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

Chapter 1052: Chapter 1052 Different Sentiments

Prince Liang regained his composure and stared at his laughing third brother, pursing his lips; he didn’t find anything amusing and was unwilling to accept the situation.

Zhang Yang stared blankly at the Crown Prince’s seat. Without the emperor, the Crown Prince held the highest authority and the place before the Dragon Throne indeed made hearts grow fervent.

Zhou Shuren listened to Prince Chu’s laughter, feeling inexplicably sour inside; Prince Chu’s laughter was filled with sorrow.

The Crown Prince was the calmest. He had always assisted the emperor in handling state affairs, previously only within the government hall; this time, he stood in the royal court, which was the last test his father had set for him.

The morning assembly concluded, and the ministers gathered in small groups, many chatting in a light-hearted tone; the Crown Prince’s position was secure, and the kingdom stable, making everything clear and bright, naturally putting everyone at ease.

Zhou Shuren walked briskly; his mood would have been better if Li Zhao hadn’t been tugging at his official robe, black-faced, ”Mr. Li, what is wrong with your hand?”

Li Zhao released his hand, ”My hand is for grabbing silver. You, Zhou, are ’silver’ to me. My hand instinctively wants to reach for you.”

Zhou Shuren gave a forced laugh, ”.....if it’s silver you want, there is none.”

He silently cursed Qiu Yan to death, deeply suspecting it was because the Ministry of Revenue received a sum of silver that Qiu Yan, fearing entanglement, had taken sick leave. Now thinking of Minister Xiao, he cursed even more, for Minister Xiao hadn’t shown up today either!

Li Zhao laughed, ”Mr. Zhou, you really have a sense of humor. Carton by carton, I personally saw them being carried into the storeroom of the Ministry of Revenue.”

Zhou Shuren tugged at the corner of his mouth, ”Oh.”

Li Zhao coughed, having had previous dealings with Zhou Shuren; he now avoided mentioning silver, ”I will be on leave in a few days, Mr. Zhou, perhaps you could bring your child for me to see.”

Zhou Shuren calculated the Ministry of War’s days off; he could take a leave, ”Okay.”

At noon at the Zhou residence, Zhulan learned the news through her daughter, who had just returned from the Duke Residence, ”Is Lady Du taking to Buddha?”

Xue Han nodded, ”Grandmother sent for me today to discuss Lady Du’s affairs, hoping to inform you through me that Lady Du’s ideas are her own and do not represent the Ducal Household.”

Zhulan’s last bit of irritation also dissipated, ”All Lady Du’s own doings.”

Having a winning hand yet she managed to mess it up completely, only herself to blame.

Xue Han commented, ”Being petty is one aspect, mainly it’s a lack of proper guidance. She used to be able to pretend at least, but as she’s aged, she can no longer control her temperament nor pretend.”

Zhulan asked, ”Why hasn’t Rongchuan come back?”

In recent days, Rongchuan had been staying with Xue Han at her maternal home. Fortunately, Rongchuan was raised by the Zhou family, and no one gossiped however long he stayed, for this was also Rongchuan’s home!

Xue Han explained, ”He has worries on his mind. Today, not being rainy, he went to the racecourse with my father.”

Zhulan understood then that Marquis Ning had also noticed the conflict in Rongchuan’s heart and therefore took him out to relieve some stress. Marquis Ning truly was an exemplary father, ”Mr. Hou cares for Rongchuan.”

Xue Han nodded, her husband often zoning out lately and keeping to himself, which worried her; touching her belly, ”If I weren’t pregnant, I could have walked with him more.”

Zhulan looked at her daughter’s belly, ”You just take good care of yourself during the pregnancy.”

Xue Han pouted, ”Ever since we had the child, I’ve lost my freedom, mother. I used to be able to attend banquets, but now I’ve pushed all the invitations aside, alas.”

Zhulan was about to reply when the eldest lady’s servant came to report, ”Mistress, the eldest lady is about to give birth.”

Zhulan rose, ”It’s a bit earlier than expected; go and call the doctor.”

The midwife had settled in the Zhou residence even before the capital was locked down, so Zhulan didn’t need to rush over; Lady Li had already birthed four children.

When Zhulan and her daughter arrived at the main house, Lady Zhao had already arrived early.

Xue Han helped her mother sit down, ”Second sister-in-law, what did the midwife say?”

Lady Zhao had been there for a while, ”The midwife said the baby is positioned correctly, no need to worry.”

Zhulan nodded. Lady Li had given birth to several children and had plenty of experience. Even Zhou Shuren was calmly drinking tea—giving birth was not the biggest event for the main house.

Lady Zhao was extremely envious. Her wishes were few, just hoping for another son, but then she sighed. Her health was recovered, but her husband was not at home. ”Mother, do you think my husband has reached his destination?”

Zhulan counted the days, ”I guess not yet.”

Lady Zhao sighed, forget it, no need to think about it anymore, she would just continue to recover her health.

On the sea, Chang Yi was fishing with a rod while the boat was docking for supplies. The rod moved, and Chang Yi smiled, ”This fish is not small.”

Zhang Jinghong’s fishing rod also moved, catching an eel, something he dared not handle, so he handed it to a guard nearby. ”Aren’t you getting off the boat to look around?”

Chang Yi readied his bait again, ”No, there’s nothing to see.”

He was very familiar with this route; indeed, there was nothing worth seeing.

Zhang Jinghong smiled, ”Actually, this diplomatic duty is quite nice.”

Chang Yi glanced sideways. If it wasn’t for this mission, Zhang Jinghong wouldn’t have been able to leave the capital, being stuck there was not a pleasant feeling.

Zhang Jinghong chuckled, ”You looking at me like that, you wouldn’t be feeling pity for me, would you?”

Chang Yi curled his lips, ”What’s there to pity about you? You hold an office, receive a salary, have your family’s assets, and though isolated in the capital, you still live comfortably. There are far too many people in this country worse off than you. If I were to pity someone, it would be the poor folks.”

Zhang Jinghong was silent for a while, ”I’m still not open-minded enough. I’ve learned something today.”

Yes, he already had so much. How many people could work their whole lives and never achieve his status? Contentment brings happiness; he was still asking for too much.

Chang Yi stroked his newly grown beard, no wonder his father said it was a pity about Zhang Jinghong. One sentence could enlighten him; his wisdom was truly profound. ”Being out here this long, I wonder how things are at home.”

Zhang Jinghong also missed his wife and son. ”Speaking of which, I am grateful for Mr. Zhou’s protection.”

Chang Yi gave a slight smile, ”My father has a good heart.”

Zhang Jinghong couldn’t bring himself to utter hollow compliments; how shameless it would be to say Mr. Zhou has a good heart.

In the afternoon, when Mingyun and the others returned, Lady Li had not yet given birth. Zhulan, feeling a bit tired from sitting, made sure that Lady Li and the baby were alright before she returned to the main courtyard to wait for news.

Zhou Shuren came home, ”During the break, I must invite Wong Ju over to our residence. It’s been a while since he and I have gotten together after the two departments.”

Zhulan rolled her eyes internally, ”I think you just want to show off.”

Zhou Shuren, ”No, I want to tell Wong Ju that Lady Li can give birth, and our daughter resembles her mother. This will boost Yu Lu’s confidence.”

Zhulan didn’t believe Zhou Shuren’s words; he just wanted to irritate Wong Ju. Wong Ju was very relaxed these days, and Zhou Shuren was envious.

During dinner, the main house ate separately. Zhulan noticed that Rongchuan’s mood had improved a lot, and she let go of some of her worries. Some things one must figure out on their own.

After dinner was over, Lady Li also had a bowl of noodles, and it seemed that the birth would still require some waiting.

Another hour passed before Lady Li finally gave birth.