Chapter 1485: Chapter 1485: Turning Point
Zhulan got off the carriage, but the person she thought she saw earlier was nowhere to be found. Unwilling to give up, she looked around, but there was nothing.
Qing Xue noticed the disappointed look on the old lady’s face and asked curiously, "Old Madam, who did you see just now?"
Zhulan waved her hand dismissively, "I thought I saw Jiang An, but maybe I was mistaken."
Qing Xue asked, "Young Master Jiang An?"
"Yes, let’s go."
Saying this, she climbed back into the carriage. Her energy seemed to wane, and this time, she didn’t even glance out the window. Pulling her cloak tight, she closed her eyes to rest.
As the carriage drove away, Jiang An, who had been hiding in the alley, cautiously stepped out. He was dressed in foreign attire. When the Hou Residence’s carriage passed by earlier, an instinct told him something might go awry, so he hid just in time.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but touch his face. Despite now sporting a beard, his grandmother still recognized him. Indeed, she loved him the most. With that thought, he calmly departed.
At the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren heard his wife had come to find him. He rushed out and boarded their family carriage, immediately noticing his wife sighing. "Did it not work out?"
Zhulan recounted what happened in the palace, "It should work, but I might not be the one in charge now."
After hearing this, Zhou Shuren also felt it wasn’t a sure thing. "It’s fine. If the opportunity is gone this time, there will be another."
Zhulan replied, "We can only leave it at that. It’s getting late. Shall we have lunch?"
"Alright."
After ordering dishes at the restaurant, Zhulan mentioned that she thought she saw her grandson, Jiang An. Zhou Shuren raised an eyebrow, "I haven’t received any news."
"Maybe I was mistaken."
Zhou Shuren didn’t think his wife would usually make such mistakes. "Did Jiang An look very different?"
Zhulan carefully recalled, "I only noticed his face and didn’t pay attention to anything else. He had a beard. Let’s not dwell on it; I probably got it wrong. You know, my eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be with my age."
Zhou Shuren, however, kept this in mind. If it really was Jiang An, and there hadn’t been any prior message, there had to be more to the story.
After finishing their lunch, the couple parted ways. Zhulan returned to the residence, while Zhou Shuren headed back to the Ministry of Revenue.
At the Ministry, Zhou Shuren ran into Prince Chu. "When did the Prince arrive?"
Prince Chu looked at Zhou Shuren and replied, "I just got here. Is there something troubling the Hou Residence?"
Zhou Shuren shook his head, "No troubles. Does the Prince have business with the Ministry of Revenue?"
Prince Chu said, "I just received the Emperor’s decree, instructing me to prepare for receiving the children. I wanted to ask Marquis Zhou to inspect the Imperial Orphanage to see if anything has been overlooked."
Zhou Shuren, still pondering other matters, stood up and said, "Sure."
The Imperial Orphanage was a sizeable piece of land. To accommodate the children, the court had repurposed homes belonging to the common people. However, the court had neither acted unreasonably nor for free; they compensated the people with homes and Silver Coin in return.
The rooms had been renovated into communal sleeping areas, with large heated brick beds built inside. Each room could accommodate more than twenty children.
Bedding and clothes had also been prepared. The clothing was mostly second-hand. Since used clothes could serve their purpose, new garments hadn’t been purchased to save on Silver.
Zhou Shuren inspected everything thoroughly and, finally, checked the grain storage. There was little fine grain, most of which were older stocks. The rest was all coarse grain.
Prince Chu said, "This batch of grain was donated by me."
Zhou Shuren responded, "The Prince is most benevolent."
He didn’t dwell on the fact that the grain was old. In times of scarcity, having food itself was a blessing. Nutritional supplements weren’t even in consideration, and meat had become a rare commodity in the market.
The next day, after court proceedings, Zhou Shuren saw Official Yu, who hadn’t attended the morning meetings recently. Seeing him today, Zhou Shuren greeted, "Official Yu."
Official Yu, looking unwell, replied, "Marquis Zhou."
Zhou Shuren knew Official Yu had been dealing with headaches recently. "How is your headache?"
Official Yu nodded, "It’s much better now. Thank you, Marquis Zhou, for your concern."
Zhou Shuren stroked his beard and signaled for Official Yu to walk slower. "Have you ever considered arranging a marriage for your second legitimate son?"
Official Yu caught the amused glint in Zhou Shuren’s gaze and immediately understood. He and his eldest son had been eagerly hoping for a potential alliance with Marquis Zhou. "Yes, I’ve thought about arranging a marriage for Yueyang."
Zhou Shuren thought to himself that the Liu family always seemed a better match. "Then you should carefully evaluate options."
Official Yu’s face visibly brightened with excitement; color returned as he became animated. He hadn’t expected his second son, who often seemed silly yet cheerful, to actually catch the eye of Marquis Zhou. Perhaps his son indeed had great fortune ahead.
Wong Ju was waiting up ahead. Zhou Shuren nodded toward Official Yu before continuing forward.
Official Yu was overwhelmed with joy. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to contain his emotions, yet his mind raced with thoughts about who he could ask to propose marriage to the Zhou family. Turning the matter over, his face once again fell pale. Alas, the Yu family had no reliable allies in the capital.
Wong Ju glanced back at Official Yu and quietly asked Zhou Shuren, "What did you say to him? Why is he so excited?"
Zhou Shuren replied casually, "I mentioned that I think his second son is a good match."
Wong Ju was surprised. "I thought you’d choose his eldest son for your Fourth Girl."
In the capital, the fourth Miss Zhou had a reputable name, and with Zhou Laosan’s bright official career, marrying her to the eldest son of a noble family as the housewife seemed a natural choice.
Zhou Shuren shook his head, "Too much burden."
Wong Ju was taken aback but then fell silent, realizing the truth in those words. The weight of duty and responsibility in such a marriage often left one with little freedom. "I’ve never seen anyone more doting on their granddaughter than you."
Zhou Shuren huffed, "I’m the best grandfather there is."
At the Zhou residence, after the Female Officers left, Zhulan was still in disbelief. After a while, she exclaimed with a delighted smile, "It’s been entrusted to me. It’s really been entrusted to me."
Not only had it been assigned to her, but an imperial decree had been issued. Although it wasn’t part of her original plan to take things slowly, she was unafraid.
Qing Xue also smiled and said, "Yes, the Empress Dowager entrusted you with this responsibility."
Zhulan paced back and forth in excitement. Once she calmed down, she picked up the list from the Empress Dowager, who had spearheaded the donations.
The list included one hundred stones of grain as well as cotton, fabric, and other highly comprehensive provisions.
Zhulan felt a surge of emotion. The ones who suffered hardship were always the common people; for the aristocracy, such efforts had little impact. She signaled Qing Xue to prepare paper and ink. Since she was now in charge, the Zhou manor would also need to contribute.
With the Empress Dowager taking the lead, even the noble families, despite their reluctance, would be compelled to donate resources. These contributions were merely the initial stock.
The Empress Dowager’s decree quickly spread across the capital. The list of donations was also made public. The announcement that the Empress Dowager was establishing a civilian orphanage, with the responsibility falling to Marquis Zhou’s wife, left the noblewomen of the capital astounded.
The Tao family, in-laws of the Zhou, were the quickest to respond, showcasing their sharp control over news in the capital. Madam Tao was incredulous as she asked, "Is it true, what’s being said outside? The Empress Dowager is founding a civilian orphanage and has entrusted it to you?"
Zhulan’s lips curved into a slight smile, "Yes, by decree of the Empress Dowager, I’ve been entrusted with the establishment of the civilian orphanage."
Madam Tao’s pupils contracted. Regardless of it being a civilian orphanage, this responsibility should not have fallen upon Zhulan. After composing herself, she asked, "How... how did you accomplish this?"
The Imperial Orphanage dealt with the orphans of soldiers, with Prince Chu as its overseer. By logic, a civilian orphanage would also require a male steward. This was the first time a woman had been appointed.
Zhulan was well aware that this matter would shock many. Yet, she was unafraid, as she had the ability and the Empress Dowager’s support. "I did nothing special; the Empress Dowager values my skills."
If the endeavor succeeded, not only would it save children, but it could also elevate the status of women. The mere thought of this brought her immense joy.
Madam Tao was still somewhat bewildered. She had always known Mrs. Zhou was capable, but she hadn’t anticipated that those capabilities would extend to managing such a significant task. A civilian orphanage wasn’t just a matter for the capital; it would impact all the provinces.
Zhulan beamed, "Don’t just stand there in a daze. Take a look at the list of materials the Empress Dowager donated, as well as those from our Zhou residence."
Looking at the two lists, Madam Tao was reminded that with the Empress Dowager leading the cause, the Wong clan and all major families would have no choice but to contribute. This time, everyone from the entire lineage would have to donate. "Let me take a look."