CH 32.1

Chapter 32 Part 1- Cover Your Eyes

This… This Lady Xi of Refined Countenance is too bold, right?

That’s not a rope!

It’s a snake!

A snake!

How can you grab it just like that?

Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager spoke in unison, “Lady Xi of Refined Countenance, be careful!”

Upon hearing that, Liao Qing Qing looked at Emperor Jing Li and then turned her head to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager timidly pointed at the small green snake and said, “Lady Xi of Refined Countenance, be careful that it might hurt you.”

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“Mm. Thank you, Empress Dowager, for the concern. I will pay attention.” Liao Qing Qing said.

“What are you going to do now?” The Empress Dowager asked.

Liao Qing Qing steadily caught the small green snake and replied, “This imperial concubine[1] is going to release it.”

“Yes, release it.”

“I’ll release it in the nearby creek.”

“Go ahead.”

Liao Qing Qing turned around and walked to the creek. She placed the small green snake on the ground.

The small green snake automatically slithered towards the waterside and quickly burrowed into the water.

It disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Only then did Liao Qing Qing walk up to the Empress Dowager and say, “Empress Dowager, the small green snake is gone.”

The Empress Dowager put her hands together and recited, “Amitabha Buddha.”

The imperial subjects, imperial guards, soldiers and peasants all let out a sigh of relief. One by one, they came forward to apologise, saying that they were not careful in their patrol and that the small green snake had alarmed the Empress Dowager and the imperial concubines.

They sought the Empress Dowager’s forgiveness.

After they had spoken these words, a heavy silence suddenly fell over the crowd.

The Empress Dowager’s face was taut, and she remained silent.

Emperor Jing Li frowned slightly.

Liao Qing Qing didn’t understand why the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.

She looked at the Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing Li in confusion and suddenly understood a little.

Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing Li were worried.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony was a ritual that began a long time ago.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony was an ancient ritual, and it signified that the imperial court attaches importance to farming.

Altogether, it was an ancient ritual for the Son of Heaven to pray to Heaven for good weather and rain.

Since it was an ancient ritual, everything should be auspicious.

The small green snake was a demonic and evil existence in the face of the auspicious ceremony.

It suddenly appeared to attract the eyes of the crowd.

It was unexpected.

It was also a symbol of inauspiciousness.

All the officials were bent on pleading their guilt without looking into the deeper meaning.

If Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager acknowledged that the small green snake caused a disturbance, they would be personally admitting to the inauspiciousness!

This was a way that jeopardised the prestige of Emperor Jing Li as a Son of Heaven.

When Liao Qing Qing realised this point, Liao Qing Qing couldn’t help but speak, “Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, this imperial concubine have heard of a folk saying, ‘the green snake causes a disturbance, the loach jumps, and the rain is approaching.’. Currently, it is the period where rain is lacking. Your Majesty said that it would be good if it rained yesterday. No one expected the small green snake to appear today. This must be because Your Majesty’s sincerity in farming had moved the Heavens. The small green snake came to foreshow it. So this isn’t a sin or not a sin. It is clearly a good omen.”

When the Empress Dowager heard this, her eyes gleamed.

Emperor Jing Li looked towards Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing secretly glanced at the farmer.

The farmer seemed to have thought of something and said, “Yes, yes, yes. The old ancestors have a saying of ‘The green snake causes a disturbance, the loach jumps, and the rain is approaching.’. It also had a saying, ‘When the dragonfly flies low, bring a straw hat when you go out.’ It is going to rain soon.”

When the Minister of Revenue heard it, he immediately realised that he had just kneeled wrongly and said the wrong things. He immediately broke out in a sweat and was weak at the knees.

He immediately rowed back on his previous utterance and spoke with vigour, “Lady Xi of Refined Countenance is right. It’s this subject that is foolish and has failed to understand the meaning of the purpose of the appearance of the small green snake. This is clearly an auspicious omen. His Majesty has personally ploughed the fields. An auspicious sign had descended from Heaven. The common people will be blessed. May my Emperor live and reign for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years!”

When he said the last sentence, the Minister of Revenue was already shouting.

Liao Qing Qing immediately knelt.

The others followed suit and shouted together, “His Majesty had personally ploughed the land. An auspicious sign had descended from Heaven. The common people will be blessed. May my Emperor live and reign for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years!”

Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager were slightly stunned.

Emperor Jing Li slightly turned his head and gave a meaningful glance at Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager gave a slight nod to Emperor Jing Li.

Emperor Jing Li glanced at Liao Qing Qing again. Then, he said seriously, “Just like Lady Xi of Refined Countenance had said, everything will come true. I am the son of heaven. The land under heaven is my realm. All things belong to me. I do not ask for a life of ten thousand years, but I hope the land under heaven will have good weather for crops, and all things will be in harmony and the people will live peacefully and work happily!”

Emperor Jing Li was a very imposing and very talented performer.

A few simple words immediately moved the crowd.

Initially, it was a simple, uneventful Royal Ploughing Ceremony.

After Emperor Jing Li said so, there was a great sense of meaning where he sacrificed himself fervently to a cause.

Everyone shed tears of gratitude for having such a good emperor.

Once again, they shouted, ‘Your Majesty is wise. May Your Majesty live and reign for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years!’

The incident of the small green snake was unexpected; it was a surprising and mysterious accident.

The Royal Ploughing Ceremony drew to a close here.

Emperor Jing Li led all the people to kneel and worship heaven and earth reverently. Then, he got on to the carriage.

When they were about to reach the palace, it suddenly rained heavily.

It directly pushed the Royal Ploughing Ceremony to the climax. The Minister of Revenue and others were pleasantly surprised. At the same time, they were secretly grateful to Liao Qing Qing in their hearts. Otherwise, they wouldn’t know how to bring their kneeling without contemplation to a close.

Hence, all of them remembered Liao Qing Qing in their hearts.

At this moment, Liao Qing Qing was sitting on the carriage and wasn’t aware of the Minister of Household Affairs’ thoughts. But she heard the soldiers next to her marvelling at Emperor Jing Li’s might as a son of heaven.

She was so happy that she wanted to laugh and realised that the Empress Dowager was looking at her when she looked up.

She hurriedly put on a straight face.

“Laugh if you want to,” Empress Dowager said.

Liao Qing Qing pursed her lips and replied, “Yes.”

But she still didn’t dare to laugh. She sat as dignified as Noble Consort Liang.

Noble Consort Liang sat in a carriage behind theirs. Neither she nor Worthy Consort had expected the development of the small green snake to end up with Liao Qing Qing in the limelight.

They felt unresigned.

None of them spoke in the carriage and ignored the miserable Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment. After they arrived at the imperial palace, they saw off the Empress Dowager back to Shouxi Palace together with Liao Qing Qing.

Before leaving Shouxi Palace, Emperor Jing Li’s edict arrived.

Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment were demoted to Liangyi. Meanwhile, Liao Qing Qing was promoted to Lady Xi of Bright Countenance and rewarded with a thousand gold tael because of her composure and wisdom.

Lady Xi of Bright Countenance?!

If she is promoted to another rank, she would be Consort Xi!

The rate of her promotion is too fast, right?!

Noble Consort Liang, Worthy Consort and the others were stunned.

In just one year, Liao Qing Qing’s rank was rising unceasingly.

If this continues, won’t she be an Em… Empress?

They winced inwardly.

At the same time, they looked at Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing was puzzled. What did she do?

She was not very outstanding.

She only relied entirely on her peers to make her good qualities more noticeable?

Erm… Lady Ye of Bright Deportment and Lady Wu of Satisfying Deportment probably made her good qualities more noticeable.

The Empress Dowager said, “Lady Xi of Bright Countenance, receive the decree.”

Liao Qing Qing quickly returned to her senses and respectfully accepted the decree.

The Empress Dowager glanced at Chang Momo.

Chang Momo fetched a piece of jaded Ruyi sceptre[2] from the hall and handed it to the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager said, “Lady Xi of Bright Countenance, you have done very well today. This grieving one[3]gives you this. May you be safe and sound and gain what you wished for.”

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Liao Qing Qing’s eyes widened slightly. The Empress Dowager actually bestowed her something?

The Empress Dowager said, “Take it.”

“Thank you, Empress Dowager.” Liao Qing Qing took the jade ruyi sceptre with both hands.

“Alright. After a busy day, everyone is tired. Let’s disperse.”

The Empress Dowager walked out of the hall with the help of Chang Momo.

Liao Qing Qing turned her head to look at Noble Consort Liang and the others. Noble Consort Liang turned around and left in anger. Worthy Consort followed suit. Lady Ye of Bright Deportment… Oh, no. Ye Liangyi and Wu Liangyi left with flushed eyes.

[1] 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.

[2] 如意(rúyì)- Ruyi, which means ‘as desired; as [you] wish’, is a Chinese curved decorative object that serves as either a ceremonial sceptre in Chinese Buddhism or a talism symbolising power and good fortune in Chinese folklore. Credits: Wikipedia

[3] 哀家(āijiā)- This grieving one/ I (self-referring by a widowed empress etc, used in historical novels and operas)