Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 413 Smart Enough_1

Chapter 413: Chapter 413 Smart Enough_1

Zhulan got up a bit late in the morning; Zhou Shuren had already washed up and changed, and when Zhulan woke up, she saw Zhou Shuren sitting in the chair, watching her. Zhulan felt spirited and touched her face, "Is there something wrong with me?"

Zhou Shuren looked carefully at Zhulan; her complexion was rosy, and her eyes were full of life. He also remembered how well she had slept the night before and withdrew his concern, "Not at all, I just think you’ve been looking particularly healthy lately."

Zhulan smiled, "I feel that way too, probably because I’ve been resting well recently."

Zhou Shuren had planned to take Zhulan for a walk nearby after he finished with the dikes, but now with Shi Qing added to the mix, he had to think hard about how to please the Emperor. He touched his hair involuntarily; he felt he had lost a significant amount of hair over the past two years.

Not long after Zhou Shuren went to the government office, Shi Qing arrived in person. Zhou Shuren made Shi Qing wait for a while before he went to the front hall to meet him.

Shi Qing’s attire was significantly different from before. He used to dress like an elegant young noble, but now, he had become much more subdued and plain, his only distinguishable feature being the Jade Pendant he wore.

Zhou Shuren sized up Shi Qing, and Shi Qing was sizing up Master Zhou as well. He had not paid much attention to Master Zhou before, and his memories had faded. This time, Master Zhou left a profound impression on him: clad in his official robes, he was not the least bit frivolous. Although his eyes showed no disdain for him, they were filled with indifference, gazing at him coldly. He felt pressure; this was the authority of an official, and his heart burned with fervor.

Shi Qing rose respectfully and saluted, "Student Shi Qing pays respect to Master Zhou."

Zhou Shuren grunted, "Please have a seat, Master Shi."

Shi Qing felt emotional; the person whom he had once disregarded now demanded not only his respect but also his effort to please. Continuing the salute, he said, "Student and Master Zhou hail from the same Pingzhou. I secured fifth place in this year’s child scholar exam. Having come from Pingzhou, I hold you in high esteem and thus have boldly come to request you as my teacher."

Thinking of the results from the prefectural exam, Shi Qing sneered inwardly; he should have made it into the top three, but being born into a merchant family, he was only able to secure the fifth place. If it weren’t for his willingness to spend Silver Coins, he might not even have been able to hold onto that fifth rank.

Zhou Shuren looked at Shi Qing with a playful expression, "Even though I’m getting on in years, I’m not yet senile. Master Shi, your letter from yesterday did not contain these words."

Shi Qing had thought about it all night and decided honesty was the best approach. The more scheming he did, the more likely he would annoy others. He didn’t understand the Emperor, having met him only once, and he didn’t know much about Master Zhou, a trusted confidante of the Emperor. However, he realized that compared to Master Zhou, he carried little weight in the Emperor’s eyes.

Shi Qing remained bent over, "I hope the Master will not hold it against me. The student has his reasons..."

Zhou Shuren squinted his eyes; Shi Qing was quick to react. He had spoken of his experiences in the capital in great detail, hinting subtly at the difficult task the Emperor had set for him, being honest enough with him. However, he had also passed the buck to Zhou Shuren, who squinted his eyes and remarked, "You are very clever."

Shi Qing kept his head bowed. He had to be clever; without cleverness, he would have long since perished, "I hope Master Zhou will take me in as his student."

Zhou Shuren couldn’t simply take Shi Qing in so easily. Sometimes he felt quite frustrated; although he mostly caused frustration for others in his two years at Lizhou Province, he still couldn’t outdo the Emperor when faced with absolute imperial power. He finally had some influence, but it wasn’t enough to contend with the powerful nobles of the capital.

Everyone now reverently addressed him as Master Zhou, and outside of the common folk, the nobility in the capital was polite to him because of the Emperor’s favor. Once that favor was gone, his fate wouldn’t be much better.