Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Li Zhi hosted the baby’s full-month banquet in April. 

[In Chinese tradition, the “Full Month Celebration” or “Man Yue” (满月) is celebrated one month following a baby’s birth. It marks the baby’s first month of life and allows family and friends to assemble, offer blessings, and rejoice in the new arrival.]

Noble Concubine Chun made a special request to Emperor Qingde and took permission to take her two daughters back to her family home for a visit. 

The little one, Niuniu, was adorable, with arms and legs resembling lotus roots. Her dark almond-shaped eyes looked like sparkling stars in the night. 

Noble Concubine Chun was smitten with her niece. She cradled the little one and showered her with affection. The second and third princesses stood beside their mother. Each of their eyes was fixated on their little cousin. 

“Mom, I really like my sister! I want to take her back to the palace,” the four-year-old third princess exclaimed excitedly. 

Nobel Concubine Chun smiled and nodded towards her brother, saying, “I can’t decide that. You should ask your uncle.” 

Without hesitation, the third princess jumped onto Li Zhi, trying to charm him. 

Li Zhi looked down at his niece and smiled, “Niuniu is still too young. Once she can talk, she can come to the palace and stay with you for a few nights.” 

The third princess blinked and asked, “When will Niuniu be able to talk?” 

Li Zhi replied earnestly, “If you teach her, she might be chatting away by this time next year.” 

The third princess took this to heart and knelt beside her mother, determined to teach her little cousin to call her sister. 

After enjoying the moment with the children, Noble Concubine Chun passed Niuniu to Li Zhi and approached Shen Qingqing, asking with concern, “How is my sister-in-law doing?”

Shen Qingqing was still not getting used to the way Noble  Concubine Chun addressed her as “sister-in-law”. So she replied politely, “I have been well-taken care of. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty.” 

“When I had the baby, one of the palace maids advised me not to get intimate too soon. It’s best to rest for about a month and a half. Sister-in-law, please take care of yourself and don’t spoil my brother too much,” Noble Concubine Chun glanced at her brother and then leaned in close to Shen Qingqing.

Shen Qingqing was taken aback by those words and felt her cheeks heat up. 

Li Zhi noticed that and gazed at his wife.

Feeling the man’s eyes on her, Shen Qingqing instinctively moved behind Noble Concubine Chun for cover. 

Noble Concubine Chun found her sister-in-law adorable and wanted to chat more, but then Old Lady Zhu beside her cleared her throat and said, “Qingqing still needs to entertain the other ladies. If you stay here, everyone else will be left waiting. You should come with me to Wanfu Hall to rest first. After the banquet, we can all catch up.” 

That made sense, so Noble Concubine Chun took the old lady’s arm and left, but the two little princesses were so fond of their cousin Niuniu that they decided to stay. 

Once Noble Concubine Chun was gone, the other female relatives started coming in, and Li Zhi had to head to the front yard. 

Before he left, he leaned in and quietly asked Shen Qingqing, “What were you two talking about? Your face is so red.” 

Not wanting to discuss anything awkward in broad daylight, Shen Qingqing gently pushed him away and said, “Go!”

Li Zhi noticed his two nieces glancing at him occasionally, so he decided to hold off on teasing his little wife and headed to the front yard with a grin. 

Meanwhile, in Wanfu Hall, the old lady had sent all the maids away and was having a private chat with her granddaughter in the inner room. 

“Grandma, Niuniu is so adorable! She’s definitely going to be a beauty when she grows up.” Noble Concubine Chun was very fond of her little niece. 

Old Madam Zhu rolled her eyes and scoffed, “What good about beauty? Your brother is nearly thirty and still hasn’t produced a son.” 

Noble Concubine Chun quickly realised that the old lady was frustrated with Shen Qingqing for not having a son.

She gently reassured her, “Grandma, my brother and sister-in-law are still young. They’ll surely give you great-grandchildren one day. Just keep this between us and don’t take it up with sister-in-law. She wants a son too, but it’s not entirely up to her, right?” 

The old lady got the point but still longed for a great-grandson. 

“Alright, let’s drop that topic. What about you? Any news on your side?” Old Lady Zhu asked, glancing at Noble Concubine Chun’s belly. 

When it came to herself, Noble Concubine Chun remained composed and smiled. “Grandma, I’m really happy with my two little princesses. I don’t want any more kids.”

Old Lady Zhu was really worried. She grabbed her naive granddaughter’s hand and exclaimed, “How can you even think that? If you don’t have a son when the emperor passes away a hundred years from now and the Crown Prince takes the throne, do you think our family will be safe? The emperor cares for you so much; if you have a son, he’ll definitely make him the Crown Prince. So, for your sake and for the sake of our Marquis’s mansion, you absolutely should have a son!”

Noble Concubine Chun, feeling overwhelmed, sighed and replied, “Okay, but how exactly am I supposed to have a son?”

Old Lady Zhu was momentarily at a loss for words. How could she explain that? It was just a natural thing between a man and a woman. 

Then, a thought struck Old Lady Zhu, and she leaned in closer to her granddaughter, whispering, “Ayou, is the emperor doing alright?”

Noble Concubine Chun was left speechless. 

Seeing that the old lady was determined to get an answer, Noble Concubine Chun reluctantly nodded. 

However, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Emperor Qingde might be taking some pills again. It wasn’t obvious before the birth of the third princess, but after she was born, the Emperor seemed full of energy—much more than when Noble Concubine Chun first came to the palace. She knew he was worried she might think less of him for getting older, but honestly, that didn’t bother her. What concerned her was that those pills might harm Emperor Qingde’s health in the long run.

Old Lady Zhu had no clue about her granddaughter’s concerns and kept rambling on about foods that could help her conceive. 

When Noble Concubine Chun finally snapped back to reality, she felt an even bigger headache coming on and quickly interrupted Old Lady Zhu. 

The grandparent and grandchild just couldn’t see eye to eye and ended their conversation on a sour note. 

After the banquet, Noble Concubine Chun hung out with Shen Qingqing and her daughter for about half an hour before taking the two little princesses back to the palace. 

As Li Zhi saw his sister off at the marquis’s mansion gate, he noticed a trace of sadness on her face. 

Li Zhi understood the old lady’s intentions better than anyone. 

He let Shen Qingqing head to her room first and then joined Old Lady Zhu in Wanfu Hall. 

“Grandma, I’ve got the palace matters under control. Please don’t involve Ayou anymore.” 

Old Lady Zhu frowned and shot him a confused look. “What plans do you have? We can only count on Ayou for this. If Qingqing can’t have a son, it’ll affect your title. If Ayou has a son…” 

Li Zhi suddenly looked up. His usual gentle look had turned into a sharper one.

Old Lady Zhu flinched at his intensity. 

Finally, the old lady fell silent, and Li Zhi spoke calmly, “In the future, I hope you’ll stick to family matters in the Marquis’ Mansion. If even a single word slips out, it could spell disaster for us all.” 

Old Lady Zhu pressed her lips together tightly.

Li Zhi stood up and left without uttering another word. 

After heading back to the main courtyard, Li Zhi made his way straight to the backyard. Just before stepping inside, he caught Shen Qingqing’s gentle voice through the door curtain.

“Niuniu is awake. Your aunt just left, and you didn’t even say goodbye…” 

With a smile, Li Zhi pushed through the curtain. 

Shen Qingqing looked up at the sound, and little Niuniu in her arms turned to look too. Her big almond-shaped eyes mirrored her mother’s. 

Li Zhi thought to himself that with such a beautiful and adorable daughter, he’d definitely spoil her, even if the next baby turned out to be another girl. 

As night approached, the wet nurse took Niuniu away. 

Once his daughter was gone, Li Zhi’s gaze shifted to Shen Qingqing. 

Feeling a bit anxious under his stare, Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but worry. She had just given birth and was concerned about the possibility of pain during intimacy, especially since Noble Concubine Chun had advised her to take it slow. 

When Li Zhi lifted Shen Qingqing and carried her to the bed, she nervously clutched his hands.

Li Zhi missed his little wife dearly, but he wasn’t the type to prioritise his desires over her well-being. After holding her close to help her relax, he took a deep breath. When he spoke again, his tone was calm and gentle. “Alright, I’ll wait for you for another half a month.” 

Shen Qingqing felt relieved and leaned in to give Li Zhi a kiss.

Li Zhi gazed at her soft, pink lips, and a wave of longing surged within him once more. Yet, he managed to hold back his feelings. 

*****

In the palace, Emperor Qingde was working harder than ever, with Noble Concubine Chun’s stunning beauty being his greatest temptation. He feared ageing and not being able to meet her needs. 

Noble Concubine Chun sensed his thoughts. But after realising that trying to convince him was pointless, she decided to stay silent. ‘But… what if I could conceive again and successfully have a son…’ 

By three in the morning, the commotion in the bed had finally quieted down. 

Exhausted, Noble Concubine Chun drifted off to sleep, while Emperor Qingde fell into a deep slumber holding her close. 

Before dawn, the palace attendants came to wake the emperor, reminding him to change and prepare for court as usual. Although he was feeling a bit lightheaded, Emperor Qingde, being the diligent ruler he was, pushed aside the quilt and sat up. 

Noble Concubine Chun, still half-asleep, realised her husband was getting up. Just as she was about to mumble a farewell, a strange sound came beside her. Startled, she opened her eyes to find Emperor Qingde lying on his back, eyes shut, face pale, and sweat beading on his forehead! 

For a moment, she was taken aback, but then she quickly called for a palace maid to fetch the imperial physician!

End of chapter 50

Have a nice day!