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

Chapter 1161: Chapter 1161: Becoming a Monk

Zhang Yang’s face stiffened for a moment, but because it was so chubby, it was imperceptible. He moved towards the Crown Prince’s table, as if he hadn’t heard the gossip, first greeting the Crown Prince and several older brothers and then addressing Zhou Shuren, ”Uncle.”

Zhou Shuren, ”....”

His face had stiffened now too.

The Crown Prince put down the wine cup he was holding and couldn’t be bothered with Zhang Yang, not giving him another glance.

Prince Qi felt extremely annoyed inside, simply drinking from his wine cup without hiding his disdain; he genuinely disliked Zhang Yang.

Prince Chu observed the attitudes of the two older brothers. The second brother had secrets, surely something he was unaware of. The Crown Prince had never been close to Zhang Yang and didn’t bother with his antics; now, with Zhang Yang acting like this and being ignored, something seemed amiss.

Prince Liang squinted his eyes; he didn’t want to be near Zhang Yang, already troubled with enough problems, and said coldly, ”You cause trouble every day, bringing all sorts of good and bad into the residence. Stay away from me; I don’t want to catch any filthy diseases from you.”

Zhou Shuren, ”....”

Had Prince Liang been driven mad? His tongue was getting sharper and more venomous.

Prince Qi spit out the wine he was drinking, recalling that Zhang Yang indeed had brought back dancers before, causing quite a stir in the capital. Seeing the fourth brother exuding resistance and wiping the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, had he not been a prince, that increasingly venomous tongue would have surely earned him quite a beating.

Zhang Yang trembled with anger now, ”Fourth brother, you’re going too far.”

Prince Liang casually sipped his wine, ”Am I wronging you? The fifth prince buying a dancer’s freedom with his weight in gold; you’ve utterly embarrassed the royal family.”

Zhang Yang, ”You, you’re too bullying. How I live is my business.”

Prince Liang disdainfully replied, ”Disliking you is my business.”

Zhou Shuren looked at the others beside him who, pretending not to see the brewing argument ahead, all bowed their heads. Li Zhao picked up a wine cup and studied its pattern, as if he didn’t know all the wine cups at his home were plain without a single pattern!

Old Master Wang counted the shrimp in front of him, obviously a simple count at a glance, but he counted them one by one slowly.

Let’s better not mention the others. Zhou Shuren thought for a while. Well, today’s squirrel-shaped mandarin fish did taste quite good.

Zhang Jinghong sat at a distance, holding his wine cup. Zhang Yang, ah, he always felt something was off, but well, let them argue. The rest who wanted to eat, ate, and those who drank, drank less now.

The banquet heated up in the latter half, with Zhang Yang being so irritated by Prince Liang that he left without eating a bite, or to be exact, Prince Liang didn’t even let Zhang Yang take a seat.

Zhou Shuren saw off the guests, stretching his shoulders, exhausted. ”I thought it would come to blows today!”

Zhulan, ”Don’t say that. I also thought it would come to blows, with the way they were arguing!”

Zhou Shuren laughed, ”Prince Liang really is distressed. All the dirty and tiring tasks fall to Prince Liang; he even narrowly escaped an assassination recently.”

”....” He has offended too many noble families. With these actions, even if Prince Liang has ambitions for the throne, no one would support him. The Crown Prince’s strategy is more than one step ahead.”

Zhou Shuren chuckled, ”Yes, he has offended too many people. But something about Prince Liang lashing out at Zhang Yang today struck me as off.”

He wondered if he was overthinking it.

Back in the Marquis Rong’s Residence, once the Shi family but now Rong Enqing’s home, the entire family returned. Yao Yao was worn out in body and mind; no one had given her trouble today, but neither did they communicate much with her. She knew what these women were thinking, hence the fatigue.

Rong Enqing changed his clothes and saw his wife, exhausted, sitting on the edge of the bed, ”I have requested the decree, you are Mrs. Hou.”

Yao Yao knew she was not on the family registry. Was it sad? Sad, indeed. Future generations looking at the family registry wouldn’t even know who their mother was. She had become a nameless person, ”You don’t need to worry about me. I’m very strong, quite fine. Mrs. Hou or not, I don’t care.”

Rong Enqing, ”You are my wife, and that makes you Mrs. Hou. The Emperor won’t interfere. The Emperor didn’t issue a decree; he was just waiting for me to request it.”

Because of his marriage to Yao Yao, the Emperor felt responsible for the outcome and thus left all initiative to him. Lately, things had been too hectic, but he thought the edict would be issued soon.

Did Yao Yao really not care? She cared. If she wasn’t even Mrs. Hou, then was she still the legitimate wife? Still the mistress of the house?

Yao Yao merely didn’t wish to trouble her husband. With eyes reddening, she took her husband’s hand, and as if making a determined resolution, said, ”I want to investigate the cause of my mother’s death, and also...”

Rong Enqing held his wife’s hand in return, ”And what else?”

Yao Yao bit her lip, ”And... I drugged my brother. That my brother has always been in poor health is my doing. I’m not heartless. I just wanted to save him. Can I save him?”

Rong Enqing was stunned, fell silent for a moment, and thinking of his wife’s motives, his voice was a bit hoarse, ”You should know, once the investigation begins, I can protect you, but I can’t protect...”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Tears fell from Yao Yao’s eyes, ”Is there really no way?”

”It’s not just old grudges that make the Yao family intolerable.”

The rebellious heart of the Yao family was the root of all sins.

In the blink of an eye, seven days had passed. A main road had been rebuilt. The capital no longer cared about the Rong family, which was too distant from the common people. Their attention was now on the new road.

Meanwhile, a major event had occurred in the Yao Residence. Upon hearing Su Xuan’s words, Zhulan asked in return, ”Are you sure about the news?”

Su Xuan nodded, ”Mother, how could there be any falsehood about becoming a monk? Yao Yao’s legitimate younger brother really did become a monk, and it wasn’t a deception.”

Zhulan was surprised, ”That child, I remember he was frail.”

Su Xuan wasn’t sure, ”I don’t know about that. All I know is that they say Yao Yao fainted from crying. Anyway, things at the Yao Residence are quite lively. It’s surprising that a perfectly fine legitimate son would become a monk.”

Zhulan wondered if Yao Yao had considered this as a way out for her brother, but could one really escape by becoming a monk?

Yao Yao stood outside the Buddhist temple, not understanding. She had only gone back to discuss the future with her brother. He, in order not to worry her and so that she could have no further concerns, had gone behind her back and become a monk. Now, he even refused to see her.

In her mind, Yao Yao flashed back to her brother’s bright eyes that seemed to see through everything. Her intuition told her that her brother knew about the drugging.

The shock was a bit too much for Yao Yao, and she felt the world spinning. She heard the maid shouting for the wife, but she couldn’t hear anymore.

That afternoon, Zhulan received news from Marquis Rong’s Residence, extremely surprised, ”Yao Yao is actually pregnant.”

Mrs. Zhao said, ”This child comes at a good time; having an heir has been difficult for Marquis Rong.”

Zhulan nodded; the family was now aware of the difficulties Rong Enqing faced in having an heir and had no intention of spreading the word. It was enough that the family knew.

Su Xuan, ”Actually, the fact that Marquis requested the decree already showed his attitude.”

Now Yao Yao was legitimately the wife of Marquis Rong’s Residence, although not on the family registry, but no one looked down on her anymore. The only separation remained with the Yao Residence. With Yao Yao’s legitimate younger brother having left the Yao Residence, he had given her considerable support.