CH 29.1

Liao Qing Qing still stood there with her eyes lowered.

Her finger was slender.

Her posture was upright.

She posed a calm and obedient picture, but she was panicking inside!

She answered the question based on the years of experience as a corporate slave.

It was hard to know the kind of thoughts Empress Dowager could be thinking?

Will she say ‘How dare you! How dare you argue back?’

She waited on pins and needles.

Suddenly, she heard the Empress Dowager said emotionlessly, “Sit down.”

Liao Qing Qing looked at the Empress Dowager in surprise.

???

Is this the end of it?

Liao Qing Qing was surprised.

Emperor Jing Li secretly let out a sigh.

Noble Consort couldn’t believe it?

The Empress Dowager just let Liao Qing Qing off?

There were no enlightening words?

Noble Consort Liang’s heart felt unhappy, and secretly grit her teeth. She and the Empress Dowager didn’t have that much interaction. She did not know what the Empress Dowager meant. The hands in her sleeves clenched tightly, and became more dissatisfied with Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing cautiously sat down.

It felt like she had come back from the dead.

But she did not put down her guards at all. She slightly lowered her eyes.

The following words and actions were extremely consistent with the persona of “Lady Xi of Refined Countenance”.

Until the end of the breakfast.

The Empress Dowager was going to recite the sutra and let them go back to their respective places.

Liao Qing Qing also followed behind Noble Consort Liang, Virtuous Consort and the others.

After leaving Shouxi Palace, she and Noble Consort Liang paid their respects to Emperor Jing Li.

Emperor Jing Li glanced at Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing’s head was still lowered.

The corners of Emperor Jing Li’s mouth rose imperceptibly. He turned his head to look at Noble Consort Liang and the others. He said with a smile, “The Empress Dowager’s ceremony of paying respect has been completed. Although today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, it is bitterly cold. All of your bodies are delicate, so don’t linger here anymore. Go back and have fun in your respective palace.”

“Yes,” Noble Consort Liang and the others said.

Emperor Jing Li took Liao Qing Qing’s hand and said, “Let’s go.”

Noble Consort Liang’s face immediately hardened.

Emperor Jing Li didn’t look at Noble Consort Liang and the others. He walked hand in hand with Liao Qing Qing towards Lisheng Pavilion.

After walking for a while, Liao Qing Qing exited the “Lady Xi of Refined Countenance meeting Her Highness the Empress Dowager” mode.

She turned her head to look at Emperor Jing Li.

Emperor Jing Li immediately thought of Liao Qing Qing’s “confession” just now. Ever since he grew up, this was the first time he heard a woman’s true confession—Like his mother accompanying her father; accompanying His Majesty with her heart; reading His Majesty’s words; listening to His Majesty’s zither; and critiquing His Majesty’s painting.

How simple.

How beautiful.

It is expected of Lady Xi of Refined Countenance, who is beautiful at heart.

It was as if his heart was soaked in honey. His gaze was almost overflowing with sweetness. He couldn’t help but lower his voice and asked, “Were you scared?”

“Mm.” Liao Qing Qing nodded her head.

She lived in the twenty-first century where everyone was equal. Occasionally, she encountered men and women with strong impressions. She was able to do it without being subservient. However, Her Highness Empress Dowager’s aura was too strong.

“No need to be afraid.” Emperor Jing Li said softly.

Liao Qing Qing looked at Emperor Jing Li in confusion.

Emperor Jing Li said with a smile, “I’m[1] here.”

“But the Empress Dowager is Your Majesty’s Queen Mother.” This was a fact that made one bow down.

Emperor Jing Li asked in response, “So she is stronger than me?”

Liao Qing Qing hurriedly said, “That’s not what this imperial concubine[2] meant.”

Emperor Jing Li continued asking, “Then what do you mean?”

“This imperial concubine is afraid of and respectful to the Empress Dowager.”

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“Well said. Who is the person who had a sweaty nose when the Empress Dowager asked her?”

“This imperial concubine’s nose was sweaty?” Liao Qing Qing did have the problem of her nose sweating when she was nervous and scared.

“Or was it mine?” Emperor Jing Li retorted.

Liao Qing Qing touched her nose and said, “Your Majesty, you are so attentive.”

“Don’t praise anymore. Let’s go. Let’s go back to have breakfast.”

“Your Majesty, you are not full?”

“You’re the one who is not full.”

“Your Majesty, you are so attentive.”

When she was in Shouxi Palace, the Empress Dowager did not move her chopsticks, Noble Consort Liang did not as well. She did not dare to move. The Empress Dowager and Noble Consort Liang both had the stomach of a chick, so she did not eat enough.

“Read more books. You don’t even know how to praise me.”

“Okay.”

The two held hands and walked on, their footsteps making imprints in the snow.

Not far away, Noble Consort Liang’s chest heaved with anger as she struggled to calm herself down.

And Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing did not even notice. The two arrived at Lisheng Pavilion.

They had breakfast again.

Liao Qing Qing originally wanted to build a snowman.

But it was snowing again outside.

She had to sit on the soft couch and started to look at the collection of paintings. They were all the rather well-known painters of the Great Wei Dynasty. However, she couldn’t make sense of it. Her eyes couldn’t help but wandered to Emperor Jing Li, who was across from her.

Emperor Jing Li placed his book down and asked, “Are you really going to start learning zither, chess, calligraphy and painting?”

Liao Qing Qing nodded her head.

“For the Empress Dowager?”

“Not entirely so.”

“Actually, the palace doesn’t lack imperial concubines that are proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, it is fine if you don’t know much. Anyway, regardless of what you become, the Empress Dowager will find your weakness.”

“Why?”

“Probably because of me.”

“Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager are at odds?”

“Mm.”

“What kind of disagreements?”

Emperor Jing Li’s gaze flickered slightly as he looked straight at Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing was suddenly startled and asked carefully, “Your Majesty, did this imperial concubine ask a question that should not be asked?”

Emperor Jing Li smiled and didn’t mind it. He said, “There is no father and son in the heavenly[3] family and there is no mother and son in the heavenly family. When I first ascended the throne, I was constrained by all the forces in the imperial court including the Empress Dowager’s family. I was cautious at first and then I took a bold step to break it down. The Empress Dowager’s family also fell into ruin. Because of this reason, the Empress Dowager competed with me.”

“Your Majesty won?” Liao Qing Qing asked.

Emperor Jing Li nodded and said, “Mm. From then forward, the relationship between the Empress Dowager and I broke down. At the most tense period, she killed one of my personal eunuchs and I was extremely angry and made a scene at Shouxi Palace.”

“Then, the Empress Dowager was so angry that she went to the private courtyard?”

“Mm.”

“Now the relationship between the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty is still bad?”

“Yes.”

“Then, Then—”

“Then what?”

“Will the Empress Dowager, an elderly woman, get angry and beat this imperial concubine to death?”

“Impossible!” Emperor Jing Li suddenly bellowed.

Liao Qing Qing was startled.

Emperor Jing Li also realized his outburst and hurriedly explained, “Queen Mother is not that kind of person. It was considered an accident that time when the eunuch died.”

In the end, they are mother and son.

He will still protect his mother.

Liao Qing Qing understands!

Emperor Jing Li then said, “You don’t have to be afraid of her. Just like today’s ceremony of paying respect, you spoke very well. Obey her on the surface, but in reality, it would be fine if you have your own stance.”

Liao Qing Qing nodded.

“Come, I will teach you how to appreciate painting.”

“Mm.”

It was said to look at paintings. But in the end, they also played zither, chess and wrote calligraphy. A day passed by just like that.

In the subsequent days, Emperor Jing Li seemed to be more idle. As soon as he was free, he would take Liao Qing Qing and fiercely studied zither, chess, calligraphy and painting. Even the riddle guessing of the Lantern Festival became so meaningless.

[1] 朕(zhèn)- I (imperial) or we (imperial use).

[2] 嫔妾(pín qiè)- This imperial concubine. It is a self-appellation that can only be used by Lady of Talents (才人), Noble Lady (贵人), etc to the Emperor and Empress Dowager.

[3] In the past, the word ‘sky’ (天) refers to the imperial family.