Chapter 114 - Lu Chen's Cousin, A "Pigeon Demon"
Chapter 114 – Lu Chen’s Cousin, A “Pigeon Demon”
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
‘The Empress Dowager glanced at Qiao Jinniang fiercely and said, “You didn’t know? You mean you are exonerated just because you said you didn’t know?
“No cook in Chang’an dares to cook this dish, but you dare to use this dish as the main dish of a funeral banquet! I must not spare you! ”
“Grandmother, Jinniang really didn’t know about this.” Lu Chen strode from outside the door, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and helped Qiao Jinniang up.
Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang’s hand. “Besides, Grandmother, you just banned commoners from making this dish, but Jinniang is my wife, so she is a member of the royal family. Her making chrysanthemum tofu should not be regarded as disobeying your order.”
The Empress Dowager looked at their clasped hands and said, “Your wife? Are you willing to make this salve-raised rude woman your crown princess?”
Lu Chen said, “Jinniang and I have already married. She is my wife.”
‘The Empress Dowager snorted coldly and said, “Even if she is your wife, she shouldn’t hold the well-known chrysanthemum feast for a concubine’s funeral. Has she had any respect for me?”
Qiao Jinniang said sincerely, “Your Grace, I grew up in a small town and really didn’t know about the chrysanthemum feast.
“I think instead of enjoying the chrysanthemum tofu alone, why don’t you popularize the chrysanthemum feast to let the common people admire the late emperor’s deep affection and favor for you?
“Additionally, there are many literati who love chrysanthemums. A chrysanthemum feast will inspire them to make many beautiful poems. In this way, the commoners will not only know the deep love between the late emperor and Your Grace, but will also know your noble character that is just like
chrysanthemum. ”
‘The Empress Dowager’s face softened a lot.
Qiao Jinniang broke free from Lu Chen’s hand and went over to pour another cup of tea for the Empress Dowager.
“Lhave a new name for chrysanthemum tofu, which is ‘Outshining All Beauties’. It means that the late emperor loved Your Grace so much that he wouldn’t pay attention to any other woman.
After all, in front of this chrysanthemum tofu, all other dishes will be outshone, just like the beauty of Your Grace.”
“Please give me a chance to make up for it and let me promote this dish to the people.”
‘The Empress Dowager took the cup in Qiao Jinniang’s hand and the corner of her lips slightly hooked. “Okay.”
Qiao Jinniang breathed a sigh of relief before she saluted and left.
Lu Chen looked at Qiao Jinniang’s wet skirt and asked, “Did that cup hit you?”
Qiao Jinniang shook her head. “Although the Empress Dowager is angry, she has her manners. How could she really smash the cup at me like a shrew? Only some water splashed over me.”
Qiao Jinniang complained, “Why didn’t you remind me about the Empress Dowager’s taboo?”
Lu Chen said, “I didn’t know about this either, but if she summons you again, you can turn to my mother for help.”
Qiao Jinniang smiled. “I’m not a child. I don’t need Her Majesty to rescue me.
“Lhave tons of ways to deal with an old lady like the Empress Dowager. Old people are like children. It’s easy to make them happy.
“Plus, going against her won’t do me any good. After all, our country advocates filial piety.”
‘When Qiao Jinniang noticed that Lu Chen was staring at her, she waved her hand in front of Lu Chen’s eyes. “What’s the matter? You can’t take your eyes away from me because you find me so gorgeous?”
Lu Chen responded. “Um, you are getting more and more beautiful.”
Lu Chen didn’t dare to speak his mind.
He chose not to tell Qiao Jinniang the truth after he regained his memory because he was afraid that she couldn’t adapt to the court life and would offend the Empress Dowager and Imperial Concubine Xian.
Even his mother was struggling to get along with the Empress Dowager, let alone her?
But whether it was last time she protected Xi’er, or today, Qiao Jinniang was different from what he thought. She could handle the Empress Dowager with ease and even make her very happy.
Lu Chen regretted extremely in his heart. If only he had told her about his identity in the first place! Then at least he wouldn’t have to endure it until the Lantern Festival.
“You don’t come to the imperial palace much. Let’s go to my mother’s palace for dinner today?”
Qiao Jinniang shook her head and said, “No, I don’t want to cook for His Majesty.”
She liked to cook, but it was too troublesome to cook for the Emperor.
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“Oh, my father offended my mother, so he hasn’t been allowed to go to my mother’s palace for dinner recently. You can be rest assured.”
Qiao Jinniang somehow sensed a trace of gloating from Lu Chen’s words. “Are you happy that your parents are in a cold war?”
Lu Chen said, “Yes, I’m jealous of them. Why am I always alone?”
Qiao Jinniang: “…”
In the Queen’s palace, as soon as Qiao Jinniang entered, she saw the Queen and a girl carving a piece of wood.
‘When the girl saw Lu Chen, she saluted and said cutely, “Brother, you came just in time. Aunt and I are sculpting you. Does this sculpture look like you?”
Lu Chen gave her a doting smile. “Yes.”
The Queen came over and said, “Hi, Jinniang. This is my niece Zhou Sisi. She had a serious illness when she was a child, causing her to be only able to act like a child. Her hobby is carving.”
Qiao Jinniang remembered Zhou Sisi, the girl who bribed Fulu to select her as the first place in the melon carving contest at the Qixi Festival.
‘The Queen said to the girl, “Sisi, this is your cousin-in-law.”
Zhou Sisi pouted and said, “Aunt, in operas, only cousins can be a couple. Why do I have a cousin-in-law?”
‘When Qiao Jinniang heard this, she glared at Lu Chen.
Lu Chen whispered in Qiao Jinniang’s ear, “Just treat her as a six or seven-year-old child. Don’t mind her words”
Qiao Jinniang looked at Zhou Sisi. She looked fifteen or sixteen years old. How could she treat her as a six or seven-year-old child?
And she didn’t think a six or seven-year-old child would bribe with money.
It could be seen that she had bad moral standards.
‘The Queen smiled at Zhou Sisi and said, “You have so many cousins. Can you marry all of them?”
Zhou Sisi stomped her feet and said, “But Brother is the best looking one!”
‘The Queen smiled again. “Be good, I will find you a better-looking man in the future.”
‘The Queen explained to Qiao Jinniang, “Sisi is just a child. Don’t take her words seriously. Chen’er just takes her as his sister.”
Qiao Jinniang said, “Your Majesty, I see.”
‘The Queen looked at Qiao Jinniang’s face full of jealousy and secretly smiled.
At lunch, Qiao Jinniang really regretted agreeing to Lu Chen to come to the Queen’s palace for dinner.
According to table manners, no one should speak at dinner, but her ears were full of Zhou Sisi’s voice.
“Brother, this soup is delicious!”
“Brother, eat this meat. It’s delicious.”
“Brother…”
Qiao Jinniang was really upset. Brother, Brother, are you a pigeon demon? He is not your brother. Why not just call him Cousin? (“Brother” in Chinese sounds like cooing of a pigeon)
Qiao Jinniang really wanted to pluck out all Zhou Sisi’s feathers and make her into a roasted pigeon so that she didn’t have to hear her cooing!
Lu Chen put a piece of mutton into Qiao Jinniang’s bowl and said to Zhou Sisi, “Sisi, don’t call me ‘Brother’ anymore. Call me ‘Your Royal Highness’:
The Queen glanced at Lu Chen and said, “Why is this?”
Lu Chen said, “Because I have only one sister.”
The Queen wondered. “When did you have a sister? Fulu? I don’t think you take her as your sister.”
Qiao Jinniang got what Lu Chen meant and pinched his waist, not allowing him to talk nonsense.
But Lu Chen still said to the Queen, “Not Fulu, but the one right in front of your eyes..”