Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 883 Bottom Line

Chapter 883: Chapter 883 Bottom Line

"Mr. Wong had indeed sought Zhou Shuren for a matter, his son’s letter was filled with grievances towards Zhou Shuren, which he chose to disregard. Going to the capital compared to being exploited by Zhou Shuren was nothing, but he wanted to have a talk with Zhou Shuren about his son’s future, "Shuren," he said."

Zhou Shuren remained silent, right, he was a generation younger than Mr. Wong and it had been a long time since anyone treated him like an elder, and he truly wasn’t quite used to it, "Old sir."

Mr. Wong, seeing that there was no one else around, felt sentimental. Everyone was quite perceptive, and naturally so, as Zhou Shuren was currently the Emperor’s favorite. In the present balanced atmosphere, no one wished to offend a high official valued by the Emperor, especially one who was the second in charge of the Ministry of Revenue.

Mr. Wong spoke directly, "I have you to thank for allowing Wong Ju to come to the capital."

He wanted his son to come to the capital early, that was certain. He was not getting any younger, and Wong Ju being his eldest son, he hoped that by the time he retired, his son would be established in the capital—and the sooner the better. Nevertheless, he understood that his son needed to take one step at a time, so being able to come to the capital years in advance truly pleased him.

Zhou Shuren felt a bit guilty; the old man had already thanked him when he first got the news, "I also had my own selfish reasons."

Mr. Wong laughed, "You’ve boldly admitted it, but still, I must thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I would not be suitable to meet with often—I should be thanking you in person."

Having his son in the capital, Zhou Shuren really had provided a great help. He, a neutral party, was not one to easily seek favors from others, fearing to disrupt the balance.

Zhou Shuren thought of the books on his shelf; he preferred tangible expressions of gratitude, "You truly have thanked me already."

Mr. Wong said, "Wong Ju won’t stay long at the Ministry of Revenue. In the Ministry, you can only be a loner, and when you advance further, the Officer Hu who is currently in charge will also be transferred away."

Zhou Shuren was well aware, hence he had plans for Hu Xia. By giving Hu Xia some merits now, after a few years’ evaluations, he could be promoted and transferred, "Old sir, I understand all that you’ve said."

He was not one to seek factions, and even if he did, he wouldn’t do so within the Ministry of Revenue, which was the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s inner sanctum; he dared not challenge the Emperor and Crown Prince’s boundaries.

Mr. Wong was reassured, glad that Zhou Shuren could see things clearly. This was what he most admired about Zhou Shuren: not everyone could maintain their composure in flattery and high positions—this was indeed the most heart-testing battleground in the power field, "Wong Ju will only stay a year at the Ministry of Revenue; I am more hopeful that he will move on to the Ministry of Rites."

Zhou Shuren felt that the older the ginger, the spicier, "Have you sensed it, old sir?"

Mr. Wong had a glint of pride in his eyes, "The Emperor is planning to make moves at the Ministry of Rites, I reckon there will be a purge by the end of next year."

Zhou Shuren, "...Right."

If he had such a father, that would be utterly fantastic. In that moment, he truly envied Wong Ju for having a good father.

The two arrived at the palace gates where the carriages that were waiting had long gone. Zhou Shuren watched the old man leave first before he returned to his own carriage, filled with emotion. Among the neutral faction in the court, some were cowards such as Qiu Yan, and some were true powerhouses like Mr. Wong and Mr. Qi— their vision and political sensitivity made him want to kneel before them.

Zhou Shuren pursed his lips, hoping the old man would live many more years, for when the Wong family was well, his granddaughter’s future would also be well.

In Jinzhou Province, Wong Ju touched his nose, having sneezed repeatedly that morning. Ah, it must be Zhou Shuren thinking of him again, as he saw the Ministry of Revenue was about to get busy.

Wong Ju thought of his wife, who would be returning to the capital ahead of schedule, and she was sure to visit Zhou’s residence.

In the capital, during midday lunch, a letter from Xue Mei arrived, and Zhulan set down her chopsticks to take the letter. It was common for her eldest daughter to write letters regularly, and since her son-in-law had just written not long ago, continuous letters could only mean something was up.

Everyone put down their chopsticks, as Zhulan’s complexion had turned quite poor, something they hadn’t seen in many years.

Xue Han had seen her father angry, but rarely her mother, "Mother, what’s happened with eldest sister’s family?"

Zhulan handed the letter to her daughter, "Take a look at this."

She was in the middle of a meal, but her appetite had vanished as her mind was consumed with thoughts of the twins running away from home. Xue Mei and her son-in-law had already made it clear that the village children had indeed been instigated, but the children were also guided by someone, and it was the peddler who roamed the streets at that.

There were too many of these street peddlers to take notice of, making it hard to find the person responsible.

Xue Mei believed that the matter was not a simple one and had therefore written a letter. Zhulan pursed her lips; the Zhou children were all in the capital, and with her watching over them, the fence had been tight—no one had managed to find a gap to exploit.

Now the scheming had turned to her eldest daughter. If it weren’t for fear of enraging Zhou Shuren, perhaps the promptings would not have been as mild. Tch, for the Zhou family, laying a finger on the children was the most severe measure.

The twins were smart and not foolish, and wanting to come to the capital, they knew to go to the Li Family Village to find the servants guarding the house. But what if they ran away on their own?

Zhulan dared not consider the consequences, for she knew that one day, these children would certainly appear before the Zhou family, and it would be in the most heart-wrenching way.

Xue Han had finished reading the letter, her face stern, "Mother, this was premeditated."

Zhulan hummed in response, "I’ll speak to your father about it."

Xue Han was full of worry; she was concerned about her elder sister and her family. She moved her lips but in the end said nothing. Her parents would handle it. At this moment, it was best she kept silent.

After Zhulan left, Lady Li and the others couldn’t help but ask, and Xue Han relayed the contents of the letter.

Lady Li was very indignant, "To instigate the children, in this biting cold, what if something truly happened to them?"

Officer Zhao said somberly, "What others want is exactly for something to happen to the children."

Lady Dong frowned, intent on writing a letter back home. Her family was capable of making a fuss, and this time she wanted her father to take charge more strictly. Then she thought that since the Dong family had no one in officialdom, it would be difficult to use them to strike at her in-laws. Yet, they couldn’t be complacent.

Su Xuan, who was familiar with such situations, said, "I think it’s best for my elder sister and her family to come to the capital."

At least until the power transition was complete, they could choose their whereabouts in the future. Right now, her elder sister’s family was the Zhou family’s weakest link.

Zhulan had already written a reply and called for the steward to take it to the Ministry of Revenue. She wouldn’t wait for Zhou Shuren to come home to discuss it. It wasn’t that she was in a hurry, but acting this way would attract more of the Emperor’s attention.

This was the most sensitive period. As the struggle intensified, any slight disturbance could set nerves on edge. It was too difficult for the Zhou family to investigate, but it was different for the Emperor.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren received a letter from home, and anger burned within him. The children of the Zhou family had always been the bottom line, including the grandsons, who were precious even in a modern context, and even more so than in ancient times.

The doctor, who was reporting at the time, had only one thought now: to get away. At the same time, he wondered what could have happened to erase all traces of a smile from the affable Mr. Zhou’s face.

Officer Zhao didn’t dare to look into Mr. Zhou’s eyes, which were as cold as ice, sending a shiver down his spine, more freezing than the winter chill. He marveled internally at whoever dared to provoke the tiger, admiring their audacity.

Zhou Shuren tucked the letter into his pouch and said to Officer Zhao, "Continue. Go on."

As he spoke, he waited for Officer Zhao to begin.

Officer Zhao swallowed, thinking Zhou Shuren’s voice was far too cold; he much preferred facing the normally pleasant Mr. Zhou!