Chapter 1512: Chapter 1512: Avalanche
Zhulan’s eldest son came to the main courtyard, and Jiang Zhu and his wife also arrived. Jiang Zhu said, "Grandmother, we’ll return home with my eldest uncle."
"Good, traveling together provides mutual support."
Zhulan glanced at Mu Lan. Mu Lan’s complexion was poor, mainly due to the stress caused by the child. Even though Mrs. Jiang didn’t overtly criticize her, Mu Lan still felt a significant mental burden. Jiang Zhu and Mu Lan’s return home was also intended to ease their minds.
Zhulan’s eldest son stood up and said, "Mother, I’ll make the arrangements now so we can leave as soon as possible."
Zhulan replied, "Ask Lady Li if she wants to go back as well."
She felt sympathy for women of ancient times who rarely had the chance to visit their maiden homes. Lady Li hardly got to see her parents, and Zhulan didn’t want her next visit to be triggered by someone’s passing.
Zhulan’s eldest son, having just returned from the outside and not yet seen his wife, responded, "Alright, I’ll go ask my wife."
Once her eldest son left, Zhulan told the couple, "There’s no need to rush back once you return home. Stay in your hometown for a while and take care of yourselves. Jiang Zhu, take your wife out for walks and relaxation."
Jiang Zhu understood his wife’s mental struggles, especially since both Yushuang and Yu Lu were pregnant again, a reminder of their desire for children. If she weren’t suppressing her urge, his wife would have already consulted a doctor and started taking medication. "Understood."
"I’ve also prepared some items for your younger sister; take them with you."
Jiang Zhu’s face lit up with a deeper smile. "My mother has been mentioning how, once Miumiu gives birth, she plans to return and help take care of her."
Zhulan was well aware that her eldest daughter cared deeply for Jiang Zhu and Jiang Miu. These two children had suffered cruelty as youngsters, and they remained an emotional knot for her eldest daughter. Let alone her eldest daughter, Zhulan herself still remembered when the two children cried desperately in their room years ago.
The eldest son returned to his courtyard and informed Lady Li of the plan to return to their hometown. Lady Li herself wanted to go but hesitated due to concerns about Ming Hui. "If I leave, what happens to Ming Hui?"
The eldest son said, "Mingyun can take care of Ming Hui; you don’t need to worry."
"Alright, I’ll go as well."
She understood that every meeting might be one of the few remaining. Although her parents had written to say they were in good health, she couldn’t shake her fear.
The next day, the group from Zhulan’s eldest son set off on their journey. Once they left, Zhulan concentrated more on the estate.
It seemed nearly impossible to provide one chicken for each child. After searching numerous villages, they had only been able to collect eighty or so chicks, including some freely given by their own estate.
In fact, their estate initially had a substantial number of chicks, but the Imperial court had taken more than half. The shortage of chicks in the villages didn’t make sense. It was only after Zhulan sent someone to investigate that she discovered someone had bought up large quantities of chicks before her.
As for piglets for the orphanage’s estate, Zhulan had purchased them from affiliated family farms—but even then, she managed to secure only ten.
That day, Chang Yi returned from the government office and said, "Mother, you asked me to investigate who’s been buying up the chicks, and I’ve got an answer—it was the Shi family."
"The Shi family?"
"Yes, relatives of the Qie family’s third branch."
Zhulan understood immediately—it was deliberate meddling by the Qie family. "Hah, such petty tactics."
Chang Yi remarked, "The Qie family has been keeping a close eye on us. Mother, if you need anything, let me know, and I’ll procure it for you."
"Alright."
Chang Yi was well-connected across various circles, making him the most suitable candidate to handle the matter.
Zhulan asked, "Is the Shi family planning to raise them themselves?"
"Yes, they’ve placed them on their own estate for breeding."
Zhulan frowned deeply; her concern was that overbreeding without proper preventative measures would set the stage for chicken epidemics. Such an outbreak wouldn’t just affect one household—it could spread across the entire capital.
Zhou Shuren returned and asked, "What did your maternal family mean by raising chickens themselves?"
Zhulan explained her worries and then asked Chang Yi, "Do you know how many chickens the Shi family is raising now?"
Chang Yi replied, "I don’t have an exact number, but it’s roughly 800."
Zhou Shuren was alarmed. "That’s too many."
Their own estate had always carefully controlled numbers to prevent diseases among their livestock.
Zhulan was also shocked. Without modern farming techniques, raising chickens in such large numbers was risky. Although she desired for each child to have a chicken to care for, the children were scattered across several estates. Each estate did not have many children, so raising only a few chickens per estate was manageable.
The Shi family, on the other hand, was raising 800 chickens on a single estate, and that wasn’t their final count. If she sought chicks, the Shi family would continually snatch them up, and she could already foresee the disastrous consequences of their irresponsible farming methods.
Zhou Shuren said gravely, "Tomorrow, I’ll report this situation and emphasize the risks."
Zhulan agreed, "Good, it’s better to prevent potential harm to the entire capital’s poultry."
For ordinary citizens, times were already hard enough. Chickens were a vital asset for many families.
The next day, Zhou Shuren concluded his report and made sure to include remarks about controlling the number of livestock on estates, emphasizing the importance of cleaning the premises regularly.
The Emperor naturally took Zhou Shuren’s input seriously. The surrounding suburbs of the capital housed many livestock, including chickens raised to supply the Palace.
After Zhou Shuren left, the Emperor remarked, "The Marquis Zhou wouldn’t bring this up for no reason. Has something happened?"
The Crown Prince softly explained the Shi family’s actions.
The Crown Prince had been keeping an eye on the orphanage’s affairs and was well-aware of the situation. He refrained from intervening earlier, wanting to observe how Yang handled the matter and test Yang’s capability.
However, he hadn’t anticipated such severe consequences. At the same time, he appreciated the Marquis Zhou couple’s attentiveness towards the common people.
The Emperor slammed the table. "Disgraceful."
From the Emperor’s perspective, the outrage stemmed from the Shi family gambling recklessly with risks that could endanger all poultry in the capital.
The Crown Prince said, "I will handle this matter."
"Very well."
Zhulan remained closely attentive to the aftermath. The Emperor’s response came swiftly; the Shi family’s chicks were confiscated entirely, not a single one left behind. Zhulan didn’t care about the Shi family’s grievances—her priority was ensuring preventive measures for livestock. She even consulted a doctor to prescribe medication for her own estate’s chickens. For experimentation, she started with her chickens, carefully disinfecting the area despite her lack of expertise in poultry farming.
Zhulan’s actions were progressing smoothly, but before she could celebrate, an urgent message arrived from the capital. Ming Teng had fallen victim to sabotage by several herders, causing a disastrous avalanche.
Zhou Shuren received the news and followed Zhang, the eunuch, into the Palace. Zhang was anxious throughout the journey, terrified that the Marquis Zhou might fall apart. "Marquis, the Princely Heir is currently missing. Not finding him means there’s still hope. Please stay strong—the Princely Heir will surely be fine."
Zhou Shuren closed his eyes. Natural disasters are ruthless, and the chances of survival in an avalanche are slim. At this moment, he had no will to speak.
Zhang sighed inwardly. Who would have anticipated such a major calamity? Even the Emperor expressed his anger upon receiving the urgent report.
Zhou Shuren suddenly opened his eyes. "Were people sent to the Hou Residence to report the news?"
Zhang snapped back to attention. "Yes, someone was dispatched."
Zhou Shuren demanded the carriage halt and instructed Jin Yan, "Go summon the Imperial Physician to check on my wife."
Zhulan also received the news, and her vision went dark for a moment as she collapsed into her chair before regaining her strength. She gestured to Qing Xue not to alert anyone else in the residence.
With her eldest son and his wife away from the capital and her uncle being elderly, she feared her uncle might not handle the news well.
When Zhulan met the Imperial Physician, she had already arranged for strict control of the information to ensure her uncle remained unaware. She then waited silently, seated, hoping Zhou Shuren would bring good news upon his return.
Zhou Shuren first reviewed the urgent report and questioned those who had returned with news, and his heart sank into the depths of despair.