When Zhou Shuren got up, there was no place on his body that felt comfortable. His back and waist ached, and his legs were cramping. He kneeled too hard last night and his knees were in great pain. He drank tea and rinsed his mouth on an empty stomach, and then followed the emperor to attend the morning court. He was punished to stand so early in the morning, and his stomach really hurt.
Zhou Shuren followed behind several princes. When he looked up, he could see their pale faces. They were hungry. The comparison made him feel much better. At least, he had eaten some fruits and snacks when he was chatting with the emperor last night. Anyway, he was not hungry at all.
As for what they talked about last night, Zhou Shuren didn't want to recall it. Although he didn't continue to test her, they talked about high-risk topics and he was tense the whole time.
Zhou Shuren didn't have to attend the morning court, it was the emperor's special permission. He was so high-profile that he followed the prince into the hall. Even though he stood at the back, he still attracted attention.
Zhou Shuren didn't raise his head, just treated himself as a background and stood there calmly.
The ministers in the court were always well-informed. The news of the real and fake fifth prince had long spread throughout the capital. They went to the court in high spirits to watch the show, but they did not expect to see Lord Zhou and were a little shocked.
The emperor sat on his seat, looking at the ministers below. Ha, they all shrank like quails. They were afraid that the real and fake princes would be blamed. It seemed that nothing serious would happen today.
Zhou Shuren calculated the time silently, and the court was dismissed in less than half an hour. Zhou Shuren breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he could go home today.
Because he was standing at the back, in order to avoid being stopped, Zhou Shuren retreated first. He didn't want to be stopped and watched.
It was a pity that although he had only taken a few steps, he was caught up by someone. When he turned around, he saw the Second Prince. His long legs were not in vain.
The second prince Zhang Jingyang thought to himself that Lord Zhou's legs were not that long but he walked quite fast. "Lord Zhou, is there something urgent?"
Zhou Shuren wanted to curse in his heart, but he paused. Those behind him came up with smiles on their faces. “Ah, I am in a hurry to go back to the city. There are a lot of things waiting for me in the city, so I am in a hurry to go back to the city.”
The second prince paused and said, "Lord Zhou is really busy."
"A prefect of a state does have a lot to do."
So there is no need to eat breakfast or anything like that.
The second prince choked up. He really wanted to invite Lord Zhou to dinner and get some information. It was said that the emperor and Lord Zhou had a good chat last night. He saw with his own eyes how much his father valued Lord Zhou. It would not hurt him to make friends with Lord Zhou. As long as the emperor valued someone, no matter how high or low his official rank was, they were all worth making friends with. "Is that so? It's a pity. I was thinking of inviting you to dinner since it's rare for you to come back to the capital."
Zhou Shuren laughed in his heart. He didn't want to get a stomachache from eating. If he promised the Second Prince, he would shamelessly follow him. Looking at the princes following closely, Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "Thank you, Second Prince. It's a pity that you are really anxious."
The second prince smiled and said, "There will be a chance in the future."
Zhou Shuren smiled and said, "When the time comes, I will invite the Second Prince."
The second prince was satisfied, and Zhou Shuren was no longer in a hurry to leave. If he followed the second prince, at least the ministers would not follow him.
When he arrived at the palace gate, Zhou Shuren met Lord Wei. He had told the emperor last night that he would leave in the morning and the emperor had already made arrangements.
There was a young master standing next to Lord Wei. The attendant beside the young master was holding a package. The young master stepped forward and said, "Sir, this is the breakfast that the prince prepared for you. Please eat it on the way back to the city."
Zhou Shuren didn't ask who the young master was, and let Jinyan take it over, "Thank the prince for me."
The young master smiled and said, "Okay."
After Zhou Shuren greeted the princes, he quickly got on the carriage. The princes' glares were enough to kill people. This capital city was truly a place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers were everywhere. The young man just now did not change his expression even after being glared at by them.
The Second Prince wanted to curse in his heart, thinking that the Crown Prince was the most cunning one. He was even more angry that none of them dared to tip off the others, while the Crown Prince delivered the message openly, which made him feel suffocated.
The Third Prince's expression changed, the Crown Prince was as scheming as ever.
The Fourth Prince's smile froze. He had just laughed at his second brother's impatience, but now he was being mercilessly mocked by the Crown Prince.
The fifth prince gritted his teeth. The benefits belonged to the prince, and the crisis was his. How could he not hate it
Zhou Shuren didn't care about the lawsuit at the city gate. He sat in the carriage and opened the bundle. The bundle contained everything prepared, including food and daily necessities, with the focus on two bottles of medicine, one for health and the other for detoxification.
Zhou Shuren put them away. There was no need for the prince to lie to him about the two bottles of medicine. Of course, he would not believe it all. He still had to go back and ask someone to check it out. However, the prince was indeed thoughtful enough.
Zhou Shuren was not hungry yet, so he tied his bag again and lay down in the carriage. He needed to rest.
After Zhou Shuren left, all eyes in the capital were focused on the Fifth Prince's Mansion. Some people laughed at the Fifth Prince, while others came to watch the show.
The fifth prince returned home without any delay. Although his father did not send anyone to follow him back, he knew that his father knew everything.
Miss Lin had received the news a long time ago and was waiting at the door with tears in her eyes. It was a pity that the Fifth Prince didn't even glance at her and walked straight in the door.
The person the Fifth Prince least wants to see now is Miss Lin, his fiancée. Even if he takes care of her for a day, he is still taking care of a stranger. In addition, Miss Lin's presence reminds him how he got back to the capital with such good connections, which will only make him hate this fiancée with a shallow background even more.
In the palace, the prince finished his work and then noticed that his father had gone out without taking Eunuch Liu with him.
When Eunuch Liu saw the prince looking at him, he said, "The emperor went to the queen's bedroom. The emperor said that there is no urgent business today so don't disturb him."
The prince stood up. Did his father go to comfort his mother? This realization made the prince feel complicated. When the fifth child came back yesterday, the one who was most upset was his mother.
In Jinzhou City, even though the Zhou Mansion was sealed, it still received many visiting cards. Zhulan didn't see any of them. Zhulan waited for the housekeeper to go out and reply, and said to Mrs. Song: "I don't know if the master has returned."
Mrs. Song didn't know either. Now that she had entered the Zhou Mansion, she was mostly just passing on messages, and internal information would not be shared with her.
Zhulan didn't expect Mrs. Song to reply to her, so she took her little son in her arms to divert her attention, "Son, call me daddy."
The little guy looked around, then blinked and said something.
Zhulan smiled and said, "You don't learn from the good things."
This is a habit. He looks around for food. To be honest, since the addition of complementary food, the little guy has been greedy and can't stand a day without complementary food.
At noon, Zhou Shuren returned to Jinzhou City, but went straight home without going back home.
Zhulan had received the news early and was waiting at the door. When she saw Zhou Shuren getting off the carriage, she felt relieved. She excitedly stepped forward and grabbed Zhou Shuren's arm, her voice choking with sobs, "I'm glad you're back, I'm glad you're back."
Zhou Shuren supported Zhulan and said, "Go back home."
Zhulan: "Yeah."
Zhou Shuren took two steps and said to his son, daughter-in-law and others who were following behind him: "You all can go back. You don't have to follow me."
Boss Zhou was a little dazed. This scene was too familiar. He really missed it. "Yes."
Zhou Shuren returned home safely, and the tense atmosphere in the entire Zhou Mansion relaxed. Each family left talking and laughing.
In the main courtyard, Zhulan touched Zhou Shuren carefully, "Are you not injured?"