Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 16.1

Chapter 16.1

Shen Tingwen was a little uncomfortable in the Ministry of Household Affairs Office. He kept the official document he was holding on the table and peered out the window. ‘The draft ought to be over by now, right?’

At that time, an eunuch hurriedly came in, walked directly to Shen Tingwen, and whispered, “Sir, Ping Xihou is here. Please go outside and talk.”

Shen Tingwen was surprised. “Load Ping Xihou?”

When they heard the words, a few nearby Ministry of Household Affairs staffers looked over there. It was a surprise that Ping Xihou came personally; he was not an ordinary person at all.

The little eunuch nodded as a response.

When Shen Tingwen realised what had happened, he gathered up the documents on the table and went with the young eunuch.

There was an old locust tree in the Ministry of Household Affairs Office courtyard. When Shen Tingwen came outside, he saw Li Zhi standing beneath the tree wearing a purple robe.

The sun emerged through the leaves, casting a mottled shade and light on Li Zhi’s attractive face. The sunlight had blocked the man’s eyes, and it would be hard to see the expressions in his phoenix eyes.

Shen Tingwen went down the steps and approached Li Zhi while he was still unsure of what Li Zhi wanted from him.

“Master Shen, I’ve been waiting for a long time,” Li Zhi said.

“Your Excellency.” Shen Tingwen looked at the man in front of him, with a hit of anxiety all over his face. “I wonder why the Marquis is here?”

Li Zhi turned to look at the East Palace far away before walking to Shen Tingwen’s side. He lowered his voice and said, “Time is tight. Please pardon my bluntness. I heard that the seventh girl is also among the show girls in this East Palace draft. I wonder if you have any expectations for the seventh girl.”

Seeing the change in Li Zhi’s face when he mentioned his daughter, Shen Tingwen felt uneasy in his heart. “Our husband and wife have spoilt our little daughter. We would still like to keep her for two more years if it is possible. So we can change her spoilt temper.”

“With these words from your lord, Li dares to state his purpose of coming,” Li Zhi, with a joyful expression on his face, stated. “To tell the truth, sir, Li has been in love with Miss Qi and has desired to wed her ever since we happened to cross paths at Xiaoquan Temple. I haven’t visited the Shen Mansion in a while because I feel like I’ve offended the seventh girl because I’m much older than her.”

Shen Tingwen: ‘This new favourite minister of the imperial court actually has fallen in love with my daughter?’

After seeing Shen Tingwen’s astonished look, Li Zhi went on, saying, “Today is the final selection, and the emperor selected the daughter of the Protector of the Kingdom as the crown princess, and then the empress praised the seventh girl for being smart, and she could be the crown prince’s concubine.”

Upon hearing that, Shen Tingwen immediately frowned. Whether it was the crown prince’s princess or the crown prince’s concubine, they were all the prince’s women, but the prince was a romantic man by nature. So he didn’t want his daughter to enter the East Palace and compete with others for favours and plots all day long.

‘Besides, what does my queen sister mean? Last time, the queen insulted my daughter when she gave her a gift. She was obviously not happy about it. Why did she ignore her biological niece today and instead choose my Qingqing?’

“What did the emperor say?” Shen Tingwen asked anxiously.

“Sir, today’s draft is just a formality,” Li Zhi reminded Shen Tingwen after giving him a serious look. “However, when the Imperial Concubine and the Queen discussed it the day before yesterday, the Queen also said that she had already chosen the Crown Princess but not concubines. It seems that after meeting with the Emperor last night, the Queen decided on the seventh girl.”

Shen Tingwen’s heart grew cold. “The Emperor agreed?”

With a sour smile, Li Zhi said, “The Emperor must have agreed last night; otherwise, the Queen would not have brought up the seventh girl today. But the Imperial Concubine was aware of my affections for the seventh girl, and the Imperial Concubine passed out during the passionate moment, delaying the draft.”

Li Zhi’s words were like needles that prised Shen Tingwen’s heart, and sweat broke out on his forehead.

Shen Tingwen, having calmed down, perceived a turning point quickly. ‘Chun Guifei is capable of ruining the harem and is unflappable in the slightest. She must have purposefully fainted. Chun Guifei, knowing her brother’s fondness for Qingqing, she had done that. Now that Li Zhi came to me, it showed that Concubine Chun was confident that she could change the Emperor’s decision.’

Before Shen Tingwen could say a word, Li Zhiy suddenly bowed, saluted, and uttered words of sincerity that caught him off guard. “My lord, it is not Li who is adding insult to injury, but the fact is that the emperor and empress made the decision first. If the imperial concubine wants to dissuade him, there must be a suitable reason. It’s urgent. If you decline my proposal, let it just go. And I’ll tell the imperial concubine not to cause any trouble. And if you want to transfer to a higher position, let me know.”

Shen Tingwen subconsciously said, “My lord is so kind, but I don’t want to be an official. Please get up quickly.”

Li Zhi stood up straight again and looked at Shen Tingwen inquiringly.

Shen Tingwen was in trouble. ‘The daughter would have to join the East Palace if I declined Li Zhi’s proposal, giving the imperial concubine no opportunity to convince the emperor otherwise. But if I agree to Li Zhi, will my daughter be happy? Will my father agree? After all, the Shen family is the queen’s natal family, and Li Zhi is the imperial concubine’s brother. Anyone would think that the two families have an incompatible relationship.’

After some time had passed and Shen Tingwen had not answered.

Li Zhi sighed softly, saying, “I admire the seventh girl, but the seventh girl may not like me. I know that acting in such an aggressive manner right now is hardly gentlemanly, but circumstances demand it. I shall be the sole reason the royal concubine advises the emperor if you don’t have a more trustworthy method.”

Shen Tingwen understood that no matter how favoured the imperial concubine was, she could not interfere in the prince’s selection at will.

Shen Tingwen, embarrassed, and answered after giving it some thought, “I sincerely appreciate the Marquis’ generosity. But this is a big issue. Would the Marquis let me discuss it with my family?”

After pondering for a time, Li Zhi said seriously, “Dr. Xuan is currently attending to the imperial concubine on behalf of the Emperor. She won’t be unconscious for very long. She has to give the Emperor a plausible explanation as soon as she awakens. I’m worried that you won’t be able to escape the palace. It could be too late to talk to Mr. Shen Ge about it.”

‘Concubine Chun is feigning dizziness. Who can act long in the presence of the imperial doctor?’ Shen Tingwen had made a guess previously. “I’m going to go find my father right now, no further delay. favour, I owe you a favour, Marquis, regardless of the result.” Shen Tingwen quickly saluted Li Zhi.

Moving aside, Li Zhi smiled, saying, “Li did it for himself. I merely hope you won’t hold it against me for exploiting other people.”

Shen Tingwen constantly shook his head. He thanked Li Zhi once more before rushing to the cabinet.

Have a nice day!