Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 1156: Calculating Everything

Zhulan returned home and signalled her daughters-in-law to go rest, especially Mrs. Zhao who was still pregnant!

Zhulan touched her headdress; she planned to wear it herself for a while before storing it away in the treasury. As for the other gemstones, she instructed her staff to catalog them; these treasures were family heirlooms.

Inside the Palace, the Emperor summoned Shi Qing. After Shi Qing paid his respects, the Emperor told him to rise and then asked with concern, "Is your health any better?"

Shi Qing heard the concern in the voice and dared not relax, "Your servant is much better, I thank Your Majesty for your concern."

The Emperor gestured for Shi Qing to take a seat and then said, "I never expected that you and I would be related by blood. I was unaware before, but I don’t deny what I have done."

Shi Qing’s heart tightened, and he quickly knelt down, "Your servant is grateful. If it were not for Your Majesty’s recognition, I would still be but a merchant. I am thankful to Your Majesty for giving me this opportunity."

The Emperor signaled Eunuch Liu to help Shi Qing up, smiling, "Opportunities are also seized by oneself. Do not be nervous, no matter what, you are my descendant. The business you offered up back then has now integrated with the royal family’s assets, inseparable; hence, I have thought of other compensation."

The Emperor knew very well just how much gold and silver he had received from the Rong family; he genuinely wanted to compensate the Rong family.

The Emperor paused and then continued, "The Crown Prince has the imperial merchant Xu family under him, and he has used the Xu family to control two oversea trade fleets. I have decided to give you one of them; here is the trade fleet’s annual revenue ledger. Take a look."

Shi Qing’s mouth dropped open. He was part of the Ministry of Commerce, and having once been a merchant himself, he was well aware of the earnings from an overseas trade fleet. "For me?"

The Crown Prince felt his heart bleed, knowing the familiar feeling of loss would surely be his own. He could only comfort himself with the thought of his father’s private treasury, which the Emperor had said would be his, aside from what needed to be allocated.

The Emperor nodded, smiling, "Yes, for you. Take a look."

Shi Qing dared not accept it; this belonged to the Crown Prince. How many more years could the Emperor live? What if the Crown Prince sought revenge after ascending the throne? With trembling hands, he stammered, "Your servant, your servant cannot accept it. I offered it up sincerely and never thought to take it back."

The Emperor’s face grew stern, "Are you defying my orders?"

Shi Qing cowered; the Emperor’s attitude towards him was ambiguous, and he dared not defy the order, "Your servant, your servant will obey the decree."

The Emperor laughed, "In the future, you will move back to the Rong Residence. The maintenance expenses are not small; you must save more for your children, not just rest on your laurels. Right, you have yet to see the ancestral home; I’ll take you there."

The Crown Prince thought to himself that when it came to schemes, his father was unbeatable.

At the Zhou family home, Mrs. Tao arrived and Zhulan was surprised, "Why have you come at this hour?"

"I knew you were going to the Palace today to express gratitude, so I came at this time. Quick, let me see the newly-minted countess."

Zhulan ignored Mrs. Tao’s teasing, "You came for more than just to congratulate me, didn’t you?"

Mrs. Tao smiled, "My lord came home last night frantic, and since he couldn’t come, he sent me to congratulate you first."

Zhulan thought of Mr. Wang and couldn’t help but laugh, "Our lord gets along well with Mr. Wang."

Mrs. Tao winked, "We get along well too, don’t we?"

Not to mention the ecstatic Mr. Hou for backing the right horse, she and her husband felt the same. Just thinking about the possibility of Lord Zhou’s eldest son inheriting a title and no longer being a commoner could make her wake up laughing from a dream.

Zhulan smiled again, "You’ve come at just the right time, I won’t bother sending you an invitation specifically, you can take yours back with you."

The invitations that had been rushed out overnight were already laid out on the table, which Mrs. Tao noticed only then.

Mrs. Tao, looking at the thick stack of invitations, "Goodness gracious, there are so many?"

Zhulan nodded, "These are just the ones we’ve selected, our two families are close, so I won’t stand on ceremony with you. Our steward has been extremely busy these past few days."

Mrs. Tao took her own family’s invitations, "Then I’ll take them back with me. If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know."

Zhulan smiled with her eyes, "If I need anything, I definitely won’t be bashful."

Mrs. Tao added, "You’re going to be busy in the days to come."

"I know."

Mrs. Tao saw that Zhulan didn’t grasp her meaning, "I mean you have quite a few kids in your family, you’re going to be busy with that."

Zhulan, "...."

Right, the matter of the children’s marriages, her own children had indeed become the focus!

In the main courtyard of the Rong Residence, Shi Qing had been looking around since he entered, and by the time he reached the main courtyard and approached the mechanized gate, he was taken aback, "What is this, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor said, "Follow me."

The Emperor had already stepped down the stairs, and it wasn’t until Shi Qing saw the royal treasury that he froze completely. He closed his eyes and then opened them again, followed by another closure, his mind racing. The treasury being in the Rong family’s estate signified it belonged to the Rong family.

Yet the Emperor knew of the treasury and even led him here, which clearly wasn’t just to inform him. Shi Qing’s forehead began to sweat; the gold in the treasury was tempting to him, as it would be to anyone who saw so much gold. But without the life to guard it, his heart thrummed loudly, as if ready to leap out of his throat.

The Emperor silently observed Shi Qing, showing no urge to rush him.

The Crown Prince’s gaze, on the other hand, was more brazen, watching Shi Qing with much amusement.

Shi Qing opened his eyes and knelt down, "This servant’s return to the clan, the honor restored to the Rong family, it is all due to Your Majesty’s grace. I believe even the spirits of our ancestors hope that this gold can be used where it is needed, rather than buried underground. I am willing to offer all the gold for the construction of the nation, to accumulate merit for the Rong family, and hope that the unsettled spirits of our clan may find peace and be reborn."

The Emperor was very pleased with Shi Qing’s words. He had already decided on the use of the gold: part for road construction, part for port development and defense, and the last portion for the Ministry of Works’ research.

The Emperor helped Shi Qing to his feet, telling him that the gold would be used to build roads, "Constructing roads is a legacy for thousands of generations, benefiting our descendants. I will proclaim the Rong family’s contributions to the world. Their merit belongs to the Rong family. Your righteousness brings me great relief, Crown Prince."

The Crown Prince took out the royal decree from his bosom. Shi Qing knew he had made the right choice. He hadn’t expected the Emperor would use the gold for roads, nor to declare it to the world, allowing the Rong family to find rest at last. The Rong family’s name would be recorded in history.

Once the royal decree was read, Shi Qing received it with a mix of emotions. How could it be simple? The Emperor had granted him only the title of Marquis and had not followed up. Then he compensated him with a merchant fleet, and for the gold, he had given him, he received the decree for hereditary absence of replacement; so long as the nation stood, his descendants would be Marquises.

Shi Qing clutched the royal decree, bitterly smiling in his heart. Everything had been calculated by the Emperor. The grant of Marquis was a calculated move; a hereditary Marquis without replacement was at least acceptable, a Duke would be out of the question.

Shi Qing bowed deeply, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace, long live, long live, eternal longevity to Your Majesty."

The Emperor felt a surge of pride within himself; he had done much, and though he had erred, he dared say he had never let down his people. Supporting Shi Qing to his feet, he said, "Consult with your fourth uncle to decide on the date. Your surname should revert to that of the Rong family. And a day must be chosen to pay tribute to the ancestors at the family gravesite."