Chapter 1636: Chapter 1636: Awake
The ship left the port and sailed for two hours. Zhou Shuren was already sitting on the deck chair, holding a telescope in his hand, "I just knew the Emperor wouldn’t be at ease."
Zhulan took the telescope and saw the Navy patrolling the nearby seas, continuously following the ship from a distance.
Zhou Shuren rocked the deck chair, "It’s a great blessing in life not to get seasick."
Zhulan nodded in agreement, "Indeed."
Enjoying the sea breeze and watching the sea and sky blend together, this was the ideal retirement life.
The Retired Emperor came out after resting for a while and saw Zhou Shuren in his retirement mode. His heart tightened, fearing that Zhou Shuren would become too comfortable to resume his duties. He mentally cursed the Emperor for his ostentatious generosity, having granted a half-month leave all at once.
Seeing the Retired Emperor, Zhulan could only get up. She felt it inappropriate to continue lying down and, reluctantly glancing at the deck chair, saluted the Retired Emperor before returning to her room.
Zhou Shuren was unhappy. He came to enjoy an outing with his wife, not to accompany an old geezer!
The Retired Emperor also laid down on the deck chair, "A person’s life is too short."
Zhou Shuren, "??"
The Retired Emperor continued, "Therefore, one must do meaningful things, not just indulge in pleasure."
Zhou Shuren, "!!"
Bah, he’s worried I’ll refuse to return to work!
Zhou Shuren closed his eyes, too lazy to engage with the Retired Emperor. Hmm, today’s sea breeze is quite pleasant.
The Retired Emperor also rolled his eyes, mentally cursing the old fox. Looking at the sea and sky in the distance, much of the gloom in his heart dissipated. This journey out of the capital was not just because he feared losing the opportunity due to old age, but also because he wanted relief from his burdens. He didn’t want to reminisce about the past in the Palace, as the more he thought, the more it weighed on his heart.
Elsewhere, Zhulan was bored in her room and went out to check the ship’s kitchen. The chef, brought by the Retired Emperor, had already begun preparing the meal.
After inspecting for a while, Zhulan left the kitchen reassured, mainly because the smell was too strong there.
The Empress Dowager remained in her room resting, and Lin Xi still hadn’t come out.
The ship had already stopped. Zhulan went to see her sons and grandson, "Did you catch any fish?"
Ming Jung, "We caught some, Grandma, look."
Zhulan looked into the bucket, they really did catch some, two fish, "Not bad, I’ll have them sent to the kitchen later."
Chang Xhong asked, "Mother, where’s Father?"
Zhulan, "Chatting with the Retired Emperor on the other side!"
This was supposed to be a family trip!
In Ningzhou Province, in the residence behind the Government Office, Chang Lian’s face was as dark as ink, watching the doctor massage his nephew’s ankle. Ming Hui was in pain, gasping and muttering, "I’m really ill-fated, fortunately, it’s only a sprain and not a fracture."
Yu Yi sat beside him, "Brother, you really dared to jump, that was the second floor."
Ming Hui grimaced, "Do you think I wanted to? If I hadn’t jumped, you’d be having a sister-in-law now."
Yu Yueyang thought to himself, having just arrived that afternoon to witness such a drama, he sympathetically looked at his future brother-in-law, recognizing the chaos they had been through lately.
Chang Lian slammed the table, the teacups clattered, showing how much force he used, "This is outrageous."
Even Lady Dong felt pained hearing this and softly advised, "Anger harms the body, don’t get upset."
Chang Lian scowled, "How can I not be angry? If I don’t get mad, the Hou Residence will have its way."
Lady Dong ceased advising then, as she had been thoroughly disgusted since coming to Ningzhou. There were truly some stupid and vicious people, astonishingly bold.
Children’s wrongdoings are reflective of their parents; what children learn comes from them. The girl who schemed against Ming Hui today claimed she was framed, which she didn’t believe. Ming Hui saw through the scheme at once; it was evidently taught by a clever mother-in-law!
The doctor left quickly, unwilling to hear too much.
Ming Hui’s foot felt a bit relieved, "Third Uncle, it’s not easy to govern Ningzhou well."
Too many local tyrants exist. Even though the Imperial court has intervened, Ningzhou remains deeply entrenched; daring despite having some backing, as long as they don’t make huge mistakes, what can you do?
Chang Lian’s peripheral glance caught his future son-in-law, Yu Yueyang quickly spoke, "The interests are too entrenched, it’s hard to untangle."
Yu Yueyang, having observed since childhood, understood all the intricacies. He had to admit, with heaven high and the Emperor far away, many had grown bold.
Chang Lian came to a deeper understanding that Ningzhou isn’t Qiizhou, managing Ningzhou is far more challenging. He tapped his fingers on the table and asked his nephew, "They’ve come to apologize, what are your thoughts?"
Ming Hui, "I accepted their apology gift, and Third Uncle, don’t hold onto it. I don’t want my name involved with a woman’s reputation, if it blows up, it’ll only be me who’s falsely accused."
Chang Lian stroked his beard, "Rest well."
If it can’t be dealt with openly, teach them a lesson in secret.
After the elders left, Yu Yueyang said, "Now that your foot is injured, will you need to rest for a while?"
Ming Hui chuckled, "I think you want to stay a few more days."
Yu Yueyang, caught in his thoughts, blushed at his ears. He couldn’t often come by, so naturally, he wanted to stay longer when he did.
Yu Yi, "Brother, you should rest first."
Ming Hui indeed wanted to rest for a while, mumbled agreement, contemplating how tough it was for his third uncle to serve as an official outside.
In the capital, Chang Zhi returned home, holding an invitation card. Seeing his daughter, he handed it over, "Take a look."
Yu Wen took it with curiosity, and it turned out to be a wedding invitation, "Is it inviting Little Uncle?"
"Yes, Gu Sheng’s elder brother is getting married. Gu Sheng doesn’t know many people, so he asked me to pass it to your Little Uncle."
Yu Wen looked at the date on it, "Little Uncle won’t make it back."
Chang Zhi knew that, he didn’t tell Gu Sheng, only nodded at the invitation, "Did your mother inquire about Guk Yan’s future wife?"
Yu Wen, without hiding, straightforwardly admitted, "Yes, the girl’s surname is Li. She’s also a poor girl. Originally engaged from a young age, but her family needed money, so she had to sign a live-in servant contract. When the time came for marriage, her fiancé broke off the engagement and married someone else. To save face, he slandered Ms. Li, resulting in her remaining unmarried at twenty."
Chang Zhi, "So many stories."
Yu Wen, "Reality surpasses fiction."
Chang Zhi sighed deeply, having no choice but to go along with the daughter he raised.
Seeing her father off to change into his official robes, Yu Wen opened the invitation again. Gu Sheng had bought a house and land for his elder brother, so they wouldn’t live together in the future. Gu Sheng also bought land for himself, which made her smile. She thought the two brothers would live together, relying on each other.
Yu Wen was in a good mood, knowing the date of the wedding, she decided to help Little Uncle prepare a gift!
The next day at sea, Zhou Shuren didn’t sleep well. The wind picked up in the latter half of the night, making it difficult for him to sleep. He got up with dark circles under his eyes.
Zhulan wasn’t in great spirits either, but seeing the beautiful morning view made it tolerable.
The Retired Emperor was up as well, having been on a ship before, he was reasonably accustomed, teasing Zhou Shuren, "It’s only the first day. If you can’t handle it, we can go back."
Zhou Shuren, particularly annoyed by the Retired Emperor now, "This official merely prefers his own bed!"
The Retired Emperor ignored the stubborn Zhou Shuren, turned to appreciate the rare sights, and after a moment of silence, suddenly spoke, "The calmness of these nearby seas owes some credit to you."
Zhou Shuren’s lips curled, "This official dares not claim credit."
The Retired Emperor squinted his eyes, "Hand me the telescope."
Zhou Shuren looked in the direction, gesturing to Jingyan to also bring the telescope.