Chapter 1532: Chapter 1532: Country

Zhou Shuren’s words landed, and Wong Ju thought of himself, “Honestly speaking, we children raised by noble families lack the drive compared to those from poor scholars.”

“That’s because you know your future will be carefully arranged.”

Wong Ju ate a grape, “Speaking of which, Wu Ming’s promotions have been very swift.”

Though his opportunities don’t compare to Zhou Shuren’s, he’s risen the fastest in recent years, holding considerable power. Once he returns from the grasslands, he likely won’t leave the capital again—tsk, tsk. I’m envious!

Zhou Shuren thought inwardly that Wu Ming truly is a big figure. Honestly, he was somewhat surprised Wu Ming chose to go to the grasslands. He had often heard the Emperor praise Wu Ming, clearly not wanting him to head there.

Even so, Wu Ming volunteered for the grasslands. The achievements there are evident to all, yet few have the resolve to tackle the grasslands’ issues. If he truly solves the problems there, Wu Ming will have undisputed accomplishments under his belt, and his future will ascend to great heights.

That evening, back home, Zhou Shuren brought up Wu Ming. Zhulan asked, “Will Wu Ming take his family with him?”

Zhou Shuren shook his head, “No, the grasslands are still too dangerous. His family will stay in the capital.”

Zhulan replied, “I haven’t seen Song Lan for years.”

“By the calculations, Wu Ming’s wife and children should return to the capital by autumn.”

“Then it’s not far off.”

The next day, Zhou Shuren had a day off. After breakfast, Zhou Shuren and his wife visited the Imperial Orphanage. Having given prior notice, someone was waiting at the entrance.

The orphanage director hurried forward, “Marquis Zhou, Mrs. Hou, please enter.”

Zhou Shuren lifted his eyes to glance at the plaque above the entrance, nodded, and entered the orphanage. He immediately noticed how different it was from those found among commoners. The ones out there emphasized self-sufficiency and lacked strict management, but the Imperial Orphanage was exceedingly rigorous. The children’s sitting postures were upright, but their eyes lacked the creativity seen in common orphanages. These children seemed programmed merely to obey commands.

Zhulan separated from Zhou Shuren upon entering, heading to observe the girls. Boys and girls were segregated.

The steward lady said, “These fifty girls possess natural talent for embroidery; over there are those studying pharmacology, who will become female doctors in the future.”

Zhulan thought, this is precisely the difference between the Royal family and the commoners. Skilled embroiderers are trained to serve the Royal family, while female doctors will enter the Medical Department and obey its centralized arrangements. With the development of the Medical Department, there’s growing recognition of how scarce female doctors are.

Zhulan observed the Imperial Physician lecturing the young female doctors. The girls listened attentively, and she mused that the children of the Imperial Orphanage were not easy to indoctrinate.

Zhou Shuren’s situation was much better. He stood on stage teaching, writing two words—”Nation.”

At that moment, the Emperor and Crown Prince walked in quietly and took seats toward the back.

The director was utterly stunned—why had the Emperor and Crown Prince come?

The room was filled with so many children that Zhou Shuren didn’t look toward the back. “You’ve been attending classes for a long time now. You already recognize the word ‘nation’ and understand its meaning, but today, I will still speak about the nation—what constitutes a nation, and what constitutes a family.”

Zhou Shuren internally wished he could draw a complete map of the nation, but he couldn’t. In these times, maps couldn’t be drawn casually.

After pausing briefly, Zhou Shuren smiled and said, “Let us begin with family.”

During this lesson, Zhou Shuren transitioned from family to nation, then back from nation to family. He spoke of many topics and even touched upon the world and its numerous countries.

Still, Zhou Shuren felt regrets. Regrets that he couldn’t say more; his words had to be carefully considered. Every action of his was observed by the Royal family, so he had to remain cautious.

The Emperor sat at the back, watching as children raised their hands to ask questions. Some even asked about why foreigners chose to act as pirates. Never before had children spoken up during lessons like this; they would sit motionless during class and remain the same after it ended.

The Crown Prince’s eyes sparkled. If it weren’t for his station, he too would have raised his hand to ask questions. Instead, he jotted down a list of things he wanted to ask and whispered to his father, “Father, I’ll go ask Marquis Zhou tomorrow.”

The Emperor smiled, “Alright.”

Zhou Shuren noticed the Emperor and Crown Prince only when class ended. He thought, indeed, he had known all along every move he made was under the Emperor’s watch.

Zhou Shuren said, “Your servant greets the Emperor and the Crown Prince.”

The Emperor clasped his hands behind his back, “Today, I realized Marquis Zhou is capable of teaching and nurturing. Listening to Marquis Zhou’s lecture, I gained many insights.”

The Emperor saw vision. Zhou Shuren’s perspective this time was global. Zhou Shuren was deeply knowledgeable about foreign lands, demonstrating substantial study. The Emperor couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret—there was only one Marquis Zhou in the entire court.

Zhou Shuren replied, “Your Majesty, your servant merely spoke from the heart; I dare not claim much.”

The Emperor thought if circumstances allowed, he would have wanted Zhou Shuren to teach lessons to the Princes, letting them broaden their horizons too. Unfortunately, it wasn’t feasible—if Marquis Zhou began teaching the Princes, their ambitions would only grow further.

As for Zhulan, her lecture couldn’t involve discussions about the nation. It gave her quite a headache. What she could say was limited, and everything needed to have a clear source. In the end, she gave a proper lesson sprinkled with meaningful anecdotes.

Zhulan followed the steward lady over and saw the Emperor and Crown Prince. She quickly bowed, “Your servant’s wife greets the Emperor and the Crown Prince.”

The Emperor hadn’t heard Zhulan lecture before but had heard his father praise her. She might be a woman, but there was depth to her thinking, evidenced by the books she organized, “Madam, no need to bow.”

Zhou Shuren helped his wife up. Hearing her raspy voice, he handed her the teacup he was holding, “Take a sip to ease your throat.”

Zhulan felt embarrassed with so many people watching but didn’t hesitate to drink the tea before her. Zhou Shuren then personally refilled the cup.

The Emperor’s eyes flickered—there wasn’t such genuine marital affection within the Royal family.

The Emperor was busy and left with the Crown Prince. Zhulan and Zhou Shuren continued touring the orphanage before departing. The two ate lunch at a restaurant outside.

Back home, Zhulan dismissed the servants and whispered, “My lecture was hard to give.”

Zhou Shuren remarked, “Indeed, it’s difficult to indoctrinate them. I can only help the children broaden their perspectives.”

“You must be exhausted. Take a rest first.”

“Alright.”

The next day, Zhou Shuren anticipated the Crown Prince’s arrival. In their exchange, he answered questions he could and smiled silently at those he couldn’t.

It was only yesterday the Crown Prince learned that his grandfather had once had Marquis Zhou’s fortune read by a highly esteemed master. Over the years, the prophecy seemed true—Marquis Zhou was destined to protect the nation.

Time flew by. The scorching summer had passed, and the weather grew colder day by day. This year’s temperatures were dropping as quickly as last year’s.

Zhulan was already dressed warmly. “It rained last night; today feels chilly. The wind makes my legs ache.”

Lady Li remarked, “Indeed, mother. This year, we must buy extra coal. I have a feeling this winter will be exceptionally cold too.”

Zhulan worried, and she feared the same. “Yes, stock up on more cotton, too.”

Speaking of cotton, the scarcity of food had led many farmers to reduce cotton planting. This year, cotton wasn’t just expensive—it was hard to come by.

Lady Li nodded, “Understood, mother-in-law.”

As they spoke, Steward Ding entered with an invitation. “Madam, Lady Wu has already arrived in the capital. Here’s the invitation.”

Zhulan noted, “She’s arrived earlier than expected.”