Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1104: The Zhou Family’s Kid?

Chapter 1104: Chapter 1104: The Zhou Family’s Kid?

Zhulan emerged holding the box containing the Jade Pendant, while the Emperor and Zhou Shuren were locked in a gaze. She noticed the aversion in the Emperor’s eyes, while Zhou Shuren’s face remained expressionless, yet she could guess that Zhou Shuren was probably rolling his eyes inwardly!

With a smile in her eyes, Zhulan placed the box on the table, "Emperor, the Jade Pendant has been found."

During her speech, she opened the box, and the Jade Pendant lay inside.

The Emperor reached out and took the Jade Pendant, fell silent for a while, then pulled off his own Jade Pendant to compare it. He lifted his head, thought of Zhou Shuren’s words, coughed once, and quietly stuffed his own Jade Pendant into his sleeve.

Eunuch Liu looked left and right, but deliberately avoided looking at the Emperor; yet he thought to himself how miraculous it was that, after such a long search, it turned out to be right under their noses all these years.

The Emperor’s mind raced, sensing something was amiss. Zhou Shuren did not know the origin of the Jade Pendant, and Zhou Shuren’s reaction could not be feigned. It was time to inquire thoroughly, "Where did this Jade Pendant come from?"

Zhou Shuren looked towards his daughter-in-law. He didn’t interact much with his mother traditionally; it was rather his daughter-in-law who always stayed close by. He knew certainly less than Zhulan did.

Following his gaze, the Emperor said, "Lady Yang, please sit as well."

Zhulan gracefully took a seat, having stayed just now to relish in her own family’s drama, "Replying to the Emperor, this Jade Pendant was left by my mother-in-law."

The Emperor, looking at the Jade Pendant that belonged to a legitimate daughter of a family line, suddenly gasped for air and turned to look at Zhou Shuren’s face, then turned away and said, "Continue."

Zhulan had carefully recounted her memories while looking for the Jade Pendant, all related to her mother-in-law. There were many memories, but as the original body relied too heavily on her mother-in-law’s words and didn’t think much on her own, she didn’t remember much, "Originally, my mother-in-law fell critically ill and died suddenly, clutching the Jade Pendant unwillingly. Over the years, we also dared not touch the Jade Pendant, fearing we didn’t know whether it was good or bad."

The Emperor thought of all possibilities, such as the Rong family wanting to live peacefully and thus concealing their surname. It was beyond expectation that things were left unexplained; it was terse, "She didn’t explain anything?"

Zhulan nodded, "Yes, it took some time to find the Jade Pendant. My mother-in-law was somewhat agitated while holding the Jade Pendant, and she died with her eyes wide open, unable to breathe her last."

Mentioning it again, it indeed was so; the old lady passed away with much reluctance, unwilling even to close her eyes.

Zhulan couldn’t help criticizing, such a major event indeed warranted open eyes; at that time, the wars had just ended, and truly, the old lady was out of luck.

For a moment, the Emperor lost his voice, then suddenly thought of himself, as he was not young either. If he were to pass away without settling his affairs... no, it wouldn’t do; he must be prepared, "Shuren, what was your mother’s name?"

Zhou Shuren replied, "Sixth Lady."

Without even a surname, it was clear that the surname had been concealed. He remembered most from the village where people called his mother "Zhou Sixth Lady," adopting her husband’s surname.

The Emperor recalled in his mind, a legitimate daughter of the Rong family was of the sixth rank... no, there wasn’t one; there were only up to five in his memory. Connecting this to the coffin brought into the capital, touching the Jade Pendant, it was the legitimate line that was hidden by his maternal grandfather.

The Emperor expectantly looked at Zhou Shuren, "Do you know anything else?"

Zhou Shuren racked his brain to remember; he had to think hard, this counterfeit version of him, "My father once said that when he found my mother, she was ill. After she recovered, my father, being frail, decided she should stay, and they got married."

The Emperor frowned, the fake belly in the coffin, back then, fearing it might be checked, so it was made fake, but it wasn’t discovered; the clothes and pillows inside were all decayed. There was a child, a living child. Staring at Zhou Shuren, he asked, "When were you born?"

Zhou Shuren let out a sigh, "What kind of question is that?"

Zhulan was watching so closely for the first time, her eyes widening in surprise, "Oh no, could it be that Zhou Shuren isn’t really a Zhou, not a child of the Zhou family!"

Feeling his wife’s gossipy gaze, Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes inwardly. Even at such a time, she could still enjoy the drama unfolding, but he wasn’t feeling great as the drama revolved around him. "Emperor, my father wasn’t in good health, and having descendants was difficult. A child didn’t arrive until a year after marriage, and at that time the village said it was our ancestors’ blessing that preserved our family line, as my father struggled to have children and I was the sole offspring, which is why our branch was targeted. Fortunately, I managed to live up to the expectations."

The Emperor calculated Zhou Shuren’s age, quite a bit younger than himself. Don’t think the Crown Prince is older than Zhou Shuren’s eldest son; that’s because he foolishly acted young and married late!

Zhulan moved her lips slightly and stopped watching the drama, finally interjecting, "Everyone in the village says that my husband resembles my father-in-law quite closely."

So there really isn’t any melodramatic twist, no conspiracy. My father-in-law’s line was about to end, and he wouldn’t raise another man’s child.

The Emperor’s gaze fell on Zhou Shuren’s wife, "I have heard that Lady Yang is quite skilled in portraiture. Would Lady Yang please draw a portrait for me?"

Zhulan knew this would be challenging as it involved drawing her mother-in-law, "I cannot guarantee the likeness, Your Majesty, as my mother-in-law passed away some years ago."

The Emperor acknowledged, "Just do your best."

Zhulan stood up to draw the portrait, which was truly difficult. The feeling of drawing one’s own deceased relative was disconcerting, especially since her memories were somewhat distant, and her hand wavered as she began to paint.

In the village, Chang Zhi watched coffin after coffin being buried, his always vigilant heart finally settling. Today his heart was particularly shaky, beating erratically.

The Clan Leader watched as the graves were filled, then quietly inquired, "What exactly is going on? I heard that Prince Liang wanted to open your grandmother’s coffin?"

Chang Zhi darkened, "I don’t know. Prince Liang saw the carvings on my grandmother’s coffin and wanted to take it away. It was my idea to open the coffin, not Prince Liang’s suggestion. However, I think Prince Liang’s task might have involved someone, potentially my grandmother."

The Clan Leader was taken aback; he had considered various possibilities and even conspiracy theories that Prince Liang held a grudge against Zhou Shuren, seeking to disturb the Zhou family’s Feng Shui. Now hearing this, "Your grandmother was indeed strange, seldom leaving her courtyard."

Chang Zhi asked softly, "Clan Leader, who carved the patterns on my grandfather and grandmother’s coffins?"

Chang Zhi was too young to know anything.

The Clan Leader knew, "Your grandfather’s was carved by your grandmother, and her coffin was prepared well in advance, presumably also carved by herself."

Chang Zhi’s mind was in turmoil, feeling that his grandmother was shrouded in mysteries, hiding boxes under the gravestone not something ordinary people would do.

Seeing Chang Zhi not speaking, the Clan Leader was anxious, fearing for the entire Zhou family’s future, and thus pressed on, "What was Prince Liang’s attitude?"

Chang Zhi revisited the memory, "It might have been quite positive?"

The Clan Leader, "...Be more specific."

Chang Zhi replied, "Actually, I was quite bold and said some provocative things. Prince Liang, cough, he is not usually polite to anyone, but he was quite restrained with me and in the end, didn’t say much before he left."