Chapter 12

When he heard his wife’s words, Chu Zhongtian fell silent. The江山 (江山 can be translated as "realm" or "empire") of the Great Zhou Dynasty was established by the First Emperor, but his descendants died one after another in the unification wars. Thus, the First Emperor’s younger brother adopted his second son to the First Emperor, who is the current Prince Qi.

In a fierce battle, the First Emperor perished along with a powerful enemy. Since the adopted son was still young and the newly established empire was unstable, the First Emperor, on his deathbed, passed the throne to his younger brother, who became the Second Emperor.

The Second Emperor carried on the First Emperor’s legacy and unified the eight directions and the six realms. Unfortunately, due to the many old wounds he sustained in battle, he also reached the end of his life after a few years. However, he faced a dilemma in choosing his successor.

Logically, his throne should have been passed to the First Emperor’s lineage. Back then, the throne was given to him because Prince Qi was too young, and for the future of the family and the country, he had to take over. Now, he should return the throne to the grown-up Prince Qi.

However, people have their selfish desires. Although Prince Qi was technically his son, he had been adopted by the First Emperor and belonged to another branch of the family. Naturally, he favored his own eldest son, Prince Jin.

Therefore, he devised a small scheme, ordering the two to compete, and the one who first achieved the realm of Earth Immortal would inherit the throne.

At the time, Prince Jin was much older than Prince Qi, and as the emperor, the Second Emperor had access to more resources. With his secret assistance, Prince Jin naturally reached the realm of Earth Immortal first and smoothly inherited the throne, becoming the current Emperor Gaozong.

However, many old ministers loyal to the First Emperor’s lineage still supported Prince Qi. To appease this powerful faction, the Second Emperor ambiguously mentioned passing the throne to Prince Qi, which quelled a potential crisis.

A century has passed, and Emperor Gaozong is nearing the end of his life. He has designated his own son as the crown prince, which naturally has caused dissatisfaction among Prince Qi’s supporters. Moreover, the crown prince is mediocre and far inferior to the brilliant Prince Qi, leading many other court officials to have their own thoughts.

However, Emperor Gaozong has been on the throne for over a hundred years and has a strong base of loyal supporters. The two factions have been in open and covert conflict for years.

The Chu family, with its salt and iron industries, is incredibly wealthy and influential. Such a powerful family would naturally be courted by both sides, but Chu Zhongtian did not want to get involved in the struggle for the crown and maintained a neutral stance. Recently, the royal faction planned to send someone to propose a marriage to the Chu family, binding them to their cause.

The Chu couple was very troubled because the Chu family, unlike ordinary families, has a huge secret that cannot be revealed to outsiders. Moreover, Chu Chuyan has been a significant support for the Chu family. If she were to marry someone else, the entire Chu family would be at risk of being swallowed up.

Chu Chuyan was well aware of this, so she proposed to take a husband, finding the most useless man in the city to be her husband, and hastily held a wedding, cutting off any thoughts from both the emperor and Prince Qi.

That’s why Qin Wanru suspected that the destruction of the spirit spring was orchestrated by either the emperor or Prince Qi.

"Whichever side it is, we won’t have an easy time from now on," Chu Zhongtian said solemnly. "Sang Hong is about to take office as the governor of Linqian Prefecture." Mingyue City is within the jurisdiction of Linqian Prefecture.

Qin Wanru’s face changed slightly: "The Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Sang Hong!"

The Minister of Agriculture is one of the Nine Ministers, responsible for the national treasury, and the Deputy Minister is the second-in-command. Sang Hong has always been in charge of salt and iron, and is a close confidant of the emperor. His appointment as the governor of Linqian Prefecture is clearly aimed at the Chu family.

"I’ve heard that he is ruthless and has no regard for family ties. Over the years, many noble families in the capital have been ruined by him. This time, our Chu family is in grave danger," Qin Wanru said with worry.

Seeing his usually strong wife showing a vulnerable side, Chu Zhongtian pulled her into his arms: "We will face the challenges as they come. Our Chu family is not to be trifled with. Sang Hong is only an Eighth Rank official, and it’s not yet clear who will come out on top."

Qin Wanru rolled her eyes: "Whether he is difficult to deal with is not just about personal cultivation. The bandit Chen Xuan outside the city is only a Sixth Rank, and you haven’t managed to eliminate him in all these years."

Chu Zhongtian snorted: "Chen Xuan is slippery. He’s like a dragon that shows its head but not its tail. By the time I get the news and rush there, he’s already gone. I suspect there’s an informant in the city who warns him, otherwise, how could he have evaded capture for so long!"

Qin Wanru’s eyes twinkled: "These bandits not only sell contraband salt but also rob passing merchant caravans. If we throw this problem to Sang Hong, as the governor, he can’t just sit by and do nothing."

Chu Zhongtian’s eyes lit up: "Good idea, my lady. By the way, I heard that the Yu family’s merchant caravan is coming to Mingyue City soon. We should inform them to avoid being ambushed by Chen Xuan’s gang... Ow, ow, ow..."

He hadn’t finished speaking when Qin Wanru pinched his ear: "I bet you’re worried about the lady of the house, Yu Yanluo. She was the most beautiful woman in the capital back then, and you even pursued her shamelessly. Unfortunately, she married the Duke of Yunzhong. Now, are you thinking of renewing your old feelings?"

Chu Zhongtian quickly begged for mercy: "My lady, she’s been married for so long. I have no other thoughts. Besides, you know my situation. How could I have any other intentions?"

Qin Wanru didn’t let go, coldly snorting: "But I heard that the Duke of Yunzhong passed away recently. Now, Yu Yanluo is a single woman."

Chu Zhongtian’s eyes lit up: "Really?"

He immediately felt two murderous glares from his side and quickly changed his words: "My lady, I didn’t even know about this, which proves I haven’t been paying attention to her. Besides, you know my situation. How could I have any other thoughts?"

Seeing his dejected expression, Qin Wanru quickly released his ear: "My lord, I’m sorry."

Chu Zhongtian shook his head: "I’m the one who should be sorry."

Qin Wanru didn’t want to see him like this and quickly changed the subject: "By the way, where is Chuyan?"

Chu Zhongtian replied: "She’s taking Miss Pei to tour the city."

Qin Wanru frowned: "She’s from the Pei family, so she must be aligned with Prince Qi. Her sudden decision to study at Mingyue Academy seems suspicious."

Chu Zhongtian laughed: "Don’t worry. Our Chuyan is smart and knows what she’s doing."

Qin Wanru huffed: "That Pei Mianman is young but acts like a seductive fox. Her eyes seem to be constantly luring men. I don’t like her."

Chu Zhongtian laughed: "Are you worried she’ll steal Chuyan’s man?"

Thinking of Zu An’s misfortune, it was hard to imagine Pei Mianman being interested in him. Qin Wanru couldn’t help but laugh: "If she really takes him, I’d be happy."

Achoo~

Zu An sneezed hard, wondering which lady or noblewoman was thinking about him.

"Son-in-law, are you feeling a cold? I’ll get you a thick coat right away," a startled voice said. Before Zu An could react, someone draped a coat around him.

Zu An was taken aback, looking at the young boy in front of him, who was about fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a blue robe and two bun-like hairstyles, with large eyes and a delicate appearance.

"Who are you, buddy?"

"Son-in-law, you flatter me. I’m your book boy," the young boy said with a fawning smile.

"Book boy?" Zu An was puzzled. He must have been talking about going to Mingyue Academy, but it was just a family school. Did they really need to assign a book boy?

It seems this dukedom is indeed wealthy. Well, I like it.

"What did you call me?"

"Son-in-law?"

"I didn’t hear you clearly. Louder?"

"Son-in-law!"

"Good, good. You have a bright future."

Zu An’s face lit up. Since coming to this world, he hadn’t had a single pleasant experience. Though he was the son-in-law of a dukedom, no one in the household paid him any attention, let alone called him son-in-law.

It was rare to have a considerate little book boy, and Zu An felt incredibly comfortable.

"By the way, what’s your name?"

The little book boy perked up and quickly answered: "Son-in-law, my name is Cheng Shouping."

"What kind of name is that?" Zu An thought book boys usually had names like Lai Fu, Wang Cai, or Hua An, simple and easy to remember. This name sounded strange.

"Cheng Shouping, like ‘守口如瓶’ (keep a secret). The old master personally gave me this name!" The little book boy puffed out his chest, looking proud.

"Quite impressive, to receive a name from the old master himself." Although Zu An didn’t know the customs of this world, he knew that being given a name by the master was a great honor, like how Zheng Chenggong was respected as Guoxingye after being given a new surname by the emperor.

"Son-in-law, you flatter me. I served the old master for many years and was very favored. Later, I was transferred to the kitchen, and I thought I had displeased him. Now, I’ve been assigned to be your book boy, and I realize the old master’s good intentions. Those years must have been to temper me, preparing me for more important missions." Cheng Shouping’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Wait a minute..." Zu An felt something was off. He knew his situation as son-in-law all too well. This guy thought it was a good job?

He must not be very smart.

Moreover, if he was originally by the old master’s side, why was he sent to the kitchen?

However, he wasn’t too concerned about these details. He was more interested in information related to himself: "You’ve been in the Chu family for a long time, so you must know a lot, right?"

Cheng Shouping patted his chest: "Of course. In the Chu household, from the old master and lady to the cooks and servants, there’s nothing I don’t know."

Zu An wanted to gather some intelligence. In just two days, so many people had tried to kill him, and he still didn’t know why, which made him feel a great sense of danger.

He thought for a moment and asked: "Do you know why the Chu family chose me as a son-in-law?" This was his biggest confusion. Chu Chuyan was top-notch in appearance, figure, and background, while he, Zu An, was a complete waste in every aspect. It was bizarre that they had become a couple.

Hearing his question, Cheng Shouping looked puzzled: "Isn’t it because you are handsome and charming, son-in-law?"

Zu An’s eyes widened. This guy’s ability to speak nonsense with a straight face was quite impressive: "Cough, cough. Although I know you’re telling the truth, is there any other reason?"

"There isn’t. Miss chose you because she thought you were handsome." Cheng Shouping thought, ‘What other qualities do you have besides that? Don’t you have any self-awareness?’ But he didn’t show any of these thoughts, looking as sincere as possible.

"Oh, you mean Miss chose me herself?" Zu An noticed the information in his words.

"Yes, at the time, Lady wasn’t very satisfied and advised her to reconsider," Cheng Shouping replied.

Zu An interrupted: "We don’t need to talk about those unimportant details."

He initially thought Chu Chuyan was forced to marry him due to her parents’ wishes, which led to her dissatisfaction and desire to kill him. But according to Cheng Shouping, this possibility could be ruled out.

But why did Chu Chuyan choose him as her husband? That girl’s eyes were bright; she wasn’t blind.

Spit, spit, spit. It must be because she was captivated by my handsome appearance and desired my body.