The Empress Wants To Be Deposed!

Chapter 3 Part 2: Don't Challenge My Self-Control

This is Kookspiritedaway, i will be posting here from now on, because i want to get paid for my translations. 

With these words, the two eunuchs felt even more fear. 

But Li Chengxuan thought about it again. So what if the imperial kitchen can cook some noodles? It wouldn’t be as good as the one Song Jinning had just now.

Li Chengxuan refused to admit that his saliva almost flowed out when he smelled the scent of Song Jinning’s food. 

His self-control has never been this bad!

After he calmed down, due to the feeling of hunger in his stomach, he told Zhou Jing: "Tell zhen what kind of pastries it is."

Zhou Jing hurriedly ran to take the food box.

He lifted the lid of the food box and looked. Seeing that it was a plate of Osmanthus Cake and Jujube Rice Cake [1], he immediately felt relieved. 

Although Li Chengxuan is cold, as an old man who has served him for more than ten years, Zhou Jing knew well that Li Chengxuan is actually a sweet tooth.

Li Chengxuan snorted and said nothing. But Zhou Jing knew that this meant he was okay. 

After the two eunuchs left, Li Chengxuan walked and sat on a pavilion outside Weiyang Palace.

But Zhou Jing hoped that he would go back to Weiyang Palace now. Otherwise, if Empress Dowager Song hears about it, he’s afraid that something might happen. 

 Li Chengxuan was unwilling to go back. At least not now.

Song Jinning had noodles and various side dishes when she ate. She invited him to eat with her, but he was very stubborn and refused. At this moment, eating these two plates of pastries….

Even though these two plates of pastries are exquisite and unique, and both are his favorites, when they are compared with what Song Jinning ate...

He then sat down on a stone seat. Upon seeing this, Zhou Jing hurriedly picked up the pastries and put them on the stone table.

It was March, and while the sun shines brightly during the day, as soon as the night starts, the wind will start to get cold. 

Zhou Jing instructed a eunuch to close all the windows so that the pavilion will be warmer.

When he turned around, he saw Li Chengxuan taking a piece of Osmanthus Cake and putting it in his mouth.

After seeing that Li Chengxuan no longer ate, Zhou Jing hurriedly offered a bowl of hot tea with both hands.

Taking advantage of Li Chengxuan drinking tea, Zhou Jing thought for a while, and persuaded softly: "Your Majesty, there is a saying that one must first suffer with their bones, stomach, and their body in order to recieve great responsibility [2]. The empress dowager promised that if you marry the empress, you can be in charge of the government. You have gone all the ninety-nine steps, and you must not fall short in this last step [3], don't you think?" 

Li Chengxuan was only eleven years old when the previous emperor died. Although the previous emperor appointed four ministers to assist Li Chengxuan, the hearts of these people were unpredictable, and some of them deceived him. As he was young, Li Chengxuan could not do anything.

During this time, it was Empress Dowager Song who helped him to eliminate the treacherous ministers one by one. 

Although the court was peaceful under her, power is like a drug. Once you have it, it is very hard to give it back. Empress Dowager Song continued to control the government for six years and had no intention of returning it to Li Chengxuan.

After hundreds of officials wrote petitions to return the political power to the Emperor, Empress Dowager Song finally agreed.

If Li Chengxuan married her niece Song Jinning, after the wedding, she would return the power to Li Chengxuan and live peacefully in the palace. 

It was beneficial to Li Chengxuan in more ways than one. But even though Li Chengxuan gained a lot from this marriage, how could Li Chengxuan not feel humiliated in his heart under such circumstances?

Footnotes:

1) 枣泥 (zǎo ní): Jujube Sticky Rice Cake. Traditional food that is usually served during Chinese New Year. It has a sticky, taffy-like consistency. 

2) 圣人有句话说的好，天将降大任于斯人也，必先苦其筋骨，饿其体肤，空乏其身: When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any man, it will exercise his mind with suffering, subject his sinews and bones to hard work, expose his body to hunger, put him to poverty, place obstacles in the paths of his deeds, so as to stimulate his mind, harden his nature, and improve wherever he is incompetent, MENG TZU, fourth century BCE

3) 这九十九步都走了，万不能在这最后一步功亏一篑: A Chinese proverb meaning don’t give up on the last minute. Continue doing it since you're so close to achieving whatever you'r achieving