She mistakenly got into the bridal sedan chair and married a sickly but powerful minister, becoming

Zhao Yi looked up.

Jiang Mu felt a chill on his neck and immediately crouched down under the window.

Shen Qingtan was very surprised, because Zhao Yi came from a prestigious family and had been pampered since childhood. His refined and noble temperament made him seem even more otherworldly.

She gazed intently at Zhao Yi. He had previously worn a jade-colored robe, but now he had changed into a smoky blue crepe robe, still clean and tidy.

Over the past few days, she noticed that Zhao Yi was very tidy, yet today he cooked for her.

Shen Qingtan was conflicted, after all, this was Zhao Yi's heartfelt wish.

“As long as you sincerely pray for blessings and do not do anything that is taboo in Buddhism, there is no need to be too strict with yourself in following Buddhist rules.” Zhao Yi looked into her clear and gentle eyes and said softly, “When I was in the dining hall, I saw some monks also having dinner. Not all of them eat only one meal a day.”

"Really?" Shen Qingtan was skeptical.

“I don’t lie, not even white lies.” Not wanting to put her in a difficult position, Zhao Yi called out to Jiang Mu, “Take the food away.”

"and many more."

Shen Qingtan stopped Jiang Mu from taking away the food, as she couldn't bear to disappoint others, and Zhao Yi's words made a lot of sense.

"I'll copy a few more scrolls of scripture these next few days."

She picked up the rough porcelain bowl, took the porcelain spoon, scooped up half a spoonful of porridge, and put it in her mouth.

The plum porridge was still warm, with a smooth and creamy texture, and a sweet and fragrant taste.

She likes the thick rice porridge. She originally planned to eat only half a bowl, but before she knew it, she had finished the whole bowl, and her stomach felt warm.

Shen Qingtan smiled and said with satisfaction, "The porridge is delicious."

Then, she asked curiously, "When did you learn your craft?"

“I was sickly as a child and was ill most of the time. Every year I would go back to my ancestral home to recuperate, and I would stay at the temple. There was only one abbot in the temple, and I really liked the vegetarian food he made, so I learned to cook a few dishes.” Zhao Yi handed her a pair of chopsticks: “Want to try the Forget-Worry Pickles?”

Shen Qingtan thought to herself: You're not getting any better either; you cough every day.

Thinking of this, she frowned, her interest waning somewhat.

She took the chopsticks, picked up a tender sprout, and took a small bite. "This one is not bad either."

Despite saying that, he put down his chopsticks and stopped eating.

Zhao Yi asked, "Not to your liking?"

“It’s late, it’s not good to eat too much.” Shen Qingtan paused slightly, then smiled and said, “I’ll have the cook make it when we get back to the manor.”

Zhao Yi chuckled and handed her a handkerchief.

Shen Qingtan's gaze lingered on the handkerchief for a moment before she reached out and took it, gently wiping her lips.

She smelled the bitter medicinal scent on the handkerchief, probably because it was in a temple, and it also had a touch of cool sandalwood scent. The two scents blended together and smelled quite pleasant.

Shen Qingtan subconsciously sniffed, quickly came to her senses, realized what she had done, and her fair face instantly turned red. A feeling of annoyance suddenly arose in her heart.

She must be starving today.

Zhao Yi saw her shift her body, turn to face him, revealing half of her gentle face, her fair and soft ears slightly reddened.

He was slightly taken aback, then saw her kneading his handkerchief with both hands, and immediately understood.

"You should get some rest." Zhao Yi coughed a few times and carefully instructed, "I live next to my grandmother. If you need anything, just have Liuyue come to me."

Shen Qingtan nodded.

Zhao Yi took Jiang Mu back to his residence.

As Jiang Mu helped Zhao Yi undress, he couldn't help but ask, "Second Master, you're too good to Second Madam."

Zhao Yi was gentle, polite, understanding, and considerate in front of Shen Qingtan.

Those who had served him since childhood knew very well that Zhao Yi was slow to warm up and aloof, not easy to approach.

He drew a line in front of him, clearly distinguishing himself from the others.

“She is my wife, shouldn’t I be like this?” Zhao Yi lowered his eyes and said indifferently, “Have I treated her well? This is not even a tenth or a twelfth of what my father did for my mother.”

Jiang Mu: "..." That's because Second Madam isn't as dramatic as First Madam.

Zhao Yi had his own considerations. After the marriage, his mother said to him, "Yi'er, women are not like men who can make a living outside. They are confined to the inner quarters for their whole lives."

They need to serve their parents-in-law, take care of their husbands, look after their children and grandchildren, and manage the household business. It is no easier than for men to work outside, but they have less freedom than men do.

When a husband is honored, his wife is also honored; with support, she has confidence.

However, this requires the husband to treat his wife well and give her the utmost respect, otherwise no one will dare to bully her.

You must treat your wife well. Without her taking care of everything at home, allowing you to focus on your career outside, how could you have a peaceful life?

Look at those men who favor concubines over their wives; they cause chaos in their homes and ruin their careers.

Besides, you're a grown man, a full head taller than your wife; we should be more considerate of the weaker one.

Zhao Yi now feels helpless when she recalls her mother's self-righteous judgment of strength based on size.

His attitude toward Shen Qingtan was partly influenced by his father's attitude toward his mother.

Another reason is that he cannot provide Shen Qingtan with a normal married life, and he doesn't know how long he can accompany her. If he treats her coldly and wears down her enthusiasm for life, she may not have the courage to face a new life.

This is like her suffering malice from Zhao Jue, and him showing her kindness.

Even if she encounters setbacks and hardships in the future, she will hold onto hope, knowing that light awaits her ahead.

Zhao Yi smiled and said, "She is weaker than me, so I should give way to her."

Jiang Mu was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

"Second Master, do you want to listen to what you're saying?"

Is there anyone in this world weaker than you?

-

The next morning, Zhao Jue took Shen Mingzhu and Qiu Chan back to the Duke of Zhao's mansion.

The second wife was afraid that the Duke of Zhao would severely punish Zhao Jue, and she really didn't want to stay at Longhua Temple to suffer, so she wanted to go back to the mansion with him.

The old lady ordered her to stay for three days before returning to the mansion.

The second wife wrote a letter to Zhao Jue.

Zhao Jue opened the letter, glanced at it quickly, tore it to shreds without expression, and threw it away casually.

Upon returning to the Duke of Zhao's residence, Zhao Jue went first to see the Duke of Zhao, who was on leave at home.

Zhao Jue knelt on the ground and said, "Grandfather, I have done something immoral and disgraceful, disgracing our family. Please punish me."

Last night, the old lady sent her attendants back to the mansion to tell Duke Zhao what had happened in the mountains.

After calmly finishing practicing his calligraphy, Duke Zhao put down his brush and picked up a towel to wipe his hands.

“As a man, you should stand tall and have lofty aspirations. If you are not upright, how can you stand on your own two feet?” Duke Zhao threw down the handkerchief in his hand, his face stern: “Look at you, where is your manly spirit? You are being played by a woman.”

Zhao Jue clenched his fist: "Grandson knows his mistake."

Duke Zhao said in a deep voice, "Please follow the family rules and give him twenty lashes."