CHAPTER 1531: CHAPTER 1531 SHORTCUT

Zhou Shuren inwardly admired Lau Jing’s response, "Have you thought about where you’d like to go?"

Lau Jing’s heart sank; sure enough, he was in someone’s way. He wasn’t young anymore, and of course he wanted to climb higher. But without family backing or connections, and failing to catch the Emperor’s favor, his days had been exceedingly difficult before he married into alliances with the Ning family and the Zhou family. Every step required him to tread cautiously, and his wife had to feign ignorance to survive.

Later, with those two advantageous alliances, no one at the Ministry of Justice dared bully him anymore, and the previously unpleasant tasks assigned to him had ceased as well.

He had assumed that staying in his current position and avoiding mistakes would ensure his safety. But now, since someone dared to move him, the matter clearly involved the Prince’s maternal relatives.

Zhou Shuren observed Lau Jing’s silence and spoke, "Though you are indeed in someone’s way, you have favorable alliances. They won’t harm you outright; at most, they’ll relocate you. As for the position, you should understand what they have in mind."

Lau Jing’s lips curled bitterly, "It’ll likely be to a retirement post."

Currently, he held power—though, of course, power is relative. Still, he felt his authority was significant enough.

Zhou Shuren said, "Hmm. Go back and think it over. If you have a place in mind, let me know later."

He never directly told people where they should go; after all, everyone has their own thoughts. Of course, if something was exceedingly unreasonable, he wouldn’t be able to do much about it.

Lau Jing took his leave. Zhou Shuren remained seated. In truth, relocating Lau Jing was favorable. Lau Jing had decent abilities, but his flaw was his lack of family and connections. This was the hardship of poor scholars—in an environment dominated by noble families, rising to prominence was difficult; and aligning with them came with the risk of abandonment when trouble arose. To be fair, there were those extraordinary individuals who could defy the odds, but such cases were exceedingly rare.

Not even a quarter of an hour had passed when Zhou Shuren heard footsteps behind him. Without turning, he said, "Mingyun, is that you?"

Mingyun expressed surprise, "Grandfather, how did you guess it was me?"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "Your courtyard isn’t far from here, and you come out for a walk every day after your meal."

Mingyun felt deeply moved. Despite how busy his grandfather was, he paid such attention to him. Mingyun walked over and sat down, saying, "Grandfather, Sir Lau has left. Why haven’t you gone back to rest?"

"I rarely get opportunities to sit and relax anymore."

These days, he increasingly enjoyed sitting quietly to reflect on matters.

Mingyun didn’t ask what his grandfather had discussed with Sir Lau; he simply accompanied him silently.

Zhou Shuren tapped the table, "Currently, Prince Qin is handling matters well in the Grassland province."

"Once the provincial divisions are complete, the grasslands will gradually fall into order. However, integration still poses a significant challenge."

Zhou Shuren turned his head toward Mingyun, "What do you think would be the fastest way to achieve integration?"

Mingyun smiled, "Through language, culture—gentle yet pervasive methods. Of course, for now, a more forceful approach would still be best."

Zhou Shuren raised his hand to lightly pat his eldest grandson’s head, "Well said. It’s getting late; you should head back."

Mingyun stood up, "Grandson will escort you."

Zhou Shuren waved his hand as they walked, "There’s no need."

Mingyun stood motionless, contemplating his grandfather’s words. Although they didn’t involve him directly, he still mulled them over as he returned to his courtyard.

In the Palace, Xue Han brought her daughter to visit her father and mother. After chatting for a while, Xue Han left her daughter to meet with the Empress.

The Empress was observing the little princess, who was clutching onto another person for support and being encouraged to walk forward with boldness.

Xue Han felt a pang of sorrow. Both her son and the little princess were frail. The little princess didn’t suffer any severe illnesses, and with careful nurturing, she had grown increasingly lively. Yet her son still couldn’t step outside the house; his frail body seemed like a sieve, unable to retain nourishment or gain weight no matter how much care he received.

The Empress noticed Xue Han staring at her daughter and understood that she’d thought of Xiaxia. "Did you just come from the Queen Dowager’s palace?"

Xue Han gave a courteous bow and replied with a smile, "Yes, recently the Queen Dowager hasn’t had much of an appetite, so I brought in some pickled vegetables that she enjoys."

The Empress saw her daughter blinking her big eyes and laughed, "Weren’t you talking about Fifth Aunt just yesterday? Now that you’ve seen her today, why aren’t you calling out to her?"

The little princess beamed, her words unclear, but she managed to call out. Xue Han was delighted, "The little princess is so intelligent."

The little princess was precocious: she started speaking early and had an excellent ability to recognize people. She truly was beautiful, inheriting the best traits of the Emperor and Empress.

The Empress felt pleased with her daughter’s behavior, "Recently, the Emperor has spent a lot of time teaching her to speak, though this little girl still struggles with pronunciation."

"The little princess is still young; she’ll improve as time goes on."

"How has Xiaxia been lately?"

Zhulan’s smile deepened, "Recently, he’s been doing well. It’s been quite some time since he last became ill."

"That’s good to hear. As he grows older, he’ll gradually get better."

Xue Han spoke with the Empress for a bit longer before leaving to pick up her daughter and leave the Palace. On her way out, she passed by a small garden and encountered Princess Consort Hui. "Princess Consort Hui."

Having recently completed her confinement period, Princess Consort Hui had recovered well. However, the Emperor’s recent attitude left her somewhat bitter; her face bore traces of weariness as she greeted Xue Han, "Did you just visit the Empress?"

Xue Han nodded, "Yes, since it was getting late, I didn’t stay long."

Princess Consort Hui clutched her handkerchief. She’d tried meeting with the Empress repeatedly recently but hadn’t been granted an audience. With a feeble smile, she said, "Then I won’t delay you further."

Xue Han, reluctant to engage Princess Consort Hui further, nodded before leaving. Her thoughts turned reflective—how frightening ambition could be. Once, Princess Consort Hui had been so agreeable; now, ambition had consumed her.

The next day Zhulan’s daughter returned and shared what had transpired in the Palace. "The Princes have yet to marry, and the Second Prince still hasn’t been assigned duties. Once they all reach the appropriate age for marriage, the true struggle will begin."

Xue Han lowered her voice, "The Empress’s health has been deteriorating rapidly these past few years; despite all efforts to restore her vitality, she hasn’t bounced back. Alas."

No one could predict how long she would live. If she passed during the peak of the conflict, the Crown Prince would lose her protection.

Zhulan said, "In the future, try to avoid entering the Palace often. Spend more time at home with Xiaxia."

"Mother, I understand."

Zhulan mused, "I wonder if the Empress herself knows about her condition."

Xue Han replied, "She knows. It’s nearly impossible for the Imperial Physicians to conceal anything from her."

Zhulan considered privately how the Empress wasn’t one destined for longevity. She also wondered if the Wen family was aware of the situation—whether the Empress lived or died carried drastically different implications for the Wen family.

Meanwhile, at the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren gestured for Wong Ju to drink tea. "On such a sweltering day, why have you come at this hour?"

Wong Ju, already plump, struggled intensely with heat. He sat near the ice basin and practically wanted to cradle it. "I’m here for you, of course."

Zhou Shuren sighed, "Please speak normally."

Downing several cups of iced tea, Wong Ju finally relaxed a bit. "Your godson is about to be reassigned. Are you aware of this?"

Zhou Shuren said, "This news has already spread?"

Wu Ming had visited him earlier and discreetly hinted at a reassignment.

Wong Ju replied, "You clearly knew, but do you know where he’ll be going?"

Zhou Shuren took a sip of iced tea. "The grasslands?"

Wong Ju threw his pudgy arms around the ice basin. "I knew coming here would be a waste."

"Let go of the ice basin—you’re already frail; do you want to fall ill?"

Wong Ju grinned and moved away. "Wu Ming had established an excellent position for himself in the South. The area’s thriving under his management, with so many people vying to go there, yet he wants to head to the grasslands? The disparity couldn’t be clearer."

Zhou Shuren explained, "It’s for accomplishments. That’s what he desires most. The grasslands offer the fastest path to political achievements. But of course, without genuine ability, he’d best not take on such delicate tasks—otherwise, he won’t even know how he perished."