Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 604: Shouldn’t Think About It_1

Zhulan quickly had Steward Ding arrange for people to go. All were skilled in martial arts. The ancient environment was favorable indeed; even the mountains and forests surrounding Prefecture City harbored ferocious wild beasts, so those versed in martial arts were somewhat safer.

Seeing her mistress worried, the old maid Song said, "Mr. He is a man of good fortune and will certainly come to no harm."

Zhulan pressed her temples, "I’m not concerned about him; I’m worried about Wu Ning. If He Shu really has had an accident, Wu Ning’s life is over."

Already predisposed to tragedy, if something really happened to He Shu, then that would be the end of it. Wu Ning would not only blame herself, but the confidence she had finally built up would be destroyed, and her future as well.

The old maid Song pursed her lips. She was quite fond of Miss Wu, especially the Miss Wu she saw now; it was comforting. "Mr. He is not a rash person. This disappearance was caused by someone."

Zhulan looked at the old maid Song. See, that’s the advantage of training. She really had picked up a great bargain. The old maid Song was still as sharp as ever, "He’s become a stumbling block."

The title of Xiao Sanyuan is not the same as that of a Scholar. Some are aiming for Xiao Sanyuan’s position, ah, such great ambition.

The old maid Song watched her mistress imagining the worst. How could she not think the same? Mr. He, a frail Scholar, was more likely to encounter misfortune than luck!

Zhulan thought of Shen Yang, the Scholar who bore a resemblance to the Emperor. This time, she didn’t need her intuition. She could be certain that someone was pushing Shen Yang forward, and therefore, the chances of He Shu becoming an obstruction to someone’s survival were not high.

She was distressed. The marriage had finally been arranged, and Wu Ning’s bridal clothes were almost finished. How could she explain this to Wu Ming?

The movement of personnel within the Government Office was something Xue Han could not be kept in the dark about. Wu Ning and Xue Han had always been together, and Zhulan didn’t keep the news from them. The two girls hastily came to the main courtyard.

Zhulan looked at Wu Ning, who was panicking, and thought it best not to offer comforting words that might give false hope. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. "Although I don’t want to think the worst, you need to be mentally prepared."

Wu Ning’s body swayed, her fingertips digging hard into her palm. The pain helped her calm down, and then she released her hand, "I’ve worried auntie."

Zhulan stared at Wu Ning, a smile emerging in her eyes. Her education of Wu Ning had been successful. Look, the young lady had become more resolute than before, "Sit down. You’ll wait with me for news."

Wu Ning sat down weakly. Silently reciting scriptures in her heart, she prayed that the Buddhas would bless He Shu with safety. Repeating it over and over, Wu Ning had never thought she could be so composed.

Xue Han felt uncomfortable seeing her sister Wu Ning like this. She couldn’t bring herself to say that Miss Wu had a hard life; that would be too painful for her sister. Seeing her mother’s serious expression, her own mind started working, "Mother, is Mr. He’s incident not simple?"

Zhulan, "Mhm, remember, sometimes you must know how to hide your clumsiness."

Xue Han caught on quickly, her pupils constricting, "Mother, Mr. He is like half a son-in-law to the Zhou family."

Zhulan pinched her daughter’s cheek, "My girl, you must understand that what makes the Zhou family feared and taken seriously is only your father."

No matter who else it was, the opponents would not hold back in their actions. Of course, she could still make people more cautious; after all, Zhou Shuren had made it known to everyone that he cared about her.

Xue Han fell silent. Because she managed the Zhou household and was flattered by some young ladies, she had become somewhat proud. Her mother’s words burst the bubble of her perception. The Zhou family truly depended solely on Father, a fragile entity indeed!

Zhulan watched her daughter’s transformation, the smile in her eyes grew. For a girl her age, her present understanding was already excellent. She had confidence in her own upbringing. Both Lady Tao and Lady Ranqi had good reasons to like Xue Han. To be so clear-headed at such a young age was indeed rare.

Waiting was the most torturous, especially now that it was afternoon. The daylight was shorter in autumn, and nightfall would bring the sealing of the city gates, with the forests becoming most dangerous in the dark.

At the Government Office, Zhou Shuren and Lord Wang were already aware of the situation. Lord Wang was truly anxious, "How could He Shu agree to go sightseeing? This lad is not known for his elegance."

Zhou Shuren glanced at a sweat-drenched Lord Wang. True, Lord Wang was not well-informed and could only wildly speculate about He Shu.

Wong Ju’s complexion turned sour, for he knew more than others. Seeing the gloomy expression on Lord Zhou’s face, He Shu was clearly a hindrance.

Lord Zhou spoke faintly, "The preliminary examination is the day after tomorrow."

This exam wasn’t the local provincial examination, but a preliminary round to select candidates who could then take part, and though it wasn’t the official exam, it was still a crucial step.

Lord Wang was spinning with anxiety, "What should we do? You must not get hurt, or else it will be a three-year wait."

Three years could change so much; sometimes missing a moment could mean missing a lifetime.

In his heart, Wong Ju thought that not getting injured was the least of worries, surviving would be the greatest luck of all. He remained silent, feeling that Lord Zhou must be in very low spirits.

Indeed, Lord Zhou was not in a good mood – not only because of He Shu, nor the fact that other scholars could be in danger, but because Shen Yang was indeed no simple matter. It was truly vexing – having such troubles occur in his jurisdiction. He didn’t wish to get involved, yet it seemed nearly impossible to avoid.

Time moved on bit by bit, and the night fell, with the city gates locked.

Zhulan watched Wu Ning leave in a daze and said to her daughter, "Keep a close eye on him."

Xue Han nodded and swiftly followed out.

Lord Zhou came back, "I’ve already asked Yao Zheyu to send people to help with the search."

Zhulan asked, "What do you think the chances are that he’s still alive?"

As Lord Zhou changed his clothes, he replied, "Less than one percent."

Zhulan said in a deep voice, "Yes, unless some miracle occurs."

Lord Zhou was hungry, "Let’s eat."

Zhulan found it hard to eat, but when she looked into Lord Zhou’s eyes, she realized she had to eat regardless, "Alright."

Dinner was very quiet; even Chang Zhong stopped roughhousing with Lord Zhou. Zhulan was reassured to see her little one obediently eating; after her illness, her son had truly grown a lot. In just under two months, his temperament had matured quite a bit.

In the main room, Lady Li had just seen Wu Ning return. Lady Li wanted to go to the main house but felt awkward with her mother-in-law there. She wasn’t good with consoling words, so she waited for Wu Ning to come back before she reluctantly went to check on her.

Mingyun noticed his mother had returned, "Mother, the meal is ready. Let’s eat."

Lady Li sat down, "Your Aunt Wu Ning has such a hard life."

Mingyun looked at his mother, and even though she didn’t understand the refined arts of music, chess, calligraphy, or painting, and still bore the demeanor of a peasant woman, he loved her just for that authenticity. The more one was surrounded by scheming, the rarer such genuineness became. His grandmother and Auntie Qi liked his mother for that very reason.

At Lord Wang’s residence, Lady Xue opened her mouth as if she wanted to say that Wu Ning’s fate wasn’t favorable, but swallowed the words before they escaped. After all, He Shu wasn’t a child of the Wang family, and there was no need to offend Lord Zhou’s household for He Shu’s sake. They were all fiercely protective of their own.

Since returning to the residence, Lord Wang kept thinking about Lord Zhou’s reaction – too calm, as if he knew the outcome. His heart thudded uncontrollably; he quickly emptied his mind. He shouldn’t entertain such thoughts; he had finally reached his current position, and there were things he ought not to think about.

The next morning, Lord Zhou awoke and Jingyan entered, "My lord, the person has been found."