Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 502 Disliking Longevity_1

Chapter 502: Chapter 502 Disliking Longevity_1

Zhou Shuren and Zhulan went together to the front court. Zhulan followed behind Zhou Shuren and saw the Fifth Prince, who was in an age of growth, slim and tall with a friendly smile.

Zhulan’s first impression of the Fifth Prince was that he was quite fake; due to his young age, his performance was still unrefined.

After paying their respects, Zhou Shuren and Zhulan withdrew.

Moreover, Zhulan could tell that the Fifth Prince looked down on women. She couldn’t be wrong; the disdain in his eyes when he saw her was truly irritating.

After Zhulan left, Zhou Shuren’s expression was indifferent and he rarely smiled. "Fifth Prince has come to Jinzhou City, what imperial edict has the Emperor sent for the Fifth Prince to deliver to this humble official?"

Zhang Jinghong’s smile stiffened, "The Emperor hasn’t given any edict for Mr. Zhou. I heard much about you and couldn’t resist the urge to visit when passing through Jinzhou out of curiosity."

Zhou Shuren glanced down, the last time he was at the capital the Fifth Prince indeed didn’t come to gawk at him; with a polite yet mocking smile, he said, "Your Highness honors me too highly, I don’t deserve such attention."

Zhang Jinghong’s first impression of Zhou Shuren was extremely poor. Even though he was prepared for Mr. Zhou’s plain appearance, seeing it in person didn’t impress him at all. In contrast, Mr. Zhou’s third son looked quite acceptable, and he thought of Mrs. Zhou—fortunately, she resembled her husband.

Additionally, he didn’t like Mr. Zhou’s tone of speech—it lacked sufficient respect. With pursed lips, he detested the Emperor’s favoured ministers in court. In their eyes, there was only the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince visited today, he didn’t believe Mr. Zhou would remain so composed.

Zhou Shuren’s gaze carried a hidden gleam. The Fifth Prince spoke without looking at him, and out of the corner of his eye, he observed the eunuch standing behind the prince, which made his stomach churn—the eunuch was indeed quite handsome, almost womanlike in different attire. Recalling the undercover guards at the entrance of the front court, he noted that they too looked good. Unexpectedly, the Fifth Prince seemed to be part of the appearance association.

Zhou Shuren curled his lips in irony. It was unfortunate, for he displeased the eyes, and not only was the Fifth Prince’s impression of him poor, but his impression of the Fifth Prince was also dismal. Even the Second Prince, who had schemed against him, left a better impression; he even admired the Second Prince’s cunning and courage.

However, regarding the Fifth Prince, Zhou Shuren’s eyes darkened; just now, how disdainful he was towards Zhulan, it was so vexing. Zhou Shuren’s smile blossomed radiantly on his normally impassive face.

Yao Zheyu looked around, then lower his gaze to count the patterns on the ground. Although he hadn’t been with Mr. Zhou for long, he had gained some experience—Mr. Zhou’s smile grew wider with harboured grudges. Just like him, Mr. Zhou also didn’t favour the Fifth Prince.

Yao Zheyu sipped his tea; it was quite surprising the Fifth Prince sought him out first. Between the lines, It seemed like his father was concerned about him. Indeed, he was—worrying that Yao Zheyu wouldn’t die out there because if he did, there would be no one left to divide the wealth and influence of the Hou Residence.

Yao Zheyu squinted his eyes. It’s an eye-opener to fight with his father; the more he struggled, the more frightened he became. The Hou Residence wielded great power in the previous dynasty, and after switching allegiance to the Emperor, it didn’t lose much strength. The Emperor had reasons for wanting to eradicate the Hou Residence, and the more Yao Zheyu understood, the more he felt the need to protect himself.

AtPath: It was getting hard for the Fifth Prince to stay any longer. He had said quite a bit, but Mr. Zhou lightly deflected everything back in a Tai Chi-like manner. "Mr. Zhou, I have urgent matters and must take my leave."

Since Yao Zheyu wasn’t one of the Fifth Prince’s men, nor did he fawn over him, he stood up and said, "Your Highness, I still have matters to discuss with Mr. Zhou."

Zhang Jinghong narrowed his eyes, smiling, "I see. I had thought of having a meal with my senior brother before leaving, but it seems that won’t be possible."

Yao Zheyu, with his head down, couldn’t understand why his father would take in the Fifth Prince. Having met several princes, he had not seen anything in the Fifth Prince worth betting on. "When Your Highness returns, there will be an opportunity."

In his heart, Zhang Jinghong sneered. Of the several sons of Mr. Hou, this Princely Heir was the one he liked the least. He had divided much of the Hou Residence’s power, but if it weren’t for the significant influence in Yao Zheyu’s hands, he wouldn’t be so courteous.

Upon seeing off the Fifth Prince, Zhou Shuren thought to himself with a sneer on his way back—how stingy! He came to call without even a gift. As he returned to the front court, he asked, "Prince, what matter do you have?"

It better be something—he wasn’t in a good mood!

Yao Zheyu suppressed the twitching of his lips, "Does Mr. Zhou know why the Fifth Prince left the capital?"

Zhou Shuren’s contacts in the capital hadn’t sent any news back, and he also couldn’t ask the Fifth Prince directly earlier. "Does the Prince know?"

Yao Zheyu nodded, "The Fifth Prince is on behalf of the Emperor, touring the landscapes."

This was what Zhang Jinghong had told him personally, and since Yao Zheyu hadn’t received any news from his contacts in the capital yet, it indicated the Emperor had not issued a public decree. The ministers in the court were unaware, and Yao Zheyu had a deep-seated fear of the inscrutable Emperor. It was puzzling that a prince would leave the capital accompanied by only a handful of followers, without any public decree. Did the Emperor truly favor his youngest son?

Yao Zheyu thought over this and Zhou Shuren had similar concerns. Zhou Shuren took a sharp breath. If he were of high status in the future, he’d never conceal his son leaving the capital. Though there might be dangers, he could at least avert most of them.

Now that the Emperor had secretly let the Fifth Prince leave without much fanfare, was he implying that he found the prince’s life too enduring?

And touring landscapes, that was quite a story from the Emperor—it wasn’t just bait anymore, but rather like throwing out a meat bun. Not to mention what the Third and Fourth Princes were up to, the Fifth Prince’s travels couldn’t be kept secret forever. Everyone would soon know, and to keep it low-profile was as if the Emperor believed that only a few princes wished to take action.

While serving as the prefect of Lizhou City, Zhou Shuren maintained strict control. Spies from foreign clans were abundant there, and with the unsettled Dongbei Border, capturing a prince seemed a certain profitable deal.

Yao Zheyu never took his eyes off Mr. Zhou’s face. Sharing this information, he hoped to read something from Mr. Zhou’s expression, but the old fox was too practiced and gave nothing away, still smiling and sipping his tea.

"What’s the matter, Prince? Have I suddenly become much younger?" asked Zhou Shuren as he set down his teacup.

Yao Zheyu was speechless...

Fortunately, he wasn’t drinking tea at the moment, or else he would have choked. That’s right, Mr. Zhou took great pride in his appearance. It was said that the best flattery Mr. Wang offered was how much younger Mr. Zhou looked!

Zhou Shuren inwardly smirked. Even though you are the male lead, I’m not far behind. Age was one thing, but more importantly, I’ve played the game with the Emperor far too many times. You have much to learn, young man. Zhou Shuren stood up, "It’s getting late; I won’t keep you any longer, Prince. Please, take your leave."