The Empress Wants To Be Deposed!

Chapter 9 Part 2: He Paused Slightly

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Song Jinning listened as Empress Dowager Song talked about madiao [1]. 

When the previous emperor was alive, there were dozens of concubines in the harem. Even if everyone took turns to serve everyday, it would take months for everyone to have successfully served the emperor. 

What's more, there are things such as favor and illness, so most of the concubines fail to even meet the Emperor. 

Since these people are still masters, they don't do anything because they have maidservants at their disposal. Idle every day, they need something to do to pass the time. 

That’s why madiao became a very popular sport in the palace. 

First of all, it is mostly effortless which is suitable for concubines who don't want to work; secondly, there are four people sitting around a table, and they can gossip while they are playing. 

Empress Dowager Song loved this sport when she was a concubine.

It was only after the death of the previous emperor that she ignored madiao. This was because she had to sit down and listen to politics everyday.  

Now that she is free, she can finally do madiao again. 

A maidservant held a red sandalwood box and placed it on the table.

Song Jinning looked up and saw that the box had four chouti’s [2]. 

The maidservant stretched out her hand to open the uppermost chouti, and carefully took out the de ma diaopai [3 ] placed inside.

It was a qingyisepai [4]. 

Song Jinning understood that this qingyisepai was the one that was pulled out from the chouti. 

Empress Dowager Song was smiling and talking to Consort Dowager Hui and Concubine Dowager Rong who were sitting on the chairs: "Aijia was worried before. There are only a few sisters in the palace which makes it hard to play madiao. Now, at last, we have a paidazi [5].”

Song Jinning: Very good, she is the paidazi. 

No wonder Empress Dowager Song suddenly asked her if she could play madiao. It turned out that it was because she wanted to play. .

Although Song Jinning replied modestly and said she only knew a little bit, she was actually very good at playing madiao. 

Don't ask her, it’s in her blood to play madiao. 

At that moment, she sat down calmly at the table and began to sort out the cards.

Empress Dowager Song didn't make a big bet.

In fact, money is not a problem. With the status of the four women sitting on the table, what is money? But playing too much and betting too much can affect their relationship. 

After two rounds, Song Jinning figured out the levels of the women present. 

Concubine Dowager Rong is the best; followed by Consort Dowager Hui; and lastly, Empress Dowager Song. 

But it is obvious that Empress Dowager Song is the person who is the most enthusiastic about madiao. 

The corners of Song Jinning's lips were slightly curved.

Empress Dowager Song is a bit interesting.

Song Jinning didn't know whether it was intentional or unintentional that Consort Dowager Hui and Concubine Dowager Rong always made her play head to head with Empress Dowager Song.

Are they expecting her and Empress Dowager Song to have some kind of rift?

But Song Jinning was very cautious. 

She would neither play well, nor would she deliberately lose to please Empress Dowager Song. After all, if success is too smooth, then there will be less fun.

Therefore she usually waits for Empress Dowager Song to throw out a card, and then wait a bit before throwing another card back. 

A card is a card, so when Empress Dowager Song gets it, she will be very fulfilled in her heart..

Of course, Song Jinning wouldn't lose blindly. She will still be competitive when it comes to games and money. 

She doesn’t want to win the money of the three women, but she wasn’t willing to lose money either. 

Footnotes:

T/N: Sorry for the countless pinyin in this chapter. To be honest, I don't know much about madiao except for the fact that it was a game in ancient china. I had a really hard time translating this chapter since I did not know how the game is played and what not. Sorry T_T

1) 马吊 (mǎdiào)- a late imperial Chinese trick-taking gambling card game, also known as the game of paper tiger. 

2) 抽屉 (chōutì)- Lit. Drawer. I don’t know how a drawer is used in madiao since in wikipedia there is no mention of a chouti but my guess is that is where all the cards were placed in the sandalwood box. 

3) 的马吊牌 (De mǎ diàopái)- Cards

4) 清一色牌 (qīngyīsèpái)- First Card? I don’t know what this is. 

5) 牌搭子 (pái dā zi)- Card dealer. I guess the paidazi is the one who gives out the cards.