Chapter 1645: Chapter 1645 Guess
Chang Zhi couldn’t keep talking to Gu Sheng forever. After answering, he went to admire paintings with his friends. Chang Zhi loves reading and has a vast collection of books at home. His friends are all talented, and their conversations are lively.
However, Gu Sheng didn’t join in and sat down to drink tea instead, feeling somewhat absent-minded. He liked painting plum blossoms and had painted many Plum Blossom Paintings. He mocked himself internally for overthinking while tracing the teacup with his fingers.
In Yu Wen’s courtyard, Yu Die snatched a book, "Mr. Gu is here today."
"I know."
Yu Die came for some gossip, but her sister’s calm demeanor put out her enthusiasm. "Aren’t you going to do something about it?"
Yu Wen took back her book and turned to the page she was reading, "A single painting of snow-covered plum blossoms is enough."
She preferred to silently weave a big net, bit by bit. Moreover, her father was currently enjoying secretly testing potential future sons-in-law.
Yu Die was speechless, "That’s too subtle. A single Plum Blossom Painting and nothing else? If I were Gu Sheng, I wouldn’t overthink it at all."
Yu Wen smiled, "I don’t need him to think too much, as long as he has some trace of it in his heart."
Yu Die shuddered, "I’ve realized that between our sisters, you’re actually the most terrifying one."
Yu Wen, "Thank you for the compliment."
Yu Die decided she couldn’t afford to offend Yu Wen in the future. This girl didn’t provoke her, went about things quietly, but if angered, who knew what kind of revenge she might take.
Yu Die couldn’t concentrate on the book and left after sitting for a short while.
Yu Wen’s personal maid asked, "Miss, shall I go to the front courtyard to find out some news?"
"No need."
After all, her father would tell her when he returned; why go through the trouble herself?
In the front courtyard, Chang Zhi noticed Gu Sheng drinking tea quietly. He signaled to his friends to continue admiring the paintings and walked up to Gu Sheng, "Why didn’t you go over there?"
Gu Sheng smiled, "I’m already honored to see two paintings today. Listening and appreciating from here is fine."
Chang Zhi, "I heard that Scholar Zhang, who values talent, plans to betroth his concubine’s youngest daughter to you."
With Gu Sheng’s increasing visits to the palace, Zhuo Guyu found it hard to suppress him. More people were beginning to take note of Gu Sheng. Who wouldn’t like a promising young man?
Gu Sheng was surprised, "Who did you hear that from?"
Chang Zhi, "Scholar Zhang asked me about you."
"You also know I won’t marry just because of rumors."
Chang Zhi squinted, "So, are you planning to marry?"
Gu Sheng quickly shook his head, "I won’t compromise because of rumors; my thoughts haven’t changed."
Chang Zhi’s smile deepened, and he stood up to pat Gu Sheng on the shoulder, "You’re quite impressive."
Gu Sheng felt stunned, lost in thought. He found it hard to suppress his feelings but then shook his head, thinking that Lord Zhou was merely concerned about him. As for having no other thoughts, only he knew the truth.
At noon, in the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren was surprised to see the Crown Prince, "Aren’t you supposed to be trying on your wedding robes today?"
Crown Prince, "I’ve finished trying them on, so I came back."
Zhou Shuren looked up at the Crown Prince and said with a smile, "When I first met Your Highness, you were just a child. It’s been years, and now you’re getting married."
Crown Prince was uncharacteristically shy, "I’ll be moving out of the palace soon."
Zhou Shuren laughed, "In the future, the Crown Prince will be just like us old ministers attending court."
Living inside the palace was convenient for attending court, but outside, it would be a hassle.
The Crown Prince burst out laughing; he knew how much Marquis Zhou detested early mornings.
Zhou Shuren pushed the account books on the table towards the Crown Prince, "These accounts need to be studied carefully by the Crown Prince."
The Crown Prince looked at the thick account books, "Alright."
He had learned a lot in the Ministry of Revenue, and the more he learned, the more he appreciated Marquis Zhou’s prowess.
After the Guards picked up the account books, the Crown Prince stood up, "Thank you for your hard work, Marquis Zhou."
Without Marquis Zhou, the country wouldn’t have developed as well as it had; Zhou’s governance ensured the nation’s stability and prosperity.
Zhou Shuren was very satisfied with the Crown Prince. The Emperor had groomed an excellent successor, and when he thought of the movements of the Second Prince, they were quite lacking in comparison.
The Crown Prince returned to his private room, and Eunuch Li asked, "Why didn’t the Crown Prince tell Marquis Zhou that the Emperor reprimanded the Second Prince today?"
The Crown Prince took an account book and said, "Marquis Zhou doesn’t care about Second Brother’s actions. He knows that even without Second Brother, Zhou Changyi’s power would still need to be shared."
Eunuch Li paused for a moment, then quietly retreated to the side, silently lamenting. He thought he had seen much while following the Crown Prince growing up, yet now he realized his own shallowness.
Two days later, during the morning court, the Emperor entered the hall with a stern face. The ministers exchanged puzzled glances; this year, the weather had been favorable, without floods or droughts, and the Emperor’s good mood leading up to the Crown Prince’s wedding was hard to hide. What was wrong today?
The Emperor looked sharply at the ministers, "An urgent message arrived from the grasslands last night."
Zhou Shuren fixed his gaze on the Emperor. Something must have happened on the grasslands for the Emperor to be so angry, and he was worried about his grandson!
But after speaking, the Emperor fell silent, intentionally waiting to see the ministers’ reactions.
Zhou Shuren was anxious but had to wait patiently.
The Emperor’s gaze deepened, "Wu Ming was ambushed while inspecting the pastures. Fortunately, Zhou Mingyun was with him and brought numerous guards, allowing Wu Ming to escape danger."
Zhou Shuren breathed out; as long as his grandson was fine, he pondered who was responsible for the attack. The division of the grasslands into regions was successful, and Wu Ming was truly the big shot. The changes in the grasslands were evident, with visible results, especially from tax revenues. Wu Ming held significant weight in the Emperor’s heart.
Someone wanted to reap the benefits of Wu Ming’s work, which led to the assassination attempt.
Emperor, "Indeed, indeed, quite well done. A hundred attackers, I find it hard to believe there was no insider. The strategy of killing with borrowed knives is used effectively."
He was enraged that just as the grasslands had stabilized, this assassination attempt, if successful, could lead to a resurgence of powers not fully eradicated. If the grasslands were unstable, years of efforts would be in vain, and much manpower and resources had been invested in developing the grasslands.
Zhou Shuren couldn’t hold back and stepped forward, "Your Majesty, are Wu Ming and my grandson safe?"
The Emperor cooled his anger, "Neither of them was injured."
Zhou Shuren stepped back; the Emperor’s rage didn’t need any added fuel from him, making him seem aggressive. The Emperor would definitely conduct a thorough investigation. He just needed to wait for the results.
Sometimes, by not fighting, one actually fights, as in this moment. The Emperor knew and trusted Marquis Zhou, anticipating that despite being protective, he didn’t cause a scene in court, showing his trust.
After the morning court, the Emperor sent people to investigate. In small groups, they walked together, and even if they couldn’t openly discuss, their exchanged glances spoke volumes.
Wong Ju consoled, "Don’t worry."
Zhou Shuren, "Mm."
He truly wasn’t worried. He trusted Wu Ming’s ability. If someone targeted Wu Ming, they should be prepared for retaliation from the big shot. Did they really think Wu Ming was easy to deal with?
Wong Ju noticed the schadenfreude on Zhou Shuren’s face, "!!"
Zhou Shuren was in a good mood, "Someone’s going to be in trouble."
The Emperor wouldn’t be lenient. This time, they had crossed the Emperor’s bottom line.
Wong Ju swallowed, "Should I know something?"
Zhou Shuren looked at the ministers walking ahead, his gaze distant, "I’m just speculating."
"What did you speculate?"
Zhou Shuren sneered, "Some people are too impatient."