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

Chapter 577: Chapter 577 Cleverness Misfires Part 1

Yao Zheyu held the invitation, ”I am here to deliver the invitation.”

Zhou Shuren took the invitation, a red one at that, and upon opening it, raised an eyebrow, ”Is the Princely Heir getting married?”

Yao Zheyu sat down, ”It’s all written clearly on the invitation.”

Zhou Shuren was shocked, ”Your father actually agreed to your marriage?”

Yao Zheyu pressed his forehead, ”I was just as surprised as you when I received the invitation.”

He had received the invitation less than four hours ago. Indeed, as the person getting married, it was rather surprising that he knew of his own marriage only after the invitations had been issued.

Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow again, ”You just got the invitation? They didn’t notify you?”

Yao Zheyu sneered, ”No notification. The date was set, the invitations written, and I suppose by now everyone who should have received one has.”

During the New Year’s return to the Hou Residence, father had said there was no rush to marry. He even used Magistrate Shen as an example, saying that Magistrate Shen was reluctant to marry off his daughter early. Now this, quite sudden indeed!

Zhou Shuren understood, Marquis Yao’s illegitimate daughter’s foolish move, Marquis Yao could only seek remediation, complying with the Emperor’s wishes, ”Your old man really works efficiently.”

Yao Zheyu pursed his lips, ”The advantage ultimately went to me.”

He really should thank his half-sister, otherwise, his marriage could have been further delayed.

Zhou Shuren looked at the wedding date, ”In two months, huh? That’s quite a rush. Magistrate Shen actually agreed.”

Without Magistrate Shen’s agreement, those invitations couldn’t have been sent out.

Yao Zheyu felt troubled. A marriage should be a joyous event, but now there was little joy to be found in it, ”Yes, I came as promised to deliver the invitation. I hope you’ll honor the event with your presence.”

Zhou Shuren stroked his beard, ”What a pity this official cannot enter the capital. When the Princely Heir returns to treat his guests, this official will definitely honor it, but regardless, a gift will certainly be delivered to the Hou Residence.”

Yao Zheyu naturally understood that receiving the gift was what mattered, it was a sign of good will. His mood lightened somewhat, ”Then I won’t disturb you any longer, sir. I have other invitations to deliver.”

Zhou Shuren politely said, ”Princely Heir, please go ahead.”

Yao Zheyu nodded and left, sending invitations to officials with whom he had good relations. After leaving the government office, he sat in the carriage with a sullen face. The old man had upset all his plans. He felt both pleased and anxious. He hadn’t returned to the capital yet, and he worried whether he could bring Magistrate Shen with him. The old man wouldn’t easily let her go.

In the capital, the Emperor flipped through the invitation in his hand, ”Yao Wenqi has always been annoying.”

The Crown Prince fell silent, his father probably meant to say he was repulsive. He hadn’t expected Marquis Yao to take action so swiftly, either.

The Emperor tossed aside the invitation, feeling melancholic. This chess move was crucial for him. Yao Wenqi really did have some understanding of him, which was an unpleasant feeling. To understand him, ha, ”Since it is a joyous occasion, let’s also choose this date for the Fifth Prince’s marriage. It’s a rare good day. One marriage and one wedding, quite good.”

The Crown Prince twitched at the corner of his mouth, ”Yes.”

In the Marquis Yao’s residence, Yao Yao was also stunned, watching her agitated mother pacing in circles, which made her head hurt even more. ”Mother, please stop pacing.”

Mrs. Hou, Lady Bai slammed the table, ”I am angry! Yao Zheyu is getting married, and then there’s your brother’s business.”

No matter how much she plotted, with Yao Zheyu’s marriage alliance with the Shen family, Yao Zheyu’s position as Princely Heir was even more secure.

Yao Yao held her mother’s hand, ”Mother, even without big brother, brother didn’t have much hope, can’t you see that clearly from your daughter’s position?”

Lady Bai’s eyes filled with sorrow as she pulled her daughter into an embrace. How could she not understand? She was only deceiving herself. But how could she protect her children in the residence without continuing the struggle? She hugged her daughter tightly, closing her eyes to hide the sorrow in them.

In the evening, Zhulan saw the invitation, ”This move by Mr. Hou was quite good.”

Zhou Shuren said, ”That’s why he’s even more foolish. It will only make the Emperor increasingly wary of him. Isn’t this a clear signal to the Emperor that he has guessed some of the Emperor’s thoughts?”

In front of the Emperor, you can be clever, but don’t guess at the Emperor’s thoughts—that would be a grave taboo. It would be better for Marquis Yao to do nothing and set the Emperor’s mind at ease!

Zhulan put down the letter, ”So it’s said, ’Cleverness may overreach itself.’”

Zhou Shuren smiled, ”Yes, sometimes the smarter a person is, the more likely they are to make a mistake.”

In the Hou Residence, Yao Wenqi locked himself in the study and tore up the invitation. He thought about how Magistrate Shen had been looking at him strangely—it turned out he had been foolish. No wonder Magistrate Shen had agreed so readily without him needing to waste words.

Yao Wenqi pressed his brow, feeling uneasy. These last two years had gone poorly; he didn’t know where it started, but one wrong move had led to a series of mistakes. He only hoped everything could get back on the right track.

The following day at noon, Zhulan knew someone had come to visit but had already refused them. Yesterday Zhou Shuren had mentioned that a certain Mr. Liu would indeed come for a visit.

Zhulan said to Nanny Song, ”Human hearts really do change with the wind, no—rather, human hearts are really prone to inflating.”

Too inflated, and they forget their own names.

Nanny Song bowed her head, ”The hardest thing to control is the human heart; everyone has their own selfish desires.”

She had them, too. Even though she was loyal to the Emperor, she too had selfish desires. She was getting old, and she wanted to enjoy her later years in peace.

Zhulan got up, ”I’m going to see Yu Yi; you don’t need to follow.”

Nanny Song replied, ”As you wish.”

When Zhulan arrived at the third courtyard, Lady Dong had just finished feeding the child. Seeing Yu Yi’s half-closed eyes, Zhulan remarked, ”It looks like she’s full and about to sleep.”

Looking at her daughter cradled in her arms, Lady Dong’s heart softened, ”This girl falls asleep after eating; it’s been just over a month, and she’s already gained a good bit of weight.”

Zhulan touched her granddaughter’s little hand, ”A good appetite is a blessing.”

Zhulan chatted with Lady Dong without interrupting the little girl’s sleep. The half-closed eyes soon shut completely, and they waited until she was sound asleep.

Lady Dong put down her daughter, ”Mother, did you come to see me for something?”

Zhulan gestured for Lady Dong to come out to talk. Once in the hall, Zhulan relayed Jiang Ming’s letter and spoke of today’s visitor, ”I have no other intention but to give you a word of caution. Your brother-in-law has changed—not to mention playing with fire. The Second Prince and the Third Prince are not ones he should provoke. I’m afraid it will implicate your maternal family in the end.”

The Dong family was merely that of a County Magistrate. To the two Princes, they wouldn’t need to lift a finger themselves—a simple command could easily bring about their ruin.

The two Princes valued Zhou Shuren, and they had their own pride. They would not tolerate infractions simply because they valued someone. Jiang Ming’s current actions could inevitably lead to trouble for the Jiang family clan and the Dong family clan.

Lady Dong’s heart skipped a beat, nearly knocking over the teacup beside her. The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became, her scalp tingling, ”How could he be so bold?”

Zhulan, ”It must be ambition.”

Cold sweat stood up on Lady Dong’s body out of fear, ”Mother, I understand. Thank you for telling me all this.”

Zhulan’s purpose in speaking out was twofold: first, to make her daughter-in-law understand she should keep her distance from the Jiang family, and second, she did not wish for the Dong family to encounter trouble. Chang Lian had his own official career to consider, and problems with Lady Dong’s family would reflect poorly on Chang Lian. It would be best to snuff out potential troubles before they could flare up.

Zhulan rose to leave, ”Alright, I’ll be going back.”

”Mother, let me see you out.”

”No need.”

Lady Dong watched her mother-in-law’s silhouette disappear, then collapsed into a chair, pressing hard against her temples. Her maternal family could not afford trouble; if they encountered trouble, the entire Dong family clan would be finished.

With a sense of panic swelling in her heart and her heartbeats thudding uncontrollably, she couldn’t sit still for a moment longer. She got up and headed for her husband’s study—she needed to write a letter back home, and it had to be sent with a fast horse.

Time flew, and the provincial examinations arrived in the blink of an eye. On the day of the exam, Zhou Shuren took a walk around the area and upon returning, he shared his feelings with Zhulan, ”I remember the time when I, too, was a candidate.”