Chapter 501 To Enter the Capital as an Official
Aunt Zhou had nightmares for several days and grew thinner and thinner. The Third Prince was worried and prepared different kinds of food for her every day.
However, the results were still not good.
Du Wanchun was also very worried. She handed Xiao Feifei over to Granny Zhuang and took Aunt Zhou to the estate. One reason was to let her relax, and the other was to have Doctor Xu examine her.
In recent years, Doctor Xu and Lady Miao have managed the estate very well.
Besides the incense shop and the rouge shop, the farmland and orchards yield a considerable harvest every year.
Moreover, Du Wanchun had previously sent people to build pavilions, waterside terraces, and a pond full of lotus flowers in the manor.
It's the season when lotus flowers are in full bloom, and Du Wanchun is taking Zhou Da Niang's arm to the pavilion to admire them.
Looking at the boundless lotus pond, Aunt Zhou felt much of the worries she had been carrying these past few days dissipate.
"Mother, I heard from Father that you like lotus seed soup. I'll pick some and take them back later so that Granny Zhuang can make some," Du Wanchun said with a smile.
Aunt Zhou snapped out of her reverie and said, "No need to trouble yourself. Even if I made it, I wouldn't be able to eat it."
Her recent weight loss is not just due to her mood; she has had a poor appetite since becoming pregnant.
Du Wanchun said meaningfully, "Mother, no rush, you can try it first when the time comes."
Aunt Zhou was extremely grateful. Holding Du Wanchun's hand, she said, "Wanchun, thank you for your hard work. This is a heart ailment, and I'm afraid it can't be cured."
Du Wanchun remained silent; Aunt Zhou's concerns were not unfounded.
Given the emperor's temper, if he were to find out that Aunt Zhou and the Third Prince had this child, he would surely be furious.
There are some things that she cannot stop on her own.
After a long while, she picked a blooming lotus flower from the pond and placed it in her hand, saying slowly, "Mother, look, isn't this pretty?"
Aunt Zhou took it in her hand, smelled it, and noticed a faint fragrance of lotus.
She smiled and said, "How about I make you some fried lotus flowers today?"
Du Wanchun asked with a surprised smile, "Mother, lotus flowers can be eaten?"
Aunt Zhou looked at the lotus flowers thoughtfully, slightly lost in thought, and said, "Yes, they are edible. They have a light and slightly sweet taste, and they were the only cooking skills I knew in the past."
Du Wanchun found it very strange and, with a smile, took Aunt Zhou to the village to make fried lotus flowers.
The two of them spent half an hour making a small bowl, and it tasted really good.
After eating, Aunt Zhou's appetite improved a lot, especially after eating the lotus seeds that Du Wanchun had specially given her. She suddenly felt that her appetite had returned.
When she was the Empress, she loved to eat fried lotus flowers. Even though she never cooked, she would always make a plate of them herself when the lotus flowers were in full bloom to satisfy her craving.
It's quite a coincidence that only the Empress knows this skill; no one else can learn it.
Since the empress disappeared, the emperor in the palace has never eaten it again.
The emperor did not like fried lotus flowers, but in the past, because they were made by the empress herself, he would try a few pieces even if he did not like them.
Gradually, his love faded with time, and he stopped tasting it altogether. Even when the Empress sent someone to place fried lotus flowers on his table, he would throw them away without hesitation.
Now, when the emperor is alone in the middle of the night, he will think of the fried lotus flowers that he himself threw away.
Consort Li would occasionally learn the Empress's cooking skills to make dishes for the Emperor.
But the taste is different.
Even so, the emperor still doted on Consort Li, and even though he was not in good health, he would stay in Consort Li's palace every night.
Until one day, Consort Li became pregnant.
This was a joyous occasion for the emperor, but Consort Li was unhappy because she did not want children.
When the emperor was in a good mood, he became exceptionally lenient towards matters of state.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lord Zheng proposed that Zhou Ruiyuan be sent to the capital.
The emperor had been so engrossed in women these days that he had almost forgotten about Zhou Ruiyuan. Upon hearing this, he immediately wrote an imperial edict summoning Zhou Ruiyuan to the capital to serve as an official.
As previously agreed, Zhou Ruiyuan was given the position of Minister of Justice.
For a mere county magistrate, this was a meteoric rise.
The emperor originally intended to start him as Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, but since the position of Vice Minister was already held by Consort Xu's brother, he directly gave Zhou Ruiyuan the title of Minister.
Such an empty crimson robe naturally drew criticism from some officials in the court.
However, this was quickly thwarted by Lord Zheng and all the confidants he had promoted.
They listed all the things Zhou Ruiyuan had done for the people of Qingzhou Prefecture recently, and no one could refute them.
Whether it was repairing official roads, providing disaster relief and grain, or reducing taxes, Zhou Ruiyuan did an excellent job.
Cheng'an County had already prospered along with the Zhou family in the past year or two.
In the past, everyone worried about having enough to eat; now, every household has horse-drawn carriages, cattle, and sheep.
The emperor also genuinely admired Magistrate Zhou.
After he finalized the imperial edict, he sent someone to deliver it to Cheng'an County at top speed.
Several days later, Zhou Ruiyuan received the imperial edict at home.
The crowd was both happy and worried. They were happy that Zhou Ruiyuan was going to the capital, which meant that the day for their revenge was getting closer. They were worried that going to the capital would not be as peaceful as it had been in Cheng'an County.
Just when everyone was worried about this.
Zhou Ruiyuan put away the imperial edict and said, "Mother, you and Father stay in Cheng'an County for now. Wanchun and I will return to the capital first."
It is indeed not suitable for Aunt Zhou to return to the capital now that she is pregnant.
The Third Prince held Zhou Da Niang's hand and said, "Alright, I'll stay here with your mother and take care of the estate and business in Cheng'an County. You and Du Wanchun can go over there and help Zhou Feng make arrangements."
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