THE SITUATION BETWEEN EMPEROR AND EMPRESS (2)

Mother…’

‘Hao? The Emperor finally has time to pay attention to his mother?’ the Queen Mother said as she lifted a bowl of tea to her lips. Her shrewd beautiful eyes looked in askance at him. Although, she had entered her fortieth year, she had no wrinkles on her face. Dressed in beautiful robes that enhanced her noble qualities, she exuded peerless grace and elegance.

‘Mother, what are you saying? You’re really something, how can Er Chen ignore you?’ Xiahou Yin said with a flattering smile.

‘Is that right?’ she replied coldly not blinded by her son’s smile, ‘So tell me, how long has it been since you have visited Fengyi Palace?’

He knew this was the reason his mother had visited his study. But he felt very helpless, he knew his mother would not be satisfied with platitudes. She would not let him get away with anything.

‘Mother, you know that Er Chen has been very busy of late…’

‘Busy? Then how come you had time to go to Qing Fei last night? And the night before that it was the Yan Fei, and the night before that…’ (Zuben: Because he wants ready-made 『fufu-haha』, and doesn’t want to try)

He coughed, ‘Mother…’ Xiahou Yin nearly laughed. He looked at his mother as he rubbed his temples; he was getting a headache. ‘Mother is very knowledgeable about which concubine I visit…’

‘My Emperor, if you have time to go to Qingyi Palace, you have time to go Fengyi Palace,’ the Dowager said, dissatisfied with her son. ‘Your Empress fell into the lake and almost lost her life, you only visited her once. So is it that you plan on abandoning her?’

‘I’m not abandoning her…’

‘No? So since the day of her accident, have you gone to see Rong-Er?’

‘Oh…’ he really hadn’t. Xiahou Yin touched his nose embarrassed that his lapse had been pointed out by his mother, ‘How about when I finish this work, I will go to Feng Yi palace and visit the Empress.’

The Empress Dowager only stared at him, so he added, ‘I will stay there overnight.’

His mother gave a satisfied sigh at that and her expression relaxed, ‘Son, your mother knows that Rong Er is not your favourite, but she is really a good girl. Although, she is left out, she still manages the harem very well. She isn’t beautiful but her personality and heart are good. If you try to get to know her, you will realise she is a good person.’ (Zuben: How many times do you want to say good? Which man wants to hear ‘she had a good personality?)

‘Mother, your son knows.’ He replied. He had become tired of hearing these familiar words. He knew how much his mother liked Su Xiurong but when he was with her, he could not bring up the slightest interest in her.

She always cowered when she faced him. If he said one, she would not dare return two, not dare to meet his eye, he only every saw the top of her lowered head. He wondered if Xiurong was afraid of him? Why did she marry him if she thought he was terrible? (Zuben: Did she have a choice?) With his mother and her father’s love for her, she could have refused they would not have forced her.

She had been Empress for three years, and he didn’t know anything about her, to be honest, he couldn’t be bothered to understand.

The Dowager knew his reply was only perfunctory, she shook her head and say, ‘You eh, everytime you say “I know”, you obey me, then turn around and use Feng Yi as a cold palace.’

But she could not say much. After all, it is a fact he would never love Rong Er but she could not interfere between husband and wife too much, she could only talk to her son occasionally and ask her son to care.

He didn’t want to! It’s not his fault that Xiurong was so silent, so silent that he always forgot her existence.

Xiahou Yin knew that this was not the best response to his mother, so he looked turned back to his documents that needed reviewing. Trying to say without saying, the conversation about Xiurong was over.

The Dowager rose and waved her hand, when she saw her son’s gaze return to the documents, she knew he had lost patience. She also knew when to stop bothering him.

‘I understand, you’re busy, but remember to go to Feng Yi this evening.’ She said as she left.

As soon as the Dowager was out of sight, Xiahou Yin breathed a sigh of relief and picked up the documents again. After working for a while,

‘Yongfu,’

‘Yes,’ a handsome eunuch entered the study and bowed respectfully.’

‘Giving an order; let Feng Yi palace know I will be there tonight.’

‘Yes.’ Yongfu bowed and left the study immediately.

Xiahou Yin pinched the bridge of his nose and thought of Xiurong, he sighed, it looked like it was going to be a boring night.

♛

What?! The emperor wants to stay the night?

Unlike the joyful surprise Xia Xi and Chun Xi were showing, Chuwei could not laugh at all.

Excuse me, she did not misconstrue what that Eunuch had said, the Emperor was coming to spend the night, not just purely have dinner and go.

Stay the night, my ***!

He really wants to come and sleep with this piece of charcoal? (Zuben: Not really)

If he wants to eat, Chuwei has no intention of being eaten!

‘Niangniang, the emperor is coming, let’s get you dressed.’ Xia Xi said excitedly.

‘What good is getting dressed going to do?’ Chuwei sighed unhappily casting a sidelong glance at the girls, ‘No matter how you’re dressed, you and Chun Xi look always beautiful.’

She wasn’t being ironic just factual. (Zuben: whiny)

But Chun Xi and Xia Xi got scared. The two exchanged a panicked glance and quickly fell to the ground bowing, ‘Niangniang, please don’t be angry with us.’

What do they mean angry? Chuwei was confused, ‘I haven’t died yet, what are two doing? Get up.’

Xia X and Chun Xi did not dare rise, ‘Niangniang…’ they cried.

‘Yes?’ Chuwei looked at them, her imperious bearing must have scared them for the quickly rose.

Recently, their mistress was no longer as gentle as before, her speech was no longer as soft and quiet. She had become bold. If she said something, no one could defy her.

And she didn’t allow them to kneel before her. Even when it was time to eat, they had to sit at her table and eat with her. Xia Xi and Chun Xi did not dare at first, but the Empress had stared at them imperiously and said, ‘Sit.’ And both of them quickly sat down.

Chuwei rested her cheek on her hand. The two sisters trembled, she said lazily, ‘I will say it again – but this is the last time I would repeat myself. I don’t like kow-towing, kneel when I am dead. Also, you girls are more attractive than I am, this is a fact, but it does not make me angry or feel inferior, do you understand?

‘Yes, we understand.’ The two sisters said as they nodded.

When Chun Xi saw that their mistress wasn’t upset, she dared to speak, ‘But Niangniang, I feel that Niangniang had become more beautiful recently.’ She turned to Xia Xi who nodded,

‘Yes, Xia Xi feels the same way too.’

The Empress was no longer as thin as before, but has put on weight. She was still slender, but looked more radiant.

Chuwei knew that the two maids were not flattering her, compared to the previous soul, Su Xiurong looked much better now.

She looked at her hand - the skin colour was still dark, but she had been eating hazelnuts and white fungus for more than a month. She hadn’t expected to lighten immediately, but it seemed that Su Xiurong seemed to have naturally dark skin. Even if she was upset by it, she could not change. At least, she was getting a bit lighter now by not going to the sun and eating white fungus every day is working.

Eating pig feet, chicken feet and large servings had allowed Xiurong to grow some meat, and her skin became more tender and soft like a piece of tofu, which made Chuwei satisfied with herself. This wasn’t something that could be done overnight, she could only work hard.

Looking down at her chest, Chuwei sighed, it was still flat. The body was so thin, and she was wearing a gorgeous royal dress, and a headdress of gold and emeralds. She wondered how Xiurong had not been crushed by the pile of clothes and ornaments she had to wear, or her heavy headgear not crushing her head. (Zuben: Maybe that’s why she could never raise her head)

After being in this world for two months, she understood the customs of the people.

The women here liked to wear bright colours especially the rich and nobles. They dressed beautifully; not only bared their shoulders but their clothes were styled low cut showing the fullness of their milk white bosoms.

Did Xiurong have such a qualification? Of course not, so wearing those bare-chested clothes would not suit her, but expose her shortcomings.

In addition, she had such dark skin, she could not wear such brightly multi-coloured clothes, she would just look like a clown. (Zuben: Jewel tones are fine for dark skin; it is just what the pattern is like)

Therefore, Chuwei had to forgo the beautiful multicoloured clothes and choose more sedate fashion. She had read costume design in college, so she drew a few designs that would suit her better. She gave the pictures to Xia Xi, and they were made.

Now she was wearing a dress of her own design; a light yellow dress with long sleeves but the cuffs were tightened with satin ribbons and tied into lovely bows. Xiurong was thing, so she designed clothes that emphasised her waist which in turn gave her an illusion of a more shapely figure.

Chuwei studied the beautiful embroidery on her cuffs, she gave a small smile. The clothing technology in this country was really good. She got the embroidery shop to embroider the cuffs, neckline and skirts. The over-all result was low-key but elegant.

As for Xiurong’s over long hair,  she gave it a trim (Zuben: Did she study hairdressing too?) When she picked the scissors to cut the hair, Xia XI and Chun Xi were scared and tried to stop her. In this country, a woman’s hair is her everything, more important than their life; they never cut it. Why attach so much importance to something that will grow again.

But since the maids were so distressed, she didn’t do a big chop.  Under the sisters’ squeaks, she cut the knee length hair to waist length. Looking at the maids with their noses red from crying, she felt she shouldn’t go too far. She is now Xiurong, it was better to be low-key.

So she thinned her hair, her mother had been a hair dresser when she was alive,(Zuben: of course), so Chuwei learnt a lot from her. Xiuron’s face was small and slender, so she cut shortened the hair on both sides of her face and cut a thin fringe. She tied up the long hair into a half bow and plaited the falling hair and bound it with a ribbon the same colour of her clothes. Her hair was decorated with ribbons rather than hairpins, which gave Xiurong a lighter look. Although, she was just ordinary, it was better than that ugly appearance she had before.

‘Niangniang…the emperor is visiting tonight…’Xia Xi reminded her cautiously. She felt that their mistress was not happy about the emperor’s visit.

Knowing Xia Xi liked to study her expressions, she turned to her and smiled with a militant glint in her eye she said, ‘Go to the Emperor, tell him I’m not feeling well tonight. I cannot wait on him…tell him to go and find another scorpion to kill his fire.’

Of course Xia Xi would not repeat the last sentence, but she knew Xia Xi would twist them cleverly.

The last remark caused Xia Xi to blush. Seeing the arrogant appearance of her mistress, she felt that she has become very strange but somehow she liked her like this. She smiled and said, ‘Yes, Xia Xi will go.’

‘Good.’ Chuwei replied with happy nod, then she turned to Chun Xi, ‘The milky osmanthus cake you made yesterday was delicious.’

‘Niangniang liked it? Chun Xi will go and make it again right away, and cook a bowl of gingko fungus soup as well.’ Chun Xi rushed off to the kitchen happily.

After her two maids left, Jiang Chuwei took a sip of her tea, her lips raised in a smirk.

Want to come and sleep here?

The Emperor should roll! No matter what life she had, men licked Jiang Weiwei’s toes just to have the opportunity to serve her.

She? Serve a man? Don’t even think about it.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***