CHAPTER 1524: CHAPTER 1524: TESTING

Zhou Shuren attended court today with only his ears, not even bothering to glance at Mr. Qie, intently listening to the continuous petitions criticizing the Qie family.

Mr. Lin was stunned. He had merely delegated someone to handle the matter, yet one after another, petitions against the Qie family poured in. Swallowing nervously, he wondered, "Was this all arranged by Marquis Zhou?"

Mr. Qie was slightly panicked. He had been too complacent lately, floating high for a brief moment, and now to have so many people accusing the Qie family—worse still, he had no forewarning at all.

Mr. Qie’s gaze fell upon his in-laws, and a sinking feeling settled in his heart. Had the Wen family caught wind of this?

Taking a deep breath, Mr. Qie realized it was too late to ponder anything further. He stepped forward and cried out his grievance, "Your Majesty, these accusations are baseless slander! I am innocent!"

The Emperor, having already read the petitions, tossed them aside. "See for yourself."

Mr. Qie hesitated to look because he knew some accusations were true. He was well aware of the misdeeds his family had committed.

One of the officials, long envious of the pharmaceutical workshops, stepped forward to strike a blow. "Your Majesty, the merchants Mr. Qie selected for the pharmaceutical trade committed such heinous acts. I cannot trust Mr. Qie. The medicinal products are meant to save lives! I implore Your Majesty to see this clearly."

Other officials who harbored ulterior motives also spoke up. After all, when else would there be a better time to kick a man when he’s down?

Zhou Shuren’s expression remained unchanged, though inwardly he admitted that Mr. Qie was indeed a capable individual. How much effort had it taken for him to perfect the pharmaceutical workshop’s framework in so little time? The feeling of having one’s hard-earned gains snatched away must be utterly miserable. But one should never be too arrogant—sooner or later, debts incurred in this world must be repaid.

The Emperor couldn’t help but glance at Zhou Shuren again, curious whether he had a hand in this. Nonetheless, regardless of the details, the result he desired had been achieved.

The Emperor officially announced the removal of Mr. Qie’s oversight of the pharmaceutical workshops—a blow that was far from insignificant for Mr. Qie.

When Zhou Shuren left court, he saw Mr. Qie’s despondent expression. And that was just the beginning; an investigation was still pending. With a faint smile, Zhou Shuren cast him a cursory glance before leaving ahead of him.

Mr. Lin didn’t keep up. He wasn’t sure how deeply Marquis Zhou was involved, but he did know how vengeful the marquis could be. The Qie family hadn’t held back in gloating over Zhou family’s misfortunes lately, and though time had passed, Marquis Zhou surely hadn’t forgotten. He clicked his tongue twice in thought—having such an in-law had its pros and cons. While the benefits were undeniable, if the Lin family ever wronged the Zhou family, they would undoubtedly face retribution.

At the Zhou residence, Xue Han had returned to visit her parental home. Zhulan asked, "Why didn’t Lin Xi and Zeze come along?"

"They’ve been with Father for the past few days, working on cultivating two types of greenhouse crops."

Zhulan nodded. "It’s true—now that the royal offspring have grown up, it wouldn’t be appropriate to constantly have them in the palace."

"Lin Xi and Zeze also don’t enjoy going to the palace—it’s full of scheming everywhere."

Zhulan thought, this is the imperial family indeed. "I heard the Emperor is considering choosing a prince consort for the Eldest Princess?"

"That’s just a rumor. I heard from Mother during my last visit to the palace that the Emperor isn’t planning to marry off his daughter so soon—it can wait a year or two."

"The Emperor dotes on his daughters."

Xue Han thought to herself, "Rare things are precious." With only two princesses in the entire harem, it was no wonder. Suddenly thinking of the Ning family, she said, "By the way, Mother, Madam Yu is ill."

Zhulan was surprised. "Ning Zhixiang’s wife? I remember her being in good health. How did she fall ill? Is it serious?"

"Quite serious. The Imperial Physicians have been treating her for some time, but not only has she not improved, she’s worsened. I went to visit yesterday—she’s become alarmingly thin. It’s disheartening how one could be fine one day and gravely ill the next."

Zhulan hadn’t seen Madam Yu often and hadn’t paid much attention to her. Now hearing this news, she felt quite reflective. "I remember Ning Zhixiang himself being in poor health."

Xue Han sighed. "Indeed. Now, both husband and wife are unwell. Madam Yu refuses to accept her fate and continues searching for skilled doctors. If the two of them don’t recover, only Ning Ming will be left."

Zhulan remarked, "Ning Ming should be considering marriage by now, shouldn’t he?"

Xue Han shook her head. "Not yet. Madam Yu has high standards. Even though they’ve separated from the Ning Duke Residence, they still rely on its influence. She hasn’t been satisfied with the matches she’s seen, and Ning Ming himself is determined to achieve academic distinction before marrying. It’s been dragged on and on."

Zhulan thought of Chang Zhi’s disciple, Ning Yang. Back then, there had been intentions of marriage between the families. But as Ning Yang and Yu Wen grew older, neither developed romantic feelings, and Ning Yang eventually became engaged elsewhere.

Sighing, Zhulan remarked, "Ning Ming has it tough."

A father in frail health, a mother gravely ill—the child’s heart must bear heavy burdens.

Xue Han added, "I heard from Uncle that Madam Yu doesn’t have much time left."

Zhulan’s face grew stern. "If she doesn’t make it, won’t Ning Ming have to mourn and miss the imperial examinations?"

Xue Han felt sympathy for the boy—so unambitious and yet burdened—having to bear the weight of the family. "That’s why Madam Yu is clinging to life, refusing to die, if only for Ning Ming’s sake."

But Xue Han couldn’t shake a bad feeling—Madam Yu seemed devoid of vitality.

Zhulan sighed. "Is there truly no way to save her?"

Xue Han shook her head. "Uncle even petitioned the Emperor to send the chief physician, but Madam Yu’s illness is beyond curing. It’s just a matter of enduring a few more days."

Zhulan lamented, "Do what you can to look out for Ning Ming in the future. The boy has it hard."

"He’s already lost a lot of weight—there isn’t much flesh left on him. Whatever faults Madam Yu may have had, there’s no denying her genuine love for her only son."

"I’ll ask your second sister-in-law to visit and bring some nourishing medicines over."

"Actually, Ning Zhixiang’s branch doesn’t lack Silver."

Xue Han nodded, recalling the wealth they were allocated during the division of the Ning family’s estate—enough to last several lifetimes.

When Zhou Shuren returned, Zhulan brought up Madam Yu. "Ah, all the scheming in the world can’t compare to fate."

"At least we’re still in good health."

"Yes, that’s a blessing. By the way, now that the Qie family has been removed from overseeing the pharmaceutical workshops, who did the Emperor entrust it to?"

Zhou Shuren replied, "The Wang family."

Zhulan mulled it over. "Wang Huifei’s maternal clan?"

"Yes. Huifei bore two sons. As a titled concubine, the Emperor has increasingly favored the Wang clan these past years. When the Liu family trampled the Qie family, the Emperor used the opportunity to elevate the Wang family."

Zhulan sneered, "The Liu family gained nothing and inadvertently benefited Huifei’s maternal relatives. Now the Qie family resents the Liu family and the Wang family alike. What a brilliant maneuver."

Zhou Shuren added, "Huifei has two sons. Apart from the Empress, she’s the only one in the harem to have two princes. The Wang family used to be quiet and unassuming, but now, with two princes, do you really think they won’t aspire to more?"

Zhulan responded pensively, "The fact that Huifei could bear two sons suggests that she holds a special place in the Emperor’s heart. It’s not surprising. Xue Han mentioned that Huifei has always been deferential to the Empress and refrains from competing—a demeanor that aligns with the Emperor’s preferences."

Zhou Shuren detected a hint of sarcasm in his wife’s tone and cleared his throat. "You’re the only one in my heart."

Zhulan chuckled. No matter her age, she still enjoyed hearing it. "By bringing the Wang family into prominence, the Emperor is undoubtedly testing and preempting their ambitions."

"It’s also a trial of sorts. If they remain clear-headed, all will be well. But should they overreach, the Emperor will undoubtedly cool his favor towards Huifei."

For the Emperor, his priority above all else was the Crown Prince, even over legitimate-born Prince Four.