CH 45.1

“You don’t want to?” Emperor Jing Li raised an eyebrow and asked.

“….”

“You really don’t want to?”

“…..”

“Your Majesty.” Sensing that Emperor Jing Li was about to go crazy again, Liao Qing Qing could not figure out what Emperor Jing Li’s words meant. She asked, “What do you mean by giving yourself to this imperial concubine?”[1]

“It means that I will be your Emperor,” Emperor Jing Li answered.

“Isn’t that what you are now?”

“Now, I[2] am considered the Emperor of all the women in the harem.”

Liao Qing Qing asked in confusion, “How can you be this imperial concubine’s Emperor?”

“When you are an Empress, I, your Emperor, will be yours alone.”

“Em… Empress?” Liao Qing Qing looked at Emperor Jing Li in consternation.

Emperor Jing Li smiled and nodded. “That’s right.”

Liao Qing Qing knew that Emperor Jing Li would change topics in private, but she didn’t expect him to jump straight to the matter of “Empress” and to allow her to be the Empress. Liao Qing Qing asked, “Your Majesty, are you joking?”

“Why am I joking?”

""

“Shouldn’t the Empress be Noble Consort Liang?” Even if it wasn’t Noble Consort Liang, there were also Virtuous Consort, Worthy Consort, etc., who were more senior than her. She had never aspired to be an Empress.

“I never wanted her to be the Empress.”

“There is also Virtuous Consort.” Liao Qing Qing had a positive impression of Virtuous Consort in her heart.

“If Virtuous Consort could be the Empress, she would have been many years ago.”

“Why is it this imperial concubine?” Liao Qing Qing’s face was blank.

“Because I am willing.”

“Your Majesty, you can’t be so capricious.”

“How am I capricious?”

Liao Qing Qing explained in a gentle voice, “Your Majesty, you know that my family is poor. My father is untalented, my younger brother is young, and this imperial concubine is not capable of managing the imperial harem, so I am not worthy of the position of Empress.”

Emperor Jing Li’s face immediately turned sullen.

Liao Qing Qing, “….”

“Who told you that an Empress must be from a good family?”

“This imperial concubine thinks so.”

“Your thinking is wrong.” Emperor Jing Li said with a stern face, “Your family is not well off, but that has nothing to do with being an Empress. Your father is untalented, and your younger brother is young; what does that have to do with me? I want you to be an Empress, not them.”

“….”

“If you are able to assist in all aspects of potato growing with the Bureau Chief of Department of Agricultural Products, how is it that you are not able to take charge of the imperial harem?”

“….”

“I wonder how many people will be saved and how many myths will be created when potatoes become well-known. So how come you don’t deserve to be an Empress?”

“…..”

“I think you just don’t care about me!”

“…..”

Emperor Jing Li said one thing after another, and Liao Qing Qing could not respond. However, she also felt that Emperor Jing Li had a point, so she did not know what to say for a while.

On the contrary, Emperor Jing Li felt frustrated when Emperor Jing Li noticed that Liao Qing Qing did not respond for a long time. He stood up at once.

Liao Qing Qing was startled and looked up at Emperor Jing Li.

Emperor Jing Li looked down at Liao Qing Qing and said, “I thought we share the same feelings, but it seems that Iwas wrong.”

“???”

Emperor Jing Li left.

Liao Qing Qing was dumbstruck. She quickly got up and walked to the door of the room, but Emperor Jing Li had already walked to the entrance of Lisheng Pavilion, lifted the hem of his robe, crossed the door threshold, flung the hem of his robe and left with big strides.

He looked very angry.

Seeing that the situation was not right, He Xiang hastily walked over and called out, “Mistress.”

Liao Qing Qing said, “It’s fine.”

He Xiang lowered her head and stood to the side.

Liao Qing Qing reentered the bedroom and sat on the soft couch. She stared at the teacup used by Emperor Jing Li and thought about what Emperor Jing Li had said.

She was at a loss.

Ever since she transmigrated, she lived here with the style of “more is better than less”, and she did not care about competing for favour or status.

At first, she did not even want Emperor Jing Li to notice her.

But Emperor Jing Li caused an interruption in her life.

She had also relied on Emperor Jing Li and enjoyed all the benefits of her position.

She really had no ambition.

She just wanted to have a skill in the palace—farming—so that she would not be afraid of losing favour and being poor because women could work as officials and merchants in the Wei Dynasty.

She could use farming to earn a bit of money to support herself.

She had never thought of becoming an Empress.

When she suddenly heard Emperor Jing Li mentioning and asked her to be an Empress, she was obviously baffled. Then, self-doubt came after the bafflement. She only didn’t expect that her self-doubt would make Emperor Jing Li so angry.

I wonder if Emperor Jing Li will sneak over at night?

Liao Qing Qing and Emperor Jing Li would often have some minor conflicts, and Emperor Jing Li would often leave in anger and come over again soon afterwards. This time, she also waited for Emperor Jing Li to come over.

She waited for a long time. Emperor Jing Li had not come over when it was late at night.

Liao Qing Qing had no choice but to sleep by herself.

As soon as she opened her eyes the next day, Liao Qing Qing asked He Xiang, “Did His Majesty visit last night?”

“Replying to Mistress, no.”

Liao Qing Qing nodded her head. She went to pay her respects to Empress Dowager after washing up. At noon, she went to the Department of Agricultural Products to see how the potatoes were doing. In the afternoon, Virtuous Consort came over to inquire about the potatoes. She said that the potatoes were now well-known in the capital.

Even Lady Xi of Bright Countenance’s popularity had significantly risen.

Liao Qing Qing asked curiously, “This imperial concubine’s popularity has appeared amongst the common people?”

Virtuous Consort replied, “Naturally. This is just the beginning. If the potatoes are planted among the common people, Lady Xi of Bright Countenance’s popularity is estimated to be equivalent to that of His Majesty in the future.”

Virtuous Consort was not like the other imperial concubines. She did not take importance in love. She had entered the palace for her mother and younger brother to have a firm standing in the family, which Emperor Jing Li had helped her do.

To her, Emperor Jing Li was more like a benefactor, a benefactor who helped her realise the value of her life.

She never had any designs on Emperor Jing Li. Instead, she was interested in raising flowers, grass, cats and dogs. She had five cats and two dogs in her courtyard, and she was happy every day. After hearing about Liao Qing Qing’s potato planting, she often chatted about potato planting with Liao Qing Qing and planted potatoes in her courtyard.

It was just that Liao Qing Qing was very curious about how her reputation had come to be known among the common people. She asked in puzzlement, “How do the people know about this imperial concubine’s reputation?”

Virtuous Consort laughed.

Liao Qing Qing asked in response, “Why is Virtuous Consort laughing?”

Virtuous Consort said, “Younger Sister Xi is so foolish. Naturally, it was spread by His Majesty.”

“His Majesty?”

“Younger Sister Xi wouldn’t be unaware of His Majesty’s intention, right?”

“What are His Majesty’s intentions?”

“His Majesty has been paving the way for Younger Sister Xi.”

“Paving what path?”

“The path towards the position of an Empress.”

“???”

“As expected, you really don’t care about this.” Virtuous Consort said with a smile, “Think carefully, Younger Sister Xi. If His Majesty only favoured you alone and had no intention of establishing an Empress, why would Noble Consort Liang be against you at every turn and always trying to pull you down?”

“Isn’t that how harem intrigue works?”

“Not entirely. At first, Noble Consort Liang and the others didn’t care about you when you were promoted because they thought you were at best a favoured concubine. It was only when His Majesty intentionally wanted to pull you to his side and become Empress, which interfered in Noble Consort Liang’s and the others’ interests. Only then did they start taking ruthless actions.”

“But this imperial concubine thinks that this imperial concubine—”

“The Empress is the Emperor’s wife; all the others are concubines or nothing at all,” Virtuous Consort said.

Liao Qing Qing was slightly stunned.

“His Majesty is very attentive to you.”

Liao Qing Qing remained silent with her head lowered.

Virtuous Consort suddenly said, “Oh my. It’s time for Bengong’s[3] little black cat cut its nails today… Alright, Younger Sister Xi, Bengong will end the conversation here for today.”

“…. Take care, Elder Sister, Virtuous Consort.”

Liao Qing Qing silently burst out laughing as she watched Virtuous Consort’s hurried steps.

Actually, both cats and dogs are very cute.

She looked at the sky, where the sun was going down.

Emperor Jing Li hadn’t come over yet.

After much deliberation, she took out some silver, wrote a menu, and ordered He Xiang to go to the Imperial Kitchen to prepare it.

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

[3] 本宮 (Běngōng) – I, the one who owns this palace. Such as the queen will call herself ‘the palace’, and the princess with the official title can also call herself ‘the palace’.