Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 1430: Panic

The couple fell silent, both aware of the high likelihood that Rongchuan would go to war. For the sake of morale, the Emperor could not personally command the troops, the Crown Prince and the Princes were too young; it would have to be one of the Princes, and Rongchuan, being a legitimate younger brother, was the most likely choice.

Afterward, Zhou Shuren became mired in busyness. The covert allocation of some supplies required his personal oversight; had it not been for the constant nourishment from herbal soups, Zhou Shuren would have been overwhelmed long ago.

By the time he finally finished his tasks, he had lost a great deal of weight. Upon returning home, he collapsed into bed and stayed there, "I’ve been worked to death recently, but at least it’s all done now."

Zhulan felt terribly for him. To avoid the risk of more people knowing and potentially leaking information, Zhou Shuren had managed the entire allocation process by himself. He couldn’t miss the morning court session to avoid suspicion, and he had to sneak out of the capital at night; it had been some days since he had a proper night’s sleep.

"I’ll make sure to nourish you well in the coming days."

Zhou Shuren had already started snoring when Zhulan stretched out a hand to soothe his back and legs. After a while, she let go, stood up, wiped the sweat from her forehead with a cloth, and went to change her clothes. By the time she had finished, Zhou Shuren had already turned over and was lying on the inside of the bed.

The next day, Zhou Shuren, having had a full night’s good sleep, went to the court full of energy. When he entered the palace, Wong Ju approached him, "Today, you look much better."

"Mhm, I’ve had some nourishing soup and I’m not suffering from the summer heat anymore."

He was no longer young, and his complexion could not be faked. Whenever someone asked about his condition, he told them it was just the summer heat, and nobody doubted his words.

Wong Ju sighed, "The older we get, the more fragile our bodies. You’re not young anymore; pay more attention to your health from now on."

Zhou Shuren, "...Are you concerned about me, or are you trying to hurt my feelings? What do you mean I’m not young anymore? I’m clearly still very youthful."

Wong Ju scrutinized Zhou Shuren up and down, then touched his own face, "You see, this is what being young looks like."

Zhou Shuren, "!!"

These past few days he hadn’t had the energy to deal with Wong Ju, who was no longer afraid of him.

At the Academy, Ming Rui felt someone was watching him from outside the window; when he turned his head, the figure disappeared, and the teacher had to remind him to focus on the lecture.

Behind the trees outside the window, Liu Yuanbo clutched his chest, nearly caught just now. Ever since Zhou Mingrui returned to the capital, he had been contemplating whether to make the first move, and after several days of thought, decided to come to the Academy.

Liu Yuanbo peeked out again, then froze—it was a direct eye-to-eye encounter with Zhou Mingrui!

Ming Rui silently turned his head back and was glared at by the teacher once again, now he could finally concentrate on the lecture.

Upon his return, the arrangements for his sister’s marriage were put on the schedule, with the two families having almost settled everything, waiting only for the matchmaking to be finalized on an auspicious day. His teacher at the Academy grilled him alone, leaving him with a lot of coursework, and he hadn’t had the chance to seek out Liu Yuanbo, who had now come to him instead.

Liu Yuanbo crouched on the ground; the young servant saw the young master clutching his chest but was not the least bit concerned, advising, "Better a short ache than a long ache, Master."

Liu Yuanbo raised his head, "It wasn’t easy to save up Silver, I took out fifty taels in one go."

The young servant face remained indifferent, "Oh."

He was a servant born into the family, having been with the young master since childhood. As a personal attendant, he knew exactly how much Silver the young master had.

After classes, Ming Rui came out to find Liu Yuanbo already standing in the posture of a dignified young master.

"You came to see me?"

Liu Yuanbo, "Yes, I heard my father say that Lord Zhou is proud of you, and I’ve long wanted to make your acquaintance."

Ming Rui, "Are you sure it’s not because you want to curry favor with me?"

Liu Yuanbo stiffened, must he be so blunt? Laughing awkwardly, "That doesn’t conflict with my wish to befriend you."

Ming Rui, stroking his chin, "Did you come at mealtime because you want to invite me to dinner?"

"...Um, yes."

"Then let’s go. I’ll have you know, there’s no restaurant in the capital unknown to me, I’m well aware of each one’s specialties. Today, I’ll show you around."

Liu Yuanbo, "...Show me around one?"

"What is your understanding?"

Liu Yuanbo gripped his purse. To him, understanding meant family, but somehow he felt that Zhou Mingrui didn’t mean it that way.

It was a coincidence that during their meal, Ming Rui saw Wen Rong. Today wasn’t a day off for the Hanlin Academy, it seemed Wen Rong had taken a leave.

Liu Yuanbo noticed as well, "Fourth Young Master Wen."

Ming Rui hummed in response, "Let’s change to another place."

"Not eating here?"

He had just calculated the cost, and the price of this restaurant was within his budget.

Ming Rui stood up, "No, let’s go next door. The place next door has more character, hmm, and the price is cheaper."

"I’ll follow your lead, let’s go next door."

Ming Rui, "....."

He agreed so quickly, as if afraid that he would change his mind – such a miser.

Wen Rong naturally also noticed Zhou Mingrui, and he had an impression of Young Master Liu as well. Seeing the two of them leave, he retracted his gaze.

Young Master Ren was unwilling, "What does the Zhou family’s young master mean by this?"

Wen Rong replied indifferently, "Don’t worry about others. After we finish our meal, I’ll take you back."

"Brother-in-law—no, future brother-in-law, don’t send me back. I’ve come here especially to find you."

Wen Rong had a headache; the lady he was engaged to, Miss Ren, was gentle and dignified, but her brother was a free spirit. Ever since the engagement, the young man had been sticking to him.

At the Zhou family, Zhulan suddenly felt anxious. She trusted her intuition, everyone at home was fine, so it must be one of her children outside.

Lady Li noticed her mother looking pale and hurried to her feet, "Mother, are you feeling unwell?"

While asking, she gestured for Qing Xue to go fetch a doctor. Her mother had been fine just a moment ago, but then her face turned pale all of a sudden.

Zhulan shook her head, "I’m fine, just feeling a bit anxious. There’s no need for a doctor."

Lady Li was worried—her mother-in-law’s health was a serious matter, "Mother, it’s better to have the doctor take a look. Otherwise, we won’t be at ease."

She was concerned about her mother-in-law, and also afraid of what her father-in-law would say when he came back. It was better to have a doctor take a look for peace of mind.

The feeling of anxiety was brief for Zhulan, and as it subsided, her complexion slowly returned to normal. When the doctor was called to the main courtyard, everyone in the other courtyards knew about it, and soon everyone had come over.

Mrs. Zhao was holding a cup of tea, "Mother, would you like some water?"

Zhulan nodded, "Yes."

Mrs. Zhao personally brought the water over, "Mother, let me feed you."

Zhulan stopped her—she was just feeling anxious, not incapacitated in her hands. She drank the water from the teacup herself and drank several cups, which made her complexion look normal again.

The doctor arrived quickly and after a careful examination he said, "The matron is not severely unwell, it’s just that she has not been resting well recently. Pay more attention to rest and nourishment in the future, and she will be fine."

Lady Li and the others were relieved, while Zhulan thought about the source of her anxiety. Her youngest son was under the care of Wu Ming, who was a real big shot. Her young son could not escape Wu Ming’s palm, so it couldn’t be him.

Now only Chang Lian and Xue Han as a couple, along with the twins, were left.

Zhulan pursed her lips. She couldn’t bear any of them to meet with an accident. The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became, and her complexion started to look pale again. The repeated emotions made Lady Li and the others afraid to leave, and they even kept the doctor from leaving, deeply afraid something might happen to the matron. Their concern for the matron was one thing; on the other hand, they didn’t want to face the cold expression of the head of the family. The head of the family was too intimidating when he was serious.

Eventually, Zhulan took a couple of laps in the courtyard, and the doctor again confirmed there was no issue, so Mrs. Zhao and the others left, but Lady Li stayed with her.

Zhulan was touched by her children’s filial piety and calculated the time, waiting for Zhou Shuren to return and analyze the situation with her.