CH 10

Empress Dowager Song inviting people to play madiao was not a secret event, so Li Chengxuan quickly learned about it. 

Li Chengxuan was very happy when he heard it.

He secretly wished that Empress Dowager Song would be addicted to having fun and never interfere with political matters anymore. 

He also learned that Song Jinning can play madiao, which is really beyond his expectation of her. 

In other words, his empress who was so lazy these days, actually has talent? 

Li Chengxuan wondered about this in his mind. 

The eunuch who came to spread the news was still kneeling on the ground respectfully while reporting the results of the madiao battle in Shoukang Palace.

"The Empress Dowager won a few silver taels and was very happy. The Empress, however, ranked the highest, winning a few gold taels followed by Concubine Dowager Rong then Consort Dowager Hui.”

Li Chengxuan: …

What can you do with a few silver taels? This is definitely an excuse!

What surprised him more was the fact that Song Jinning could actually rank so high?!

Li Chengxuan expressed his disbelief, believing that it must be Concubine Dowager Rong and Consort Dowager Hui who let Song Jinning win. 

Two days later, Song Jinning set up a banquet and invited Empress Dowager Song to come and admire the flowers. 

Although the previous emperor had dozens of concubines, not many had children. After the death of the previous emperor, all the concubines who had no children were sent to the royal temple to pray for his soul. 

As for the concubines left in the palace, Noble Consort Dowager Wei has to be mentioned.

How the previous emperor treated Noble Consort Dowager Wei was exceptional. In the past, only an empress would receive a golden book during canonization. But the previous emperor, in order to show his love for Noble Consort Dowager Wei, arranged for her to receive the same golden book and golden treasure an Empress would receive during her canonization as Noble Consort. 

Noble Consort Dowager Wei was also very competitive. She gave birth to Princess Huaiqing and Prince Fu one after the other. 

Although Empress Dowager Song was also one of the four consorts due to the Song clan’s influence, Noble Consort Dowager Wei never perceived the childless Empress Dowager Song as a threat.

Who would have expected that Empress Dowager Song’s adopted son, Li Chengxuan, would ascend to the throne in one swoop and Empress Dowager Song would be canonized as Empress Dowager while Noble Consort Dowager Wei was stuck in the same position. 

Noble Consort Dowager Wei is a strong woman, so she was naturally unwilling to accept this result. So even though Empress Dowager Song is now far higher than her, she still has no respect for the Empress Dowager. 

For example, even if everyone was sitting together happily admiring the flowers while chatting, whenever the opportunity came, Noble Consort Dowager Wei would provoke Empress Dowager Song. 

Song Jinning regretted asking Noble Consort Dowager Wei to come over. But the person who asked her to invite Noble Consort Dowager Wei to come and enjoy the flowers together was Empress Dowager Song...

Song Jinning glanced at Empress Dowager Song who was still smiling under Noble Consort Dowager Wei’s ridicule, and she understood why Empress Dowager Song could be the Empress Dowager, while Noble Consort Dowager Wei was just a concubine….

Think about it. Empress Dowager Song controlled the court for many years, and even powerful ministers are not safe from her. How could Empress Dowager Song be compared to the arrogant and overbearing Noble Consort Dowager Wei?

If Empress Dowager Song wanted to kill Noble Consort Dowager Wei, she could easily do so but instead she’s sitting here smiling through her ridicule which means Noble Consort Dowager Wei hasn’t touched her bottom line yet. 

However, Song Jinning is not very interested in Noble Consort Dowager Wei. She is more interested in Jiang Wanqiu.

Jiang Wanqiu, the heroine of the book ‘How my sister-in-law became my empress’.

She is the daughter of Marquis Chengping, and was a very beautiful woman. There are poems and books about her and the previous emperor personally granted her marriage to Noble Consort Dowager Wei’s son, Prince Fu. 

This was considered a high-level marriage, but it is a pity that Prince Fu didn’t like Jiang Wanqiu. The two of them were like fire and water, and constantly butted heads with each other. 

Although Jiang Wanqiu didn’t dare to say her thoughts aloud, she must be really disappointed. 

In addition, shortly after the death of the previous emperor, Marquis Chengping suddenly died from a fall and Marquis Chengping’s house quickly declined. 

Noble Consort Dowager Wei was dissatisfied with this marriage in her heart. She wanted her son to marry the daughter of a general or a minister with real power in his hands, not a powerless Marquis household. 

Not only did Jiang Wanqiu’s family fail to help her son, but her son even despised her. Isn’t it irritating? 

Jiang Wanqiu is the type who is sad and sentimental. As a result, she was described as someone  ‘sorrowful between her eyebrows, eyes foggy, which made people feel pity in when they saw her’ in the book. 

Li Chengxuan felt the same. When he first saw Jiang Wanqiu, he felt that this woman was different from others and gradually became attracted to her. 

Their love was so strong that even though the both of them already had spouses, they continued loving each other with all their heart. 

And even though Jiang Wanqiu was enamoured with Li Chengxuan in her heart, she still had tears in her face, saying something about hating the fact that they could not get married and that in their next life they will get married, etc. 

The author abused the readers for hundreds of chapters. They experienced various plots of physical abuse and psychological abuse of each other. It was only when Li Chengxuan almost died that Jiang Wanqiu finally relented and promised to be with Li Chengxuan in this life.

Song Jinning's comment on this is that, isn’t it a bit too dramatic? 

However, according to the timeline of the original book, Li Chengxuan and Jiang Wanqiu would not meet now. 

But this does not prevent Song Jinning from taking a good look at Jiang Wanqiu.

She was indeed very beautiful, and the melancholy between her eyebrows and eyes is like a green hill, which adds a look of fragility to her.

It's a pity that Song Jinning doesn’t like this type of heroine so she only read the book a few times. She then turned her head back to talk to Li Xiyan, the Princess Jingle. 

Li Xiyan is the only biological daughter of Empress Dowager Song. But this fourteen-year-old girl is very calm and quiet, with no intention of being pampered or arrogant at all.

At this moment, she was holding a branch of peach blossom in her hand and was staring at it attentively. Song Jinning asked her what she was doing. She said that someone asked her to make a poem with a peach blossom. She hasn't had the energy to do it when she was ill, and now that she has recovered from her illness, she started to think about it.

Song Jinning, who only knows how to read romance novels and not make poems, felt a little bit ashamed….

Noble Consort Dowager Wei, who has been paying attention, heard this and immediately got excited, and said with a smile: "The Empress is a model for all women in the world. How about showing us a poem as well?” 

The audience was silent.

Because these concubines who are inferior to Noble Consort Dowager Wei know that she is deliberately looking for faults. 

It has been spread in the palace that the Empress was arrogant and was very indulgent as a child. But now, Noble Consort Dowager Wei asks this said Empress to make a poem.

Isn't this just deliberately making the empress embarrassed?

Having said that, although the concubines dared not to speak, in fact they are already cheering inside.

It is impossible to fight Noble Consort Dowager Wei because of Empress Dowager Song.

Empress Dowager Song protects shortcomings. Originally, the provocations Noble Consort Dowager Wei gave her was nothing to her, but now she dared to attack her niece. 

She said faintly: “Embroidering is something maids would do. Why does Noble Consort Dowager Wei still embroider?” 

The concubines almost screamed in delight.

Good, Empress Dowager Song is hitting Noble Consort Dowager Wei in the face. 

Who in the entire palace doesn't know that Noble Consort Dowager Wei’s craftsmanship was outstanding? When the previous emperor was still alive, all his clothes were made by Noble Consort Dowager Wei.

Grinding her teeth secretly and restraining her desire to hit Empress Dowager Song in the head, Noble Consort Dowager Wei turned to say: "The Empress comes from the prestigious Song clan. A simple poem wouldn’t be too hard for her, right?”

After she finished speaking, she also said to Jiang Wanqiu: "Write a poem about peach blossom as well to compare with the empress’s.” 

The crowd of onlookers: Oh! Things are going to be big!

It is known that the Empress is useless, so comparing her and Jiang Wanqiu who is the most talented lady in the capital, this is a recipe for some drama! 

This Noble Consort Dowager Wei is so bold!

The face of Empress Dowager Song changed.

Noble Consort Dowager Wei, you f*ucking b*tch, you dared to embarrass my niece in public.

But she heard Song Jinning's voice before she could even speak. 

"Chenqie naturally accepts Noble Consort Dowager Wei’s proposal. Fu Wangfei [1], please do your best.” 

Empress Dowager Song looked at Song Jinning oddly. 

Empress Dowager Song couldn't help but question: in the past seven years, her niece has curtailed her temperament, learned to compose poetry, and is sure to defeat Jiang Wanqiu, who is the most famous lady in the capital? 

Otherwise, how would she still have a confident voice?

Footnotes

T/N: Empress Dowager Song is honestly my favorite character at this point T_T

1. 王妃 (Wángfēi)- Princess Consort.