Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1050: Nowhere to Hide

Chapter 1050: Chapter 1050: Nowhere to Hide

Zhou Shuren held an umbrella; two storehouses were already filled to the brim, all with silver and jewels that had been searched out today. Today’s haul had to be accounted for, as the actual silver needed to be deposited into the national treasury by tomorrow.

Zhou Shuren echoed Qiu Yan’s words, "Indeed, who could have thought that someone in the capital had hidden so much for so many years? I just heard from someone reporting to the Grand Master of Writing that several shops were sealed, including two antique stores. They’ll bring back whatever they find once it’s appraised."

The rain made Qiu Yan feel cold to begin with, and now he felt a chill to the bone, "It’s terrifying."

He could imagine that if the Emperor had not purged the capital, and someone had struck unexpectedly, without any chance to be on guard, the casualties within the capital would be untold, and they would have been the primary targets.

Zhou Shuren saw there was nothing more to see and instructed Lei Langzhong, "Keep your eyes on this place."

He had no wish to work overtime today; staying in the Ministry of Revenue was already hard enough.

Qiu Yan didn’t want to watch anymore either. Too much had happened today; those who were involved had all gone home, and those who weren’t had no mind to carry on with their duties. Now only the officials of the Ministry of Revenue were still at work.

Qiu Yan felt he had aged a great deal, shrugging his shoulders, "Let’s go back together."

Zhou Shuren, "Alright."

Qiu Yan dared not mention anything else, only the spring rain, "I hope this rain washes away the stench of blood."

This rain had been falling for almost two hours, washing away any trace of blood, "It will."

Leaving the government office, Zhou Shuren felt eager to return home, urging the coachman to hasten back.

Unfortunately, upon reaching the residence of the Zhang family clan, the carriage came to a halt. Zhou Shuren pulled back the carriage curtain, "Go and see what’s happening?"

Zhou Shuren’s family had received special attention, and two squads of soldiers escorted him home. Soon, one of the soldiers reported back, "Sir, they are moving things up ahead."

Zhou Shuren’s toothache flared up, meaning he had to wait a while before he could proceed. Pressing his brow, "It’s not far now; I’ll walk home."

Saying so, he took his umbrella and descended from the carriage. Good heavens, the road ahead was blocked by numerous carriages, all from people going home from the government office.

Zhou Shuren was the only one to walk, having no inclination to greet anyone. As he approached, he was stopped by a familiar eunuch. To his surprise, the Emperor had actually left the palace.

The eunuch hurried forward, "Sir, the Emperor requests your presence."

Grinding his teeth, Zhou Shuren felt it was no coincidence; the Emperor had intentionally waited for him to return home, "Hmm."

The eunuch had really made good his position, now even accompanying the Emperor outside the palace. Who would have thought that just two years ago he was a poor wretch?

Zhou Shuren followed the eunuch’s steps into the residence of the Zhang family clan, passing the guarding soldiers. Holding his umbrella, he paused for a moment. Some things that hadn’t been burnt were cleared out, and in view was a charred wasteland full of pits dug everywhere.

Without asking where the Emperor was, Zhou Shuren just followed the eunuch until they reached a large pit surrounded by a crowd, including the Crown Prince’s personal guards.

Following the eunuch down the stairs—this rain was turning everything to mud—Shuren soon saw the open doors, soldiers standing on both sides. He walked through the corridor and quickly entered a dark chamber, blinking against its brightness.

The Emperor and the Crown Prince stood together, surrounded by guards. Zhou Shuren stepped forward, "Your servant has seen the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

The Emperor gestured, "Shuren, come look at this."

Zhou Shuren noticed the Crown Prince glance at him as he stepped forward. Before him was a pile of gold, "The treasury will be full this time."

The Emperor glanced sideways, "You’re always thinking about the treasury."

Zhou Shuren was inwardly pleased; money! At last, he would stop being scolded. These past days he didn’t know how many people had cursed him behind his back, "Your servant is in a difficult position, my lord. Poor indeed."

The Emperor couldn’t bear to look and turned away, continuing to gaze at the gold. He had never expected to unearth gold today, "The most dangerous places are often the safest, indeed."

Zhou Shuren’s heart quivered. He had not reached the point of viewing money as mere dirt; he was a common man through and through. The national treasury was also striking, but he knew it belonged to the entire country, so he was less moved. But the personal wealth before him was a significant shock; when he thought of his family’s wealth, he couldn’t compare.

The Crown Prince found Zhou Shuren’s gleaming eyes hard to bear. Look at him; once a good man entered the Ministry of Revenue, all he could see was silver, "Minister Zhou, this gold will not enter the treasury."

As excited as Zhou Shuren was just now, he now felt just as disheartened, stiffly looking at the Crown Prince, "You called me over not to deposit it into the treasury?"

The Emperor, having heard the reports, left the palace and upon seeing the gold, his rage was such that he wanted to kill. His anger had still not settled, but seeing Zhou Shuren’s incredulous expression, his mood lightened, "I found you too stingy, so I merely wanted you to look."

Zhou Shuren, "...."

These two perverse father and son, playing games with him!

The Emperor coughed, "This silver will not enter the national treasury. Didn’t you once mention to me something about a war reserve? I find this gold just right for that."

Zhou Shuren felt bewildered; had he casually mentioned war reserves? He said so much that, even with care, some words slipped out; now he couldn’t recall when he had said this, but the Emperor remembered clearly!

Zhou Shuren looked at the Emperor; these two were an ambitious father-son pair. Remembering so clearly, hoarding so much gold, surely they were itching for expansion, "Your servant has said too much, some of which I can’t recall at the moment."

The Emperor watched Zhou Shuren with amusement, "It’s fine as long as I remember it. I’ve always considered your words very sensible, hence it cannot enter the treasury."

The Crown Prince chimed in, "This gold cannot be deposited into the treasury. Today, we have confiscated a lot of jewels and silver, which is considerable wealth."

Zhou Shuren forced a smile, alright then, a quail’s leg is still a leg, "Yes, they have been moved into the Ministry of Revenue’s storehouses and are being counted."

The Emperor shifted his gaze from the gold and walked out, "Let’s go."

The Crown Prince watching his father, there wasn’t only gold found here but also ancient paintings and antiquities. The Emperor was outraged upon sight because some were from the Rong family, and those that remained were certainly treasures. The Emperor had a vivid memory of them.

The Crown Prince deeply felt that, if not for inopportune timing, the Emperor truly would have committed a great slaughter, ah, he was not being merciful even now.

Zhou Shuren held his umbrella, following sullenly. At the mansion’s entrance, he watched the Emperor and the Crown Prince depart.

After returning home, Zhou Shuren discussed the day’s deaths and injuries within the Yao family clan with his wife.

Zhulan wiped her husband’s hair with a handkerchief, "I feel like the Emperor was venting."

Zhou Shuren tugged at the corner of his mouth, "Indeed, he was venting. The Zhang family is taboo to the Emperor. I don’t know what was discovered a few days ago, but can you say the Emperor wouldn’t be angry? Today, I saw a large amount of gold, and the Emperor was furious."

Zhulan paused in her movements, "The Emperor’s sudden destruction of the Zhang family’s residence, might there still be survivors from the Zhang family? You also mentioned that the Zhang family had many secret passages."

So the Emperor might have found or confirmed something that turned his attention to the mansion. After failing to find anything in the search, a fire was set to buildings, leaving nowhere to hide.