CHAPTER 1585: CHAPTER 1585 STINGY

Zhou Shuren left in the carriage, unaware of the lingering looks from the ministers behind him, filled with envy, jealousy, and indescribable complexity. No one expected Zhou Shuren’s maneuver at the court today.

News travels fast in the capital, and Zhulan remained the calmest because she understood Shuren’s intentions clearly.

Zhulan called her daughters-in-law over and explained the court events, "Yesterday’s events were not simple, and they have now stirred the court. Be cautious with your words when you go out."

Lady Li and the others were dumbfounded; their father-in-law was too... no, their father-in-law was truly formidable.

Zhulan couldn’t help but laugh at her daughters-in-law’s expressions, "With today’s incident, anyone who wants to scheme against our Hou Residence in the future will not dare to do so easily without sufficient assurance."

Unless they can instantly bring down the Hou Residence, without such assurance, today’s lesson warns everyone to be prepared for backlash.

Zhulan lowered her eyelids; without a harsh lesson, people don’t learn.

Lady Li, who knows her mother-in-law best, especially sensitive to her aura, swallowed, "Mother, we will be cautious and careful."

Zhao also snapped back and then worriedly asked, "Mother, should we write to Third Brother?"

"Yes, we should. We’re not afraid of retaliation in the capital, but Chang Lian must be careful away from here. And Yushuang and Liufeng too."

At this point, Zhulan asked, "I heard Yushuang’s mother-in-law, Lady Hu, is returning to the capital. Has she set off yet?"

Zhao got along well with Lady Hu and corresponded most frequently, replying with a smile, "She said she would set off after the autumn harvest."

Lady Li didn’t know and asked, "Why is she returning to the capital?"

Zhao explained, "The children have grown, and Yushuang can take care of them now, so Lady Hu is relieved. She went there to take care of the children, and now that she’s not needed, she’s returning early."

This aspect pleased her the most; Lady Hu didn’t interfere with her daughter’s married life, allowing the couple to live comfortably. She didn’t expect Lady Hu to return so early and was quite surprised.

Su Xuan felt envious; good mothers-in-law are hard to find. She wondered if Yu Wen would ever find one, and smiled, "Yushuang’s mother-in-law is an uncommon and perceptive person; Yushuang is fortunate."

There are difficult mothers-in-law and pleasant ones, and Yushuang encountered a pleasant one.

Zhulan nodded in agreement, "I was worried back then, but Lady Hu turned out to be quite decent."

Zhao’s lips curled, "A rare wise person."

In her heart, she preferred wise people over those who are ignorant and toxic yet oblivious.

In the Palace, the Empress is the master of the harem. Even if the Empress is resting, court matters cannot be hidden from her, especially as today’s events are closely related to her.

The Female Officer cautiously observed the Empress, "Your Majesty, are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

The Empress’s eyes were profound; if the scheme succeeded, a rift between her son and the Hou Residence would not benefit her son. Moreover, those people calculated her lifespan; how could she not be furious? "Marquis Zhou indeed suffered an injustice."

The Empress thought of Marquis Zhou, who could have easily stabbed the wound but instead helped the Wen family indirectly and retaliated against those who schemed against him.

The Empress spoke to the Female Officer, "Send a message to my father, or rather, personally deliver a gift to the Hou Residence."

Female Officer, "Yes."

The Empress added, "Select more gemstones."

Considering the number of granddaughters in the Hou Residence, the Empress felt stifled. She had discreetly tested the Emperor’s intentions, but he looked at her with a knowing smile, making it clear he had no such thoughts.

Now, with Marquis Zhou’s vindictive personality and knack for creating chaos, the Empress was somewhat apprehensive. Today’s uproar meant whoever schemed would pay a price, without Marquis Zhou needing to investigate or handle it himself. The Empress took a deep breath; she should first find out who wanted her life.

At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren summoned the ministers, "It’s autumn harvest time again; the tax collection from various provinces must not be neglected."

In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Zhou Shuren concluded the Ministry of Revenue’s meeting swiftly. He wasn’t fond of lengthy speeches; he only needed to make things clear.

However, today the ministers remained as quiet as chickens, evidently shocked by the circulating news.

Qiu Yan and other officials left, "I didn’t attend court today and missed so much?"

He regretted it; if he’d known, he would have insisted on attending.

Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow, "Did you come to watch a show?"

Qiu Yan, having worked with Zhou Shuren for years, spoke freely, without holding back, "Yes, anything involving Mr. Hou is always entertaining."

Zhou Shuren sat back in his chair, "You should get busy."

Qiu Yan didn’t leave, "Is what’s written on the complaint document true?"

Zhou Shuren waved his hand, and Qiu Yan had to leave. Only after he left did Zhou Shuren look up. He believed the content of the document to be true; if it weren’t, he wouldn’t have been used as a tool. If it weren’t true, whom would he attack?

As for the contents of the document, he wasn’t deeply affected. How to say it, noble families were not high-minded; externally, they appeared wealthy and glorious, but internally, they were bloody and nauseating. In a family, there are all sorts of people, and the longer power is held, the more human lives are disregarded.

Zhou Shuren snorted. In modern times, you seek the police for issues; in ancient times, reporting to officials was difficult. There were good government officers, but more were bad, and the people dreaded the sight of officers; this showed that officials had quite a poor reputation among the people.

Tapping his fingers on the table, he finally stopped and sighed. Changing this is hard; once it’s bad, making it good is not easy.

At the Hou Residence, Zhulan signaled Qing Xue to put away the silver note and then flipped through a rare book. The Wen family was truly generous; no wonder they were a noble family; they offered rare treasures with deep heritage.

Chang Xhong drooled over the silver note, "Mother, we’ve struck it rich."

"Don’t think about the silver note. Let me tell you, you don’t lack silver, so why do you like saving so much? It’s fine to save, but using your own money, you’re just bullying me and your father."

Chang Xhong chuckled, "Mother, I’m not eyeing the silver note; my monthly allowance is gone, Mother."

Zhulan carefully placed the rare book, not storing it away yet, as Shuren wanted to read it at night. She turned to her son, "You used to save your monthly salary; have you been spending more lately?"

Chang Xhong spread his hands, "Your son was ensnared by the Fourth Prince."

The worst part is that although the Fourth Prince is the legitimate son, he’s surprisingly not generous at all, causing him much expenditure.

Zhulan laughed upon hearing this, "The Fourth Prince is frugal too?"

Chang Xhong, "...too?"

Zhulan found it hilarious, "Here’s ten taels of silver for you."

Looking at the silver, Chang Xhong realized he needed to find a way to earn money. The extra monthly expenditure was becoming unbearable for him.

Then the Empress’s gifts arrived, and Chang Xhong’s eyes widened. If only he learned half of his father’s skills.

After Zhulan placed the gemstones and jewelry into the treasury, someone handed in a card. Zhulan said to Qing Xue, "Our Hou Residence is truly bustling today."

Qing Xue, "Shall we turn them away?"

Zhulan thought for a moment and said, "Alright, recently, the Hou Residence won’t receive visitors."