When news of Shen Cui’s miscarriage reached them, Ji Lan immediately went to the Yunyang Marquis’s residence. However, by the afternoon, even more shocking news returned.
The Yunyang Marchioness had passed away, and Qi Zheng was adamant about divorcing his wife.
When Ji Cheng and Cui Long heard the news, they looked at each other in astonishment, silently asking, “How did this happen?”
It turned out that Shen Cui’s miscarriage was somewhat self-inflicted. While she was pregnant, Qi Zheng spent the night in his concubine’s room. Shen Cui, feeling entitled due to her pregnancy, faked abdominal pain to demand Qi Zheng’s return.
Qi Zheng’s affection for Shen Cui had long been exhausted by her daily complaints. He merely sent back the maid who came to fetch him, telling her to take a note to call for a doctor.
This enraged Shen Cui, who then rushed to the concubine’s room to drag Qi Zheng back. However, on that cold winter night in the first month of the lunar year, ice had formed on the steps. She slipped and fell, resulting in a miscarriage.
Qi’s Mother had been hoping for this legitimate grandson for four or five years, only to have it lost due to Shen Cui’s actions. Moreover, the doctor said that Shen Cui’s body had been severely damaged, making it difficult for her to conceive again. Upon hearing this, Qi’s Mother fainted. When she finally regained consciousness, she only uttered the words “legitimate son” before passing away.
Although Qi Zheng’s character was indeed questionable in some aspects, he had always been filial to his mother. He firmly believed that Shen Cui had angered his mother to death. Using the reasons of unfilial behavior and inability to bear children, he was determined to divorce her.
Even in front of his mother-in-law, Ji Lan, Qi Zheng was ruthless in his desire to divorce. No matter how Ji Lan threatened or tried to entice him, Qi Zheng wouldn’t budge. He had had enough of Shen Cui. Marrying her had brought him nothing but some money to treat his mother’s illness; otherwise, there were no benefits at all.
Moreover, Shen Cui, relying on her status as the daughter of a Duke’s family, had often been disrespectful to his mother. There wasn’t a single person in the household whom Shen Cui hadn’t offended.
Ji Lan came crying to the Old Madam’s Rui Ying Hall, begging her to find a solution. “The Qi family is going too far. My precious daughter has been mistreated to the point where she can no longer have children, yet he insists on divorcing her. There’s no such easy way out in this world.”
Ji Cheng and Cui Long were both tired of Shen Cui, so they remained silent, only looking at the Old Madam.
The Old Madam asked Ji Lan, “What do you want to do?”
“I…” Ji Lan seemed at a loss.
The Old Madam said, “When a couple’s relationship has deteriorated to this point, forcing them together won’t make things sweet. Even if we force the Qi family not to divorce her, I’m afraid Acui won’t have a good life there. Our family’s daughters won’t worry about remarrying even after divorce. If she can’t bear children, we can find her a widower who already has children.”
The Old Madam’s words were truly considering Shen Cui’s best interests.
Ji Lan was stunned, “Are we just going to let the Qi family off like this?”
The Old Madam replied, “What else can we do? Do you plan to destroy the entire Qi household? No matter what, Mrs. Qi died because of this incident, and Acui is not without fault. Causing trouble every few days, spending half the year at her maiden home – it’s better to end such a life.”
Ji Lan, wiping her tears, could only say, “So our Acui is just going to be bullied like this?”
“That depends on Acui’s wishes. If she’s still willing to stay with the Qi family if the Qi family is no longer our in-laws, we naturally can’t be blamed for not intervening in their future affairs,” the Old Madam said.
Shen Cui, probably heartbroken by Qi Zheng, was unwilling to continue living with him and returned to Iron Hat Alley that very day.
The next day, Ji Lan was so angry she fell ill. With Cui Long pregnant, Ji Cheng had to take Feng Shuang and Li Rui to the Qi residence with Shen Cui’s dowry list.
The Qi family had set up a mourning hall, and many visitors were paying their respects, all curious about the affairs between the Shen and Qi families. This spectacle was exactly what Ji Cheng had planned for everyone to see. Although she was extremely annoyed with Shen Cui, as long as Shen Cui bore the Shen surname, she couldn’t allow others to slap the Shen family’s face.
The only leverage against the Qi family was money.
Shen Cui’s dowry had been very generous, but now only a few items could be accounted for. The listeners all gasped in shock. It turned out that the Shen family’s Fifth Miss had contributed so much of her dowry to the Qi family, only to end up infertile and divorced.
The Yunyang Marquis was so angered by the gossip that he fainted on the spot. Qi Zheng glared at Ji Cheng and her group with hatred, “If anything happens to my father, I won’t let your Shen family off.”
Ji Cheng replied, “Your father wasn’t angered by us. He probably fainted because he was disgusted by his actions and couldn’t face the shame. Our Fifth Miss was precious and noble before her marriage. It was you, Young Master Qi, who knelt at the Shen family’s door begging to marry her. Now that you’ve used up her dowry money, you start to despise her. Don’t you know how Fifth Sister miscarried, Young Master Qi? Yet you blame her for being infertile. She bore children for you, but you favored your concubine and neglected your wife, allowing the concubine to bully her and cause her miscarriage. You angered your mother to death, yet you blame it on our Fifth Sister. I’ve never seen such a disgusting person in this world.”
Ji Cheng’s words were forceful and resonant, though slightly inaccurate, which was why she had to be even more emphatic. The two families had already fallen out, so she no longer needed to give Qi Zheng a face.
The affairs of the Shen and Qi families quickly spread throughout the capital. The Shen family had acted first, and in public opinion, Shen Cui became the pitiful woman bullied by her husband’s family. Qi Zheng’s reputation for ingratitude and heartlessness was irreparably damaged, and his prospects were likely to be grim.
In reality, Qi Zheng wasn’t so terrible before marrying Shen Cui. The current situation was largely due to Shen Cui’s actions. The fact that Qi Zheng was willing to sacrifice his future just to divorce Shen Cui speaks volumes.
Shen He said to the Old Madam, “Sigh, I don’t know what’s happening, but it’s an unlucky year. Our family’s daughters are all facing misfortune one after another. Old Ancestor, perhaps we should invite someone to check the house, see if there’s something inauspicious?”
The Old Madam replied, “We’ve lived here for over a hundred years. How could there be anything inauspicious?”
Shen He thought to herself that while the feng shui might not be the problem, the people certainly were. Of course, she couldn’t say this so bluntly, so she changed the subject, “Now Acui’s affair has caused such a commotion. The second Sister-in-law really shouldn’t have gone to make a scene at the Qi family’s mourning hall. Who knows what people are saying behind our backs? Although she comes from a merchant background, she’s been married into our family for almost two years now. How has she not learned any of the manners of a noble family’s young madam?”
The Old Madam frowned and said, “Regarding Acui’s matter, your Third Aunt is ill, and Arui is just domineering at home. If it weren’t for Cheng’s girl stepping up, the outside gossip might have been all about how your Fifth Sister was this or that. Which daughter doesn’t want to be virtuous and gentle? You all shrink back when things happen, only Acheng is willing to take responsibility.”
The Old Madam’s words resonated with Ji Cheng. She didn’t want to be a loud, quarrelsome shrew at all, but when everyone else retreated to protect their face, Ji Cheng couldn’t step back. After all, her husband was protective of his own. Of course, she was also tired of learning the affected manners of noble ladies. Seeing too much of it made her feel that even common market women were more straightforward and loyal.
Hearing the Old Madam’s words, Shen He smiled and said, “Old Ancestor indeed favors her.”
The Old Madam replied, “I don’t favor her; she deserves my affection. As for you, why do you have such a big issue with Acheng? Disharmony in this family is mostly caused by instigation. You’ve been married for so many years and manage the household affairs. How do you not understand this principle?”
Shen He blushed at the Old Madam’s blunt words, “Old Ancestor, I…”
“I know you have some small thoughts. Are you blaming Ache for not marrying your husband’s clan sister back then?” The Old Madam, fearing that Shen He might continue to instigate trouble without understanding the gravity, decided to speak frankly, hoping to wake Shen He up.
Shen He was shocked and exclaimed, “Old Ancestor, I didn’t!” But her head slowly lowered under the Old Madam’s gaze.
The Old Madam sighed and patted Shen He’s hand, “Ahe, I’m not favoring Cheng girl. You’re my granddaughter; how could she surpass you? I like her because she understands the big picture and cares about the family’s overall situation. She and Acui have never gotten along, but when Acui got into trouble, it was she who stood up for her. I just hope our family can be harmonious, with brothers and sisters living together in unity.”
Shen He lowered her head in tears, “Old Ancestor, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m just jealous that she has your favor, so I…”
Whether Shen He’s words were true or false, after the Old Madam’s admonishment, she would have to be more cautious. The Old Madam smiled and said, “I know, I know you’re feeling upset. Don’t worry, when your husband comes, Grandmother will stand up for you.”
Licheng wasn’t far from the capital, only a day and a night’s journey by carriage, but Shen He’s husband was still late in arriving, seeming not to care about Shen He at all.
In the blink of an eye, it was the Lantern Festival, which Shen Che called his and Ji Cheng’s “day of love confession.”
Even Shen Yu, who was typically insensitive to romance, knew to end his social engagements early and return home to accompany Cui Long. However, Shen Che, who was usually considered a “women’s friend” for his attentiveness, left early in the morning and didn’t return late into the night.
With Shen Che absent, Ji Cheng had no interest in boarding a painted boat to view the lanterns on the river. She stayed at home to keep the Old Madam company and entertain her.
Shen He was also present. Seeing that Shen Che had left Ji Cheng alone at the Lantern Festival, she felt somewhat pleased. She also felt that they were both pitiful, with their husbands lured away by vixens outside. With this sense of shared misfortune, she looked at Ji Cheng with more kindness.
Ji Cheng was irritated by Shen He’s undisguised looks of sympathy. Of course, this irritation was directed at Shen Che. So when Shen Che returned home that night, Ji Cheng didn’t give him any pleasant looks and went to the bathroom with her clothes without a word.
Shen Che didn’t try to follow her to coax her, which made even the very rational and calm Ji Cheng suspect that something was wrong. Combined with Shen Che’s recent habit of leaving early and returning late, even staying out for two or three nights, and the disappearance of his usual tenderness, although she couldn’t sense any coldness, there was intentional avoidance.
Ji Cheng leisurely enjoyed Liu Ye’er’s attendance, and even after getting up, she dressed slowly and methodically. She thought Shen Che would surely be asleep when she returned, which would be better as she wouldn’t have to see his face and get angry. However, Shen Che was sitting calmly by the bed waiting for her.
As Ji Cheng emerged, Shen Che’s nostrils suddenly released two streams of bright red blood, startling Liu Ye’er who let out a small cry and moved to attend to him.
After a moment of shock, Ji Cheng noticed Shen Che’s crimson ears and had a sudden realization. Suppressing a laugh, he said to Liu Ye’er, “You may go. I’ll take care of things here.”
Once Liu Ye’er had left, Ji Cheng had no intention of actually tending to Shen Che. In the end, Shen Che went to the washroom to clean himself up.
When Shen Che returned, Ji Cheng was leaning against the bed’s headboard, deeply engrossed in reading a scroll. Shen Che smiled gently, walked over, and embraced Ji Cheng, asking, “Are you angry?”
Ji Cheng remained silent. Shen Che continued, “Seeing me make a fool of myself, did that make you feel better?”
Ji Cheng elbowed Shen Che lightly, pushing him back. “No.”
Shen Che sighed, “I should have kept you company tonight, but this day is too special. If I stayed with you, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. It’s better to handle more affairs now, so I can accompany you daily when we go to San Hao Ju in the second month.”
“That sounds too good to be true,” Ji Cheng pouted.
Shen Che kissed Ji Cheng’s lips, letting out a low sigh. He tightened his embrace, holding Ji Cheng even closer, as if this could slightly ease the fire within him.
Ji Cheng winced at Shen Che’s tight grip and hit him lightly, saying, “What are you doing? You’re hurting me.”
Shen Che replied in a husky voice, “Darling, I really can’t hold back. I want to take you to Phoenix Tower again, where you’d lean against the railing to watch the lantern-lit river, and I’d be behind you, I…” He added, “I hope that railing is sturdy enough.”
Ji Cheng blushed all over at Shen Che’s words. “Have you no shame? In public, no less.”
“That’s what makes it more exciting,” Shen Che laughed.
Ji Cheng pushed Shen Che away, saying, “You’re just sweet-talking me. For all I know, you might have someone else out there, which is why you don’t come home at night.”
Shen Che raised his hand in an oath, “Heaven knows if there were someone else, would I get a nosebleed just from seeing you? Even in my prime at sixteen or seventeen, I never had nosebleeds. Today, I’ve truly fallen at your hands.”
Ji Cheng blushed and said, “Nonsense. I’m fully dressed. Don’t blame it on me. Who knows who you were thinking about?”
Shen Che embraced Ji Cheng and kissed him wildly, “Who else could I be thinking of? Just seeing you, even fully dressed, is enough to make me lose control. Darling, why do the days pass so slowly?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been deliberately avoiding me these days because you can’t control yourself?” Ji Cheng raised an eyebrow at Shen Che, clearly not believing his words.
Shen Che sighed. A few years ago, the more he restrained himself, the more beneficial it was for him. But now, times have changed greatly, and Ji Cheng didn’t understand his suffering, which was truly unbearable.
Shen Che felt he had been so pent up that even a sow would look attractive to him. If not for his superhuman self-control and his heart only yearning for Ji Cheng, he would have gone wild like Chu De long ago. Seeing Ji Cheng was tormented, but not seeing him was even greater torment.
“If I say it is, would you believe me?” Shen Che pressed against Ji Cheng, holding him tighter.
That intensity frightened Ji Cheng.
“Alright, I believe you,” Ji Cheng said softly, intimidated by Shen Che’s hungry, fiery gaze.
Throughout the entire night, Shen Che went to the washroom at least four times to cool off, yet he dared not leave Ji Cheng, fearing she might overthink things.
This year was strange. Although the first half of the first month was bitterly cold, causing people’s hands and feet to develop chilblains, by mid-month there were several clear days in a row, and by late month, one could feel the thick arrival of spring.
As promised, Shen Che took Ji Cheng to soak in the hot springs at a countryside estate. When Shen Zhen heard about it, he insisted on taking Feng Shuang too, being a restless person who had felt cooped up living in the residence these past few months.
Thinking he wouldn’t be able to enjoy any romantic moments while soaking anyway, Shen Che decided to invite Shen Zhen and his wife, as well as Chu De and his wife.
Shen Zhen, being fond of gathering friends, also invited his childhood friend Chu Zhen and his wife. Thus, a large group set off grandly for Shen Che’s hot spring estate.
The hot spring estate was built near the mountains, not far from hills and pastures. Shen Zhen, feeling liberated, suggested, “Let’s go horseback riding. The snow has mostly melted. I’ll bring a bow and arrow, and we can hunt some pheasants and hares. After riding, we can soak in the hot springs and enjoy roasted meat in the evening. That’s the life!”
Everyone agreed, except for Chu De, who said, “Spare me. Do I look like I’m built for horseback riding? Even sitting in a carriage makes my flesh jiggle uncomfortably.”
Shen Che said, “You all go riding. I’ll keep A De company.” He then adjusted the white fox fur on Ji Cheng’s cloak, “You should go for a few rounds too. It’s good to move around.”
Ji Cheng nodded. Even if Shen Che hadn’t suggested it, she had been feeling the same way. Being cooped up in Jiu Li Yuan occasionally made her feel stifled.
In horseback riding, women usually couldn’t keep up with men, so Shen Zhen and Chu Zhen rode ahead, leaving the women together.
As this was Shen Che’s estate, Ji Cheng naturally took on the role of hostess, responsible for taking care of everyone.
Ji Cheng pulled her reins to move closer to Shen Rong, Shen Che’s precious sister whom she couldn’t afford to neglect. However, before Ji Cheng’s horse could get close, Shen Rong abruptly squeezed her horse’s belly and struck its leg with her riding crop, causing the horse to gallop forward.
Shen Rong’s actions stemmed from her lingering resentment towards Ji Cheng, believing that Chu Zhen still harbored feelings for her. This made her unwilling to be friendly.
Ji Cheng thoughtfully reined in her horse, having guessed Shen Rong’s feelings. She hadn’t expected that after so many years, even though Shen Rong had married Chu Zhen as she wished, she still couldn’t let go of past events.
Chu De’s wife, Cui Ling, smiled at Ji Cheng and said, “I’ll go check on her.”
Feng Shuang rode up beside Ji Cheng and said, “A Rong might just be in a bad mood. It’s not directed at you, Second Sister-in-law.”
Ji Cheng nodded at Feng Shuang, “Mm, I understand. Let’s go. We’re here to have fun today. Let’s head to the hill up front and see if we can hunt some game. We can’t let those men have all the glory.” Ji Cheng patted the quiver on her horse’s back.
Feng Shuang nodded and followed behind Ji Cheng on horseback. Having spent many years on the grasslands, horseback riding was second nature to her. However, she was surprised to see that Ji Cheng, who looked so delicate that a breeze could topple her, was so skilled in horsemanship. Ji Cheng navigated various obstacles as if on flat ground, while Feng Shuang struggled to keep up.
Ji Cheng’s keen eyes spotted a hare darting through the woods in front of her. Without hesitation, she drew her bow and nocked an arrow in one fluid motion.
In the blink of an eye, with two “whoosh” sounds, the hare fell.
Two arrows had struck the hare almost simultaneously. Ji Cheng dismounted and walked over, just as Shen Zhen emerged from behind a tree.
Shen Zhen, being closer to the hare, picked it up and examined it. “Second Sister-in-law’s arrow hit a vital spot. This prey is yours.” Shen Zhen extended his hand, “I didn’t expect Second Sister-in-law’s archery skills to be so impressive.”
This shot involved a bit of luck. Ji Cheng hadn’t been horseback riding or hunting for a long time, so her skills were somewhat rusty, but fortunately, her luck was exceptionally good.
Ji Cheng stepped forward and accepted the hare without hesitation. In hunting, refusing to take it would have been disrespectful to Shen Zhen.
Because they were now close, and the wind blew from Ji Cheng’s direction towards Shen Zhen, he caught a faint sweet peach scent, causing him to swallow involuntarily.