Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1110: Where is the Thing?

Chapter 1110: Chapter 1110: Where is the Thing?

The last letter contained a simple map. The Emperor stood up and said to the Crown Prince, "Fetch the latest coastal map."

The Crown Prince hurriedly stood up. He had been guarding the map and studying coastal defenses all along. He quickly brought it over and gestured to Zhou Shuren to hold the other side.

Zhou Shuren was internally amazed. The ancestors of the Rong family were impressive, aligning perfectly with the backup plan he had in mind. No wonder there were rumors that the Rong family was wealthy enough to rival a country.

Zhou Shuren looked up helplessly to the sky. So, it was all fate. The ancient ancestors of the Rong family had schemed everything, but in the end, they could not outwit heaven.

Zhou Shuren couldn’t help thinking. If the box had not been discovered, this secret would never have been revealed. Only the Rong family would have known.

The Emperor pointed at the map, squinting his eyes. A hundred years ago, the Rong family had hidden another set of twins, sent overseas very early by the ancestors of the Rong family. Thus, there were direct descendants of the Rong family overseas, and different Jade Pendants in the box were left by a direct male descendant who went overseas. The Jade Pendants came in pairs, with the other half taken away.

The Emperor pursed his lips, "Why do you think they never came back?"

Zhou Shuren smirked internally, "Back when the Rong family was destroyed, those who escaped must have been ordered to wait for the surviving members of the Rong family to find them."

Moreover, the direct descendants who moved overseas would have integrated there, setting down roots. Why would they return? Without support from the main family in these years, it wouldn’t have been easy outside; keeping a low profile was the right move.

The Emperor looked deeply at Zhou Shuren, "Your mother’s father was a guardian of the Rong family. If the Rong family had not been annihilated, your mother would also have been a guardian of the family. Therefore, these things appeared in your mother’s possession. Your mother was the guardian of this branch, so she left these things for you."

Zhou Shuren was dumbstruck. What was the Emperor implying? Spit, asking him to keep them safe? No, no, "I am surnamed Zhou."

Not Rong, thank you. Just days ago he was elated to the skies; now his face particularly hurt!

The Emperor was silent, released the map, and took out another piece of letter from inside the envelope. The letter instructed Zhou Shuren to write everything down after reading and then burn it all. Lastly, it instructed Zhou Shuren to find the boy from that time, for it concerned blood lineage, and after entering the capital, he was to take the responsibility of protecting the Rong family.

The Emperor smiled, shaking the letter, "Have a look."

Zhou Shuren stared at the last sentence, feeling like vomiting blood. He knew ancient family missions were ingrained deeply, but no, his mother didn’t need to brainwash him. If it was the original family member, they would definitely happily agree, but he wasn’t, so silence is golden now!

The Emperor picked up the previous letter, which detailed the birthmarks. This child was two years older than Zhou Shuren. If the child was not healthy, he might have already died; if healthy and still alive, it would not be easy to find.

Times were chaotic back then, who would raise a child not of their own blood? But, he did want to see the overseas Rong family.

The Emperor looked at the listless Zhou Shuren and felt slightly better, "If we follow the family tree, we could be considered cousins."

Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes internally. They weren’t even blood-related, and besides, the distance was far more than just three thousand miles.

Prince Liang curled his finger, now that the Emperor had recognized it, so Zhou Shuren truly had connections with the Royal family. What was written in the letter piqued his curiosity, but having it acknowledged by the Emperor himself was even more important now.

Prince Liang had not forgotten; he had targeted Zhou Shuren and Zhou Changlian before, and often countered Zhou Shuren. Don’t expect Zhou Shuren to be too forgiving; after years of interactions, Zhou Shuren held grudges.

Chang Zhi was prepared, now so excited his face turned red. So his origins were really that incredible. He thought if the Clan Leader knew, he’d cry, certainly fearing the Emperor would adopt his father into the Rong family.

Zhou Shuren’s eyes rested on the key inside the box. The letter had not mentioned the key. The map only disclosed the overseas Rong family’s location but detailed no treasures, so his mother didn’t know what the key could unlock, but it was important enough for his mother to hold on to it.

The Emperor followed Zhou Shuren’s gaze, then looked at the letter more closely. The letter simply instructed to hold onto it carefully, definitely not to lose it, and then it ended. His maternal grandfather hadn’t told Zhou Shuren’s mother everything.

After a moment as brief as brewing tea, the Emperor examined the box thoroughly, considering breaking it open. After confirming there was nothing, he said to Zhou Shuren, "Now is not the time to announce this."

Zhou Shuren, more than happy to never disclose it, bluntly replied, "Yes, I am surnamed Zhou."

The Emperor’s profound gaze tightened on Zhou Shuren, clearly understanding that Zhou Shuren was reluctant to guard the Rong family. Had it been someone else, they would have been ecstatic, but not Zhou Shuren. Zhou Shuren only saw it as a major inconvenience and finally felt a bit relieved, realizing Zhou Shuren had no ambitions and could be trusted, "It’s getting late; you should head back now."

Zhou Shuren, "Yes, I take my leave."

He truly did not care about the follow-up, whether it was the treasure rivaling the wealth of a nation or finding the Rong family people. He wanted no part in it.

Zhou Shuren and his son left the palace and boarded their carriage. Chang Zhi finally couldn’t help asking, "Father, could the Emperor adopt you into the Rong family?"

Zhou Shuren shook his head, whispering, "No, your grandmother was just a member of the Rong clan. There are still members of the Rong family alive; it’s not your father’s turn. You should just be clear about today’s events, rest for a couple of days, and then return. The rural examinations are coming up."

Chang Zhi was stunned, so he had thought too much. Dazed, he replied, "Oh, okay."

Prince Liang left the palace only after receiving his reward, but he was not pleased. He did not get the major credit, all because Zhou Shuren had revealed it himself. Now that the Emperor would surely protect Zhou Shuren, and according to seniority, Zhou Shuren was now his elder—an utterly vexing thought.

Inside the palace, the Emperor spoke to the Crown Prince about the survivor’s birthmark, "You send someone to investigate."

"Yes."

The Crown Prince responded then asked, "Father, what about these keys?"

The Emperor held the keys, "Back then, it was rumored the Rong family was wealthy enough to rival a nation. After the Rong family was annihilated, even their ancestral graves were dug up. Later, I returned and refurbished the Rong family’s ancestral graves. Now these keys indicate that the Rong family really does have hidden wealth."

The Crown Prince had looked at the letter and map earlier, "Is the overseas Rong family guarding it?"

The Emperor paused, then with a hooked lip, said, "Your maternal grandfather schemed so much that even Zhou Shuren’s mother wasn’t told. How could he possibly let the overseas Rong family know? Even if they were a backup, with a large tree comes many branches; your maternal grandfather couldn’t trust them either. The only ones who might know the secret of the keys would be my younger uncle, but unfortunately, human calculations are no match for heaven’s."

The Crown Prince paced back and forth, suddenly stopping, "So Father, you mean the goods are still in the capital, always have been?"

"Hmm, that’s what I think. The more dangerous a place, the safer it is. The ancestral grave is definitely not possible."

The Crown Prince furrowed his brows, "Then where could it be hidden?"

The Emperor stood up, having already formed a hypothesis, and the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.