Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1021: Pride

Chapter 1021: Chapter 1021: Pride

The Emperor listened for a while, noting the ministers’ opinions, many of which aligned with his own thoughts. He raised his hand to signal them to stop and then kept only the Officials of the Ministry of Revenue, Xiao Qing and Zhou Shuren.

Being left alone with the officials of the Ministry of Revenue was something he was accustomed to, as lately, the Ministry had again started complaining about being short on Silver.

The Emperor first discussed the affairs of the Ministry with Xiao Qing, while Zhou Shuren stayed in the background. When Xiao Qing was about to leave, he hurried after.

The Emperor said, "Zhou, stay a moment."

Zhou Shuren, "...."

He hadn’t escaped notice after all?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing quickly left. Zhou Shuren thought that by remaining silent, the Emperor wouldn’t notice him—how naive!

The Emperor gestured for Zhou Shuren to sit and then began, "Your second son is indeed articulate."

The exchange yesterday had gone smoothly. Zhou Changyi’s linguistic skills were indeed strong, especially his precision in translation which saved them much trouble.

Zhou Shuren felt wary. After so many years of serving, he recognized the Emperor’s tactic, "Your servant thanks Your Majesty for praising my son."

The Emperor sighed, "I had intended to issue a decree today since talent needs to be used where it is needed, and the Ministry of Rites surely needs it. However, too many issues arose, and Zhou, you always have many ideas. Today, you didn’t speak, and I was very keen to hear your thoughts."

Zhou Shuren internally rolled his eyes. He knew it—the earlier conversation was just a setup; this was the main point. Insidious, using his son to prompt him to speak, "...Your servant agrees with Officer Li’s view. We must be careful with foreign nations, especially. Last year’s Pirate incident proves this."

The Emperor hummed in acknowledgment, aware of these matters, "Continue."

Zhou Shuren gritted his teeth. The Emperor was getting increasingly hard to deceive. Dropping his gaze, "Your servant thinks we could also send ambassadors to other countries. Although it’s hard to admit, the truth is that our naval power is still weak. Your servant believes we should learn from others. The ambassador does have a point; development comes through exchange, and isolating ourselves will not do."

He had hoped for opportunities to station in foreign countries, to snoop around legitimately. Only by delving into foreign nations could they better understand their developments, bringing back genuine news, not baseless rumors that skewed judgment.

The Emperor smiled; he knew the old fox had plans. And many of those plans coincidentally matched his own. To venture out was to see a broader world, "Zhou, your words have given me much to ponder."

Zhou Shuren thought to himself, of course—he was a man from the future, naturally more experienced. Thus, he had to be careful with his words, especially before the wise and ambitious Emperor. The Emperor enjoyed chatting with him, as he sought to broaden his own views with unique insights.

The Crown Prince sat nearby, watching Zhou Shuren, feeling tangled inside. Zhou Shuren shouldn’t remain in the Ministry of Revenue, but without him, the Ministry would be even shorter on Silver, thwarting many of his plans. He was indeed conflicted.

The Emperor didn’t share the Crown Prince’s worries, things were fine as they were now.

What remained unsaid by Zhou Shuren was well-judged, he had originally planned to slowly arrange for his son to be stationed abroad after he entered the Ministry of Rites. Now, with the foreign ambassador raising it first, advancing the plan wasn’t a bad thing either.

In the Ministry of Rites, Chang Yi was a little stunned. Just yesterday his father had said it was not likely to be so soon, yet today the decree had arrived. He became an Eighth-rank Official, an Eighth-rank Ambassador, standing there dumbfounded after receiving the decree.

It was Wu Ming who handed the Silver Coin to the eunuch who announced the decree, and then shook him, "Snap out of it."

Chang Yi’s eyes widened, "Have I really become an official?"

Wu Ming smiled, "Yes, you have."

Chang Yi’s eyes reddened. He now had an official status, having entered the Ministry of Rites. If it weren’t for the inappropriate setting, he’d have liked to kneel and cry for a while. His emotions were complex, though an Eighth-rank title wasn’t high, he had achieved the impossible—yes, all thanks to his father. It was all arranged by his father.

Wong Ju didn’t attend the court session today, yet he knew many officials had stayed behind after the early morning court session, "It must be because of your father."

Chang Yi thought the same. This morning, Mr. Wong had advised him to stay calm, and by noon, an imperial decree was issued. He now very much wanted to see his father and felt that his father was incredibly capable.

Due to the relations between the two families, Wong Ju looked after Chang Yi carefully. Seeing Chang Yi excited, Wong Ju reminded him, "You are currently an Eighth-rank Official, and rising up will be difficult. Your strength is your language proficiency. You must work even harder in the future."

Chang Yi felt a burning passion inside. He knew his promotion would be challenging. According to his father’s words, he had significant weaknesses, which cooled his fervor a bit, "I’ll remember that."

At the Zhou residence, Zhulan sent away the bearer of good news and then saw Mrs. Zhao crying, wiping her tears haphazardly, "Mother, I’m happy."

Zhulan understood; although the second wife’s branch brought in more Silver, it actually lacked confidence the most, "The days ahead will only get better, and today is a joyful day. Your salary has doubled."

Mrs. Zhao dried her tears, "Mother, should we send a message to the Hu family?"

Zhulan, understanding Mrs. Zhao’s intention, said, "Go ahead."

At the Duke Residence, Duke Ning said to his two sons, "Zhou Shuren has turned the impossible into possible, incredible, truly incredible."

Though the official status is minor, it was still an improbable achievement.

Ning Hui spoke, "The Zhou family is no longer new to the capital. They have steadily taken root in the capital. I can already foresee the family’s thriving future."

Not to mention anything else, Zhou Shuren even managed to secure an official position for the commoner, Zhou Changyi, let alone the prospects for the grandsons of the Zhou family, who are all scholars, including the eldest grandson and the eldest son of the second wife.

Looking at the future through the descendants, all these form the foundation of the Zhou family’s prosperity.

Listening to his elder brother, Ning Xu felt worried; the Duke’s grandsons were mediocre, one frail and the others not many in number. The situation looked alright for now, but who could tell about the future? Coupled with Lady Du, just thinking about it made him agitated.

Duke Ning, seeing his youngest son looking at him, immediately noticed his son’s melancholy. He was never a soft-hearted person and would not gamble with the future of the Ning family. The Ning family had sacrificed too much in pursuit of familial legacy.

An hour later, Ning Hui returned to the courtyard and heard his wife complaining.

Lady Du, with an unhappy expression, sat there, "I’ve only just become pregnant. You didn’t see how much mother cherishes it, sending things to the Hou Residence every day—sweet foods for a girl, no doubt it’s a girl. She cherishes a girl so much. When Mrs. Song had a boy, why didn’t mother send more?"

Ning Hui quietly listened. He didn’t argue because he knew it was futile; the more he spoke, the more aggrieved Lady Du would feel. After listening, he turned and left the courtyard.

That night, the Zhou residence was filled with joy. Chang Yi, happy, drank quite a bit of wine. After dinner, he followed his father.

Zhou Shuren asked, "Aren’t you going to rest in your quarters? Why follow me?"

He tried to digest his food by walking in the yard, with Chang Yi sticking to him at every step, which was rather uncomfortable.

Chang Yi was not drunk, his eyes bright, "Father, I will diligently study languages and definitely make you proud."

Zhou Shuren paused, "...Is this your only idea for advancing your career?"

Chang Yi blinked, "No, isn’t it right?"

Zhou Shuren, squinting his eyes, "It’s not enough just to speak the language. You also need to write and translate. Translating foreign books—especially useful ones—is an achievement. My son, you need to have ideals and ambitions, like organizing foreign books that are beneficial to the country."

Chang Yi’s eyes widened. His father’s few words had broadened his horizons and filled him with pride. Zhou Shuren was his father!