Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 615 Pretending Death_1

At night, Zhou Shuren had a bit to drink, and Zhulan coaxed their son to sleep, only returning after the little one was fast asleep. She saw that Zhou Shuren was still awake, "Why haven’t you gone to rest yet?"

Zhou Shuren pressed on his temple, "I feel so happy that I can’t fall asleep."

"Chang Lian returned and ran into trouble, did he tell you?"

"He told me as soon as I left the government office."

After taking off her shoes and climbing onto the kang bed, Zhulan asked, "What do you think is the likelihood?"

"No matter the likelihood, I only know that Chang Lian must be cautious when they both go to the capital. Fortunately, our house has been gifted by the Emperor, and his people are all around us in the residence, which allows us to be somewhat relieved."

Zhulan turned over, "Before you enter the capital, it’s better that they don’t stay there."

These two lads aren’t seasoned enough to be reckoned with, too easily sacrificed.

Zhou Shuren, "That’s not for me to decide. If the Emperor has no objection, then I’ll try to arrange for someone to take them out."

Zhulan’s heart ached again, "After next year, if Chang Lian and Rongchuan really pass the exams, they’ll have to leave home again."

Zhou Shuren patted Zhulan’s shoulder, "It’s time for them to venture out. Only by enduring through trials without faltering can they truly stand on their own."

"Hmm."

Zhulan closed her eyes and then opened them again, "Why aren’t you sleeping yet?"

Zhou Shuren sighed, "I’ve gotten spirited again, and thinking about the heavy snow these days has me worried."

Zhulan was also concerned; the sky looked ominously overcast, "It looks like there’s more heavy snow coming."

Zhou Shuren rubbed his forehead, "Tomorrow, I’ll submit a Zhezi to enter the capital. I’m thinking of freeing up a storage room in the Prefectural of Jingzhou, using government funds to prepare some charcoal and cotton for cold prevention."

Zhulan lost her drowsiness, "You’ve been thinking about this the whole time, haven’t you?"

Zhou Shuren, "Hmm, these past few days, after inspecting the city and asking many of the common people, I’ve had this idea in my mind. I certainly don’t want to be caught unprepared if a snow disaster really strikes."

"Prepare some medicine for colds as well."

Zhou Shuren, "Hmm."

Zhulan drifted off to sleep, and Zhou Shuren, unable to stay awake through the night, eventually fell asleep.

The next morning, although it didn’t snow heavily, there were snowflakes drifting down, which thankfully stopped soon, but the lingering dark clouds still weighed heavily on people’s hearts.

Zhou’s second son came over, "Mother, the snow has been falling so frequently this year, I think we should buy extra charcoal and firewood."

Zhulan, "Alright."

Zhou’s second son continued, "Mother, do we need to buy more grain too?"

Zhulan waved her hand, "The Li family will deliver grain in a few days. We have enough grain at home, just make sure to prepare more charcoal."

No need for the rest; the cotton for the household had been purchased before the onset of winter. ƒreewebɳovel.com

Zhou Laodi finished speaking and hurried off.

Zhulan thought to herself, Zhou Laodi had many friends and was always the most sensitive to the market dynamics.

Zhulan then called for Zhou Laozi. The weather was already cold enough to freeze meat outdoors. She signaled to Zhou Laozi to buy some pigs and sheep, and to also gather more poultry like chickens and ducks to freeze outside.

After everyone had left, Zhulan took out the gifts her eldest daughter had sent. There were clothes made by her daughter and some mountain goods her daughter had collected from home. As she looked over each item, Zhulan could tell her daughter had spent quite a bit of silver on this cartload of mountain goods.

Song Pozi, "Madam, do we need to send the New Year’s goods ahead of time this year?"

Zhulan clapped her hands, "Right, thank you for reminding me. If there really is a heavy snowfall, it’s better to get them sent out sooner rather than later."

She then called her daughter and left the purchasing of the New Year’s goods to her.

Before noon, Zhou Shuren’s zhezi reached the capital, and after the Emperor read it, he passed it to the Crown Prince then stood up and stepped out of the government hall, looking towards the sky. The weather in the capital these past few days was similar to that of Jingzhou Province. He was worried about widespread snowfall, thankfully it was only in a few places, but it still necessitated caution.

The Crown Prince, having also looked over the zhezi, came out, "Father Emperor, Zhou Daren’s suggestion is good. It’s better to make preparations in advance rather than waiting for something to happen."

The Emperor, with hands clasped behind his back, was relieved that the treasury had accumulated a little silver over the past two years—an improvement from the previous years when it had been nearly empty. This gave him much more confidence; otherwise, even if he wanted to prepare, he would have been powerless to do so, "Zhou Shuren’s zhezi is approved. Prepare on this side of the capital as well; you will personally take care of this matter."

The Crown Prince did not plan to delegate the task to his younger brothers, "Yes."

The Emperor walked back inside, saying as he went, "Your Third Uncle has been feigning death all these years, staying abroad and gathering news for the Imperial court. He has worked hard for many years."

The Crown Prince thought of his three uncles: his eldest had died in battle during a campaign, fighting alongside his father Emperor; the second uncle had been seriously injured and, although he survived, was no longer fit to lead troops due to his chronic ailments; his grandfather was also in poor health and had aged, furthermore, weighed down by the grief of losing sons, his spirit had not been good these past two years. His grandfather didn’t even know about the third son’s survival yet.

The Crown Prince, recalling his recently seen Third Uncle, who had changed his appearance drastically to blend in with foreign clans, thought back on the past. Although he didn’t quite remember his uncle’s face, there were portraits—his mother had painted many. The handsome, striking young man of those days now resembled a wild man!

The Emperor, observing the silent Crown Prince, added, "Now is not the time to restore his identity, however."

The Crown Prince looked up, understanding in his heart. His Third Uncle had news that the foreign clans of Dongbei were preparing for war; his uncle could not reveal himself now, which meant the Emperor did not plan to have the Third Uncle lead the troops into battle, "Your son understands."

The Emperor’s mouth curved slightly, "I hope you truly understand."

He acknowledged that the Ning family were all military geniuses, but what of it? The Ning family was just fine as it was now: not too powerful, modest, and well-behaved. Therefore, it was better for Ning Laodi to stay in the capital. After all, he was paving the way for his son!

In the afternoon, Zhou Shuren received the Emperor’s approved zhezi and called for Minister Wong, "Have you compiled the list of empty houses controlled by the government office that I asked for a few days ago?"

Wong Ju knew he was summoned for this matter, "This is the sorted list. The ones on top are the properties sealed off from last year’s confiscations, and the rest are those that the government offices already had before."

Zhou Shuren examined the list and pointed to two larger properties located near the city gates, "This residence with three courtyards can be used as a storage facility for now, and once spring arrives, we’ll select locations to rebuild. As for this residence with two courtyards, get someone to clean it out, and build large heated brick beds in each room."

Minister Wong was aware of the storage issue that Zhou Shuren had been considering and wasn’t kept in the dark about it, but, "What are we going to use the two-courtyard house for?"

Zhou Shuren replied, "It’ll be a backup shelter, for taking in children and the elderly."

Minister Wong was deeply moved. No wonder Zhou Daren was so respected by the citizens of Lizhou Province; this cunning Zhou Daren had a soft heart for the common folk, "I’ll get started on it right away."

After arranging some other matters, Zhou Shuren finally felt a lot more settled, and his walk home was a bit brisker.

Jinzhou Residence began to bustle. With the trading port of Pinggang nearby, it was convenient to purchase supplies. Although it wasn’t snowing, Zhou Shuren did not stop making arrangements.