Chapter 505: Chapter 273: Sow Discord
"Your Majesty, didn’t Empress say that the Xiongnu people will come to our Great Zhou in a few days, and she didn’t want to host the grand banquet to distract you at this time?" Sun Kui didn’t think that Empress Xie would dare play any tricks at such a time, "I believe Empress is not playing tricks, but rather..."
Sun Kui paused at this point, then his eyes lit up and he said, "Empress wants to gain your favor." The phrase "gain favor" was something he had learned from Zhao Yao. "Besides, Empress wouldn’t dare play tricks in front of you."
"Indeed." The Emperor also didn’t think that Empress Xie would dare use any artifice at this time and in front of him. Pretending to be virtuous in front of him seemed to suit her nature.
Sun Kui looked at the soup on the imperial table, hesitated, and reminded the Emperor, "Your Majesty, the soup that Empress sent is getting cold."
The Emperor didn’t even glance at the bowl of soup that the Empress had specially sent over, looked up at Sun Kui, and said, "It’s yours."
Sun Kui had long guessed this outcome and quickly thanked the Emperor, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Emperor waved his hand, signaling Sun Kui to take the soup away.
Sun Kui took the soup out and beckoned to Sun Doudou.
The master and apprentice turned to the rear hall of Chengguang Hall, sat on the stone steps, and drank the soup sent by the Empress.
"Master, honestly speaking, the soup the Empress sends to the Emperor is never made by her own hands. What’s the point of sending it?" With only Sun Kui around, Sun Doudou said whatever he wanted without reservation. He criticized unrestrainedly, "The Empress truly shows no sincerity at all. How can she win the Emperor’s favor like this?"
Sun Kui finished the spoonful of soup and then began to speak, "The Empress is the legitimate daughter of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion, raised in luxury, her fingers never touching spring water, how could she make soup?"
"But even Princess Consort De and the others make some food. Every time they send snacks to the Emperor, they make it themselves." Sun Doudou said while drinking the soup, "In this palace, which consort doesn’t personally make the food sent to the Emperor, except for the Empress."
"The Empress never claimed she made it herself, and the Emperor doesn’t care about this." Sun Kui finished the soup, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped his mouth, "Why do you care?"
"I’m just puzzled." Sun Doudou lifted the soup, tilted his head back, and drank the remaining soup in large gulps, then took out a handkerchief from his sleeve and wiped his mouth.
He almost wiped his mouth with his sleeve just now but quickly took out the handkerchief, remembering it would leave oil stains.
"Master, do you think the Empress likes the Emperor or not?"
"Which consort in this palace doesn’t like the Emperor? The Empress is no exception."
"Then why would the Empress..." Sun Doudou stopped there, unsure how to continue. After thinking for a while, he said, "I always feel like the Empress puts on airs. She clearly likes the Emperor, but she is unwilling to humble herself to make soup for him."
Sun Kui thought for a moment and found that his apprentice had a point.
"Seems like it."
"Master, I always feel like the Empress takes her status as the duke’s legitimate daughter of the Duke Zhen Country Mansion too seriously." Sun Doudou looked around, made sure no one else was near, but still lowered his voice cautiously, "Also, I feel the Empress is even more arrogant compared to the Emperor, as if her status is higher than the Emperor’s."
"Higher than the Emperor?" Sun Kui was shocked by this and showed an astonished look, "What nonsense are you talking about, boy."
"Master, I’m not talking nonsense. I just feel that the Empress thinks like this. After all, the Xie family is a noble family with hundreds of years of heritage, and the Emperor..." Sun Doudou dared not continue.
Sun Kui glared at Sun Doudou and poked his forehead with his finger.
"You brat, are you tired of living?"
Sun Doudou quickly pleaded, "Master, that’s not what I meant. I just feel like that’s what the Empress thinks, don’t you think so too?"
Sun Kui stopped his actions and then frowned thoughtfully.
"Now that you mention it, maybe..."
"Right?" Sun Doudou said with a proud face, "The Empress is really arrogant, even more than the Emperor. Haven’t you noticed?"
"I see the Empress acting quite virtuous in front of the Emperor, but you are right about her not wanting to humble herself to make soup for the Emperor."
"That’s exactly why the Empress doesn’t win the Emperor’s favor." Sun Doudou slapped his thigh and said, "Our Emperor is such a clever person, how could the Empress’s little schemes escape his eyes."