Chapter 87: Becoming the Family’s Favorite

Auntie Wang nodded and said, “That’s right!”

Wang Qiu was stunned upon hearing the news, his eyes momentarily dazed.

Seeing his reaction, Auntie Wang frowned and grabbed his ear. “Are you up to something bad?!”

Wang Qiu quickly shook his head. “Mother, don’t say nonsense!”

Only then did Auntie Wang let go of him. She gave him a stern command, “In a little while, go with your father to flood the rice fields! Stop thinking about the capital all the time! In a few days, I’ll find you a wife!”

Wang Qiu nodded repeatedly. “Mother, I understand.”

Satisfied, Auntie Wang turned and walked back into the house.

Wang Qiu watched his mother’s retreating figure and shook his head. He truly wasn’t scheming anything. In the past, when he thought his parents were dead and he had no attachments, he dared to do anything. But now, things were different—he had to think about his parents.

Zhou Ruizhen was right. If he returned to the capital, Consort Wu would surely kill him. She might not even spare his parents.

That’s why he followed Zhou Ruizhen’s advice—faking his death and sending false news back to the capital.

By now, the imperial court had probably lowered its guard against Cheng’an County.

However, upon learning that Du Wanchun was pregnant, Wang Qiu had another thought.

Currently, in the imperial palace, aside from Consort Wu’s unborn child and her biological daughter, there were only three low-born princes from other concubines.

Once the emperor passed away, regardless of whether Consort Wu’s child was a boy or a girl, she would never allow those three princes to inherit the throne.

If the Lu family were ever able to clear their name, then as the legitimate heir, Zhou Ruizhen—and his child—would have an even stronger claim to the throne.

Wang Qiu gazed in the direction of the Zhou household, his eyes filled with newfound admiration.

Rather than serving the cruel and ruthless Consort Wu, he would rather pledge loyalty to the kind-hearted Zhou family.

With that thought, he picked up his hoe and left home. As he passed by the Zhou family’s fields, he took the time to help Zhou Zhao weed the crops.

Zhou Zhao treated him with warmth and friendliness, always calling him “Brother Qiu” with respect.

Hearing this, Wang Qiu felt deeply honored. He worked even harder, digging the entire field in one go.

By the time night fell, his own family’s fields were still untouched, while the Zhou family’s land had been neatly tended to.

When Zhou Zhao returned home, he couldn’t stop praising Wang Qiu.

“Big Brother, that Wang Qiu is incredible! No wonder he learned martial arts—he’s strong, has great stamina, and is even a skilled farmer!”

Zhou Ruizhen, hearing this, raised his eyes and asked, “He helped you farm?”

Zhou Zhao took a sip of water and nodded.

Zhou Ruizhen smiled. “Good, that’s a good thing. If he wants to help again, let him. Our family could use another pair of hands.”

Then, as if remembering something, he reminded Zhou Zhao, “Your sister-in-law is pregnant now. Make sure to take care of her. From now on, no matter whether the work is heavy or light, don’t let her do anything.”

Zhou Zhao stood up, patted his chest, and laughed. “Of course!”

Just as Du Wanchun entered the room, she couldn’t help but chuckle. “Husband, I’m just pregnant, not sick or disabled.”

Zhou Ruizhen quickly helped her sit down and said seriously, “Even so, you shouldn’t do any work. Now that Auntie Wang and Eldest Sister are helping Mother with making scented oils and porcelain bottles, and with me, Third Brother, and Wang Qiu working the fields and overseeing the house construction, you only need to rest well. You don’t have to do anything.”

As he spoke, he took out a book from his robe. “If you really want to do something, then help me copy this book.”

Du Wanchun took the book from him and saw that it was a handwritten collection of fragrance-making recipes!

She looked up at him in surprise. “Husband, this is…?”

Zhou Ruizhen explained, “These were passed down from my maternal grandfather to my mother. When we left the capital, most of them were lost in a fire. But my mother memorized them, and I copied them down again.”

Du Wanchun quickly asked, “Are you giving me the family’s ancestral recipes?”

Zhou Ruizhen nodded.

At that moment, Madam Zhou walked over with a pot of freshly stewed chicken soup. “I am getting old, and our family’s craftsmanship shouldn’t be lost. So a few days ago, I had Ruizhen copy them down and give them to you. This way, he can also teach you to read.”

Du Wanchun beamed with joy and nodded eagerly. “Thank you, Mother.”

Without hesitation, she set the book aside and began flipping through it.

In truth, she wasn’t completely illiterate. It was as if she had merely forgotten, but with just a few more glances, the words became familiar again.

Madam Zhou placed the chicken soup on the table and quickly called everyone to eat.

Du Wanchun carefully put away the recipe book, picked up her chopsticks, and took a piece of chicken from her bowl to eat.

Zhou Ruizhen and Zhou Zhao sat down as well. Soon, the small Zhou household was filled with laughter and warmth.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace in the Capital

A woman dressed in a flowing, wide-sleeved robe of golden-yellow silk reclined on a chaise, delicately eating bird’s nest soup.

A young palace maid beside her lowered her head and said, “Your Highness, His Majesty has said he won’t be coming tonight.”

“He’s not coming?!” The woman’s expression darkened as she gripped the spoon in her hand and glared at the maid.

The palace maid immediately knelt down. “Your Highness, His Majesty has gone to Consort Ru’s palace again tonight.”

Consort Ru was a new concubine recently sent into the palace by the Third Prince. It was said that she was a songstress from a neighboring kingdom. Though not breathtakingly beautiful, she bore a striking resemblance—five or six parts alike—to the former Empress, Lady Lu.

Consort Wu, currently pregnant and unable to serve the emperor, watched as this woman, who resembled the previous empress, unknowingly won more and more of the emperor’s favor.

Furious, Consort Wu flung the bowl of bird’s nest soup across the room. “That damned Third Prince is doing this just to spite me! He knows perfectly well that the Emperor still pines for that wretched woman, yet he deliberately sent someone who looks like her!”

The palace maid remained silent, keeping her head bowed.

Consort Wu slowly rose to her feet, cradling her five- or six-months-pregnant belly, her eyes cold and vicious. “No rush. I cannot act rashly. Once I give birth to the prince, killing the Third Prince will not be too late!”