Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1006: Ruthless Person

Chapter 1006: Chapter 1006: Ruthless Person

Zhou Shuren didn’t really want to see Wong Ju. The reason was simple: the man was about to be dismissed. Not only did he hover around Zhou Shuren every day, but he also had a sharp tongue, expressing concerns about the Ministry of Revenue, mentioning how the construction of a new port next year would need Silver Coin, and hoping for a year of favorable weather!

Wanting to send Wong Ju away, Zhou Shuren thought for a moment and asked, "Do you know who the new Minister of Rites is?"

Wong Ju was also curious and shook his head, "I really don’t know. My father thought of a few possibilities, but the Emperor hasn’t let slip any information. It’s hard to guess."

Zhou Shuren was guessing too, but he was certain it had to be one of the Emperor’s men. After the cleanup of The Six Ministries, things had become much tidier, and the imperial power more absolute. Now, it was hard to get any information. "You can go now."

Wong Ju, "...Do you really dislike seeing me that much?"

"Mm."

Wong Ju knew it; Zhou Shuren was the type to use and discard, pah, "I truly sympathize with Mr. Lei."

Zhou Shuren hummed, "After the New Year, he will be a doctor, and he’s very happy about it. He will certainly be more dedicated than someone."

Wong Ju glared. He used to work just as hard, staying up late and all, "I learned it all from you."

Now he was sure to leave on time!

Zhou Shuren smirked, "Our rest system isn’t so bad. If this were the Han Dynasty, ha, high-ranked ministers would have to live in the government office and could only go home during rest days."

Zhou Shuren knew his history well. He was acquainted with the vacation systems for officials in ancient times. The Tang Dynasty was also not bad, but his favorite was the Song Dynasty, where the holidays were exceedingly generous.

Wong Ju rolled his eyes, "Speaking of which, is Hu Xia also going to the Ministry of Rites?"

"Mm."

Wong Ju thought about the Ministry of Rites. There were indeed quite a few connections to Zhou Shuren—Wu Ming, Gu Zhuomin, and yes, himself. However, he was well aware that Wu Ming wouldn’t stay long at the Ministry of Rites, and it would be difficult for Gu Zhuomin to ascend unless someone pulled him up. Judging by Zhou Shuren’s attitude, at the most, he would receive some care but not a strong endorsement.

After leaving the government office, Zhou Shuren returned home. The whole family sat down together for dinner. Zhulan thought that the family was finally reunited. When Chang Yi came home, Zhulan sent messages to her two daughters, and then they all arrived.

This time it was a true family reunion for the Zhou family, except that Lady Zhao’s eyes had swollen from crying for so long.

Xue Han had settled things at the Hou Residence before coming over, so she arrived late. By the time she got there, her second brother had already rested. At dinner, she finally saw him and felt distressed, "Second brother, eat more."

Chang Yi took a box out of his bosom, "I could have made it in time for your wedding, but due to the storms, we had to stop at the shore for a few days. This is the wedding gift I brought for you. I know you don’t lack good things, but this is also from your second brother’s heart."

Today, they all sat at the big table, which was only used during the New Year festivities, made especially for the occasion. All seated were adults—ahem—the only child was Chang Xhong.

Xue Han opened the small box to find two sizable gemstones inside, "Second brother, this is too valuable."

Chang Yi, "It’s not that valuable, take it."

Xue Han looked over at her mother, and only after seeing her nod did she accept, "Thank you, second brother."

Zhulan was curious in her heart. These items were not common; this was just for Xue Han; there were more brought back for her. There were quite a few gemstones, some Gold ornaments, and many medicinal herbs. Chang Yi brought back things that were both convenient to carry and valuable.

Zhou Shuren spoke up, "Chang Yi has worked hard this year, I toast you."

Chang Yi promptly stood up, "Father, I have not worked hard. I quite enjoy it."

Zhou Shuren smiled and drank the wine in his glass.

The meal was lively, with Chang Yi sharing customs and experiences from abroad. After dinner, Zhou Shuren took Chang Yi to his study.

The rest of the household members also retired to their respective quarters. In the main room, Zhou Laoda looked at his joyous wife and asked puzzledly, "Are gemstones and Gold just scattered everywhere abroad?"

Lady Li toyed with the gemstone in her hand, its quality was indeed fine, "Are you an idiot? If gemstones and gold were truly just lying around abroad for the taking, I think Chang Yi would be in trouble."

Old Zhou always had faith in his wife’s intuition, "It seems there really is something going on."

In the third bedroom, Lady Dong and Chang Lian were also chatting. Chang Lian reflected, "One must venture out into the world on their own. However, not everyone is capable of doing so. My second brother has both the skill and the courage."

Lady Dong, "Isn’t the gift from second brother a bit too valuable?"

Chang Lian smiled, "Don’t overthink it, second brother knows what he’s doing."

Lady Dong took her husband’s words to heart and brightened up, "We’ll save these for our daughter’s use."

They had two daughters, and the pressure of their dowries was somewhat great.

In the fourth bedroom, Su Xuan said: "You say second brother just went to buy land, where did he get so many gems from? Could it be that he discovered them in the mountains he owns?"

Chang Zhi, "...You really dare to think big. Why not say he discovered a gold mine? Do you think if he really had discovered one, would second brother have made it back alive?"

Su Xuan was just curious. Hearing her son shout louder and louder for his sister, Su Xuan felt helpless, "Why doesn’t our Yu Wen want to move at all!"

If it weren’t for several Imperial Physicians confirming there was nothing wrong, she would have thought her daughter was ill.

Chang Zhi didn’t see it as a problem, "One is active and the other prefers quietness, it’s quite good. If both were like your son, you’d be crying."

Su Xuan fell silent, her son was indeed mischievous, even more so than Ming Teng, "Who does this child take after?"

Chang Zhi answered with his eyes, certainly not him. His daughter’s temperament resembled him more, enjoying peace.

Su Xuan, "..."

At the Jiang family, Xue Mei returned home clutching a box, and once home, she quickly set it down, "The gift from second brother is really hot to handle."

Jiang Sheng felt tremendous pressure, "Next year, I will definitely pass the Graduate exam."

Xue Mei felt uneasy; none of the Zhous were fools, and something about second brother just didn’t seem right.

In Ning Duke Residence, Xue Han calmly accepted the gift and waited for Rongchuan after taking a bath. Rongchuan came home and said, "I think second brother must have killed people."

Xue Han’s teacup fell to the ground, "What did you say?"

"The Nings are all battle-tested. Don’t think our father is gentle with you, never raising his voice. You’ll see when spring comes and father gets up early to practice martial arts. He’s been through storms of blades and has learned to mask his killing intent. Second brother isn’t there yet."

He too had slain assassins, yet he couldn’t sense on himself the feeling that second brother exuded. Second brother must have killed quite a number of people.

Xue Han felt she needed a moment to process, "Was the thing second brother gave me stolen?"

Rongchuan, "I don’t think so. Our father has raised us well, so second brother wouldn’t resort to robbing others on his own initiative."

Back at the Zhou family, Zhulan waited for Zhou Shuren to return, "What on earth happened to Chang Yi this year?"

Zhou Shuren sat down and said, "This lad went through life and death several times this year. He’s a brave one, going all out when robbed for the first time, and in several conflicts, he retaliated and killed quite a number of people. In the last conflict, he allied with others to eliminate those who robbed them, and the gemstones were part of the spoils allocated after; he didn’t take much, not having won a lot."

Zhulan was stunned for a moment. Zhou Shuren’s brief recounting was filled with killing intent. Clashing with the locals, Chang Yi had carved out his own path. No wonder Mrs. Zhao cried so miserably; she must have known, "Chang Yi is a ruthless man."

Zhou Shuren pointed at his waist, "I’ve seen the wounds on his body. There are scars on his waist and his back as well."

This second son was indeed ruthless. He had originally thought about slowly expanding, leaving more options for the Zhous in case of real trouble, so they’d have a place to find refuge. However, Chang Yi had accomplished more than he could have imagined, setting the contours in place, though there was still much to build upon slowly.