Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 36.1

Chapter 36.1

Li Zhi planned a grand dinner to change Shen Qingqing’s mind, but nothing changed.
Therefore, he ended up taking all his frustration out on Shen Qingqing.

The next morning, Li Zhi strolled into court feeling great. Meanwhile, poor Shen Qingqing didn’t wake up until noon.

“Madam, what delicious meal did the Marquis treat you to last night?” Yu Die teased as Shen Qingqing got ready.

Shen Qingqing, who had a sore body, put on a serious face and replied, “Just some regular dishes from the restaurant.”

Yu Die wasn’t buying it.

She was on guard yesterday. So late at night, when the inner room was filled with romance, she realised the noises coming from the room were different from previous nights. Her lady’s begging for mercy had obviously changed last night, and Yi Die felt that Shen Qingqing seemed to be enjoying it.

Luckily, Yu Die knew Shen Qingqing well enough to let it go when she didn’t want to answer. Instead, she just felt a little happy for her master.

Once she finished her makeup, Shen Qingqing took Yu Chan to Wanfu Hall to pay her respects to Old Madam Zhu. Today she had suddenly decided she wanted to accompany Li Zhi to Rehe, so she needed to inform Old Lady Zhu.

In Wanfu Hall, Jiang Yiyue was chatting with Old Lady Zhu. When she spotted Shen Qingqing, she stood up and greeted her with a smile.

“Come on, Sister. You don’t need to be so formal. We see each other every day, so let’s skip the pleasantries from now on,” Shen Qingqing said.

Jiang Yiyue smiled and lowered her gaze.

Old Lady Zhu was pleased to see the two getting along so well.

Shen Qingqing settled down for a chat with Old Lady Zhu and then told about the trip to Rehe.

Old Lady Zhu was taken aback by the young woman’s words.

Feeling a bit shy, Shen Qingqing looked down.

Going to Rehe was a huge deal, and changing her mind out of the blue seemed a bit immature. But who could she blame? It was all Li Zhi’s doing, constantly nagging her and trying to charm her. He pulled out all the stops, and Shen Qingqing found it hard to say no.

After pondering for a while, the old lady felt happy about her eldest grandson having a good relationship with his wife. Once she got the full picture, Old Lady Zhu teased. “I heard Zhongchang took you to Wanghu Tower last night. Sounds like the chef there has really upped their game!”

This made Shen Qingqing’s face turn an even deeper shade of red.

She looked stunning like a blooming rose. Jiang Yiyue noticed it and thought that Li Zhi must have poured all his charm into convincing Shen Qingqing to change her mind at Wanghu Tower last night, which made her feel a bit down. She had been part of the Li family since she was little and had experienced plenty of Li Zhi’s kindness. She even thought he might have feelings for her. But seeing how he treated Shen Qingqing made her realise that he was just as nice to everyone else. His gentleness was just a facade, with Shen Qingqing being the only one who truly mattered.

Old Lady Zhu caught a glimpse of Jiang Yiyue’s brief moment of sadness.

Old Lady Zhu felt a bit torn because she had personally raised Jiang Yiyue for several years. But she knew that Shen Qingqing had the right background, talent, and grace that Li Zhi needed in a legal wife. As for Jiang Yiyue, Old Lady Zhu planned to convince Li Zhi to take her as a concubine when the time was right.

****

On the very first day of her journey with the Holy Chariot, Shen Qingqing started to have second thoughts. The ride was bumpy, and sitting for too long was a pain. Lying down wasn’t much better either; the couch was hard, and piling on more quilts just made it too hot.

She really regretted coming to Rehe just for a roasted whole lamb.

After a short nap, she was just waking up when a young eunuch’s voice called out from outside. “Madam, it’s quite hot today. The Noble Imperial Concubine sent some iced cherries.”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback and quickly got ready to step out and accept the treat.

The young eunuch smiled and stopped her, saying, “No need to be so formal, Madam. The Noble Imperial Concubine wants Madam to enjoy it. I’ll report back to Her Majesty later.”

He handed the food box to Yu Chan and then left.

“Madam, the Noble Imperial Concubine really thinks highly of you,” Yu Chan exclamied as she opened the box.

Shen Qingqing realised that Noble Concubine Chun had given her the gift because of her concern for Li Zhi. Even though the carriage was sweltering and cramped, she still appreciated Noble Concubine Chun for letting her enjoy a few bites of chilled cherries.

Once she finished the cherries, Shen Qingqing went back to napping.

Li Zhi was busy overseeing the guards for Emperor Qingde and couldn’t drop by to see her.

Have a nice day!