Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 922

Chapter 922: 922

In the Zhou family’s home at night, Zhou Shuren no longer stormed about the house; he played cheerfully with his son for a while, teased his granddaughter, and during dinner, even drank a couple more glasses of light wine.

Zhou Laoda thought to himself, Mother really understands Father!

Chang Lian, however, wanted to ask what exactly the Emperor and his father had discussed all morning, but alas, it was only a thought—Father would never tell him.

Chang Zhi mused, when would he ever possess even half of his father’s ability?

The only one not preoccupied with such thoughts was Chang Xhong, who kept nagging after dinner, "Father, Mother, I want to live with Brother Wu Ming."

The little fellow’s thoughts were indeed simple: he believed that living with the top scorer would mean more exposure, and one day he would certainly become a top scorer too.

Zhulan looked at her son with mixed feelings, "Have you thought this through?"

Chang Xhong thought his mother couldn’t bear parting with him, "Mother, I will just go and stay overnight; I’ll still come back during the day."

Zhou Shuren felt jealous—Wu Ming had only been back for a few days and he already seemed to have whisked his son away, regretting that he had allowed Wu Ming to tutor, "Son, your father is more formidable than your big brother Wu Ming. We don’t need Wu Ming’s teaching; I will teach you."

Chang Xhong, "Father, are you a top scorer?"

Zhou Shuren, "...."

He no longer wished to utter a word—he had lost back then due to his appearance!

Zhulan chuckled, "Mother agrees to let you go, but you must agree to a condition."

Chang Xhong thought it wouldn’t matter if there were one or even two conditions, "Mother, I will definitely agree."

Zhulan smiled with her eyes, "If you go there without a valid reason, Mother won’t agree to let you come back to live."

Chang Xhong thought it was some trivial matter, "Mother, I promise you."

Zhulan could already picture her son crying to come back home; despite his cleverness, he was still just a child. And what do children like the most? Playtime. The Zhou estate had companions for him to play with, but what about the Wu family?

Wu Ming was a person who held himself to strict standards. As the eldest brother, Wu Ming felt immense pressure and was even harsher on himself. Now with Chang Xhong living there, Wu Ming wouldn’t see it as Chang Xhong’s request but as Zhou Shuren’s bidding. To not let the Zhou family down, Zhulan could already envision her son’s tough days ahead.

Zhou Shuren humphed—a snarky little brat challenging him, "There will come a time when you beg your father."

Zhulan gave Zhou Shuren a sharp look, signaling that if he dared to interfere, they would have a problem, and then Zhou Shuren capitulated, indicating he would turn a blind eye to his son’s cries!

Chang Xhong was still blissfully unaware, completely ignorant that his greatest support had already been suppressed by his own mother.

The Zhou family was harmonious and joyful, yet the outside was bustling with activity, all revolving around Zhou Shuren’s discussions.

In Zhang Jinghong’s home, Zhang Jinghong had little appetite; the Emperor’s thoughts were inscrutable, which he had personally experienced. In his heart, the Emperor was someone who could turn on you at any moment.

Yao Xin mostly stayed at home these days, with few servants in the household and her husband’s official position, she was unaware of the rumors outside. Seeing her husband not touching his food for a long while, she asked with concern, "Is it the Prince causing you trouble again?"

Zhang Jinghong put down his chopsticks, genuinely unable to eat, "These days, the Prince seldom spends the whole day at the Ministry of Revenue, it’s been some time since he has troubled me."

"Then why do you seem so preoccupied and burdened?"

Zhang Jinghong recounted today’s events. "My concern lies with Zhou Shuren," he said. "Although Zhou Shuren is quite capable, I can’t help but worry."

It wasn’t that he had any particular affection for Zhou Shuren; having gone through many highs and lows, it was difficult for anyone to move him. He respected Zhou Shuren and saw him more as a role model and protector than anything else.

Yao Xin also lost her appetite, anxiously saying, "There won’t really be trouble for Zhou Shuren, will there?"

Zhang Jinghong pressed his lips together. "I don’t know," he admitted. "Zhou Shuren looked very grave."

He did want to help Zhou Shuren; unfortunately, he lacked both connections and friends to assist in any way. As for distancing himself from Zhou Shuren, he hadn’t considered that—his circumstances weren’t ones he could simply choose.

The Hu family, and Gu Liufeng, initially knew nothing of the Zhou family’s situation, but that evening after returning home and having dinner with his cousin’s family, Gu Liufeng learned about it.

Gu Liufeng wasn’t foolish. His cousin took him aside to chat, and after learning the full story, Gu Liufeng furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you want me to go to the Zhou residence to gather information?"

Gu Zhuomin felt reassured by Liufeng’s quick reaction but also a bit embarrassed; he finally said generously, "Yes, our Gu family’s reliance in the capital is Zhou Shuren, so I want to confirm the news."

Gu Liufeng didn’t have much affection for his cousin—truthfully, none at all. Their relationship was purely one of mutual benefit: his cousin could solve his troubles, and he could help his cousin with certain things.

Since there was no affection, Gu Liufeng wasn’t going to investigate for his cousin’s sake. Making inquiries at this time would seem like he feared being implicated. Although he hadn’t met Yushuang many times, he somewhat understood her character. If he dared to pry, Yushuang would truly dare to call off their engagement!

Seeing Gu Liufeng silent, Gu Zhuomin was stunned. "Aren’t you afraid?"

Gu Liufeng raised his head and looked straight at his cousin. "Uncle, I may not understand your experiences, but I truly am not afraid."

He had never had much to call his own, valuing anything he did possess, so he wasn’t afraid. Besides, he had backbone. Even though he was young and somewhat impetuous, he trusted himself to make his own way, even if implicated.

Gu Zhuomin watched Liufeng walking away, feeling a sting in his heart. It was as if he had suddenly returned to his youth, when he had felt similarly—but what had the outcome been?

On the ride home, Lady Ding asked her husband, "What did Liufeng say?"

Gu Zhuomin shook his head. "Let it be," he said. "I had already made my decision. Since Liufeng disagrees, let’s just let things take their course. There’s no need for us to intervene unnecessarily."

Lady Ding understood her husband well. He had entered officialdom full of vigor but had faced much injustice. Now on his rocky career path, he feared making a wrong step. Tonight, Liufeng had stirred something in him. She just hoped the boy would be luckier than her husband.

The next morning, Zhou Shuren did not attend court. Yes, he was still on sick leave. Not only did he miss court, but he also did not go to the Ministry of Revenue.

Zhou Shuren had indeed caught a chill. He was usually well-dressed, and the government hall was very warm. Having spent the entire morning there, Zhou Shuren was not only mentally tormented by the Emperor but also physically strained by the indoor charcoal fire. Sweating and then leaving the palace naturally resulted in him catching cold.

By the afternoon, Zhou Shuren felt unwell. After he went home, had dinner, and took a bath, his temperature rose. Zhulan felt his forehead and found he had a fever, so she hurried to call a doctor.

Zhou Shuren thought it was a good opportunity to take some leave, so he sent someone to Minister Xiao’s residence to inform him that he would not attend court the next day.

After breakfast, Zhou Shuren took his medicine. His head was no longer hot, but his heart felt weary. He was human, not a machine—no, even a machine would need maintenance with prolonged use. Having been caught in a maelstrom for so long, he didn’t feel it when he was healthy, but sickness made him fussy.

Zhou Shuren lay there, unwilling to move. "I want to rest for a few more days," he said.

Zhulan couldn’t have been happier. "Good," she replied.

Zhou Shuren, "It’s more comfortable lying at home anyway."