Chapter 1488: Chapter 1488: Fury
Zhou Shuren smiled, "The old man has come back to his senses."
Old Man Wen felt like Zhou Shuren must be sick, and quite severely. No man would be this free from grudges. Even worse, he couldn’t understand Zhou Shuren’s words. "...Marquis Zhou, I don’t quite understand your meaning."
Zhou Shuren looked at him sympathetically, "The old man really is old now; it’s normal not to understand the thoughts of someone my age."
Old Man Wen, "..."
He tried to keep calm, tried not to get angry—ah, but he was on the verge of exploding! This man was so petty. He had once remarked that Zhou Shuren looked to be about his age, and now Zhou Shuren was paying that back!
Zhou Shuren said, "I’ll be kind enough to explain what ’wife praise’ really means."
Everyone’s ears perked up out of fear that they’d miss even a single word.
Zhou Shuren glanced around the room with a smirk, "The term ’wife praise’ is quite straightforward. In my eyes, everything about my wife is wonderful. My wife is beautiful and kind-hearted; she can manage finances and educate the children. In my heart, my wife excels in every way. I am proud to have married her. If my wife tells me to go east, I’ll never go west. If my wife wants to go upstairs, I’m the one handing her the ladder. Does this explanation make sense to the old man?"
Old Man Wen, "..."
Everyone else, "..."
Marquis Zhou must have been poisoned—poisoned to his very bones.
Zhou Shuren mentally clicked his tongue twice. This was just the beginning; he had so much more he hadn’t said yet. Like how his wife was the best woman in the world! Alas, being under imperial authority meant he couldn’t praise his wife without restraint... how frustrating.
Wong Ju had the urge to cover his face. Only Zhou Shuren could make such bold and unabashed declarations.
Zhou Shuren addressed the old man again, "Do you still need me to dispel your confusion?"
Old Man Wen felt a sense of helplessness. Faced with someone like Zhou Shuren, all his schemes and provocations were utterly ineffective. Not only did this man harbor no grudge against serving Madam Yang, he seemed ready to support her wholeheartedly. Just thinking about it made his blood boil.
Zhulan also entered the palace. This time, only the Empress Dowager was present. Zhulan handed over the document she had written yesterday to the Empress Dowager. "The first issue to address is how to store donated supplies."
The Empress Dowager saw how Madam Yang had listed the tasks in order of priority and nodded in satisfaction. She gestured for the Female Officer to pass a box to Madam Yang. "See if this will suffice."
Zhulan opened the box. Inside were land deeds. The royal family lacked for nothing in terms of land; there were three deeds for estates inside. "Perfect. Perfect."
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "These land deeds were sent over by the Empress."
Zhulan thought to herself, not just anyone can take on the role of Empress. "The Empress is truly kindhearted."
The Empress Dowager continued, "Each palace has also drafted donation lists. Once finished, the Empress will send someone to deliver them to you. Now that you have the estates, dispatch someone to inspect them. If there are no issues, I will transport the donated supplies to the estates for storage."
Zhulan stood and said, "Receiving this decree fills me with both trepidation and excitement. Trepidation over the fear of failing and disappointing the Empress Dowager, but excitement because I wish to give it a try. However, as someone who has long resided in the inner quarters, I humbly request the Empress Dowager to assign someone to assist me—in essence, to bolster my courage."
The Empress Dowager’s gaze grew amused. She had come to understand that Madam Yang’s courage was remarkably formidable; where did she need anyone to bolster her? "Since it is a decree from me, naturally someone will assist you. They will follow your arrangements."
Zhulan had gotten exactly what she wanted. The royal family would undoubtedly position someone close to her, and since this was unavoidable, she had chosen to ask for assistance openly. This pleased the royals, and would make her future tasks more convenient as well. "Thank you for your grace, Empress Dowager."
The Empress Dowager asked, "Have you decided where to establish the civilian orphanage in the capital?"
Zhulan replied, "An estate in the suburbs."
The Imperial Orphanage and the civilian orphanage could not be connected; it wouldn’t be appropriate to choose a location in the capital. Furthermore, properties within the capital were too expensive. The civilian orphanage would lack everything, so selecting an estate made more sense. Estates were large enough and could be used to grow crops, solving part of the food issue and creating a sustainable cycle.
The Empress Dowager was satisfied with Madam Yang’s response. "The civilian orphanage is yours to manage. I truly chose well. However, there are far too many orphans across all the provinces; you must take it slow. Achieving everything in one go is unrealistic."
Zhulan fully understood the importance of laying a solid foundation. Her aim was to establish a complete system that could be passed down through generations, not something that would disappear overnight from history.
After conversing further with the Empress Dowager, Zhulan made her way to the empress sleeping quarters. Since the Empress had donated estates, Zhulan came to express her gratitude.
The Empress waived formalities with a smile, "I heard that the old lady entered the palace. Coincidentally, the donation lists from the harem are ready, and I was about to send them over when you arrived."
Zhulan replied, "I have come specifically to thank the Empress for donating three estates, which have solved the issue of storing supplies."
The Empress smiled and said, "Mother worries for the orphans. As the country’s mother, all children in the land are my children. It is only what I ought to do."
Zhulan sighed inwardly. If only the Wen family were as clear-headed as the Empress. Unfortunately, few could remain clear-eyed in the face of power.
In a distant region, Chang Li had a dark expression. Though he was a mild-tempered person, the findings of his investigation weighed heavily on his heart, leaving him perpetually engulfed in a low-pressure mood. Today, he finally snapped.
Ming Hui’s complexion was pale. These past days, following his father, he’d seen far too many tragedies. What he witnessed today shattered the very bottom line of human nature. He couldn’t dwell on it; the moment he did, he rushed out of the medical hall and began vomiting.
Chang Li snapped back to himself and rushed out after him. His son had endured too much suffering these past days. To quicken their pace, they’d not stopped to rest. Today, his son had been utterly terrified.
His son had come out with him perfectly fine. If anything happened to his son upon their return, he’d be skinned alive!
Chang Li chased after him and found Ming Hui dry-heaving endlessly, his stomach long emptied. The young servant beside Ming Hui was running circles in worry.
Ming Hui saw his father approach, supported himself against the wall, and weakly stood up. "Father, I’m fine."
Chang Li’s heart ached terribly. "I’ll have the doctor take a look at you."
Ming Hui waved him off, "No need, Father. Go back and check on the child. Make sure she’s saved."
Chang Li’s heart sank. Inside the medical hall were two children: one ten years old, the other seven. The ten-year-old was a girl whose legs had been sliced open to reveal the white of her bones. She had been holding on to life solely to protect her younger brother.
Chang Li couldn’t forget the look of relief on the girl’s face when she realized he was there to save them. She had smiled peacefully, telling her little brother to live well.
Ming Hui leaned against the wall, weak and exhausted. His stomach had been in poor shape these past days, and today’s vomiting had left him completely drained of strength.
Chang Li supported his son as they returned to the medical hall. As soon as his son sat down, cries from a boy emerged from behind the curtain. Chang Li felt a jolt of dread in his heart and rushed inside. The girl’s body was covered in silver needles as the doctor silently removed the last one. The doctor’s voice was hoarse. "I did my best."
Chang Li closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. "I leave the matter here to you, Doctor."
Ming Hui had followed him in and stared blankly at the now motionless young girl. He couldn’t forget her gaze when she saw them. A wave of sadness surged through him, tears streaming down his face as fury burned brightly in his chest.