Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 62

Chapter 62

‘Of all the women in the world, I only scheme against you.’

Looking at Li Zhi’s serious black eyes, Shen Qingqing couldn’t help but wonder. ‘Is this also considered a love talk? It seems as if I am stupid and would only be schemed by Li Zhi.’

Shen Qingqing felt a surge of anger, yet as she reflected on her long acquaintance with Li Zhi, she realised that he had consistently been the one to devise schemes against her. His intentions, however, were to either marry her, win her affection, or seek her forgiveness, and he never aimed to cause her harm. In contrast, she had never once succeeded in outsmarting him.

“Are you feeling quite proud of yourself for plotting against me?” she inquired, pushing him away and fixing her gaze on him.

Once again, she had transformed into an irate little fox, and Li Zhi felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He let out a soft sigh, saying, “What is there to be proud of? I have exhausted every effort to win your heart, while you have not had to strategize at all, and yet I find myself unable to look down on anyone else. My heart is already yours. Who, then, should take pride?”

Shen Qingqing was left speechless. ‘Had she truly not made any calculations?’

Noticing her deep in thought, Li Zhi looked at her and asked, “Have you ever attempted to win my favor?”

Shen Qingqing never did.

Li Zhi continued to ask. “When you and I have a dispute, who is the first to apologize and admit fault in the end?”

Shen Qingqing: ‘…It seems to be all him.’

Noticing his wife was avoiding his gaze, Li Zhi stepped forward, lifted her chin and asked, “You said you were hurt by love, but when you were cruel, you didn’t even bother to look at me. Who was it that was eager to find all kinds of reasons to take the initiative to find me to plead for others?”

He was interrogating her like a criminal. Shen Qingqing inexplicably didn’t dare to look directly into those phoenix eyes and simply closed her eyes.

She could avoid him, be heartless, and be willful, but Li Zhi could only be the one who revolved around her. Letting go of Shen Qingqing’s chin, Li Zhi sighed and hugged her in his arms, saying faintly, “Qingqing, I have never been hurt by you, but my love for you is much deeper than yours for me. Every time we quarrel, you will immediately choose to give up on me, but I am different. I have never thought of abandoning you.”

When he doted on Shen Qingqing, the little girl would like him. When he made her angry, the little girl would threaten to break up with him.

In Li Zhi’s opinion, Shen Qingqing still had a childish temper. When she was sad, she never thought about how to solve the problem. Forgetting him was always her first choice.

But Li Zhi was different. He did not have much sincerity when he married Shen Qingqing. He just saw that she was likable and went with the flow. But when Shen Qingqing became his wife, Li Zhi liked her cuteness more and more. He spoiled her with all his heart and tried to make up for her when she was sad.

He liked to scheme, but that didn’t mean he was ruthless to Shen Qingqing. It was precisely because he was in love with her that he would try every possible means to be with her.

The man’s tone was mixed with some resentment. Shen Qingqing thought about what Li Zhi said and couldn’t help but start to waver.

‘In the relationship between the two, was it really Li Zhi who gave more?
It seems to be true.’

Shen Qingqing felt guilty.

She couldn’t find suitable words at the moment. So she just leaned against Li Zhi’s chest without replying.

Li Zhi didn’t want to force her to admit anything. He was happy to indulge the girl he liked no matter how willful or spoiled she was.

“Are you not angry anymore?” Li Zhi asked while rubbing the top of her head and pinching her little hand.

Shen Qingqing said nothing.

Li Zhi smiled, took her hand and said, “Let’s go back.”

Shen Qingqing was worried about being spotted by the mansion’s servants, so she gently pulled her hand away from his grip.

After more than a month of silence between them, the couple had finally made up, but Shen Qingqing still felt uneasy and chose to walk ahead on her own when they returned.

Li Zhi observed her ever-changing expression and quietly followed her without attempting to strike up a conversation.

Once they reached Shen Qingqing’s former courtyard, Li Zhi entered the main room and quietly shut the door behind him.

The room suddenly grew dim, causing Shen Qingqing to glance back in confusion.

At that moment, Li Zhi secured the bolt and turned to face her, their eyes locking.

“Why did you close the door?” Shen Qingqing asked.

Looking into her innocent eyes, Li Zhi replied earnestly, “I went through too many documents yesterday, and my shoulders are aching. Could you, my Queen, give me a shoulder massage to help ease my tiredness?”

Shen Qingqing: …

Then she understood the meaning behind Li Zhi’s words.

He wanted to have physical intimacy right after they reconciled, in broad daylight, at her parents’ house, on her brother’s wedding day.

‘If this went out, how could I raise my head around others?’

She glared at him, turned around, and took a few steps to sit on the chair. “I don’t have the strength, if the emperor is really tired, let Yu Chan come in to serve you.”

“I desire only you.” Li Zhi approached her slowly. His gaze fixed on her quivering eyelashes.

Shen Qingqing clenched her teeth and replied, “Don’t act recklessly.”

Although Li Zhi was not particularly eager for intimacy at that moment, the prolonged cold war between them had made him realise that there was no reason for awkwardness after reconciling. However, he noticed that Shen Qingqing was quite sensitive. In this context, what could be more effective in breaking down barriers than physical closeness?

Looking at her flushed cheeks, Li Zhi grinned and leaned down to embrace her.

Fuming, Shen Qingqing swatted his hands away.

Li Zhi chuckled and gently patted her hands for a moment. Then, seizing the opportunity when Shen Qingqing was distracted, he swiftly grasped her waist and hoisted her onto his shoulder. In an instant, he lifted her off the ground!
Shen Qingqing nearly gasped as she found herself dangling in mid-air. She caught a glimpse of her jade hairpin tumbling to the floor and shattered.

Shen Qingqing was feeling a bit frustrated. She nudged his shoulder and insisted, “Put me down! I need to see my brother lift the veil later!”

Since she mentioned it, her mom would definitely send someone to fetch her. If she went back on her word and stayed in the room with Li Zhi, her mother would surely figure things out.

Even though she was her biological mother, Shen Qingqing couldn’t risk losing her face!

“Just give me a quarter of an hour,” Li Zhi replied, understanding the situation as he stepped into the inner room.

Shen Qingqing’s protests faded when Li Zhi gently pushed her onto the bed.

In the end, the commotion in the tent didn’t even last fifteen minutes…

As she stared at the familiar bedding, Shen Qingqing blinked in disbelief. It had only been two months since she and Li Zhi had last shared a bed, so why was he acting this way now? Was he just too worn out from handling state matters? After all, he used to never let her go for even half an hour.

The man on top of her remained still, and Shen Qingqing held her breath, aware that he was the emperor and that certain boundaries of his authority shouldn’t be crossed.

Li Zhi was fully aware of what was happening. It had been too long, and her earlier reluctance had made it hard for him to keep his composure.
‘It is a bit embarrassing, but it doesn’t matter, I will get back at night.’

He planted a kiss on her shoulder and gradually moved up to the corner of Shen Qingqing’s mouth.

Shen Qingqing, who had been tense from the earlier incident, began to relax. She instinctively wanted to make Li Zhi happy, but the man lifted his head and smiled at her, saying, “Time to get up. Don’t keep the newlyweds waiting.”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback.

He made it sound like she was eager to kiss him!

Feeling a mix of anger and embarrassment, she pushed Li Zhi away, grabbed her clothes, and hurried out.

Li Zhi watched her elegant figure as she quickly dressed behind the screen. A smile spread across his face as he settled back onto the bed.

After toasting at the wedding, the emperor, empress, and their family returned to the palace.

Before they left, Chen reminded her daughter to be gentle and composed, advising her not to act spoiled or get upset with Li Zhi as she had in the past.

Shen Qingqing nodded absentmindedly, but her mind was preoccupied with concern for Li Zhi’s well-being. He was usually so lively, but now he seemed drained. Had he overexerted himself?

On their return to the palace, Li Zhi focused on soothing his daughter.
Shen Qingqing stole a glance at Li Zhi’s still handsome profile but found herself at a loss for how to inquire further, such as how long Li Zhi had been in this state or if he had consulted an imperial physician.

Upon reaching the palace, Li Zhi escorted Shen Qingqing and her daughter directly to the central palace. He felt increasingly uneasy under Shen Qingqing’s scrutinizing gaze, to the point where he wished to escape the situation.

Once the wet nurse took his daughter away, Li Zhi promptly dismissed the palace maids, lifted Shen Qingqing, and carried her into the inner hall.

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. Concerned that Li Zhi might misinterpret her feelings as disapproval due to his injury to the dragon body, she chose to respond with gentleness and consideration rather than hesitation.

However, Li Zhi suddenly transformed into a more aggressive demeanour, overwhelming her to the point of breathlessness.

Startled and frustrated, Shen Qingqing seized Li Zhi and exclaimed, “You deceived me once more!”

He deceived her into believing he was seriously ill, causing her to worry unnecessarily for an extended period.

Li Zhi smiled as he clarified, “I’m not deceiving you. I feared that I would prevent you from attending the ceremony, so I refrained from fully enjoying it.”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. ‘Could this truly be the case?’

She fell silent, while Li Zhi continued to exude his unwavering masculinity.

Before long, Shen Qingqing melted into a soft ball of water.

Subsequently, she reclined lazily against Li Zhi’s chest, as he wrapped one arm around her waist and gently caressed her warm with the other.

The atmosphere was serene.

Li Zhi affectionately rubbed Shen Qingqing’s disheveled hair and said with a sense of relief, “At last, I can sleep soundly tonight.”

Shen Qingqing closed her eyes and murmured, “I have forgiven you; there’s no need for further pretense.”

Li Zhi smiled but remained silent.

She firmly believed that he was acting when he ate wax. However, she didn’t believe him when he tossed and turned all night when he was alone in Qianyuan Palace. Was this smart or stupid?

“Okay, I won’t act. Starting tomorrow night, you will live with me in Qianyuan Palace.” Li Zhi whispered.

Shen Qingqing was startled and slowly raised her head. “This is against the rules, isn’t it?”

Li Zhi playfully traced her eyebrows with his fingers and laughed. “So what? I’m the emperor, and you’re the empress. Who would dare to step in?”

At that moment, he exuded confidence and authority, which Shen Qingqing found quite appealing. But then, a thought crossed her mind.

She smirked and asked, “What happens when your grandmother decides to meddle?”

Li Zhi anticipated her concern about the old lady and replied softly, “I’ve even put out an imperial decree; she couldn’t do anything.”

It was not that Old Lady Zhu couldn’t meddle; it was that she no longer dared to be.

Before Li Zhi married Shen Qingqing, the old lady thought Jiang Yiyue was the best woman for Li Zhi. Now, Li Zhi had even sent Jiang Yiyue to a temple to become a nun. Old Madam Zhu felt that finding someone better than Jiang Yiyue would be impossible. And just when she was searching for another one, Li Zhi issued that decree.

At this point, Old Lady Zhu had figured everything out.

Her eldest grandson was completely under Shen Qingqing’s spell.

She couldn’t help but wonder if her continued efforts against Shen Qingqing might push her grandson to turn against his own family in the name of justice. It shouldn’t come to that, but she really thought that she wouldn’t test those waters.

Given Li Zhi’s notorious temper, it would be best for her to just enjoy her role as Empress Dowager.

When Princess Channing returned to the palace, she noticed her sister-in-law looked radiant, with warm eyes and the same charm she had as a royal concubine.

“Have you made up?” Princess Chunning teased.

Shen Qingqing shyly fiddled with her handkerchief.

Princess Chunning took her hand gently and said, “Even though I’m a bit annoyed that my brother won you over so easily, what matters most is your happiness. If he ever mistreats you again, we’ll team up against him.”

Shen Qingqing smiled and nodded in agreement.

However, Li Zhi never gave the two women a chance to unite. Even after Shen Qingqing had their two sons, she couldn’t bring herself to call him a jerk because he was so attentive during her pregnancies.

Later historical records revealed that Emperor Li Zhi married Empress Shen Qingqing when he was 26, and from that point on, she was his one true love, rendering the rest of the harem insignificant.

End of chapter 62

The main story is over, and the next few chapters are about the rebirth of Elder Shen the Song family, and Li Zhi’s sister.

Have a nice day!