Chapter 510: They Are Impossible
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Forty past five in the afternoon.
A maid woke up the little empress on the dragon bed. The little empress glanced at the sky outside, got up, and started getting dressed. After was.h.i.+ng up, Little Lizi came in with a pot of brewed Biluochun. The little empress took a sip of the tea and felt much more awake.
Little Lizi stood respectfully behind the little empress and reported softly,
“Your Majesty, there is a very important secret report to be presented from last night.”
He did not immediately report it, opting only to do so after ascertaining if the empress’s mood was good.
The little empress took another sip of tea and looked at the whitish rays from the east and the candlelight in the hall before saying, “Speak.”
“It is a matter that occurred at the Nanfeng Pavilion…” Little Lizi frowned and then whispered into the empress’s ears, informing her of the incident that occurred the night before as reported by the spy.
The little empress did not show any expression as she finished listening. After Little Lizi was done with the report, the empress picked up a piece of pastry from the tea plate and said while eating, “The State Preceptor and the Head Grand Secretariat have never stepped foot in such a place.”
Her tone was very profound.
Little Lizi nodded. “Little Lizi also finds this rather strange.”
The little empress hummed, closing her eyes slightly. “Is there any clue to the youth’s ident.i.ty?”
Little Lizi hurriedly said, “Your majesty’s spy in the State Preceptor’s residence reports that he was Qi Qingyao in disguise.”
The little empress raised her brows.
“…She is rather interesting,” the empress whispered. Her brows sank and she asked again,
“Did the boy named Si Jin not show up all this while?”
“According to the tiger guards, they have not caught sight of the youth since they departed from Qingzhou City…” replied Little Lizi.
The little empress touched her crown at the side, her eyes not revealing any fluctuation of her emotions. “How curious.”
Little Lizi, “…”
…
The empress was not surprised to learn that Jiang Yeqian and Li Ruoxuan had made an appearance at Nanfeng Pavilion. Given that there were so many guests who knew that the two were there, the matter was, therefore, unexpectedly spread to the Lu family as well.
Lu Yan had just returned to the capital. He had to put up with his family’s attention for the entire day yesterday, and had not gone to bed till very late at night. It was already ten past ten in the morning when he woke up.
After he was done was.h.i.+ng himself up, he sat in the dining room and was about to have breakfast alone when Dong Jing, who was standing to one side, said in a small gossiping voice,
“Master, something big happened in Nanfeng Pavilion last night.”
“Hmm?” Major things were occurring every day in Capital City, so Lu Yan was not that curious about it.
Looking excitable, Dong Jing relayed the gossip from last night to the young master.
Lu Yan had not been interested at first, but after knowing that the protagonists of the incident were Jiang Yeqian and Li Ruoxuan, plus some ordinary youth, his interest was suddenly piqued. He said while drinking almond tea,
“That youth is without a doubt Qi Qingyao.”
That little lady had been very interested in Nanfeng Pavilion before…she must have disguised herself.
However, it was unexpected that Li Ruoxuan would put his reputation on the line and accompany her to that place in person.
It seemed that Li Ruoxuan was being very determined about using her to control Si Jin!
He did not allow any minuscule details to be missed.
It was through these minuscule details that he intended to impress the little lady!
“This servant also thinks so.”
Dong Jing sounded like he rather admired the fact that the State Preceptor had planted himself in a favorable position to win her over. “Master, if you like Lady Qi, we have to work harder! This servant feels that both the State Preceptor and the Head Grand Secretariat have some feelings for her.”
Lu Yan continued eating calmly. “It’s impossible for them!”
“How so?” Dong Jing did not understand.
There was a coldness in Lu Yan’s dark eyes. “How can those two high-ranking old foxes possibly love her in earnest? They only want to draw Qi Qingyao to their sides so that Si Jin will become a member of their troupe!”
Li Ruoxuan was a grand master now. If he could marry Qi Qingyao and win Si Jin over, then two grand masters would join forces. It was likely that they would be able to usurp the nation easily.
The fate of the nation all depended on their whims!
Dong Jing, “…”
Lu Yan was eating a meat bun, his gaze fixed on the dim morning light outside. He said, “I have been around her for so long, yet I’m still unable to fully comprehend her. She is definitely not stupid, so she won’t fall for the old foxes’ sugar-coated traps.”
That little woman was the most enthusiastic but also the most indifferent woman Lu Yan had ever met.
Dong Jing frowned and said nothing.
He was thinking of how he was not interested in the slightest in Si Jin. He just wanted his master to marry Lady Qi. He thought that Lady Qi was a good enough person! After all, she was not the kind of a pretentious little lady they were used to seeing!
Such a wise woman was worthy of their family’s intelligent young master!
…
Qi Qingyao returned from Nanfeng Pavilion last night and went to sleep with the triplets in her arms. When she woke up, it was already fifty past seven in the morning.
When the kids had slept their fill, they jumped on the bed one by one, looking refreshed. Qi Qingyao woke up, looking dumbfounded. She yawned and sat up. The triplets quickly helped each other dress up! When they were done, they told Qi Qingyao that they were hungry. Qi Qingyao yawned again.
She sighed.
Then she got up.
After putting on her clothes, she freshened up a little before helping the triplets wash up again.
When they were done with all that, a maid led the four of them to the dining hall.
Breakfast was already spread out on the table—steamed buns, boiled goat’s milk, soybean milk, fried dough sticks, steamed cakes, noodles, soup, flax porridge, tofu pudding, oil pancakes, and fried sugar cake…there was everything they could ever want to eat!
Qi Qingyao was about to comment that there was too much breakfast.
However, she noted that the triplets looked as if they had been reincarnated as hungry ghosts.
Erniu was, at any rate, a girl and managed to hold herself relatively well.
Dabao and Xiaobao, on the other hand, had thrown any thought of their image out the window.
They had gone to bed too early yesterday, so they were completely starving and revealed their true colors as ravenous tigers.
The little maid stood at the side, pursing her lips in a smile. Qi Qingyao ate some porridge and a steamed cake before putting down her spoon.
The little maid came forward and said in a respectful whisper, “His Excellency has asked me to inform the Missus that he will be going to the palace early in the morning. He asks that you have breakfast when you wake up and then head to the palace at about half-past nine in the morning.”
Qi Qingyao asked what time it was now.
She felt like she was having a minor meltdown.
She did not blame the little maid for not waking her up earlier though.
If she dallied anymore, she would definitely arrive at the palace late.
She hurried back to her room, found her luggage, picked up a pink robe, and changed into it. She styled her hair once again! She maintained her simple image as a little lady from the countryside and did not shove in any golden dangly hairsticks!
Then, she instructed the starving triplets,
“Stay in the house, the three of you. Mommy will be going to the palace to meet the empress.”
“Mommy…”
The triplets looked up from their bowls.
One by one, they stared at her with dark eyes.
Finally, Xiaobao spoke first.
He waved his small hand at her slowly and said in an obedient, soft voice, “Be careful.”
Qi Qingyao nodded heavily. She went over, kissed each of the triplets on their faces, and said goodbye.
Then, she quickly walked to the gates of the State Preceptor’s residence.
The carriage had already been prepared. Zhu Shen was standing in front of the carriage, seemingly having waited for a long time. Qi Qingyao forced a smile and greeted him, then quickly got into the carriage and called for them to depart.
The driver started the carriage.
Zhu Shen and a few guards were riding their horses around the carriage.
It was still a long way from the State Preceptor’s residence to the Imperial Palace.
Qi Qingyao did not open the window this time to look at the morning view of the capital. Instead, she sat on the soft couch, somewhat downcast as she thought about what she should say and what words she should use when she saw the empress later!
— After the little empress dismissed the court, she called Li Ruoxuan and Jiang Yeqian into the imperial study to discuss some military affairs. Both of them had been away for several months after all, and although they had communicated through urgent secret reports, the distance was too great for them to be able to discuss anything in detail.
Hence, they were able to make thorough conclusions on several decisions today.
She also heard some stories about Qingzhou City from both of them.
While they were talking, Little Lizi came in to inform them that Qi Qingyao had arrived.
The little empress looked at the two men standing in front of her and said,
“The person we want to see has arrived. You two wait outside first.”
“Pardon this servant,” Jiang Yeqian and Li Ruoxuan said simultaneously.
With that, they immediately turned around and exited the study. They stood outside in the corridor below.
They spotted a little lady in pink and white robes in the distance. She looked like a peach blossom fairy in spring standing under the sunlight, divine energy seemingly surrounding her. Her countenance was somewhat cold, her appearance dazzling. There was a chilly and inviolable frost between her brows when she did not smile.
Qi Qingyao had been very cautious the moment she entered the palace.
When she saw her two acquaintances standing at the door, she was stunned for a second before she immediately recovered her composure. She forced out a dry smile.
Then she followed a little eunuch.
She was led to the imperial study.
After entering,
She did not dare let her eyes wander as she was not sure if the little empress would jump at this opening to question her.
All in all, she was being extra cautious.
After taking three steps, she then behaved like a hillbilly, quickly kneeling and kowtowing regardless of the little empress’s location.
“This civilian, Qi Qingyao, pays her respect to her Majesty.”
The moment the little woman entered through the door, the empress’s eyes locked onto her tightly. The intel she received did write about the incident with “Qi Qingyao” but since she had never seen this person before, she did not have a specific image of her in mind.
She only knew from the rumors that she was decent-looking.
The moment the little woman entered, however, the little impression could not help scrunching her forehead.
The second she threw open the door, a beam of light shot in from outside. The little woman emerged from the light and the empress could not make out her face clearly due to the illumination. Her graceful steps were gentle and the empress could vaguely make out her elegant demeanor, neither humble nor arrogant.
She then knelt down on the ground and, following suit, offered a salute.
The tone of the empress’s voice was very calm.
“Lift your head and let us see your face.”
“Yes, your Majesty.”
…The moment the girl raised her head, the little empress was shocked.
Was she…really a woman who has had three children?
She looked like a girl who was fifteen or sixteen, but the intel stated that she was already twenty years old.
She was a delicate and bright-looking girl, wearing a simple pink and white robe.. There were floral curls embroidered on her robes with red silk thread.