Chapter 1517: Chapter 1517: Passing Away
In the evening, the Zhou family enjoyed a lively hotpot meal. Had it not been for their commitment to frugality, the variety of side dishes would have been even more complete. Fortunately, there was an abundance of fresh vegetables now, making it a decent hotpot.
The lingering gloom over the Hou Residence finally dissipated. The news spread across the capital, and countless people secretly cursed the Zhou family’s good fortune.
After the hotpot, Zhulan, in high spirits, strolled through the garden with Zhou Shuren. Their full bellies comfortably settled, and after returning for a bath, the couple intended to chat for a while. However, as soon as their heads hit the pillows, they fell asleep.
They slept soundly until dawn. Zhou Shuren almost couldn’t force himself up when the morning came. Dazed as he woke, he washed his face and headed to morning court in good spirits.
Zhou Shuren smiled at everyone he met, and the officials all extended their congratulations.
As court adjourned, Zhou Shuren fixed his gaze on Mr. Qie. Uneasy under the scrutiny, Mr. Qie asked, “Marquis Zhou, why are you staring so intently at me?”
“I find Mr. Qie’s laughter particularly pleasing to look at and wanted to see it again,” Zhou Shuren replied.
Mr. Qie: “…”
Zhou Shuren added, “Mr. Qie has been laughing every day these past few days. Why aren’t you laughing today? I’m quite unaccustomed to it. How about one more smile?”
Mr. Qie’s expression turned somber. He had been gleeful in recent days, gloating over the Zhou family’s misfortunes. Meanwhile, his younger son had been sending daily letters pleading to return to the capital. The newly cultivated land out there had nothing—residents were living in tents, and the food situation was poor. His son, never subjected to such hardships, was suffering greatly. Harboring resentment toward Zhou Shuren, the worse things went for the Zhou family, the happier he felt.
Zhou Shuren stepped closer. “Mr. Qie, I’m waiting!”
Old Master Wen intervened, “Marquis, there’s no need to force Mr. Qie to laugh.”
“Did I say anything unbecoming? Did I threaten Mr. Qie? Certainly not. I merely asked a normal question—how does that qualify as forcing anyone to laugh? Old Master, speak no nonsense. Mr. Qie isn’t someone who sells smiles; surely, I can’t compel him to laugh?”
Mr. Qie’s face darkened. “Zhou Shuren, don’t be so excessive.”
Zhou Shuren coldly flicked his sleeves. “Heh, so Mr. Qie still knows the meaning of the word ‘excessive’? I had thought you long forgot how to spell it.”
Mr. Qie: “You–”
Zhou Shuren interrupted him, “If you truly want to settle this, I am more than willing to oblige. Let’s go through everything from the beginning carefully. How about it? Perfect timing—I’ll report it all to the Emperor. How about we go together?”
Old Master Wen knew full well they were in the wrong. The Emperor would undoubtedly side with Zhou Shuren, and the Retired Emperor’s interest in the Rong family was well-known. He had no desire to attract the Retired Emperor’s attention.
Only a fool would go alongside Zhou Shuren, especially knowing how venomous his tongue could be and what kind of complaints he might make.
As Zhou Shuren coldly watched the two walk away after flicking their sleeves, he thought back to the recent days when he had held back for the sake of his grandson. Now that the boy was fine, every grudge was duly remembered.
In the government hall, the Emperor and Crown Prince were both well aware of the clash that followed court. The Emperor signaled to the eunuch to dismiss himself. “Zhou Shuren is quite the grudge-holder. After bottling it up for so many days, he’s bound to let off steam.”
The Crown Prince silently thought to himself that the Qie family had indeed gone too far. “Grandfather is also very displeased.”
The Emperor remarked, “As long as things don’t spiral out of control, let’s pretend not to know.”
The Crown Prince privately noted that both his grandfather and father were partial to the Zhou family. Given Father’s longstanding dissatisfaction with the Qie family, not only would he refrain from siding with them, but he might even help Zhou Shuren gain the upper hand.
The Emperor continued reviewing Zhezi. After fifteen minutes, Zhou Shuren entered and placed his Zhezi down, signaling Eunuch Zhang to take the ledger. “Sit, Shuren.”
Zhou Shuren did not stand on ceremony and waited for the Emperor to finish reviewing the ledger.
The Emperor quickly thumbed through the pages. “Hasn’t the expenditure over the past seven days been excessive?”
Zhou Shuren’s gaze turned somber. “Your Majesty, this subject has said there’s no silver, yet each time you approve a request for reallocating funds from elsewhere. What choice do I have?”
The Emperor’s expression turned faintly awkward. “Ah, I’m out of options too. Look, all the Zhezi on that desk are petitions for funds. I’ve already filtered out the most urgent ones for approval.”
Zhou Shuren sighed. “Your Majesty, the national treasury really doesn’t have much silver left.”
The Emperor fell silent. Usually, he wouldn’t believe claims of having no silver, but Zhou Shuren’s straightforward statement convinced him otherwise. “Should we consider tapping into the gold reserves?”
Zhou Shuren’s expression became indescribable.
The Emperor: “…”
From within his robes, Zhou Shuren took out another Zhezi. “Here’s a suggestion from this subject.”
It was actually advice from his wife. When the Zhezi had been written, Ming Teng had not yet encountered trouble. He had originally planned to select a suitable time to submit it but had shelved it following Ming Teng’s misfortune.
The Emperor curiously accepted the Zhezi and squinted at its contents. “Shuren suggests organizing medicine workshops under the Imperial Court’s name?”
“Yes. This subject researched this year’s top foreign exports—fabric and medicinal herbs were the leaders. And that’s with export volumes already restricted; otherwise, there’d be even more.”
Had a ban not been placed on grain exports, grain would have topped the list. Fortunately, the ban had been implemented early, barring grain exports. The Imperial Court had also imported grain from neighboring nations. While some countries wanted to sell, it turned out they didn’t have grain available. Others with reserves simply refused to sell.
The Emperor gleaned more implications from the Zhezi—it wasn’t merely about exports alone. “You wish for the Imperial Court to control medicinal herbs?”
“The Imperial Court already has nationwide control over doctors. Adding medicinal herbs into the fold makes perfect sense. Medicine encompasses both practitioners and supplies.”
With the Medical Department becoming steadily more established, only doctors registered with the Imperial Court could practice medicine. The court had already reaped substantial benefits from this system.
Zhou Shuren continued, “By commandeering control over medicinal herbs, the Imperial Court could maximize their exchange for vital resources we currently lack.”
Historically, Chinese medicine had been unmatched in expertise. Foreign countries were still employing archaic practices like bloodletting. As maritime trade expanded, more people abroad recognized the value of Chinese medicine, even paying exorbitant prices to invite doctors overseas. However, few doctors were willing to leave their homeland for foreign countries.
This led to a high demand for pills from the Imperial Hospital. Ambassadors from various nations sought to acquire as many pills as possible each time they visited.
The Emperor flipped through the Zhezi once more. “Out of the pills produced by the Imperial Hospital, select those with the lowest costs of production and focus on them.”
It was clear that the Emperor had consented. In truth, he had some regrets. He had long entertained thoughts of reforming the silk industry, but the Jiangnan region was far too complex. Certain matters were beyond his reach. Unlike medicine, which the court had already laid the groundwork for—integrating the herbs was a natural step.
At Zhou Family Village, Zhou Laoda received news of Mr. Dong’s death and hurriedly went to visit his niece. Upon reaching the courtyard gate, he encountered a young servant, who promptly greeted him, “Greetings to the Princely Heir.”
Zhou Laoda acknowledged the servant briefly and then stepped into the courtyard to find his niece already dressed and frowning. “Where is Mufan?”
“Uncle, he hasn’t returned yet.”
Jiang Miu hadn’t shed any tears over Mr. Dong’s passing. She had only ever visited the Dong family during festivals for brief appearances—there was no emotional connection. With the old man gone, she couldn’t summon any grief even if she wanted to.
Zhou Laoda turned and saw Mufan arriving with Jiang Ming together. He remarked, “I won’t be accompanying you today. I’ll leave the carriage for you two to use.”
The Hou Residence’s carriage was very spacious and comfortably outfitted. He cared deeply for his pregnant niece, having watched her grow up like his own daughter.
Dong Yiyi responded, “Thank you, Princely Heir.”
For the sake of her future child, she thickened her face and accepted.
Zhou Laoda told his niece, “Today, there will surely be a large crowd. Be mindful and don’t let anyone leave your side.”
Jiang Miu understood—there was bound to be turmoil at the Dong household today.
Zhou Laoda looked at Mufan and prompted him, “Mufan, take good care of your wife.”
“Understood, Uncle. I will take care of her,” replied Mufan.
“Good,” Zhou Laoda said with a nod.