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

Chapter 989: Chapter 989: When I Fell Ill as a Child

Zhulan was peeling grapes, ”Come on, what do you want to talk about?”

Eunuch Liu gestured for the maids to leave, then whispered, ”The Empress scolded Princess Chu, and Consort Qi sent several people to the Prince Chu Residence.”

Zhulan was so surprised that she forgot to spit out the grape seeds and swallowed them all, ”How do you know all this so clearly?”

Eunuch Liu said mysteriously, ”I naturally have my sources. Are you happy now? Princess Chu has targeted you quite a bit, and now she must be upset. After all, she went too far.”

Zhulan hadn’t heard the news, and this was the difference; the information network of the Zhou family still lacked, ”Do you know why the Empress scolded Princess Chu?”

The Empress wouldn’t bother with the affairs of Prince Chu Residence; the more intense the struggles in its inner court, the better.

Eunuch Liu spread her hands, ”This I don’t know. It’s hard to guess the thoughts of the Empress, especially in these past six months. I think she’s probably suppressing the Prince Chu Residence.”

Zhulan felt it was not as simple as it seemed. If the Empress hadn’t intervened before and was doing so now, Zhulan indeed had a reason to be happy. Princess Chu now wouldn’t have the energy to meddle in other affairs.

In the evening, at the Zhou residence, Wu Ming came for dinner. After eating, Zhou Shuren took Wu Ming to the study.

It was only after Zhulan had taken her bath that Zhou Shuren returned. Zhulan, towel-drying her hair, asked, ”What did Wu Ming say to you?”

Zhou Shuren took the towel from his wife’s hands and helped her dry her hair, ”Wu Ming said that after the Emperor’s birthday, the Phang family clan would end their control over the Ministry of Rites.”

Zhulan counted the days, ”That’s not too far off.”

Zhou Shuren hummed in agreement, ”Lately Zhang Yang has been confined to the residence, wounded. This time, having learned his lesson, he dares not act rashly and is instead being extremely cautious. Prince Qi has been thrown into chaos by Zhang Yang, and the Chen family is mired in lawsuits, leaving only Prince Liang dominant. And Prince Liang himself has grown bolder.”

He had targeted the Crown Prince several times in court.

Zhulan said, ”Never mind Prince Liang, even Princess Liang acts as if she were the Crown Princess Consort.”

Zhou Shuren lowered his voice, ”The Emperor has been feeling unwell these past two days.”

”How do you know? The Emperor hasn’t summoned you recently, and it’s not even your month to attend court.”

Zhou Shuren put down the towel and picked up a comb to brush his wife’s hair, ”Even though the Emperor doesn’t summon me as often as before, he still does so regularly, especially during the months I’m not in court. Once a month, he definitely summons me twice. The Emperor hasn’t summoned me these few days, nor has he seen any ministers, so I guess he must be unwell.”

Zhulan turned her head, ”Now that you mention it, Rongchuan hasn’t been to the Palace these past few days either.”

”How can anyone never fall ill? The Emperor falling sick is a big deal, especially now when all the princes are watching closely!”

Zhulan thought for a moment, ”It’s not possible that the Emperor is pretending to be ill, right? He is quite fond of fishing.”

Zhou Shuren shook his head, ”The current situation isn’t the right time to feign illness. I’m going to take a bath as well.”

”Mhm.”

The next day, the Zhou residence received an invitation from the Hou Residence. The Hou Residence had been like a recluse lately, and this was the first time they had invited guests this year.

Zhulan had never paid much attention to the Shen family. Only after making inquiries did she find out that the wife of the Princely Heir had returned to the capital.

Xue Han asked, ”Mother, are you going yourself?”

Zhulan thought for a moment, ”I will take you with me.”

”I have met Magistrate Shen a few times, and Magistrate Shen has always been low-key. When it was heard that Magistrate Shen was not married, she was quite the talk of the town. Now, the Hou Residence is being low-key, and the Princely Heir is not being utilized in the Ministry of War, leading to lesser invitations sent Magistrate Shen’s way.”

Zhulan had heard from Zhou Shuren that Yao Zheyu wished to join the Navy. Just like the Yang family values the Navy, Yao Zheyu also wanted to give it a shot, but alas, his wish didn’t come true. The last time Shuren had dinner with Lau Jing, he even saw Yao Zheyu drowning his sorrows in alcohol.

Zhulan did not want to talk about Yao Zheyu, ”You go back and get ready.”

In Duke Ning’s residence, Lady Song wiped her tears with a handkerchief, speechlessly sitting down with lowered head while Ning Zhiqi was anxiously pacing around, ”Mother, you are just saying, we still have grandmother, she won’t agree.”

Lady Song grew angrier with more intense crying, ”Look at whom mother is talking about, Ning Ting is the eldest daughter and granddaughter, how could she not inquire more? I know mother does not like me, but Ning Ting is her own granddaughter. If my elder sister-in-law had not stepped in, would mother have agreed?”

Lady Song remembered how during her first pregnancy, her mother-in-law had tried to push someone else on her husband despite not showing any dissatisfaction toward her, which was still an expression of discontent. It wasn’t until Lady Song had a son that the mother-daughter-in-law relationship became peaceful.

Now, mother-in-law did not dare to show dissent in front of grandmother. All her discontent was directed at her. The more she thought about it, the harder Lady Song cried. It hadn’t been easy for her, trying to maintain her marital relationship with her husband on one hand and tolerating her mother-in-law on the other. She feared that if grandmother was no longer there, her mother-in-law would dominate the inner courtyard.

The more Lady Song thought, the angrier she became, thinking of the stringent demand of filial piety until her vision began to darken.

By the time Ning Zhiqi noticed, his wife had fainted, pregnant with their child, sending him into a panic as he hurriedly called for an Imperial Physician.

Previously, they dared not call for an Imperial Physician, for his mother’s face, and he would always call a family-employed doctor. But this time was different; his wife’s pregnancy had already been fragile, and he was torn between his wife and mother, causing him a great headache.

Lady Du arrived the latest, by which time the Imperial Physician had already seen to her. The diagnosis was an attack of vexation that had affected her pregnancy, necessitating a period of proper rest and tranquility.

The Duchess wished she could beat Lady Du with a cane, ”The matter of Ning Ting’s marriage is for me to decide. Don’t get too carried away by a few flattering words. It’s fortunate this time that Zhiqi’s wife is alright. If something had happened, I’ll see how I handle you.”

Lady Du could not stand the loss of face, especially with Lady Yu there. She knew she was at fault. At that moment, the family background seemed acceptable, who knew it would turn out to be an uneducated brute. She lowered her head, ”Mother, I truly didn’t know.”

”I do not want to hear you speak right now.”

In her bedroom, Ning Ting bit her lip. She had known since childhood that grandmother didn’t like her mother, so she made herself endearing: not only did she win great-grandmother’s affection, but she also tried to amuse grandmother, so grandmother never really cared much for her.

Inside the Palace, the Crown Prince listened to his father the Emperor sneezing. His father had caught a cold in the past days, and despite drinking medicinal soups for a couple of days, the Emperor’s condition hadn’t improved much.

The Crown Prince’s thoughts drifted. He hadn’t expected the Emperor to hide his illness from everyone else but not from him. Could this mean that the Emperor trusted him the most and that, despite his brothers’ antics, the Emperor’s heart had never changed?

Eunuch Liu carried in the medicine, and the Crown Prince ensured the correct bowl had been brought before carefully picking it up. He forced his hand not to tremble and held it steady as he brought it to the small bed, ”Father, the medicine is ready.”

The Emperor’s voice was nasally. These past few days, he hadn’t spoken much during court. Sitting up, he took the bowl and drank it down in one go then set it down, his mouth awash with bitterness.

The Crown Prince held out some cooled boiled water, ”Father, rinse your mouth.”

The bitter taste in the Emperor’s mouth was bearable, and he shook his head, ”No need. These past days, I have thought of a lot. I used to feign illness as a child.”

The Crown Prince had never heard his father mention his childhood, this was the first time he ever brought it up.