CH 61.2

Names mentioned in this chapter (which can also be found in the glossary):

-廖青青(Liào qīngqīng)- Liao Qing Qing, the female lead. 

-景礼帝(jǐng lǐ ​​dì)- Emperor Jing Li, the male lead.

-费费(fèi fèi)- Fei Fei, the nickname of Liao Qing Qing’s child.

Current Ranking: Empress Dowager → Empress → Worthy Consort + Virtuous Consort →  Lady Li of Graceful Ceremony → Ye Liangyi + Wu Liangyi → Noble Lady Liao + Noble Lady Jiang + Noble Lady Liang

The day went on so warmly. Liao Qing Qing felt very good. In the blink of an eye, it was time for the grand selection once every three years. Empress Dowager refused to participate on the grounds of taking care of Fei Fei.

The last grand selection to choose concubine candidates was cancelled because of Liao Qing Qing’s pregnancy. This time, the Department of Internal Affairs prepared it in a frenzy. Liao Qing Qing did not stop them. She was a transmigrator that accepted the monogamous marriage system.

But she had no golden finger,[1] no powerful Mary Sue aura, and she was aware of the fact that one person’s power cannot compete with the trend of the times.

Therefore, from the very beginning, she did not expect Emperor Jing Li to be devoted to only her without going to the other concubines in the harem.

Everything was voluntary on the part of Emperor Jing Li.

At the moment, if Emperor Jing Li were to choose concubine candidates, she could not stop him.

It was just that she felt particularly sad inside.

Her whole heart felt empty.

For a few days, she was not in the best of spirits.

Fe Fei, who was about three years old, noticed this and asked, “Queen Mother, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Liao Qing Qing shook her head.

“Is Queen Mother hungry?” Fei Fei asked as he tilted his tiny head.

Liao Qing Qing shook her head again.

“Is Queen Mother thirsty?”

Liao Qing Qing shook her head once again.

“Then—”

“Queen Mother is fine.” Liao Qing Qing held Fei Fei’s little chubby face and said, “Queen Mother is perfectly fine.”

“But Queen Mother isn’t even smiling.”

“Why aren’t you smiling?” At this time, Emperor Jing Li returned from outside.

Fei Fei rushed to receive him with his short legs. “Imperial Father!”

Emperor Jing Li bent down and picked Fei Fei up.

Fei Fei immediately said, “Imperial Father, Queen Mother has not smiled… for several days.”

“Fei Fei has noticed too?”

“Mm.” Fei Fei nodded his head vigorously.

Emperor Jing Li looked toward Liao Qing Qing.

Liao Qing Qing bowed to Emperor Jing Li and said, “Don’t listen to Fei Fei’s nonsense. It’s not true.”

Emperor Jing Li had already sensed that Liao Qing Qing’s mood was not right these days. He placed Fei Fei down, put his arms around Liao Qing Qing’s shoulders and said, “The potatoes have been harvested again.”

Liao Qing Qing nodded her head.

“Let’s go and have a look?”

Liao Qing Qing asked in surprise, “Where?”

“Out of the palace.”

“Can we leave the palace?” Liao Qing Qing had always been quite fond of going out of the palace.

“We can’t.” Emperor Jing Li continued, “But let’s sneak out of the palace.”

“???”

“Tomorrow, I’ll take care of the official business, and the day after tomorrow, we’ll leave the palace and take a break.”

“There will be the grand selection for the concubine candidates the day after tomorrow,” Liao Qing Qing reminded him with a muffled voice.

“I cancelled it.”

“Cancelled?” Liao Qing Qing was astonished.

“There are enough women in the harem. There is no need to choose anymore.”

“???” Although there were many women in the harem, Emperor Jing Li did not visit the harem, and those women all entered the palace with a purpose. Some entered the palace to raise cats and dogs, help their families, escape from stinky men and enjoy their single life or had given up because the Empress dominated the Emperor. So it was simply a work area in the harem for each of them. No one gravitated towards Emperor Jing Li anymore. Therefore, once Noble Lady Liang, Worthy Consort, Noble Lady Liao and Noble Lady Jiang entered the cold palace, the other concubines lived at ease.

“None will be chosen in the future. I have Qing Qing, Fei Fei and the land under Heaven at large. I don’t have time to find another woman, let alone repeat the tragedy of the previous Emperor’s harem.” Emperor Jing Li added, “The most important thing is that I only have Qing Qing in my heart.”

Liao Qing Qing froze upon hearing this, then revealed a smile for the first time in the past few days.

“Queen Mother smiled! Queen Mother smiled!” Fei Fei exclaimed.

Liao Qing Qing reached out to touch Fei Fei’s tiny head.

Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing entered the room hand in hand.

Fei Fei followed quickly with his short legs.

Zhengqian Palace returned to its usual relaxed state. Two days later, the grand selection was really cancelled. To be precise, it was cancelled early on, but Liao Qing Qing was unaware of it.

At this moment, Liao Qing Qing and Emperor Jing Li secretly took their chubby child, Fei Fei, out of the palace. All three of them dressed in clothes of coarse fabric.

Of course, numerous hidden guards were protecting them all around.

They went straight to climb the not-so-high mountain. When they were on the slope, they saw the many old people at the bottom of the mountain with smiles on their faces as they harvested piles and piles of potatoes.

Fei Fei felt tired when they finally reached the top of the mountain.

Emperor Jing Li used one hand to carry Fei Fei, and the other was placed around Liao Qing Qing’s body. He looked at the bottom of the mountain as the breeze blew from the mountain. His face unconsciously revealed a faint smile.

It was unknown whether the scenery made them feel intoxicated or if they were intoxicated.

Liao Qing Qing could not help but ask, “Your Majesty, why do you like this concubine?” There are many beautiful and talented women in the harem.

Emperor Jing Li raised his eyebrows and asked, “Do you want to know?”

“Of course.”

“Because I had a head ailment.”

“???” Liao Qing Qing looked at Emperor Jing Li in confusion.

Emperor Jing Li said bluntly, “I had a head ailment. I have had it since I was a child. The older I grew, the more my head hurt. I have asked countless Divine Physicians and practitioners. All to no avail. Until I met and was together with you. To say the least, you may not believe me. I don’t get headaches when I am with you.”

“Really?” Liao Qing Qing thought it was a bit mysterious, but she had managed to transmigrate to this era. Mysterious things could happen.

“Really. The closer I am with you, the more comfortable my body and mind will be.” Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing talked about the head ailment and her promotion.

“So, you and this concubine[2] were together for the sake of healing?” Liao Qing Qing asked.

“At first, it was indeed.” Emperor Jing Li did not deny it. At first, he just wanted to cure his head ailment.

“And then?”

“Later on, I have fallen for you.”

“You’ve fallen?” Why is this word used here?

Emperor Jing Li said with a smile, “I don’t want to look at any woman except you. Isn’t this considered that I’ve fallen for you?”

Hearing these words, Liao Qing Qing truly felt sweet. With a smile, she rested her head against Emperor Jing Li’s shoulder and whispered, “Your Majesty, this concubine tells you something.”

“Tell me what?”

“This concubine came from another world.”

“Oh.”

“Just ‘oh’?”

“Mm. I don’t care where you came from. It is fine as long as you are my wife.”

Liao Qing Qing nuzzled her face into the nook of Emperor Jing Li’s neck. He smelled the faint fragrance of bamboo leaves on Emperor Jing Li’s body. She felt at ease and thought to herself, ‘Life is so beautiful. Don’t be pessimistic. Face it positively. Heavens will always reward you handsomely.’

Liao Qing Qing, Emperor Jing Li and Fei Fei looked out over the scenery at the bottom of the mountain. After a long time, the hidden guards brought in a mountain chicken and the family of three roasted it on the mountain with the dried food they had brought from the palace. They ate it happily.

In the evening, the family descended from the mountain, hand in hand.

Very quickly, they entered the palace.

As they stepped into the palace, Fei Fei was equally happy and shouted, “Imperial Father and Queen Mother, we’re home!”

Emperor Jing Li and Liao Qing Qing froze for a moment, and their eyes met.

Emperor Jing Li said, “We’re home.”

Liao Qing Qing nodded. “Mm. We’re home.”

————End of main story————

[1] 金手指(jīn shǒuzhǐ) – A slang that means a cheat.

[2] 臣妾(chénqiè)- this concubine/I, your servant (self-appellation of a lower-rank female). The literal meaning is ‘this subject and this concubine’.It is a self-appellation used by the ranks including and above Consorts. They are used by Consorts, Noble Consorts and Empress, etc. in front of the Emperor, Empress Dowager and Consorts, Noble Consorts that have a higher rank