Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 657 - Invitation Card_1

Zhulan didn’t see Changlian, "Is Changlian still sleeping?"

Lady Dong nodded, "He’s still asleep, I didn’t have the heart to wake him. I’ll ask the kitchen to keep some food warm; he can eat whenever he wakes up."

Zhulan put down her granddaughter, "Then let’s not bother them, we’ll eat first."

Lady Dong, "Mhm."

The next morning, Zhulan saw a well-rested Changlian and a few others. None of them had woken up, sleeping straight through until dawn. "Have you all gathered enough energy?"

Changlian felt refreshed, "Mother, my mind is extremely clear now."

Just as Zhulan was about to speak, Granny Song came in with an invitation in her hand, "Mistress, this is an invitation from the Ning Duke Residence, for the Third Young Master and Young Master Rongchuan."

Zhulan had a feeling that it was about time. She took the invitation and read it. The message conveyed sincerity without any hint of arrogance.

Having met Marquis Ning a few times, Changlian was pleasantly surprised by the invitation, "I thought Marquis Ning had already forgotten about me!"

You see, after Marquis Ning reclaimed his identity, he became not only the Emperor’s brother-in-law but also one of the favorites at the Emperor’s side. Many nobles sought his favor, yet he actually invited Changlian and Rongchuan—quite the surprise.

Zhulan looked at her excited son and thought to herself that he was merely included by chance, "You should also get ready and go soon, don’t keep Marquis Ning waiting."

Changlian, holding the invitation with delight, "Mother, I’ll go change right away."

Rongchuan remembered Marquis Ning. These past days, focused on the palace examination, he had suppressed all his guesswork, but now it resurfaced, bringing with it a reluctance to attend. He clenched his jaw, but since he had been invited, he had to go, "Auntie, I’ll also go back to change."

Zhulan saw Rongchuan’s resistance and wanted to comfort him but didn’t know what to say. She felt a sense of defeat. After all, the Zhou family was just a minor fourth-rank official without the Emperor’s trust; they were nothing, and Rongchuan’s heritage was beyond their control!

After Rongchuan left, Shi Qing said, "Auntie, I’ve troubled you these past days, I should also return home."

"Ah, of course."

At the Ning Duke Residence, Ning Xu was eagerly waiting. He’d already made clear his intentions in front of the Emperor, so he had few concerns. In the end, it all came down to Rongchuan’s likeness; even if he paid attention, people would only think Rongchuan was fated to be connected with the Ning family.

Since his eldest brother had passed away before establishing his court, not many people knew him. Besides his family and a few acquaintances, most had nearly forgotten his face.

The eldest brother and the second brother resembled their father, but not exactly. This similarity gave Rongchuan an extra measure of safety.

Even if the Emperor had laid a trap, Rongchuan’s appearance was safe. The boy was blessed with good fortune; he had survived many dangers and grown up unscathed!

Soon, the steward brought in visitors. Ning Xu’s gaze was fixed on Rongchuan. He had only seen his face the last time; now, he was sizing up the whole person. Rongchuan wasn’t short, standing just half a head shorter than himself, and he could still grow. Up close, the resemblance was uncanny, very much like his eldest brother. If you put him in armor, some might even believe the brother had come back to life.

Rongchuan felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny and took a couple of steps back. Changlian noticed as well and, furrowing his brows, stepped forward to block the gaze, greeting, "Marquis Ning."

Ning Xu withdrew his gaze and laughed heartily, "It is heartening to see young talents. Both of you are not of old age, yet possess remarkable elegance and charm—excellent, excellent."

Chang Lian caught the implied meaning and realized that Marquis Ning had been ignoring him the whole time. His focus was directed toward Rongchuan, "We are both young and have yet to deserve such praise. Mr. Hou, you are the true hero."

Ning Xu watched as Zhou Changlian relentlessly shielded Rongchuan and felt satisfied. The people of Zhou Residence were indeed protective of Rongchuan. His manner towards Chang Lian grew even more amiable, "Please, have a seat, all of you, don’t be shy. I have been abroad for many years and don’t adhere to strict formalities—you may relax."

Despite this, Chang Lian dared not let his guard down and became even more cautious, "Mr. Hou, you invited us over today—do you have any questions for us?"

Ning Xu commended Zhou Changlian with a glance for his acuity, "The truth is, I found this gentleman to have a familiar countenance, and so I wished to meet him."

Chang Lian remembered Rongchuan’s background and that he was born in the capital. Seeing that Marquis Ning’s attitude had always been kind and bore no malice, he breathed a sigh of relief, "There are many who might bear a resemblance to each other. It is my brother-in-law’s honor to be regarded as familiar by Mr. Hou."

Ning Xu smiled, his words implying that people with similar looks were a dime a dozen and that there was no need to read too much into it.

Rongchuan felt warmth in his heart as his elder brother had been constantly shielding and protecting him. He discreetly tugged at his brother’s sleeve, "Mr. Hou must have conducted an investigation. Your invitation for us to come here cannot be just to meet us, right?"

The more Ning Xu observed Rongchuan, the more he liked him, a fondness that surpassed that for the Crown Prince. There was no helping it, the Crown Prince had been raised by the Emperor to be too complex. Even as his uncle, he found it difficult to see through him and had to carefully interpret every word the Crown Prince said. But Rongchuan was different. Even if he had his schemes, they were endearing, "Indeed, today is indeed just for a meeting."

Rongchuan was not satisfied with the response, but since Marquis Ning did not elaborate further, he was powerless. Now that he was cornered, he decided not to inquire any further. What would be, would be—against someone of such stature, he had no means to resist.

Ning Xu grew more interested inwardly. This child was indeed steady and composed. Normally, upon receiving such news, one would have inquired by now. It also revealed that the child had a good nature, not losing himself in the pursuit of power and status. Thinking about the child’s past experiences, and his days in Zhou Residence, he probably did not wish to leave Zhou Residence and feared disrupting his present happiness.

With these thoughts, Ning Xu felt even more conflicted, anger rising within him. He was pleased with the Zhang family for rescuing Rongchuan, yet infuriated by their ill-treatment of him.

Chang Lian’s tension escalated. He had noticed the sharpness in Marquis Ning’s gaze earlier, which, although swiftly concealed, did not escape his vigilant observation. A cold sweat broke out on his back as he always remembered his father saying that Marquis Ning had been a spy for many years and the one thing he did not lack was a collection of masks; his hearty demeanor was just one of them.

Seeing Zhou Changlian on high alert, Ning Xu relented. This meeting today had gone downhill. If he kept them any longer, who knows what they might think of him!

Ning Xu was about to send his guests away when the Crown Prince walked in.

Ning Xu stood up, "Greetings to the Crown Prince. What brings Your Highness to my residence today?"

The Crown Prince personally helped his uncle to his feet, "Uncle, we can dispense with the formalities in private. After all, we are family."

Ning Xu just listened and didn’t take it seriously. At a time like this, he had to guard against becoming complacent, developing bad habits would not be good, "Etiquette is etiquette; it cannot be discarded."

The Crown Prince changed the subject, "I see uncle has guests today. I hope I am not interrupting."

Ning Xu responded, "Not at all, please come inside. Today I have invited Zhou Changlian over, whom the Crown Prince also knows. I have had a few encounters with Zhou Changlian before."

Of course, the Crown Prince knew. After Zhou Changlian and the other gentleman had paid their respects, the Crown Prince said, "Please, no need to be reserved, everyone take a seat."

Zhou Changlian was nervous. He truly hadn’t expected to meet the Crown Prince today. He seemed to recall having seen the fifth prince and the study companions of the Crown Prince. He had seen the Crown Prince during the palace examinations without really facing him directly; today was the first time he had such a close encounter with the Crown Prince.