Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1007: Deterrence

Chapter 1007: Chapter 1007: Deterrence

The next day, after the early morning court session had ended, Zhou Shuren was called aside by a familiar little eunuch. He conscientiously followed the small eunuch. As for the jealous looks from several scholars behind him, he had grown used to them.

The little eunuch was doing well for himself now, dressed warmly and having grown quite a bit taller. The eunuch lowered his voice, "The Emperor is in a very good mood today."

He had heard the Emperor’s laughter that morning, and although he did not know what the happy occasion was, this piece of news was sufficient.

Zhou Shuren had mixed feelings. Initially, he had merely seen the other as a child, and since he did not harbor the deep-rooted ancient notions, he had treated the little eunuch without contempt or disdainful looks, which is why the eunuch would occasionally share some news with him, "Thank you."

The little eunuch grinned, showing his teeth. He had guided other adults, but no one else thanked those lowly eunuchs like him; the eyes don’t lie.

Inside the government hall, the Emperor was sipping hot tea, looking very relaxed; indeed, he was in a good mood, "Shuren, come and sit."

Zhou Shuren’s movements stiffened slightly as he stood up. It had always been ’my dear subject’ in the past, but now he was being called by his name, which inexplicably made him feel nervous.

Zhou Shuren remained cautious but obediently sat down.

Eunuch Liu had already passed over the hot tea, and Zhou Shuren accepted it with both hands. He wasn’t really cold and only took a couple of sips before setting it aside, "Your Majesty called for your subject, is there something you wish to instruct me on?"

For the first time in many years, the Emperor felt light-hearted. The Qi family had backed down, the Phang family had fallen, and a good portion of the Chen family’s power had also been consolidated. The weight that had long pressed on his heart was finally lifting, "As the year-end approaches, there are no pressing matters in the court, and I haven’t had a chat with you in a long while. Today, let’s just have a casual conversation."

Zhou Shuren internally rolled his eyes. Have you forgotten that in your jealousy, you intentionally postponed the morning court these past days?

Smiling outwardly, Zhou Shuren replied, "Indeed, in a few days, we shall have some time to rest."

The Emperor hummed in agreement and set down his teacup, "I hear your second son has returned?"

And he had been quite generous, presenting no shortage of gemstones and keeping quite a few for himself, as well as bringing back a substantial amount of gold jewelry, which intrigued him greatly.

Local merchants traveling abroad indeed brought back considerable wealth, but never such a large, single haul of high-quality gemstones. No one is a fool; these things couldn’t just be swindled so easily.

Zhou Shuren sighed, then showed a face full of distress, "My foolish boy loves acquiring assets. My intention was for him to go abroad to broaden his horizons, but he went ahead and bought land. Not only that, but he also boldly secured a mountain lease, which caught the attention of a local gang of bandits. He even got into several conflicts with the locals."

Zhou Shuren explained the details to the Emperor far more meticulously than he would to his wife. Going abroad is dangerous; without sufficient military power, one could be wiped out, so he needed to make this clear to the Emperor.

The Emperor listened with great seriousness, "This second son of yours may not be much for books, but he does have your wit, even knowing to ally with the locals."

Zhou Shuren wanted to say that his son wasn’t following him at all, but then again, his education was good, "The boy is bold. I saw the wounds from a knife fight yesterday, and I’ve been so worried I couldn’t sleep a wink all night."

Indeed, he hadn’t slept at all, tossing and turning, but not from worry. His son had already returned; he wouldn’t fret over things that had already happened. What occupied his mind was how to fill in the framework his son had fought to establish so that the fruits of their labor wouldn’t be plucked by others in the future.

The Emperor added, "Your second son also brought back a friend?"

"He did."

Zhou Shuren then introduced his son’s friend Bahu and the purpose of his visit, which Shuren did not conceal—it was for inspection.

The Emperor fell silent, reflecting. His attention toward the Zhou family’s sons was primarily on Zhou Changlian, and these past days, he had also paid attention to Zhou Changzhi because of the upcoming provincial exams next year. He was eager to see the results of the Zhou family’s most scholarly child.

He hadn’t expected that the two who weren’t part of the officialdom—whom he had never paid much attention to—also had abilities. Stroking his beard, he thought that with Zhou Shuren as their father, there was indeed nothing surprising about this.

Meanwhile, at the Zhou residence, Chang Yi spent the day at home, engaging in conversation with his mother, while the foreign guest he had brought with him was resting. It was too cold outside, and it would take a few days to acclimate.

Zhulan listened to her son switch between the languages of several countries, then fell silent, "I heard from the Xu family that you learned foreign languages. Your father also told me last night that you’re quite good, which I doubted. Now I believe it."

This wasn’t just high aptitude; it was sheer genius, unlike her own painful experience when learning just one language.

Chang Yi was clearly proud, "Actually, son just caught on to some patterns. Once you find one, it becomes much easier to learn."

Zhulan was extremely envious. How wonderful it would be to possess such linguistic talent, "That’s very impressive."

Chang Yi rarely saw his mother so taken aback. His smile deepened. Home truly was the best place, even if he had built a fine residence abroad, it still was not home.

Zhulan composed herself, "Nowadays, foreigners are issued temporary residence permits. Although some have left, there are still many within the country. I’ve heard that quite a lot of people are learning foreign languages."

Initially, merchants started learning them for ease of communication. Then, as routine interactions increased, some officials involved in Maritime Affairs began studying them, followed by farsighted people who encouraged their children to learn.

Because it was known that not only was the Navy established, but a considerable amount of silver coin had been invested. This affirmed the development of Maritime Affairs; the better it developed, the more countries they’d encounter, and diplomacy thus became vital. Being linguistically aligned was the foundation.

Back in the Palace, the Emperor waited for Zhou Shuren to finish speaking, "Are you saying, your son speaks three foreign languages? If I remember correctly, he went abroad only a year ago."

Zhou Shuren replied, "I dare not deceive Your Majesty. My son has a true talent for languages, and these three are the most widely used."

The Emperor thought. Over the years, he had met ambassadors from various countries, and truly the language barrier was sorrowful. His counterpart’s Mandarin needed hand gestures, and he had to guess what was said. His translators were mostly officials from the Maritime Affairs Administration, skilled though they might be, it was rare to find someone fluent in several languages. This was a talent.

Seeing that the Emperor had lapsed into deep thought and wasn’t speaking, Zhou Shuren realized that if today the Emperor didn’t retain him, he would find a way to let the Emperor know just how proficient Chang Yi’s linguistic talents were.

When Chang Yi had been studying with the Xu family, Zhou Shuren knew his son had a gift for languages, picking them up swiftly. He had thought about leveraging this aspect, little expecting that Chang Yi would give him such a huge surprise. He felt even one language was difficult, yet his son had learned several in a short period. While they might not be overly complex, being functional was enough.

Zhou Shuren was counting his advantages, now having even more strategies at his disposal.

The Emperor, squinting his eyes, "These foreign ambassadors we have seen, but our ministers have not been abroad."

Zhou Shuren considered this and then spoke, "I think there is no hurry. Once the technology of our ships and our gunpowder weapons are enhanced, it would be better to send ambassadors then."

The deterrence of military power, the principle that strength speaks loudest. Talk is cheap, and it wastes time. With advanced ships and gunpowder weapons on display and the Navy in tow, diplomatic missions would certainly be more effective and also serve to deter some countries with burgeoning ambitions.