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

Chapter 535: Chapter 535: Good at Finding a Spot to Watch the Play_1

Zhou Shuren’s back had become quite sore, and he rubbed it silently, thinking that once everything was over, he must start exercising again. His body was nearly falling apart, but fortunately, he didn’t get motion sickness or feel like vomiting.

Another hour passed, and Zhou Shuren stopped sitting; instead, he lay down in the carriage. Being over forty wasn’t considered old in modern times, but in ancient times, well, he couldn’t help but touch his hair, which was already turning white. He felt sorrowful and wondered how much longer he would live.

In the carriage of the Fifth Prince, there were no attendants, and the driver was from the Government Office. Inside the carriage was just the Fifth Prince, Zhang Jinghong. Zhang Jinghong calculated the distance, the closer he got to the capital, the more anxious his heart became.

If there hadn’t been a body double this time, the one seriously injured would have been himself. The information he had received indicated that more than one group of people wanted to kill him. Clenching his fists tightly, he was certain it must be the doing of his dear brothers—it was just unclear which one. Thinking of the Crown Prince, he sneered to himself, not knowing if the Crown Prince had made his move.

Zhang Jinghong loosened his grip, then clutched his sword in one hand again, hoping his speculation was correct, that Zhou Shuren could indeed protect him.

Half an hour later, at the entrance of the palace, the Second Prince through the Fourth Prince had all arrived. The Crown Prince had been waiting at the gate. After his brothers got off their carriages, he turned and took the lead.

The Second Prince followed closely behind, his gaze constantly fixed on the Crown Prince’s back, truly wishing he could surpass him.

The Third Prince trailed leisurely, feeling hungry, damn it, his heart constantly on edge, busy dealing with orders, without a bite to eat, fearing the Emperor might see that he still had time for dinner, in the end, he could only starve himself.

The Third Prince regretted it—if only he knew, he wouldn’t have wasted time with the Crown Prince.

The Fourth Prince ground his teeth, such a good opportunity, wuu, had slipped away.

After the Crown Prince walked for a while, his stomach felt much better. Who could have known he would overeat at dinner, today’s duck was well prepared; perhaps he could have another one tomorrow, yes, and the soup was good as well, warming his body.

In the main hall, the Crown Prince led his pesky brothers inside; the Emperor had just finished dinner. The Crown Prince steadied himself and looked—wow, tonight’s dinner was particularly lavish. One must know that the Emperor was usually thrifty. It seemed he could hear the sound of saliva.

After the Emperor rinsed his mouth, he said to Eunuch Liu, ”It’s a reward for you all; you may clear out now.”

Eunuch Liu thanked him for the favor and quickly led the people out.

The Second Prince to the Fourth Prince, ”...”

They felt that the Emperor had done it on purpose!

Nearly two hours later, Zhou Shuren and his party finally reached the Entrance of the Capital. Zhou Shuren felt a weight lift off his heart—ay-yo, his standing in the Emperor’s heart was quite high indeed. He had a bit of a pleasant surprise, feeling that Zhang Jinghong, this fake prince, could return unharmed thanks to his luck.

Ever since he guessed that Zhang Jinghong was an impostor, based on his understanding of the Emperor, this bait only needed to stay alive, whether he was wounded or not was truly of no concern.

The Fifth Prince pulled back the curtain of the carriage, feeling very conflicted. According to his analysis, he was just a pawn pushed out by the Emperor to shield the Crown Prince. Now, his last illusions had vanished as well—if the Emperor wanted to protect him, his body double wouldn’t have been severely injured. Just look at Lord Zhou, the Emperor was protecting Lord Zhou. With this realization, Zhang Jinghong let the curtain fall and sneered coldly.

Zhou Shuren felt a murderous glare, stroking his chin’s beard. This Fifth Prince was also a sharp one. He felt he would be the object of the Prince’s anger, and this time he was certain to be firmly placed on the Fifth Prince’s blacklist.

Zhou Shuren also lowered the curtain and pondered, should he take a swipe at the Fifth Prince? He then abandoned the idea; the Fifth Prince was already in the Emperor’s bad graces, listed on his blacklist for a long time now. It was quite a pity, after all, he could have gotten in a couple of digs.

At the city gate, there were people waiting to meet them. Zhou Shuren had sent a message to the capital early on. Zhou Shuren arrived smoothly at the palace gate, where Governor Wei greeted him as Zhou Shuren dismounted, ”My lord.”

Lord Zhou paid his respects, ”Governor Wei, you have worked hard.”

Governor Wei returned the courtesy, ”It’s my duty, my lord is too kind.”

The Fifth Prince also got off the carriage; at this moment, without the Emperor to verify the true or false prince, it was Zhou Shuren who took the lead. Eunuch Liu was waiting at the palace gate. Zhou Shuren was surprised, ”Eunuch Liu, it’s actually you.”

Eunuch Liu smiled cheerfully, ”Lord Zhou, it’s been a long time since we last saw each other. You seem to have become quite a bit younger than the last time.”

Zhou Shuren, ”....”

This talk sounds familiar. Has it already spread to the palace? The Emperor really has too much free time on his hands!

Zhang Jinghong took a step forward, ”Eunuch Liu, how has Father Emperor been lately?”

Eunuch Liu understood everything perfectly, but he had to keep up appearances, ”You really look exactly like the Fifth Prince, just perhaps a bit plumper.”

The Fifth Prince felt guilty and consequently closed his mouth, deciding not to speak any further. His heart was filled with unease; even Master Zhou could see through his disguise, let alone Father Emperor. Now that he was back in the capital, he finally had time to think about what comes next, hoping his guess was right. Despite the bitter cold wind piercing his bones, he was drenched in sweat.

Eunuch Liu shifted his gaze, ”Master Zhou, the Emperor is waiting.”

Zhou Shuren, ”Please lead the way, Eunuch.”

Eunuch Liu dared not keep the Emperor waiting and quickly led the way. Despite his age, he moved briskly.

Zhou Shuren found it somewhat difficult to keep up. Staring at the dark night sky, he realized he truly needed to exercise more before his body gave out.

Soon, they arrived at the government hall. Inside, the hall was brightly lit. After Eunuch Liu announced their arrival, Zhou Shuren entered alongside Master Wei. The floor tiles were cold as ice in the winter, and Zhou Shuren knelt down firmly. Hearing the solid sound of Master Wei kneeling, he felt a silent pang—someone was even more solid than he was, and it hurt just to listen.

The Emperor, used to such sounds, remained unaffected, ”Rise.”

Zhou Shuren and Master Wei, ”Thank you, Your Majesty.”

As Zhou Shuren stood up, he felt a pang in his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Master Wei still moved smoothly and with vigor. Zhou Shuren was impressed; indeed, those who practice martial arts were truly robust.

The Emperor addressed Master Wei, ”You have worked hard on your journey. You may go back and rest now.”

Being granted an audience with the Emperor was rare for Master Wei, and he was grateful for the opportunity today. Suppressing his excitement, he responded, ”As you command.”

After Master Wei left, Eunuch Liu led Zhang Jinghong in.

Zhou Shuren moved step by step, quietly positioning himself opposite the princes and leaving the center space empty—the best place to watch the spectacle unfold.

Not only did the Fifth Prince freeze in place, but the Crown Prince and the other princes were also momentarily stunned.

The Emperor suppressed a smile at the corner of his mouth; Zhou Shuren’s earlier actions were certainly ungraceful, yet quite strategic!

A smirk crossed the Crown Prince’s mind, ’Master Zhou’s position is excellent, not inferior to mine at all.’

The Second Prince stood expressionlessly, as if questioning whether Zhou Shuren’s movements indicated he was looking for a place to watch a show. He hoped he wasn’t misunderstanding.

The Third Prince blinked; he had just realized that this Master Zhou, besides being excellent at setting people up, was also quite interesting.

The Fourth Prince narrowed his eyes; why was he seeing a hint of the Emperor’s demeanour in Master Zhou?!

The main hall was eerily quiet. Zhou Shuren stood expressionless. He had really wished he could have gone back to rest with Master Wei. As everyone was looking at him, he blinked and took on the air of someone saying, ’Don’t mind me, I’m just part of the backdrop.’

Amusement flickered in the Emperor’s eyes; indeed, it was enjoyable to see him face to face!

When the Fifth Prince saw his father’s gaze on him, he finally snapped back to reality, falling to his knees with a thump. He immediately began to wail, tears streaming down his face, ”Father Emperor, you must seek justice for your son! The one at the Government Office is an impostor, I am the real one! It’s all a conspiracy; someone had the audacity to switch the Prince. Father Emperor, your son has finally returned after much difficulty!”