Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 1189: Poisonous

The Emperor pulled out a map with marks on numerous places across various provinces, some already crossed out, yet many still remaining. He handed the map to Prince Qi, "Take this and find Rongchuan in Xuzhou."

Prince Qi, looking at the blood-red marks on the map, inexplicably sensed a smell of blood. Rolling up the map, he asked, "Shall your son leave now?"

The Emperor nodded, "Yes, he will take your place back at the manor. Change into a different outfit and wear a mask as you leave. Someone is already waiting for you outside the city."

Prince Qi’s expression turned serious, "Understood."

In Xuzhou, Chang Lian was taking a day off, spending time with his wife selecting fabrics for their unborn child. As they exited the fabric store, they saw the government officers patrolling Xuzhou City.

Lady Dong expressed her puzzlement, "In recent days, it seems there have been many more patrols."

Chang Lian noticed as well, "Indeed, do you need to buy anything else?"

Lady Dong shook her head, "I have purchased everything we need; let’s head back. It feels unsettling watching the patrolling officers."

"Alright, let’s return to the manor."

The couple boarded their carriage, and another squad of officers passed by. Lady Dong glanced at them, then watched closely until they were out of sight, at which point she withdrew her gaze.

Chang Lian, seeing his wife still holding onto the carriage curtain, asked, "What’s wrong?"

Lady Dong looked down, "I just saw someone who looked remarkably like Rongchuan."

"You must be mistaken; Rongchuan is in the capital!"

Lady Dong smiled, "Perhaps I didn’t rest well yesterday, and my eyes are playing tricks on me."

At night, after dinner at Zhou Shuren’s estate, Rong Enqing arrived; Zhou Shuren headed to the front courtyard, sounding impatient, "Why are you here again?"

Rong Enqing, ".... This time I’ve come with sincerity."

Zhou Shuren, "Hmm?"

Rong Enqing opened a box, "Please have another look, sir."

Zhou Shuren glanced over, flapped a silver note with his hand — used to dealing with large sums over the years, fifteen hundred thousand taels, "Is this your sincerity?"

Rong Enqing replied, "There will be more if things go well."

Zhou Shuren scoffed, "Take it back."

Rong Enqing, unhurried, "Sir, the Gu family can find others to assist them."

Zhou Shuren, "You can go back and tell him, I am waiting for him to find help."

Rong Enqing smiled, took the silver note, and left the Zhou residence, feeling quite good. He enjoyed seeing Gu Ren anxious and liked that Gu Ren was being drained of silver by Master Zhou.

Zhou Shuren walked back to the main courtyard with his hands behind his back, knowing he could not delay further, as the Emperor would not permit it, and it was his skill to make the most of the allotted effective time.

The next day, with no morning court, Zhou Shuren and his two sons were leaving their home when they saw Rong Enqing’s carriage. Rong Enqing got down from the carriage, "Today I shall take you to the Ministry of Revenue."

Zhou Shuren acknowledged with a hum and boarded the carriage. Inside was Gu Ren, Zhou Shuren’s face grew colder.

Seeing Zhou Shuren sitting motionless, Gu Ren cursed inwardly. Zhou Shuren was notoriously hard to please, which is why he had personally come, smiling ingratiatingly, "Greetings, Master Zhou."

Zhou Shuren hummed in response and then closed his eyes to rest.

Gu Ren took a deep breath and continued with a smile, "Here are three hundred thousand taels, please assist us, Master Zhou."

Zhou Shuren didn’t move an eyelid, continuing to rest with his eyes closed.

Gu Ren really wanted to get rid of Zhou Shuren right then and there, but he couldn’t, he had to endure it, "After the matter is settled, another one hundred thousand."

Gu Ren looked towards Rong Enqing, who spread his hands to indicate that he couldn’t help either. Gu Ren squinted his eyes, knowing that there was no need to fulfill the promise afterward, he spoke, "After the matter is settled, two hundred thousand taels, that’s the most I can offer."

He had a total of three hundred thousand taels available, no more than that, and although he earned quite a sum of silver each year, he spent even more. This was the largest sum he could scrape together at the moment.

Zhou Shuren was calculating in his mind and finally opened his eyes, "It’s not impossible for this official to make an exception."

Gu Ren sneered inwardly at the thought of what a ’clean’ official Zhou was; it was all about the amount of silver. He had seen many of such ’clean’ officials who eventually got bought. However, he did not show this on his face and smiled, "Please go on."

Zhou Shuren said, "This official can lend a hand, but first give me three hundred thousand taels, then one hundred thousand after the matter is settled."

Seeing Gu Ren’s face change, Zhou Shuren knew he had hit the mark. Three hundred thousand taels was all Gu Ren could muster, "This deal between us, I do not trust you. You give this official three hundred thousand now, and I will send someone to deliver the message immediately."

Gu Ren clenched his fist, three hundred thousand taels. This time, to smuggle in more cream, almost all the available silver of his house had been utilized.

Zhou Shuren closed his eyes again, not being in a hurry while he estimated where the Gu family’s silver was flowing. Tsk, rebellion really burns through silver; without some unsightly dealings, it was indeed difficult to gather so much silver.

Zhou Shuren thought about the Rong family’s treasury, the noble families wanting to rebel at the end of the previous dynasty were surely numerous. The Rong family had wealth rivaling the nation, he ought to focus on the Rong family!

Unfortunately, after the various noble families had calculated their moves, very little was harvested—all seized by the Emperor. Zhou Shuren stroked his beard, thinking the Rong family was merely a tool for delivering silver to the Emperor!

Rong Enqing coughed, hinting they were nearing the Ministry of Revenue.

Then, Gu Ren spoke, "Good, I ask that Mr. Zhou remain true to his word."

Zhou Shuren opened his eyes, "This official is not a deceitful and ungrateful villain."

Gu Ren first handed over the box to Zhou Shuren, "The remaining one hundred thousand will be delivered shortly."

Zhou Shuren looked at the box but did not touch it; he hadn’t forgotten the last attempt to poison him. With a peripheral glance at Rong Enqing, who understood and took it.

The carriage stopped, and Zhou Shuren alighted; Jin Yan stepped forward, took the box from Rong Enqing, and the carriage quickly departed. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

Zhou Shuren, looking at the box, felt a surge of excitement and said to Jin Yan, "Check if there’s poison on it."

One has only one life, best to be cautious.

Upon hearing this, Jin Yan took out a cloth, put it over the box, and said, "I’ll go right away."

"Um."

Less than an hour later, Jin Yan returned first, "I have meticulously checked, there’s no problem."

Only then did Zhou Shuren feel relieved. Another quarter of an hour passed, and the remaining hundred thousand was delivered. This time, the box was overly shiny; Zhou Shuren had reason to believe that Gu Ren couldn’t swallow this insult and wanted him dead now.

Zhou Shuren looked at the young servant holding the box, pointed at the table, "Just put it down there."

The young servant stiffened, "Shouldn’t you open it to check?"

Zhou Shuren, "....no need, this official trusts it."

The young servant, not giving up but out of options, simply put it down obediently and was led out.

Once the young servant left, Zhou Shuren stepped back several paces. When Jin Yan returned, he pointed at the box, "Be careful, I sense something is not right."

Probably not a violent poison, likely a slow-acting one.

Jin Yan carefully wrapped the box with cloth and took it down; only then did Zhou Shuren sit back down, thinking that the silver was not easy to obtain.

Inside the Palace, the Emperor had already received the news, faster than Zhou Shuren knew, the box was not poisoned, but the silver note was.

The Crown Prince inquired, "Should we exchange the one hundred thousand silver note for Mr. Zhou?"