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

Chapter 1480: Chapter 1480: An Unfavorable Start

In the blink of an eye, seven days passed, and the letter from Zhangzhou Province arrived in the capital. Upon receiving the letter, Lady Hu came to the Marquis Zhou Residence. Zhulan heard the news and invited Lady Hu to the main courtyard. Yushuang and her husband had gone to Zhangzhou Province, leaving Lady Hu mostly confined to her home, spending the majority of her time at her manor. Her visit today was highly unusual.

Suppressing the anxiety in her heart, Lady Hu smiled faintly, ”Old Madam, I’ve come to inform you that I’m planning to live in Zhangzhou Province for a while. I wanted to ask if there’s anything you’d like me to take there. I can conveniently bring it along.”

Zhulan, who had gained wisdom with age, was not easily fooled by Lady Hu’s unusual behavior.

Qing Xue stepped forward and said, ”We received the eldest daughter’s letter today.”

Zhulan asked, ”Has something happened in Zhangzhou Province?”

Lady Hu met Zhulan’s gaze and sighed, ”I originally didn’t want to worry you, but I suspect that Yushuang’s letter only reported the good news.”

Zhulan said, ”I know you mean well. But as elders, how can we not worry about the younger generation? Speak plainly—what happened to Yushuang and her husband?”

Lady Hu, realizing there was no point in hiding any longer, confessed, ”Yushuang is pregnant again but has been badly frightened. This pregnancy is unstable, so I intend to go there personally to look after her.”

As a mother-in-law, Lady Hu had managed her duties with little personal involvement up until now. With her son and daughter-in-law often leaving tasks for the family to handle, Lady Hu now felt compelled to step in. Her daughter-in-law’s pregnancy and subsequent fright had made things challenging. Though her son didn’t directly ask her to go, his implied request was clear. After all, she was experienced in taking care of others.

Zhulan felt her heart tighten. ”How did she get frightened?”

Lady Hu recounted the events. ”Yushuang wasn’t used to it and is still young, which led to her experiencing nightmares over several days. Liufeng tried to care for her, but I still feel uneasy.”

Zhulan closed her eyes briefly. Even though Yushuang only witnessed it momentarily, hearing about it was enough to unsettle her deeply. ”I’m sorry for the trouble this brings you.”

Lady Hu replied, ”Old Madam, looking after my own daughter-in-law is hardly a trouble; it’s my duty.”

Madam Zhao entered, her face glowing with happiness. ”This child, Yushuang, is pregnant again. This can be considered the first piece of good news for the new year.”

Zhulan lifted her gaze slightly. Yushuang had only reported the good news. For her part, Lady Hu understands Yushuang well; the strong relationship between mother and daughter-in-law made Zhulan glad. She said, ”My in-law is planning to go to Zhangzhou Province. If there’s anything you’d like her to take, let her know.”

Madam Zhao, grinning broadly due to her daughter’s pregnancy, didn’t notice Lady Hu’s unusual demeanor. ”All right, I’ll get everything sorted and send it over.”

Lady Hu understood Zhulan’s intention to keep the details to themselves and smiled. ”Very well, I’ll head back now to prepare.”

Zhulan remarked, ”There aren’t many young servants in your residence. Be sure to hire more escort guards for protection. The roads in the outskirts aren’t safe these days.”

In desperate hunger, people can become more dangerous than beasts.

Having experienced the chaos of war herself, Lady Hu nodded. ”Thank you, Old Madam, for the reminder. I’ll hire more escort guards for protection.”

Madam Zhao chimed in, ”I’ll send a few men to accompany you.”

The young servants in her household were all trained in martial arts. Escorting her in-law not only reassured Madam Zhao but also ensured no harm befell Lady Hu during the journey due to her daughter’s pregnancy. That would be unacceptable.

Lady Hu did not decline. ”Thank you.”

Over in Huaizhou, Chang Xhong leaned against the railing of the pavilion and gazed off into the distance. Lou Jiaqing searched several places before finding him. ”Young Master, why are you hiding here?”

Chang Xhong hung his head. ”I was just feeling a bit homesick. In a few days, it’ll mark one year since I left home.”

Lou Jiaqing replied, ”Didn’t Lord Wu mention he would send you back to the capital after spring?”

Chang Xhong sighed. ”Knowing when makes my longing even harder to suppress. Each day feels slower than the last.”

This past year in Huaizhou had been transformational for him—his height grew, the baby fat on his body disappeared, and his temperament became steadier. Wu Ming had spent the year tempering his character relentlessly.

Having heard Chang Xhong talk about the capital so much, Lou Jiaqing also began to yearn for it.

Chang Xhong grinned bitterly. ”Shen Xing has been gone for nearly half a year.”

When the war broke out last year, Shen Xing received a letter and promptly returned to the capital, leaving Chang Xhong behind. Without Shen Xing by his side, Chang Xhong’s excursions became even more difficult.

Lou Jiaqing pursed his lips. Shen Xing was his martial arts teacher, and he trained diligently under him. He wondered whether, if he went to the capital, Shen Xing would be pleased with his progress.

Chang Xhong listened to the sound of the zither drifting from the garden and curled his lips in contempt. As a distinguished guest at Wu Residence, things had changed dramatically for him. Ever since his father became Marquis Zhou, making him Mr. Hou, people at Wu Residence began inquiring about him incessantly. It was tiresome!

Back in the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren observed the Second Prince thoughtfully. He found it odd that the Second Prince’s newfound lighter workload gave him time to visit the Ministry.

The Second Prince spoke humbly, ”Minister Zhou, I heard from my elder brother, the Crown Prince, that you were overseeing the orphanage construction project. It deeply resonated with me, so I came unannounced today.”

Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow. ”Your Highness, the person currently responsible for the orphanage construction is Prince Chu. I’ve already handed everything over to him. If you have any questions, you should visit Prince Chu in the East City.”

The Second Prince was visibly taken aback. ”!!”

When did this happen?

Zhou Shuren smiled. ”This morning, by the Emperor’s decree.”

The Emperor had officially assigned the task to Prince Chu after considering the matter for some time. With Zhou Shuren’s complete plan already laid out, Prince Chu didn’t have to exert much effort and readily accepted the responsibility without objection.

The Second Prince took a deep breath, regretting the excessive workload he had endured. Now that the project was handed to Prince Chu, a grown and capable royal, the Second Prince dared not meddle further. ”I will go see my royal uncle.”

Zhou Shuren summoned a subordinate. ”Let Minister Zhang escort His Highness.”

Seeing Zhang Jinghong, the Second Prince paused awkwardly before glancing at Zhou Shuren for reassurance. He regretted his rash decision to come. None of the individuals he encountered today seemed easy to deal with.

After the Second Prince departed, Zhou Shuren chuckled softly as he shook his head. This young royal had yet to mature but already wanted to test the waters—a sobering lesson for him today. Ah, what the Second Prince truly lacked were harsher experiences. Still, recognizing some reality today wasn’t a bad thing.

The Second Prince’s face remained stiff as he mounted his carriage. He glanced at Zhang Jinghong from the corner of his eye, recalling that this man had once clashed with the Emperor directly. And then, thinking of Prince Chu, a chill ran down his spine. He regretted coming out today—this had been such a poor start to his attempt to establish rapport with Marquis Zhou and learn from him.

In the East City, Prince Chu flipped through the orphanage construction plans while conversing with his elder brother, Prince Qi. ”We should’ve cultivated Zhou Shuren long ago.”

Prince Qi cast a sidelong glance at him, while Prince Chu closed the plans and remarked, ”This man claims to care about the world yet fiercely protects his own interests. Truly, a complex individual.”

Prince Qi replied, ”On the contrary, he’s straightforward. All his efforts lead to one ultimate goal: living comfortably and freely.”

Prince Chu chuckled lightly. ”Elder brother, you’re absolutely right.”

As Prince Qi looked at the orphanage capable of housing a thousand children, where boys and girls were segregated, he laughed. ”Recruiting accomplished scholars to teach—he certainly has novel ideas.”

Prince Chu added, ”Marquis Zhou wields his reputation well. The children of heroes who defended the nation inherit the glory and merits of their fathers. Educating them enhances his reputation while earning the attention of the Emperor. Even without compensation, scholars would vie for the opportunity—a clever scheme.”

Prince Qi’s gaze flitted over the plans again. ”Every aspect benefits the royal family. His ingenuity is impressive.”

He suspected the Emperor too felt an intangible sense of unease but couldn’t pinpoint its source.

Zhou Shuren remained untroubled by any such feelings harbored by the Emperor and others. They didn’t know he had knowledge from the future, nor could they fathom that he was sowing seeds for long-term purposes. To them, his plan merely seemed extraordinarily meticulous.