Chapter 75 Lord Zhou Requests an Audience
After walking for six whole days, we are finally about to enter the city.
Officials from Hezhou were waiting outside the city early on.
The convoy stopped for a break, and Yao Shisan had just caught her breath when someone asked her to move to the main chassis.
When she lifted the car curtain, there was no one inside!
Yao Shisan turned around, "Where is His Highness Prince Cheng?!"
Chief Steward Qing remained calm. "His Highness said he has typhoid fever and is unable to appear in person. He has left everything to his wife."
She pointed to the empty chassis and exclaimed, "When...when did he run away?!"
Steward Qing remained silent.
She took a deep breath and changed the subject, "What if those officials want to see His Highness?"
She can't exactly dress up as a man and pretend to be the king, can she?!
Chief Steward Qing glanced at her briefly before turning and walking towards the front of the line.
Yao Shisan, “…”
No one has a life as miserable as hers.
They were doing deadly work, earning no money, and were even heavily in debt.
The large, luxurious carriage was like a small house.
There is also a small charcoal stove in the outer room for brewing tea and boiling water.
The bed in the inner room was soft, and you could not even feel the bumps of the carriage while lying on it.
Yao Shisan immediately called over Shuang'er, Wenxi, and Fu'er from the back carriage.
Although you won't be able to enjoy it for long, you can still experience the royal chassis.
I have no regrets in this life.
Shuang'er nestled in the outer room, marveling as she flipped through the pages.
"We can even cook some porridge here!"
If she had switched to this car earlier, Sister Yao wouldn't have suffered for several days.
Fu'er lay listlessly beside her mother.
She had lost her former liveliness and was no longer curious about the novel horse-drawn carriage.
Yao Shisan touched her forehead; she didn't have a fever. "Is Fu'er feeling unwell?"
Fu'er nodded, then shook her head.
My stomach hurts.
Yao Shisan put his arm around her and asked, "Do you need to use the restroom?"
But she shook her head again.
Wenxi stepped forward and took her away. "You've had a long journey, and the child is still young. Get a good night's rest once we get to the city, and tomorrow she'll be a lively and energetic child again."
The area around Hezhou is mostly hilly, and the road is winding and twisting, which would be unbearable for adults, let alone children.
I really don't know what the manager was thinking.
Since Xiao Shu wasn't around, they were still rushing on their way.
When they entered the city, it was midday, and the officials were almost melting from the sun.
Yao Shisan looked through the window and saw that the leading official was extremely young.
Unlike Ningzhou, which was full of old men, Hezhou actually had several young officials.
Xiao Shu can just disappear so easily, does that mean Hezhou is all his people?
"Your humble servant, Zhou Congyu, Prefect of Hezhou, pays his respects to Your Highness Prince Cheng."
Zhou Congyu?
Zhou Congyu, Zhou Congxian's cousin.
Yao Shisan almost thought he had misheard.
Her fingers clenched tightly.
If it weren't for Zhou Congyu, she wouldn't have become Zhou Congxian's concubine, she wouldn't have died in vain in her previous life, and she wouldn't have fallen into such a state in this life!
Chief Steward Qing's voice came from outside the carriage.
"Greetings to Lord Zhou. His Highness is suffering from acclimatization issues and is currently too weak to meet with you gentlemen."
Zhou Congyu immediately stepped aside to make way, "The inn has prepared food and hot water. Please come in and rest, Your Highness."
"I will come to see you again later."
The convoy slowly entered the city, with crowds of onlookers lining both sides of the road.
It seems everyone wants to catch a glimpse of the emperor's face.
Yao Shisan, however, could not calm down for a long time.
At the family banquet of the Duke of England's mansion, Zhou Congyu asked for her. She was so frightened that her face turned pale, thinking that she could not escape this fate.
It was Zhou Congxian who rejected Zhou Congyu's request.
In the evening, she delivered clothes to Zhou Congxian's courtyard, just as Zhou Congxian and Zhou Congyu were drinking.
There were only two maids serving in the courtyard, and one of them, Mingyu, had a stomachache and asked her to take over for a while.
That short moment completely changed her life.
It was only later that they learned that Zhou Congyu had drugged the drink.
She became Zhou Congxian's concubine, and another maid became Zhou Congyu's concubine. Only Mingyu escaped this fate.
After that, Zhou Congyu was transferred to a post outside the capital, and she never saw him again.
She never imagined that their reunion would be under such circumstances.
Wenxi noticed her unusual behavior and assumed she was afraid of being recognized by the Zhou family.
"I heard that Lord Zhou is the eldest son of the second branch of the Zhou family and has been an official in Hezhou for many years. When the time comes, he won't recognize you because you'll be behind the curtain."
Yao Shisan nodded stiffly.
"How many days will we stay in Hezhou?"
Wenxi said, "His Highness hasn't given any instructions yet. Once we get the travel guide, we should be able to leave."
She immediately said, "Then please ask Sister Wenxi to inquire with Steward Qing when we can get the travel guide."
Shuang'er was unaware of the inside story and could only look at her belly with some worry.
"We've been traveling for days on end, and Fu'er's body can't take it anymore, nor can the baby in her belly."
Yao Shisan looked at his daughter, whose face looked pale and sickly.
We weighed whether to leave immediately or rest for a few days.
After a long pause, she gritted her teeth and said, "If His Highness Prince Cheng can pretend to be sick, then I can pretend to be sick too, we can both pretend to be sick!"
“If he, a grown man, can fall ill, why can’t we, a group of delicate women, get sick?”
The guesthouse in Hezhou was smaller and much older than the one in Ningzhou.
No one was sent to repair it in advance.
The moment I stepped into the venue, it started raining.
It's raining heavily outside, and drizzling inside.
Yao Shisan, “…”
She now wonders if Xiao Shu did it on purpose.
Knowing that this godforsaken place was uninhabitable, he slipped away beforehand.
The governor's mansion was also old, but the interior had been freshly painted.
Zhou Congyu stood under the eaves, watching the sudden downpour.
A smile played on his lips. "This is truly a timely rain."
The attendant reported, "My lord, nearly half of His Highness Prince Cheng's entourage are repairing the roof."
"My lord, a man claiming to be a deputy commander from the capital has arrived."
He had barely opened his mouth when a servant rushed in to report.
Zhou Congyu frowned. "What's he doing here?"
He had already received news from the capital that Zhou Congxian had been promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and was enjoying unparalleled prestige.
His brows relaxed. "Why don't you invite the lord in? If you neglect Lord Zhou from the capital, I will hold you accountable."
The governor's mansion was not large, and the former governor was an honest official, so the mansion was not renovated.
Zhou Congyu continued the tradition of his predecessors, maintaining his consistent integrity.
Zhou Congxian had not yet taken off his raincoat as he gazed at the simple council hall.
His facial expression remained unchanged.
He and Zhou Congyu had not seen each other for many years.
He wouldn't have come to see him if he didn't have important business in Hezhou.
"Why didn't you send a message beforehand that your younger brother was coming to Hezhou?"
Zhou Congyu placed his umbrella by the door, his face beaming with the joy of reuniting with family and friends.
"I haven't yet congratulated you on your promotion, my brother."
Zhou Congxian's eyelids drooped slightly, then lifted again.
"Congratulations to my cousin on the birth of his son."
Before setting off, in order to urge him to agree to the marriage proposal, Zhao bluntly stated that Zhou Congyu's second son from his second wife had already been born.
His wife was Chen Gelao's niece.
Zhou Congyu's smile deepened. "Since you're here, stay in Hezhou for a while longer. My place may be a bit run-down, but it's lively and bustling."
Unlike Zhou Congxian, Zhou Congyu already has four sons and daughters.
Zhou Congxian knew that his cousin had always liked to compare himself with him since childhood, from major events like taking the imperial examinations and becoming an official to minor matters like clothing, food, housing, and transportation.
He knew that his second uncle was resentful.
They were brothers born of the same mother, but back then, the second uncle clearly had a higher official position and a better future.
My grandfather chose my unremarkable father to inherit the title.
He didn't understand it when he was a child.
He understands now.
The capital city has many noble titles, but in recent years they have declined, had their titles stripped, and experienced numerous ups and downs.
Only the unremarkable father did not become the target of public criticism.
My second uncle was implicated in Prince Qing's corruption case and was demoted to a commoner. It wasn't until the late emperor's later years that he was cleared of suspicion and restored to his rightful place.
He raised his eyes slightly, "I've come here for the warhorse, I have important business to attend to, so I would appreciate it if my cousin could do me a favor."
Zhou Congyu glanced at the rain outside, which was gradually subsiding, and said, "What's the big deal? I'll accompany you, Brother Xian."
Then, he changed the subject, "His Highness Prince Cheng's carriage has just arrived at the guesthouse and been settled in."
“Your younger brother should go and pay his respects first.”
Zhou Congxian glanced at him.
Zhou Congyu pretended not to know about his feud with Prince Cheng.
"It just so happens that I am also going on this trip, so let's go together, Brother Xian."
*
Yao Shisan sneezed loudly.
Shuang'er found a cloak in the trunk and wrapped it around her.
"What kind of wretched place is this? Is this how Hezhou treats Prince Cheng's carriage?"
After wrapping the cloak around her for a while, she glanced at it and her eyes widened instantly.
"Isn't this His Highness Prince Cheng's cloak?!"
She struggled to take it off.
Shuang'er pressed down on her hands, "You risked your life to cover for him, can't you even afford a cloak?"
Yao Shisan pinched his nose. "Shuang'er, I feel like I can't breathe."
In just a short while, her voice sounded a little different.
Shuang'er immediately stood up. "I'm going to find Sister Wenxi."
Yao Shisan stopped her, "Wenxi is busy right now, don't go looking for her, I'm fine."
"Go to the kitchen of the guesthouse and make more ginger soup to warm everyone up. So many people were out in the rain repairing the roof; a lot of them will probably collapse tomorrow."
Shuang'er went to the kitchen.
She glanced at Fu'er, who was finally sleeping soundly on the bed, and her heart softened.
At least she and her child are safe and sound now.
Here, no one wants them dead all the time.
It's much better than living in constant fear in the capital.
A knocking sound rang out at the door.
Just as she was about to speak, Steward Qing's voice came from outside the door.
"Madam, the Prefect of Hezhou, Lord Zhou, and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Lord Zhou, request an audience."
Yao Shisan suddenly looked up.
Two Lord Zhous?!
Are they all relatives of the British Duke's family?
Why are all these people with the surname Zhou gathered together?!
Yao Shisan touched her face; she couldn't show her face.
She coughed lightly twice. "Your Highness is not feeling well and it is probably not appropriate for you to see the two Lord Zhous."
Chief Steward Qing glanced back at the two Lord Zhous.
"Please forgive us, Your Highness. You have been traveling a long way. It was raining heavily just now, and this house is leaky and cold. Both of you have fallen ill."
Zhou Congxian frowned, staring at the half-closed door as if trying to see through the person inside.
The sound just now.
Although it has a nasal tone.
But……
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