The Empress Wants To Be Deposed!

Chapter 5 Part 2: Fooling Around

When Cui Nong arrived at Shoukang Palace, Empress Dowager Song had already dressed up and was sitting on a wooden chair next to the window while drinking bird's nest soup.

Cui Nong didn't dare to step forward and only stood aside with the tray in her hand.

Empress Dowager Song only drank a small amount of bird's nest soup then handed the bowl to the maidservant who was standing by. She took a wet towel, slowly wiping her hands and while looking up at Cui Nong, she asked, "Where is it?”

Cui Nong hurriedly stepped forward, knelt down in front of Empress Dowager Song, and raised the tray with both hands.

"Please check, Your Highness." Empress Dowager Song only glanced at it. Seeing the blood stains on the white quilt, a smile appeared on her face.

"Get up."

Cui Nong stood up and handed the tray in her hand to a maidservant on the side.

Seeing Empress Dowager Song’s faint smile, Cui Nong joked: “When this slave went to Weiyang Palace, the emperor stood outside the hall waiting for the empress. This slave is sure that they will head to Shoukang Palace to greet the empress dowager soon.”

Cui Nong is Empress Dowager Song’s maid that she brought from her natal family and has been by her side all these years. Empress Dowager Song wholeheartedly trusts Cui Nong. 

Seeing that Empress Dowager Song was happy, she asked, “Is the Empress Dowager rest assured now?”

Empress Dowager Song was originally worried that Song Jinning and Li Chengxuan would not cooperate and not get along.

"Aijia [1] thought that the emperor was unhappy in this marriage. Ning'er, when she was young, bullied the emperor. The family spoiled her too much and she had a very bad temper. Who knows what the situation will be when the two meet? I didn't expect that the two of them would have a smooth round last night."

“This was when the Empress was young. Prince Nanyang had already said in his letters that the Empress’s temperament has changed drastically. The Emperor is also very filial to the Empress Dowager and will not disobey your order.”

Empress Dowager Song didn't believe what Cui Nong said. 

She knows how much her elder brother loves Song Jinning. In the eyes of her elder brother, his daughter is the best in the world, and he would even catch the sun for her if she asked him to. Can she believe what he said about his daughter?

As for Li Chengxuan's filial piety to her, it is even more ridiculous.

Even if it is a mother and son, their relationship will inevitably become strained because of power, not to mention that she and Li Chengxuan are only halfway between mother and son.

Back then, although she was favored, she had no children. Li Chengxuan was a prince, but her biological mother was not only humble, but also dead. It was a win-win situation for each other. Li Chengxuan is smart and he understands this in his heart.

Can he really be filial to her? In the past two years, he has made a lot of small moves secretly, and Empress Dowager Song knows this.

But Empress Dowager Song is a very transparent person.

Although she wants to hold on to power, she understands that she will eventually have to return the power to Li Chengxuan.

Since this is the case, it would be better if she took the initiative to return it now because she could also take advantage of the situation to make an offer.

Before his death, although the previous emperor made an order to pass on the throne to Li Chengxuan in front of several important officials, he also made an order to make the eldest brother of Empress Dowager Song as Prince Nanyang, and moved him to Yunnan. He also ordered that without imperial permission, he is not allowed to return to Beijing. 

This is because the previous emperor felt that Li Chengxuan was young and he worried about the autonomy of his relatives.

Empress Dowager Song felt very sorry for her brother.

Her brother was born in Beijing and grew up in Beijing. He is a very easygoing person, but because of her, he had to travel to Yunnan and can’t return to Beijing.

So she let his cherished daughter become the Empress as compensation to her brother.

As for how arrogant and domineering her niece is and whether she is suitable for being an Empress, she doesn't worry at all.

She will teach her well from now on.

Moreover, with her alive in this palace, Li Chengxuan will not dare to treat Song Jinning badly.

So even though Empress Dowager Song didn't agree with Cui Nong’s remarks, she didn't say a word.

Because she knew that Cui Nong was just comforting her. 

She smiled slightly: "Speaking of which, I haven't seen Ning'er for seven years, and I don't know what she looks like now."

"When I saw the Empress in Weiyang Palace just now. It’s no exaggeration to say that I thought I saw a fairy in the sky.” It was Cui Nong who was talking with a smile, “People can’t look away after a glance.”

Empress Dowager Song laughed, "They say that the appearance of a niece is the same as that of the aunt. Since that is the case, the Empress must really look good.”

In Weiyang Palace, Song Jinning had finished dressing up. 

When she left the hall, she saw Li Chengxuan standing with his hands on his back.

He was looking straight ahead, with no expression on his face.

Footnotes:

1) 哀家 (Ài jiā): Illeism for the empress dowager. It means ‘mourning’ (for the former emperor).