Chapter 1483: Chapter 1483: Entering the Palace
The Zhou family—Zhulan heard about the situation in the garden and went to check on Ming Ling herself. Halfway there, she saw the siblings heading toward the main courtyard. As they approached, Zhulan raised her hand to touch her grandson’s head. "Hm, no swelling. Does it still hurt?"
Ming Ling looked a bit embarrassed. "Grandson has worried Grandma. I’m fine now."
If it didn’t hurt, then all was well. Zhulan felt relieved and reached out to adjust his cloak. "Come, today we’ll eat together in the main courtyard."
Ming Ling grinned with his eyes. "Okay!"
Yu Yi signaled the maid to call for Yu Jiao. Since their parents from the third branch weren’t often around, the siblings from this branch were the ones who dined most frequently with their grandparents.
At the main courtyard, Ming Ling took off his cloak and mimicked Young Master Yu. "Grandma, I even touched the dimples!"
The little boy was brimming with pride—he was the first in the family to manage it.
Zhulan smiled warmly, listening to her grandson talk. She didn’t bother asking her granddaughter for the outcome; her granddaughter’s silence upon entering spoke volumes. "Ming Ling, you seem to like Young Master Yu very much?"
"He’s easy to bully! My sister is so amazing—Young Master Yu wouldn’t dare trouble her in the future."
Zhulan asked, "Your sister could marry into a household as the eldest son’s wife and take on the role of housewife, don’t you think?"
Ming Ling froze in shock. Despite his age, he understood quite a bit. Born into the Hou Residence, it was inevitable for children to be perceptive. He pursed his lips. "That’s too exhausting."
His mother was exhausted enough. Back when they were in Qiizhou Province, his mother barely spent time with him. If his sister were to become a housewife, wouldn’t the entire family have their eyes on her? No, he always felt that Sister Yu Lu’s life was tiring.
Zhulan patted her grandson’s soft hair. "Grandma is very pleased."
What made her happy was her grandson valuing family over sacrificing anyone for self-interest.
Ming Ling’s ears turned red. All the children in the family longed for compliments from their grandparents. When he had just returned to the capital, a single compliment from Grandma could keep him happy for days.
In the Tu Family Village, Chang Li arrived at the Dong family’s home with his son. The little girl they sought was indeed here, and she also had an older brother.
The newly built rooms at the Dong family’s house stood out clearly. Lizheng led the group straight to the woodshed. Chang Li, tall and well-built with fine clothing, intimidated the villagers, who dared not approach. He brought his son and walked unimpeded all the way in.
One look at the condition inside had Chang Li burning with anger. A ten-year-old boy lay atop the firewood, his face pale as a sheet and already convulsing slightly.
Lizheng ordered someone to fetch the doctor. Chang Li spoke up, "I’ve got a doctor here."
He stepped aside, having anticipated situations like this during his investigations. He had specifically brought a doctor along, along with ample medicine.
Lizheng’s expression froze; it was an embarrassment for outsiders to witness. But with the child’s condition critical, there was no room for delay. He said politely, "Thank you for your help."
The doctor had already begun diagnosing the child, pulling out needles and administering pills, then wrapping the boy in the cloak he had removed. Finally, he stood and said, "Fortunate timing—if we’d been even a bit later, this child would’ve been beyond saving."
Chang Li knew the doctor wasn’t exaggerating; he saw the genuine relief in the doctor’s eyes. With a cold face, he remarked, "How vile one’s intentions must be to treat children so cruelly?"
Ming Hui scoffed. "It’s all for the compensation silver, isn’t it? One big family sucking the blood from the deceased isn’t enough—they want to openly claim everything. Naturally, this child stands in the way. Just look at the freshly built rooms here! Tsk, I heard the child’s mother hung herself the night she received the news. Doesn’t that strike you as rather suspicious?"
The Dong family feared Lizheng; being outsiders who had escaped to settle in Tu Family Village, they were terrified of provoking Lizheng to the point of eviction.
The eldest son of the Dong family originally didn’t plan to speak up. Let them say what they will—once Lizheng left, would he not be able to deal with the children as he pleased? After all, the rumors had spread throughout the village; he didn’t need to care about maintaining face anymore.
But this wealthy young gentleman’s sharp tongue made him uneasy. The crowd’s gaze toward him grew strange, prompting him to shout, "Nonsense! We took them in out of kindness!"
Ming Hui raised his hand. "Stop. This young master doesn’t want to hear your drivel—it’ll sully my ears. In fact, the louder you shout, the more guilty you appear. Now I suspect even more. Isn’t there a saying that no mother would abandon her children to hang herself? I strongly suspect she was hanged by you lot, perhaps for the compensation silver. Tsk, tsk—this seems like murder. Should we report it to the authorities?"
Chang Li had already signaled to his young servant to summon the government officers. He then said bluntly, "A murder case indeed must be handled by the authorities. Furthermore, two children were almost killed, making it a total of three lives. Today, I’ve seen it all—they say rural backwaters breed brigands. I see even Tu Family Village—a reputed village—has its share of vile folks!"
Lizheng’s hand trembled. Today, the reputation of the entire Tu Family Village was tarnished. If murderers emerged from Tu Family Village, the negative perception from surrounding areas would ruin its good name. Not to mention damaging the Wang family’s esteemed name!
Ming Hui swept his gaze across. Tsk—he hadn’t intended to blow things up. He held a favorable opinion of the Wang family, but his father needed time. Today’s incident reflected widespread issues. Of course, there were conscientious people, but in situations where there were many children, children themselves held little value—especially within struggling large families facing starvation. As his grandfather said, humanity’s morality crumbles quickly in times of disaster.
By blowing up the matter today, the tales would spread among the surrounding areas, putting a temporary stop to heartless mistreatment of children and granting him and his father critical time.
In the evening, Zhou Shuren returned home. Seeing a table full of seafood, he paused for a moment, then remarked, "We’ve had a bit much seafood this winter."
"Indeed, there’s been no shortage this year."
Because the catch had been abundant, the market was flooded with seafood.
Zhou Shuren sat down and signaled his grandchildren to eat. "Today, the Emperor discussed Rongchuan’s difficulty in splitting provinces with me."
"That was expected. The grasslands are vast, home to many tribes with fixed ancestral territories. Suddenly asking them to relocate and carve up their hereditary lands—naturally, they won’t accept it."
Zhou Shuren gave a meatball to his grandson, continuing, "There’s also the matter of the slaves—many died as cannon fodder on the battlefield, but a significant number remain, along with prisoners. Everything requires resolution."
Zhulan asked, "Has Ming Teng written back? How are they faring on the grasslands?"
Zhou Shuren replied, "Heavy snow has fallen over the grasslands. Hah, it would be fortunate if the two of them manage to return this winter."
Zhulan inquired further, "Has the Imperial court decided on which minister to send over there?"
Zhou Shuren gestured for his grandson to eat more vegetables. The boy had always loved meat and didn’t touch vegetables, making his picky eating habits quite serious.
Zhulan also added a spoonful of greens to her grandson’s plate and laughed when she saw Ming Ling grimace while eating them.
Zhou Shuren replied, "The debate is quite heated."
In any case, no one wanted to volunteer. In the eyes of noble families, the wilderness, even if developed, held little value. Starting anything is always difficult—they preferred reaping rewards rather than sowing seeds for those rewards.
The Emperor had someone in mind but wasn’t declaring his choice, enjoying the spectacle for now!
After dinner, Yu Yi took her siblings back home. Zhulan remarked about Yu Yi’s stance, "Yu Yi is quite opinionated—she seems content with Yueyang."
Zhou Shuren felt uncomfortable. Yu Yi had grown up with the two of them, receiving extra attention in her parents’ absence. They adored this granddaughter deeply. "Hmph, the Yue family got lucky."
"Will you say something or should I?"
Zhou Shuren stroked his beard. "The Yue family truly isn’t good enough. Look at how proactive the Liu family is compared to them."
Zhulan chuckled. "Indeed, not proactive at all."
Zhou Shuren added, "I’ll bring it up with Minister Yue sometime after morning court."
"Alright."
At the county seat, Chang Li had already left Tu Family Village. He was at the county office, where the magistrate hosted him for dinner and assured thorough investigation of the case.
The next day, Chang Li dispatched all his men to follow leads and personally pursued inquiries as well. The county magistrate assumed it was just an isolated incident encountered by the son of Hou Residence, avoiding further probing.
Chang Li moved swiftly this time, determined not to lose any time. Within a day, he had gathered information about the surrounding children, his mood turning heavy as he sat to write letters to his parents.
When Zhulan received the letter several days later, Chang Li had already moved on to another province.
Zhulan carefully read through her son’s letter. The handwriting, as expected, remained unimpressive—neither the eldest son nor his wife had made much progress, despite years of effort. Nevertheless, it was clear every word had been penned personally by her eldest son, without Ming Hui’s assistance—evidence of the deep impact the experience had left on him.
The letter stretched across five sheets, written with great detail and emotion, as though there was still much more he hadn’t expressed. Zhulan touched the paper gently, meticulously organizing it before pulling out the prepared proposal. Her son was straightforward and lacked the flair for embellishment, but the sincerity and raw emotion in his words moved her. There was no need for revisions.
The following day, Zhulan sent an invitation into the palace. This was uncharacteristic of her, given she rarely initiated palace visits. The Empress Dowager was both surprised and intrigued, promptly responding with a date for the meeting the next day.