Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 844 - Measurement

Chapter 844: 844 Chapter Measurement

After dinner at the Zhou residence, Zhou Shuren sat down with his wife, who was tidying up, "Stop what you’re doing for a moment, I have something to discuss with you."

Zhulan put down the box in her hands, "What is it you want to discuss?"

"I want to discuss Yushuang’s marriage proposal. I spoke to Hu Xia some about the Hu family’s situation this afternoon."

Zhulan interrupted, "Wait, from what you’re saying, do you still think Gu Liufeng is a good choice?"

Zhou Shuren, "Yes, currently, the only quick option we have is Gu Liufeng. Other inquiries will take time, and may not be suitable. Given our family’s official rank, it’s impossible for you to find a perfect match for Yushuang. There will be problems, more or less, and you have to accept that."

Words of rebuttal rose to Zhulan’s lips then retreated. Her husband was right; at their level, it was impossible to find a match that was perfect in every way. Especially in these times, it was all too normal for a mother-in-law to meddle in her son’s marital affairs, not to mention grandmothers who often had a say in their grandsons’ unions.

The Tao family was no different, and although they were easy to get along with, they hadn’t refrained from causing their daughters-in-law some concern. This was a matter of the times, not something one person could change.

Zhou Shuren continued, "Let’s think positively, the issues you’re worried about can be controlled. As long as my official rank remains, even if Gu Liufeng’s mother holds any dissatisfaction towards Yushuang in her heart, she wouldn’t dare show it. In fact, from Gu Liufeng’s mother’s endurance, you can tell she is someone who would think for her son. As long as her son benefits, she can weigh her own actions."

Zhulan, "It seems to me that you’ve already made up your mind."

"Even if I’ve made up my mind, I need to persuade you. If you don’t agree, I’ll listen to you."

Zhulan was also in a dilemma. On one hand, having weighed her options, Gu Liufeng indeed seemed suitable. The Hu family and Hu Xia were reasonable, Lady Jin could weigh pros and cons, and compared to others, the Hu family’s background was relatively simple.

Honestly, given their family’s official rank, Yushuang marrying into any family would not be without issues. Everyone has their own agenda, and the more complex the noble families, the more problems there will be.

Seeing his wife silent, Zhou Shuren knew she was weighing her options internally, so he said no more, letting her come to her own conclusion.

At the Crown Prince’s residence, Shen Yang was dining with the Crown Prince. There was nobody else at the dinner except for the Crown Prince.

Shen Yang, "Crown Prince Brother, don’t your nephews dine with you?"

The Crown Prince nearly choked on his soup, swallowing the mouthful, "They had their meal early, they’ve already eaten."

Shen Yang felt disappointed. There were four children in the Crown Prince’s Palace, two were sons of the Crown Princess Consort, the elder being seven and the younger one-year-old, one daughter born to Consort Ran, and one son born to Consort Lau, who was four years old this year.

He had wanted to see them – he was their real uncle, after all. He felt a bit regretful that his nephews didn’t come to see him.

The Crown Prince asked, "Do you find the Crown Prince’s residence comfortable?"

Shen Yang, "The Prince Residence is very nice, but, Crown Prince Brother, may I go out for a stroll?"

"I do this for your safety. You know, the person who switched you out has not yet been apprehended, and you are still in danger. Stay in the Crown Prince’s residence for now, and after a few days, once we ascertain there is no danger, then you can go out. By the way, I visited the Fifth Prince’s residence today; Zhang Jinghong has already moved. In a few days, The Prince Residence will be tidied up."

Upon hearing this news, Shen Yang’s mouth spread into a wide grin, and then his brow furrowed, "Didn’t Zhang Jinghong change his name?"

The Crown Prince rolled his eyes internally, thinking that he was really concerned about a lot, "It’s a grace, Zhang Jinghong is innocent, and he has performed meritoriously. You should not harp on him, lest you lose the grandeur of the imperial family. Also, your adoptive parents have been good to you. The Emperor said, you need only change your surname, not your given name."

Shen Yang, no, Zhang Yang was stunned, "I shall be called Zhang Yang in the future?"

The Crown Prince nodded, "Yes."

Zhang Yang frowned. It was customary for princes to have names that followed the character ’Jing’, which he did not have. And he seemed to have the same tonal sound in his name as his second brother; both included ’Yang’. Even though the Crown Prince Brother mentioned it was for his adoptive parents’ sake, he still felt uncomfortable about it.

The next day, the start of a new month, Zhou Shuren got up before dawn, and Zhulan, hearing the commotion, sat up, "Are you going to court today?"

Zhou Shuren changed his clothes with a sigh, "Yes, it’s my turn this month. The days are getting colder, and I really don’t want to get up."

Zhulan stood up. "I’ve been so caught up in my days that I’ve forgotten today is the start of a new month. I’ll have the kitchen prepare some food for you to nibble on."

Zhou Shuren yawned, "Alright."

The noodles cooked in the kitchen were quickly brought out. Zhou Shuren had a bowl and felt a bit more settled. "I’m off to court now; you don’t need to see me off."

Zhulan wrapped her clothes tighter around herself. The weather had turned chilly so fast that you could see your breath when you spoke, "Okay."

With winter approaching, daylight began later and later. By the time he got to the palace gate, there was barely enough light in the sky; to see people clearly, lanterns were still necessary.

When the palace gates opened, it was much brighter. Zhou Shuren, having taken a month’s break, was back at court. He had wanted to keep a low profile, but that was not allowed.

Li Zhao spotted Zhou Shuren immediately. "Mr. Zhou, are you looking for gold with your head down like that?"

Zhou Shuren raised his head. "Good day, Mr. Li."

"Good, good. I’ve been waiting for you to come to the Ministry of War recently. Unexpectedly, you were resting."

Zhou Shuren replied, "It’s because of my poor health."

Li Zhao, noticing others nearby pricking up their ears, suggested, "Let’s walk and talk."

Zhou Shuren, "...Um."

He actually didn’t want to converse much with Mr. Li—the warmer he acts, the more uneasy Zhou Shuren feels, especially since Xiao Qing had taken leave and was not attending court the past few days!

Li Zhao asked, "Mr. Zhou, you seem very nervous?"

"No, it’s just that I haven’t been to court in a while. I’m a little distracted," Zhou Shuren said.

Lowering his voice, Li Zhao said, "The Emperor wants to build ships. When you go back, talk to Xiao Qing about it and hand over a few more documents from the Ministry of War this month."

Zhou Shuren knew it would come to this. "Sir, I am just the Deputy Minister. The Ministry of Revenue listens to the Chief of Staff."

Li Zhao patted Zhou Shuren’s shoulder meaningfully, "I have high hopes for you."

The corner of Zhou Shuren’s mouth stiffened slightly. Luckily, he was good at keeping his composure. Anyone else with a less steady temperament might actually get carried away by those insinuations. Truly speaking, he had no great love for the position of Minister of Revenue; the job involved carrying the heart of the entire nation—a great responsibility and pressure, and he would be secretly cursed by everyone. The thought alone was tiring.

In the early morning court session, Zhou Shuren felt sleepy, as he hadn’t woken up so early in a while. However, his drowsiness quickly vanished. He didn’t know who started it, okay, maybe he was a bit sleepy and not paying attention, but when he became alert, there were already several people in the court asking to investigate Zhang Jinghong’s lineage.

Zhou Shuren looked up at the Emperor on the Dragon Throne and felt the Emperor glanced at him, so he quickly lowered his head again.

He was feeling guilty. Cough, with the Emperor sitting up there, all their little movements below were plain to see, not to mention that he had been dozing off—a sensation reminiscent of being caught by a teacher in high school!

The Emperor turned his gaze away and inquired, "Who do you think should be dispatched to investigate?"

The previously noisy court suddenly fell silent, with everyone looking at each other.

The Emperor continued, "Zhou, my dear subject, who do you think is suitable?"