Chapter 1503: Chapter 1503: Scheme
Zhulan’s words made Lady Li and Lady Zhao exchange glances, still unable to figure out what could have been misinterpreted—wasn’t it simply about Mother not going?
Zhulan didn’t explain further. Su Xuan spoke up, "Mother, are you still going then?"
Zhulan pondered for a moment, "I’ll go."
The Qie family has expressed their stance, and even if things get ugly, appearances must still be maintained.
Su Xuan took out the account book, "Mother, here are the orphanage accounts from the last seven days. Please take a look."
Zhulan took it and flipped through it. There were more children now, even orphans from Jinzhou Province had arrived.
Pinggang is a port city, and the one thing it’s never short of is labor—it has many children trying to make a living.
Steward Wang had investigated and found that several children aged thirteen or fourteen had come from the port of Pinggang. They had worked hard labor at the port, attended a few classes at the orphanage, and sent messages back to Pinggang. Gradually, more teenagers arrived, proof that these kids had foresight and understood the importance of literacy.
Because these children were ambitious and resourceful, they were selected as squad leaders, each responsible for ten other children.
Zhulan withdrew from her thoughts, put down the account book, and sighed, "Ah, there are too many children—the consumption of food is increasing rapidly."
Lady Li, who frequently oversaw the orphanage, said, "Mother, the greenhouse already has vegetables planted, and the children have leveled the fields. We’re just waiting to sow the seeds."
"Have Chang Li keep a closer watch; spring plowing will be particularly grueling for him."
Every year during spring plowing, her eldest son was the busiest. Now he also had to manage the orphanage, making spring plowing even harder for him.
Lady Li smiled and said, "Husband doesn’t find it tiring. He’s always happy to visit the orphanage. Mother, there are a few outstanding children there—should Husband select some to assist him in the future?"
Zhulan’s expression turned serious, "No matter how remarkable the children are, our Zhou family cannot pick them."
Su Xuan, quick to catch on, pointed to the sky, "Mother, are you saying...?"
Zhulan nodded lightly. The Empress Dowager had sent word that shipyard craftsmen had been chosen; once the children had some foundational training, they would be screened for aptitude in shipbuilding.
Lady Li dared not say anything further. She had only become invested after hearing so much from her husband.
At a teahouse near the Ministry of Rites, Chang Yi hadn’t seen the Princely Heir of Marquis Ogodei for a while. He swirled his teacup and said, "Didn’t the Princely Heir mention an important matter to discuss with me?"
The Princely Heir replied, "I’ve been busy purchasing estates lately. It took me some effort to acquire a suitable one, only to learn that your residence had encountered some trouble. Here are some medicinal materials for replenishing health—please accept them."
Chang Yi froze, staring at the medicinal materials in the box. He thought to himself how the Ogodei Tribe really had no shortage of good things. "Our two residences are not well acquainted. Such valuable medicinal materials are difficult to accept, but I appreciate the Princely Heir’s kindness."
The Princely Heir wasn’t offended; he was used to rejection. He personally poured tea for Zhou Changyi, "Marquis Zhou’s retaliation—did it bring satisfaction, Sir Zhou?"
Chang Yi’s lips curled faintly, "I don’t understand what the Princely Heir is trying to say."
The Princely Heir sneered, "Your residence’s young master has been injured. I’m willing to offer assistance."
Chang Yi’s mind reeled, "!!"
Was this person still hoping to become his apprentice? Bah, how foolish would he be to hand leverage directly to this ambitious princely heir?
The Princely Heir judged others by his own standards. If it were him, he would ensure there were no loose ends. Though Marquis Zhou had humiliated the Wen family, the Wen family’s grandson remained unharmed.
Chang Yi abruptly stood up, "I’ll pretend I didn’t hear any of the Princely Heir’s words today. Please refrain from speaking nonsense."
The Princely Heir watched Zhou Changyi leave through the door, pursing his lips. "Come out."
Wen Li entered, his face paling dramatically. "This is the solution you proposed? Zhou Changyi clearly isn’t falling for it."
The Princely Heir lowered his gaze. If Marquis Zhou hadn’t ignored him, he wouldn’t have had to ally with the Wen family. "The Marquis Zhou residence’s descendants are far too cautious."
Wen Li opened his mouth to retort, but the door suddenly swung open. Wen Li’s pupils shrank in disbelief.
Chang Yi had been on his way downstairs when his young servant, whose hearing was excellent, overheard the Princely Heir’s words. Realizing there was someone else inside, Chang Yi decided to return. The young servants accompanying the Zhou brothers were all highly skilled; as the guards at the door exchanged confused looks, a servant swiftly gagged one of them. Tsk, it was truly a fortuitous discovery.
The Princely Heir’s face turned an unattractive mix of green and purple as he watched the gagged guard.
Chang Yi walked back inside, under the stunned gazes of the two men, and picked up the medicinal box from the table—a box containing Hundred-Year Ginseng. Hugging it to his chest, he said, "I suspect you two of colluding and using this medicinal material to harm my nephew. I’ll present it to my father for examination. If any issues are discovered, I’ll ensure my father enters the palace to demand justice."
The Princely Heir took a deep breath, "There is no issue with the medicinal materials."
Chang Yi naturally knew that while this princely heir was ambitious, he wasn’t bold enough to act recklessly. He shot the two a cold glare and walked away with the box.
It was half an hour later when Zhou Shuren saw the medicinal materials—coincidentally, the Crown Prince was also present.
Chang Yi recounted the teahouse events under the Crown Prince’s watchful gaze. "I had an Imperial Physician examine the medicinal materials; there was nothing wrong with them. Father, how do you think we should handle these materials?"
The Crown Prince’s mouth twitched subtly. What issue could the materials possibly have? Clearly, this was a matter of vengeance, and now they wanted to claim the materials.
Zhou Shuren had already picked up the Hundred-Year Ginseng for closer inspection. "What a treasure. These tribes are so wealthy—wealthy enough to make one envious. Since the materials are meant for health restoration, take them back to the residence."
Chang Yi’s lips curled into a slight smile. See how calm Father was? "Understood."
Zhou Shuren added, "Don’t hand them all to your eldest brother. Split them among you and your brothers."
Chang Yi had initially wanted to give the Hundred-Year Ginseng to his father, but seeing his father’s decision, he could only comply, "Alright."
After Zhou Changyi left, the Crown Prince didn’t appear embarrassed. He didn’t have much affection for his maternal grandfather, Marquis Wen Rong, and had deliberately distanced himself over the years. The only person he held in some esteem was Wen Rong’s grandson, Wen Li. This attempt at manipulation had backfired so thoroughly, he didn’t even know what to say.
Not knowing was one thing—but now that he did, he felt compelled to comment. After a moment’s contemplation, he said, "Wen Li has a hot-headed nature. I believe his temperament needs some refining. What do you think, Marquis Zhou?"
"Excellent."
The Crown Prince taking action was even better.
The Crown Prince wasted no time. Upon leaving the Ministry of Revenue, he sent word to the Wen family. The eldest Wen promptly arranged for Wen Li to be sent to an estate outside the capital, stating it was to temper his character. When his personality improved, he could return to the capital—a timeline controlled by the Crown Prince.
That evening, Zhou Shuren mentioned the matter during their household discussions, "It’s a pity Chang Yi was the only one present. If someone else had been there to witness it, we could’ve had stronger leverage."
Without solid proof, things often escalated only to end in stalemate—both parties sticking to their stories, resulting in a mess. If the two men had reacted faster, they might’ve reversed the narrative by accusing Chang Yi of striking first to retaliate against the Wen family, stirring up even more trouble.
Thankfully, the two had been caught off guard and allowed Chang Yi to walk away with the medicinal materials, venting frustration.
Zhulan asked, "Wen Li belongs to the second wife. Do you think Master Wen knows about this?"
"I doubt it. At this juncture, he won’t dare provoke us. He’s afraid I might move against Wen He."
Zhulan commented quietly, "The second wife’s branch of the Wen family hates Ming Rui to the core."
"Indeed."