CH 35.2

Chapter 35 Part 2- Something Happened

After Empress Dowager heard about it, she specially went to have a look at the potatoes, finding it new and original.

However, Noble Consort Liang and the others did not know what plaything potatoes were.

But they firmly believed that this was Emperor Jing Li’s tactics and that he was bent on putting gold on Liao Qing Qing. He wanted to steadily send Liao Qing Qing to the throne of the Empress and hoped that everyone would be won over by Liao Qing Qing.

Potatoes?

Heh heh!

Excuses!

Noble Consort Liang and others were particularly discontented in their hearts.

Gradually, the dislike for Liao Qing Qing somewhat could not be concealed.

Liao Qing Qing also sensed it.

However, she had little contact with the imperial concubines in the harem.

When she first transmigrated, she was a small Liangyi. The imperial concubines looked down on her low birth and did not mingle with her.

After that, she started to rise in rank. The imperial concubines waited for her to fall out of favour and ignored her.

Finally, she was promoted to Lady of Refined Countenance and Lady of Bright Countenance. The imperial concubines found the situation wasn’t quite right and wanted to get close to her. After Empress Dowager had returned, Empress Dowager called her from time to time to do hard work in the Shouxi Palace, causing the imperial concubines to be unable to interact with her.

Unknowingly, she avoided a lot of tension between them.

Presently, she had Emperor Jing Li’s decree and was so focused on potatoes that she didn’t pay much attention to the imperial concubines’ thoughts. Hence, she was living a dandy life and then she received a letter from her mother, Ji Shi.

Without the pressure of Liao Manor’s Eldest Master and Old Madam Liao, Ji Shi’s letter was written sincerely and naturally.

Firstly, she said that she had returned the silver cheque in the last letter to Eldest Master Liao.

Then Ji Shi asked her about the situation in the palace whether she had experienced any unhappy situation. If she was unhappy, she could secretly conceal it and not let it be discovered so as not to cause trouble. All things should be done carefully, smoothly and evasively, etc.

It was all about a mother’s care and longing for her daughter.

Liao Qing Qing’s eyes welled up as she read it.

At the end of the letter, Ji Shi informed her that Second Master was promoted personally by His Majesty from the eighth grade to the sixth grade, and his salary had doubled.

The Second Master was so happy that he couldn’t sleep at night.

Ji Shi was also thrilled.

But Ji Shi still hoped that Liao Qing Qing would live well, be careful to protect herself, and not request the Emperor for anything. They are living well now… These calm words flowed on the paper. It soothed Liao Qing Qing’s heart as she read it.

She suddenly had a special affection for Ji Shi.

This time, she put the letter away. After much thought, she replied with another letter, revealing a daughter’s affection and wishing good health to her parents and younger brother to study hard.

After handing the letter to He Xiang, Liao Qing Qing’s heart was inexplicably warm and fuzzy.

This is probably affection, right?

She let out a sigh.

She felt that she hadn’t visited Empress Dowager at Shouxi Palace for a long time, so she took He Xiang to accompany Empress Dowager for a chat about Tomb-Sweeping Day’s[1] matters.

It was soon the Tomb-Sweeping Day.

On this day, Emperor Jing Li took all the ministers to the imperial tomb to pay respect to the ancestors.

Liao Qing Qing, Noble Consort Liang and the others went to offer incense at the Empress Dowager’s Shouxi Palace. Then, they explored spring in the realm of the imperial palace.

For an unknown reason, probably because it was the Tomb-Sweeping Day, Noble Consort Liang seemed to be friendlier to her than before.

Friendly?

Liao Qing Qing felt something was amiss.

She would not believe that Noble Consort Liang would be friendly to her.

Maybe there was some kind of conspiracy behind it.

She was waiting to catch hold of her weakness.

She secretly said to He Xiang, “Watch your words and actions.”

As soon as He Xiang heard this, she immediately raised her vigilance to one hundred twenty percent and surveyed the surroundings warily.

Liao Qing Qing did the same.

The master and servant carefully spent the Tomb-Sweeping Day.

There was no difference until everyone dispersed.

Back at Lisheng Pavilion, Liao Qing Qing let out a sigh and reclined on the soft couch. Not long after, it started raining outside. She slowly sat up and said, “It’s raining. His Majesty hasn’t returned yet.”

He Xiang said, “Mistress, the rain will not drench His Majesty.”

“That’s true.” Liao Qing Qing lay down again and watched the drizzling rain.

An unknown amount of time passed, footsteps sounded outside. She got up and looked. She saw Emperor Jing Li in bright shimmering colours striding towards this way. Without waiting for Fu Sheng, who was holding an umbrella behind him, she immediately went forward and received him.

“Your Majesty, why aren’t you using an umbrella?” Liao Qing Qing asked.

Emperor Jing Li replied, “Fu Sheng is walking too slowly.”

Fu Sheng, “….”

Liao Qing Qing took the handkerchief He Xiang passed to her and hurriedly wiped the rain on Emperor Jing Li’s body. Emperor Jing Li held Liao Qing Qing’s hand and asked, “Qing Qing, did you miss me?”

“???”

“Do you?”

Feeling inexplicably happy inwardly, Liao Qing Qing said, “Your Majesty, this imperial concubine played Five in a Row[2] with you yesterday.”

“But I slept in the imperial study last night and went to the imperial tomb early this morning. You haven’t seen me all day.”

“Aren’t I seeing you now?” Liao Qing Qing asked in response.

“Conscienceless little thing.” Emperor Jing Li pinched Liao Qing Qing’s nose. He turned to take a bath and said, “Go and sleep first.”

“Yes.”

Liao Qing Qing sat on the bed.

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Not long after, Emperor Jing Li did the same. He asked what Liao Qing Qing did today.

Liao Qing Qing answered truthfully.

Emperor Jing Li asked, “Did you also write a letter to your mother?”

Liao Qing Qing nodded.

‘What did you write?”

“I hope she pays attention to her health and urges this imperial concubine’s younger brother to study well and contribute to the Great Wei Dynasty in the future.”

After hearing that, Emperor Jing Li laughed and nodded. He said, “Beloved Concubine has done a good job.”

Liao Qing Qing also thought that she had done well. Without Eldest Master Liao messing up in the middle, everything was very natural, and she went to sleep contentedly.

The next morning, Liao Qing Qing was busy in the study room after a trip to the Department of Agricultural Products.

After writing a page, she suddenly heard a rush of footsteps in the study.

She raised her eyes and saw that it was He Xiang.

He Xiang walked in with a pale face.

“What’s wrong?” Liao Qing Qing asked in puzzlement.

He Xiang said, “Mistress, this maidservant just went to pick flowers and heard… Heard—”

“Heard what?” Liao Qing Qing asked.

He Xiang clenched her hands on the hem of her dress and said, “This maidservant heard that something happened at the Liao manor.”

“Something happened to the Liao manor?” Liao Qing Qing’s heart tightened and asked, “Which Liao manor?”

“It’s… It’s Second Master Liao.”

[1] 清明节(Qīngmíngjié)- The Qingming festival or Ching Ming Festival, also known as Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional Chinese festival observed by the Han Chinese. It falls on the first day of the fifth solar term of the traditional lunisolar calendar. During Qingming, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings. Credit: Wikipedia

[2] 五子棋(wǔzǐqí)- Gomuku, also called Five in a Row, is an abstract strategy board game. It is traditionally played with Go pieces (black and white stones) on a Go board. It is played using a 15×15 board while in the past a 19×19 board was standard. It’s similar to tic-tac-toe. Credit: Wikipedia