The Promotion Record of a Crown Princess

Chapter 40: Getting a Promotion? (4)
Translator: Sissy That Walk
Bathroom Lord nodded, silent for a moment, and asked me: “Is this what the human traffickers taught you?”

I smacked my lips and said, “Well, let’s talk about Zhao wang.”

He raised his eyebrows and smiled. He drew the chopsticks on the ground together with his hands and said, “I understand all about this, but why did you say this to me?”

I squatted on the ground for some time, as a result, my legs were a little numb, and so I simply sat down on the ground. I picked three chopsticks from Bathroom Lord’s hands, looking at him said: “Because I have to say another triangle relationship with you, which is the thing I really want to say with you, the first two are just examples.”

He did not reply, quietly looking at me.

I looked into his eyes, putting the three chopsticks one by one to the ground, said in a sinking voice: “This represents you, Chu wang, Qi Han. This represents me, the Empress Zhang shi, and this one… “I put down the last chopstick in my hand.” It represents one of Qi Sheng’s sons.”

For a long time, he didn’t speak and just looked at me quietly.

I looked him straight in the eye, waiting for his reply.

I didn’t know how long it took before he asked me in a low voice, “Do you want to be the Empress Dowager?”

I solemnly nodded, replied: “Every French soldier carries a marshal ‘s baton in his knapsack!”

He smiled softly.

I laughed, got up from the ground, kicked all the chopsticks off the ground with my feet, and said to him, “Go back and think about it, and reply me as soon as possible.”

Never thought that he was such a man of decision, he sent someone to give me a gold triangle just after a few days.

But Lv Li looked a little unhappy, muttering: “I have never seen anyone give such a thing as a gift. It was clearly disrespect to Your Highness!”

I advised her: “You’d better to watch on Concubine Huang rather than complaining about it. Don’t let them get in the way when we relax our vigilance. We should not let them give birth to a baby before us by all efforts.”

Lv Li was clearly inspired. In line with the principle “Nip in the bud”, she arranged some people on every path leading to the Daming Palace. If any concubines tried to approach Qi Sheng, or he tried to approach any concubines, they must send the news to the Xingsheng Palace immediately.

I gave high affirmation to the ability of Lv Li. At the same time, I admired her conscientious working attitude.

However, it was of little avail, which looked fruitful on the surface, but didn’t work at all.

Because, Qi Sheng barely had any interest in any concubines or stepped into the harem, except for visiting Youlan Hall on the northeast corner! And nobody even knew who lived in the Hall!

After the concubines in the harem realized this problem, the outside of Daming Palace was empty, while my Xingsheng Palace was so crowded with throngs of concubines from various Palaces complaining about the Emperor that they almost tore my Palace down.

I could only express my deep sympathy and helplessness for the cries of the beauties. “It rains when Heaven deems fit. What else could we do but waiting?” In fact, I was also worried. I could never be the Empress Dowager before Qi Sheng had a son.

Since Qi Sheng only visited the Youlan Palace once in a while, I could only use my wits on Jiang shi. So I sent all kinds of tonic to her Palace, wishing her to be healthy and lively soon so that they could be all over each other like how a good rain hit the ground after a long drought.

But on that sport competition, Jiang shi was injured very heavily, whose arms all broke. Old saying said if one’s bones or muscles were hurt, he or she needed a hundred days to recover. Plus she was always in poor physical health. The injury was like rubbing salt into her wounds, she got worse and would faint every now and then. Until winter, she still called the Imperial doctor from time to time urgently.

I was very angry, and threw a contemptuous face to Zhao wang when I saw him in family get-together dinner in the Lantern Festival.

Zhao wang greeted me in faraway place by lifting his wine glass and tossed up with a mocking smile.

I was in a rage, tipping Lv Li to come forward, secretly told her: “Change Zhao wang’s wine into a stronger one, the stronger the better!”

Although Lv Li did not understand when Zhao wang and I suddenly had bad blood, she firmly carried out my order. After a while, Zhao wang was obviously drunk. He got up unsteadily and went out. His valet behind him tried to help him, but he pushed him away and stumbled out alone.

I was in a great joy, secretly glanced at Qi Sheng, seeing that he did not pay attention to me, I quietly got up and left the Hall hurriedly with Lv Li.

When I came up to the back of the Palace, I jumped up and down to warm up. Then I threw my cloak to Lv Li and said, “Eyes on Zhao wang, put the hood over his head and hold his head tight.”

Lv Li was very nervous, her voiced trembled despite the fact she was covered by a cloak, “Your Highness, I …I am not as tall as Zhao wang, I am afraid that I could not reach him!”

“How fool you are! Jump up forward. He’s drunk like that. What are you afraid of?”

Lv Li still held back: “What if we look for two small eunuchs to do this? This could be 100% certain.”

I couldn’t help but stretch out a hand to clap Lv Li’s forehead, “It would be exposed sooner or later if we seek someone else’s help. Anyway, I could only dismiss my anger from my mind when I personally do it. He has long been getting on my nerves, and this is a good opportunity to vent!”

Seeing Lv Li still hesitated, I then persuaded her: “You just look him as the Concubine Huang!”

Lv Li was a little reassured, but still showed a scary look.

I thought about it, and then said: “Well, you could look her as Jiang shi, anyway, they were once husband and wife like the birds from the same forest, which makes no difference.”

She was immediately perked up, jumped from the ground, said with a low cheer: “Your Highness, let’s find a stick and go!”

Looking at the radiant face of Lv Li, I finally understood that there was the kind of hound that was born to chase hares.

Lv Li looked around, trying to find a stick nearby.

I grabbed her and whispered, “Save your energy. When you find the stick, Zhao wang would have no trace.”

Zhao wang has been turning over for a while. I guessed even if he answered the nature’s call, he would come back for the moment. I directed Lv Li to stay behind one large pillar, and myself behind the other.

A moment later, I heard footsteps coming from far and near the end of the verandah. I peeped out my head quietly, seeing Zhao wang was staggering from a distance.

I quickly gestured toward Lv Li, signaling that she should be ready.

Lv Li seemed a little strained, and one foot beat the ground unconsciously, beating the rhythm like a drum. I had a bad feeling that this girl was going to do me a disservice.

Sure enough, Zhao wang’s footsteps came closer and closer. Hearing that he was approaching, Lv Li gave out a loud shout and then rushed out with the cloak in her hand.

I covered my forehead with the hand and then I was staffed with remorse, wishing to slap Lv Li to dizzy. Was there any sneak attack needed to be informed? My dear Lv Li, I planned to give him a lesson under the table, not to do the robbing in public!

Alas! As it turned out, difference in profession made one feel worlds apart.

At the moment, it was useless to complain about her. I hurried out after her, hoping that Zhao wang was so drunk that he was scared to collapse on the ground after hearing the shout from Lv Li, then I could counted it as a fluke just like when a blind squirrel found a nut every now and then.

But how drunk he must be to have that effect!

With a swift movement, Zhao wang evaded Lv Li who tried to fall down Zhao wang like a tiger, and then with a hook at his feet, Lv Li rushed forward. At the same time, he brandished his knife, only preparing to split behind Lv Li’s neck.

I saw his behavior with a big surprise, yelled at him hurriedly: “Spare her please!”

He paused for a moment, but continued to do it to Lv Li. However, the power of his hand was obviously weakened. Then I heard a little murmur from Lv Li, who sank to the ground.

Lv Li, alas, Lv Li, the girl who was unable to help accomplish anything but liable to spoil everything!

Angry and anxious, I hurried forward to have a look. I felt the artery on the side of her neck and sensed her breath was smooth. Seeing that she was in a temporary coma, I was relieved and turned to look at Zhao wang.

He quickly put his hand on his head and leaned on the pillar like a drunk.

I said: “Come on, drop the act. Since this ground is so cold, a serious illness must fall on her after lying down for a long time, quickly come over to give me a hand, help her to lift up.”

Zhao wang was obviously stiff, but he straightened up soon, bent over looking at me with his eyes narrowed.

I looked around, pointed to the Wangmei Pavilion nearby, said: “There it is. It should keep her warm.”

He was obedient this time. He bent down and picked up Lv Li from the ground with both hands, striding towards Wangmei Pavilion. There was no guard in it, so Zhao wang laid Lv Li on the soft bed, and just turned to look at me, asked: “Sister-in-law, could you explain why it happened?”

Ignoring him, I covered up Lv Li with my cloak and turned to go out the Pavilion.

Zhao wang seemed to be shocked for a moment. Then he followed behind and squatted down on the step outside the door with me.

We did not speak for a while, just looking at the bloom of the plum blossoms grown in the winter under the steps in a daze.

A moment later, I turned to him and asked, “Do you want to know what was going on there?”

He said nothing but nodded.

I looked at him with a defiant tone: “Nothing serious. I was disgusted with you so I wanted to beat you to have a vent.”

Zhao wang raised his eyebrows, quite surprised: “Isn’t it a revenge for the thing happened in Wan River?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I did not think that much.”

Zhao wang looked at me in astonishment, and I turned to look at the plum blossoms in a daze. After a while, I heard him asking me: “Do you know the thing about Ying Yue?”

My lips curled, I replied: “She is in Youlan Palace. I serve her delicacies of every kind all day, but she doesn’t gain any weight. What an ungrateful belly she has! “