Doted By The Regent King
Chapter 409

Chapter 409: 409

Zhou Xuennian was arrested, and the whole Wozi Village was abuzz with the news, which was even more sensational than the incident with Zhou Dajun. After all, it was a government officer who had come to arrest someone, and he was put in shackles. Moreover, people were saying that his title as a scholar was obtained through exam fraud, that it was fake.

Everyone was laughing at the Old Zhou family’s misfortune, not forgetting to scorn and mock them. Who told Zhou Xuennian to be so arrogantly pleased with himself after obtaining the scholar’s title, causing discomfort to others?

Now that the truth had come out and it turned out to be a sham, there was a sense of "I thought as much," and the belief that he deserved to be arrested.

This was simply the embodiment of the saying, "We watch him build high towers, we watch him host guests, and we watch his towers collapse."

The village head of Wozi Village stormed off with a sleeve over his face. When Zhou Xuennian had obtained the scholar’s title, the village head had drunk a few extra cups, for having a scholar in the village was a matter of great pride and only benefited the village. He never imagined that the title was gained through fraudulent means, which was incredibly shameful for him as the village head.

He also needed to rush back to find out if this scandal could possibly affect him as the village head.

Doctor Cheng, who was summoned, had prescribed and dispensed medicine before leaving the Old Zhou family; stepping out, he sighed deeply upon looking at the overcast sky.

Ever since Old Scholar Zhou passed away, the Old Zhou family’s fortune had been on the decline, plagued by one disaster after another. Whether it was the house by the mountainside or the Old Zhou family, he had seen them for medical consultations many times in the past six months.

On this occasion, Old Lady Zhou had suffered a stroke. If it had not been for the timely intervention, she might have ended up paralyzed or, in a more serious case, even passed away.

What a sin!

After being fed the medicine, Old Lady Zhou slowly regained consciousness. Glancing around, she noticed the room was full of people, dark as pitch; her gaze made a round, as if searching for someone in particular.

After a while, she showed a look of despair, and tears flowed unrestricted from her aged eyes. Combined with the slight twist at the corner of her mouth, it was a sight that one could hardly bear to look at.

"Mother-in-law, you are the calming needle of this household. You must take good care of your health," Lady Liang’s big sister-in-law said with compassion, stepping forward to offer some encouragement.

Old Lady Zhou opened her mouth, and saliva slid down her cheek. She uttered an "ah" sound and began breathing rapidly.

Zhou Xueli was in agony and quickly moved to her side to prop her up, patting her back, while Lady Liang passed a bowl of warm water.

"Mother, don’t worry, big brother will be alright," Zhou Xueli said, his eyes red with emotion.

He had felt uneasy from the start when his older brother bought exam topics with silver, and even talked to him about it. In response, his brother had accused him of having ill intentions, saying he was envious because he himself couldn’t succeed in his studies and did not want to see his elder brother do well.

Zhou Xueli felt disheartened and didn’t argue further. After his brother became Scholar Zhou, instead of joy, he felt worry. It was only after seeing that there were no consequences that he started to relax. But in the end, he realized, one cannot escape the repercussions of their wrongdoings.

Isn’t there a saying, "The millstones of justice grind late, but they grind fine?"

Madam Lu sat crying at the doorway.

Old Lady Zhou heard her, and her gaze pierced sharply in her direction, venomous with resentment.

After catching her breath, Old Lady Zhou fumbled to grab Big Sister-in-law Liang’s hand and said, "My, my eldest, please, I beg of you, make inquiries for us."

The Old Zhou family didn’t have many connections, but fortunately, they had a son’s wife whose own family had a scholar. It was right to ask for their help.

Big Sister-in-law Liang said, "Don’t worry, my husband has already gone to find out. You shouldn’t be too anxious. Considering his uncle’s situation, it shouldn’t amount to much. Once he admits to the crime and has his scholar’s title stripped, he should be released."

Upon hearing about the revocation of the scholar’s title, Old Lady Zhou’s body shook, but the tension on her face eased somewhat. As long as he was alive, that was all that mattered; titles and honors could be done without.