Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 59.1

Chapter 59.1

Shen Qingqing decided to head to Qianyuan Palace after lunch.

Seeing her, a young eunuch rushed into the palace to announce her presence. Shortly after, Eunuch Wan, who was beside Li Zhi, came hurriedly.

After the formalities, Eunuch Wan said with a worried expression. “Finally, Your Majesty is here. The emperor caught a cold last night after drinking too much and has been coughing all morning. I suggested his majesty call for the imperial physician, but His Majesty refused. I’m really concerned about the emperor’s condition. Could your majesty please help me convince the emperor?” 

Shen Qingqing looked at Eunuch Wan blankly.

Eunuch Wan looked up at her earnestly.

Shen Qingqing was confused.

Having been married to Li Zhi for more than three years, she had never seen him unwell. ‘Why would he suddenly fall ill just as I arrived?’ 

Seeing the desperation in Eunuch Wan’s eyes, she nodded half-heartedly.

Eunuch Wan beamed with relief and led Shen Qingqing to the inner hall. 

Once they reached the door, Eunuch Wan paused.

As Shen Qingqing entered the inner hall, she spotted Li Zhi lounging on a couch by the window, going through memorials. The table was cluttered with a stack of memorials, a plate of steamed buns, and a bowl of pickled vegetables. Li Zhi was using his right hand to hold a red brush while munching on a steamed bun with his left, dipping it into the sauce.

The last time Shen Qingqing paid attention to Li Zhi was about ten days ago during the old lady’s birthday celebration. She hadn’t paid much attention to him that day, but today, she noticed that Li Zhi seemed to have lost some weight. 

When he heard footsteps, Li Zhi turned around with a cold expression. Shen Qingqing wasn’t used to this side of him, but thankfully, she only needed to exchange a few words and wouldn’t have to endure his cold demeanour for long.

“Your Majesty, your servant pays her respects,” she said, kneeling down.

Li Zhi glanced at her with an indifferent expression and straightened up after setting aside the steamed bun. “What do you need?” he asked in a calm tone while looking at the memorial in front of him.

After speaking, he coughed lightly, trying to suppress it.

Shen Qingqing noticed his pale features and wondered if he was actually unwell. ‘What was he doing out by the lake, drinking and enjoying the breeze so late at night?’

That thought crossed her mind as she took a few steps closer to Li Zhi, then paused to ask softly, “This morning, Jiang Yiyue came to the palace looking for me. She said the emperor intends to marry her to Eunuch Ma. Is that true?”

Li Zhi nodded in response.

Confused, Shen Qingqing asked, “Why would the emperor arrange it like that?”

Li Zhi scoffed, “She wants to be my woman. To get what she wants, she’s willing to get close to you and Niuniu. Of course, I will make her pay for that.”

Shen Qingqing fell silent, realising he was aware of everything. After a brief pause, she murmured, “She made a mistake, but it’s really unfortunate for a girl like her to end up marrying a eunuch. I wonder if the emperor might reconsider the punishment?” 

Just as Li Zhi was about to respond, an itch in his throat interrupted him. He pressed his fist against his lips to stifle it but ended up coughing a few times. Once he regained his composure, he set down his pen, slipped on his boots, and approached Shen Qingqing.

She kept her gaze lowered as he stepped closer.

“Do you really not understand why I punished her?” Li Zhi asked softly.

Shen Qingqing stayed quiet.

He reached out to take her hand, but she quickly pulled it behind her back and turned her head away, saying, “She came to me for help, and I couldn’t just ignore her, so I came here for her sake. If the emperor doesn’t want to change things, I’ll take my leave.”

Li Zhi smiled and stepped back a few steps, turning away from her. “If you can’t bear it, I’ll alter the punishment.” 

He didn’t specify what the new punishment would be and returned to reviewing the documents. 

Shen Qingqing expressed her gratitude and prepared to leave. Just as she was about to exit the inner hall, she heard another cough behind her. Unable to resist, she glanced back and saw the man in the dragon robe taking another bite of his steamed bun. His posture was hinting at a sense of loneliness and sorrow.

“Your Majesty seemed to be in good health previously. You were forced to drink by the tribal leaders on the grasslands and endured the cold wind for half the night without any issues. Are you just pretending to be sick today?”

Li Zhi: “… “

He turned to smile at the little woman by the door. His look reminded Shen Qingqing of the imperial guard commander, Li Zhi, whom Shen Qingqing was familiar with. “It’s been a few days since we last met. Qingqing, you’re getting sharper. But with how poorly I’ve been eating, don’t you feel a bit guilty for me?”

‘So he is just acting. It seems he has punished Jiang Yiyue so harshly just to draw me in.’Shen Qingqing turned and walked away.

Li Zhi watched her vanish behind the curtain and let out a sigh.  

He didn’t quite grasp the pain of love, but he had been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Without Shen Qingqing around, being an emperor felt incredibly dull, almost like… His eyes landed on the half-eaten bun in the bowl.  

Shen Qingqing wasn’t too upset about being tricked by Li Zhi. After all, it only meant a bit more walking for her, which wasn’t a big deal.  

However, she was still curious about how Li Zhi would handle Jiang Yiyue.  

Even if Li Zhi was using Jiang Yiyue to get her attention, the fact that he arranged for Jiang Yiyue to marry an eunuch showed just how little Jiang Yiyue mattered to him.

Have a nice day!