Madam Qin was still fuming over the cold she had endured that morning. She couldn’t wait to swallow Rong Zhizhi whole, and seeing that her son had already been swayed by her words, she pressed her advantage.
"It isn't just about the dowry," Madam Qin insisted. "You cannot shield her. You must find a way to establish rules for her. Make her realize that she was never indispensable to you, and that she is not the one you love most. Princess Manhua and the child in her womb—those are the ones you must put first."
"Only then will Rong Zhizhi feel panicked, become cautious, and exhaust every effort to win back your favor."
Qi Zifu gave a cold laugh. "I understand, Mother! The fact that she spoke of divorce just because I asked her to become a concubine shows that she still has too much backbone. I was too good to her before."
"If she truly loved me, she would be happy to be a concubine; why else would she refuse to consummate our marriage? Don't worry, Mother. I will discipline her properly. This is only the beginning!"
Rong Zhizhi was simply too perfect. Back when he was bedridden and recovering from illness, everyone who came to visit would mention her, praising him for his good fortune. It was as if he, a grown man, were merely an accessory to Rong Zhizhi, and that he only possessed a fleeting sense of glory because of her.
He had been quite displeased back then, so when his mother arranged that first meeting with her, he had intended to break off the engagement. But he had not expected her to be such a national beauty; her looks and manners were so outstanding that his heart raced, and he found himself unable to utter a single word about calling it off. In his dreams, he had longed to marry her.
Later, he had indeed married her, and she had been devoted to him in every way. Yet, Qi Zifu always felt something was missing...
What was it? He could never quite put his finger on it.
She seemed to care for him, yet there was a barrier between them. That was why, this time, he had used the matter of the concubine status to make Rong Zhizhi prove her heart—to prove that she valued him, not the position of the heir's wife.
But now, Rong Zhizhi’s performance had left him profoundly disappointed.
Madam Qin smiled. "It is best that you and I are of one mind. In the future, when I punish her, you must never stand on her side. Only then will she realize that your affection is not something she is entitled to, and she will have to beg for it if she wants to receive it."
"I understand, Mother," Qi Zifu replied. "When you didn't let her board the carriage the other day, didn't I refuse to help her then?"
Madam Qin was satisfied with this answer.
Qi Yuyan laughed. "What 'Capital's number one beauty,' 'number one scholar,' or 'number one virtuous wife'? In the end, won't she still have to rely on my brother to survive?"
These words comforted Qi Zifu, and a smile reached his eyes.
"You must still find a way to bring Princess Manhua into the estate," Madam Qin added. "After all, she is carrying the child in her womb—our Marquis Xinyang's Estate's eldest grandson!"
Qi Zifu said with some annoyance, "Do you think I don't want to, Mother? Not only for the sake of the child, but having Princess Manhua here would make Zhizhi jealous, and she would care more about me. But until His Majesty decides how to handle them, the Princess remains a prisoner. How could I possibly bring her here?"
"Then have Rong Zhizhi send her some things," Madam Qin said. "It is so cold—what if she freezes? Zhizhi has plenty of high-quality items for warmth, all given to her by that old woman of the Rong family. Never mind, you don't need to worry about it. I will arrange it."
"Yes," Qi Zifu replied.
***
Early the next morning, the entire Marquis Xinyang's Estate was in high spirits, with servants bustling back and forth. Today, the negotiation for the betrothal gifts was to take place with the wife of the heir of Prince Qian's Estate, Lady Xie—Qi Yuyan’s future mother-in-law. Hearing that Lady Xie was coming in person, the Qi family naturally took it as a sign of great importance.
Madam Qin, who had long ago handed over the household management to Rong Zhizhi due to her poor health, decided to oversee this matter herself to show how much she valued Lady Xie.
Rong Zhizhi, meanwhile, was left with time on her hands. She did not truly idle, however; she sent people to the front courtyard to gather news while she organized her own dowry list.
Madam Qin might have been muddle-headed, but she was cautious; she had her nannies guard the courtyard tightly, and Rong Zhizhi’s maids were unable to find out exactly what was discussed.
Finally, Zhaoxi reported, "Young Mistress, after the Prince's wife left, the Madam flew into a great rage and smashed quite a few things in the room!"
Rong Zhizhi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Could it be that the marriage already had a change of fortune without her having to say a word to Prince Qian's Estate?
Before she could think it through, Nanny Chen, who served under Madam Qin, entered with a dark expression. She stared at Rong Zhizhi and said, "Wife of the Heir, the Madam demands your presence!"
Rong Zhizhi wanted to know what had happened, so she didn't delay and rose immediately.
Zhaoxi quickly brought a fox-fur cloak to wrap around her young mistress, preventing her from catching a chill. It was lightly snowing outside, and Zhaoxi held an umbrella for her as they walked slowly toward Madam Qin's Changshou Courtyard.
Even in the biting cold, with the wind stinging her face, Rong Zhizhi walked with perfect posture, her presence imposing.
Because of Madam Qin’s attitude, Nanny Chen had never liked her, but even she had to admit that the Heir's wife possessed a grace of the highest order—she was truly worthy of their heir, and even the princesses and royal concubines might not possess such elegance.
This was exactly what Qi Zifu saw as they approached.
In the snow, Rong Zhizhi wore a green gown, the fox-fur cloak setting off her skin like ice and jade. She wore no elaborate hairpins, only a simple, plain one. Yet, her peerless beauty, like eight hundred miles of peonies blooming at once, was breathtaking.
The national beauty walked slowly, her bearing unrivaled, the pale pink umbrella above her head making her look like a gorgeous scroll unfolding.
For a moment, he even felt jealous of Zhaoxi, who was holding the umbrella for her.
If it hadn't been for the sight of Rong Zhizhi’s cool, steady eyes, which brought Qi Zifu back to his senses, he might have forgotten all his recent schemes and rushed forward to pull her into his arms, asking if she was cold and warming her hands with his own breath.
In the end, he suppressed all his emotions.
Rong Zhizhi was so unreasonable; he had to be cold to her so she would realize she was wrong.
Rong Zhizhi had no idea that in this short span of time, Qi Zifu had performed a whole internal drama. Upon entering the room, she bowed and said, "Greetings, Mother-in-law."
"So you still remember to pay your respects?" Madam Qin asked with a sneer. "You haven't come to greet me for two mornings, and you didn't come to check on me last night, either!"
The morning and evening greetings were, naturally, part of the daily routine.
"Didn't you say before, Mother," Rong Zhizhi said calmly, "that when I came to pay my respects, it only disturbed your rest? And that talking to me in the evenings was a waste of your time? I thought about it, and I agreed with you, so I stopped coming."
Madam Qin choked on her words. She had said those things earlier just to find fault and needle the Rong woman. Back then, Rong Zhizhi had often ignored the barbs and continued to come faithfully, which had satisfied Madam Qin.
She never expected that today, she would use those very words to talk back to her.
Rong Zhizhi ignored what Madam Qin might be thinking; she was more concerned about whether there had been a shift in the marriage prospects. "I wonder why you summoned me, Mother?"
At the mention of this, Madam Qin flew into a rage. "You still have the face to ask? Get on your knees!"