Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 772: Concerned_1

Chapter 772: Chapter 772: Concerned_1

Eunuch Liu continued, "Just now, the Empress’s female officer delivered some sweets."

The Emperor ordered, "Go to the empress sleeping quarters."

"Yes."

At the Marquis Yao Residence, Yao Wenqi saw off the visitors and, once they had left, smashed the teacup. He was craving blood now. His partners had become frantic, acting behind his back on several occasions. A coldness settled in Yao Wenqi’s eyes; their trust in him was diminishing by the day. But then, there had never been trust to begin with.

But if they ruined his plans, that he could not tolerate. Narrowing his eyes, he mused it would be best to cleanse the ranks of those who did not obey.

Soon it was the appointed day, and Zhulan visited the Marquis Yao Residence. As her carriage pulled up to the residence, Zhulan noticed she seemed to be the only woman arriving alone; the other female relatives had all brought their daughters.

It dawned on Zhulan the principle purpose of this banquet. Hence the invitation to her was likely in the hope that she would bring the Zhou family girls along.

Mother Song lowered her voice, "Marquis Yao’s second son isn’t young anymore; it’s high time for him to marry. It’s just unclear why it’s being dragged out."

Zhulan understood it clearly, the second son of Marquis Yao and the current fifth Prince’s Consort were born of the same mother. The dowry of the Prince’s Consort alone was telling. Marquis Yao had forsaken his daughter, and by extension, he probably grew apathetic towards his second son as well.

Of course, there was another possibility: Mr. Hou wanted to secure a favorable match for his son, hence the delay. However, this seemed less likely.

Entering the Hou Residence, Zhulan could see it was ancestral, much larger than the Shen Hou Residence. The banquet was set in the garden, and by the time Zhulan arrived, many guests had already gathered.

Lady Bai occupied the seat of honor. Zhulan paid her respects, "My greetings to you, wife."

Lady Bai replied warmly, "I have long wanted to meet you, and now that I have, let us talk more later. Please, take your seat."

Zhulan sat down with a smile, not missing the gleam in Lady Bai’s eyes, especially when she saw Zhulan had come alone. It was clear to her that Lady Bai did not favor advantageous marriages for illegitimate children.

Having attended several banquets, Zhulan was acquainted with many faces. Scanning the room, she recognized that the highest-ranked official’s wife present held the title of Third Rank.

Zhulan looked over at the young ladies seated together. There were quite a few indeed; after all, despite the myriad of troubles, an alliance with the Marquis Yao Residence, especially for families without solid connections in the capital, was desirable.

After a while, Zhulan saw the second young Miss Yao arrive. Lady Bai dropped her polite façade only when she saw her own daughter.

Yao Yao had a headache; she would have preferred her mother to stay with her brother, but her mother had conspired with the concubine, leading to today’s matchmaking banquet.

Sitting by her mother, Yao Yao noticed Mrs. Yang and was quite surprised. Her mother had actually invited the Zhou family. Following the train of thought, she realized it must have been her father’s doing. Informing him of the banquet was necessary. Yao Zhegang, although neglected by her father, still had his uses.

Mr. Zhou was deeply trusted by the Emperor; her father must be scheming. Yet, the Zhou family’s daughter was already betrothed, and the only elder candidate was Mr. Zhou’s eldest granddaughter.

Yao Yao bowed her head, considering that little girls could marry but had to wait a few more years. Her father truly didn’t care much about Yao Zhegang. If it wasn’t for her brother’s idiocy, the one her father would want to exploit would have been him, as his age was the most suitable.

Magistrate Shen arrived last, and took her seat directly, offering no courtesy to Lady Bai.

Lady Bai seemed unfazed, continuing her conversation with the ladies beside her.

Zhulan contemplated; Lady Bai’s legitimate son had become a fool, and her confidence was shaken. Savoring her tea, Zhulan knew Magistrate Shen held Lady Bai in little regard, a test to discern the truth. It seemed that no one believed Lady Bai’s heir had really lost his wits.

Zhulan didn’t dwell on Lady Bai’s reaction but took more interest in the second young Miss Yao; she was the key figure.

Yao Yao felt Mrs. Yang watching her, her nerves taut. She regretted revealing too much in front of Mrs. Yang, which is why Mrs. Yang paid her extra attention.

Zhulan withdrew her gaze, her lips curling slightly, as she now knew what she wanted to know.

Suddenly, Lady Bai spoke, "It’s such a pity that the young ladies from the Zhou family didn’t come today. I’ve heard that the eldest granddaughter of the Zhou family is a beauty, but sadly, I’ve only heard her name and have not seen her in person."

Zhulan smiled, "My granddaughters are young; I think a banquet like this at the Hou Residence is not suitable for them."

Last time, Xue Han took Yushuang to attend a banquet, and now everyone knows that Yushuang is quite good-looking.

Lady Bai understood what Madame Yang meant: My granddaughters are young, so don’t think about it. Curling her lips, she indeed didn’t fixate on the idea. The Zhou family’s influence is on the rise, and she wouldn’t want to favor an illegitimate son. Look, the Zhou family is avoiding the Hou Residence!

Magistrate Shen’s eyes brightened; she only remembered that the young ladies from the Zhou family were betrothed and forgot about the granddaughters. Previously, the second wife’s daughters of the Zhou family had a low status, but now it was different. Both her father and husband said that Official Zhou is a man of great fortune, so the imperfections of the Zhou family’s second wife can be overlooked.

Magistrate Shen thought of her own nephew, her eldest brother’s first son was already betrothed, but the legitimate second son was not. Mhm, she needed to visit the Zhou Residence and see Zhou’s granddaughters with her own eyes.

The one who found herself considering such prospects was not only Magistrate Shen; many of the women attending the banquet were also intrigued.

Zhulan felt the scrutinizing gazes and understood what they were all thinking; she knew she had to be even more careful for Yushuang’s sake.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren was accompanied by Chief Zheng. Chief Zheng, mentioned by Scholar Deng, had been observed for some days before being brought to his side, and he was not bad. Although not as handy as Wong Ju, he could still be of help.

Zhou Shuren found himself missing Master Wong, especially during busy times. Having a good assistant would save him a lot of trouble. He figured that having Wong Ju serving as a doctor at the Ministry of Revenue wouldn’t be too bad.

Seeing his superior distracted, Chief Zheng grew nervous, "Did I make a mistake with the calculations, sir?"

Zhou Shuren snapped back to reality, "No, the figures are correct. You may go back first."

Chief Zheng’s heart settled. Opportunities to be by Official Zhou’s side were rare as there were many chiefs at the Ministry of Revenue. He cherished this chance greatly. Many people wanted to be close to Official Zhou, and he had been chosen, as if a pie had fallen from the sky. "It’s fine," he had not made a mistake.

Zhou Shuren stroked his beard, thinking the efficiency was still low, longing once again for Wong Ju—the well-trained assistant not easily replaced.

In the Jinzhou Residence Government Office, Wong Ju couldn’t stop sneezing. Mr. Wang frowned, "What’s wrong with you, sir?"

Hopefully he wasn’t coming down with a sickness, especially now, with so many matters at hand!

Wong Ju touched his nose, "It’s nothing. I just suddenly felt the urge to sneeze. Someone must be talking about me. It must be Official Zhou."

His father had told him that Zhou Shuren had fought a splendid battle upon entering the capital and was now very secure in his position at the Ministry of Revenue. If Official Zhou thought of him often, he would have more support once he too entered the capital.

With that thought, Wong Ju’s mood lifted considerably.

Mr. Wang felt a pang of jealousy. He too wished to be remembered by Official Zhou, but unfortunately, he knew his place. He fell far short of Wong Ju. After several years of working with Official Zhou, the official favored capable men.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren and Qiu Yan went to meet with the Grand Master of Writing, who was in a fit of anger.

Xiao Qing was fuming, "Just look at this."

Zhou Shuren did not move, while Qiu Yan stepped forward to take a look first, and then passing it to Zhou Shuren, he said, "Didn’t we just provide the Ministry of Personnel with silver coin a few days ago?"

He had handled it himself.