CH 51.2

Emperor Jing Li stared intently at Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing listened attentively to each palace maid’s answer. Then, she looked at Worthy Consort and said, “Your Highness, Worthy Consort, what do you think about this matter?”

Each of the palace maids answered differently.

Even Lady Li of Fragrant Ceremony’s answer is different!

What does this show?

It meant that someone was lying, or all of them were lying. Regardless of whether someone was lying or all of them were lying, she had lost her chance to bring Liao Qing Qing down.

Not only was that the case, but she had also implicated herself in “planting false evidence against an imperial concubine”.

She felt unresigned!

She felt unreconciled that Liao Qing Qing would benefit every time she directly harmed Liao Qing Qing.

She felt unresigned that Liao Qing Qing still benefited from them harming her indirectly!

She thought that Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager would blame Liao Qing Qing for Noble Consort Liang’s fall. However, it turned out that Emperor Jing Li opened his mouth to protect Liao Qing Qing. Why does she deserve this? She was not convinced and said, “Bengong[1] has nothing to look at. Bengong saw you pushing Noble Consort Liang!”

“Where is the evidence?” Liao Qing Qing asked in response.

“You have seen all of them.” Worthy Consort pointed to the group of palace maids.

Liao Qing Qing asked with a smile, “Your Highness, Worthy Consort, you can ask them again. Are they still willing to testify for you?”

No one was stupid, let alone these palace maids accompanying the imperial concubines. Liao Qing Qing had made this so clear that they all knew that the lie had been exposed. If they persist, not only would they die, but their families outside the palace would also be implicated.

They buried their heads even lower.

Worthy Consort froze and averted her gaze to Noble Consort Liang.

Noble Consort Liang saw that it was a losing battle, so she said, “Younger Sister, Worthy Consort, you shouldn’t have done that. Bengong just accidentally fell into the water. How can you slander Younger Sister, Lady of Bright Countenance, like that?”

Worthy Consort was taken aback by her words.

Liao Qing Qing raised her eyebrows slightly.

Emperor Jing Li did not find Noble Consort Liang’s actions strange.

Empress Dowager continued to listen with her eyes downcast.

“Your Highness, Noble Consort, how could you say such things?” Knowing that Noble Consort Liang was abandoning her, Worthy Consort hastily said, “Elder Cousin, I am your maternal younger cousin. I do everything for the sake of you.”

“Your Highness, Worthy Consort, please respect yourself. Don’t frame Lady Xi of Bright Countenance and then accuse Bengong. Bengong and Bengong’s palace maids have never said that Lady Xi of Bright Countenance pushed Bengong into the water.” Noble Consort Liang decisively extricated herself from Worthy Consort.

Worthy Consort’s entire body froze.

Yes, that’s right.

How clever Noble Consort Liang was. She must have known Liao Qing Qing’s intention as soon as she entered the side hall and immediately changed her plan. She casually sent a signal to her palace maids, who understood what she meant.

So if the whole thing succeeds, it will be Noble Consort Liang who will benefit. But if it fails, it will be others who will suffer the consequences.

The most miserable person would be her, Worthy Consort.

Worthy Consort looked straight at Noble Consort Liang, unable to utter a word for a long time.

Noble Consort Liang righteously said to Emperor Jing Li and Empress Dowager, “Your Majesty and Empress Dowager, this concubine has just said that this concubine fell into the water by accident. It was just a matter of changing clothes, yet so much has happened. It was a dereliction of duty on my part. Please forgive this concubine, Your Majesty and Empress Dowager.”

Empress Dowager looked towards the Emperor.

The Emperor said in a flat tone, “Such a big thing happened in the imperial harem is indeed your dereliction of duty. I demote Noble Consort Liang to Consort Liang. From now on, you will assist Virtuous Consort with the affairs of the harem. As for Worthy Consort, you are not virtuous as a consort and possess sinister intentions. Go and look after the garden. The rest of you will all go to Virtuous Consort later to receive your punishment.”

Everyone kowtowed to Emperor Jing Li.

Noble Consort Liang’s entire body was as if her soul was taken away. She had been demoted to a Consort from a Noble Consort.

Since the founding of the dynasty, she was the first person to be demoted from Noble Consort to Consort!

And it was Emperor Jing Li who casually suggested this!

What kind of huge embarrassment is this?!

Does this mean that she was no longer destined to be an Empress?

She froze on the spot.

Emperor Jing Li turned to Liao Qing Qing and said, “Beloved Concubine has been aggrieved.”

Liao Qing Qing said, “It’s a blessing for this imperial concubine as Your Majesty and Empress Dowager are willing to trust this imperial concubine.”

Emperor Jing Li said with a smile, “I will bestow you with a thousand taels of silver.”

Empress Dowager said, “This grieving one[2] will bestow you with five hundred taels of silver.”

Liao Qing Qing said happily, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Empress Dowager.”

“Alright. All of you can receive your punishment.” Emperor Jing Li turned to Empress Dowager and said, “Queen Mother, I have troubled you.”

“Mm. It is over, and this grieving one will leave.”

“Respectfully seeing off Queen Mother.”

Empress Dowager left amidst a crowd of respectfully seeing her off.

Then, Emperor Jing Li took Liao Qing Qing’s hand and also left, leaving a mess behind.

He didn’t bother about it. When they left Linhua Palace, he looked sideways at Liao Qing Qing and smiled.

Liao Qing Qing asked, “Your Majesty, why are you smiling?”

“I can’t believe you are not foolish.”

“???” You’re the foolish one. Your whole family is foolish!

“Well done!”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, for the compliment!” Liao Qing Qing replied half-heartedly.

On the contrary, Emperor Jing Li’s smile was sincere. The more he spent time with Liao Qing Qing, the more interesting he found it to be. The more he felt that Liao Qing Qing’s intelligence was different from others, the more he wanted to cherish it. So he couldn’t help but ask, “Qing Qing, you were scared just now, weren’t you?”

“A little.” Liao Qing Qing said, “This imperial concubine didn’t expect Noble Consort Liang and the others to falsely accuse this imperial concubine. Your Majesty, did you really believe in this imperial concubine at that time?”

“Of course, I was very relaxed.”

“Why?”

“Even if you had really pushed Noble Consort Liang into the water, it wouldn’t have mattered.”

“Why?”

“It is definitely Noble Consort Liang’s fault.”

“….” The corners of Liao Qing Qing’s mouth twitched. She did not know how to describe Emperor Jing Li. She changed the subject and asked, “Your Majesty, there are still so many imperial concubines in Linhua Palace, you are not going to care about them?”

“I left it to Virtuous Consort. Oh, right.”

“What?”

“You need to learn from Virtuous Consort.”

“Learn what?”

“Learn how Virtuous Consort punishes those imperial concubines and palace maids. When you’re in charge of the imperial harem in the future, you will need to.”

“Your Majesty.” Liao Qing Qing looked towards Emperor Jing Li.

“Hm?”

“I heard that there is going to be another selection of concubine candidates next year, right?”

“Yes.”

“Can you choose lesser people?”

“Why?”

“It’s so tiring to manage them.”

“Why don’t you ask me to cancel the selection of concubine candidates?”

“That would not be good, right?”

“How is that not good?”

“Doesn’t an Emperor have a harem?”

Emperor Jing Li stopped at his feet. He lowered his head slightly to look at Liao Qing Qing and asked, “What would you do if I went to an imperial concubine’s place today and slept with another imperial concubine tomorrow?”

Liao Qing Qing thought about it and replied, “This imperial concubine will adopt a cat from Virtuous Consort’s palace? A particularly bothersome kind.”

“I am not as good as a cat?”

“That’s not what this imperial concubine meant.”

“Then what do you mean?” Emperor Jing Li’s tone turned abruptly nasty, and he turned around and entered Lisheng Pavilion.

???

Why is he angry again?

Liao Qing Qing hurriedly chased after him all the way to the bedroom. Emperor Jing Li sat on the couch, turned around and said to Liao Qing Qing, “I was so jealous when I heard you mentioned Xie Yi. When you see me together with other women, you… you just… just wanted to adopt a bothersome cat?”

The author has something to say: —

Xie Yi: This subject has already arranged for a blind date. Do not cue me.

Emperor Jing Li: I feel aggrieved.

Liao Qing Qing: =口=

[1] 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 ‘this palace’.

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