Jun Qian Che glares at her, cold air radiating from his entire body. She feels like she is in the middle of an ice cave.
Just as she racks her brain to figure out a way to get out of that sticky situation, Jun Qian Che suddenly gets up and leaves.
Mo Qi Qi secretly sighs in relief. She quickly gets up and pays her parting respect, “Sending Your Majesty off.”
Ban Xiang frowns as she approaches Mo Qi Qi with a bitter face, “Your Ladyship, it is hard for us to have His Majesty here, why did you chase him off to Gui Ning Palace?”
“Bengong does not care for him. Since somebody else does, it is better bengong to match make them together! Alright, let the matter rest. Bengong is hungry to death! Let’s eat!” Mo Qi Qi then walks outside.
Ban Xiang helplessly sighs.
For the next couple of days, Mo Qi Qi does not start any trouble. She does not come to see Jun Qian Che as well.
But she isn’t entirely idle either; she invites the concubines to her palace and trains them, hoping to mold them into the kind that Jun Qian Che likes. If a lot of the concubines gets favoured, the distance between her and Jun Qian Che will become farther. As long as she still hasn’t find her way home, it is better for her to get as little contact with Jun Qian Che as possible. She never takes the initiative to search for him lest she ends up provoking him, so in a hindsight, Jun Qian Che’s life too has been peaceful for the past couple of days.
And that peace makes Jun Qian Che a little suspicious. This is so unlike Mo Qi Qi. Even though they had been married for two years, they are not real husband and wife yet. Even so, they usually frequently meet each other. He would never take the initiative to find her, it is always her looking for him using so many excuses. She will usually come in peace but leaves in anger.
Now that she is quiet over there, he finds it hard to get used to this situation.
Mo Qi Qi is giving the concubines a harsh training, “Meimeis, this is the guide that bengong wrote for you on how to seduce an emperor; from the way you dressed and put on your make up, to how to maintain your beauty and your diets. This should be enough. As long as you follow this guide and bengong’s training, bengong dares to say you will become His Majesty’s favourite soon.”
Hearing that, the concubines are happy to no end, “That is great!”
Some of them are still worried though, “Your Ladyship, why are you helping us? If His Majesty dotes on us, won’t his visit to your palace become less?”
Mo Qi Qi replies in an upright manner, “Fang Jieyu is asking the right question. The previous bengong definitely wouldn’t have done this, but the current bengong has had an enlightenment; if one wants to gain a man’s heart, it cannot be done by pestering and angering him everyday. It is through catering to his heart’s desire, making him happy. If he is happy, even if he does not come over, bengong will still be happy for him. That is why bengong wants to help meimeis; if bengong cannot be the one to give him happiness, bengong would rather have meimeis do it on my behalf. Bengong will be contented if the emperor is happy.”
Hearing that, the concubines are touched to no end, “How touching! Your Ladyship, your love for His Majesty is too deep! If he knows just how sincere your love is, he would have definitely leaves Yang Guifei and goes to you!”
Mo Qi Qi is shocked senseless upon hearing that. She immediately gives them an order, “Meimeis, all that is being said must only be kept amongst us! It must never be spread outside! Bengong does not want His Majesty to know; he might feel guilty. You must also keep this training a secret. Do not tell anyone. If His Majesty finds out, there will be no element of surprise.”
The concubines reply her in unison, “Yes. We will listen to Your Ladyship.”
Mo Qi Qi nods in satisfaction: If she is really unlucky and is unable to travel back to her old life, she as the empress must establish a good relationship with these concubines so she can have a peaceful, worry-free life.
“Since meimeis are aspiring for His Majesty’s affection, we must not waste any more time. Let us start our training! Let us begin with our very first agenda, beauty! The first thing a man sees in a woman is her beauty. Having a face that is charming enough to attract men is the most basic thing a woman need. If you don’t have the ability to attract them with your face, this is already a lost battle. Today, bengong would like to introduce three kinds of facial masks to all of you. Use them according to your skin’s condition. The first one is—-”
Mo Qi Qi begins explaining.
The concubines listen to her attentively, nodding their heads in agreement. They think all the things Mo Qi Qi says are very reasonable.
After a lengthy explanation that involves applying self-made mask, Mo Qi Qi personally demonstrate how to apply the mask and how to make them so they can regularly do it in their own palaces.
Once women find something to be busy with, they will make themselves scarce. Once they are at peace, she will be at peace too.
After applying the masks, those concubines pat their own cheeks while looking at the mirror. They grins happily, “Your Ladyship, this rose essence mask is really good! My skin feels so supple and soft!”
“Yes! I agree! I wonder how this rose essence is made.”
Mo Qi Qi laughs, “Do not be so anxious, meimeis. Since all of you wants to learn, bengong will naturally teach you. Actually, it is not hard to make this rose essence. You can make them as long as you have roses.” The flask of rose essence she has with her are made from roses that Ban Xiang brought for her. She made it herself. Since she knows how to make it, she decides to share it with everyone.
“Roses? There is a rose garden behind the imperial garden. There are many kinds of roses there. Why don’t we go there and pick the flowers?”
Mo Qi Qi is surprised, “Alright! Let’s go now!”
“Alright!”
She then leads the concubines out of Feng Yang Palace.
They soon arrive in the rose garden. Even the colourful roses pale in comparison when compared with their colourful and luxurious clothing.
Mo Qi Qi sighs in appreciation upon seeing the sea of roses, “I never thought the ancient people will be this romantic. They actually planted this many roses.”
Just as she is about to pick the petal of a rose, a vision resurfaces in her mind. That of a young man and woman in wedding garments, holding hand in the middle of a garden. The vision in her mind and the one in her eyes merges: rose garden. She thought this place look familiar; she remembers everything now. That trash Jun Qian Che from the modern time married another girl in a rose garden. Back then, she had been furious. She had wanted to rush forward and condemn them but ended up not doing so. Instead, she rushed towards a toilet next to the garden. She had wanted to pick up a basin of water and poured it on them, but an accident happened and she ended up traveling to this place.
Toilet?
Mo Qi Qi immediately asks Ban Xiang if there is a toilet near this garden.
Ban Xiang shakes her head and says no.
Mo Qi Qi suddenly wants to cry. She forces herself to be strong; she must not give up, she must not be so pessimistic. Perhaps, the road to go home is right under her feet. As long as she works hard, she will definitely finds a way.
She tries to visualize the setting of the modern time rose garden and tries to estimate where the toilet will be in this ancient time.
After evaluating the terrain, her eyes fall on an empty plot of land on the western side of the garden. She happily praises herself, “Mo Qi Qi, you are too smart. You have hope now! Ban Xiang, go and find me a shovel.”
Ban Xiang scratches her head in wonder; her mistress has been muttering to herself. What is she planning to do? Why is she asking for a shovel? “Your Ladyship, what do you want to do with a shovel?”
“I have something I need it for. Hurry up!” Mo Qi Qi is too impatient to explain everything, she only wants to go back to her time.
Ban Xiang doesn’t ask anymore and immediately does her bidding.
Before Ban Xiang even returns, Mo Qi Qi is already impatient and has started digging the ground with her golden hairpin. She is confident now; this spot will take her back to the modern time.
Ban Xiang very quickly returns with a shovel, “Your Ladyship, here is your shovel.”
“Great!” Mo Qi Qi takes the shovel and begins shovelling the ground.
The rest of the concubines who are picking flowers does not understand what the empress is planning to do. They circle her in curiosity.
After a while, Mo Qi Qi has managed to dig out a good-sized pit. No matter what, she is an archaeologist. Digging things up is normal for her.
Mo Qi Qi continues digging relentlessly. At this very moment, someone speaks up, “There is something under the soil!”
Hearing that, Mo Qi Qi’s heart jumps. In her mind, visions of jadeite artefact, golden artefact and ancient tombs begins to surface. She shakes her head: No. Now is not the time. She is not an archaeologist right now. She is only someone who wants to find her way back home.
Don’t tell her that this place will really transport her back to her time?
Mo Qi Qi immediately crouches to check the thing underneath the soil. Once she does that, she realizes that something is not right. Based on her observational skill and intuition as an archaeologist, she knows that the thing underneath the soil isn’t a road. It is some kind of a fabric.
Mo Qi Qi claws on that object and wipes the soil off of it to get a clearer look. A dead body appears and the concubines scream in horror before running away.
