Chapter 27 Shen Jizhao was busy all day...
Shen Jizhao was busy all day, leading his subordinates out of the capital to handle a case in a neighboring county.
In order to get back in time, he put on an extremely cold face, making the local officials break out in a cold sweat. They racked their brains and used every means to greatly shorten the time, and only then were they able to send this big Buddha away.
The matter was finally completed before sunset. It was getting late, the country roads were muddy, and only the moonlight provided illumination. Not to mention the sudden gust of wind, returning to the capital would be extremely difficult.
No one could dissuade him. He whipped his horse wildly, groping his way through the mud by the sparse moonlight, galloping against the wind. He lost three horses along the way, but finally returned before midnight.
His outermost gilded cloak was splattered with mud, and the chill of the wind seeped in, the dampness clinging to his body.
He preferred cleanliness, and he didn't have time to be disgusted by the dirt and grime. He dismounted and hurried towards the Bihua Palace.
Because he had said he would come to see her today, she must have been waiting for him. He couldn't let her wait in vain; if she had to wait until tomorrow, her body wouldn't be able to take it.
Shen Jizhao showed no outward sign of anxiety, but inwardly he felt a mixture of anxiety and anticipation, and his pace quickened unconsciously.
They hadn't seen each other for several days; she must miss him.
Perhaps he himself did not realize that he had already felt guilty towards her and did not want her to be alone in the room time and time again. What he wanted to do was to keep her company.
But when he arrived, travel-worn and only a door away from her, he heard her infuriating remarks.
She actually said she was living the life of a widow! In her heart, her husband was a dead man!
The man, who was usually so cold and never showed his emotions, had faint cracks appearing on his cheeks, and his mouth twitched from time to time, showing that he was trying hard to control his anger.
Jiang Shuifu was different; she ignored his anger and calmly took the initiative:
"What are you doing making such a fuss in the middle of the night, my husband? The whole East Palace is watching."
Shen Jizhao gasped in anger. She had the audacity to say he was dead or that he was causing trouble! He had no manners! Fine, fine, it's all his fault! She was becoming increasingly spoiled and arrogant!
His cloak was once again battered by the fierce wind. He turned and left, saying, "Don't try to stop me if you dare!"
Shen Jizhao took a big step and was about to burst out of the door in an instant, but Jiang Shuifu did not make a move.
Until the very last step, he clenched his fists, turned back, and confronted her, demanding justice:
"Jiang Shuifu, I haven't eaten a single meal in all this time, not even for a single day, all in order to get back! And you're just sending me away like this!"
Jiang Shuifu's gentle face softened slightly. She wasn't a cook, so why was he looking for her? However, she didn't argue; she did want to get rid of him.
Having recovered from the fear and trepidation of being caught talking badly, the peach voluntarily stepped back to give instructions to the kitchen staff.
Shen Jizhao's expression improved slightly, and he turned around to find a place to sit down. Jiang Shuifu rolled her eyes slightly when she saw him lingering there.
Having walked for so long without even a sip of water, when he saw Jiang Shuifu's cup of tea on the table, he grabbed it without thinking and gulped it down.
Jiang Shuifu couldn't stop him in time and could only watch helplessly as the shameless man used his lips to put her teacup in his mouth, which still had her rouge on it.
Is he possessed?
She remembered when they were in the countryside, they were so poor that they couldn't even get enough to eat. She forgot the rules and used her chopsticks to put food on his plate. Although he was hungry, he never touched the food she put on his plate.
She stared at him with a complicated expression, her eyes filled with doubt.
Shen Jizhao only realized what he was doing when he felt her gaze. He paused for a moment, then continued to drink her tea with his mouth full.
He knew she was concerned about him; she was afraid he wouldn't be used to it. Perhaps he wasn't before, but he could accept it now.
Moreover, he didn't dislike her taste; on the contrary, it left a lingering, pleasant aftertaste.
The smooth teacup was placed on the table, and Shen Jizhao turned to reassure her: "I am not a germaphobe, you don't need to worry."
At least not to her.
He used to be very particular, almost to the point of being extremely strict. If someone accidentally touched his things, he would immediately replace them with new ones.
But she's different. They're a married couple, and they're planning to have children. They're going to live their lives together, and he won't look down on her.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Shuifu, who had been personally permitted by the noble crown prince to exchange saliva with him, looked pale and replied rather angrily, "I have it."
Shen Jizhao's brows furrowed immediately, and he leaned forward as if he had misheard her. What did she say?
In a short while, he stared at her with the aggressive posture of a wolf-hawk and began to undress.
The first thing to be affected was the cloak, which was so dirty it was unsightly. His hands were large and wide, with protruding knuckles and bulging veins. He slowly and deliberately pulled out the rope with great power.
Its every move gradually reveals the male's foraging posture, which is extremely aggressive.
Jiang Shuifu couldn't sit still any longer and jumped up. He... he was going into heat!
She immediately tried to escape, but before she could take a step, the man was even quicker and grabbed her waist. She struggled fiercely, uttering the heartless words, "No, I won't do it with you."
Why not do anything with him?
Shen Jizhao watched as the woman's ears slowly turned red, an extremely unnatural red, as she waved her claws and scratched him.
This kind of red is rarely seen. Besides him, he was particularly fond of this kind of red and always forced her to wear it from head to toe.
Ah! He finally knows what she's thinking!
He was so angry that the acupoint on his forehead throbbed, and his back teeth were grinding together. If she wouldn't do it with him, then who would she do it with? He was her husband, so why couldn't she?
The woman struggled, panting heavily, determined not to have sex with him, but she was so beautiful, with her watery, fox-like eyes that made one want to comfort her and not be angry with her.
After a long while, Shen Jizhao swallowed his anger and released her: "It's not dirty anymore, don't hide from me."
She didn't want to, and he wasn't a beast who would force her. Besides, he never meant it that way. She said she was a germaphobe, and he just wanted to take off her dirty clothes.
After Jiang Shuifu was safe, she took a few steps back, as if afraid that he might suddenly become beastly.
This completely enraged Shen Jizhao, who wished he could pin her down and imprison her so she wouldn't leave his side for even a moment, so she would understand her true identity.
At the same time, he put all the recent events together and pondered them repeatedly. He found it strange that his Crown Princess had changed so much. Not only was she unwilling to get close to him, but she was also very cold. When he was busy, she never brought him a cup of herbal tea, as if she didn't care about him at all.
But just a few days ago she went to the temple specifically to pray for a child, and drank the fertility potion with him.
Thinking of this, Shen Jizhao raised his eyes, turned the teacup in his hand, and hesitated several times before speaking. He was conflicted. Asking him this question made him seem like a little woman, and where would his dignity be?
But in the end, doubt triumphed over pride, and he convinced himself that he simply wanted to confirm something he had always been absolutely certain of: "When I went to the countryside today, the local official and his wife wanted me to stay overnight..."
Seeing that Jiang Shuifu didn't react, he must have been too tactful. She didn't understand: "Overnight stay, not an ordinary overnight stay, but an overnight stay in officialdom..."
She still didn't react, and Shen Jizhao's face grew darker and darker. He said bluntly, "The kind where someone serves you at night!"
Jiang Shuifu pursed her lips impatiently. So much nonsense! She wasn't deaf!
Shen Jizhao finally saw the emotion he had expected. He swallowed his slightly shaky heart and then cleared his throat and said softly, "But I say, I have a wife."
Jiang Shuifu looked up at him, feeling unfamiliar with the word "Madam" he used.
Shen Jizhao didn't often call her that, and when he did, it sounded very distant. His eyes flickered, and he didn't want to look her in the eye, as if looking at her directly would make him feel inferior to her.
He was very arrogant, haughty and spoiled; his women had to care about him.
Shen Jizhao wanted to hear her dissatisfaction, her complaints, and even her coquettish reproaches.
But Jiang Shuifu didn't care anymore, so how could she feel jealousy or even fear that her beloved would be taken away? Even though she had no right to interfere in his affairs before, especially in matters of love.
Throughout the entire ordeal, she never uttered a single word about whether her husband was going to have children with someone else.
Shen Jizhao silently made a mental note of her actions, his face darkening considerably.
*
When Shen Jizhao got into bed, he bit his teeth again. It was bad enough that she left him to eat alone, but she even went so far as to draw a line between Chu and Han!
Jiang Shuifu casually tossed the bedding to him from the couch: "I was afraid that my husband would catch a cold, so I specially had someone bring two beddings, one for you and one for me."
Shen Jizhao was dumbfounded, his large hand gripping the blankets she threw at him tightly, staring at her in disbelief.
He couldn't get in a while ago, but now that he's in, he can't even use her place. They have to sleep in separate bedding. How ridiculous!
They hadn't separated their bedding for three years of marriage, so her actions now were practically a blatant attempt to cover up their affair, a clear attempt to distance herself from him.
A sense of alienation gradually filled the air, as if her world was slowly kicking him out.
Jiang Shuifu turned over and went to sleep. Allowing him to stay overnight was already her greatest and final concession and respect for his status as the Crown Princess. Once people entered the Eastern Palace, she would finally have some peace and quiet.
Shen Jizhao's emotions collapsed once again. Her petite body on the bed rose and fell gently, her breath coming in and out in a serene manner, as if she had forgotten his existence.
He could only hug the blankets and look at the woman wrapped up like a ball of sugar cake, giving him no chance to swallow her sweetness!
Shen Jizhao's temper flared: "Do you know what's been circulating these past few days?"
He read it to her word by word:
"The Crown Princess beat up a noblewoman in the middle of the night, leaving her crippled and unable to get out of bed to this day!"
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