Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 546 Do You Really Not Know?_1

Chapter 546: Chapter 546 Do You Really Not Know?_1

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Second Prince, Zhang Jingyang, smiled, "Mr. Zhou, you’ve had a tiresome journey. The Emperor is already waiting for you in the palace. Leave the rest to me here."

Zhou Shuren was just about to speak when someone from the Second Prince’s entourage returned from the prisoner’s carriage, "Mr. Lin is dead."

The Second Prince’s expression soured, as he had specifically requested this task to further drag the Fifth Prince through the mud, "Mr. Zhou, do you have anything you’d like to say?"

Zhou Shuren stepped forward, "I have something to discuss with Second Prince in private."

Zhang Jingyang’s eyes twinkled with amusement. He knew this old fox wouldn’t be so easily outwitted, "After you, Mr. Zhou."

"After you, Second Prince."

After the two left the group, Zhou Shuren said, "Mr. Lin isn’t dead. He was the one driving the fourth horse carriage. The dead man was just a stand-in."

The Second Prince laughed, "Mr. Zhou is a step above."

Zhou Shuren, head bowed, said, "Your humble servant is merely more cautious."

The Second Prince, playing with his string of pearls, thought Zhou really was an old fox. He had expected Zhou Shuren to stumble a bit this time, "Mr. Zhou, you are too modest."

Zhou Shuren’s lips curled up at the corners. Men who don’t consider the future are bound to have immediate worries; he did not like having such worries, "Second Prince, I will proceed to the palace first. I’ll leave the rest to you."

Finally, he had offloaded the responsibility. No more need to worry about it in the future!

Excitement filled the Second Prince’s eyes. It was good that the man was not dead. Even without evidence, he was determined to strip the Fifth Prince of a layer of skin, "Alright."

Zhou Shuren, accompanied only by Mr. Wong, made his way into the palace, while Yao Zheyu was left behind to assist the Second Prince.

At the palace gates, Mr. Wong was adjusting his official robe. From the corner of his eye, he saw Zhou’s comfortable poise and felt foolish. Silently lowering his hand, he sidled up to Zhou Shuren, "Mr. Zhou."

Zhou Shuren was deep in thought, "What is it?"

Seeing a eunuch approaching, Mr. Wong clammed up, "Nothing, it’s nothing."

Zhou Shuren saw it was Eunuch Liu and felt a twinge of frustration, knowing it would cost him some silver, "Eunuch Liu."

Do you not have other matters to attend to? There goes his purse!

Eunuch Liu, "It’s been a few days, and Mr. Zhou seems even younger."

Zhou Shuren kept a straight face, "The Emperor must be eager to see me by now, after you, Eunuch Liu."

As he spoke, Zhou Shuren handed over his purse. Eunuch Liu’s eyes twinkled with greater mirth. With no children of his own and getting older, he became increasingly covetous of silver. Zhou was generous, but now the eunuch held the purse without tugging it, "Mr. Zhou, you can let go now."

Zhou Shuren, pained, released his hand, knowing the palace was the greatest gold-devouring beast of all. "Ha-ha."

Eunuch Liu, grinning, tucked away the silver. Seeing the reluctance in Zhou’s eyes, he couldn’t help but feel a pleasant sense of gratification, "After you, sir."

Zhou Shuren, clutching a zhezi and a roster, said, "After you."

Mr. Wong was an ignored presence, his mouth twitching as he watched Zhou’s reluctance. It was his first time seeing such an expression on Zhou’s face. Glancing at Eunuch Liu, he shrank back a little.

The government hall was a place Zhou Shuren had grown quite familiar with, having once engaged in late-night conversations there with the Emperor. Following Eunuch Liu into the hall, he noticed that aside from the Second Prince, everyone was present.

Kneeling down to pay respect, Zhou Shuren listened for the stirrings of Mr. Wong. Hearing them pained him, "Your Majesty, I prostrate myself before you."

The Emperor glanced at Zhou Shuren, his gaze lingering more on Wong Ju, the eldest son of the Wong family, a man destined to enter the capital eventually. His attention then returned to Zhou Shuren, understanding, "Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Zhou Shuren and Mr. Wong stood up. Zhou Shuren held up the Zhezi and list of names, "Your Majesty."

Mr. Wong also held something up, "This is the register of the confiscated assets."

Eunuch Liu took both, stepping forward quickly. The Emperor signaled the Crown Prince, "You read them first."

Eunuch Liu paused momentarily, then turned hurriedly towards the Crown Prince, "Your Highness."

Ignoring the envious glares from several of his brothers, the Crown Prince reached out to take the documents, first examining Zhou’s Zhezi, which described the whole affair methodically and succinctly without a wasted word. He then handed it over to his father, "Father Emperor."

A quick glance was all it took for the Emperor to know the contents of the Zhezi, which he was already aware of, and he put it down afterward.

The Crown Prince skimmed through the ledger, but his focus lay on the assets confiscated from Mr. Lin’s household and his expression darkened, "Mr. Lin’s assets surpass even mine as the Crown Prince."

He wasn’t a destitute Crown Prince at all. Though the silver allocated by the Emperor was meager, he had his mother; she brought quite a dowry when marrying the Emperor, and his maternal grandfather, following his loots from the military campaigns, had sent most of those spoils to his mother, who in turn passed them on to him.

Looking at the Fifth Prince, the Crown Prince knew that he had silver. He’d always been aware, initially assuming it was given by their mother. As sons of the same mother, they should not be treated unevenly. Now he realized she wouldn’t give the Fifth Prince a coin; Mr. Lin’s assets amounted to over four hundred thousand taels of silver, which suggested the Fifth Prince possessed even more.

The Emperor’s expression soured a few degrees after giving the ledger a careful once-over. Just how much had been intercepted by the Lin Residence through all these years, and specifically, how much silver was employed in maintaining troops and personnel?

The Emperor, looking at Zhou Shuren, wondered if he should feel lucky to have such a lucky general at his side. Otherwise, even with a severe crackdown, chaos would erupt when the time came for a change of reign. His sharp gaze landed on the Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince, already frail, trembled under his father’s scrutiny and instantly knelt down, protesting his innocence, his plea bearing the suspicion of protesting too much. He steeled himself, "I know nothing, Father Emperor, I beseech your discernment."

Zhou Shuren internally lamented the missed opportunity to spectate drama, but he dared not look for a vantage point this time. The Emperor’s gaze had changed, signifying his anger. Zhou felt a startle upon seeing the list of assets, yet he silently felt relieved that this lucrative opportunity had been quelled. Otherwise, waiting just a few more years would surely have plunged the Imperial court into major turmoil.

Zhou Shuren looked at the kneeling Fifth Prince, his brow furrowed. He couldn’t help but wonder if the other party had truly not realized that the Emperor knew of the Prince’s deception. He felt a disconcerting sensation of something amiss but couldn’t quite grasp what it was. He let it go, thinking the truth would unravel itself when the time came.

The Emperor appeared not to have heard the Fifth Prince’s plea, his gaze anchored on the ledger, silently tallying the total value. The current list only accounted for the assets seized in Jinzhou Province, which alone equaled one-sixth of the entire year’s tax revenue. The whole Imperial court’s annual tax collection just exceeded twenty million taels, a figure bolstered by the recent maritime trade.

With the kingdom in a state of post-war recovery and taxation at a historical low, the Imperial court had been in constant need of silver. Yet here a single region generated almost five million taels from confiscated households. A large part belonged to generations of merchants, but what of the silver that evaporated into thin air?

The Third Prince hadn’t outmaneuvered his elder brother for this task. He had intended to kick a man when he was down but upon seeing his father’s grim expression, he shrank back, deciding it wiser to keep silent at such a moment.

The Fourth Prince no longer dared to smile, bowing his head and remaining utterly still.

Mr. Wong’s back was drenched in sweat. The silence in the government hall was oppressive. Casting a quick glance at Zhou Shuren who seemed entirely unaffected, Mr. Wong held his peace, realizing why his father had told him he could only defend and never surpass Zhou Shuren.

Zhou Shuren watched the Fifth Prince and thought that if the wait continued any longer, the prince would certainly faint, shaky as he was. After all, the Fifth Prince and Rongchuan were the same age, just fifteen, and while maturing, still a child.

With so much occurring recently, it was commendable that the child had not been driven mad by the ordeal. Truly, one should never underestimate any person of ancient times!