sjar Chapter 54 Ah Li is protecting him
Chapter 54 Ah Li is protecting him
"Li'er is interested in betting on chess?" Shen Zizai found this intriguing. "Then Father will gladly oblige. What would you like to bet on?"
"Promise me first, and we can talk about it later if I win," Shen Li said with a smile.
"You little rascal, you've got your hands on your father. Fine, whatever you want." Shen Zizai's voice was gentle, his expression full of affection.
"Alright, you two always talk about calligraphy or chess whenever you meet. Can that stuff keep you full? Go eat!" Xiao Bailing urged.
"Let's eat first, then play chess." Shen Li took Gu Chang'an's arm and walked at the front.
"Ah Li," Gu Chang'an whispered, "that's inappropriate."
"Ahem, this pulling and tugging is disrespectful." Shen Zizai's voice became serious.
Gu Chang'an knew it was improper, but he couldn't do anything about it if A-Li wouldn't let him go. Killing or dismembering her was easy, but he couldn't push A-Li away.
He has always been adept at using his advantages to quickly seize the initiative in various complex situations, but now all he can do is give Ah Li a meaningful look, hoping that Ah Li will take pity on him and not make things difficult for him.
But Shen Li not only didn't let go, she hugged him even tighter: "Father, this is at home, not in the imperial palace. Besides, this is my husband, not my lover. How can you say it's improper?"
"How did you learn this from your sister? You can't just casually say things like 'lover' like that!" Shen Zizai felt a headache coming on when he heard this.
“…” Shen Yue.
She didn't say anything, so why is she being scolded for this?
"Li'er is right. This is home, not outside. As long as the young couple is happy, there's nothing improper about it. Stop with the pedantry."
Xiao Bailing rolled her eyes at Shen Zizai. Her daughter was obviously much happier this time, and it was clear that she had accepted her son-in-law. This harmonious scene could not tolerate anyone who would cause trouble.
Shen Zizai wasn't against seeing his daughter happy, so even though he felt a little awkward, he didn't say anything more.
Shen Li then responded to Gu Chang'an's wink, raising her head and giving him a playful wink.
Gu Chang'an smiled gently, but his eyes were filled with emotion.
Ah Li acknowledged him and protected him in front of her family.
The family enjoyed the meal together happily. Shen Li took care of Gu Chang'an the whole time, and Gu Chang'an also kept an eye on her, adding rice and soup for her.
Xiao Bailing was increasingly pleased with what she saw. She had always said that marrying Gu Chang'an was the right choice; he was far better than the likes of the Crown Prince and Prince Yi.
Having lived half her life, she knew all too well that power and wealth are fleeting, but talent and beauty can stay with you for a lifetime.
It has to be said that it's hard to get angry at one's son-in-law's upright appearance.
After finishing his meal, Gu Chang'an got up to take his leave, as the case at the Dali Temple couldn't do without him.
“Then come pick me up before dinner,” Shen Li said.
"Okay," Gu Chang'an replied softly.
Shen Li looked at his still somewhat reserved appearance, and her heart almost melted. She found her man adorable no matter how she looked at him.
"Sis, everyone's gone." Shen Yue waved her hand in front of Shen Li's eyes: "Don't look, you'll see right through the wall."
"Oh." Shen Li then awkwardly looked away.
"Sis, when did you become so concerned about your husband? You two used to barely exchange a few words," Shen Yue asked, puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zizai and Xiao Bailing, who were sitting at the table, also listened intently, curious as well.
"I suddenly realized something: not cherishing the people in front of you will get you struck by lightning." Shen Li's answer was brief, but clearly very convincing.
The three people present never asked again.
Shen Li and Shen Zizai went to the study to play chess. Xiao Bailing and Shen Yue, mother and daughter, both had a headache whenever they saw a chessboard, so they went to Shen Yue's courtyard early.
"I have been in charge of the imperial examinations since I became Vice Minister of Rites, which is twenty years ago. There have been twelve examinations, including the triennial ones and the special examinations. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I have students all over the country." Shen Zizai asked while playing chess, "Do you know which one I like the most?"
Shen Li placed a piece and slowly replied, "Gu Chang'an, you said that when our daughter was little."
“Gu Chang’an, a poor scholar who came to the capital alone, has both lofty ambitions and the talent to govern the world. If he had followed the rules, he would surely have been a capable minister.” Shen Zizai sighed deeply as he spoke: “How did he end up going astray?”
Whenever he thought of Gu Chang'an acting on the Emperor's orders without any of the integrity and moral character expected of a scholar, he felt waves of heartache.
“People have to survive first. If he hadn’t acted this way, he probably would have lost his life long ago.” Shen Li felt heartbroken thinking about Gu Chang’an’s past.
His journey has been truly difficult.
“You have your reasons, but I don’t agree with them,” Shen Zizai insisted. “A true man can die, but he cannot lose his integrity.”
Shen Li had heard too much of this kind of thing in her past life. She knew that she couldn't come to a conclusion in a short time, so she simply kept quiet.
Shen Zizai quickly lost interest in saying anything more, because the situation on the chessboard was far from optimistic.
His daughter is exceptionally intelligent, and her chess skills have always surpassed his, but the gap is not significant, and she rarely makes him feel suppressed.
Many of these moves were ones he had never seen before.
“Father, you’ve lost. You have to keep your promise.” Shen Li opened the chess piece above the chess box, letting it slide into the box.
"You said."
"Next time you see my husband, you can't give him the cold shoulder for no reason. We're all family, and our daughter still has to live with him. You wouldn't be so inconsiderate of our daughter's situation, would you?" Shen Li's words were a combination of soft and hard tactics.
Shen Zizai's smile turned helpless and even a little jealous: "You played this game of chess just for him?"
"This round is, but the next round won't be," Shen Li indirectly admitted.
"He should accept the consequences of his bet. As his father, I'll just give him some face in the future." Shen Zizai also realized that he had some prejudice.
"Then... let's play another round?" Shen Li smiled.
"Let's go again." Shen Zizai rubbed his hands together, eager to try.
Shen Li spent the afternoon playing chess with her father, during which she mentioned Gu Chang'an quite a few times, mainly about his thoughtfulness and care.
The effect was immediate. When Gu Chang'an went from the yamen to the Shen residence for dinner, he struck up a conversation with Shen Zizai during the meal, and Shen Zizai's attitude changed.
Although they weren't very warm and friendly right away, they at least put on a smile and occasionally offered him some words of approval.
Gu Chang'an's eyes lit up when he looked at Shen Li again. In Shen Li's eyes, he looked like a dog wagging its tail with joy. Such an expression on such a charming face made Shen Li feel like she was being scratched by a cat.
I can't blame myself for losing my composure; it's just that my opponent was too attractive.
Tonight, she was determined to put what she had learned from Consort Zheng into practice and see the results of her surreptitious learning.