Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 824: Pawn

Chapter 824: Chapter 824: Pawn

Zhuangzi and Zhou Shuren, husband and wife, were strolling in the garden to aid their digestion, with Zhulan having dismissed the maids and the young servants, leaving just the couple there.

Zhulan said, "The rumors about the true and false prince, who do you think is behind it?"

Zhou Shuren, without even thinking, directly said, "Yao Wenqi."

Zhulan said, "I think so too."

Zhou Shuren plucked a leaf and fiddled with it in his hand, speaking softly, "This bomb that Shen Yang has dropped has sabotaged the Emperor’s plans. Although I don’t know much, having always followed the Crown Prince, I overheard a few things; the progress in the Jianghuai area is good."

Zhulan continued, "Moreover, Zhang Jinghong’s understanding has already made him an important chess piece in the Emperor’s hand. Now with the rumors spreading, this chess piece Zhang Jinghong is as good as discarded."

Zhou Shuren, smiling, said, "Looking at it this way, Zhang Jinghong must have done something to make Yao Wenqi feel threatened, prompting him to trigger Shen Yang’s bomb."

Zhulan also laughed, "This shows that Yao Wenqi’s partners have their own thoughts. With internal discord, they are bound to collapse sooner or later."

Zhou Shuren replied, "However, the Emperor’s mood must be sour now. He was about to find the rhythm, but then someone came along and stirred up trouble; you can imagine the Emperor’s mood."

"I’ve noticed that you have quite the luck, managing to escape all this by being in recovery."

One must know, the Zhou family and the Duke Ning Residence are connected by marriage, so people will inevitably probe for information. Now that he had dodged the bullet, he was spared from unnecessary troubles.

Zhou Shuren discarded the leaf in his hand, "There’s a bit of luck, but mostly it’s that I’ve made good calculations and timed everything well."

He had considered that clearing out the Ministry of Justice would prompt Yao Wenqi to act, but he had overlooked the Jianghuai area, not expecting Yao Wenqi to play the piece that was Shen Yang. It was quite different from the Emperor’s direct approach, and now that Shen Yang had been exposed preemptively, it would be much harder to make further use of him.

At the Zhou family, Chang Lian, having just alighted from the carriage, asked Wang, the steward, "Has the manor sent any messages back?"

The steward Wang took out a letter from his bosom, "I’ve been keeping the master’s reply with me."

Chang Lian took the letter and read it while walking; after reading it, the last bit of unease in his heart dissipated. His father told him, to remain at ease at the Hanlin Academy and not to worry about anything else, just to take good care of himself.

Chang Lian, with a smile on his face, asked the steward Wang beside him, "Did Mingyun and the others return on time?"

The steward Wang replied, "The young masters come straight back after school; they haven’t been anywhere else."

Chang Lian said, "In recent days, I want you to personally pick them up after school, especially Ming Teng; he must be watched closely."

In the unrest of the capital, with his father away from home, he had to ensure the safety of his nephews. Just thinking about Ming Teng gave him a headache; that boy was the most restless of all.

The steward Wang said, "I will personally ensure their transport."

Upon returning to the courtyard, Chang Lian saw his daughter playing and picked her up, "Missed Daddy?"

Yu Yi wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, saying childishly, "Missed you, Daddy, stay and play with me."

Lady Dong, hearing the voice, came out, "Yu Yi, come down; Daddy has just returned and needs to change clothes."

Chang Lian kissed his daughter affectionately and carefully put her down, then gently asked his wife, "Has the child been restless today?"

Lady Dong had been feeling unwell since she knew she was pregnant, "No disturbances today; I managed to eat two bowls of porridge at noon."

Chang Lian, holding his wife’s hand, "That’s good. You need to rest more in the coming days, and don’t attend any gatherings for a while."

Dong Chuchu asked, "Has something happened?"

Chang Lian was worried about causing his wife anxiety; he had deliberately written to his father without her knowing, and began, "Today there’s a rumor that Shen Yang is the true fifth Prince; father’s reply told me to just look after the house."

Dong Chuchu’s heart suddenly tightened, "You’ve offended Shen Yang not a few times, even threatened him. If he’s truly the fifth Prince, what should we do?"

Chang Lian chuckled, "Even if he truly intends to do something, what can he do to me? Don’t forget, our father is still here, and our family has marital ties with the Ning Residence, so we don’t need to fear him. Besides, whether this is true or false is still uncertain."

Hearing this, Dong Chuchu felt much more at ease, "Then I’m relieved."

At the cottage, Lady Li had calculated the interest and was returning the borrowed Silver Coin to her younger sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law thanks you, younger sister. Without the Silver Coin you lent me, I wouldn’t have been able to earn so much."

Su Xuan looked at the interest and thought to herself that there was a reason her mother-in-law favored her elder sister-in-law, who kept her word to the letter, not missing a single coin in interest, "Sister-in-law, if you need money in the future, just let me know. I’m not short of Silver Coin."

Lady Li felt envious inside. If she had the same background as her younger sister-in-law, she wouldn’t have to scrimp and save Silver to accumulate a dowry for her daughter, but that was just a wishful thought, "Younger sister, you rest first. I’ll take my leave."

Su Xuan stood up, "Sister-in-law, let me walk you out."

"No need, please stay."

Once Lady Li left the fourth room’s courtyard, feeling light without any debts, she could walk with her back straight, pondering the dowry her mother-in-law had prepared for her. She considered selling the dowry to buy land near the capital for convenience in the future, so as not to trouble her eldest uncle too much.

Lady Li walked quickly, now that she had Silver in hand, which she intended to use to buy shops and land.

In the main courtyard, Zhulan had already gone to take a dip in the hot spring. The cottage, originally belonging to the Crown Prince, boasted an elegantly renovated pool. Hearing the sound of water, she saw Zhou Shuren settle in, "I had almost forgotten what it felt like to soak in a hot spring."

Back in the modern era, she had frequented them, but it had been nearly a decade in ancient times before she had the means to indulge again.

Zhou Shuren exhaled deeply, finding true comfort, "This is how one should enjoy life. When winter comes, let’s stay here for a while."

Zhulan, "Don’t make promises too confidently."

Zhou Shuren choked a little, realizing the timing for rest was fortunate, as winter was indeed difficult. Winter was the busiest time for the Ministry of Revenue, and if he dared to take a break, Minister Xiao would fight him tooth and nail.

Zhulan laughed, "However, if you can’t come, I can bring our son. Enjoying the beautiful winter scenery and hot springs would be a heavenly life."

Zhou Shuren listened with envy, inching closer, "Would you really leave me alone in the capital?"

Zhulan blinked, "I heard from Lady Gao that during winter, Officials of the Ministry of Revenue often stay at the ministry. It’s not that I would abandon you, but rather you’re not often at home."

Zhou Shuren, "...."

Zhulan began massaging Zhou Shuren’s shoulders, "I just asked the steward, and the cottage’s radishes and cabbages have all been harvested and stored in the cellar. We should take a cartload back with us when we return."

"The variety of greens in winter is really limited."

Zhulan, "We have a cottage in the south, so we still get to eat vegetables in winter, which is already quite good."

Last year, they transported vegetables from the south every fortnight. Although many spoiled, each shipment was enough for some time. Zhou Shuren’s rank had risen, and with an increase in family wealth, Zhulan had not skimped on food.

With seafood and other delicacies, the Zhou family’s winter meals were quite lavish.

Zhou Shuren mused, "If the Ministry of Works were more efficient, and glass became more common, it would be wonderful to build a glass house, to grow flowers and vegetables."

Zhulan, "..... Are you really thinking about glass houses? That’s quite ambitious."

Zhou Shuren, "I’m talking about after glass becomes widespread. Forget about the current prices; if it weren’t for the Emperor’s favor, even the few panes of glass we bought would have required a long wait."

Zhulan patted her husband’s shoulder, "So, you should give more support to the Ministry of Works’ funds!"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "Your shoulder massage earlier was nice; let me return the favor."

Zhulan, "Sure."