CH 31

T/N: I apologize for not uploading lately, due to a number of things i have been in hiatus. I’m still in hiatus now, but i will try to upload as much as i can.

Song Jinning propped her right elbow on the table and placed her hand on her cheek while leisurely drinking iced lemon tea, as she looked at Li Chengxuan who was sitting beside her. 

Li Chengxuan: ……

Li Chengxuan’s heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably. While eating the caramel pudding, the silver spoon in his hand touched the edge of the bowl several times, making a crunching sound.

Song Jinning pretended not to hear it, and continued to look at him while drinking iced lemon tea.

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Li Chengxuan felt that his heart was going to jump out of his chest if Song Jinning continued to look at him like this.

So he asked gruffly, “Why do you keep looking at me?”

Song Jinning smiled, her eyes gleaming with playfulness. 

“Jlnywpl usw byhl y qzsola sd uswa qynl.”

Nk Ubldtmwyd:?

Tso nyd y qzsola taso sd bkp qynl?

Rp Fsdt Kkddkdt nsymkdt bkx zkjl y nbkze?

Tl nswzed’v blzr cwv qllz pzktbvzu yddsule, ps bl alrakxydele zktbvzu: “Myzj rasrlazu!”

“Ybx.” Fsdt Kkddkdt oyp dsv yqayke sq bkx yv yzz, yde bla qynl pvkzz bye bla wpwyz zygu zssj, “Ubldikl fwpv oydvp vs jdso obyv’p wrplvvkdt uswa xyflpvu.”

Nk Ubldtmwyd oyp pvwddle cu vbkp iwlpvksd.

Zlp, obyv lmynvzu kp bl wrplv ycswv?

Because Song Jinning’s caramel pudding was not given to him alone, but also to that doctor?

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Or was it because the doctor was handsome? 

He knew in his heart why he was upset, but he didn’t want to admit it.

Because he thought the reason for it was too absurd. 

But some things are beyond human control. Although Li Chengxuan can’t accept that he’s attracted to Song Jinning, now that he looks at Song Jinning again, he felt that she was beautiful in every way.

Slender eyebrows and almond eyes, white teeth and red lips, she looked like a begonia flower blooming, beautiful and out of this world. 

Li Chengxuan even momentarily looked obsessed.

When he finally reacted, he threw the silver spoon on his hand in the bowl, stood up, and then left the hall. 

Song Jinning looked at him, puzzled.

Gu Yu also did not understand.

She turned her head sideways, wanting to use her gaze to ask Bai Lu why the Emperor suddenly ran away without a word, but was surprised to see that her expression was calm. 

Obviously she wasn’t affected at all. 

Bai Lu felt Gu Yu’s gaze, so she slightly tilted her head, and then blinked twice at her.

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The meaning is clear: What are you looking at me for, Gu Yu? Is something wrong?

Gu Yu: ……

Why did she even think of asking Bai Lu? This simple minded fool doesn’t understand the situation at all!

Gu Yu felt that her head was throbbing from annoyance. 

She silently swallowed the curses that had welled up in her throat, and then said to Song Jinning, “Your Highness, His Majesty has left.”

“Oh.”

Song Jinning’s expression was not the same as Bai Lu’s calm look. In retrospect, she looked indifferent as if she didn’t care. 

“Go withdraw.”

This made Gu Yu crazy.

Why are they all like this? So is she really the only one who cares about the relationship between the Empress and His Majesty? 

Li Chengxuan did not come to Weiyang Palace for several days in a row, yet Song Jinning was indifferent.

Her daily routine consists of reading books, playing with cats, looking at flowers, and sleeping. Another hobby of hers is going to Empress Dowager Song to talk or play madiao. Her days are really too leisurely. 

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When she asked someone to go to the Imperial Hospital to ask Liu Lanxi to come over and give his advice on the topics she was confused about, the person who came was not Liu Lanxi, but Zhou Yizheng.

Song Jinning naturally asked why, and she learned that Li Chengxuan had sent Zhou Jing to the Imperial Hospital when he ran out that day. 

He reprimanded Zhou Yizheng, saying that he did not respect the empress. When the empress is confused, he should be the doctor to personally go and solve her confusion, how can he send an inexperienced doctor instead? 

This scared Zhou Yizheng so much that he was kneeling on the ground, trembling like a bird in the rain, saying that he didn’t dare and that he was guilty. 

When Zhou Jing heard him say this, he changed his words. He said that since he was aware of his sin, the Emperor would give him another chance. But in the future, whenever the Empress calls for an imperial doctor, he should be the one to go and not a different doctor.

With this kind of threat, how dare Zhou Yizheng not obey? 

So after learning that a palace maid from Weiyang Palace came over to ask for Liu Lanxi, Zhou Yizheng immediately packed his bags and went instead. 

Song Jinning’s brain went blank for a moment.

What does Li Chengxuan mean by this?

For her own good? Even if the two of them are in a contract marriage, she is still the empress, and she still deserves the dignity of one.

So that was the reason why he was upset that day?

Then why not tell her directly? That person bothered her for half a day yet he didn’t even bother to tell her the reason he was upset! 

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However, according to Song Jinning’s understanding of Li Chengxuan, this person has a straight mouth and is not afraid of anybody. Presumably, he doesn’t have the heart to tell her that he cares about her reputation. 

Or maybe what he cares about is actually his own face? After all, the emperor and the empress are one, and if the empress has no face, then the emperor doesn’t as well.

Since this is the case, she will take him on. 

The first thing she did was ask Gu Yu to send milk pudding that was just made in the small kitchen to Li Chengxuan.

Gu Yu quickly reported that Li Chengxuan never saw her face and it was Zhou Jing who came out to collect the milk pudding and bring it in.

Her words were filled with anxiety.

Because in the past when she went to the imperial study to send desserts, Li Chengxuan would call her in to ask some questions such as what ingredients were used in the dessert, how it was made, and how the empress was doing and so on. But this time, Li Chengxuan didn’t even bother. 

So is His Majesty tired with the Empress, annoyed with the Empress, or angry with the Empress in his heart?

Song Jinning was very calm about this, and she was not worried at all.

In the past two days, she heard that a lot of bad things have been happening around the country.

In Jiangnan, a recent flood destroyed houses and crops. And in another part of the country, a drought was leaving thousands of fertile lands unplantable and people starving. 

Not to mention that there were also rising threats near the border. 

These things are already making Li Chengxuan busy, so how will he have time to care about a small dessert? 

Although Song Jinning is the Empress, she cannot help in matters of the court. The only way she can help Li Chengxuan is by making him feel better.

Today she read medical books for a while, and seeing that the sky had clouded down, she called Gu Yu and Bai Lu, and went to Shoukang Palace. 

When she arrived at Shoukang Palace, she was surprised to see Jiang Wanqiu was also there.

Jiang Wanqiu’s strategy last time did not succeed, and after much deliberation, she decided to change her strategy.

It’s difficult to meet Li Chengxuan by himself in the harem, but Li Chengxuan is a filial emperor and he would go and greet Empress Dowager Song to pay his respects from time to time. In that case, why not go to Shoukang Palace?

This will not only increase her chances of seeing Li Chengxuan, but also talking to him. 

Jiang Wanqiu knows that although she is beautiful and elegant, Song Jinning’s beauty is too outstanding, so it is understandable that Li Chengxuan did not fall in love with her at first sight. 

But does it even matter? According to her dream, later on Li Chengxuan’s harem was filled with all kinds of beauties, but only she was in Li Chengxuan’s heart.

In other words, she should have never relied on her looks to make Li Chengxuan fall in love with her alone.

However, despite this, when she saw Song Jinning wearing a light blue hanfu, smiling and coming into the hall, Jiang Wanqiu’s heart could not help but sour.

Song Jinning’s appearance is really too outstanding.

Just like the rising sun, when she comes into a room, she cannot be ignored.

And because of their different identities, once Song Jinning entered the hall, Jiang Wanqiu had to immediately stand up and greet her.

Song Jinning was surprised for a moment.

“Fu Wangfei doesn’t need to be polite, get up.”

After dismissing Jiang Wanqiu, Song Jinning walked up to Empress Dowager Song and greeted her with the word ‘aunt’. 

At first, Song Jinning greeted Empress Dowager Song the formal way every time she came to Shoukang Palace, but Empress Dowager Song later said to her that it was too troublesome and that she didn’t need to do it since she was family. 

Song Jinning naturally obeyed this. So now she never curtsies or bows when she comes to Shoukang Palace.

When Jiang Wanqiu saw this, she was envious.

She remembered the dream she had, after Li Chengxuan made her a concubine, every time she saw Empress Dowager Song, the latter didn’t look at her well, and when Li Chengxuan deposed Song Jinning and made her the empress, Empress Dowager Song threw a fit, pointing at her face and scolding her for not knowing shame.

Afterwards, she was forbidden to set foot in Shoukang Palace since Empress Dowager Song refused to admit that she had such a daughter-in-law.

So now when she saw the happy and harmonious scene between Song Jinning and Empress Dowager Song, how could Jiang Wanqiu feel good in her heart?

Empress Dowager Song didn’t want to pay attention to Jiang Wanqiu. Seeing Song Jinning, the frown that had been on her face earlier turned into a smile.

“Why are you here?”

Reaching out to hold Song Jinning’s hand, she made her sit beside her and asked warmly, “How is it, is it hot outside?”

The weather was so cool a few days ago that people thought it was still spring. Then the sky suddenly became clear, and it made the temperature go up at once. 

In a second, it was already summer. 

During this kind of weather, it’s better to stay inside and drink cold beverages since even just walking outside can already make you sweat. 

“It’s okay.” Song Jinning smiled affectionately, “There is some wind, so it’s not very hot.” 

Empress Dowager Song nodded and said yes, then she asked Cui Nong to serve them some sour plum drink. 

Empress Dowager Song is still recovering, so the sour plum juice was not cold, and it was instead made with fresh well water so you can get a trace of coolness. 

Cui Nong ordered a maidservant to serve Song Jinning a bowl of sour plum juice, as well as Empress Dowager Song. 

As for Jiang Wanqiu, Empress Dowager Song can’t let her watch the two of them drink, right? So she also ordered Cui Nong to give a bowl to Jiang Wanqiu. 

Cui Nong nodded. She poured some sour plum juice in a bowl then ordered a maidservant to give it to Jiang Wanqiu. 

So after sitting for half an hour in the heat, Jiang Wanqiu finally drank something to quench her thirst. 

Sitting on a chair while slowly drinking the bowl of sour plum juice, Jiang Wanqiu was expressionless as she listened to the sweet words being exchanged by Empress Dowager Song and Song Jinning. 

Hmph, even though one of you is the Empress Dowager and the other is the Empress, what’s the big deal?

Soon it will be my turn to sit on the throne of the empress. When the time comes, I will be the master of the six palaces, and Song Jinning will be a disgraced woman while you, the empress dowager, will not dare to act so presumptuous in front of me! 

Swallowing the sour plum juice in her mouth, Jiang Wanqiu began to think in her heart that this time she will change something in her dream. In the dream, she refused Li Chengxuan’s request to make her the Empress several times and it dragged on for years before she finally agreed. This time, the minute Li Chengxuan asks her to become his empress, she will agree. 

She wanted to be the empress sooner rather than later. Afterwards, she will ask Li Chengxuan to revive her clan so that Noble Consort Dowager Wei can only look at her in jealousy from then on.

When she thought about this, Jiang Wanqiu felt her thoughts stirring. The sour plum juice in her mouth actually tasted really good, so sweet and delicious. 

At that moment, she heard a maidservant shouting that His Majesty had come.