Chapter 1507: Amended: Chapter 1507 Reference
The Zhou family—Zhulan had already prepared a medicinal bath. When Zhou Shuren came back, he went straight into the bathroom, soaked in comfort, and came out to his wife giving him a massage, feeling as though all his aches were gone.
Zhulan asked, "Is there morning court tomorrow?"
"Yes, tomorrow’s court session will proceed as usual. The Emperor will speak on frugality."
Zhulan gestured for Shuren to raise his arm and applied a little more pressure as she said, "What do you think our meal standards should be set at?"
"The children’s nutrition should be ensured. Other than breakfast, two dishes and one soup per day will suffice. What do you think?"
"Fine."
Zhou Shuren said, "Last night, I dreamt of our son. That rascal cried and said how much he missed me. During the New Year, he wrote asking me to save his red envelope for him. I’ve been holding onto it all this time."
"Judging by the days, he should have set out already. In a few days, you’ll see your precious son."
"He’s been gone for over a year now. I regret letting him leave back then."
"Kids grow up sooner or later. You see, without us pampering him nearby, the child has grown more mature. If something ever happens to us, we can rest easy."
Zhou Shuren said gloomily, "I really don’t feel like leaving anymore. There are so many things left undone."
"You’re destined to toil."
"And so are you, worrying about this entire family."
Zhulan replied, "We’re two peas in a pod."
The next day’s morning court—sure enough, the Emperor brought up frugality. The palace cut down its expenses, and with the Emperor taking the lead, the ministers inwardly cursed but had no choice but to follow suit.
A few days later, Zhou Shuren finished discussing matters with the Emperor. The Emperor handed him a Zhezi accusing him of misconduct, saying, "Take a look."
Zhou Shuren flipped through it and said, "The beef at my home was sent by Prince Qin. He exchanged it for grain, as Your Majesty is well aware."
The Emperor, naturally knowing this, had also eaten some himself. "Is that the point? This Zhezi accuses you of not being frugal enough."
Zhou Shuren grew indignant. "Being famous has its downsides. Everyone wants to use me as a reference point."
After a brief pause, he added, "This Sir Xu, if I recall correctly, is rather old. He eats coarse grains and wild vegetables for every meal, with not even a hint of oil. Over time, his health will surely deteriorate. I’m afraid the Xu family will have to summon a doctor in the coming days."
The Emperor didn’t take the Zhezi to heart; otherwise, he wouldn’t have handed it to Zhou Shuren so casually. "I’ve already approved the response."
Only then did Zhou Shuren flip to the final approval and couldn’t help but laugh. Written on it was: "Your demonstration of frugality pleases Us greatly. Based on Our calculations, if you continue this way, you’ll surely be able to donate a hundred stones of grain by autumn."
The Xu family wasn’t exactly affluent; they were part of a fading gentry in the capital, and their days were modest. A hundred stones of grain was a significant amount for them.
Zhou Shuren set the Zhezi down and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
The Emperor remarked, "For the sake of your health, do not be overly harsh on yourself."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Noticing the Emperor’s good mood, Zhou Shuren ventured to ask, "I believe I recently saw my grandson, Jiang An, in the capital. Your Majesty, have they returned?"
The Emperor tapped the desk and said, "You were mistaken."
Zhou Shuren immediately understood—it was indeed Jiang An. As for Jiang Ping, he must be lurking in the shadows. These two grandchildren, one in the light and one in the dark—they had become tools of the royal family. Alas.
Leaving the government hall, Zhou Shuren ran into the Crown Prince. "Greetings, Your Highness."
The Crown Prince’s eyes lit up. "Sir Zhou, Grandfather was just talking about you."
"How is the Retired Emperor’s health?"
The Crown Prince maintained a calm expression, but a trace of worry lingered in his heart. Grandfather’s health had notably declined in the past year or two, making him prone to illness. "Much better now."
"Once the Retired Emperor has fully recovered, I will pay him a visit."
"Grandfather will surely be pleased."
Zhou Shuren took his leave and departed, thoughts lingering on the Retired Emperor. Old age had severely weakened his body—how many more years did he have? Zhou Shuren couldn’t resist glancing back at the Crown Prince walking into the hall. The one who least desired the Retired Emperor’s passing was likely the Crown Prince himself.
At noon in the Ministry of Rites, Sir Liu stared at his wild vegetable buns in disbelief. "Must our meals be this frugal?"
Chang Yi, equally speechless, looked at his own, which consisted of wild vegetable buns, a plate of wild greens, and a plate of fish. "I have to commend whoever managed to dig up so many wild greens."
Sir Liu couldn’t stomach it. "We had rice yesterday, but this is way too sudden of a downgrade."
"Perhaps the ministries are secretly competing to see who can be the most frugal?"
Sir Liu let out a sarcastic chuckle and lowered his voice. "Our newly-appointed Minister of Rites certainly has his share of clever ideas. I refuse to believe the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War is eating like this!"
Chang Yi took a bite of the wild vegetable bun. "I haven’t eaten this stuff in years."
Sir Liu pushed his whole plate of vegetable buns over. "Then you eat it. We mustn’t waste during times of thrift—I’m giving it all to you."
He didn’t want to eat even a single bite, deciding instead to go home hungry for a proper meal.
Chang Yi rubbed his forehead and said, "Half each."
Sir Liu replied, "... I was finally being generous for once."
"Your generosity is unnecessary."
Sir Liu felt full just looking at the vegetable bun. "Do you think the Grand Master of Writing is eating this as well?"
"To emphasize his point, he’s likely just as strict on himself."
Sir Liu groaned, "I’m taking a day off tomorrow. When will this ever end?"
Chang Yi patted his future in-law. "You’re not the only one reluctant to eat. Many in the Ministry of Rites feel the same."
Sir Liu didn’t feel any better hearing this. He still felt his lot in life was miserable—he just couldn’t bring himself to eat.
Back at the Zhou household, Zhulan anxiously stood up after hearing the report. "How did the children end up with diarrhea? Did the doctor see them?"
Steward Wang, sweating profusely, replied, "The doctor has checked them. He said they ate something they shouldn’t have."
Zhulan pursed her lips, determined to handle the issue properly—too many people had their eyes on the Zhou family. "Fetch whatever medicinal ingredients are needed immediately."
"We’ve already sent someone."
Zhulan insisted on seeing for herself and instructed for a carriage to be prepared. "I’ll go back with you. Invite Doctor Wu over as well. Gather plenty of medicinal herbs."
She then turned to Qing Xue. "Bring some millet and red dates. The children need nourishment now."
Qing Xue hurried off to make arrangements. Zhulan herself quickly changed clothes and left a written note behind. Because there were so many children, she had specially arranged for a doctor at the orphanage, but still, trouble had arisen.
There were just too many children, and the number of doctors wasn’t sufficient. A couple more needed to be hired, and ideally, some of the children could be trained as apprentices. Alas, the orphanage was severely understaffed.
By the time Zhulan arrived, the children’s condition had slightly improved; they were no longer vomiting.
The room had been specially cleaned and divided to separate boys and girls. The air inside wasn’t pleasant, and twenty children lay weakly on the heated brick bed.
Zhulan asked the doctor, "Have you identified what exactly the children ate by mistake?"