Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 797: His Father Has High Hopes for Him_1

Chapter 797: Chapter 797: His Father Has High Hopes for Him_1

The Emperor placed his hands behind his back and smiled, "Take what I give you."

Ning Xu hurriedly spoke up, "Take it."

How could he equate this to that? These things were hardly abundant. It was only because he knew Rongchuan had been saving up, fond of shops and estates, that he had sent the deeds today; otherwise, there would have been more.

Rongchuan felt the deeds in his hand were burning hot. Since his father had spoken, he could only say, "Your servant thanks the Emperor."

The hand the Emperor hid behind his back clenched into a fist. An illegitimate son couldn’t call him father, which truly soured his heart, "The Empress is waiting. You should go now."

He had no intention of joining them; he didn’t want to see the Empress’s restrained appearance, which would make him feel even worse.

A tea’s time later, inside the Empress’s palace, the Empress had her first close encounter with her son. Before, she had had the opportunity to visit the government hall, but she could not get close, only watch.

Now she could finally reach out and touch her son. The Empress beckoned, "Come here, let me have a good look at you."

Rongchuan remembered the Empress. He had never understood why she wept upon seeing him, but now he did -- it was all because of his appearance, "Greetings to Your Highness."

The hand the Empress had raised paused mid-air. Never mind, she didn’t want to hear her son call her ’auntie.’ It was better he addressed her as ’Your Highness’ for now. Her hand finally touched her son’s face; she had touched him -- this was her son. Her nose soured, her eyes reddened. She had planned to hold back, but she couldn’t. Her voice was hoarse, "Good, good child, you’ve suffered these years."

Rongchuan panicked inside; he didn’t want his ’aunt’ to cry, feeling utterly helpless, "No, it wasn’t hard."

The Empress reached out her arms to hold Rongchuan. For so many years, this was the first time she embraced her son. Her son hadn’t grown up under her wings, but the feeling of holding him was the same -- her son had returned.

Ning Xu’s eyes grew slightly red as he turned away. His sister was the one who suffered the most, but fortunately, Rongchuan had returned.

At the Zhou family residence, Lady Gao looked at the Zhou family’s young ladies, her gaze shifting, "You should also start preparing your daughter’s dowry."

Zhulan nodded, "Yes, I started preparing it a long time ago."

Lady Gao spoke thoughtlessly, "I vaguely remember your second granddaughter is already betrothed, but your eldest granddaughter isn’t yet, correct?"

After hearing this, Zhulan went through the male children of the Zhong family in her mind. Lady Gao’s second son’s eldest child was indeed about the same age as Yushuang, and there was also an illegitimate son of official Zhong. However, Lady Gao would not choose an excellent marital match for an illegitimate son; thus, it must be for her grandson.

Zhulan nodded, "I am indeed considering finding a good family for my eldest granddaughter. I don’t seek wealth and glory, only a smooth life. As you know, our household is simple, without any scandals, and the children have grown up in this environment. As a grandmother, I inevitably worry and look around more."

Zhulan spoke subtly; the Zhou family was harmonious, and she wanted her grandchildren to be happy.

Lady Gao understood and swallowed back the words on the tip of her tongue. She could assure that she wouldn’t give the Zhou girls a hard time, but her daughter-in-law wouldn’t agree. Her second daughter-in-law was domineering, wanting to control everything, and that temperament would definitely interfere in her grandson’s marriage life. With these thoughts, she had to let go of the idea.

Still, the Zhou family was now a desirable connection for marriage. She could imagine that once the acknowledgment affair was over, everyone would take notice of the benefits that came with the Zhou family, and the Zhou ladies would be in high demand. Of course, not as much as the Ning family, but the Zhou ladies were not short of suitors, given how highly the Emperor valued Master Zhou.

Having such a family as in-laws, a few words of praise from Master Zhou would be of great help in one’s career path.

In Zhou village, Chang Zhi, due to the clan school, had stayed a few more days. Today, at last, he set off for home. Chang Zhi did not lower the carriage curtain until Zhou village was out of sight, "These kids insisting on seeing me off. Big brother, I actually feel quite accomplished in my heart."

Zhulan smiled. "You spend your days clarifying doubts for the clan school’s children, sharing your experiences, and busily transcribing books. Naturally, they are grateful."

Chang Zhi leaned against the car window, "Before, it sufficed to simply look after myself. But as I gradually began to care about everything, I realized I had missed so much. When I get old, I will return to my hometown to teach the children."

Now was not the time, he still had responsibilities. His dad had not raised him easily, and he needed to share his dad’s burdens with his third brother. Once he could shed these responsibilities, he would definitely return.

Zhulan reflected, "You’ve truly grown up, big brother is very reassured."

It was right for dad to have Chang Zhi come back. He had seen all of the changes in Chang Zhi these days, and knowing he had said these things after much thought.

Chang Zhi, feeling somewhat shy, then stretched his body, "Finally back home, I wonder if Ming Jia and Yu Wen still remember me, their dad."

Zhulan also longed for his son and daughter. He cherished his only daughter to his bones, and as for his son, if his eldest boy didn’t give him concerns, it was good enough. He didn’t need to worry much about Ming Teng, but he missed his youngest son, Ming Hui.

In the capital, Rongchuan was about to get out of the carriage at Duke Ning’s residence and saw a few boxes on the carriage, his face reddening. "Dad, does everyone know about the family estate I’ve saved up?"

Even the Empress had sent shops and estates!

Ning Xu smiled warmly, "Ah, they all know."

Then he thought of the Crown Prince who had left the palace with him, and his smile deepened. He knew the Emperor deliberately hadn’t told the Crown Prince, otherwise, the Crown Prince wouldn’t have given him gifts in private yesterday. He also understood why the Emperor had purposely done so. His acknowledgment of Rongchuan also had to do with the Crown Prince, so the Emperor had kept it from him.

Moreover, when the Crown Prince ascended the throne later, mentioning the gift of the houses would feel different. With Rongchuan’s temperament, he would be moved because the Crown Prince had done much for him silently.

Rongchuan followed his dad to the front courtyard. The guests invited by his grandfather had arrived. When Rongchuan made his appearance, he surprised these elders. He heard continuous remarks: he resembled him, too much like him. Perhaps as they had aged, their memories were somewhat blurred, and some even said he looked exactly the same.

The words that Duke Ning loved to hear were, "This must be the reincarnation of Ning Shao!"

Initially, those invited over were there for gossip or to help; they thought resembling him was just an excuse. But now that they had seen the person, they were all shocked; such a striking resemblance indeed. Some thought even without blood ties, with that face alone, Duke Ning would acknowledge him.

In the Hanlin Academy, Chang Lian felt nearly driven to madness. He took the day off yesterday and now had to catch up with yesterday’s work, but people hadn’t stopped coming by—it was as if his Zhou residence had turned overnight into imperial relatives, with all this bustle around him.

Chang Lian, using the excuse of delivering documents to the Headmaster, stepped out for some air. He hadn’t gone far when he encountered Shi Qing, "How come you’re out here too?"

Shi Qing pointed to the book in his hand, "I need to return this book. Oh, congratulations."

He too was shocked when he heard the news, never having imagined Zhang Rongchuan’s true identity. At the same time, he was very happy—his relationship with Zhang Rongchuan was not bad. He had woken up laughing from his dreams last night, feeling it was absolutely right to have supported Zhang Rongchuan back then.

Seeing someone come out, Chang Lian nodded to Shi Qing and started walking back.

But Chang Lian paused at the doorway, realizing that in his absence, these people could really gossip, discussing how after his full three years, he would certainly stay in the capital to serve.

To be honest, he had discussed this with his dad, who told him he hoped for him to serve outside, to gain better experience and to have closer contact with the common people. His dad’s expectations for him were very high.