还一国之母呢
“Empress of the Nation?”
THE DIALOGUE REEL
我看她 定是冲着圣上看中那九娘 趁机拉拢呢
“I'd say she's trying to win Miss Qin over because His Majesty has taken a liking to her.”
还 一国之母 呢
“Empress of the Nation?”
“Even the women in brothels aren't as good at flattering as she is.”
“She acts like a cheap flatterer rather than a dignified empress.”
The empress was expected to be a paragon of solemn dignity (母仪天下); accusing her of acting like a courtesan (勾栏) is one of the most vitriolic insults in imperial circles.
LEARNING CHUNKS & PARTICLES
Mother of the Nation (the Empress)
An honorific designation for the empress, often invoked rhetorically to question whether her decorum matches her title.
supposedly... / and yet claims to be...
Expresses sarcastic disbelief or contempt when someone fails to live up to a title or claim.
Emphasizes the rhetorical question and carries a biting, sarcastic tone.
