Pampered Consort's Acting Awards - Chapter 20

The joke in the palace.

Chang Ge and Ling Que saw the emperor leaving Jinlan Courtyard with a cold face.

This move was understood as the emperor leaving in anger.

She was spurned on the first time receiving favor, as such, Qin Ling immediately turned into a joke in the palace.

Xianfu Palace was the first to know about this.

Consort Xue was playing qi (a chess-like game from Ancient China) while listening to Chang Ge’s words. She couldn’t help but throw a white pion to the basket, straighten her back, and said in confusion: “You’re saying that His Majesty just walked away?”

Chang Ge nodded: “Yes. His Majesty was already frowning even before he left the front gate of Jinlan Courtyard. I saw it clearly.”

Consort Xue frowned and said: “Then, did you hear what His Majesty said?”

The emperor’s anger had always been difficult to distinguish. Even though she couldn’t figure out the emperor’s thoughts, Consort Xue couldn’t guess what exactly Meiren Qin did that could offend the Holy One to such a degree?

“This servant didn’t hear anything.” Chang Ge clenched her cuff and whispered: “I only saw… Meiren Qin chased after him to the door, but His Majesty didn’t look back.”

Ah, this means one is not capable of keeping the person.

Consort Xue picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and smiled: “It seems that our Meiren Qin is really a blessing.”

Chang Ge continued: “Does this servant still need to serve in Jinlan Garden?”

“To be alive is good. I won’t let people live in the wrong place.” Consort Xue then put a pouch full of gold leaves in Chang Ge’s hand, “His Majesty loathed her, but isn’t there the consort dowager to protect her?”

Chang Ge put the pouch into her sleeve: “This servant understands. Thanking Your Highness for her grace.”

Soon, the news of Meiren Qin offending the Holy One reached Cining Palace.

The empress dowager frowned, as if not convinced, “The first time, and he’s disgusted already?”

Gonggong Zhang replied: “This servant also heard from the outside that Meiren Qin begged His Majesty, but failed to keep him.”

The empress dowager rubbed her temple: “Aijia cannot manage this kind of matter. Find someone else to deal with it.”

Gonggong Zhang: “Yes. This servant will retire now.”

After Gonggong Zhang left, several young servants gathered together. A young palace maid said: “Gonggong, what’s the matter with Jinlan Courtyard?”

Young Eunuch A whispered: “What else could it be? Fox-like Meiren Qin tried to bewitch the master but failed. She miscalculated.”

Young Eunuch B knocked his own temple: “Ah, right, you guys be careful not to let these words travel outside. Gonggong Zhang already said to take care of your own head.”

The young palace maid immediately said: “Don’t worry about this kind of thing. Our lips are tight, otherwise, you can let me be on duty on a rainy day.”

Right now is the end of autumn. Shanggong Bureau (Bureau of Housekeeping) was making winter clothes. It was the busiest time of the year.

While sewing a cape, Zhang Zi of the Shanggong Bureau said: “Have you heard?”

A court lady: “About what?”

Zhang Zi: “That night, Meiren Qin of Jinlan Courtyard wore a muslin with a style that the late empress loved the most, resulting in His Majesty’s anger.”

The court lady widened her eyes: “She wore it in the late empress’ favorite style?”

Zhang Zi nodded her head and the corner of her mouth twitched: “Yes ah, and no one knows from where Meiren Qin heard about it.”

The court lady let out a “ho” sound and muttered: “This Meiren Qin is too courageous.”

Zhang Zi: “His Majesty is young and promising, and the harem has no master. No one in this world doesn’t want His grace, but there are some things one cannot get with haste. Isn’t this just smashing her own feet? Hey, I only speak of this to you. You must not pass these words on.”

The court lady nodded and said: “Don’t worry, if this servant speaks of this, I will be hit by five thunderbolts.”

“Look at you. I’m just saying it.”

Two days later is Longevity Day. Among the Six Bureaus and One Division, the only one that can be busier than Shanggong Bureau is Shangyi Bureau (Bureau of Ceremony).

After all, the affairs of courtiers, banquets, music, and the entry of the emperor were all in the hands of Shangyi Bureau.

Zhang Bin said to a court lady: “When we go back, we have to ask every Imperial concubine whether they want to present a dance for His Majesty, because Zhang Sile needs to prepare the songs.”

The court lady said: “Then… Shall we go to Jinlan Courtyard?”

Zhang Bin lowered her eyes: “Not sure whether Meiren Qin’s injury has healed.”

The court lady’s little face paled, “His Majesty hit her?”

Zhang Bin pointed at her own face and replied: “I heard that she didn’t go to the consort dowager’s palace yesterday, because she was recuperating.”

The court lady said in a small voice: “How could His Majesty hit her? This meiren is too pitiful.”

“What pitiful?” Zhang Bin patted the court lady’s shoulder: “Naturally there should be a reason as to why she was hit. From what I heard ah, she earned His Majesty’s favor that day because she bewitched him with a spell.”

The court lady immediately put her ear to the side, “Sister, tell me in detail.”

Zhang Bin spoke a few words in a low voice, and the court lady’s eyes became round.

“But Meiren Qin is still an Imperial concubine after all. You should go there later.”

The court lady nodded.

One became ten, ten became a hundred.

In less than three days, Qin Ling had become a delicate flower swept by the gale.

The petals were falling, and the leaves were withering. Everyone who passed by Jinlan Courtyard will sigh. How pitiful, they thought.

Even though Consort Dowager Sun would not believe in those rumors, she knew in her heart that if Qin Ling was really favored, things would never be like this.

Consort Dowager Sun lowered her eyes for a while, looked at Xiao Yun who was looking back at her, and said, “Go and call Meiren Qin over.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yun walked away in a trot.

Momo Yuan said hesitatingly: “This…”

Consort Dowager Sun: “As long as His Majesty doesn’t speak clearly, there is still room to play dumb.”

Upon receiving the consort dowager’s summon, Qin Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In the past few days, everyone had been looking at her in a strange way, but never explained much.

Why did that person leave? She was also anxious.

Could it be that he also had a strange dream?

Qin Ling said: “This concubine pays respects to the consort dowager.”

Looking at her face that only got thinner as days went by, the consort dowager couldn’t help thinking about Ah Líng. She sighed: “Don’t be discouraged. Life is still long.”

Qin Ling smiled and said: “Thank you, Consort Dowager.”

“Good child.” The consort dowager patted her on the shoulder and coughed for a while before she got up and said: “Talk with Yun’er here. I will rest.”

The consort dowager walked away, leaving only the mother and child in the room.

Xiao Yun looked at Qin Ling, only thinking that his mother seemed to have lost weight in the past few days. He hurriedly walked over and took her hand.

Qin Ling clenched his fleshy little hand and said, “Did you use the medicine prescribed by the Imperial physician these few days?”

Xiao Yun nodded.

At this moment, Qin Ling only felt that as long as she looked at her in front of her like this, all sorrows could be swept away.

Xiao Yun actually learned the way the consort dowager usually treats her, and unexpectedly squeezed Qin Ling’s hand and said: “Eat well. Don’t lose weight…”

Qin Ling’s face was filled with a smile at once: “Okay. I remember.”

Xiao Yun was over three years old, and the Imperial tutor had already started teaching him to write.

Qin Ling encircled him from behind, holding his hand to practice handwriting with him. However, the little prince was not honest. His body slanted horizontally, vertically, and was pressing against her. He also often looked back at Qin Ling before he finished writing.

Whenever he looked back, he couldn’t control the brush in his hand.

The brush moved around, and the ink flew in all directions.

After a while, the hands and faces of the two were stained with dots of ink. The palace maid on the side exclaimed “Aiyah!” then hurriedly walked away to get water.

But Xiao Yun didn’t think this was a mistake. His whole face was smiling, expressing happiness.

He raised his dirty hand and wiped the ink on Qin Ling’s face, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it became. When he realized that, half of her face had already turned black.

The little prince suddenly became anxious. His white mother, now has become black!

Qin Ling could guess what she looked like at the moment, but seeing his anxious expression, she couldn’t help laughing.

She knew that she should be content.

But occasionally, she still regrets that she has missed this child for three years. If she were there during those three years, would he be able to speak early?

However, there is no such thing as ‘if’ in this life.

It was best for him that she was not there.

She didn’t agree with Xue Lanyi on everything, but there was one sentence she said right—”Great Zhou should not have an empress whose family collaborates with the enemy, and the prince should not have such a mother.”

Xiao Yun looked at Qin Ling’s reddened eyes, and said in a small voice: “Imperial Mother, don’t cry.”

Qin Ling felt as if her heart was squeezed. Her fingers trembled, and she smiled: “Don’t say that. You can’t call me Imperial mother.”

Xiao Yun: “Then… Can I call… Mom?

[T/N: The ‘Mom’ here is Ah Niang 阿娘 which is a more intimate way to call one’s mother. I think the closest equivalent in English should be Mom.]

Qin Ling took a deep breath.

How should she answer this question?

Xiao Yun stretched out his fingers and covered his ears.

This means that no one else can hear.

“Okay.”

Qin Ling touched his forehead with her forehead.

Xiao Yun smiled and rubbed their foreheads together.

Yangxin Hall has been gloomy for three days.

Gonggong Sheng came up with three reasons: One, the severe drought in Henan. Two, His Majesty advocated equalizing taxes and services to alleviate poverty, but he had frequent disputes with the court. Third, this probably related to Jinlan Courtyard.

Speaking of Meiren Qin, Gonggong Sheng couldn’t help sighing.

Sure enough, no matter how similar she was born, she was not the late empress.

His Majesty never let go of the door of Kunning Palace.

At the three quarter of the period of xushi (7-9 pm), Lu Ze appeared again in Yangxin Hall.

This time, Gonggong Sheng couldn’t make fun of him anymore. He respectfully said: “Commander Lu, you may enter the hall.”

Lu Ze frowned: “What’s wrong with Gonggong today?”

Gonggong Sheng followed Lu Ze and whispered: “His Majesty has thrown out no less than 3 account books today. I advise Commander Lu to only report happy things and not worrisome things.”

Lu Ze smiled and pointed to the policy theory at his hand: “Don’t worry.”

Lu Ze bowed and said: “This official pays respect to Your Majesty.”

As soon as the voice fell, Xiao Yu took his hand from his forehead , raised his head, and said: “Sit.”

Lu Ze presented the policy in his hand and said: “If this official didn’t see it with his own eyes, he would never dare to believe it. This policy is from the hands of the brat who took first place in the martial examination. This person has not been a famous teacher, nor has he been a soldier.”

Gonggong Sheng pricked his ears.

Well, recommending talent is a good thing.

Xiao Yu nodded when he saw it.

“This is written by the son of Grand Scribe Qin.” Lu Ze smiled, “This time, it can be said that we’ve dug up a treasure.”

Grand Scribe Qin’s eldest son?

Xiao Yu looked at the signature, and it was indeed written with the three words Qin Suizhi.

There is only one Grand Scribe Qin in this dynasty. If he remembers correctly, this is Meiren Qin’s brother.

Xiao Yu looked at the policy theory in his hand and said in a low voice: “Why did he not participate in the Imperial examination?”

Lu Ze said: “This is a long story, but it is still related to the Qin family’s inner house.”

Xiao Yu was not interested in the Qin family, so he did not ask any more. He directly said: “Tell the Ministry of War, I want this person.”

“This official will go now.”

Lu Ze retired.

In the evening, a violent wind suddenly blew. The young eunuch held onto their hats, and looked up at the sky. Seeing the dark clouds rolling in, they hurriedly went to close the windows.

In the blink of an eye, rain poured heavily.

The torrential rain hit the eaves, and puddles formed on the ground.

Gonggong Sheng took a thick cloak, walked past the piles of account books, and put the black and gold cloak on the emperor.

Cold wind still came in from outside the window, making the candlelight flickered. Xiao Yu bowed his head to approve the memorial. Suddenly, he saw the word “Qin”, and couldn’t help but pause. The memorial was clearly talking about taxes in Qinzhou, but he recalled that weird dream instead.

In the past few days, he rested in Yangxin Hall. Even with soothing incense, he never dreamed of her again.

As in the past three years, no matter how hard he thought of her, she would never enter his dream.

Gonggong Sheng was brewing the tea. Seeing the emperor looked tired and his heart was tense, he could not help but persuade: “The wind is cold at the end of autumn. Your Majesty still has old wounds on his body. It’s better to rest earlier tonight.”

Xiao Yu glanced out the window and suddenly got up and said: “We are going to Meiren Qin’s place tonight.”

Gonggong Sheng was stunned. Before he could react, he saw Xiao Yu took an umbrella and pushed the door out.

The dark clouds were low and dark, and several young palace maids were on duty under the eaves.

Amidst the lightning and thunder, they saw a figure walking towards Jinlan Courtyard.

T/N: I’m honestly addicted to this story, but the other day I translated Chapter 18-19 in one go and my eyes were swollen the next day ;__;

BTW Just to be clear because I think I sometimes translate them differently. From now on:

• All servants (eunuch, maids, court ladies, etc.) will address themselves as “This servant…” to the superiors. No more “This slave…”
• All officials obviously “This official…”
• All concubines regardless of their rank will address themselves as “This concubine…” to the emperor, empress dowager, and consort dowager.
• Empress dowager, higher ranked concubines, consort dowager, princes or princesses will be addressed as “His/Her Highness”
• Emperor and Empress will be addressed as “His/Her Majesty”
• Empress will now addressed herself as “chenqie” to the Emperor. I translated it as “This servant…” before. It is a correct translation, but since English is limited in these terms, it just becomes weird.

I will change these things in the past chapters but I may miss one or two. Asking for your consideration :pray: