Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!-Chapter 547 Truly Stingy_1

Inside the government hall, Zhou Shuren’s legs had gone numb from standing; he had lost track of how much time had passed. In his peripheral vision, he saw Official Wang’s forehead glistened with sweat; the man was unused to suffering such hardships and seemed on the verge of collapse, his gaze directed at the standing Prince, who had not shifted his stance at all.

Zhou Shuren was highly impressed; it was all a matter of training.

Finally, Zhou Shuren gazed upon the Fifth Prince, who had his head bowed; the floor tiles were already marked by the sweat from his brow, the cold stone must have numbed his kneeling legs by now.

Even Zhou Shuren, bold as he was, dared not sneak a peek at the Emperor’s expression at this time. He yearned to return and rest; Jinghong had already gone back to their residence where the coal fire would be burning nicely, with hot water ready—he was so eager for a hot bath.

The Emperor set down his writing brush and covered the documents he had been working on, stretched his arms, and swept his gaze over the hall. "For merits in this case, Prefect of Jinzhou Zhou Shuren is rewarded with one thousand taels of gold, four shops in Jinzhou, and various antiques."

It was a windfall. Zhou Shuren’s contribution to the case was significant; the Emperor remembered how Zhou Shuren had even spent his own silver to hire desperados. For deserved merits, rewards were a must.

Zhou Shuren smiled; his mental calculations clanged with the sound of profit. By his reckoning, he had made a tidy sum; the shops in Jinzhou were quite valuable!

Zhou Shuren knelt down promptly. "Thank Your Majesty."

"You may rise, Lord Zhou. I remember well the service you have rendered," the Emperor said.

Zhou Shuren eagerly pledged his loyalty, "Your servant will never fail Your Majesty’s grace."

The Emperor’s mood improved slightly, and he turned to Official Wang. "You also have merits, one thousand taels of silver. Various antiques as well."

Though Official Wang could barely stand, he was overjoyed and promptly knelt down to express his gratitude, "Thank Your Majesty."

"Rise."

The Emperor’s gaze settled on the nearly prostrate Fifth Prince. This pawn still had uses; his gaze turned harsh, but while the death penalty could be spared, punishment was still unavoidable. The Second Prince would be responsible for further interrogation, and the Fifth Prince should not expect an easy time. The Emperor said indifferently, "No need to kneel any longer. I believe the innocent shall prove themselves."

Zhang Jinghong struggled to rise after two attempts, his legs having lost all feeling. Clutching at his integrity, with bowed head he murmured, "Thank you, Father Emperor, for your trust in your son."

The Crown Prince fiddled with the ring on his finger, in no hurry to intervene. He was a patient hunter and would remember to claim his dues when the time was right.

The Emperor cast a glance at the Third and Fourth Princes, who were best at assessing the situation, "It’s getting late. I shall not keep you any longer. You may all leave."

Joy filled Zhou Shuren’s eyes—he could finally go and rest. freeweɓnøvel.com

Zhang Jinghong knew the Emperor was currently annoyed with him and would not see him for some days; he forced the uncomfortable words out, "Father Emperor, now that the Lin family has been condemned, should the engagement between Miss Lin and your son be considered null and void?"

The Emperor fell silent for a moment before responding, "Our royal family does not forsake its word. Since Miss Lin has already entered your residence, she is your person."

Zhang Jinghong’s pupils constricted, hardly believing what he heard; a cold sweat broke out. A criminal’s daughter standing as the main wife—wouldn’t that signal to the entire court that the Father Emperor looked down upon him?

Delight was evident on the faces of the Third and Fourth Princes!

The Emperor paused before continuing, "However, the daughter of a criminal indeed cannot occupy the position of main wife. She may take the place of a Concubine. Oh, Fifth Prince, your fortune has not been good recently. It seems you need to boost your luck with some joy. Let’s say, seven days from now will be a fine date. You shall welcome Miss Lin as your bride then."

Zhou Shuren kept his head down, feeling the urge to clutch at his chest—if gasping for air wasn’t bad enough, the Emperor had obviously already chosen the date. The Emperor was as ruthless as ever.

Zhang Jinghong felt turmoil in his chest, tasting the sweet tang of blood in his mouth from his stifled rage, yet he had to swallow it down and mutter a thank you, "Thank Your Father Emperor."

The Third Prince felt a shiver in his heart; his father, the Emperor, was so intimidating. It’s the soft knife stabs that hurt the most, and he found himself feeling some sympathy for the Fifth Prince.

The Fourth Prince twitched the corner of his mouth. He didn’t want to see the Emperor for another month.

The Emperor retracted his gaze. "What are you waiting for? Do you expect me to personally escort you out?"

The Third Prince quickly said, "This son takes his leave."

Zhou Shuren, "Your humble servant takes his leave."

Before long, everyone had scurried away. The Third Prince stepped out of the government hall and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing the Fifth Prince who looked like he was about to collapse, he shook his head, feeling that his own tactics were no match for their father’s, "Fourth Brother, shall we leave together?"

The Fourth Prince pressed his lips together, cursing the Third Prince silently. He was upset that the Third Prince seemed to despise him getting close to Master Zhou, as he had hoped to glean more information. Reluctantly, he said, "After you, Third Brother."

Zhou Shuren was supporting Magistrate Wang. "When people get old, their legs and feet don’t work as well. I really need to take it slow."

Magistrate Wang glanced at the two princes ahead. "Indeed, we are old. We must admit our age."

The two princes in front turned their eyes skyward in unison, thinking: just say you want to avoid them.

However, after exchanging a glance, they realized they had underestimated the situation; Master Zhou was the lead in this endeavor. It was evident how much the Emperor trusted Master Zhou.

Touching his chin, the Third Prince became melancholic—it seemed that Master Zhou’s daughter was already promised to someone. Then he felt even more disheartened realizing that, even if she wasn’t promised, given the Emperor’s favoritism, she would likely be given to the Crown Prince.

The Fourth Prince thought he might visit the Zhou residence with a card, as Master Zhou rarely returned home and they all still needed to eat.

Once out of the Palace, Zhou Shuren and Magistrate Wang parted ways. Upon entering his carriage, Zhou Shuren glanced back at the Fifth Prince, whose face was pale. Despite his obvious struggle, the Fifth Prince had miraculously not collapsed within the Palace walls. As the carriage set off, Zhou Shuren heard the call of a eunuch—it seemed the Prince had finally fainted.

Zhou Shuren leaned back against the cushion, feeling no sympathy. This was the royal family; if you engage in the struggle for power, you must be prepared for defeat. He didn’t believe that the Fifth Prince had done less just because he was younger. The Fifth Prince was a wolf, not a sheep—a wolf will always be a wolf, and even in weakness, it remains a predator.

Zhou Shuren returned to West City, to the residence awarded by the Emperor, a mansion with three courtyards, around which were several smaller ones, each meticulously refurbished, the courtyards adorned with many plum trees.

Indeed, the best treasures were the ones the Emperor kept in his own hands, no wonder he was initially reluctant to give them directly. What a gain!

There were eight servants in total in the household, two guards, two gatekeepers, and four old women. Zhou Shuren had Shen Xing arrange everything. After bathing in hot water, the eunuch who brought the rewards arrived at the residence.

The eunuch was young, but Zhou Shuren recognized him from the government hall. Just great, he’d have to give a generous amount of silver.

The young eunuch accepted the silver, beaming with joy. "Thank you, Master. I will take my leave now and report back."

Zhou Shuren, "Safe travels, Eunuch."

The young eunuch replied politely, "Master, please stay."

These eunuchs knew who held favor in the Emperor’s court. And with Master Zhou’s generosity, he was well-liked by them.

Zhou Shuren watched them go. The two chests of gold had little impact on him; his attention was more focused on the antiques. Wow, the Emperor was truly generous—a half-chest of porcelain and ancient artifacts, plus half a chest of calligraphy and paintings.

It was just unfortunate that these items couldn’t be sold. What attracted his attention the most was a chest full of books. Zhou Shuren’s eyes lit up in excitement as he picked up a volume. However, his joy soon faded upon discovering they weren’t rare books at all but copies on new paper. After flipping through a few, his expression changed several times—none were originals. How stingy!