Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1095: The Box

Chapter 1095: Chapter 1095: The Box

Chang Zhi naturally saw it—the red box. If not for the impact of the torrential rain, it would have been truly difficult to discover; at least, he had not noticed it on his previous visit, nor had his elder brother seen it during several ancestral veneration rituals, nor had the clan members who came to tend to the graves each year.

The young servants looked around left and right, while Steward Ding also waited for Fourth Master to speak.

Chang Zhi’s heart thudded wildly. Even when he was a child, uninvolved in worldly affairs, he knew his family had some small secrets. For instance, they seemed to have a wealth that was slightly too substantial. Their branch of the family tree was thinly populated, especially by the time of his grandfather, who was the sole scion—yes, his father was also the last of his line.

Chang Zhi personally went forward without letting the young servants lend a hand. First, he kowtowed before the tombstone of his grandparents, and only then did he begin to dig up the box. The box was not large, but it was buried quite deep.

Had it not been for the heavy flow of water that had exposed a corner, the thick earth would have made it difficult for anyone to notice.

Chang Zhi dug it out himself, tried lifting it, and found it to be somewhat heavy. He carefully took it out; it was about the size of a jewelry box. The box was locked and the seams were sealed with beeswax—no, the entire box was sealed, with not a single gap visible.

Steward Ding was somewhat stunned. "Fourth Master, what should we do now?"

Holding the box, Chang Zhi looked towards his family’s ancestral graves, which were actually not many, "I will write a letter home to ask father if we should move to a location with better feng shui and rebuild the ancestral tomb."

As for the object in his hands, he had to think about whether to take it back himself or have someone else bring it. Chang Zhi pursed his lips with worry; he didn’t feel at ease letting someone else carry it.

Steward Ding asked, "Should we repair the grave a little today?"

Chang Zhi nodded. "Mm."

Because he was holding the box and unable to work himself, he watched the young servants fill the pit, add soil to the tomb, and make sure everything was in order before slowly descending the mountain.

Chang Zhi held the box without letting go even though his arms were tired, carefully making his way down the mountain, where Ming Qing had been waiting at the foot all the while.

Ming Qing approached, "Uncle Changzhi, was everything alright on the mountain?"

Chang Zhi replied, "There were no issues up there—you should head back early as well."

Ming Qing glanced at the box in Uncle Changzhi’s arms and, without thinking too much of it, smiled and nodded, "Knowing you’ve come down safely, I can rest at ease. Then I’ll head back first."

"Good, let the Clan Leader know that all is well."

"Mm."

Chang Zhi returned home to find that Su Xuan had already prepared hot water and a change of clothes. Chang Zhi handed the box to his wife, "Keep it with you personally."

Intrigued, yet without asking, Su Xuan guarded the box, waiting until her husband had finished freshening up to ask, "Where did this come from?"

In a soft voice, Chang Zhi recounted how he had found it, "I believe this box must have been buried by my grandmother."

His grandfather had passed away first; the only person who could have buried something in front of his grandfather’s tombstone was his grandmother. He felt that his grandmother had kept secrets.

Su Xuan was startled, "Then what should we do with this box? How can we send it back to the capital?"

Chang Zhi frowned, "I think there’s something very important inside; we cannot afford any mishap. Look, it’s only a few months until we return to the capital. After much consideration, I believe it’s safest for us to bring it ourselves."

Su Xuan stroked the box, feeling the thick layer of wax sealing it. The box was especially well-sealed, indicating the contents were very important. She asked with curiosity, "Do your parents not know about it?"

Chang Zhi answered, "When I was young, I heard my mother mention a few times that grandmother left in a hurry. I think she probably didn’t explain things clearly."

Su Xuan said with a sense of helplessness at how such important matters were left to the last minute, "This is a lesson. When I grow old, I will make sure to explain things clearly beforehand."

Chang Zhi chuckled, "Mm."

capital, Zhou family, Zhulan’s foot had already healed enough for her to walk on the ground, although she still couldn’t walk for too long. In fact, having a foot injury had its advantages—it had excused her from many social engagements. But even when the weather was abnormal, some obligatory engagements in the capital never ceased. The capital was a hub of social interactions, where there was constant networking every moment.

Xue Mei supported her mother, "Mother, during these days outside the capital, I saw some porridge shops."

Zhulan paused, "Are there refugees entering the capital?"

That shouldn’t be the case around here, the areas near the capital were among the first to dig wells, and the Imperial court had already announced that relief grain would be distributed to various states.

Xue Mei explained, "There are still some who can’t make ends meet. In recent years, there had been good harvests, and a lot of grain was sold off. Their families can’t wait until the relief grain arrives, so some have come to the capital, although not many. I’ve heard from the older generation that this year’s unusual weather isn’t as bad as previous droughts when refugees used to fill the area outside the capital, waiting for relief."

Zhulan felt joy in her heart, "It seems that the government’s policies are effective."

Xue Mei nodded, "The local people all praise the Imperial court. Mother, should our family set up a porridge shop?"

Zhulan hadn’t planned to set up a porridge shop. She preferred to make use of the labor force, where one’s effort corresponded to one’s harvest, "Let’s wait for your elder brother to return; I will discuss it with him."

Xue Mei smiled, "Alright."

At the Ministry of Rites, Chang Yi asked with some uncertainty, "Sir, are you really letting me lead the delegation?"

He was only Seventh Rank; he couldn’t believe it!

Wong Ju was also surprised. After the Chief of Staff had finished speaking, he had specifically asked again until he later learned it was indicated by the Crown Prince, "Yes, you will lead the delegation on this diplomatic mission to various countries. This is your opportunity and one you created for yourself. Opportunities are rare, so you must ensure success."

This was the Crown Prince testing the second son of the Zhou family. Success would smooth his future career, but failure or missing this chance would make future opportunities harder to come by.

Chang Yi was excited, his voice raising, "I will definitely handle this task well."

Wong Ju smiled, very willing to see the Zhou family succeed, given that the Wong and Zhou families were related by marriage, "Good, you should prepare as well. In the coming days, look into the situations of previous missions to other countries. You will depart in half a month."

Chang Yi clenched his fist, "Yes."

In the afternoon, when the eldest Zhou son returned, he said, "Mother, I saw the Emperor near the city gate."

Zhulan, "Are you sure you saw correctly?"

The eldest son had seen the Emperor before, "I haven’t made a mistake, it really was the Emperor. I didn’t dare to follow for too long, but the Emperor seemed to be going to look at the refugees and porridge shops."

Zhulan thought to herself, the Imperial court’s affairs were basically handled by the Crown Prince nowadays, and the Emperor instead liked to occasionally leave the palace incognito to observe things personally. Actually, seeing things in person was better than just reading Zhezi reports.

Zhulan said, "There are refugees outside the capital, do you have any thoughts?"

The eldest son looked up at his mother, "I do have some ideas."

"Tell me."

The eldest son said, "I don’t have many skills, but I do understand a bit about farming. The vegetables Lady Li grows in our yard are quite good, so I thought since our fields won’t preserve the harvest anymore, I want to plant some vegetables to mitigate the loss. That’s why I didn’t rush into the city today; I went to survey the refugees, wanting to see how many able-bodied people there were."

Zhulan smiled, very happy because her eldest son’s ideas aligned with hers, "Then go and take care of it."

The eldest son complied, "Yes."

After the eldest son had left, Zhulan spoke to the elderly maidservant, "All our family members have become successful. I used to worry about everything before, but now I truly have peace of mind."

The elderly maidservant, "That’s also because of the good teaching from you and the master."

She had watched the young masters grow and change little by little, remembering how the former mistress and master used to worry about everything.