Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 322 Unable to Pretend to Be Confused_1

Chapter 322: Chapter 322 Unable to Pretend to Be Confused_1

Lady Li’s strength was considerable, and with her stout body, she quickly pushed through the crowd, "Mother, come this way."

Zhulan squeezed to Lady Li’s side, with Lady Li’s arm shielding her, no one jostled her this time, indeed Lady Li was more reliable. At this moment, Zhou Shuren was really not up to par.

Zhou Shuren’s face darkened, as he stepped on a foot once more and someone pushed him from behind. Then he saw Zhulan contently looking at Lady Li, feeling incredibly stifled.

Eldest Zhou coughed to signal his wife not to be too smug, couldn’t she see that father was in a bad mood?

Eldest Zhou’s frame wasn’t small either, and he quickly made room in the crowd, "Father, you stand in front of me."

Zhou Shuren hummed expressionlessly and stood in front of Eldest Zhou, who, although was not good at scholarly pursuits or martial arts, still had his uses.

The place where Zhulan and her family stood did not offer a view of the Emperor, from this spot one could only see the generals entering the capital, the Emperor was waiting up front.

It was said that the Crown Prince was quite good-looking, not only was he the birth son of the Empress, but he also had the deep trust of the Emperor, and his position as heir was stable.

The Empress’s position was also very stable. With five Princes, she bore the eldest and the youngest, the eldest not only being the direct son but also the Crown Prince, the rest of the Princes kept their ambitions well hidden.

Zhulan stood for a while, surrounded by people discussing eagerly, all wishing for an audience with the Emperor. Unfortunately, the Emperor’s location was under martial law, and access was restricted, Zhulan too wished to glimpse the Emperor of the dynasty!

After waiting for a bit, they heard the sound of horse hooves, the din of conversation on both sides of the street ceased, no more shoving each other, everyone quietly awaited, the sound of the hooves grew closer and closer.

The contingent facing them had no joy on the faces of the generals, each one serious, with heads held high and sadness in their eyes.

Zhulan’s heart ached, the victory of the great war had been bought with blood, many soldiers had died, and the borderlands were their final resting place.

Zhulan was shocked and yet influenced by the mood, especially upon seeing the bloodstains not yet cleaned off from the armor, her emotions reached a peak.

The capital’s prolonged jubilation was absent today, no sounds were uttered, only salutes to the passing troops.

When the escorted vehicles came through, someone shouted "Kill him," stirring public outrage. The shouts made the guarding soldiers vigilant, watching the crowd warily, fearing an emotional outburst.

Zhulan also spotted Zheng Hong and Wu Chun among the escorting soldiers, quite lucky indeed. Wu Chun’s side of the escort was precisely where Zhulan’s family was standing.

Lady Li hugged her mother-in-law’s arm, "Mother, Wu Chun, Wu Chun."

Wu Chun, initially vigilant, immediately recognized Lady Li’s distinct voice, and upon seeing his aunt and uncle, his emotions surged.

Zhulan dared not shout too loudly, the vehicles passed too quickly, she only mentioned the name of a restaurant in South City, the rest of the address remained unsaid, it was uncertain if Wu Chun had remembered the name of the restaurant.

Yang Wuchun had listened, inscribing it in his heart. He had seen his relatives, nearly a year had passed, and his mind had scarcely relaxed. The more fiercely he fought on the battlefield, the more he yearned for his family, only Wu Chun clenched the reins in his hands.

Zheng Hong couldn’t chat with Wu Chun, but feeling his companion’s emotions, he patted Wu Chun’s shoulder in consolation.

After the returning procession had passed, the onlooking crowd dispersed, some going home, others gathering friends to go drinking together.

Zhou Shuren approached Zhulan’s side, "We should head back as well!"

Zhulan was preoccupied, "Do you think Wu Chun heard me mention the restaurant’s name?"

She had not finished speaking when the people walked away.

Zhou Shuren, "Let’s have Eryue wait at the restaurant these next few days. If he heard, he will come looking, even if he didn’t, he will find a way."

"Right."

Zhulan afterward felt a heavy heart. Both she and Zhou Shuren were people of keen observation. Wu Chun had indeed been agitated just now, but his expression afterward wasn’t one of excitement. Even though he had ridden away quickly, Zhulan didn’t miss the change in his expression.

Upon returning home, eldest brother Zhou and Lady Li had gone to buy vegetables, leaving only Zhulan and Zhou Shuren in the house. Zhulan said somberly, "I think something has happened to one of the Yang brothers."

Zhou Shuren guessed as much. "This is the reality of the world," he said.

Because it was the reality of the world, he had never expected all three brothers to survive unscathed.

Zhulan’s eyes reddened. "Yes, precisely because it is the reality of the world, it would be a miracle for all three brothers to remain unharmed. Swords and spears do not have eyes; how could they possibly all emerge unscathed!"

Zhou Shuren wrapped his arms around Zhulan. In truth, they had both known this deep down—medical conditions were poor in ancient times, especially on the battlefield. No matter how skilled the three brothers were in martial arts, amidst the chaos of thousands of soldiers clashing, how could they all protect themselves?

At noon, Lady Li made a lot of dishes, but unfortunately, both Zhulan and Zhou Shuren didn’t have much of an appetite. The pair were too smart, too smart to feign ignorance and hold on to a fantasy. Before, they hadn’t seen Wu Chun and didn’t want to think too much about it, but now that they had, they couldn’t avoid it.

Lady Li and eldest brother Zhou were sensitive people. Knowing their parents weren’t in high spirits, they also refrained from making jokes.

In the evening, fireworks were set off in the capital, the Palace inside was hosting a grand feast, and the fireworks lit up the night sky.

Lady Li and the children had never seen fireworks before. They missed the New Year’s celebrations after moving to Pingzhou and had only heard that fireworks were set off in Pingzhou for New Year, but they hadn’t seen them.

This was the first time Lady Li and the children had seen fireworks.

All the lanterns in the Zhou family courtyard were lit as well. Lady Li, with the children, stood on high ground, where they could vaguely see the light from the Palace’s direction.

Zhulan stood under the corridor, looking up at the sky. Snowflakes were drifting down—this year’s first snow. The snowflakes grew larger and larger, and Zhulan called out to Lady Li, "Take the children back inside, don’t let them catch a chill."

Lady Li, who could play so well with the children, was having a great time. "Mother, we’ll go inside in a bit," she replied.

Zhulan laughed softly. She was somewhat envious of Lady Li, who never overthought things. Her emotions came and went quickly, as if she had no worries at all—true happiness indeed!

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren returned to their room, where many candles were lit. With more candles, the room brightened considerably. Neither Zhulan nor Zhou Shuren felt like resting—Zhou Shuren read his book, while Zhulan played with maple leaves.

Her preserved leaf specimen had failed. Most of the leaves she had collected had crumbled after losing their moisture, with only a few leaves that Zhulan had coated with wax surviving.

Time passed bit by bit. The children’s laughter from outside ceased, and Lady Li had taken the kids back. Zhulan put away the remaining maple leaves, stretched her neck—time had grown late. "We should rest," she urged.

Zhou Shuren put down his book. "Alright," he agreed.

In the following two days, Wu Chun did not come to visit. Zhulan and Zhou Shuren were not in a hurry, but Lady Li and eldest brother Zhou were very anxious. They were worried Wu Chun hadn’t heard the name of the tavern correctly, and eldest brother Zhou even went out to stroll the streets a few times himself.

After three more days, Ma Eryue finally waited for someone at the tavern. Yang Wuchun came alone, not on horseback and had changed from Armor into the long robe of a military general.

Ma Eryue offered eagerly, "It’s just ahead."

Ma Eryue never expected that the lord’s nephew turned out to be a military general. The eldest lady had said that even when there was no war in the Northwest, he had been Eighth-rank. Following his return to the capital this time, he surely had been promoted, but it was yet unknown by how many ranks.

Yang Wuchun had actually circled the tavern several times already. He had had time since the day after receiving his reward, but he was afraid to meet his aunt. Looking at the large gate ahead, he clenched his hand inside his sleeve into a fist. He took a few deep breaths before he followed Ma Eryue’s steps.

Ma Eryue knocked on the door, which Li Chun opened. Ma Eryue said, "Please come inside."

Yang Wuchun grunted in acknowledgment and walked in, but each step seemed exceptionally heavy.

When Zhulan heard Li Chun’s report, she and Zhou Shuren exchanged glances, stood up, and went to the door. Yang Wuchun had already reached the back yard.