Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 58

Chapter 58

‘Let Jiang Yiyue marry a eunuch?’

With a disbelieving look, Old Lady Zhu looked at her grandson as if she were seeing a stranger.

She had always believed that Li Zhi considered Jiang Yiyue part of the family, so she couldn’t believe that Li Zhi would have such a thought. 

“You can’t be serious!” Old Lady Zhu’s face flushed as she pointed an accusing finger at her grandson. “Can’t you see how Yiyue feels about you?” 

Li Zhi chuckled, fiddling with the ring on his finger. “Oh, I see it. I didn’t pay much attention to her before because she was just a kid. But after Qingqing married me, Yiyue started acting like they were best friends, using Qingqing’s kindness to get closer to me, telling her she wanted to learn painting. If it weren’t for you, I would have kicked her out ages ago.”

‘He actually knows what is really going on.’ Old Lady Zhu felt a bit embarrassed and defended Jiang Yiyue, saying, “When a girl likes someone, she’ll do whatever it takes to be near him. Yiyue just wanted to see you more often. You can’t call her manipulative; she wouldn’t even harm a butterfly. She’s genuinely kind.”

Li Zhi nodded in agreement. “Sure, I’ve heard that Eunuch Ma is compassionate towards young eunuchs and has saved many lives. He’s a good person too, so he and Yiyue are a match made in heaven. With them looking after my grandmother, I can focus on my government duties without worry.”

Old Lady Zhu: “…”

Understanding Li Zhi’s thoughts, Old Lady Zhu had completely abandoned the idea of matching Jiang Yiyue with her grandson. Frustrated, she exclaimed, “I get it; you think Yiyue is beneath you, but if that’s the case, why treat her so poorly? Yiyue has been part of our Li family since she was six. We’ve spent countless days and nights together. After all these years, you should at least see her as a sister, don’t you think?”

Li Zhi looked up at Old Lady Zhu and replied, “Sister? She’s just a pet you raised. If she does something to please you, I might reward her. But if she secretly schemes against me and gets you to defend her, shouldn’t I be the one to discipline her?”

Old Lady Zhu was left speechless.

She had raised Jiang Yiyue for years, and no one understood her better than Old Lady Zhu. Despite her seemingly fragile demeanour, Yiyue was quite cunning. She knew how to play on people’s sympathy with her unusual illness and how to hide behind someone like Old Lady Zhu to reap the benefits. Old Lady Zhu was aware of all this, but the more cunning Jiang Yiyue became, the more she had the chance of winning her grandson’s affection away from Shen Qingqing. Old Lady Zhu was pleased with that.

Realising she was losing the battle, Old Lady Zhu pursed her lips and suddenly scoffed, “Fine, fine. If you want to join the talent show, go ahead. If you don’t, that’s your choice. I won’t meddle in your decisions anymore, but you shouldn’t interfere in Yiyue’s marriage either.”

Old Lady Zhu couldn’t stand the thought of the girl she had nurtured marrying a eunuch. Although Li Zhi was the emperor, he was Old Lady Zhu’s grandson, so she believed he would not take any action even if she saved Jiang Yiyue.

Li Zhi stood up and said coldly, “I gave her a chance, but she was too stubborn to change her mind.” With that, he turned to Old Lady Zhu and declared. “Grandmother, I’ve made my decision. Since they belong to your palace, you need to prepare. I’ll be back in three days to witness their wedding.”

Old Lady Zhu gasped in shock, but before she could respond, Li Zhi had already marched out the door.

Watching her grandson’s departure, she felt herself sway and collapse back into her chair.

‘Why is he so cruel to Jiang Yiyue? No, it seems he has completely disregarded my feelings. And he intended to use this situation to remind me that this palace is under his control, and he calls the shots.’

The elderly woman, now in her sixties, felt a wave of despair wash over her.

If she had known her grandson would turn out to be so heartless, she might have reconsidered…

Old Lady Zhu let out a bitter smile. ‘His fate is beyond my influence.’

That night, Old Lady Zhu sighed deeply as she shared the news of the arranged marriage with Jiang Yiyue.

Jiang Yiyue looked at Old Lady Zhu in disbelief, as if she were in a dream. ‘How could this be happening? ‘How could the emperor be so heartless towards me?’ 

Tears streamed down her face as she dropped to her knees, pleading, “Old lady, is what you’re saying really true?”

Old Lady Zhu turned away with a heavy expression. “I regret wanting to send you to him… I forgot that he would never tolerate being manipulated. Yiyue, even though I hold the title of Grand Empress Dowager now, it’s still the same as when I was in the Marquis’ Mansion. He’s the one who calls the shots in the palace. I begged for you, but the Emperor wouldn’t listen to me…”

As she spoke, Old Lady Zhu suddenly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away her own tears, looking sorrowful.

Jiang Yiyue watched Old Lady Zhu give in so easily, and a bitter smile crept onto her lips. People said Old Lady Zhu cared for her more than her own granddaughter, but deep down, Jiang Yiyue knew she was just a pawn to her. If Old Lady Zhu truly felt compassion, she would have taught her how to run a household and manage finances instead of teaching her music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If she really cared, the old lady would have protected her from danger, even if it meant clashing with Li Zhi.

“Madam, the emperor wants me dead!” 

Jiang Yiyue was terrified of being forced to marry a eunuch in his forties. She knelt before Old Lady Zhu, crying and begging her endlessly.

Old Lady Zhu had a lot of gold and silver jewellery, so she could simply lend Jiang Yiyue a few pieces. However, if Jiang Yiyue found herself in a difficult situation and needed Old Lady Zhu to deal with the emperor, she would be reluctant to do so.

“Don’t cry,” Old Lady Zhu whispered quietly, stroking Jiang Yiyue’s head. It seemed too harsh not to provide some comfort. She had to find a way to help…

Then an idea hit her.

Helping Jiang Yiyue to her feet, Old Lady Zhu said gently, “Yiyue, you know how the emperor feels about me. Asking for my help won’t do any good. But the emperor and the empress share a strong bond. Why not go to the empress tomorrow morning? There might be a chance for a change.”

Upon hearing the old lady’s words, Jiang Yiyue felt a spark of hope.

‘That’s right! Li Zhi initially agreed to the selection but then had a change of heart, likely due to Shen Qingqing’s objections. Perhaps Li Zhi wanted me to marry Eunuch Ma because Shen Qingqing had caught on to my feelings. Li Zhi’s punishment is a way to express his feelings for her. So, if I sincerely acknowledged my mistake, Shen Qingqing wouldn’t be so angry that she’d let the eunuch mistreat me, right?’

Without wasting any time, Jiang Yiyue set off for the Central Palace early the next morning.

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqing was trying to get Niuniu to eat. The little girl was becoming picky about her food, making it a daily challenge for Shen Qingqing to coax her into eating.

Shen Qingqing was taken aback when Yu Chan informed her that Jiang Yiyue wanted to see her.

“Let her wait in the front hall,” Shen Qingqing instructed, holding a bowl in her hands. Right now, her daughter’s meal was her top priority.

Half an hour later, Niuniu finally finished her breakfast. After leaving her in the wet nurse’s care, Shen Qingqing went to the front hall with Yu Chan.

As soon as Jiang Yiyue saw the empress, she dropped to her knees and bowed three times. With tears streaming down her face, she looked up at Shen Qingqing and pleaded, “Empress, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have dreamed of serving the emperor. I truly regret it. Please, for the sake of our connection at the Marquis’ Mansion, help me. Eunuch Ma is over 40; marrying him would be like jumping into the river to die. At least that way, I could preserve my dignity…”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. Did she really hear that right? Li Zhi wanted to marry Jiang Yiyue off to Eunuch Ma, who served Old Madam Zhu? 

“Empress, please! The old lady doesn’t care about me. You have to talk to the emperor!” Jiang Yiyue was in a state of despair, crying so hard that tears and snot mixed together. Her hair was a mess, and she looked utterly wretched, far from her usual elegant self.

Shen Qingqing noticed the redness and swelling on Jiang Yiyue’s forehead and frowned.

This year, Old Lady Zhu has repeatedly urged her to pick the best candidates for Li Zhi while also keeping Jiang Yiyue from marrying anyone. Even though Shen Qingqing was a bit confused, she could sense something was off.

If Shen Qingqing were a guy, she’d definitely be drawn to someone as beautiful as Jiang Yiyue. At this crucial moment, Li Zhi was pushing Jiang Yiyue to marry Eunuch Ma. Was it out of spite for Jiang Yiyue, or was Li Zhi intentionally using her to prove he was not interested in the beauty contest? 

Shen Qingqing wasn’t really concerned about Li Zhi’s intentions. Even though she was not a fan of Jiang Yiyue, she couldn’t stand the thought of the young woman ending up with an old eunuch. 

So she decides to head to Qianyuan Palace to meet the emperor. If Li Zhi were open to listening, she would consider it a good deed. If not, she wouldn’t press the issue further. After all, Jiang Yiyue was under Old Lady Zhu’s care, and Shen Qingqing didn’t feel the need to argue with Li Zhi over Jiang Yiyue.

End of chapter 58

Have a nice day!