In the front yard, the emperor stayed for dinner. Green vegetables were still hard to come by in this season. The emperor looked at the several plates of green leafy vegetables on the table, and his appetite, which had originally been lacking, was aroused.
Zhou Shuren also noticed the green vegetables. All the green vegetables that his eldest and second granddaughters gave to him and Zhulan were gone. "If the emperor likes it, please eat more."
The emperor naturally liked it. Although vegetables were shipped from the south, green leafy vegetables were rare. The ones sent to the palace were ones that could be kept. "Where do the vegetables in your mansion come from?"
Zhou Shuren was a little proud. "My eldest and second granddaughters like to grow flowers. There are few vegetables in winter, so the two girls planted some vegetables in wooden boxes. The quantity is not large, so they let us two old people have a taste."
The emperor wanted to say that he would take them all away in a while, but after hearing this, Zhou Shuren lost interest and felt sorry for them. "Your two granddaughters are really kind and gentle."
Zhou Shuren felt that this meal of vegetables was worth it. The emperor's praise would ensure that his two granddaughters would be known as virtuous and kind-hearted when they got married. Their in-laws would not dare to bully them. He said happily, "I thank the emperor for the praise on behalf of my granddaughters."
The emperor has no daughter and his granddaughters are too young to enjoy the filial piety of female children. The two granddaughters of the Zhou family are already well-off, but they can still grow vegetables just to give their grandparents a fresh bite to whet their appetite. The emperor is envious, thinking that this is filial piety and true love, which is better than giving away any precious material things.
The prince had been paying attention to his father, and when he saw that his father was touched, his heart moved. His father was old, and old people's emotions were inevitably sensitive. The prince looked at the vegetables on the table, moved his chopsticks, and his smile deepened.
Zhulan took her eldest grandson and youngest son to have dinner, and Zhou Shuren was the only one with them in the front yard.
Zhulan was concerned about her eldest grandson, but the grandson couldn't say anything. The prince chatted with the grandson for a while, asked about the academy, tested his knowledge, and finally let the grandson leave.
Chang Zhong had nothing to be afraid of and forgot about it. When Zhou Shuren came back, Chang Zhong had already eaten and drunk his fill and went to take a shower.
Zhulan waited for Zhou Shuren to come back and signaled the maids to go down. She handed the handkerchief to the emperor and said, "The emperor has been here for nearly two hours."
Two hours is four hours!
Zhou Shuren wiped his face and said, "Don't respond to invitations these days."
Zhulan took the handkerchief and said, "If you don't tell me, I won't go either. Our family will be in the spotlight tomorrow."
She felt that the emperor was a little unkind and that he had obviously come to the Zhou family on purpose.
Zhou Shuren did not change his official uniform. He returned to his room to change into it and took off his thick cotton coat. He felt relaxed. “This is also a kind of trust from the emperor. If it were another official, he would definitely feel proud. It is because I am not tempted that the emperor is relieved.”
Zhulan rolled her eyes in her heart, and felt at ease to trick Zhou Shuren and take advantage of him without any burden.
Zhulan was happy only after Zhou Shuren told her about the emperor's praise for Yushuang and Yulu. The reputation of women in ancient times was very important. With the emperor's praise, anyone who dared to refute it would be a slap in the emperor's face.
At the Prince's Mansion, the Prince asked people to find the people who grew vegetables when he came back. He wanted to grow the vegetables himself. Who made his father fall for this? Now it doesn't matter whether he does more or less, he might as well focus on being filial.
The Crown Princess was stunned for a long time, "Your Highness the Crown Prince wants to grow vegetables?"
The prince held the princess's hand and said, "Yes, not only do I grow vegetables, you and I grow them together."
The Crown Princess was not afraid of being laughed at by her brothers and sisters-in-law. The Crown Prince must have a reason for doing this. "Okay."
The next day, during the morning court session, Zhou Shuren felt too many inquiring gazes. The emperor had been in Zhou's mansion for two hours, and no one would believe that the emperor had said nothing, especially since he was with the crown prince.
But in fact, the emperor really didn't say anything, and what he talked about most was the education of his children.
Zhou Shuren kept his mouth shut. He would not explain. He was very experienced in cooperating with the emperor. When people came to the court to inquire about the news, Zhou Shuren pretended not to hear, or just smiled and said nothing.
Li Zhao felt a stomachache when he saw this, so he hooked his arm around Zhou Shuren's neck and walked with it. Li Zhao's action effectively blocked some officials. After leaving the palace, Zhou Shuren looked at Li Zhao who was sitting in the carriage of the Ministry of Revenue.
Zhou Shuren took a deep breath and said, "If I remember correctly, your Excellency is very busy."
The Ministry of War is now busy with naval affairs, and the Minister of War should not be so idle.
Li Zhao leaned against the carriage window and said, "It's indeed busy, but it's not urgent."
Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes in his heart and thought it would be better to be direct, "What do you want to ask, sir?"
Li Zhao lowered his voice and came forward, "The Emperor has no intention of establishing the Prince of Jin."
Affirmative sentence, without any hesitation.
Zhou Shuren smiled, "Your Excellency, I don't understand what you said."
Li Zhao said cheerfully, "Your reaction tells me that you think so too, Zhou Shuren, have you noticed that when you agree with something, you will refute it cleanly and neatly?"
The more convenient it is, the more people will agree with it.
Li Zhao studied Zhou Shuren for a simple reason: he would have to deal with Zhou Shuren in the future.
Zhou Shuren doesn't like Li Zhao, not because he doesn't appreciate him, but because he really doesn't like anyone who studies him and wants to see through him. Li Zhao is a difficult person, and Lord Xiao hates Li Zhao very much.
Li Zhao was not sure what the emperor and Zhou Shuren had said, but he knew that Zhou Shuren must know something. He had verified what he wanted to know. The absence of Prince Jin meant that the prince's position was stable. If the emperor had not taken the prince to the Zhou Mansion, he would not have looked for Zhou Shuren.
God knows how much he doesn't want to be given the title of King of Jin. King of Jin is a signal, a signal that the Emperor is dissatisfied with the Crown Prince. The title has not been decided yet, and some of his family have already been won over. As the patriarch, he cannot control everyone's ambitions. Fortunately, several princes are not stupid enough to win him over directly.
But this also made him irritated. Having King Jin around meant that it would be difficult for him to deal with the clansmen who had ulterior motives. Without King Jin, he could just let go and clean up, humming a song in a happy mood.
Zhou Shuren closed his eyes and reflected on himself. Facing these top bosses, he was still green and had a lot to learn. His disguise skills were still not up to par.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, Zhou Shuren raised his lip and stopped Li Zhao who was about to leave, "Since you are at the Ministry of Revenue, why don't you go in and sit down?"
Li Zhao was alert. He didn't want to go in and sit for a while. He wanted to get off the bus halfway, but Zhou Shuren stopped him. He had no choice but to sit all the way. Now he was asked to go to the Ministry of Revenue. He had only one thought in his mind: Zhou Shuren was sinister. "The Ministry of War has important matters."
Zhou Shuren, "You just said there was no rush. Oh, you must not know that Minister Xiao has already handed over the application form for silver to me."
Li Zhao's mouth was stiff. The one who managed the money was the boss. Zhou Shuren, who was becoming more and more powerful, could not be offended. The Ministry of War was a department that swallowed up the money. He knew that Zhou Shuren was using him to share the attention, but for the sake of the money, he still said, "I am suddenly not in a hurry. Since Lord Zhou invites me, I will go in and have a seat."
Zhou Shuren extended his hand, "Please come in, sir."