Chapter 51: Discussion
Chapter 51: Discussion
Zheng Fa followed Steward Wu into the Madam's secluded pavilion.
The two-story building, usually filled with the melody of silk and bamboo instruments that often captivated passersby, was unusually quiet today, as if deliberately awaiting his arrival.
From the stories and glimpses he had gathered since entering the Zhao Estate, Zheng Fa pieced together an image of the Madam in his mind. She rarely left her pavilion and detested being disturbed by mundane matters. Yet, for twenty years, she had maintained an iron grip on the Zhao Estate, to the point where the household spoke only of the Madam, not the Master of the Estate.
She had raised a son who was naïve yet sharp-tongued—hardly the makings of a family head. Despite the complex web of collateral branches in the Zhao family’s thousand-year legacy, not to mention the numerous illegitimate sons Zhao Master kept in the outer courtyard, none dared challenge the Seventh Young Master’s future position as the heir.
If Zheng Fa had to summarize his impression of the Madam in one sentence, it would be: “A master strategist whose victories leave no trace.”
“Madam hasn’t been in good spirits lately,” Steward Wu muttered softly from ahead.
Zheng Fa glanced at his back.
“But over the past two days, her mood seems to have improved somewhat,” Steward Wu added, as if talking to himself.