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

Chapter 644: Chapter 644 Worthy of Trust_1

The Zhou family’s foundation had become stable, which meant that its relationship with the Wong family had also become more secure. Forming marriage alliances was a means to solidify relationships, but in essence, it still depended on one’s own strength. With the Zhou family’s strength increasing, their relationship became firmer. Otherwise, relying solely on marital ties was too fragile.

Zhou Shuren also teased Wong Ju, ”My wife didn’t say much in her letter, but I am still well aware of Chang Lian and Rongchuan. In her letter, she mentioned that Chang Lian is in a particularly good mental state. You have also participated in the imperial examination, and know how important mentality is. A good state of mind makes it easier to perform beyond one’s usual capabilities, and I trust my son.”

This trust was not just because he had personally tutored him, but because Chang Lian indeed had trustworthy qualities. Unconsciously, the once restless and scheming boy had become someone reliable.

Wong Ju felt reassured, ”Then I’ll just wait for the announcement of the exam results.”

Zhou Shuren said, ”I don’t even know how many names they will select this year.”

Wong Ju poured herself some tea, ”My old man feels that there won’t be too many people selected this year.”

Zhou Shuren smiled and asked, ”Did the old man say anything else?”

This is a man who has become astute through his experience in court. He knew very well that he couldn’t compare to the old man, he still had a long way to go!

Wong Ju lowered her voice, ”My old man feels like the Emperor is up to something.”

This is all father’s experience!

Zhou Shuren looked at Wong Ju impassively, thinking to himself that indeed, she had not been outmaneuvered due to staying neutral. She was sharp enough. This session of the exam did indeed have the Emperor’s sharpened knives at the ready, and there were moves to make. With the unpredictable factor of Shen Yang, this session was especially lively.

Wong Ju chuckled to herself. Her father had also said that Zhou Shuren must know something, otherwise, he would not have allowed Mrs. Yang to enter the capital so smoothly. From Mrs. Yang’s actions after arriving, Wong Ju felt that she needed to learn this cautiousness from Mrs. Yang.

Zhou Shuren continued to rock in his rocking chair, his thoughts turning to the capital. A headache soon followed; this messy network of relationships and mixed interests was just a tangle. It was still better outside the capital, where even a complicated network could be clarified. In the capital, it was a mess—just looking at the investigation reports sent back by Zhulan made his head ache.

Zhou Shuren sighed softly, ”It’s really not easy for the Emperor.”

Such a complex network of relationships not only needed to be clearly understood but also closely monitored and balanced. Yet, how come the Emperor’s hairline hasn’t receded?

Wong Ju’s stomach clenched. She couldn’t see where the Emperor had it tough; all she saw was his fierceness. Her own father had warned her many times not to get involved in any affairs, or a broken leg would be the least of her worries.

In the capital, in the afternoon, Chang Lian and Rongchuan returned home. Seeing both children safe and sound, Zhulan breathed a sigh of relief, ”Was today’s gathering nice?”

Having had a bit to drink, Chang Lian said, ”Mother, today’s attendees were all children of officials, and the invitees had been carefully selected. It was just a friendly chat without touching on any sensitive topics. It was indeed nice.”

Rongchuan’s eyes curved into a smile, ”Auntie, today’s gathering was very relaxing.”

Zhulan smiled, ”That’s good then.”

Chang Lian and Rongchuan also needed friends, whether those friends were sincere or had their own motives. They needed to have their own network of relationships. It seemed that not only she was investigating others, but others were also investigating the Zhou family.

Inside the Palace, the Emperor looked at Ning San sitting beside him, ”Did you just come from the Empress’s Palace?”

Ning Xu sighed, ”Ever since we made things clear, the Empress has been set on nursing me back to health. Just today, she had me brought over to have my pulse checked.”

The Emperor fell silent, knowing that nursing back to health was futile; his Imperial Physician had already reached a conclusion—the poison was cured, but the damage to the foundation remained, ”She does it for your benefit.”

Ning Xu smiled, acknowledging the part done for his benefit, but guilt played a larger role. His sister also changed a lot over the years—at least in status, first as the Empress and then as a sibling. Changing the subject, ”It’s been a few days since the imperial examination concluded, the results should be released soon.”

The Emperor nodded; he trusted Ning Xu. However, even with trust, he would make a thorough investigation, ”You’re asking about Zhou Changlian, right?”

Ning Xu touched the Buddha Beads on his wrist, a token sought by his parents upon his reinstatement, ”Yes, no matter how you look at it, he indirectly saved my life.”

The Emperor’s gaze fell on the Buddha Beads, recalling the Ning family’s elders, who step by step made their way to the temple in the cold winter to pray for the beads to bless their son, once lost and found again, ”Zhou Changlian ah, his real test will be in the Palace examination after the results come out.”

As for Zhou Shuren’s son, he had some confidence in him. It was just that he didn’t know how Zhou fare in the examination rankings, and as for the Palace examination, the Emperor looked at Ning Xu, knowing that even if Ning Xu hadn’t come, he would still have his own assessment.

He indeed trusted Zhou Shuren, but Zhou Shuren was not getting any younger, and the Crown Prince had mentioned it a few times; he was also willing to allow the Crown Prince to cultivate individuals he might find useful.

The Emperor chuckled lightly, ”The Zhou family’s luck is really not bad at all.”

Ning Xu also laughed, ”Indeed, it’s not bad.”

Luck is also strength, especially since his investigations showed that the esteemed Zhou himself possessed genuine strength. Luck combined with ability was what made the esteemed Zhou what he was today. He was very optimistic about the rising Zhou family. Wouldn’t that be beneficial to the Ning family in the end? After all, bringing up Zhou Changlian today was also part of his own scheming. He was never purely innocent; calculation often trumped sincerity.

In the following days, the Zhou residence sent out more invitations for Changlian, sometimes extending them to Rongchuan as well, but for the most part, it was still just Changlian alone.

Rongchuan never minded, as the young man was fully focused on adding to his family’s wealth, ”Aunt, I’ve made an appointment with Scholar Deng. I want to go see the shop Scholar Deng recommended.”

Zhulan, ”Shops in the capital are not cheap. Even if it’s not in a prime location, you’ll need a substantial amount of silver coins.”

Rongchuan smiled, ”The shops I bought have all been leased out. At the end of last year, I feared that if I really got my name in the gold list, I wouldn’t know where I’d be placed. Collecting rent annually was too troublesome, so I changed it to every three years. With the rent and the New Year’s money, along with the silver coins I’ve saved and earned, buying a medium-sized shop is feasible.”

Zhulan thought, considering how Rongchuan was saving up, by the time the lad was to get married, he’d have a sizeable family asset. Indeed, those who have suffered hardships and those who haven’t are different. Thinking of Chang Zhi at home, Zhulan felt even more compassionate for Rongchuan, ”I’m free today, I’ll accompany you.”

Rongchuan’s eyes curved in a smile, ”Great.”

Chang Xhong jumped up, ”Future brother-in-law, count me in too, I want to go.”

Rongchuan’s face no longer reddened after hearing such remarks frequently, but his heart was still sweet, ”Alright.”

The carriage was ready; the shop was a bit far from the Zhou residence. Upon arrival, Scholar Deng was already waiting, ”The shop is not in a bustling area, but it’s still decent.”

Good shops were hard to come by, this one was among the better ones. Most prime shops were in the hands of the powerful and would not be sold privately. The one he acquired for the Zhou family took quite an effort.