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

Chapter 1145: Chapter 1145: A Bad Premonition

For a moment, the Ministry of Revenue’s front gate fell silent, everyone’s eyes fixed on Zhou Shuren. Zhou Shuren took another step back, and after ensuring a safe distance, he left without a word, flinging his sleeves as he went.

Shi Qing breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, Mr. Zhou did not press the matter further.

Gu Ren also hurriedly tucked away his purse, sweating all over. He thought today would have been disastrous!

Shi Qing spoke in a low voice, feeling he had some understanding of Mr. Zhou, ”In the future, do not act rashly like this. It was fortunate Mr. Zhou did not dwell on it.”

Gu Ren, still anxious, asked, ”Can I still register today?”

His heart was still in turmoil, drumming with bad premonitions.

”Inconsequential,” whispered Shi Qing. ”Mr. Zhou is very busy; he will not nitpick over trifles.”

Gu Ren’s anxiety dissipated. Right, Zhou Shuren was busy. Bowed his head to conceal the emotions in his eyes, and in a low voice said, ”I’ve heard the Ministry of Works is researching an item for road construction?”

Shi Qing was unaware and tensed up. ”I haven’t heard about it. How do you know?”

There were still people who hadn’t been cleared out!

Gu Ren immediately regretted his words and wished he could slap his own mouth. So it was still a secret. ”Perhaps I misheard. You know we merchants hear a lot.”

Shi Qing gazed intently at Gu Ren, smiling, ”It’s best to be more cautious with some things.”

On hearing this, Gu Ren knew it was for his own good, and the last of his bad premonitions vanished.

Zhou Shuren returned to his office, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He was busy, pressing the center of his forehead, looking at the Emperor’s decree to the Ministry of Works. With pursed lips, he thought that road construction was a good thing, but costly. Not to mention the ancient times, even today, many places still lack proper roads!

Zhou Shuren felt a heart-wrenching bitterness as he looked at the decree. This was also his fault. The previous year, Jiangnan experienced torrential rains, and the newly built dikes had failed, creating a vicious cycle of annual investments in repairs. Thus, in conversation with Mr. Fang, he mentioned that it would be great if something water-resistant existed so that annual funds didn’t have to be allocated for dike reconstruction.

He spoke too much and then forgot about it, continuing with his busy work.

Mr. Fang, however, took it to heart and even found some traces in ancient books. To his surprise, something had been developed shortly after the new year, cement. Although the precise proportions were still not well controlled, he thought it looked promising.

Zhou Shuren sighed. The national treasury was still thin.

Inside the Palace, the Emperor had already received the registration information from Gu Ren by nightfall. Shi Qing had also handed over all his findings to the Emperor.

The Emperor’s eyes were filled with coldness, ”No wonder they couldn’t be found. There are so many merchants in the country, and they’re mostly itinerant. Keep searching, I want to know their lair.”

Shi Qing accepted the command, ”Yes.”

The Emperor looked at Shi Qing, his gaze complicated. He had carefully examined the portrait of Shi Qing’s child and perhaps guessed something in his heart, so he felt there was a resemblance to his uncle. ”You may stand.”

Shi Qing stood, ”Thank you, Your Majesty.”

The Emperor casually inquired, ”Has your health recovered well?”

Shi Qing looked up, surprised not that the Emperor knew he had been poisoned, but that he seemed to hear concern? He quickly regained composure; surely the Emperor had just asked casually, ”After long recuperation, it might still be difficult to have offspring, but I don’t mind.”

He reflected that he was but a tool, and already had a son. He had accepted it. As long as his son was well, that was enough.

The Emperor, ”...”

He did care. As they say, such is fate.

The next day, in the afternoon, Su Xuan returned home from outside and brought back some flowers for her mother-in-law, ”I thought they looked nice, so I brought them to add some brightness here.”

Zhulan instructed the maids, ”Place them in a suitable spot.”

Su Xuan saw her mother-in-law making paper flowers, ”Mother’s skills are getting better and better, from a distance, they almost look real.”

Zhulan smiled with her eyes, ”These are my only hobbies.”

Recently, she had taken a fancy to folding flowers, making paper flowers, and cloth flowers.

Su Xuan showed no intention of leaving. Her husband had entered the Hanlin Academy as a compiler, and she still held the title of Magistrate by imperial decree. Her husband’s academic career had been smooth sailing, and his future looked promising. Her days were also going well and she, naturally cheerful, had a content look on her face, ”Today I saw Shen Yile in the jewelry shop, she had several layers of powder on her face.”

It was clear her days were not happy. The dark circles under her eyes made her look much older, unlike Su Xuan, who seemed younger and younger, with rosy cheeks.

Zhulan lifted her head, ”It must be because Princely Heir Yao is having a tough time in the Ministry of War.”

Zhou Shuren had a good relationship with Mr. Li. They would chat occasionally, and he would hear a thing or two. But they seldom paid excessive attention to the Hou Residence anymore.

Su Xuan was actually unaware of this but then thought, ”That must be it.”

Zhulan smiled, ”You come back and hide here instead of going to see Ming Jia and Yu Wen?”

Su Xuan thought of her son and felt a headache coming on, ”Neither Chang Zhi nor I are nags, so why can’t this child stop talking? From the moment he opens his eyes in the morning until he goes to sleep at night, his mouth never rests.”

Moreover, at his current age, he was especially curious, constantly asking ’why’ about everything, often being persistent and difficult to handle.

Su Xuan looked at Ming Jung, who was sound asleep on the small kang, envious, ”The children from the main house are so well-behaved.”

Zhulan laughed, ”It’s all good, all good. It’s great that the child has his own personality. Our family isn’t bound by strict rules.”

Su Xuan reached out and gently touched the chubby little feet of Ming Jung, her eyes full of smiles, ”This child is so much like my elder sister. I wonder where she has gone?”

Since the break was short and she had left abruptly after simple preparations, Zhulan said, ”I don’t know either.”

In the tavern, Yao Zheyu sat at a table facing the street, drinking his wine, deeply disillusioned. The confident spirit of his early years was gone, and his furrowed brows had not relaxed for a long time. His recent plea had been denied, and he thought about his bleak future.

Yao Zheyu poured his wine. Everyone in the Ministry of War was busy, except for him who was again being pushed to the margins. Watching the bustling crowds on the street and the patrolling capital guards, he downed another cup of wine in one gulp, then his gaze suddenly sharpened. Narrowing his eyes, he called over a young servant, ”Follow that carriage, and be cautious.”

The young servant returned quickly, ”I lost it.”

Yao Zheyu looked deeply at the young servant beside him and dismissed him with a wave of the hand, ”Go.”

Yao Zheyu let out a sneer after finishing his wine. So that’s how it was. He wondered why no one had been caught. Not even the servants of many years could be trusted.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Chang Yi stood at the entrance, here to collect the second installment of silver. He cursed the officials of the Ministry of Rites in his mind, but still went inside. He needed the silver.

Zhou Shuren saw his son and pointed to the approved memorials, ”Take them and go collect the silver.”

Chang Yi looked at the stack of memorials on his father’s desk, his heart trembling. It was the same large number as last time, ”Father, you should balance work with rest.”

Zhou Shuren waved his hand, ”Hmm, I am busy here, you should go too.”

An hour later, Zhou Shuren saw a eunuch from the Palace leading Ning Zhiqi in, ”What brings you here?”