Chapter 21 Hey, you...crying? ...
Zhou She finally managed to drift off to sleep around 4 a.m.
I don't know when it started, but my vision kept shifting between light and darkness, and my feet felt unsteady. Only when the chaos finally stopped did I regain a sense of solid ground.
Zhou She was still somewhat dazed. He stiffly straightened up and looked around. He was surrounded by high-ranking court officials dressed in crimson and purple robes.
This is... the Hall of Supreme Harmony?!
Zhou She's mind went blank for a moment, a vague sense of foreboding washing over him.
What merit or ability does he possess to be invited to the Hall of Supreme Harmony?
Many strange details, previously overlooked, suddenly became clearer. He looked down at himself and saw that his plain white clothes were stained with blood.
Was he exposed? Imprisoned? Or... subjected to severe punishment?
As he was lost in thought, a thunderclap suddenly exploded overhead.
"How dare you, Zhou She!" someone in the court slammed their gavel and roared, "You actually dare to plot against us!"
Zhou She didn't have time to think about where the gavel came from in the court. He was so startled by the shout that he wanted to faint on the spot.
"Zhou She—" the voice trailed off, as if drifting down from the clouds, "What else do you have to say?"
Zhou She's head throbbed with pain, and he rambled incoherently, "I am also His Majesty's heir! If the princes cannot inherit the throne, then I can—!!!"
The spinning, chaotic space suddenly froze.
Zhou She really wanted to slap himself: "I'll teach you to talk nonsense! I'll teach you to talk nonsense!!"
Before he could make amends, several faint voices suddenly sounded beside him. The voices were ethereal and undulating, and he tried hard to hear them, but he couldn't make out a single word.
Zhou She didn't have time to think further; he only felt a sudden burst of light ahead. A strong light shone from the floor where he was lying low, causing him to close his eyes tightly, not daring to look any longer.
"The sun is already high in the sky!" A figure swaggered in, and the chaotic Hall of Supreme Harmony seemed to be torn apart by this ray of light.
Zhou Ze's voice arrived before he did. His voice during puberty was rough and unpleasant, sounding almost like sawing wood.
Zhou She was jolted back to his senses by the shout and suddenly opened his eyes.
"Ha-hoo-hoo-" He gasped for breath, finally relaxing a little, and quickly turned over and sat up in bed, sitting on the edge of the bed in a daze.
He looked at his younger brother standing against the light; that dazzling light was actually the morning sunlight.
Once his heartbeat returned to normal, Zhou She quickly walked to the table, took a sip of tea, and only then did he have the energy to deal with his foolish younger brother.
Zhou Ze stepped in, stood by the door, and pouted, "Your parents told me to wake you up. How lazy you are."
Zhou She: "..."
Although it was a dream, it felt more like a narrow escape to him. Zhou She didn't want to talk at the moment, just quietly admiring the sunlight, and waved his hand: "I understand."
We'll just watch it one day at a time; who knows how many more days we might be able to watch it in the future.
Thinking about it this way, I was suddenly overcome with sadness.
However, Zhou Ze didn't want to leave: "Your parents are waiting for you, why don't you hurry up and pack?"
The sadness vanished without a trace. Zhou She rolled his eyes, turned his back to Zhou Ze, and said, "I know, get lost!"
Yesterday I intended to find out what my parents thought, but I got back too late and they were already asleep. Today I didn't even have a chance to go see them, and instead, they were waiting for me.
However, it is extremely rare for his parents to wait for him when they have something to do.
After quickly tidying himself up, Zhou She was filled with melancholy. It seemed that he was under too much pressure; he had even had a nightmare last night. Although the dream was full of mistakes, thinking about it now still made him break out in a cold sweat.
Alas, the person I was in my past life and the person I am in this life may not be the same person!
Tianmu is such a scoundrel!
When he rushed to the dining room, he saw that Mr. and Mrs. Zhou had already sat down, and there were about ten different dishes on the table.
When Zhou's mother saw Zhou She from afar, she frowned slightly: "Why did you get up so late today?"
Zhou She was most afraid of his elderly mother, so he quickly bowed and admitted his mistake: "I returned late last night."
He wanted to ask about the sky, his throat bobbing, but seeing his mother's displeased expression, he swallowed his words.
Let's bring it up later, let's test the waters first.
Although Zhou's father was somewhat aloof, he still greeted him, "You don't come back often, so it's rare for us to have breakfast together. You can try the new snacks."
Zhou She: "...Yes."
What's it like to have dinner with your boss?
Zhou She now deeply understands this feeling; he feels uncomfortable all over, and every cell in his body is screaming to run away.
Zhou's father was still adding food to his plate, his expression so gentle it was almost bewitching: "You're all alone out there, you never know how to take care of yourself... This is good, try some more."
Two snow-white pastries fell into the dish.
Zhou She stared at the two pieces of steamed snow cake, feeling that the cakes were also exuding an evil aura, and for a moment he was strangely stunned.
Father Zhou: "...?"
Zhou She was silent for a moment: "Father, that curtain of light..."
Mr. Zhou was taken aback: "You know what I'm trying to say?" That shouldn't be the case; is this child really that smart?
Zhou She was also taken aback: "Huh?"
Their eyes met, and Madam Zhou snorted coldly, saying indifferently, "As for what Tianmu said, the Zhuang, Huai, and Xiao families are not worth mentioning for now, but even a Fang Jingruo whose whereabouts are unknown has left his name in the history books, yet the Zhou family has not uttered a single word about him. Hmph, in my opinion, since you and Zhou Ze are confined to the manor, you might as well study and revitalize the Zhou family's reputation!"
Her implication was that she felt a great sense of crisis.
Zhou She stared blankly into his mother's eyes, the sharpness in them giving him a burning sensation, and he hurriedly looked away.
“My second brother is exceptionally intelligent and will certainly live up to Mother’s expectations…” Zhou She said, smacking his lips and feeling a bitter taste in his mouth.
There wasn't a single word about it.
If the Zhou family is ever mentioned again, then we're doomed. Forget about making history; if we even survive to next year, Emperor Hong'an will be considered magnanimous.
Hey... don't say that, he's definitely dead, but his mother might not be.
"Prime Minister Xiao told us yesterday that you are intelligent but lack perseverance. Since you can't settle your mind, your father and I happen to have some free time, so we'll come and help you."
"?" Zhou She suddenly realized, "Good teacher, so it was you who was trying to harm me!"
He said that his parents hadn't cared about him for years, but now they were acting like they valued him highly. Sure enough, someone was behind it all!
However, times have changed, and it's not that he can't learn. But he was too anxious to study, so he rubbed his hands together and got to the point: "If it can be of any use to the family, it would be my honor. But Father..."
Yesterday's events gave Zhou She some expectations of his father, so he first asked him, "What if what I do is not beneficial to the family and even brings about my death?"
Mr. Zhou didn't understand his implied meaning. His greater wish for his son was that he wouldn't cause trouble; as for how much help he could offer?
As long as they don't cause trouble, it's fine.
Without hesitation, he said, "Then pretend you're not a descendant of the Zhou family and go to the northern frontier incognito."
"If it brings disaster upon the family..."
Without even looking up, Zhou's father said, "Then I'll assume you're dead."
So cold-hearted.
Zhou She was taken aback by his words, then looked at his mother, who also had the same calm expression: "What can you do to bring trouble to the family?"
The implication is that this is something most people can't do; tell me about it.
Zhou She asked cautiously, "Rebellion?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a loud bang was heard in front of him.
Even the round table shook, and the bowls and chopsticks trembled. Mother Zhou raised her voice and angrily shouted, "You've been associating with Prince Su?!"
Zhou She was startled and shrank back, saying cautiously, "No, it's just... a premonition."
A mocking smile appeared on Zhou's mother's lips: "Nine out of ten people who do such things behind people's backs pretend not to know. Eldest son, how much of what you're saying do I believe?"
The bright sunlight suddenly dimmed, turning into a somber light through the heavy clouds.
Zhou She leaned back and stammered out his guess from yesterday. As he spoke, his mother's expression gradually changed, finally settling on a gloomy look.
"So, how confident are you in your guess?"
Zhou She weighed it for a moment: "Seventy percent, I guess."
Mr. and Mrs. Zhou exchanged a glance, then stood up simultaneously and said, "Pack up right away, let's leave now!"
Their urgency surprised Zhou She. He had thought his parents would abandon him, and tears welled up in his eyes: "Father—"
Zhou's father did not hear his eldest son calling him. His expression was serious, and he frowned as he pondered carefully. He said to his wife, "Before leaving, should we first expel him from the family and remove the entire clan from the register?"
"..." Zhou She immediately wiped away the tears in his eyes.
Zhou's mother was actually seriously considering the issue: "No, Tianmu hasn't mentioned this matter yet. If we act too hastily, it will easily attract attention."
They were engrossed in their discussion, talking back and forth, and completely forgot about Zhou She. By the time the sun had fully risen and it was noon, Zhou's mother finally grew tired and sat down to drink tea. Only then did she notice her eldest son still at the table and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you still here?"
Zhou She asked weakly, "Then what about Miss Gu?"
He's definitely not the type to show mercy to women. But if he exposes himself, Gu Xunhui will definitely suffer the consequences. No matter how he thinks about it, it's all his fault. He can't just abandon everyone when disaster strikes, can he?
Zhou's mother seemed to have heard an amusing question and scoffed, "Eldest son, I wouldn't even dare to protect you if you caused trouble. Does the Gu family have the guts of a mother to harbor a traitor?"
Zhou She was taken aback, and inexplicably felt a little nervous: "If Gu Er leaves with me..."
Before she could speak, Zhou's father interrupted her: "You escaped, and your family was still implicated, all because of your mother's influence. Gu Er escaped, but who will plead for her family?"
You can use Princess Zhaoping's influence once, but it won't work if you do it too often.
Zhou's father looked tired and waved his hand, saying, "Get out!"
Zhou She nodded hesitantly, stood up, took a few steps back, suddenly knelt down, and kowtowed several times. When he raised his head again, his forehead was already red: "Father, Mother, if there is an afterlife, I will repay you!"
He didn't dare look at his parents' expressions too much.
We are born into this world only once, and in the end, we are bound by the bond between parents and children. If parents can do this much, they have done their utmost.
Zhou She hurriedly returned to his bedroom, only to find that Zhou Ze was still there, sitting at the table leisurely drinking tea. Upon seeing his elder brother return, he exclaimed, "Hey!"
Zhou She glanced at him.
"Your parents sent you to school, but they don't intend for you to inherit the family business. Don't think—" Zhou Ze stood up, swayed to Zhou She's side, the two very close, his voice gradually weakening, tinged with suspicion, "Hey, you... you're crying?"
Zhou She: "..."
His eyes were indeed a little red, but it wasn't very noticeable unless you looked closely.
Zhou Ze clicked his tongue in amazement: "Rare indeed, brother, you really are as useless as ever."
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