Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 923: A Bit Childish

Chapter 923: Chapter 923: A Bit Childish

Zhulan felt a pang of sympathy, "Then you should rest some more days. What would you like to eat? I’ll personally—never mind, I’ll have the kitchen make it for you."

Zhulan, who had never lit up her cooking skills, was genuinely stumped; she could cook at best, her dishes were edible yet not delicious, and her culinary abilities hadn’t grown much over the years.

This wasn’t because the Zhou family had become official and Zhulan didn’t lift a finger. She would do something when she got bored at times.

Zhou Shuren sighed in relief. His taste buds had become spoiled; he really didn’t want to eat his wife’s cooking or her soups. Don’t talk about true love swallowing anything no matter how unpleasant—the truth was, he just didn’t want to eat it.

Zhulan pinched Zhou Shuren’s face, "You’re making it too obvious."

{" "}Zhou Shuren complained pitifully, "I’m a patient."

Zhulan tugged at his face a couple more times, feeling envious as could be. Although his skin wasn’t as good as hers, he had less fat for sure. She let go and said, "You’re not attending court today. The rumors will only become more exaggerated."

Zhou Shuren rubbed his face, his wife really pinched hard, "Let them talk, I think it’s not lively enough!"

Besides, the Emperor probably hoped for the rumors to grow. At least that would draw more attention. Yesterday’s conversation had made it clear that the Emperor was planning to take action; he just hadn’t made up his mind yet.

Zhulan stood up, "Rest well. I’m going to pack up our son’s clothes."

Zhou Shuren was stunned, "I’m sick, and you want to send our son to the Wu family?"

Zhulan, "....You’re not seriously ill, nor do you have amnesia. Last night we agreed to send our son to the Wu family once the storm passes."

Zhou Shuren felt awkward; he had truly forgotten, "Then what clothes are you packing for our son?"

Zhulan gritted her teeth, "Your son is growing fast; some of his clothes are already too small, so I need to pack them up."

Zhou Shuren pulled up the blanket, closed his eyes, and pretended like he wasn’t the one who had just spoken, as if he were now sleeping soundly.

Zhulan was too lazy to roll her eyes, yet she felt like laughing a bit.

Inside the palace, the Emperor received news that Zhou Shuren was genuinely sick—cough, cough—it seemed like he really blamed him. No, that’s wrong; he should blame Zhou Shuren himself for dressing too warmly.

The Emperor wanted to have the Imperial Physician take a look, but then he held back since he was supposed to be cold-faced in coordination with Zhou Shuren today. Sending someone now to see Zhou Shuren would be betraying that cold-front. Besides, Zhou Shuren was not seriously ill, so he decided to let it go.

The Crown Prince, unaware of his father’s internal thoughts, was genuinely worried for Zhou Shuren. As for yesterday’s rumors, the Crown Prince hadn’t taken them to heart. Attending court today proved it further—the Emperor was all smiles with him, unlike the previous days when his smile seemed to suppress something.

The Crown Prince breathed a sigh of relief. The Emperor had been delaying his decree, and even with a stable heart, he had felt somewhat shaken!

At the Ministry of Revenue, Wong Ju had even more duties today. Zhou Shuren was good at using his subordinates. As long as someone could keep up with his pace, Zhou Shuren wouldn’t overwork himself. Today, with Zhou Shuren absent, a lot of the work had piled up on him.

Wong Ju internally cursed Zhou Shuren, not believing that he was truly sick. He was convinced Zhou Shuren was faking it, since Zhou Shuren had no credibility with him.

Wong Ju made up his mind that when Zhou Shuren returned, he would also request leave!

At the Zhou residence, Xue Mei couldn’t get involved with anything. Even when her father got sick, she only found out when she went back to her maternal home with her daughter. The only one in the dark, Xue Mei now worried about her father endlessly.

Xue Mei first checked on her father. Seeing him sleeping soundly, she felt reassured, "Mother, Father is too exhausted."

Zhulan also felt heartache, "The more your father acquires, the more he will have to give in return."

Xue Mei had always known her mother’s words carried some truth, reflecting carefully on what her mother said. Fortunately, she lacked ambition, and the Jiang family had little to offer.

Zhulan emerged with her daughter, "Don’t worry about me, just caught a bit of a chill. A few days’ rest and I’ll be fine."

Xue Mei said, "I’ve never been able to help the family with anything. In the past, being far away meant I couldn’t fully perform my filial duties. Now that I’m closer, Mother, I would like to be more filial."

Zhulan smiled, "Living well and not causing your father and me any worry is already the greatest act of filial piety."

Of the Zhou family’s children, Xue Mei was the most worry-free, having only caused concern when she first arrived in ancient times. Since then, her high emotional intelligence had spared them further worry, and this too was an act of filial piety.

Xue Mei felt embarrassed, "Mother, I haven’t done anything."

Zhulan patted her eldest daughter’s hand, "You’ve done plenty. Your father and I have never lacked for clothes you’ve made, and the New Year’s gifts and festival presents you send are always what your father and I like. You’ve always kept us in your heart, and we know it."

It was precisely because they knew this that she and Zhou Shuren would never neglect their eldest daughter. It wasn’t only the children who cried that were endearing—those who were too sensible were equally endearing.

Xue Mei genuinely didn’t feel she had done anything special; she had simply done what a daughter ought to do.

At the Ministry of Rites, the Emperor’s stern expression during the early morning court session gave Phang Huai much to ponder. The Emperor’s cold demeanor also sparked thoughts among some of the crafty old foxes. Initially, they hadn’t given it much thought, but Zhou Shuren’s request for leave combined with the Emperor’s frigid expression made the old foxes unable to resist overthinking.

Phang Huai did not like Zhou Shuren, truly disliked him from the bottom of his heart, the reason being Zhou Shuren’s high-profile manner as he made his way up, not only attention-grabbing but also heavily relied upon by the Emperor. He was envious of Zhou Shuren’s talent and ability, greeting Zhou Shuren with smiles because the Crown Prince needed Zhou Shuren.

Now, Phang Huai thought Zhou Shuren was too arrogant and was even more convinced that Zhou Shuren had been scolded the previous day. And today, Zhou Shuren dared to skip court. Sick? He didn’t believe it, not with the Emperor’s face so dark.

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites inquired, "Sir, what about Wu Ming?"

Phang Huai wished for nothing more than Zhou Shuren’s demotion, but he was also a man with a brain. Until he saw a definite outcome, he wouldn’t make any major moves. This wasn’t due to innate caution, but because he had seen too many in the capital end up being humiliated. "Leave him be."

The Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites understood what to do, which was to ignore the issue for the time being.

Wu Ming’s perception was quite straightforward. Neither the Chief of Staff nor the Deputy Ministers targeted him, but having been too conspicuous the previous day, he encountered prickly remarks from some of the doctors and directors today.

Wu Ming watched an official surnamed Tao with interest. When he had come to the Ministry of Rites, his godfather had said not to get too close to the Tao family. Yesterday, the Tao family had treated him like a beloved nephew; today, they couldn’t wait to keep their distance.

Wu Ming said to Gu Zhuomin beside him, "Your days here have been tough, why do you stick so close to me?"

Gu Zhuomin replied, "My luck has always been poor, but now I feel like my luck is going to get better."

Wu Ming found this intriguing, "Why say so?"

Gu Zhuomin smiled for the first time that day, "I see Zhou Shuren in you, just now."

Wu Ming recalled his recent actions; he had discreetly dealt someone a verbal jab. Indeed, those whom his godfather noticed were not the ordinary sort, "You indeed have some interesting qualities as godfather mentioned."

Gu Zhuomin was surprised, "Zhou Shuren has mentioned me to you?"

Wu Ming, not wanting to elaborate, turned and left, leaving Gu Zhuomin lost in thought.

In the afternoon, Rongchuan and Chang Lian returned home together. Rongchuan had been to the palace today and had ended up knowing a bit too much. The Emperor had told him he couldn’t speak of it to anyone. In fact, even if the Emperor hadn’t cautioned him, he wouldn’t have spoken of it. Who could have thought that the Emperor, after bragging for an hour, was actually boasting about how he had bested Uncle Zhou in chess!!

The more Rongchuan thought about the Emperor’s triumphant expression, the more conflicted he felt. The Emperor was a tad childish!!