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

Chapter 958: Chapter 958 Compensation

In the government hall, only the Emperor was present, the Crown Prince was not, and Eunuch Liu withdrew. After Zhou Shuren paid his respects, he glanced at the somewhat messy zhezi on the table, feeling heavy at heart, for the Emperor’s mood was far from pleasant!

The Emperor gestured for Zhou Shuren to sit, ”You have met with Prince Qi and Prince Chu on consecutive days these past few days?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shuren realized that the Emperor truly was the most suspicious of all. Prince Qi’s overt schemes indeed had multiple objectives. If Prince Qi made a few more visits, he might lose the Emperor’s trust. He openly admitted, ”Yes, Prince Qi told me it wasn’t him who sent the assassin, and he also hinted to me that he knows who did it. Prince Qi invited me to have tea, but I refused.”

The Emperor was taken aback, not expecting Zhou Shuren to speak so frankly, ”Prince Qi is my son.”

Are you not afraid that I would be partial to my son, trusting him more?

Zhou Shuren understood the Emperor’s implicit meaning, ”I am your minister. I shall be completely open and honest with anything you ask of me, never hiding anything from Your Majesty.”

The Emperor watched Zhou Shuren’s eyes closely, seeing sincerity in those of the old fox. He did have some reservations about this old fox, especially since the old fox was known for being protective and vengeful. These past two days, he had people watching the Zhou residence, knowing every reaction from them. Zhou Shuren had no reaction whatsoever but went on to meet both the second and third son. He couldn’t help but overthink it.

It was this that led to today’s questioning. The Emperor withdrew his gaze, ”What did the third son say to you then?”

Zhou Shuren inwardly rolled his eyes, ”Prince Chu inquired about my son and told me to keep a keen eye. He thought that Prince Qi must have told me something.”

Now it was Zhou Shuren watching the Emperor, hearing a snort from him. Zhou Shuren had his answer. It wasn’t Prince Chu—the Emperor’s snort was due to his overreaction despite Prince Chu not being the criminal, so it had to be Prince Liang. Indeed, Prince Liang had been gaining momentum over the year, with increasing flattery, becoming somewhat cocky. His wings were getting strong enough for him to take risks, the boldest of them all.

Zhou Shuren touched the Jade Pendant at his waist. Prince Liang had always been audacious. Even when Zhang Jinghong was still the fake fifth prince, Prince Liang was the Emperor’s youngest son. He sneered internally. In the royal family, both legitimate and illegitimate sons had the chance to succeed to the throne.

The Emperor was aware of what the third son had said. He didn’t know what the second son had said, as there were no witnesses present then. Zhou Shuren was a cunning fox, and with the words of his two sons, the cunning fox must know exactly what was happening, just like Ning Xu. Why wasn’t Ning Xu creating a fuss? Because he too had guessed who did it.

The Emperor fiddled with his prayer beads, ”I hear from Rongchuan that your third son wishes to be assigned out of the capital?”

Zhou Shuren nodded, ”Yes, I have climbed my way up step by step, so I hope Chang Lian can also tread a steady path. Though I was luckier, Chang Lian is no less capable, and with me as his father, he can have some shelter from the rain.”

Zhou Shuren spoke plainly, and even if he hadn’t said it, it would still be the truth. Isn’t a father meant to support his son?

The Emperor paused for a moment, always feeling that Zhou Shuren’s words were hinting at something, ”These past two years, the coastal provinces have been developing rapidly.”

A thought stirred in Zhou Shuren’s mind. Indeed, the faster they developed, the more achievements they showed, ”Certainly, this is evident from the tax revenues of each province.”

The Emperor acknowledged with a sound, ”I think the coast is a good place. What do you think?”

Zhou Shuren smiled, ”I too find it quite favorable.”

This was a compensation. It’s better to get some compensation than none at all, and for that, he should thank Prince Qi and Prince Chu. If not for their troubles, the Emperor wouldn’t have summoned him, especially if he neglected Chang Lian.

The Emperor smiled, ”You indeed live very wisely.”

A notion struck Zhou Shuren’s mind, ”I am the pillar of my family. Bearing the weight of my whole family, I naturally have to live wisely.”

He would certainly outlive the Emperor, as he waited for the Crown Prince to ascend the throne.

In the temple, the Empress had already prayed for blessings one step ahead. The steps of the temple were numerous and several Princess Consorts were in disarray, too exhausted to keep up, yet not daring to fall behind. During the prayers, they still had to kneel, which made them somewhat unsteady.

Xue Han felt as if she were sitting on pins and needles. Her position was in front of several Princess Consorts, and although she was a bit behind the Crown Princess Consort and several other Princess Consorts, her position was not quite right.

The Empress sensed Xue Han’s unease and opened her eyes, ”Calm your mind.”

Xue Han promptly shut her eyes, silently reciting scriptures in her heart over and over again, gradually calming down.

The Empress was very pleased, but the Crown Princess Consort felt uneasy in her heart. Could the Empress actually favor Lady Zhou so much to include her in the blessings together?

Princess Qi felt her teeth itch with hatred. It was deliberate on the part of the Empress. Even within the palace, the Empress would practice martial arts. Even though she was older, her body was still in good shape; she could ascend the stairs without much as catching her breath. They, however, were different; even when offering incense, they walked slowly. To walk this quickly was too much, and now her chest even hurt.

Princess Qi glanced again at Lady Zhou. What was the Empress’s intention?

Princess Chu and Princess Liang were not much better off, being the delicate flowers of noble families, especially in the summer heat causing their makeup to smear.

After another half hour, Zhulan thought to herself that the knees of ancient people must not have been like knees at all. Even though there were mats to kneel on, her knees were terribly uncomfortable after such a long time; she was already sitting on her heels, and her kneeling posture was not at all proper.

The Empress stood up first, followed by the Crown Princess Consort. Xue Han was conflicted. The Crown Princess Consort gave Xue Han a hand. Xue Han herself had never knelt for so long, but now her heart fluttered, and she ignored her legs.

Xue Han’s gaze turned toward several Princess Consorts and quietly shifted her eyes; their makeup was smeared and looked very unsightly.

The Crown Princess Consort nearly laughed. She didn’t come from a military general’s family, but to cater to her mother’s liking, she had also practiced martial arts, so she didn’t find climbing the stairs difficult at all. Then she thought of Lady Zhou, it seemed that Lady Zhou had practiced as well.

The Empress didn’t even look at Princess Qi and the others. She stepped out, with the officials’ families all rising to their feet.

The Empress talked to the families of several important ministers first, making sure to take care of everyone who had to be taken care of, before speaking up, ”Lady Ning Xu, step forward.”

Zhulan thought to herself how fortunate it was that she kept on her toes. She hurried forward to greet her, ”Empress.”

The Empress herself lent a hand, ”You may rise from your bow. The Emperor has often mentioned Third Master Zhou in front of me. The children Lady Ning Xu has taught are all outstanding. I am very fond of Xue Han and would like for Lady Ning Xu to visit the palace more often to chat.”

Zhulan thought to herself that her guess had been right; the Empress had organized the prayer ceremony today for Rongchuan and the Zhou family. All the officials’ wives of the fourth rank or higher within the capital had come. The words of the Empress had elevated not only the Zhou family but also herself, filling her with warmth, ”As long as the Empress does not disdain your servant, your servant will definitely visit the palace more often.”

The Empress smiled, ”I do not disdain you, but am in fact in need of someone to talk to.”

This remark was most intriguing. Was the Empress in need of someone to talk to? Not really, many officials’ wives wanted to catch the eye of the Empress, but sadly, the Empress seldom summoned them.

The Empress’s remark was a message to everyone that she valued the Zhou-Yang family.

In the capital, Zhulan relied on Zhou Shuren and indeed received much respect, yet in the hearts of the wives of the great noble families, they still looked down on her. The words of the Empress meant that at least in the future, no one would dare to openly despise her.