Chapter 1479 Opportunity

After leaving the government office, Zhou Shuren went home and changed his clothes while saying, "Let's have the bosses come over for dinner today."

Zhulan thought something was wrong, "Where's Mingyun?"

"Let's call Mingyun over as well."

The Zhou brothers and their companions arrived very quickly. When the food was served on the table, Zhou Shuren motioned his sons and grandson to sit down. He drank the soup first. It was vegetable soup because he could not drink more soup.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Zhou Shuren said to his father, "I have asked the emperor for a job for you."

"Cough, cough, cough, cough."

Zhou Laoda had just taken a sip of soup and had to cover his mouth when he swallowed. He turned his head to the side and coughed. His father's news was too scary. When he stopped coughing, he signaled his son not to take the photo anymore. He took the handkerchief handed to him by his son and wiped his mouth, "Dad, you are not kidding your son, are you?"

Zhou Shuren rolled his eyes, "Can I joke about my job?"

Boss Zhou was dumbfounded. So it was true, he also had a job?

Changyi was much calmer than his elder brother. "Dad, what job did you ask for my elder brother?"

Zhou Shuren, "The Emperor is grateful for the soldiers who died defending their country, so he agreed to my proposal to bring up all the orphans together. Your job is to investigate how many orphans there are, and how many children have been abused."

This job requires patience and someone with a sincere heart. The eldest brother is the most suitable person. Of course, he gave the eldest brother this job not because the eldest brother is suitable, but because it started with the Zhou family. In the future, the eldest brother will inherit the title of Marquis. If the eldest brother gets involved, after his death, the Zhou family can also participate from generation to generation.

Although he didn't know how long he could live, he had to slowly think of everything he could think of and arrange everything that needed to be arranged.

Boss Zhou was a little unsure. He had always been in charge of the family affairs, and this was his first time to take on an imperial mission. "Dad, can my son do it?"

Zhou Shuren took a quick look and asked, "What do you think?"

Zhou Laoda was silent. His intuition told him that if his answer was not to his father's liking, his father would punish him. "Yes, son can do it."

Zhou Shuren hummed, "Minghui is a smart kid, he will follow you."

After a pause, he continued, "There is no reward for this mission, but you have to do it well for me. Get ready and we will set off the day after tomorrow."

Chang Yi saw that his father had finished his instructions and asked, "Dad, have you taken all the children back to the capital?"

Zhou Shuren, "Not all of them will be brought to the capital. Only a few states near the capital will be brought to the capital. The emperor will send people to investigate the other states and raise them locally."

The population has doubled in recent years. Last year, the casualties on the two-front battlefield were still high due to the lack of gunpowder, so it is not realistic to send all the children to the capital.

Boss Zhou understood what was said, so he was put in charge of several nearby states. He felt at ease, knowing that he could resume farming when he returned to Beijing.

In the evening, Zhou Shuren sat next to his daughter-in-law and said, "You didn't talk much tonight."

Zhulan opened the quilt and said, "I am also thinking about something. I want to go to the palace to see the Queen Mother."

Zhou Shuren, "Hmm?"

"I think if this is really the Little Ice Age, without high-yield crops, the people's lives will become increasingly difficult. You've read Yushuang's letter. The manor that Changyi bought has already taken in many children. Children were worthless in ancient times, and the first to die when times got tough were the elderly and children. Your proposal was for the orphans of the soldiers, but what about the people?"

Zhou Shuren understood what his wife meant, "You want the Queen Mother to take the lead?"

Zhulan, "I would like to take the lead, but we have the imperial power above us, and you are waving the emperor's banner, so I can only think of asking the Queen Mother to come forward. It would be best if the Queen Mother came forward."

"Why not the Queen?"

"The Queen and the Wen family are related. If the Queen takes the lead, the Wen family will definitely intervene. Isn't this stealing my business? It's different if the Queen Mother takes the lead. I have laid a solid foundation in organizing books over the years. The royal family has already accepted that I am a person with brains and ideas, and recognizes that I am not just a woman in the harem."

After a pause, he continued, "The Queen Mother doesn't have many people around her who can be used. Lord Ning is the Queen Mother's nephew, and his niece-in-law is young and can't be suppressed, so I am the most suitable person."

Zhou Shuren lay down in the quilt, feeling comfortable on the warm kang. "You've been thinking about this all night."

"I didn't think about it tonight. I've been thinking about it since I told you about setting up an orphanage. I think it's good for the Queen Mother to take the lead. As long as the Queen Mother is concerned, many children can be saved. These children may not be trained as elites, but they can be trained to become craftsmen. If they are trained from generation to generation, the progress of society needs them. What do you think?"

Zhou Shuren curled his lips and said, "I think it's very good. Only with a foundation can we reform and accelerate the development of society."

Zhu Lan's eyebrows curved, "I have been suffocated for these years. Now that there is an opportunity, I want to grab it. Women know more and will not be trapped in the back house. Although the progress will be slow, it is very bright."

Zhou Shuren hadn't seen such a glow in his wife's eyes for a long time. "If you want to do it, just do it. We have come this far and have enough confidence."

Zhulan, "I need to write a plan and choose a date to enter the palace. You just mentioned the orphan. I need to find a good time. Yes, let the old lady see more about the lives of the people so that I can find an opportunity."

Zhou Shuren kept listening to his wife. Zhulan didn't know how long she had been talking. In the end, it was already very late when they both fell asleep.

Li was very happy that Boss Zhou was going on a business trip. As for Minghui who was going with him, Li did not feel reluctant to let him go and was willing to see him off.

Minghui didn't want to go. He was a person who loved to enjoy himself. At noon when he went to the academy, he would ask the servant to change the stove to warm his hands. How could he endure hardship? But after hearing what his grandfather said, it was useless for him to act coquettishly to his grandmother.

Mingjia patted Minghui on the shoulder and said, "It's a rare opportunity to go out and gain some experience."

Ming Jing, "Ask the cook to make you more food. You've been spoiled, don't starve yourself and become skinny."

Mingrui took out a few books and said, "Don't forget to study when you go out. I will test you when you come back."

Minghui, "You are truly my brother."

Mingrui smiled, "Cousin."

Minghui, "...you are so cruel."

The day's preparations were quick. Minghui got on the carriage with a bitter face and looked at his grandmother eagerly. Then he saw his grandmother waving a handkerchief, wishing her a safe journey.

Minghui looked at his mother again, but his mother didn't even look at him!

Boss Zhou patted his son on the head and said, "You don't want to go, do you think I'm willing to take you?"

This kid is the most coquettish, and he still has to take care of Minghui on the way. Thinking about how picky this kid is, he already has a headache before he even leaves home.

Minghui snorted, pulled his cloak over his head, and ignored his father.

Boss Zhou glared. Among the brothers, he was the one who lacked the authority of his father.

Zhangzhou, Yu Shuang returned home with a very pale face. She immediately called a doctor and the doctor prescribed some tranquilizing medicine.

Liu Feng came back from outside and hurried back to the backyard, "We are not going to Dad's manor, what's wrong?"

Yu Shuang's face turned pale again when she thought of what she had seen.

The old woman couldn't bear to see the young lady suffer, so she motioned for the aunt to go out and whispered, "On the way there, we saw two children who had frozen to death, one big and one small. They had frozen to death on the way to the manor."

The old woman shuddered as she spoke, "The two children's eyes were full of resentment, and..."

Liu Feng asked, "And what?"

The old woman took a deep breath and said, "The bodies of the two children were bloody and their bones were already visible. They had been eaten by wild animals."

Liu Feng felt heavy-hearted. This was not an isolated case. He would occasionally see this when he visited various villages. "You go and watch the decoction of the medicine!"