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

Chapter 1093: Chapter 1093 Sacrifice

Chang Zhi hurriedly arrived at the Clan Leader’s house with his men, ”Clan Leader, what’s the situation on the mountain?”

Clan Leader Zhou pointed to two disheveled clansmen, ”Their homes are very close to the mountain. They heard noises but didn’t dare to check fearing more collapses and watched from afar. It seemed very close to your family’s ancestral tomb.”

Among the two clansmen, both belonging to the Ming generation, the eldest said, ”The collapse is severe. We have followed several times to offer sacrifices, and the direction was toward Uncle Changzhi’s family’s ancestral tomb, so we hurried to report.”

Chang Zhi was extremely anxious; the ancestral tomb was very important. He wouldn’t easily disturb the ancestral tomb, even if he wasn’t superstitious, he believed his family’s ancestral tomb had good Feng Shui.

Clan Leader Zhou was even more anxious than Chang Zhi, fearing the disruption of the ancestral tomb’s Feng Shui would bring misfortune to Zhou Shuren in the capital, ”Chang Zhi, do you want to send someone to rush back to the capital to check?”

Chang Zhi was stunned for a moment, then realized what to do, ”I’ll arrange it right away.”

Although Clan Leader Zhou was anxious about Zhou Shuren’s family’s ancestral tomb, he wouldn’t joke about the clansmen’s lives. ”If there isn’t any further collapse, let’s go up the mountain tomorrow to check. What do you think?”

Chang Zhi pursed his lips, preferring to check now, ”I’ll go and check the location from a distance.”

After a moment of silence, Clan Leader Zhou said, ”You must be careful, and by no means should you go up the mountain.”

Chang Zhi noted, ”Clan Leader, rest assured, I will be careful.”

In the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren’s eyelids twitched incessantly. Since arriving in ancient times, even in danger, he had never experienced such twitching. Rubbing his eyelids didn’t help.

Zhang Jinghong looked up, thinking his superior was feeling unwell, ”Sir, are you suffering from heatstroke?”

Zhou Shuren shook his head, ”My eyelids have been twitching continuously.”

Zhang Jinghong asked with concern, ”Sir, have you not been resting well?”

Having been busy these days, Zhou Shuren’s sleep was still quite good, ”No, I’m fine, carry on with your work.”

Seeing Zhou Shuren genuinely seemed fine, Zhang Jinghong continued his duties, but his mind wasn’t on the accounts. He just learned about the many events in the capital and was deeply grateful to Zhou Shuren. Without Zhou Shuren, his wife and children wouldn’t have waited for his return.

He had long wanted to visit to express his gratitude, but the Ministry had been too busy, never giving the chance.

Zhang Jinghong felt the room was stuffy, cursed the weather, and greatly wished for rain.

In the Palace, the Emperor dismissed Prince Qi and others, holding a Jade Pendant and comparing it with one he carved himself, despising his own carving skills.

The Crown Prince thought of the ritual tomb, ”Father, the ritual tomb is for male attire.”

The Emperor raised his head, ”What are you trying to say?”

The Crown Prince, having personally visited the ritual tomb, asked, ”Father, do you have Clan Rong’s genealogy?”

The Emperor replied, ”No.”

The Crown Prince stated, ”Father, there was a husband and wife in the coffin. They could escape with the wife. I feel it wasn’t during the massacre that they fled.”

The Emperor narrowed his eyes, ”You mean, the discovery signifies that Clan Rong had long planned the escape?”

The Crown Prince nodded, ”Yes, a husband and wife symbolize continuity and inheritance. The Rong Clan knew of their imminent danger, so such an arrangement is normal. However, not all could escape; it would be too conspicuous, so people were arranged to run ahead of time.”

Rarely did the Emperor meet his grandfather, especially later when his grandfather refused to see even him or his mother, he knew his grandfather’s intentions were to protect him and his mother, but sadly, his mother couldn’t escape her fate.

His grandfather managed the vast Clan Rong, and his mother’s safe arrangements were certainly helped by his grandfather, evidenced by the Silver Coins he received. His grandfather wouldn’t have only one escape route.

The Crown Prince continued, ”Today when we opened the coffin, I suddenly felt that the direct lines slaughtered by the clans were probably bait; they were the ones actually abandoned.”

Furthermore, willingly forsaken. No one would believe that Clan Rong didn’t have an escape plan; only by letting everyone believe they were truly dead could they convince the other clans of the demise of Clan Rong.

The Emperor clutched the Jade Pendant tight, ”The ones who really fled wouldn’t be many.”

The Crown Prince thought the same, admiring his maternal grandfather for his decisiveness and ruthlessness.

At the Hou Residence, Yao Wenqi did not know the situation within the Palace. After several purges, people he placed were almost completely removed. The few remaining could hardly reach the Emperor; the goings-on within the Palace were unknown. The coffins transported into the capital were damnable.

Yao Wenqi cursed Clan Rong; he too had brothers. Indeed, the Clan Rong was burned that year, but the secret passages survived, revealing many of Clan Rong’s treasures, though filled with poison that killed many then. Not just members of Clan Rong died in the ancestral estate.

He hated it even more that after Clan Rong’s extermination, poison incidents occurred continuously among the capital clans. Clan Rong members embedded within other clans crazily sought revenge; his brother was poisoned with a slow-acting toxin, incurable, yet destined to a slow painful death.

Yao Wenqi feared some of Clan Rong survived. As the true events of that time were covered up, only those involved knew the truth. Yao Wenqi hoped none survived.

In Zhou village, Chang Zhi led his people not towards the mountain but stayed some distance from the mountain base. They had always been small in numbers, so the ancestral tomb didn’t cover a large area. Familiar with the location of the ancestral tomb, Chang Zhi looked up and felt relieved; although close, it hadn’t collapsed.

Steward Ding also breathed a sigh of relief, ”Fourth Master, let’s go back, it’s dangerous here.”

Chang Zhi looked up at the gloomy sky, hearing the distant river, ”Let’s go.”

Steward Ding truly feared the Fourth Master’s stubbornness might lead him up the mountain. Trying to divert the topic, he spoke, ”The newly built mansion is completed. If not for this heavy rain, the custom furniture would have arrived. Fourth Master, after everything is organized, shall we move into the new mansion?”

Chang Zhi would make time to see the new mansion which was too vast. He shook his head, ”No need; it’s too spacious. I’m quite content now.”

Steward Ding was supposed to return to the capital upon completion of the mansion, but due to the abnormal weather, the old master asked him to return to the capital with the Fourth Master. Walking on the rural land, looking at the waterlogged fields and villagers managing water in them, Steward Ding sighed, ”Hopefully, tomorrow will be sunny.”

Chang Zhi told Steward Ding, ”After we return, have someone help the clansmen manage the water in the fields.”

Steward Ding replied, ”Yes.”

At the Zhou family home, Zhulan saw her pregnant daughter, ”Your belly is so big now. Didn’t we agree last time you would stay at the Duke Residence to be taken care of? How come you are here again today?”

Since the Duchess had issues, Xue Han and Rongchuan mostly stayed at the Duke Residence.

Xue Han crinkled her nose, ”Mother, you are wronging me this time. Grandmother allowed me to come back to stay home for a while.”

Zhulan didn’t believe the old lady would send Xue Han over without reason, ”Is there something going on in the Duke Residence?”

Xue Han signaled the maids to leave and whispered, ”Yes, Sister-in-law has been back at the residence for some days. Grandmother intends to have big brother and second brother separate their households. I shouldn’t stay, and being the only one at the Hou Residence without elder supervision, I was sent back to my maternal home.”

Zhulan was genuinely surprised, ”With both the Duke and Duchess present, why suddenly decide to separate Ning Zhiqi and Ning Zhixiang?”