Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 707 Not Yet Married_1

Chapter 707: Chapter 707 Not Yet Married_1

Zhou Shuren could see clearly that although he was aware of the issue, he couldn’t speak of it, and could only feign confusion, smiling as he said, "Why the sigh? Did you encounter any problems at the Hanlin Academy?"

Rongchuan shook his head, "No, I’m doing quite well at the Hanlin Academy, the Headmaster takes good care of me."

As Chang Lian entered, Zhou Shuren said, "That’s good to hear. Now that everyone is here, let’s eat!"

Time flew by quickly, and before he knew it, Zhou Shuren had been in the capital for eight days. After resting for three days, he then entered the Palace again, and today’s discussion was mainly about the planning of the Prefecture City.

After the Emperor had thoroughly understood the plans, he praised himself for his discernment, having recognized Zhou Shuren’s talent at first sight, "Your excellence pleases me greatly, my heart is full of joy."

Even though they hadn’t spent much time together, the Emperor understood Zhou Shuren’s talent clearly. Keeping such a person in Jinzhou Province would be such a waste.

Zhou Shuren said, "It is my duty to alleviate Your Majesty’s worries. This is all part of my job to do."

The Emperor felt a complex emotion in his heart; so many would say this, but very few actually acted upon it, making Zhou Shuren’s sincerity all the more rare.

Zhou Shuren truly didn’t know about the drama that went on in the Emperor’s heart; he was able to hold on to his principles and not lose himself in power because he had his own bottom line, and with Zhulan and his son by his side, he knew what was most important to him.

If he had come here through a time-travel, it would have been a different story!

At noon, Zhou Shuren returned home with his rewards. As Zhulan examined each one, Old Madam Song was not present, and the maids had all been sent away; Zhulan spoke in a soft voice, "The Emperor is really generous this time, you’ve gained quite a lot of favor!"

Zhou Shuren looked at the gemstones in the box, "The favor I gained accounts for very little. Look at the rewards, the only useful items for me are the two ancient books. The rest are either decorations or gemstones, isn’t this obviously for assembling a dowry?"

Eventually, it would all return to the royal family. Zhou Shuren looked at the two ancient books, and truth be told, he had made a profit, as they were authentic.

Zhulan closed the box, "A whole box of them. The Emperor doesn’t know that we are aware of the truth, certainly a part of it is meant for me."

Zhou Shuren laughed, "You are right, I’m used to looking at problems from an outsider’s perspective."

Zhulan, delighted, began to put them away. These gemstones weren’t rough stones, they were all polished, rarely seen even in jewelry stores. She was a woman after all, with a liking for jewelry and clothes, "I’ll pick some out to make a set of jewelry for myself. I’ll leave one or two for Yushuang and the rest will be for Xue Han’s dowry."

Zhou Shuren said, "You arrange these things as you wish."

Zhulan went out to have the maid at the courtyard gate summon Old Madam Song back. Once Old Madam Song returned, she had her seal away the boxes. After Old Madam Song took people out, Zhulan asked, "Can we return to Jinzhou Province tomorrow?"

Zhou Shuren shook his head, "No, I expect the Empress will want to see you and Xue Han."

Zhulan said, "Doesn’t that mean I won’t be able to return with you?"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "I don’t mind staying one more day. The Emperor hasn’t urged me to go back, and I can wait for you."

Zhulan was pleased, "That’s good."

Then she added, "I wonder what kind of person the Empress is."

Zhou Shuren stroked his beard, whispering, "The Emperor holds affection for the Empress. For the Emperor to harbor affection in his heart, the Empress must be more than just beautiful; she must be a wise woman."

Zhulan grew curious, "How did you deduce that the Emperor and Empress share affection?"

Zhou Shuren saw that it would be a while before Old Madam Song came back and lowered his voice, "Although I haven’t seen the Empress in the Palace, I have seen more than once a Female Officer from inside the empress palace bringing food over in the government hall. Every time the Emperor ate what the Empress sent, his mood improved significantly, that’s the proof."

Being a man, he understood best, if it’s not from someone you like, no matter how good the food, at most it pleases the taste buds, but it really wouldn’t affect one’s mood that much.

Zhou Shuren continued, "Moreover, the other consorts have also sent food, but the Emperor hasn’t taken a single bite of it."

Zhulan, "It seems that the two of them are indeed in love."

When Zhulan saw Grandma Song return, she closed her mouth and stopped talking, but in her heart, she felt happy. The more in love they were, the better. If Rongchuan were to be stable in the future, then the Zhou family would also be stable.

In the afternoon, a Female Officer from inside the Empress’s palace arrived at the manor to summon Zhulan to the Palace.

Zhulan said, "Fortunately, I brought my decree robe with me; I never thought it would actually come into use."

Zhou Shuren, "Mhm, you go help Xue Han choose her clothes."

Zhulan was a bit worried; she didn’t know the Empress’s preferences. Although the summons said it was for her, in reality, the Empress wanted to see her daughter—it was the future mother-in-law wanting to meet her daughter-in-law, "I’ll go take a look."

After some thought, Zhou Shuren said, "Just be as steady as possible, our house has no secrets left to keep."

Zhulan smiled, "I’ll listen to you."

Now in the entire Zhou manor, the only secret shared between her and Zhou Shuren was their own. In other respects, the Zhou manor was transparent in the eyes of the Emperor.

Zhulan went to her daughter’s courtyard where her daughter was choosing her clothes, "Mother, you’ve come."

Zhulan looked at the three sets of clothes her daughter had picked out and directly skipped over the green one, choosing a set that seemed more festive. They were entering the Palace; plain colors were inappropriate, "Let’s go with this one; it’s newly made."

Xue Han had Liu Li hang up the clothes and, holding her mother’s hand, asked, "Mother, what about the jewelry?"

Zhulan went over to the dressing table. This time Xue Han hadn’t brought many pieces of jewelry, just three sets. The butterfly jewelry wasn’t suitable as it didn’t match the clothes, so in the end, they chose a set that matched the clothes.

Even though the clothes and jewelry had been chosen, Xue Han was still nervous, "Mother, watch me practice the courtesy. I’m afraid I’ll make a mistake."

Zhulan patted her daughter’s hand, "Your etiquette is the best in the manor. You must trust yourself. Don’t be nervous, your mother is by your side, after all!"

Zhulan knew very well how hard Xue Han worked on her etiquette. Xue Han still practiced her courtesy every day as if to engrave it into her bones, and naturally, her efforts bore fruit. While Xue Han’s etiquette might not be textbook perfect, it was indeed excellent.

In the evening, Chang Lian and Rongchuan learned they had to enter the Palace. Rongchuan was worried. After dinner, for the first time, he followed Xue Han out.

By the time Xue Han reached the entrance of the courtyard and turned around, "How much longer are you planning to follow me?"

Rongchuan coughed, "I’m worried about you."

Xue Han’s eyes curved, her cheeks reddening slightly, "Don’t worry, I will be entering the Palace with Mother."

Rongchuan watched the young lady before him, having accompanied Xue Han as she grew up. He didn’t want the girl he had protected to suffer any grievances, "When the time comes, make sure to stay close to your aunt."

Xue Han nodded, "Mhm."

Rongchuan, having entered the Palace a few times, had some experience. He knew his knowledge wasn’t useful, but he shared it anyway.

Xue Han just stood and listened. She didn’t want to part with Rongchuan, feeling somewhat reluctant to return to her courtyard!

Two hours later, within the Palace, the Empress heard the report from the attendant and after they left, said to the Emperor, "Look at this, he hasn’t even officially joined the family, and he’s already afraid I’ll mistreat her, as if I’d devour Miss Zhou."

The Emperor laughed, "Rongchuan does not know better, does he?"

The Empress snorted, "Even if the child knew, he would still be uneasy."

The Emperor fell silent; it was indeed so. Perhaps the more one knew, the more worried one became. Thinking about it, Qingran was actually a decent mother-in-law. She had never given the Crown Princess Consort a hard time; on the contrary, she always protected her!