucky, but no one could guarantee that luck would always be there.
“I love Niao Niao because she never complains about others. Whenever she encounters difficulties, she tries to find a solution, even if it’s a bad idea.” There is something refreshing about the girl, even if she was arrogant and rebellious, she was also full of life.
As she spoke, Madam Sang became sad again. “However, Yang Yang was born with a good fate, and there are people who love and care about her everywhere. All she needs to do is be humble and not plan or calculate. Maybe that’s luck.”
In this way, the two couples came to two completely different conclusions.


Something deep within me cackled at ‘professional traitor Cheng Shaogong.’ It’s so fitting and I will forever call him that from now on.
: Wait A Minute (aka beginning of the LANTERN FESTIVAL!)