Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 1275: Routine

Two days later, upon entering the morning court, Zhou Shuren felt the scrutinizing gazes. He remained unperturbed; he had grown accustomed to them over the past few days. As long as he remained as immovable as a mountain, he cared little for their probing.

This unshakeable demeanor, however, faltered somewhat at the Ministry of Revenue when Zhou Shuren encountered the young Crown Prince.

The Retired Emperor beckoned, "You’re back."

Zhou Shuren, "..."

Was there something off with that tone? And had the Retired Emperor brought someone he shouldn’t have?

The young Crown Prince’s eyes were sparkling as he greeted, "Minister Zhou."

Zhou Shuren kept a straight face. He had been wondering why he hadn’t seen the Crown Prince, who usually showed up like clockwork, only to find the Prince at the Ministry of Revenue to his shock and surprise.

After paying his respects, Zhou Shuren returned to his seat.

The Retired Emperor smiled, "Yesterday, the Crown Prince came to see me. He admires you greatly, so I invited him to stay at the Qin Prince Residence and brought him to the Ministry of Revenue to see you today."

He thought highly of his grandson for recognizing Zhou Shuren’s value at such a young age, a clear sign of a wise ruler in the making.

Zhou Shuren sneered inwardly. Clearly, it was you and the new Emperor who manipulated him to help choose the most suitable master for the Crown Prince.

Zhou Shuren responded with a polite smile, "His Highness the Crown Prince has the opportunity to see me every day."

The young Crown Prince felt that Minister Zhou’s smile was too forced. Recalling what his father had told him, guilt pricked at his conscience, and he averted his gaze. It seemed as if three generations of their family had been exploiting Minister Zhou!

In Pingzhou City, Mingyun, the eldest grandson of the Minister of Revenue, had yet to arrive, but the news had everybody readying themselves - the Zhao clan, the Prefectural Magistrate of Pingzhou, among others.

If they weren’t worried about Mingyun’s examination, the number of invitations would have been plentiful.

Jiang Zhu was using a fan for shade, lounging on a chair, contentedly drowsy, "No clear days recently, but today’s fine weather really is perfect for resting."

Mingyun decided to put away his books as well, "Once the examination is over, we won’t be able to leave right away either."

The Zhou family had a presence in Pingzhou, and to keep up with family obligations, Mingyun would stick around the city for a few more days. It wasn’t a nuisance to him; he had grown accustomed to it and saw it as a valuable experience.

Jiang Zhu hummed in agreement and mentioned his grandparents, "My two younger cousins do have some talent. Grandfather intends for them to enter the clan school of the Zhou family."

Mingyun showed little interest in such trifles, "And then?"

Jiang Zhu grinned, "Then, brother, my cousins would like to ask for a favor from you and Ming Qing."

Mingyun nodded, "When we return, bring them to me, and I’ll take them to the clan school. We still have to follow the proper procedures."

The Zhou family’s clan school was quite generous to relatives; the aim of having one’s own clan school was to benefit the family, so this was not an issue.

Jiang Zhu thought about his uncles who had likely been reprimanded by their father. The Jiang family was doing well—his male cousins had no trouble finding brides, and the women were equally fortunate in marriage. With the growing reputation of his father, the dowries for the girls of the Jiang family were exceedingly high, fulfilling the hopes of those who wished to marry well.

If his two younger cousins could make something of themselves, the uncles could rely on their own children instead of just on his father. As the eldest son, he had more to consider, so he had to help, especially given his uncles’ requests and grandfather’s wishes.

Time flew by, and half a month passed in the blink of an eye. The young Crown Prince had become a constant companion to the Retired Emperor. Wherever the Retired Emperor went, the Crown Prince was sure to follow, and since the Retired Emperor enjoyed spending time at the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren found himself encountering the Crown Prince with increasing frequency.

Zhulan waited for Zhou Shuren to finish at the government office and return home, her expression stern, "Today, Madam Wen personally paid us a visit. You must tell me, is this all the Emperor’s ploy, with no intention of backing down at all!"

Zhou Shuren was also somewhat uncertain, "He shouldn’t go back on his word, right!"

Then, thinking of the young Crown Prince who had been coming to him with textbooks to ask for guidance these past few days, Zhou Shuren felt like cursing!

Zhulan had a bad premonition, "How are you getting along with the young Crown Prince?"

Zhou Shuren, "...Helping the young Crown Prince resolve his questions?"

Zhulan, "...Right, I have received an invitation from the empress, and I will be entering the Palace tomorrow."

Zhou Shuren was a bit panicky, "Really?"

"Truer than gold!"

Zhou Shuren was skeptical, suspecting that the Royal family was retracting their word and now setting a trap for him. Thinking about how easily the Royal family reneged, as if it were a common occurrence, Zhou Shuren’s dinner suddenly seemed less appetizing.

Inside the Palace, the Emperor was in an unexpectedly good mood, even eating a little more than half a bowl of rice during dinner, "These past few days, Xu Hao has been growing quickly. Whatever I taught before, he learned, and today he could even debate a few points with me, not bad, not bad."

The empress, after hearing this, was also pleased, "The Emperor has taught him well."

The Emperor waved his hand, "It’s not me. The points Xu Hao debated were from Zhou Shuren; the child has learned from being with him."

The empress paused for a moment, "Minister Zhou is indeed a prodigy."

Unfortunately, he cannot become the son’s tutor. If such a fine teacher were available, she would not have to worry about her son’s future. freёnovelkiss.com

The Emperor glanced at the empress, "The Crown Prince’s tutor has already been decided."

The empress still felt regret deep down but smiled and said, "The one selected by the Emperor must be the best."

The Emperor hummed in agreement, which in fact wasn’t true—the best wasn’t necessarily the most suitable for the Crown Prince. The real good teacher was the Retired Emperor, who would take the Crown Prince under his wing. Although Zhou Shuren wasn’t the tutor, he could still broaden the Prince’s horizons.

The following day, after breakfast, Zhulan got ready and rode in a carriage to the Palace with her two granddaughters, Yushuang and Yu Lu, both of whom were betrothed, so entering the Palace would not spawn any rumors.

Moreover, the empress had specifically requested to see her two granddaughters, which would bode well for their futures. Zhulan would be delighted to have such meetings occur more frequently, especially if they could earn the empress’s approval, that would be even better.

Zhulan arrived early, and a palace maid led the way. Just as they approached the entrance to the empress’s sleeping quarters, they encountered concubines coming to pay their respects. After Zhulan and her granddaughters greeted them, ah, it was a lucky day, for she encountered Princess Aerola.

Zhulan counted the days; this princess had been in the Palace for several days now. Time flew indeed, and it was evident the princess was ostracized—understandable given her striking countenance.

The princess was rather aloof, directly conferred as a concubine upon entering the Palace. If it weren’t for the precedent set by Consort Liu, she might have been granted an even higher title.

When Consort Liu saw the Yangs, her face almost uncontrollably twisted, but fortunately, she managed to compose herself. Now the entire capital was gossiping about Minister Zhou possibly becoming the tutor of the Crown Prince, and her son had been completely overshadowed by the Crown Prince. Taking a deep breath, she still had to smile and say, "Madam Yang, these two must be the young ladies from your residence."

Zhulan smiled, "Yes, these are my eldest and second granddaughters."

Consort Liu’s gaze fell on the more robust-looking girl, "If I remember correctly, your second granddaughter is betrothed to the Wang family?"

Zhulan, "Yes."

Consort Liu was about to say more when a Female Officer exited the empress’s chamber, prompting Consort Liu to close her mouth, nod, and leave.

Consort Liu departed swiftly but carried thoughts of the Wang family with her—the Wang family patriarch still served in the government office, and the elder’s eldest son had also stepped into the political arena, and they were kin to the Zhou family. Turning to her female officer, she instructed, "Go back and select two pieces of jewelry. When Madam Yang leaves the Palace, hand them to the madam, saying they are gifts for the young ladies."

The female officer acknowledged the order and left ahead.