Chapter 57: This Is What Men Are

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: This Is What Men Are

Three years ago, he was the Inspector of Yunzhou.

When news of Cui Lingyao’s accidental death reached Yunzhou, Chen Minrou, in her shock and grief, decided to return to the Capital City to demand an explanation from Xie Jinbai.

But he stopped her.

Who was Xie Jinbai?

He was the biological son of the current Empress, a decorated war hero who held military power, and the Prince most favored by the Emperor.

Zhao Shijie had personally witnessed his feelings for Cui Lingyao.

The pain of losing one’s wife was earth-shattering, a grief beyond compare.

In such a situation, who would dare to cross him? It would be asking for death.

They were no longer the young boys who used to play together in their early teens.

Xie Jinbai was the prince.

He was the courtier.

His wife could be impulsive, but Zhao Shijie could not.

He tried to reason with her, appeal to her emotions, and explain the stakes.

But Chen Minrou, having just heard the news of her dearest friend’s death, was in no mood to listen. She began cursing Xie Jinbai, calling him a bastard.

After only three years, he’d welcomed a new woman into his home and gotten her Yaoyao killed!

She was going back to the Capital City to settle the score with him!

Zhao Shijie tried to stop her again and again, but seeing she was utterly unreasonable, he said angrily, "How can you blame Prince Yu for this? They were married for three years without a son. He only took a concubine to continue his bloodline. What’s so wrong with that? Even for the sake of becoming Crown Prince, he had to take that concubine!"

As he said this, he forgot that at the time, they too were deeply troubled by the matter of producing an heir.

In their second year of marriage, their eldest daughter was born, and the birth damaged Chen Minrou’s health.

The Imperial Physician said that if she recuperated properly, she might be fortunate enough to conceive again in the future.

But the chances were slim.

For a young matriarch with only one daughter, being unable to have more children was an earth-shattering blow.

For the next three years, Zhao Shijie would always remember her deathly pale face and the way she had looked at him after he’d said those words.

It was a look so strange, as if she were seeing him for the very first time.

Perhaps it was from that day that the first crack appeared in their marriage.

Even though he explained countless times afterward that he would absolutely never take a concubine.

Even if she couldn’t bear another child for her entire life, he would not take a concubine.

The tragedy of Xie Jinbai and Cui Lingyao would not happen to them.

But she didn’t believe him.

She began to doubt his sincerity.

She grew wary of him.

The devoted love she once had for him was no more.

Zhao Shijie tried to coax her again and again, but she refused to let it go or even show him a pleasant expression.

Back then, he was young and proud, with no shortage of temper himself. After his attempts to soothe her repeatedly failed, he gave up and started giving her the cold shoulder in return.

He gradually buried himself in his official duties and stopped trying to win her over in the face of her cold indifference.

Later on, she successfully became pregnant, and he was so overjoyed he wanted to offer prayers of thanks to the heavens.

When the news reached the Capital City, cartloads of restorative medicines were sent over.

But throughout her entire pregnancy, she never once smiled.

In the end, it was another difficult birth.

And so it has been, until now.

The rift between them had grown to its current, vast state.

Gravely ill in her bed, she worried that the wife he might remarry would mistreat her children, so she wanted to arrange for her own paternal half-sister to be his next wife.

She even thought he would marry her legitimate younger sister!

Zhao Shijie’s heart ached with sorrow. "I’ve only ever had you. It was you before, and it will only be you in the future. Don’t leave me."

Chen Minrou believed those words.

At least, they were sincere for now.

But she didn’t have the strength to get into it with him.

In truth, ever since she’d woken up from her near-death experience during childbirth, she hadn’t been able to muster any interest in anything.

Her two children were the only thing she couldn’t let go of.

As long as she could be certain that her children’s stepmother would be a kind person, she could die immediately without any regrets.

The two lay in an embrace for a while before Zhao Shijie lifted the covers and got out of bed.

Chen Minrou did not.

She even ate her breakfast in bed.

After finishing breakfast, she lay back down listlessly, not even curious about the faint sounds coming from the outer courtyard.

Zhao Shijie couldn’t bear to see her like this.

All the doctors who had examined her said the same thing: her illness was of the heart.

Her body’s gradual weakening stemmed from a deep melancholy that had taken root within her, causing stagnation and unease.

Rather than nourishing her with expensive medicines, it would be better to stir her emotions and do things that might bring her joy.

A peaceful heart can dispel a hundred ailments.

The remaining physical deficiencies could then be restored with medicine.

Zhao Shijie sat on the edge of the bed, his head slightly bowed, and coaxed the woman on the bed in a soft voice, "The mansion is hosting guests today, and the Beast Fighting Arena in the Leopard Garden is open. How about we go take a look?"

Chen Minrou didn’t even lift her eyelids, much less bother to speak.

Zhao Shijie pursed his lips and played his trump card. "Prince Yu is there too."

The woman on the bed stiffened for a moment but still didn’t react.

"...Do you know why he paid a visit today?"

Zhao Shijie pressed on, "It’s strange, but it seems he’s taken an unusual interest in a certain young lady."

An unusual inter—

"Xie Jinbai!"

Chen Minrou’s eyes snapped open, filled with rage.

’Three years.’

’Another three years.’

’My Yaoyao has only been dead for three years, and Xie Jinbai has already taken an "unusual interest" in another girl.’

’In the "future" I saw when I was near death, it also took just three years for Zhao Shijie to fall head over heels for another woman!’

’Men! This is what they’re all like!’

......

「Meanwhile, at the Leopard Garden.」

In those days, any prominent aristocratic family with some standing would raise a few fierce beasts in their mansions.

Occasionally, they would gather with their peers for a wagered fight, big or small.

It was considered a form of entertainment.

The Duke Zhao Mansion had its own dedicated Beast Fighting Arena. Though not as magnificent as the Royal Hunting Ground, it was more than enough to entertain guests.

The guests at the banquet today were all young. Upon hearing there would be a Fighting Beast performance, they called over their friends and gathered in small groups.

By the time Cui Lingyao and her companions arrived, the Leopard Garden was already bustling with activity.

The viewing stands were filled with people.

The Duke Zhao Mansion was exceptionally efficient; in such a short amount of time, they had already reserved special seats for the guests of high status.

Seeing them arrive, a steward came forward and led them to their seats up above.

The view from there was wide and unobstructed, offering a clear panorama of the entire Beast Fighting Arena, making it the best spot to watch the performance.

Cui Lingyao had just stepped onto the stairs when she felt a tug on her sleeve.

"Our seats are next to Prince Yu."

Shen Hanyue’s voice was hushed, but she couldn’t hide her excitement.

Cui Lingyao’s steps faltered, and she instinctively looked up.

Sure enough, Xie Jinbai was sitting in the most central seat of honor.

Seated around him were none other than the young masters and noble ladies of the Capital City’s major aristocratic families, all sitting upright with impeccable posture and dignified grace.

Only he, a member of the Royal Family, was dressed in a simple black robe, lounging crookedly in a cushioned chair with his head propped on his hand, looking casual and rather indifferent.

Cui Lingyao’s gaze had barely landed on him for a second when he seemed to sense something and abruptly turned his head to look in her direction.

His gaze, sharp as a knife, landed on her, and his pupils contracted, leaving only a deep, swirling darkness within them.

’That was definitely not the way one looks at a stranger.’

This was the second time she had met his gaze since returning to Great Yue.

She froze. Her mind went blank, and her only instinct was to lower her head to avoid his gaze, not letting him see the expression on her face.

Her heart was in turmoil, but her feet didn’t stop, and the distance between them grew shorter and shorter.

Cui Lingyao did her utmost to calm her emotions, only letting out a long sigh of relief after she was seated.

Several seats separated them, enough to create a buffer from that unsettling gaze.