Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 52
by Little PandaVolume 3: Courtly Winds and Clouds, Each Finds Their Place
Warm the Bed
Only when lanterns were lit everywhere in the palace did Ji Qingchi finally finish today’s arrangements.
The Second Imperial Daughter came looking for her, holding a hand stove. “Little Nine, finished with your work? Shall we leave the palace together?”
“Alright.” After confirming there were no mistakes, Ji Qingchi agreed, and the two imperial daughters walked towards the palace gate together.
The snow outside had melted. The palace laneways were long. The Second Imperial Daughter had the attending palace maids and eunuchs walk behind while she and Ji Qingchi walked ahead. Cradling the hand stove, she mused, “Little Nine, whether it’s this sacrificial ceremony or the palace banquet, why do you think Mother Emperor didn’t involve Old Five? Didn’t she just perform meritorious service? Mother Emperor should be utilizing her heavily.”
“I heard she intends to marry the Prime Minister’s son as her Official Consort.” Ji Qingchi hated the Fifth Imperial Daughter the most and was thus clearest about her every move; as soon as the Emperor Consort assigned the task, she had people investigate.
“The Prime Minister’s son, ah, tsk tsk tsk, then it’s no wonder.”
Prime Minister Xiao Quan1 was currently powerful. Of the ministers promoted in recent years, seven or eight out of ten paid respects at her door, calling her Teacher, so her faction within the court was considerable.
The Fifth Imperial Daughter’s birth father was the Imperial Consort, so her origins were naturally not poor. His mother was originally the daughter of a Third-Rank Official2, and later earned military merit, becoming Marquis Zhenwei3, who shook the battlefields—the only person in the current imperial court to gain a marquisate through military merit. Her paternal grandfather was the son of the Former Prime Minister, and the Former Prime Minister, in turn, came from a great aristocratic family with a hundred-year heritage.
During the time of the Previous Emperor, to prevent a subject’s merit becoming too high and overshadowing the ruler, there was an intention to weaken Marquis Zhenwei’s military authority. Now, under the current Emperor Consort, more than half of that military authority had been seized and handed over to Ji Qingchi.
The Fifth Imperial Daughter had aristocratic families behind her, had Marquis Zhenwei, her father was the Imperial Consort; she was indisputably Heaven’s legitimate daughter.
And Ji Qingchi’s birth father was the son of a night watchman4, sent into the Imperial Palace by the county magistrate during the selection of Attendant Lords simply because of his beauty.
In terms of birth origin, Ji Qingchi’s was the lowest; the fathers of the other imperial daughters were, at worst, Fourth-Rank Officials.
Why was the military authority given to Ji Qingchi? Because the Emperor Consort knew clearly that this daughter of hers had no one to rely on except her, the mother. Therefore, she felt secure giving military authority to her daughter whose wings were not yet full5, rather than potentially relying on a mother-in-law6 connected by marriage to the great aristocratic families.
As for why the Emperor Consort was displeased by the Fifth Imperial Daughter seeking to marry the Prime Minister’s son, it was likely also due to fear of collusion between the forces behind her and the Prime Minister.
The Second Imperial Daughter was an understanding person and quickly put the troublesome Old Five out of her mind. She sighed, “Ai, why do you think Mother Emperor is always making us choose a Official Consort? She doesn’t even have an Imperial Consort herself.”
Ji Qingchi stated coolly, “She had one.”
Having had one was much more persuasive than never having had one at all.
Currently, the Emperor Consort had several daughters, and there was no one in the rear palace stirring up trouble, leaving her in peace. Furthermore, since she never established an Imperial Consort, not even a Noble Consort7, the court officials and common people unanimously praised her as a devoted lover, so the Emperor Consort’s image was exceedingly good.
This matter of gaining both fame and fortune was all because her Imperial Consort had died.
So, in the Emperor Consort’s view, marrying a Official Consort had its benefits; it could also win over a wave of court officials. It was definitely something that had to be done.
The Second Imperial Daughter was stumped into silence. “Ai, I really don’t want to choose. A Official Consort manages this and that8, it’s so annoying. At most, I’ll choose a few attendants for serving in the bedchamber, asking solicitously about my well-being9 every day, warming the bed is quite nice.”
Speaking of this, the Second Imperial Daughter remembered that this younger sister of hers didn’t even have an Attendant Lord, let alone a serving attendant. So she nudged her, “Aiya, Little Nine, you’re already so grown up, how is your residence still so cold and cheerless? You didn’t even accept the people Eldest Imperial Brother sent you. You don’t have anyone who understands your needs. Look, on such a cold day, you return to your residence with no one to ask solicitously about your well-being, no one to warm… your bed for you. How miserable is that?”
Ji Qingchi remained unmoved. “The things Second Imperial Sister speaks of, it seems the steward, maids, and foot warmers10 in the residence can all do.”
“Little Nine, you really don’t understand romance11,” the Second Imperial Daughter said faintly. She stopped egging on12 her younger sister to select people for her residence. She knew that Ji Qingchi rarely got close to people due to her difficult childhood, so she just chatted about anything and everything13.
Before Ji Qingchi could die from her chatter, they finally exited the palace. Ji Qingchi breathed a sigh of relief, boarded her sedan chair at the gate, and parted ways14 with the Second Imperial Daughter.
By the time she returned to her residence, it was already the You Hour15. The steward greeted her at the entrance, brushed the snow off her clothes, and reported, “Ninth Highness, Miss Su has been waiting for you at the residence all day.”
Ji Qingchi didn’t even bother to undo her cloak, hurrying inside. “Why did no one inform This Palace?”
The steward quickly explained, “This servant did send someone to the Imperial Palace to inform you.”
Ji Qingchi thought back. It seemed a palace maid had indeed reported today that someone from her residence requested to see her, but she had been busy arranging the guards for the palace banquet and had no time to see anyone.
“It is This Palace’s fault.” Su Yi was frail; waiting at the residence all this time must have exhausted her.
Ji Qingchi spoke guiltily, already arriving at the place where Su Yi was.
The rooms in the Imperial Daughter’s residence had underfloor heating16. The room was warm and cozy. The maids Su Yi had brought with her had all been invited to another room, leaving no one to talk to her. Having waited too long, she had fallen asleep sitting in the chair.
When Ji Qingchi reached the doorway, she saw Su Yi, wrapped in a fox fur cloak, sitting in the chair, her hand propped on the table, her little head nodding.
The lamplight cast flickering shadows on her pale and delicate face, inexplicably making Ji Qingchi feel very much at ease.
She didn’t want to disturb Su Yi and walked in lightly on her feet. After reaching her side, she intended to sit nearby and wait for her to wake up, but then she noticed her face was flushed bright red.
Ji Qingchi’s heart jumped in alarm. She quickly reached out to feel the temperature of her forehead; sure enough, it was scalding hot to the touch.
It turned out Su Yi had been rushing about outside all day. It was cold outside, and then arriving at the Imperial Daughter’s residence with its underfloor heating, it became somewhat hot. Between the cold and the heat, her body couldn’t take it, and she had developed a fever.
Ji Qingchi immediately and carefully17 picked her up, gesturing to summon the steward, “Go find a doctor.”
The doctor arrived quickly and prescribed medicine. Ji Qingchi carefully fed it to Su Yi, who had already fallen into a feverish sleep. After a long while, her body was still burning hot.
Ji Qingchi was very anxious and asked the doctor, “Didn’t she drink the medicine? Why is there no effect?”
“Reporting to Your Highness, this young lady’s constitution is frail. The medicine this old one prescribed may not take effect so quickly,” the doctor explained, wiping the sweat from his brow.
Ji Qingchi dismissed the doctor. The person in her arms remained alarmingly hot, making Ji Qingchi feel deeply uneasy18. After thinking for a moment, she carried Su Yi onto the couch-bed19, gathered her into her embrace, and used her True Qi20 to help dissipate the heat.
After a long time, the heat in Su Yi’s body finally subsided, returning to her usual cool temperature.
Ji Qingchi tucked the covers around her, warming her with her own body. The breathing of the person in her arms gradually steadied. She seemed to be dreaming, constantly murmuring “Finally back,” and after saying that, her mouth moved a few times, murmuring, “Roast meat is delicious.”
Ji Qingchi chuckled softly, looking at her fair cheek, feeling an itch in her heart. She couldn’t resist tapping her small nose tip with her finger. The Second Imperial Daughter’s words suddenly flashed through her mind.
Although Su Yi hadn’t asked solicitously about her well-being, and her body was cool—in fact, it was Ji Qingchi warming her, warming the bed—it brought her immense peace of mind.
“Qizhu,” Ji Qingchi murmured the long-unused address, smiling. “Sweet dreams.”
Su Yi had a dream about her life before transmigration, something she hadn’t done in a long time. But it wasn’t a very good one.
Although she had parents in the modern era, they also had a son; she had a younger brother.
Her parents couldn’t be said to be good to her, nor could they be said to be bad. They supported her through university according to plan. She believed her parents loved her somewhat, so even though her job was demanding and her salary wasn’t very high, she would send a sum of money to her parents every month and go back to visit during holidays.
She had always thought the family didn’t have much money and felt that young people should strive hard. So, to establish herself in the city where she worked, she struggled. As a result, when her younger brother reached marriageable age, her parents quietly bought him an apartment outright in the city center and then got him a car.
Su Yi pinched her fingers to calculate, hmm, a portion of that money was what she had sent her parents for their retirement.
In that instant, she saw through it all. She cut off contact with her family, struggled and struggled and struggled on her own, and then died suddenly from overwork.
The memory was actually quite boring, but she missed the past version of herself who could freely eat roast meat and chicken cutlets without throwing up, and go drinking and clubbing21 without getting dizzy.
After waking from the dream, Su Yi shed tears of hatred for her current useless body.
When she woke up, the sky was already bright. She lay on the couch-bed, blinking her eyes, looking up at the bed canopy22. After a good while, she slowly came to her senses and realized something was wrong.
“Huh? This shouldn’t be my room, right?”
Hearing the sound, the maids who had long been waiting outside the door entered like fish in a line23. The head maid said, “Miss Su, this is the residence of the Ninth Imperial Highness.”
Hmm… Hmm?!
Only then did Su Yi fully come to her senses. She had come to the Ninth Imperial Highness’s residence yesterday, wanting to wait for Ji Qingchi to return, but later it seemed she had fallen asleep.
But, but, how did she end up sleeping on the bed?
As if sensing Su Yi’s confusion, the maid smiled, “Her Highness saw that Miss had fallen asleep and couldn’t bear to disturb you, so she let Miss rest here. Her Highness is currently in the main hall. Does Miss wish to go over?”
Of course, she had to go over.
Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the female protagonist saw she had fallen asleep and didn’t blame her for anything; otherwise, she really couldn’t bear it.
After freshening up, she followed the maid to the main hall and saw Ji Qingchi sitting there, reading a book with rapt attention.
Su Yi quickly approached, her eyes scanning the book in her hand, only to discover she was actually holding it upside down.
The female protagonist truly is amazing, reading an upside-down book so intently.
She spoke softly, “Ninth Highness.”
“Ah… Miss Su.” Ji Qingchi seemed to snap back to reality, quickly putting the book away. She sat up straight and proper, yet didn’t dare to look at her, afraid that one glance at her face would remind her of the charming way Su Yi looked sleeping in her arms last night. “Miss Su… cough cough, did Miss Su sleep well yesterday?”
Su Yi didn’t notice her abnormality. “Many thanks to Your Highness, this commoner slept very well.”
After exchanging some pleasantries, she quickly got to the main point. “Your Highness, this commoner has important matters to discuss with Your Highness.”
Ji Qingchi understood and dismissed all the servants.
Afraid of leaks, Su Yi took a few steps forward, almost leaning against her ear, and recounted what she had encountered yesterday.
Although warm fragrance and soft jade24 were beside her, and there was the heat from the underfloor heating, Ji Qingchi felt a chill strike straight to the bottom of her heart.
This was a matter that could overturn the state foundation. Who on earth had such audacity?
Footnotes
- 肖铨 | Xiāo Quán
- 三品官 | sān pǐn guān | Third-Rank Official; Referring to the official ranking system in imperial China, where rank one is highest.
- 震威侯 | Zhènwēi Hóu | Marquis Zhenwei; A noble title, Zhenwei meaning “awe-inspiring power”.
- 打更人 | dǎgēngrén | Night watchman who struck clappers or gongs to announce the watches of the night.
- 羽翼不丰 | yǔyì bù fēng | Lit. “wings and feathers not plump/abundant”; Meaning not yet powerful or fully established.
- 岳母 | yuèmǔ | Mother-in-law. In this context, it likely refers to the Emperor Consort trusting her dependent daughter more than she would trust a hypothetical powerful mother-in-law figure connected to the great clans, should she herself have married into such a family, or perhaps referring to the political influence wielded by the families connected to potential consorts like the Fifth Imperial Daughter’s proposed Official Consort.
- 贵君 | Guìjūn | Noble Lord/Consort; Likely a rank below Imperial Consort but above Attendant Lord.
- 管东管西 | guǎn dōng guǎn xī | Lit. “manage east, manage west”; To be meddlesome, controlling everything.
- 嘘寒问暖 | xū hán wèn nuǎn | Lit. “inquire solicitously about cold and warm”; To show tender care and concern for someone’s well-being.
- 脚炉 | jiǎolú | A small stove, often metal or ceramic, used for warming the feet.
- 不解风情 | bù jiě fēngqíng | Lit. “not understand wind and feelings”; Oblivious or insensitive to romantic or amorous matters.
- 拱火 | gǒng huǒ | Lit. “arch/push the fire”; Slang meaning to incite, provoke, or egg someone on.
- 天南海北 | tiān nán hǎi běi | Lit. “sky south, sea north”; To talk about a wide range of topics, ramblingly.
- 分道扬镳 | fēn dào yáng biāo | Lit. “separate roads, raise carriage shafts”; To part ways, go separate directions.
- 酉时 | Yǒu shí | Hour of the Rooster; 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in the traditional Chinese twelve double-hour time system.
- 地龙 | Dìlóng | Lit. “earth dragon”; Traditional Chinese underfloor heating system where heat and smoke from a furnace are channeled through pipes under the floor.
- 小心翼翼 | xiǎoxīn yìyì | Lit. “small heart, careful wings”; With extreme caution, very carefully.
- 心神不宁 | xīn shén bù níng | Lit. “heart spirit not tranquil”; Feeling agitated, restless, or uneasy.
- 榻 | Tà | A couch, daybed, or low bed.
- 真气 | Zhēnqì | True Qi/Vital Energy; A concept in cultivation, martial arts, and traditional Chinese medicine related to internal life force or energy.
- 蹦迪 | bèngdí | Modern slang, derived from English “bumping disco”; Clubbing, dancing at a disco or nightclub.
- 床账 | chuángzhàng | Bed canopy or curtains.
- 鱼贯而入 | yú guàn ér rù | Lit. “fish string enter”; To enter in single file, one after another.
- 温香软玉 | wēn xiāng ruǎn yù | Lit. “warm fragrance, soft jade”; A poetic idiom describing the pleasant feel, scent, and presence of a beautiful woman.
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