Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1367 - 559: Art Exhibition (Part 1)

An Zhichen went to Marquis Jingning’s Residence, met with Luo Shao, and told him about the possibility that Zhou Shu was in the Capital City.

Luo Shao’s expression was very calm and asked, "What do you plan to do?"

An Zhichen’s goal was clear: "This time, I must not let him escape. I am determined to capture him." Last time in Haikou, Zhou Shu escaped, and this time he absolutely could not let Zhou Shu escape the Capital City again.

Luo Shao naturally wouldn’t deny An Zhichen’s intent. The hatred of a wife being stolen is something no man can endure. Previously, they couldn’t find him, but now that they have found him, they definitely won’t let him go: "So, what do you plan to do?"

An Zhichen explained his plan. In simple terms, he had experts protect all three of his sons and found a stand-in for Kexin, while he intended to place Kexin in Marquis Jingning’s Residence.

Luo Shao pondered for a moment and said, "It’s difficult to find a young girl similar to Kexin in a short time." Even he couldn’t do it.

An Zhichen felt that finding a young girl with a similar height would be fine. As for the appearance, it could be slightly off, since Kexin rarely appears in front of outsiders anyway.

Luo Shao thought for a moment and said, "This matter, you should directly tell the Emperor." If they wanted to capture Zhou Shu, they might have to employ the Imperial Guards, and having the Emperor’s approval would make things much easier for An Zhichen and remove many scruples.

An Zhichen didn’t understand why Luo Shao would say that: "This is my personal matter, isn’t it inappropriate to tell the Emperor?" It was because An Zhichen understood Luo Shao and knew that Luo Shao wouldn’t speak without reason; Luo Shao had a reason for suggesting this.

Luo Shao shook his head and said, "It’s not really a personal matter. Do you not remember that Zhou Shu is a wanted criminal by the Imperial Court?" The day Zhou Shu escaped Haikou, nearly ten thousand people were killed or injured; he was the most wanted criminal.

An Zhichen still felt it was inappropriate. Even if Zhou Shu was a criminal, it didn’t seem right to directly inform the Emperor. Moreover, speaking of Zhou Shu would certainly implicate Yueyao.

Luo Shao smiled and said, "If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t suggest this to you. Rest assured and go, the Emperor won’t make things difficult for you over this matter."

In the past, Yueyao wrote to inform the Emperor of a drought in Jiangnan, allowing the Imperial Court to prepare and avoid a disaster. It’s fair to say this was all due to Yueyao’s merit; however, because the matter was too mysterious, the Emperor couldn’t openly reward her. Now that Yueyao’s life was in danger, the Emperor would likely need to show some response. As long as the Emperor gave a little indication, the matter would become much easier.

An Zhichen didn’t know that Yueyao had previously written to the Emperor. It wasn’t that Yueyao was hiding it from An Zhichen; rather, the act had been very dangerous at the time, and Yueyao didn’t want An Zhichen to worry, so she hadn’t told him. Once it was all over, she didn’t dare bring it up.

Given his trust in Luo Shao, An Zhichen weighed his options and decided to trust Luo Shao. He prepared his thoughts, and then explained the matter to the Emperor.

Just the fact that Zhou Shu dared to abduct someone from the back courtyard of the Vice Minister’s Mansion was enough to leave a deep impression on the Emperor: "How do you know Zhou Shu might be in the Capital City?"

An Zhichen respectfully replied, "Last time, when my Elder Uncle survived an assassination attempt, I suspected that the mastermind was Zhou Shu."

The Emperor glanced at An Zhichen: "Did Madam Lian have another bad dream?" He guessed that Madam Lian dreamed of Zhou Shu returning to the Capital, even though he hadn’t received any information.

An Zhichen’s heart skipped a beat, but he sincerely said, "Replying to Your Majesty, my humble wife indeed had a nightmare two days ago. She dreamt she was forced to commit suicide."

The Emperor immediately understood. However, he was puzzled why Madam Lian’s dreams always foretold bad events – either dreaming of An Zhichen being harmed or herself being forced to commit suicide. It’s indeed a wretched situation where even dreams offer no peace.

The last time, Yueyao contributed significantly to the relief during the Jiangnan drought, but the matter was too fantastical to reward publicly, so the Emperor just let it be. Now that the matter was directly in front of him, he couldn’t remain completely indifferent: "I will have people investigate, and if there are any leads, you will be informed. Moreover, if it comes to a critical moment, you are authorized to deploy a portion of the military force." As for how much military force, that would be for An Zhichen to decide.

An Zhichen was mentally strong; although he was stunned by the good news, he didn’t show much on his face, only kneeling to thank the Emperor.

The Emperor watched An Zhichen’s retreating figure, his expression rather relaxed. An Zhichen had ambition, but he also had a weakness, which was his deep care for his wife and children. As long as a subject had a weakness, there was no worry about being unable to control them.