Zhou Shuren’s brain was not a computer. He could only memorize or remember keywords. He thought to himself that he would write them down when he got home. He kept reciting the names of people and places in his mind. The eunuch came over and said, “The Emperor summoned you, Zhou Bangyan1.”
Zhou Shuren was mentally prepared. He talked everywhere like a hardworking bee. It would be strange if the Emperor didn’t look for him. By the way, the banquet customs of this dynasty were really free. He thought he could only sit in his seat and drink, listening to the Emperor’s long speeches that would make people drowsy. Unexpectedly, the Emperor didn’t say a few words!
He hadn’t studied the palace banquets of this dynasty. After sitting for a while and seeing Tanhua stand up, he realized that the palace banquets were good. People could walk around. It was really convenient for him. He liked it very much.
Zhou Shuren followed the eunuch. He was a little excited. To be honest, he really admired the Emperor. Now he could get close to the Emperor. He was excited and silently told himself to stay calm so that he could walk forward without changing his expression.
The Emperor didn’t know Zhou Shuren’s excitement, he was very satisfied with Zhou Shuren’s calmness.
Zhou Shuren’s excitement disappeared when he saluted. He knelt down, who liked to kneel down? He had never kneeled once in modern times. Who made him an orphan without parents? He had no place to kneel even if he wanted to.
It was better in ancient times. Today, his knees are blue from kneeling!
After Zhou Shuren stood up, the Emperor gave him a seat, and Zhou Shuren sat down generously, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Emperor Zhang Yu’s smile deepened. He deliberately called Zhou Shuren first, and Zhou Shuren really didn’t disappoint him. He was not afraid of being jealous at all. Well, although Lizhou City was a headache, he was a fifth-rank official after all. The decree during the day stunned everyone. Now everyone was calm, but there were still people who were jealous of Zhou Shuren. He saw it most clearly from above, “Give him wine.”
Zhou Shuren thought to himself, the palace is the palace, today’s wine was the best wine he had ever drunk, he wanted to drink more to make up for his heartache when he knelt, “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor smiled kindly, but his eyes were looking at everyone below. Most of the children of officials were very calm, and only a few people were sarcastic. Did they look down on Zhou Shuren, or did they think Zhou Shuren was short-lived?
Some people without foundation, some smart ones continued to drink, and some were jealous as if they felt that their ability was no worse than Zhou Shuren’s.
The Emperor sneered in his heart. People’s hearts were really greedy. He was just testing them, but some people showed their true colors. The top three should have waited, but they were sent out together today. Some people became arrogant.
The Crown Prince sat on one side. His mother had reminded him since he was a child that his father was not only his father. He was an Emperor; and an Emperor who was good at playing with people’s hearts. Look, his father seemed careless, but he had already started to keep accounts in his heart.
Zhou Shuren sipped the wine. It was good wine. He was really happy to drink it. As for the Emperor’s test, it was too straightforward this time. He didn’t even have to guess.
As for the Jinshi below, he understood better than anyone. Among the seventy-nine people, except Wu Ming and Zhao Bo, the others were polite to him on the surface, but who knew what they were thinking in their hearts!
The Emperor thought it was boring, and said with deep eyes: “I heard that the houses you bought were not to your liking.”
Zhou Shuren, “.”
I heard, bah, didn’t you check all these?
Zhou Shuren put down his wine glass, “I bought two houses but none of them suit my taste.”
He was not daydreaming. No, it was dark now. He did not imagine that the Emperor would reward him with a house if he asked this!
The Emperor wanted to see the Bangyan chosen by him change his expression, but unfortunately, he did not. “I have quite a few houses.”
Zhou Shuren was a little confused. He really could not keep up with the Emperor’s train of thought this time. He was thinking about what the Emperor would say next. Let him buy it with money? Or reward the house if he did a good job? No matter how you looked at it, the possibility was basically zero!
Zhou Shuren pressed his lips together and said, “I am dull-witted, Your Majesty.”
He scolded himself. Well, it felt novel!
The Emperor raised his eyebrows. Zhou Shuren lowered his head and he could not see his face clearly. “I can reward you with a large house with three entrances. There will be a garden and a pond in the house. The scenery in all seasons is very good, but…”
Zhou Shuren, “.”
He just knew that things were not simple.
Zhou Shuren thought, anyway, he had been sent to Lizhou City, his head was already hanging on his waist, he had nothing to be afraid of, and the house would be a real benefit, “I thank Your Majesty for the reward.”
The Emperor was silent, didn’t he hear the but behind him? Looking at Zhou Shuren kneeling, very good, thick-skinned.
The Crown Prince lowered his head to eat, with a smile in his eyes, this Bangyan was interesting, no wonder his father valued him. Originally, he didn’t expect much from Zhou Shuren going to Lizhou City, but now he could expect more.
The Emperor waited for Zhou Shuren to get up, he was not thin-skinned, “The reward is based on a prerequisite, in exchange for your house in Pinggang.”
These words were spoken very softly—Zhou Shuren, already on high alert, barely managed to hear them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have caught them at all.
Zhou Shuren didn’t dare to think too much and quickly responded, “Yes.”
The Emperor curled his lips into a slight smile. Seeing that everyone was looking at him, he spoke, “However, you still cannot move into the house just yet. Only when the people of Lizhou City have secured their livelihood will this residence truly belong to you. I await your good news.”
Zhou Shuren, “.”
Having the house taken away, how much was Zhulan’s heart going to ache!
The Emperor was very satisfied to see Zhou Shuren’s face change and motioned Zhou Shuren to go down. When Zhou Shuren returned to his position, the Emperor was happy. He had already set his eyes on the three houses. The location was not particularly conspicuous, which was very suitable for surveillance. At present, it was free, not bad.
As for the rewarded house, he also kept it for Zhou Shuren. Whether he could get it or not depended on Zhou Shuren’s ability.
Zhou Shuren returned to his seat, feeling a tightness in his chest. He had underestimated the Emperor’s shamelessness. If not for the eunuch revealing the house’s location, he might have coughed up blood on the spot.
Thinking about the house’s location, he finally felt a little better. As long as he met the Emperor’s requirements, they would come out on top. After all, a residence bestowed by the emperor was something money couldn’t buy!
Afterward, the Emperor called the Tanhua2 again. The Emperor was very friendly to him and said something to encourage him. The Tanhua was so excited that he looked like he was going to do something big.
Zhou Shuren sneered in his heart. The Emperor wanted to squeeze out all the value of the Tanhua. Zhou Shuren shook his wine glass. The Emperor wanted to continue to consolidate power and would definitely take action. This time, the knife was hanging over the capital. Thinking of this, it would be a good idea to go out of the capital.
The last person the Emperor met was the Zhuangyuan3. After just a few words, he sent Wu Ming away. He did not hide his disdain for the Zhuangyuan at all.
Zhou Shuren did not miss Wu Ming. What Wu Ming experienced today was Wu Ming’s own choice. Besides, the cold treatment was also a kind of tempering. The more severe the tempering, the more solid Wu Ming’s foundation would be. He wished that the Emperor would dislike him more!
At Zhou’s house, Zhulan had been awake waiting for Zhou Shuren to come back. Zhou Shuren came back at Xu4 hour in the evening. When Zhulan welcomed Zhou Shuren into the house, she could smell the alcohol on him.
Zhulan supported Zhou Shuren and asked, “How much did you drink?”
Zhou Shuren felt a little dizzy and couldn’t help but curse in his heart. He had no idea who started it, but now that the banquet was coming to an end, everyone came to toast him. He had been quite sober before, but now he had drunk much more than he intended.
(End of this chapter)
Footnote
- Second-place winner
- Third-place winner
- Ist Place winner
- 7 to 9 PM
T/N: AH my favorite pair of Emperor and Crown Prince. Just see their shenanigans.
Translating one chapter one day at a time 
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