Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 782: Old Oil Stick_1

Chapter 782: Chapter 782: Old Oil Stick_1

The Duke Residence, a royal bestowed residence from the Emperor, was largely vacant when they first entered the capital—comparable to a Prince’s mansion in every way. The Duke Residence, with few masters and vast grounds, constructed two gardens: one exclusively for the Duke, and another for public enjoyment.

Zhulan remained composed; having been to the Palace, she had seen luxury before, but the esteemed flowers throughout the Duke Residence were an eye-opener. Though the buildings were not overly lavish, the value of a single flower spoke of understated opulence.

A look at the seated guests, at the teaware and other items on the tables, and those in the know would realize the Duke Residence’s wealth.

In fact, today’s floral banquet didn’t invite many, but at a glance, Zhulan saw many familiar faces, all from high-ranking officials’ families.

Even the seating arrangement was meticulous. Zhulan felt her seat was somewhat too forward; she wasn’t familiar with the wives of officials nearby. Lady Gao was a bit far from her. Oh, her family held the lowest position—look at the wife of the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Rites to her left!

The wife of the Minister of Rites snorted, and Zhulan heard it clearly. After thinking for a moment, she understood the situation. The Minister of Rites’ surname was Phang, uncle to the Fourth Prince—a family with not insignificant clout. Sitting beside her, the lady naturally took a dislike to Zhulan.

Lady Du, the Princely Heir’s wife, also heard the snort and remembered her husband’s instructions to treat the Zhou family with utmost courtesy and never show negligence. She spoke, "Today I finally meet Mrs. Zhou. I should have visited with the Princely Heir to express our gratitude, but as my brother-in-law accompanied us, I didn’t go. Now that we meet, I raise my cup of tea in place of wine to Mrs. Zhou."

Zhulan picked up her teacup, "Anyone who witnessed that day’s events would have lent a hand. Princely Heir’s wife is too polite."

Lady Du smiled, "That’s not necessarily true; the Zhou family’s upbringing is excellent."

It was the Princely Heir’s wife who first toasted Zhulan, and with this reminder, everyone recalled the connection between the Zhou family and the Duke Residence, thus treating Zhulan with more restraint.

Zhulan looked around and saw no one in the Duke Residence giving the Princely Heir’s wife a hard time. It seemed, although the Crown Prince had been challenged by the Emperor several times, the Duke Residence relied not only on the Crown Prince but also on past merits of rescuing the monarch. As long as the Crown Prince wasn’t officially stripped of his title and the Emperor was alive, no one dared to act out of line in the Duke’s home.

As the Princely Heir’s wife had many to entertain, Zhulan was pleased with the quiet, slowly savoring her tea. She was but a wife of a third-rank official and didn’t catch the eye of the Minister of Rites’ wife.

Zhulan turned around to find a group of young ladies had disappeared; thinking of Xue Han’s protection over Yushuang gave her peace of mind.

In the main courtyard of the Duke Residence, the Duchess asked her great-granddaughter, "Why have you come alone, where is Miss Zhou?"

Ning Ting felt quite frustrated, "Great-grandmother, Miss Zhou is too cautious. I tried everything but couldn’t lead her here."

She considered herself rather clever, most like her grandfather, certainly smarter than her parents. She had been confident when given the task by her great-grandmother, but was now quite disheartened.

The Duchess snorted, "Stop boasting about being clever in the future; I see you as no different from your father."

Ning Ting’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her father was the eldest son of the Princely Heir, yes, somewhat dull—but she was nothing like him. "Great-grandmother, why do you insist on seeing Miss Zhou? She is already betrothed, and quite a few years older than my brother at that. There are many young ladies who came today, why not consider some of them?"

The Duchess responded tersely, "It’s not the same."

Miss Zhou is the future daughter-in-law of my grandson; she’s not like the other young ladies.

When the Duchess thought of her husband, she felt annoyed. It was only now that he had recognized Rongchuan that he told her. Having seen Rongchuan’s portrait, she had been eagerly waiting. Now, unable to meet Rongchuan, seeing Miss Zhou would suffice.

It wasn’t that she wanted to find fault; she knew clearly that the Emperor and Empress had not called off the engagement, and her son also approved. If Miss Zhou really was good, then she truly must be. She simply wanted to see for herself, "Forget it, I’ll go to the garden myself. Help me on our way."

Ning Ting was stunned. Great-grandmother rarely left the house, and yet today she was personally going out of her way for Miss Zhou. Her intuition told her that today’s flower banquet was all for Miss Zhou. But wasn’t Miss Zhou just the daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue?

In the garden, Zhulan felt that at today’s feast, she was the most relaxed and at ease. The wives of the officials ignored her, and Zhulan was happy to just watch the show. The Minister of Personnel’s wife was gentle as could be, but her words were as sharp as knives, stabbing the Minister of Rites’ wife so fiercely she kept gulping her tea.

Zhulan overheard plenty of gossip. The Minister of Rites’ family had many daughters and had married off quite a few over the years. The dowries they provided showed that the Phang family clan was indeed wealthy.

Over the years, the Phang family clan had used marriage alliances among their daughters to pull many people to their side.

According to Zhou Shuren, the Minister of Personnel didn’t support anyone in particular and was a slippery old fox. He would say one thing to one person and something else to another. You couldn’t catch him on a big issue, but there were endless minor ones. Zhou Shuren meant that if the Minister of Personnel Mr. Wang had been flawless, he would have been replaced long ago, considering how many were eyeing his position.

Zhulan couldn’t help but think to herself that not only were the high-rank officials in the government adept actors, but so were their wives.

On the other side of the garden, the Duchess finally caught sight of Zhou Xuehan and waved at her, "I find you very agreeable, girl. Come here and let me have a good look at you."

Xue Han was speechless; so this was why Miss Ning had been so insistent on guiding her earlier—it was all because of the Duchess. In that moment, Xue Han understood everything. Rongchuan’s background was no secret in the Ning household. She stepped forward, noticing Miss Liu’s foot stretched out. Xue Han didn’t walk past it, nor did she step on it. Instead, she stopped and asked, "Is Miss Liu’s foot uncomfortable?"

Now everyone’s attention was on Miss Liu’s foot. Although it wasn’t lifted high, even a fool could tell the purpose of her gesture. Miss Liu’s face turned red as she retracted her foot.

The Duchess frowned; she knew this Miss Liu. When she had wanted her younger son to marry, and as he wasn’t getting any younger, she had lowered her standards, and the Lius were among the chosen. Later, when her son developed health issues and marriage was no longer pursued, she had invited the Liu family only out of courtesy. She hadn’t expected such poor conduct.

Miss Liu wished she could vanish into thin air, her face burning with humiliation. Cursing Zhou Xuehan inwardly for moving out of the way, her face then turned deathly pale. Although the Duke Residence had gone quiet, her father still harbored hopes. It was over.

In Zhou village, Chang Zhi finished teaching a class. He had a reputable teacher and had been reading voluminously since childhood. Later, as his family’s library grew, he continuously accumulated knowledge, creating a personal collection of treasures. He’d read quite extensively. With just a word from him, he could prompt a response on its meaning or interpretation from anyone at random.

After the class, Chang Zhi had formed a clear idea about Class A. During the break, he saw Clan Leader waiting on the side.

Zhou Clan Leader was anxious; only a small fraction of Class A had answered Chang Zhi’s question correctly. "How did it go?"

Chang Zhi smiled, "These children are all quite good. It’s just that their foundations are somewhat lacking, and their views appear immature, coming off as childish. They would benefit from increased reading and broadening their experiences in the future."