Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 763 Sun Liao_1

Chapter 763: Chapter 763 Sun Liao_1

The Crown Prince stole a glance at his father and knelt on the ground, "My legs are numb."

He hadn’t knelt for a long time, the last time being at the ancestral worship during the New Year. His knees were too precious, rarely kneeling since childhood, unlike his bothersome brothers, who developed their kneeling prowess over time, whereas he really hadn’t practiced much.

The Emperor’s last bit of anger faded away. He had been too good to the Crown Prince, so his son’s distrust had struck him so hard. Now, looking at his eldest son sitting on the ground, he laughed, "Indeed, I have pampered you."

The Crown Prince wasn’t embarrassed, "Because Father dotes on his son, your son knows, Father treats his son the best."

The Emperor reached out his hand to help his eldest son rise. He let go only after the son stood up. It had been a while since father and son had stood this close. The Emperor noticed that his eldest son was now half a head taller than him, and he stepped back, "You’ve done a good job at feigning your house arrest."

The Crown Prince was completely reassured. He knew well how his father had treated him these two years, and the Emperor wasn’t holding a grudge, "Yes."

The Emperor said, "Regarding Sun Liao’s matter, I will investigate thoroughly. During your house arrest, you should also check on your people."

A seriousness flashed in the Crown Prince’s eyes. With only two days of acting, the evidence was already so convincing. That couldn’t have been found in a moment, and he really should have a good look, "Your son understands."

After the Crown Prince left, the Emperor wasn’t angry with his son anymore, his mind exceptionally clear. Hmph, the matter of Sun Liao was not simple. Sun Liao had caught his eye nearly ten years ago, and none of his other sons could have had the ability to win Sun Liao over back then. There must be something amiss with the Crown Prince’s subordinates, just waiting for the right moment to erupt.

Eunuch Liu shrank his neck and swallowed. He somewhat hoped for the Crown Prince’s return; the thought of the Crown Prince not coming to the government hall lately filled him with dread!

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren had just returned to his room and sat down.

Qiu Yan came over, "What’s with you today? Your expression is quite serious."

In their days of working together, Zhou Shuren had always been smiling. Qiu Yan had never seen Zhou Shuren change his face like he did today, becoming much more solemn.

Zhou Shuren thought for a moment and recounted the events of the court. After all, even if he didn’t tell, Qiu Yan was bound to find out. In conclusion, he said, "That’s the situation. Not only me, but the Grand Master of Writing was also solemn when he returned."

Qiu Yan’s eyes widened. He had always been a firm believer that the Crown Prince would succeed. His expression grew serious, "This is a major issue. Stability for the Crown Prince means stability for the court. I hope this storm passes soon."

He didn’t want to take sides. The Qiu family had been in a precarious state these past two years, and he still needed to climb higher and hold his position for several more years. Choosing sides, after all, affected the future of the entire family!

Zhou Shuren knew quite a bit about Qiu Yan, who could be petty, but was agreeable with those he recognized. He patted Qiu Yan’s shoulder to offer some comfort.

Qiu Yan didn’t feel comforted, only that misery loves company!

Zhou Shuren sat down and flipped through the account book, still believing that the Emperor and the Crown Prince were putting on an act, only to make it look more real. With this thought, his frown relaxed.

At the Zhulan residence, Zhulan had the Shopkeeper from the jewelry store over, who brought a catalog. Zhulan said to her daughter beside her, "Take a look and see which styles you like."

Xue Han knew it was for selecting her bridal jewelry, but these designs were too lavish, "Mother, these styles are too extravagant."

She felt she couldn’t wear them and would prefer something simpler.

Zhulan thought to herself, I even find them not extravagant enough. These couldn’t compare to the palace’s jewelry. Nevertheless, this store was the best jewelry shop in the capital, "You cannot be careless with your bridal jewelry, pick out some that you like."

Xue Han was startled for a moment, then remembered Rongchuan’s background and settled down to flip through the catalog.

The Shopkeeper said, "These are the most popular designs ordered in the past two years. If the young lady doesn’t like them, she can provide her own designs."

Xue Han asked, "I can provide my own designs?"

"Certainly."

Xue Han’s ears were a bit red as she said, "I happen to have a design on hand. Liu Li, go fetch it."

Zhulan, looking at her daughter’s reddened ear tips, understood everything. It must have been drawn by Rongchuan. She had not realized how romantic Rongchuan had become since growing up. Thinking of Zhou Shuren, she couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. Zhou Shuren had also custom-made jewelry for her before.

Soon, Liu Li returned and handed the drawing to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper examined it carefully, "Although it’s a bit intricate, it can still be made. It will just take a little longer."

Xue Han said, "It’s okay if it takes a little longer, as long as it can be done."

Zhulan smiled, "Choose some more for your dowry. It can’t consist of only one set of jewelry."

Xue Han’s ears reddened even more, as if she were in a hurry to marry Rongchuan. She lowered her head to choose the designs, then picked two more sets, "Mother, I’ve made my choice."

Zhulan took the album, looked at the two sets her daughter had chosen, and then flipped through to confirm there were no better options. She put down the album, "For now, let’s go with these three sets. This is the gemstone, keep it safe."

Mother Song handed the box to the shopkeeper, "Check carefully and count it properly. Make sure there are no mistakes, for some of these are rewards from inside the palace. If any are lost, you cannot afford to take the blame."

The shopkeeper’s hands remained steady as he took the box. He had done business with many officials and had seen gemstones awarded from within the palace before. Still, he checked carefully, counted against the album, recorded everything, and then, only after confirming there were no errors, he packed away the box, "I will take my leave for now, and the jewelry will be delivered to your mansion in three months."

Zhulan said, "Good, here is the deposit, please keep it safe."

The deposit, just a token amount, was a total of twenty taels of silver.

"Yes."

In Lizhou Province, Chang Yi was preparing to start his journey back to the capital. Looking at Qian Keqi sitting beside him, he noticed how his brother-in-law had grown quite dependent on him in the past few days, "Don’t just sit there staring; the dishes are all served. Eat up."

Qian Keqi pursed his lips and didn’t move his chopsticks, "Brother-in-law, are you leaving?"

"You’re quite sharp. Tonight, I’ll invite your academy’s tutors for dinner. Tomorrow afternoon, I plan to set off for the capital."

For this lad, he had already delayed his departure by several days.

Qian Keqi bit his lip. When his brother-in-law wasn’t around, he felt quite good about being on his own, able to take care of himself. But since his brother-in-law arrived, he had been very caring and had even stayed with him for a day. Now that his brother-in-law was leaving, he felt reluctant to part.

Chang Yi patted his brother-in-law’s shoulder, "Your tutor told me that you’re doing well in your studies. When you become a Scholar, come to the Academy in the capital to continue your education."

Qian Keqi was momentarily stunned, then blinked. His brother-in-law’s words meant he was welcome. His mouth curved into a smile, "Hmm."

In the capital, Zhou Shuren left the government office in the afternoon and saw the Fifth Prince as soon as he stepped out. Zhou Shuren didn’t think the prince was there for him and continued walking towards his carriage.

"Grand Master Zhou, Grand Master Zhou, please don’t go!"

Zhou Shuren stopped in his tracks, speechless. The prince was indeed looking for him, "How long has the Fifth Prince been here?"

Zhang Jinghong felt a bit choked up, "I’ve been waiting for a while now."

Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow, "Then why didn’t you enter the Ministry of Revenue?"

"I didn’t dare. This prince is poor, not wealthy like my elder brothers. Without silver to give the Ministry, I’d better not enter the door."

Zhou Shuren, "... then why is the Fifth Prince seeking me out?"