Just as he himself said, Zhao Jian did not utter a single word throughout the entire process, and no matter how much Liniang looked at him with pleading and aggrieved eyes, he ignored her completely.
Only after Song Shuhao confronted Li Niang, presenting her with witnesses and physical evidence, did Prosecutor Zhao say indifferently, "In my opinion, giving her ten strokes of the cane and sending her away would be much simpler." He then asked Song Shuhao for her opinion, "What does Madam think?"
Song Shuhao turned to look at Prosecutor Zhao, trying to discern his thoughts. After clearly seeing the implication in his eyes, she nodded and said, "Everything will be as you wish."
If he was willing to give it up, she had nothing to say. However, Song Shuhao also understood that Zhao Jian's actions were, to some extent, to protect her position.
Li Niang seemed incredulous, yet had no choice but to face the words Zhao Jian had spoken. She knelt before Zhao Jian, placed her hands on his thighs, and lay limply on him, sobbing and begging for forgiveness.
Song Shuhao averted her eyes for a moment, and Zhao Jian caught a glimpse of her movement, a slight smile playing on his lips. He didn't look at Li Niang, who was clinging to him, but simply waved for people to come in without any expression, ignoring Li Niang's cries and letting them drag her away.
Once he and Song Shuhao were alone in the room, Prosecutor Zhao turned to her and said in a cryptic tone, "What's there to be angry about? I thought you were angry that I was too good to her and made me happy for nothing."
Song Shuhao stared at Zhao Jian, taken aback by his sudden words. Zhao Jian stood up first, walked to her, and pinched her cheek. "When I see you care about me as much as you care about your mother, then our marriage won't have been in vain."
Wasn't she good enough to him? Song Shu thought to herself, she had given him everything she could, except for affection. She didn't love him, but she didn't love anyone else either. She simply didn't want to get involved in matters of the heart. But even if she said it, no one would understand.
"The Seven Grounds for Divorce states that a wife should not be jealous. Why does the Prince want me to be a jealous woman?" Song Shuhao remained silent for a long time before sighing softly.
Zhao Jian then leaned close to her ear and bit it, saying, "Putting everything else aside, let's call out 'husband' first." This sudden intimate gesture made Song Shuhao's face flush red.
She stole a glance at Zhao Jian, and their eyes met. Thinking that he felt she still hadn't done enough, she finally lowered her eyes and softly called out, "Husband."
The two soft words, like feathers, seeped into his heart, stirring a tingling sensation throughout his entire being. Overjoyed, Zhao Jian put his arm around Song Shuhao's shoulder and, with a smile, kissed her lips…
...
Remembering Xu's matter again, Zhao Jianwei still held Song Shuhao in his arms and asked in her ear, "Your mother's illness... how about I find some good doctors to treat your mother's epilepsy? Maybe that will cure her."
Song Shuhao leaned on his shoulder, gently shook her head, and said, "But I don't know if I should do this. Maybe Mother... would rather it be like this than face those things that hurt her again. But seeing Mother like this, I feel heartbroken."
She frowned slightly, her eyes showing a hint of confusion and helplessness, and even a touch of annoyance.
Zhao Jian looked down at the person in his arms, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Since that's the case, why not let things take their course? You don't need to worry too much and make yourself miserable."
Song Shu barely noticed Zhao Jiandian's gesture, but then wondered if he was being unusually gentle today...
Author's Note: I was a bit stuck on the main story, and I felt like I could write a backstory side story, so I wrote this first =3=
I've seen so many Zhao Jian fans in the comments, and they even want to ship Zhao Hao as a couple. I wonder if writing about their past lives counts as giving them some sweetness. [laughing emoji]
Chapter 95 Past Life Extra (2)
After the incident with Li Niang, Zhao Jianyue frequently visited Song Shuhao, while his concubines were left unattended. Because she didn't feel she had done anything special to please him, Song Shuhao found it hard not to feel that he was being overly attentive and couldn't help but feel a little wary.
However, day after day, Zhao Jian never made things difficult for her, neither in words nor in actions. Unable to accept his kindness and goodwill without question, Song Shuhao thought that all she could do was treat Zhao Jian in the same way. If he was kind to her, she would repay him in kind, or even more.
Unlike the winters in Lin'an, where heavy snow falls everywhere, the winters here are devoid of snowflakes, yet permeated with a damp chill. Song Shuhao used to not feel particularly afraid of the cold, and even when she was cold, she could endure it. But now, she felt that even burning several charcoal braziers in the house was far from enough, and she always felt somewhat miserable when she went out.
Knowing her situation, Inspector Zhao had a white fox fur cloak with a stand-up collar made for Song Shuhao so she could wear it when she went out. He also thought of Xu Shi and made one for her as well. In addition, he immediately asked Song Shuhao to make him a cape, which she agreed to.
That same night, after he finished making the cloak that Inspector Zhao had requested, he came to rest at Song Shuhao's place as usual. When he entered the house and she helped him take off the cloak, Song Shuhao realized that it was raining and snowing outside, and couldn't help but say, "The weather is so bad, why did you rush over?"
Zhao Jian seemed to be in a good mood. He washed his hands and tidied himself up before returning to her with a smile, "Didn't you say we'd have hot pot together tonight? I came looking for you because of the aroma. It's rare for you to take the initiative to invite me to eat together... Is the cloak ready?"
"Mm." Song Shuhao nodded with a smile and then gave instructions to prepare the meal.
After Zhao Jian and she went into the inner room, she took out a cloak and helped him try it on. In the current weather, Song Shuhao felt terribly cold, but Zhao Jian seemed not to be afraid at all, often finding a cloak sufficient. If it hadn't rained and snowed at night, he probably would still have felt that the cloak was unnecessary.
The dark purple brocade cloak with its subtle cloud patterns and silver trim looked even more luxurious on Zhao Jian. It was made specifically for him, so there was no reason it wouldn't fit. Song Shuhao helped him fasten the cloak, straightened out any uneven areas, and after a careful look, said, "It suits you even better than I expected."
Zhao Jian held her hand, his eyes filled with undisguised affection. He smiled and said to Song Shuhao, "How could what you did be inappropriate... It's the best birthday gift I've received this year. Thank you, Madam." He spoke slowly, and unsurprisingly saw the surprise on her face.
"I didn't even know it was your birthday today..." Song Shuhao said blankly, feeling a little embarrassed in front of Inspector Zhao. After being stared at by him for a while, a blush rose on her face.
She had never paid attention to these things concerning Prosecutor Zhao, and no one had reminded her of them beforehand. If Prosecutor Zhao hadn't brought it up himself, she probably still wouldn't have known by now. And Prosecutor Zhao seemed to know all along that she was unaware, as if he was finding ways to get a birthday gift from her, which made her even more ashamed.
"It's nothing, just remember it in the future." Seeing Song Shuhao's dejected face, Zhao Jian took off his cloak and said to her, "We have to celebrate it every year, it's not like we've missed our chance." Hearing from the maid outside that the meal had been prepared, he smiled and said, "Let's eat first."
Song Shuhao lowered her head as she answered Zhao Jian's words, thinking she finally understood his words about not treating him well enough. Was it really a matter of insufficient care? Stealing a glance at Zhao Jian, who always wore a smile, Song Shuhao pondered for a moment, ultimately feeling that perhaps she should show more concern...
·
It was somewhat inexcusable for a wife not to know her husband's birthday. Song Shuhao also felt apologetic, so the next day, to make amends to Prosecutor Zhao, she personally cooked a meal to suit his tastes and sent someone to invite him over.
Zhao Jian seemed pleasantly surprised and ate more than usual. He said that the food was even more delicious than what the cooks in the manor made, and that he would be happy to eat it often. Although Song Shuhao did not respond to him, she remembered it in her heart. Later, whenever she had free time, she would always cook dinner herself.
Unfortunately, Xu did not survive the winter.
Xu Shi's serious illness dragged on for over a month, and finally, in the dead of night, she quietly passed away. During the days that Xu Shi was ill and showed no signs of improvement, Song Shuhao was worried and often stayed by her bedside to take care of her, sometimes staying up all night.
After enduring this for a month, she had lost a lot of weight. That evening, after dinner, Zhao Jian went to visit Xu Shi. Xu Shi seemed to be getting better; she had eaten a small bowl of vegetarian porridge for dinner, which was much better than usual. He also saw that Song Shuhao was struggling to stay strong, and he finally managed to persuade her to go home and rest.
Neither of them expected that Madam Xu would leave quietly in the night. Prosecutor Zhao remembered that Song Shuhao had only been asleep for a short while when she suddenly woke up in a cold sweat. Someone came to report that Madam Xu had passed away…
Song Shuhao originally wanted to handle Xu's funeral arrangements herself, but due to lack of experience and a mental breakdown, she was unable to continue. Therefore, Prosecutor Zhao arranged everything for her.
Being far from home and without any relatives to offer condolences, the atmosphere was somewhat desolate. The sound of Song Shuhao's weeping and sobbing lingered in the mourning hall for a long time. From the moment he learned of Xu's passing until Xu's cremation, Zhao Jian felt that Song Shuhao's tears had never stopped.
She had cried so much that she fainted several times, and her eyes were swollen every day. While watching Xu Shi's cremation with Song Shuhao, Zhao Jian recalled the time Xu Shi was injured and how furious she had been. Because she cared about Xu Shi, she felt anger and sadness, but she showed none of these emotions towards him.
For a while afterward, Song Shuhao couldn't sleep well at night, often waking up in fright from her dreams. Zhao Jian would hold her and comfort her softly. The sudden death of her only relative had left Song Shuhao deeply saddened, and Zhao Jian's comfort made her feel especially warm.
Thinking that her ordeal might have prevented Prosecutor Zhao from getting enough rest, Song Shuhao thanked him and then advised him to rest somewhere else for the time being. Prosecutor Zhao frowned when he saw her lowered eyes and the fact that she seemed to be doing this for his own good.
“It doesn’t matter if I go somewhere else, but what about you? How can I not feel sorry for you seeing you like this? If you truly considered me your husband, you wouldn’t be thanking me at this time, and you would know that no matter what, at least I’m still here.” Zhao Jian said softly, without any blame in his words, but with a sigh.
Zhao Jian's words, "At least I'm still here," left Song Shuhao at a loss for words, because she knew that most of what Zhao Jian said was true. Although she acknowledged herself as Zhao Jian's wife, she had never regarded him as family, nor had she ever truly relied on him in her heart.