Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 806

Chapter 806: 806

Ministry of Rites, Zhou Shuren had looked over the ministry’s affairs all day, getting such a headache that it was unbearable, but he also gained a deeper understanding of the Ministry of Rites. No wonder the Crown Prince wanted to get his hands on it and insisted on staying involved with the ministry.

Zhou Shuren thought to himself that as much as the Ministry of Rites seemed prestigious, once you reached the level of Deputy Minister, you easily offended no one, let alone the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Rites. On reflection, the Minister of Personnel had also served as Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Rites, which acted as a stepping stone. Now, Mr. Phang aimed for the Minister of Personnel position.

Seeing Zhou Shuren daydreaming, with the booklet in his hands left untouched for a long while, the Crown Prince narrowed his eyes, "Master Zhou?"

Zhou Shuren came back to reality, "Does the Crown Prince have any orders for his humble servant?"

The Crown Prince shook his head, "I only noticed that Master Zhou was lost in thought."

Zhou Shuren looked at the thick booklets beside the Crown Prince. They were all sent from the Ministry of Rites. In order to be familiar with the Ministry of Rites, the Crown Prince had to read them.

Zhou Shuren said, "Your servant is getting on in years and prone to daydreaming."

The Crown Prince always felt that Zhou Shuren mentioning his age was laying the groundwork for something, and he didn’t believe it. "Master Zhou is not that old. However, you should still take good care of your health."

Zhou Shuren, "....Yes."

At the Duke Residence, Zhou Xuehan thought about excusing herself to go home while the Duchess was resting at noon, but she was stopped by the Princely Heir’s wife. Zhou Xuehan also had the habit of taking a nap at noon. With the arrival of autumn, it wasn’t hot, and the sunlight was comfortably warm, making her feel quite sleepy.

Lady Du was somewhat displeased inside. When Miss Zhou came over, her mother-in-law actually stopped her from coming to see her. If her mother-in-law hadn’t been resting, she wouldn’t have had the chance to see Miss Zhou at all. Furthermore, Miss Zhou had intended to leave just now, clearly with no thought of visiting her, which made her feel even more upset.

Seeing Miss Zhou lost in thought, Lady Du suppressed her dissatisfaction, "What is Miss Zhou thinking about?"

Zhou Xuehan secretly pinched herself. She wanted to go home and rest, and she really had nothing to chat about with the Princely Heir’s wife, who didn’t like her much. Why wouldn’t she just let her go?

Zhou Xuehan smiled faintly, "Replying to the wife, I wasn’t thinking about anything."

Lady Du didn’t believe her and frowned, glancing again at the granddaughter of the Zhou family, who was engaged to Mr. Phang’s family. That day, her own granddaughter had reported to her some information she had gathered; only after Lady Du had it investigated did she discover that the Zhou family had another astonishing marital connection.

Lady Du smiled, "I see Miss Zhou appears tired. Let’s send Miss Zhou back."

The last half of the sentence was addressed to the old maid.

Zhou Xuehan stood up to bid farewell, taking Yu Lu and following the old maid to leave.

Lady Du watched Zhou Xuehan leave straightforwardly and felt even more discontented in her heart. Now her mother-in-law was showing favoritism, and who knew how much more favored Zhou Xuehan would be once she really married into the family!

When Zhou Xuehan arrived home, Wu Ning and her husband had already gone to rest. Zhou Xuehan didn’t want to disturb them and went to her own courtyard to rest.

An hour later, after Zhulan had rested well, Granny Song said, "Second Master has arrived home."

Zhulan took a moment to compose herself before asking, "You’re saying Chang Yi has come home?"

Granny Song replied, "Yes, you were still sleeping when the Second Master came back, so he went straight to the second courtyard to rest."

Zhulan saw that Granny Song hesitated and asked, "Has something happened?"

Granny Song said, "The Second Master only brought his close young servant back with him. He looked very worn-out. He must have traveled day and night to get back."

Zhulan furrowed her brows, "It looks like something has happened; otherwise, he wouldn’t have rushed back on his own. I’ll go have a look."

She wouldn’t have peace of mind if she didn’t check on him.

By the time Zhulan got to the second courtyard, Chang Yi had already fallen asleep after washing up. Madame Zhao’s eyes were red, a sign she had been secretly wiping away tears, "Why have you been crying?"

Mrs. Zhao’s heart ached, "Mother, why did you come here in person?"

"I heard Chang Yi came back and I was a bit worried, so I came to check on him. Why are you crying?"

Mrs. Zhao’s voice choked up again, "Mother, my husband rode back on a horse and insisted on not resting. His legs and hands are all injured, and my heart aches for him."

Especially the insides of his thighs were so chafed that the skin had broken. When medicine was applied, my husband’s face lost all its color from pain.

Zhulan noticed that Chang Yi also had medicine on his hands. He had even visited the main courtyard with injuries like that, which made her as his mother increasingly anxious, "Did you call for a doctor?"

Mrs. Zhao replied, "We’ve already sent for one."

Seeing that Mrs. Zhao was wholeheartedly focused on Chang Yi and was waiting for the doctor to arrive, Zhulan felt reassured when the doctor came swiftly, examined the injuries, prescribed medicine to strengthen his body, and soon went to fetch some ointment from the medical hall. After some days of care, there would be no more problems.

Mrs. Zhao felt relieved, but her heart was still heavy. There had been issues one after another in the second wife’s quarters—first her daughter was injured, and now her husband. She contemplated visiting a temple to offer prayers and incense.

Once Zhulan confirmed that Chang Yi was alright, she got up and left.

At dinner, Zhou Shuren came home, and both Chang Yi and Dongmo were still asleep. Zhulan and Zhou Shuren were concerned but powerless to do anything. They reasoned that if something serious had happened, Chang Yi would have instructed Mrs. Zhao before going to bed. Seeing that he was sleeping soundly assured them that there was nothing major to worry about.

Only then did Zhulan and her husband let go of their worries.

After the meal, Zhou Shuren took He Shu and Chang Lian to the study.

Chang Lian walked into the study and comfortably found a chair to sit in, while He Shu was more reserved. Even with his wife’s connection, he couldn’t quite relax.

It hadn’t been long since he’d last seen Mr. Zhou, but He Shu felt that Mr. Zhou had changed a lot. Even though his smile remained unchanged, the aura he carried could not be faked—that was the presence of someone in a high position.

Seeing that Wu Ning was doing well and that He Shu was fairly satisfied with her situation without having been mistreated, Zhou Shuren said, "Don’t just stand there, sit."

He Shu responded and found a chair to sit.

When Zhou Shuren thought back to his departure from the Ministry of Rites, the Crown Prince had again brought up Wu Ming, and his mind became even clearer, "Recently, I wrote to Wu Ming. Any day now, he may come to the capital."

He Shu was stunned. Uncle Zhou’s words were definitely not casual; this was his way of indicating that any day now, his brother-in-law might be promoted and summoned to the capital. He Shu suppressed the excitement in his heart, "Thank you, Uncle."

He wasn’t foolish. His brother-in-law was currently on the frontier, and suddenly there was an opportunity to come to the capital—it must have been Mr. Zhou’s doing.

Zhou Shuren appreciated an insightful person, "In the future, ask Wu Ming for guidance."

He couldn’t teach He Shu, but Wu Ming could. Wu Ming also needed a right-hand man, and this brother-in-law was the perfect fit. Zhou Shuren commended his own strategy. He really cared deeply for the Zhou family’s future generations.

The next morning, at breakfast, Chang Yi personally came to have his breakfast. Zhulan asked with concern, "Are your injuries feeling any better?"

Chang Yi swallowed the steamed bun in his mouth; he was indeed ravenous. "Mother, the doctor’s ointment is very effective, it no longer hurts. Where’s Father?"

Zhulan replied, "He has gone to the morning court session."

Chang Yi’s movements, as he bit into his steamed bun, halted. Ah, his father was a Third-rank official, now attending the morning court daily. Suddenly, it felt surreal to him.

Zhulan asked, "Why did you only come back with Dongmo? Where are the others?"

She had meant to ask after the meal, but it was something that weighed on her mind.

Now with some food in his stomach, Chang Yi spoke with more energy, "Mother, I was ambushed on the way back. I thought about the fact that someone knew of my return but not what plots awaited me. So I decided to take Dongmo and leave early, while the others followed behind. They should arrive home by tomorrow."