CHAPTER 1769: CHAPTER 1769: NOWHERE TO BE SEEN

In the blink of an eye, the results of the provincial exam were out. Chang Xhong did not go to see the results; instead, he revisited articles he had written a few days ago, reflecting anew.

Ming Hui, however, kept glancing towards the door, wanting to know if his uncle had taken the top spot.

A young servant ran in, "Congratulations, young master, for securing the top spot."

After his initial delight, Ming Hui hurriedly asked, "What about me, what about me?"

The young servant laughed heartily, "Young Master Ming Hui got third place."

Ming Hui was satisfied, "Congratulations, Uncle."

Chang Xhong, feeling quite confident, was still pleased to get the confirmation, "Congratulations to us both. Let’s celebrate well today."

The servants in the courtyard received a reward in silver, and other clan members came one after another to offer congratulations. The entire Zhou clan’s young members had passed the provincial exam, and the courtyard was filled with joy.

Before long, gifts arrived, but Chang Xhong politely declined them without exception.

Chang Xhong did not feel the need to compromise himself; he didn’t meet anyone from outside today but accepted invitations. He chose the invitation from the Magistrate’s son and planned to meet tomorrow.

Ming Hui played with the invitation card in his hand, "Uncle really plans to attend the meeting!"

"Yes, after receiving the invitation twice and being too busy with the provincial exam the first time, now that it’s over, meetings are due. Regardless of the Magistrate’s intentions, this face must be given to the Zhou clan in Pingzhou."

Ming Hui, "I’ll go tomorrow too."

"Of course, you should go."

At the Government Office, the Magistrate Mr. Li was reviewing articles and spoke to his son, "Take a look at Young Master Zhou’s article."

Cheng Xiang curled his lips, "Father, I’ve already become a Scholar."

The Magistrate’s eyes widened in anger, "Don’t think becoming a Scholar is so impressive; you barely passed the threshold. Can you be confident about the Qiu Wei?"

Cheng Xiang replied dryly, "Half confident."

The Magistrate was even angrier, "If you were dull-witted, I wouldn’t be angry, but why can’t you just work hard?"

Cheng Xiang wanted to cover his ears, having heard these words too many times, "Father, Young Master Zhou accepted the invitation, I’ll prepare first."

The Magistrate watched his son run off, his anger growing. If he had more than one son, he would ignore him, and when he looked back at the articles, he felt even more bitter.

In the capital, at Marquis Zhou’s residence, Xue Han returned to her family, Zhulan asked, "Did you see the Empress upon entering the palace yesterday?"

Xue Han nodded, "I did. This illness has drained most of her vitality; I saw that the Empress has white hair."

Zhulan, "White hair?"

Xue Han nodded. She initially thought she was seeing things but confirmed it after several glances; the Empress had visibly aged from this illness.

Xue Han felt some unease, "I have a bad feeling."

Especially when chatting with the Empress, the profound emotions and attitudes made her sense even more pronounced.

Zhulan, "Is Her Majesty feeling any better?"

Xue Han paused in silence, "Her Majesty said she feels much better."

Zhulan caught the key point, did the Empress say so herself?

Xue Han sighed, "The Second Prince is about to get married, followed by the Third Prince."

Her intuition told her that the Empress might not endure this time.

Zhulan said, "This time, the Empress’s serious illness has not been kept secret, so the Second Prince should be the most anxious."

With the impending marriage, the Liu family and the Second Prince were most worried; without the marriage, the Second Prince would just continue idling in the Ministry of Rites. The Second Prince sincerely hoped the Empress would recover well.

Xue Han thought it over, "Princess Jingxuan is taking care of the Empress."

Zhulan, "The princess is a good child."

Xue Han liked Jingxuan quite a bit and felt reassured seeing the Empress and Jingxuan getting along well.

At night, when Zhulan and Zhou Shuren were about to sleep, Zhulan mentioned the Empress, and Zhou Shuren said, "It’s not just the Second Prince who’s anxious."

"What do you mean?"

Zhou Shuren said, "There are quite a few people eyeing the Crown Prince’s harem. Due to mourning for the Retired Emperor, no one has been allowed in for a long time, and now that it’s finally about to pass the anniversary, if the Empress has any mishap, it will be delayed again. Don’t you think they’re anxious?"

Zhulan, "..."

Indeed, there’s reason to be anxious; a young girl’s prime years in ancient times are just those few. Continuously delaying cannot be afforded, and the daughters raised meticulously by noble families shouldn’t be wasted like this.

Zhou Shuren continued, "The Emperor is in a bad mood."

Zhulan sighed, "The legally wedded wife of long-standing companionship is truly different. The Emperor isn’t someone who indulges in female allure much and has always respected his legitimate wife. If something truly goes wrong with the Empress, the Emperor would naturally be distressed."

The Emperor indeed felt distressed as several revisions of the prescriptions by the Imperial Physician hadn’t had significant effects. The Empress’s body couldn’t retain the efficacy of the medication, requiring daily doses without a break.

The Crown Prince finally finished reviewing the memorials for the day; in recent days, he had been handling the memorials as his father’s focus was on his mother.

The Crown Prince saw the Emperor sitting quietly, "Father, it’s getting late. You should rest."

The Emperor returned to his senses, "Finished handling everything?"

"There are some uncertain matters that I’ve set aside separately."

The Emperor stood up and walked over to review them, his brows sometimes furrowing, sometimes relaxing, then he picked up the brush to revise some marks and pointed out the inappropriate areas, "You’ve spent some time in the Ministry of Justice; after a while, transfer to the Ministry of Personnel."

The Crown Prince, "Understood."

The Emperor said, "Go rest."

The Crown Prince didn’t move, "Father, you should rest too."

The Emperor expressed that he understood. After his son left, he returned to his sleeping quarters. People all like to reminisce, and these days he often thought of the days just after getting married, but memories are still just memories.

Next morning, after the early court session, Zhou Shuren smiled at everyone, making it difficult for anyone to inquire. He didn’t say a word and faced everyone with a smile the entire time.

After several attempts, no one could find out anything and gradually gave up; Marquis Zhou had no intention to reveal any information.

Some wanted to inquire from the Wen family, but unfortunately, with the Empress seriously ill, no one from the Wen family was seen. Indeed, no one was seen, and any requests to enter the palace from the Wen family were all declined.

The patriarch of the Wen family had a terribly grim face and snorted heavily as he passed Zhou Shuren.

Zhou Shuren acted as if he didn’t hear it. He fully understood that it was awkward for the Wen family since the Empress refused to see her family.

Mr. Li moved his lips, but eventually sighed and didn’t approach. He wasn’t shameless enough.

Though he was anxious too, lately, the Second Prince hadn’t been seen, and he also feared the delay of the marriage, wasting all the efforts made for his daughter’s prospects.

In Chuanzhou Province, Chang Zhi’s early arrival turned out to be fortuitous. Just as he entered Xiaoxi village, he encountered debt collectors, with five or six burly men blocking the courtyard aggressively – precisely the family Chang Zhi intended to visit.

The villagers seemed used to it. Though fearful, they watched from a distance.

Chang Zhi got off the carriage, and as he walked to the villagers, he heard crying from the courtyard.

An old villager muttered, "What a sin."

Chang Zhi asked, "Sir, what happened here?"

The old man turned and scrutinized him, his expression vigilant, "You look unfamiliar."

Chang Zhi smiled, "I’m a Scholar traveling widely for learning and happened to pass through the village, so I asked when I saw something happen."

Upon hearing he was a Scholar, the old man’s vigilance vanished, "It’s the Ding family that’s having trouble. They, too, had a Scholar, but unfortunately, they lost the title, yet still borrowed money with interest. Is interest easy to borrow? Compound interest is deadly. Without silver, it causes daily commotion, and something’s bound to happen."

The old man quickly headed towards the Ding family with other villagers, having heard the cries and wailing as well.