Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 954 Do You Have Any Plans?

Chapter 954: Chapter 954 Do You Have Any Plans?

In the main hall, Ming Teng finally remembered what he had neglected and hurriedly grabbed an umbrella to go out.

Zhou Shuren frowned, "In this heavy rain, why can’t you stay put? Where are you going?"

Ming Teng was anxious, "Father, I need to deliver a letter to the Ran family."

Zhou Shuren didn’t understand at first, so Ming Teng patiently explained Ran Xun’s situation at the Academy. Zhou Shuren said, "Indeed, we should notify the Ran family."

Ming Teng took the umbrella and ran off, leaving Lady Li speechless, "You and your son have lost your minds. There are young servants; Ming Teng doesn’t need to run the errand himself."

Zhou Shuren replied, "I’m not being foolish. It’s better for Ming Teng to go on his own than to wait for news, which would only make him restless and give me a headache."

He certainly didn’t want to listen to his son repeatedly asking whether the message had been delivered.

Lady Li sighed. Among their sons, only Mingyun gave her peace of mind. Her expression suddenly changed as she grabbed her eldest son’s arm, "In the future, when you leave the house, make sure to take more young servants with you, and never leave their sight."

Chang Lian was a target, and so was Mingyun. Her son was her pride; every time he received an invitation, people would praise Mingyun. Everyone in the capital knew of the outstanding eldest grandson of the Zhou family. Now it was too late to hide his talents.

Zhou Shuren was also fearful, "Right, from now on, your father will escort you to and from school."

Mingyun was speechless, "Father, you can’t even fight, and I’m already grown up. Just having young servants is enough."

Zhou Shuren coughed, "Then we’ll have several young servants escort you."

Mingyun knew his parents were worried and agreed with a nod. He truly didn’t believe anyone would make a move against him since his third uncle was in front, after all. He wasn’t even a Scholar, and there was no need to bypass his uncle and target him, especially when he had another uncle above him who was a Scholar.

At the Ministry of Revenue, as soon as Zhou Shuren entered the room, he received Qiu Yan’s concern, who said, "I haven’t received much information. Was your son injured?"

Zhou Shuren sat down and replied, "Both Chang Lian and Rongchuan were unharmed."

Qiu Yan was relieved, "That’s good, being safe is what matters most."

Zhou Shuren looked at Qiu Yan’s furrowed brow and knew that Qiu Yan was not just concerned but also worried about the situation in the capital. The Zhou family was deep in the whirlpool, and he found himself unable to comfort Qiu Yan.

Truth be told, his relationship with Qiu Yan was quite good, especially in the past six months. Even though they were equals, Qiu Yan was more in a supportive role to him. With this in mind, he said, "The Ministry of Revenue is stable."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Yan smiled. He did not have Zhou Shuren’s capabilities. Director Xiao had talked to him a few times, and he understood the underlying message—his chances for promotion were slim. Compared to being transferred elsewhere, he naturally hoped to stay at the Ministry of Revenue. He didn’t mind assisting Zhou Shuren, so Zhou Shuren’s words reassured him.

Qiu Yan had noticed the small changes Zhou Shuren had made in the Ministry of Revenue. He wished Zhou Shuren well and hoped the Ministry would not be caught up in the whirlpool. Thus, Zhou Shuren’s calmness was comforting to him.

Because Zhou Shuren was calm, when others showed concern, he would share some details. Everyone in the Ministry of Revenue knew the accurate news that Chang Lian was uninjured, so for a time, no one continued to spread exaggerated rumors.

The focus of the capital shifted from Chang Lian to the Hou Residence because Rongchuan hadn’t left the Palace.

Inside the Palace, Rongchuan was organizing the official documents. He didn’t want to stay in the Palace; he wanted to return home. He had requested it, but the Emperor wouldn’t let him go, inquiring warmly about his well-being, which made him feel uneasy. Now he was even more anxious as he was assigned to organize official documents. Compared to his current anxiety, yesterday’s assassination attempt seemed momentary. Once the fear passed, it was over. Considering he was his father’s only son with numerous skilled protectors around, as long as he didn’t recklessly ditch his guards, his safety was assured.

The Crown Prince noticed Rongchuan’s absent-mindedness and slapped his hand with the document, waiting for Rongchuan to come back to his senses before continuing to review it.

Rongchuan felt especially conflicted. Today, the Emperor had shown him warmth and concern, and the Crown Prince also seemed very caring. They both spoke in unusually gentle tones, as if speaking any louder might frighten him, though he was no lady; no, that wasn’t the point. What was going on with the Emperor and the Crown Prince?

The Emperor looked down at his own hands, turning them over to look at one side, then the other. The flesh of the palms and the backs of his hands were the same, yet now he had no idea who Rongchuan was. But what if he did? He thought back to how he had dealt with Zhang Jinghong, not knowing then that Zhang Jinghong was an impostor.

With his eyes closed, the Emperor seemed to see blood, a mix of anger and sorrow intertwining within him. His heart’s fire blazed fiercely; he couldn’t help but think that if he lost control, the dreams could become reality—a river of blood, including his son’s blood, serving as a bloody sacrifice to imperial authority.

The Emperor opened his eyes, looking at his youngest son, who knew nothing of the reach of imperial power, and felt the fire in his heart subside significantly. He beckoned his youngest son over with a gesture.

Rongchuan put down the Zhezi in his hand and walked over, "Your Majesty."

Guilt weighed heavily on the Emperor’s heart, and in his son’s clear eyes, this guilt seemed to magnify infinitely. He couldn’t make it up to his youngest son, so he masked the emotions in his eyes, "Next year marks your three-year assessment at the Hanlin Academy. Do you have any plans?"

Rongchuan’s eyes lit up. He did have plans, but his father disagreed. Now was the chance, "Your servant wishes to be sent out of the capital."

The Emperor choked, "...Why would you want to leave the capital? Everyone desires to come to the capital to be an official."

In Rongchuan’s mind, he had to earn favor with his third brother, hoping to be sent to a decent place in the future, "Third brother said that to be a good official, one must be close to the people’s livelihoods. Being sent out is the only way to understand more."

The Emperor fell silent. Zhou Shuren’s tutelage didn’t fail his children, and this incident also involved an assassination attempt, "Other than leaving the capital, what other plans do you have?"

Realizing the Emperor didn’t support his wish to leave the capital, Rongchuan felt relieved he had spoken up for his third brother but also a bit disappointed, "Your servant’s intention, ’a wife and children with a warm bed,’ might sound crude, but the meaning is quite straightforward. That’s what’s on your servant’s mind."

The Emperor, "..."

Just how desperately does his youngest son want to get married? No, it’s how eager he is to wed. The Emperor now understood, his mood improving significantly in the face of his youngest son’s candid thoughts.

At the Zhou residence, at noon, Zhulan and her daughter had lunch together. Zhulan had taken a nap in the morning and was feeling much better. Since Rongchuan hadn’t left the Palace, Xue Han had stayed in the main courtyard.

The Yang Zhumu brothers had gone to Wu Chun’s residence as they were planning to stay through the winter, and the residence needed quite a few more items.

Zhulan sent Steward Wang to help, and also sent a few rough servants to take care of cleaning and cooking.

The Yang family brought only young servants with them to the capital, without a single rough servant.

In the Zhou residence, except for the little ones who didn’t understand what an assassination meant, the atmosphere was quite oppressive today.

The food cooked was very light. Zhulan, watching her daughter count rice grains, said, "The Hou Residence mentioned that they would send word when Rongchuan leaves the Palace. Knowing Rongchuan’s character, he will definitely come in person."

Xue Han, no longer shy, expressed her concern, "Mother, if Rongchuan comes straight from the Hou Residence, isn’t there a danger?"

Zhulan tapped her daughter’s forehead, "You’re overthinking. If something were to happen to Rongchuan, he would undoubtedly be accompanied by many people. Besides, the Emperor is enraged, and there are searches all over the capital now. They won’t harm Rongchuan anymore."

Xue Han understood, but she couldn’t control her worry. She had thought a lot about what would happen if Rongchuan really got into trouble; she even considered spending her life in the company of ancient lamps and scriptures, "Mother."

Zhulan, "Hmm? What do you want to say?"