Chapter 80

Cheng Baisheng stepped out for a brief meeting, only to return and hear that Sheng Changyu was angrily berating someone in his study. 

As he approached the door, he overheard Sheng Changyu shouting, “You can’t even write an invitation properly? You might as well cut off your hands!” 

“I trusted you, and now you’re sucking up to my concubine? Elevating her to ‘Second wife’? Is she joining your family tree or mine?” 

“Who the hell are you trying to disgust?” 

Cheng Baisheng paused for a moment:  

Director Shi was profusely apologizing. 

“How did you write the invitation for the old residence?” Sheng Changyu suddenly asked. 

Director Shi was on the verge of tears. “Governor, my wife instructed the head steward to write it. I—I didn’t look it over and don’t really know.” 

“Are you this clueless? Are you going senile? Can you still handle the finances?” Sheng Changyu pressed. 

Director Shi nearly knelt in panic. 

Cheng Baisheng quickly stepped inside. 

Director Shi was too useful to be dismissed. If both the head of the Ministry of Finance and the Railway Bureau were left vacant, things would fall into chaos after the New Year. It would be disastrous for political stability. 

“Governor, have some tea to calm down,” Cheng Baisheng said, handing Sheng Changyu a cup of tea. “This is a small matter, unrelated to work.” 

He then turned to Director Shi, instructing, “You should go back, rewrite the invitation, and personally deliver it to the old residence to apologize to the old lady and Madam. There’s no need to invite Second Concubine.” 

It was as if he were spoon-feeding him instructions. 

Director Shi was shrewd enough to understand how to proceed after hearing just a portion, but Cheng Baisheng feared that Director Shi might misinterpret the Governor’s intentions again, so he had to be very explicit. 

Director Shi, deeply grateful, retreated. 

Sheng Changyu lit a cigarette. 

Cheng Baisheng knew the real reason for the Governor’s anger but said nothing, merely going along with Sheng Changyu’s tirade. “It’s absolutely ridiculous.” 

“These people always fawn over the powerful and trample on the weak,” Sheng Changyu exhaled a puff of smoke, a vein bulging on his temple. 

He was clearly still furious. 

Cheng Baisheng responded, “It’s always been this way. No need to get upset over an old hand like him.” 

When Director Shi returned home, he immediately called for his wife and scolded her. 

Mrs. Shi, feeling wronged, protested, “Last year, the Governor didn’t attend anyone’s banquet, but when the Song family wrote ‘Governor and Second Concubine’ on their invitation, he brought Second Concubine along.  

Everyone understood that he was giving a clear signal, which is why people started calling her ‘Second Concubine.’ For the past year, everyone has addressed her that way. So why is it suddenly wrong when we do it?” 

“You’re foolish! Things aren’t the same as before!” Director Shi snapped. 

“What’s different?” Mrs. Shi asked, still defiant. 

“There’s an official wife now. No one else can be called ‘Madam’ except her,” Director Shi explained. 

“But that wife almost never shows up to social events. Who even knows what her situation is?” 

“Quickly get dressed and come with me to the Sheng family’s old residence to apologize. Rewrite the invitations. Don’t invite Second Concubine again—just send someone to explain,” Director Shi instructed. 

Mrs. Shi was horrified. “That’ll offend her! The Governor adores her. If we upset her, she’ll hold a grudge against us forever!” 

“Chief of Staff Cheng said so himself. The situation has changed, and you’re still being stubborn,” Director Shi replied. 

Mrs. Shi was speechless. 

Meanwhile, Ning Zhen was preparing to meet with the warehouse manager, while her maid, Cao Ma, was still upset over the invitation. 

Suddenly, word came that Director Shi and his wife had arrived at the old lady’s courtyard. The old lady summoned Ning Zhen to join them. Ning Zhen was surprised, and Cao Ma was equally puzzled. 

“It’s just a small matter, no need to take it to heart,” the old lady said with a smile. 

When Ning Zhen arrived, Director Shi and his wife immediately began apologizing profusely, saying all the right things. 

“Madam, we were absolutely foolish. Here’s the new invitation. Please, you, the Governor, and the old lady must do us the honor of attending,” Mrs. Shi said. 

Ning Zhen opened the invitation. 

It now read: “Cordially inviting the Governor and Madam.” 

Ning Zhen thought to herself,  

FanFan had just finished showing off, only to be so thoroughly embarrassed! 

Ning Zhen had said, “Heaven intends to destroy those it makes mad,” but isn’t heaven acting a bit too fast? 

“Thank you, but there’s no need to bring it personally. Just send someone next time,” Ning Zhen said in a calm tone. 

With FanFan’s antics earlier, Ning Zhen still needed to gauge her mother-in-law’s opinion before deciding whether to attend the Shi family’s event. She had no intention of agreeing immediately. 

Thus, her response was somewhat cold. 

Director Shi replied, “It’s our duty. Such a big mistake on our part—please don’t hold it against us, Madam.” 

Ning Zhen asked, “I wasn’t aware of this matter. Who informed you?” 

Director Shi couldn’t admit it was the Governor, so he said, “We reviewed the invitations and discovered the mistake ourselves. The head steward of the outer courtyard was careless, and I’ve already punished him.” 

Ning Zhen:  

The Shi couple said plenty of flattering things. 

Not only was Ning Zhen a bit confused, but even the old lady seemed bewildered. 

They were both at a loss. 

After they left, the old lady looked at the two invitations, still puzzled. “What’s the issue here? Invitations were always written like this before.” 

Then she added, “Not inviting the Third Concubine shows they are being quite careful. Did the Governor’s office say something?” 

Ning Zhen wasn’t sure either. 

Meanwhile, FanFan returned to her villa in high spirits, humming a tune. Her trusted maid, aware of her recent actions, was worried. “Concubine, you shouldn’t provoke the Madam. The Third Concubine was just put under house arrest.” 

“I’m not as foolish as Xu Fangdu. Besides, the Governor approves of this. I just wanted to annoy Ning Zhen,” FanFan said. 

With the Governor’s tacit approval and every household treating FanFan with respect, what could Ning Zhen do about it? 

“She’s different from Xu Fangdu. She’s the official wife. If she wants to confront you, she’s in the right,” the maid advised. 

FanFan scoffed, “Ning Zhen wouldn’t dare. She needs to curry favor with the Governor too.” 

The maid remained concerned. 

She had repeatedly advised FanFan to think before acting and not be reckless, but FanFan, being naturally impulsive, was hard to restrain. 

FanFan’s close circle knew how much the Governor favored her, though the outside world wasn’t as aware. The constant praise from others had made FanFan arrogant. Despite having suffered losses in front of Ning Zhen multiple times, she hadn’t learned her lesson. 

As the maid was still trying to reason with her, there was a knock at the door. 

It was the Shi family’s head housekeeper. 

This housekeeper, who was tactful and experienced, carefully conveyed the message, “Second Concubine, there was a mistake with the invitation. The date is incorrect, so we’d like to take it back for revision.” 

FanFan asked, “What’s wrong with the date?” 

“Second Concubine, you are a very important person, the Governor’s closest confidante. Please don’t make things difficult for me. I’m just following orders,” the housekeeper said. 

FanFan was both shocked and furious. “What is Director Shi implying? Issuing an invitation and then retracting it? Does he not fear the Governor finding out and punishing him?” 

The housekeeper replied, “Second Concubine…” 

“You called me ‘Second Concubine’ last time, but now you’ve changed your tone?” FanFan pressed. 

She was arrogant, but not stupid. The change in address made it clear to her that something was wrong. 

“Who is behind this? Did the old residence pressure you?” FanFan angrily asked. “Do you listen to the old residence or to the Governor?” 

FanFan’s maid desperately signaled her to stop. 

The situation was obvious, but FanFan, in her shame and disbelief, was now enraged. 

She had just provoked Ning Zhen, and now this? Could Ning Zhen be behind it all? Was she really that powerful? 

How could Ning Zhen dare? 

FanFan truly couldn’t fight against her. Compared to Xu Fangdu, Ning Zhen was far more formidable. 

FanFan almost attacked the Shi family’s housekeeper, but her maid held her back. In her rage, FanFan tore the invitation to shreds. 

The housekeeper, seeing how things had escalated, had no choice but to return and report the situation. 

“I’m going to that banquet, invitation or not!” FanFan declared. “If the Shi family dares to stop me, the Governor will punish them!”