Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 920: Mental Trance

Chapter 920: Chapter 920: Mental Trance

When Zhou Shuren reached the government hall, only the Emperor was there, while Eunuch Liu waited outside. Zhou Shuren could feel the hopeful look from Eunuch Liu, a notion that made him uneasy and all the more apprehensive.

Eunuch Liu stood motionless at the entrance of the hall. Although it was somewhat cold outside, he preferred waiting there rather than being inside the hall where fear and alarm might strike him.

Zhou Shuren was about to bow in greeting when the Emperor, hearing his footsteps, raised his hand to signal that it wasn’t necessary. "Sit. I summoned you here today merely to have a chat," said the Emperor.

Zhou Shuren, "...Thank you, Emperor."

It would be better if he had been summoned for a specific matter. He truly disliked being the Emperor’s confidant, for it was too dangerous. He didn’t want to delve into the Emperor’s inner thoughts and preferred to observe him from a distance.

The Emperor had already prepared tea, and there was also a chessboard on the table with a game that the Emperor had started playing by himself.

Zhou Shuren sat down beside it, not daring to glance about carelessly, his focus mainly on the chessboard. From the game, he could sense the Emperor’s indecision, lacking the usual decisiveness. He glimpsed into the Emperor’s heart, where all the Princes had a place.

This is what it means to be a father, thought Zhou Shuren, feeling somewhat relieved. At least the current Emperor showed more humanity, although sometimes exceedingly cold-blooded, but only towards strangers. Zhou Shuren fell into silence again; outside the royal family, everyone else was an outsider!

The Emperor hadn’t rested well the previous night and, after much consideration, realized that the only person he could talk to was Zhou Shuren. Zhou was intelligent, discreet, and understood the importance of choosing one’s battles, "You have a number of sons yourself. I’ve noticed that they seem harmonious. Have they never disputed over the inheritance you’ve amassed?"

Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes inwardly, then replied, "I don’t know how much my sons covet the family estate, but all I know is that after my hundred years pass, all they can get are Silver Coin and other assets, so they have to listen to me."

The Emperor set down the chess piece he was holding. He understood Zhou Shuren’s implication. What he would leave behind was not merely Silver Coin and other properties, but a throne—an entirely different matter that could not be equated.

Zhou Shuren truly didn’t want to become a confidant, least of all to the Emperor, but he knew that unless he said something, the Emperor wouldn’t let him leave. Despite the trouble, he had to speak up, "There is a saying I like very much, ’he who hesitates is lost.’"

That was all he could say; any more would be overstepping the mark. Damn it, he had already crossed the line.

After hearing him, the Emperor toyed with the chess piece in his hand. He had never intended to appoint Prince Jin as his heir. The dreams he had recently disturbed him. He had kept procrastinating on making the decision, which only intensified the disputes among his sons. Zhou Shuren’s words pierced his heart, and the Emperor let out a long sigh, "I’ve grown old."

Counting the years, he realized the Emperor had become increasingly ruthless with age, which wasn’t true for him. His youth had deeply influenced him, and with the birth of his sons, he was biased toward the Crown Prince but also fond of the others.

Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes internally at the Emperor’s words that sounded alarming, as if he hadn’t heard them.

The Emperor, looking at Zhou Shuren who seemed to be intensely counting the chess pieces, teased, "People in the capital say that Mr. Zhou only listens to what he wants to hear. Today, I have truly witnessed that."

Zhou Shuren twitched the corner of his mouth, unaware that such a rumor about him existed in the capital!

As for the Ministry of Rites, the date when Wu Ming would take office attracted much attention in the capital regarding Zhou Shuren. By the time Wu Ming joined the Ministry of Rites, the officials were already familiar with his background.

Phang Huai, the Grand Master of Writing, was especially congenial. "I have been looking forward to your appointment. Today, I finally see you in person. With another talented individual in the Ministry of Rites, I have high expectations for you," he said.

Yet in his heart, he was filled with emotion, how could anyone have expected the once quiet Top scorer to re-enter the capital so soon? Zhou Shuren truly had remarkable abilities.

Wu Ming, who had not yet entered the capital, already had a clear understanding of the Ministry of Rites’ officials and power distribution. He expressed his gratitude, "This humble official thanks the Grand Master for his appreciation."

Phang Huai had been a bit arrogant lately, the fourth Prince’s influence was flourishing, and the Phang family’s younger generation had reaped many benefits. He turned to the Deputy Minister beside him and said, "You, take Chief Wu and get him acquainted with the Ministry of Rites."

Wu Ming was not surprised by this treatment, all because of his godfather; this was also the Crown Prince’s purpose in sending him to the Ministry of Rites.

Gu Zhuomin, also a Chief, felt unsettled by the stark difference in treatment; he was not a saint. No matter how much he disciplined himself, his heart was still flesh, and he could feel jealousy. If he had elders to protect him, how could it be that he only became a Chief at this age?

This sentiment came quickly and left just as fast. Gu Zhuomin remained calm; as a man without any backing, he had finally found support in a towering tree and had to be extra cautious.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren returned nearly at noon. In the morning, apart from an initial conversation with the Emperor, the Emperor had been playing chess with him, crushing him so thoroughly that he did not want to play for an entire year. The Emperor did not hold back at all when venting his emotions.

Back at the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren felt somewhat dazed. How many games had he lost that morning? He initially remembered, but later his mind was filled with curses!

What Xiao Qing saw was Zhou Shuren’s dazed expression. He had wanted to probe for some information but swallowed back his words silently, "You should go back and rest for a while."

Zhou Shuren indeed needed to rest. Not to mention the mental toll of playing chess, this time it was a real blow to him. He had always thought himself to be decent at chess, even considering letting the Emperor win at the start, but before a game was over, he realized just how naive his idea was. Towards the end, all he could think about was how to drag the game out a little longer.

Qiu Yan saw that Zhou Shuren was leaning on the chair without moving, opened his mouth to speak, but eventually let out a silent sigh. It was difficult to be a favorite of the Emperor, and he could only hope that nothing would go wrong with Grand Master Zhou.

Zhou Shuren’s condition was known throughout the Ministry of Revenue, and then to all of those who were paying attention to him. They all tried to find out what had happened, but after waiting and waiting, there was still no imperial decree concerning Zhou Shuren. In the end, they speculated that Zhou Shuren must have been reprimanded.

Those who had always envied Zhou Shuren were now taking pleasure in his misfortune, hoping the Emperor would punish him.

Those closely connected to Zhou Shuren, on the other hand, were anxious. Some feared the Zhou family would be implicated and suffer consequences, while others were genuinely concerned.

After hearing the news, Duke Ning immediately called his youngest son over, "Have you gathered any news?"

Ning Xu was somewhat bewildered. Since completely relinquishing his hands from power, he had been truly honest. Also, because of his relation to Rongchuan, the Hou Residence was under the Emperor’s special attention. He had stopped paying attention to the Palace, coupled with the fact that he was not required to attend court, "What happened?"

Duke Ning explained briefly, "Today the Emperor kept Zhou Shuren, who returned to the Ministry of Revenue in a daze."

Ning Xu frowned, "Considering Rongchuan, the Emperor won’t punish Zhou Shuren unless Zhou Shuren committed an act of great treachery. You know Zhou Shuren, he would never do such a thing. I think it’s more likely that the Emperor was in a bad mood today and Zhou Shuren got reprimanded for it."

Duke Ning said, "That’s what I think as well. I’m not worried about Zhou Shuren; what concerns me is the delay in conferring titles. Do you think there might be changes?"

When the Emperor brought up bestowing titles, he was confident that there would be no Prince Jin, but given the Emperor’s mood and reactions, especially with the Crown Prince also not being in the Palace that day, he couldn’t help but wonder.