CH 31.2

Chapter 31 Part 2- A Strong Person Doesn’t Need to Explain

Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing left Shouxi Palace hand in hand. He asked, “You were watering the flowers?”

“Mm.” Liao Qing Qing nodded her head.

“Isn’t there a palace maid in Shouxi Palace? Why do you need to water them?” Emperor Jing Li appeared displeased.

“They don’t know how to water them.”

“You do?”

“Of course.” Liao Qing Qing seriously explained to Emperor Jing Li, “Each flower is watered differently. It’s not good to water too much or too little. This imperial concubine has recently been at Empress Dowager’s palace and read a lot of flower gardening books.”

Emperor Jing Li asked, “Won’t you feel tired?”

“Sometimes, I feel a little tired.”

“Then do you blame the Empress Dowager?”

“Why would I blame the Empress Dowager?”

“She makes you go to Shouxi Palace every day.”

“What’s wrong with going to Shouxi Palace? The Empress Dowager is an elder, and she didn’t give me a hard time. She’s much better to get along with than Noble Consort Liang.” Liao Qing Qing genuinely liked the Empress Dowager more than Noble Consort Liang and others.

“Noble Consort Liang made things difficult for you?”

“Not yet, but it feels like she’s about to make things difficult for this imperial concubine.”

???

Emperor Jing Li looked at Liao Qing Qing in disbelief.

Is she accusing Noble Consort Liang of wrongdoing based on her gut feeling?

Forget it!

Forget it! Forget it!

This is also the privilege he gave her.

He held Liao Qing Qing’s hand and said, “Then be careful.”

Liao Qing Qing nodded.

“Oh, right. The first two days of the second month of the Chinese calendar is the day where we personally plough the fields. Are you prepared?”

“I’m prepared.”

“Mm. Then you follow the Empress Dowager, Noble Consort Liang and the others.”

“What about you, Your Majesty?”

“I will go with the various ministers.”

“Alright.”

In the blink of an eye, it was the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar.

Early in the morning, Emperor Jing Li and several imperial subjects prepared to leave the palace to personally plough the fields. Liao Qing Qing, Noble Consort Liang, Worthy Consort, Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment went together to meet the Empress Dowager. Virtuous Consort brought the other imperial concubines to stay in the imperial harem.

After meeting the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager turned her head to look at Chang Momo.

Chang Momo then gave the five of them, Liao Qing Qing and the others, a set of clothes made of coarse cloth.

When Liao Qing Qing wore it and came out, she saw that Empress Dowager was also wearing blue clothes made of coarse cloth and had her head wrapped. Inexplicably, she felt more approachable.

She gave a smile to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager ignored her.

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

Her eyes turned to look at the other four people who were also wearing clothes of coarse material. It is different when one is pretty. They will look good wearing anything.

“Let’s go.” The Empress Dowager said.

Then, they each took two carriages, following Emperor Jing Li’s carriage.

They left the imperial palace majestically.

In the last carriage, the faces of Noble Consort Liang, Worthy Consort, Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment were not pleasant.

Lady Ye of Bright Deportment handed tea to Noble Consort Liang.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment said with dissatisfaction, “Why should Lady Xi of Refined Countenance sit in the same carriage with the Empress Dowager? It should be Your Highness Noble Consort that accompanies her instead.”

Worthy Consort continued this conversation, “Because the Empress Dowager likes her.”

“Isn’t that because she charmed His Majesty?!” Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment disliked Liao Qing Qing for a long time. She used to be like many imperial concubines and thought Liao Qing Qing would lose favour soon, so she didn’t mind it. However, she didn’t expect Liao Qing Qing to climb higher and higher now, and she was an irksome presence.

“Can’t you also learn from her and charm His Majesty?” Lady Ye of Bright Deportment said.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment said disdainfully, “This imperial concubine isn’t going to learn from her!”

Worthy Consort continued, “Yeah. People of her family background don’t know manners. So they naturally can say anything. We can’t do that.”

Worthy Consort referred to Liao Qing Qing’s “confession” to Emperor Jing Li that day.

“Exactly,” Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment responded in agreement.

Lady Ye of Bright Deportment remained silent, but she was extremely jealous in her heart.

Noble Consort Liang was thinking of ways to embarrass Liao Qing Qing.

Worthy Consort also wanted to drag Liao Qing Qing down.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment had her own plans.

Four concubines with four different ideas in a carriage, but targeted at one person—Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing was unaware of this.

She sat in the Empress Dowager’s carriage, so she naturally had to do something.

Without Chang Momo doing anything, she gave the Empress Dowager some tea from time to time and gave the Empress Dowager a piece of pastry.

It could be said that she was being very filial.

The Empress Dowager, however, did not have the slightest reaction.

Chang Momo was also expressionless.

Liao Qing Qing had already gotten used to it. She felt thirsty, so she drank some tea.

She secretly peeped outside, and then she was happy inwardly.

She’s out of the imperial palace again!

Not long after the carriage stopped, she and Chang Momo helped the Empress Dowager get down the carriage.

As soon as she turned around, she saw the blue sky with white clouds and the vast land. There is a fresh smell emitting from it. It was comfortable and lofty.

So beautiful!

She didn’t dare admire it too much and looked after the Empress Dowager with Chang Momo.

She saw Emperor Jing Li and the imperial subjects walking towards a field when she looked ahead.

Emperor Jing Li also wore clothes made of coarse cloth. However, he was still extraordinarily handsome even when he wore this. She thought that Emperor Jing Li knew nothing about farming. After all, many emperors ploughed the fields as a formality in the past and present.

Who knew that Emperor Jing Li held the plough and could steadily plough from the beginning to the end.

In the end, he did not need the help of his imperial subjects. He held the plough with one hand and drove the cattle with the other.

Very stable!

And thus gained continuous rainbow farts[1] from the imperial subjects!

Emperor Jing Li was also very proud of himself. He turned his head to look at Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing secretly gave a thumbs up to Emperor Jing Li.

Emperor Jing Li revealed a slightly conceited expression.

“Ahem!” The Empress Dowager coughed heavily.

Liao Qing Qing hurriedly retracted her hand and restrained her expression.

“Let’s go and get busy too,” the Empress Dowager said.

Liao Qing Qing obediently responded, “Yes.”

Emperor Jing Li led several imperial subjects to continue ploughing the fields.

""

The Empress Dowager took Liao Qing Qing and the others to a field in another direction to learn from a representative local farmer.

It was actually merely going through the motions, indicating that the Great Wei Dynasty attached importance to agriculture.

With both the Son of Heaven and the Empress Dowager ploughing the fields, it was bound to be a year of abundant harvest!

Who knew that the Empress Dowager was very serious and took the hoe very seriously to weed the soil.

Liao Qing Qing also learned with them.

Noble Consort Liang and the other three were not so willing. She wore the clothes of coarse material reluctantly, came here and stepped on a foot of mud. And now, she had to take a hoe to weed the soil.

This is something that only farmers do!

They thought that the Emperor personally ploughing the fields was just to show his presence.

They didn’t expect him to do it for real.

They were instantly filled with regret.

But the Empress Dowager is here; how can they dare be lazy?

One by one, they held the hoes, like a seedling on a frost day, swaying from side to side. They were unable to break up compacted soil.

When they turned to look at Liao Qing Qing, Liao Qing Qing was working very hard and looked like she wanted to impress the Empress Dowager.

All of them immediately gathered their spirits. They couldn’t lose to Liao Qing Qing. But since they can’t win against Liao Qing Qing, what should they do?

At this time, Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and Lady Ye of Bright Deportment came up with a devious idea. As long as they make Liao Qing Qing embarrassed, won’t it show her incompetence?

Maybe it would also make them appear gracious and sensible.

The two looked at each other silently with this thought in mind.

Noble Consort Liang and Worthy Consort also discovered the abnormalities of Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and Lady Ye of Bright Deportment.

But they did not stop them.

She wished that the two people, Wu and Ye, could do something that would attack Liao Qing Qing.

This would also save them the trouble.

They could just wait for Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and Lady Ye of Bright Deportment.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and Lady Ye of Bright Deportment caught a glimpse of a small green snake coiled in the field while they were pondering.

The small green snake seemed to be asleep.

They almost screamed in fear, but they forcefully held it back.

Then, they looked at one another and then at Liao Qing Qing.

They made up their minds.

Lady Ye of Bright Deportment was a little bit timid and did not dare to move.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment reached for the small green snake with her hoe by suppressing her inner fear. While pretending to dig the soil, she flung it directly at Liao Qing Qing.

The small green snake landed on Liao Qing Qing’s feet with a <pa> sound.

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and the others were waiting for Liao Qing Qing to scream and lose propriety.

Who knew that Liao Qing Qing looked down, and her face didn’t show a trace of fear. Instead, she asked curiously, “Eh? Small green snake, why are you lying on my feet?”

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment, “?” Is she not scared?

Lady Ye of Bright Deportment, “?” What’s going on?

Noble Consort Liang and Worthy Consort, “???”

Liao Qing Qing didn’t move her foot. She whispered, “Small green snake, what are you doing here? Spring is approaching. Quickly go and play. Otherwise, the hoeing will hurt you. Quickly leave. Quickly leave.”

""

It was as if the small green snake understood her. It did not hurt Liao Qing Qing at all. It turned around and slithered towards the two people, Wu and Ye.

???

The two people, Wu and Ye, froze.

They were already petrified when the small green snake was asleep just now, not to mention the small green snake slithering towards them.

When they saw the small green snake approaching them, their fear peaked, and they could no longer stifle their urge to scream.

“Ah! A snake—”

After saying that, they ran away in a fluster. After they knocked into Noble Consort Liang and Worthy Consort, they still could not control their own body. With a thud, they fell heavily to the ground.

They saw Emperor Jing Li and others approaching them when they looked up.

They tried to stand up, but they were rooted to the ground.

They turned their heads to look at the small green snake.

The small green snake was already in Liao Qing Qing’s hand.

Liao Qing Qing casually grabbed the small green snake and gently said, “Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment, you don’t have to be afraid and don’t scream. It won’t hurt anyone if it’s not disturbed.”

When Emperor Jing Li and several imperial subjects saw this scene, they stopped at their feet.

The several imperial subjects, “!!”

Emperor Jing Li, “??”

The Empress Dowager, “….”

The author has something to say: —

Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment and Lady Ye of Bright Deportment: Liao Qing Qing, what exactly are you afraid of?

Liao Qing Qing: Probably scared of being poor.

Wu and Ye: ???

[1] 彩虹屁(cǎihóng pì)- Lavish praise/flattery/rainbow fart. It is Internet slang. It means that fans flatter their idols in a fancy way that the idol’s whole body is a treasure and their good things. Literally means that even if idols fart, they could flatter it like rainbows.

No. of extra chapters owed: 6