NFBE Chapter 29 Lotus Leaf 3 Dew
Chapter 29 Lotus Leaf 3 Dew
"The Emperor has arrived!" Li Desheng sang loudly in his distinctive hoarse voice.
Su Nuannuan was sitting leisurely on the couch, watching her two little babies, when she heard the call. She frowned and muttered to herself, "What is Li Quan doing? How did he even invite the Emperor? He's more of a hindrance than a help!"
Li Quan: Your Majesty, this really isn't my fault! As soon as I finished speaking, His Majesty set off for our Cuiwei Palace! I didn't dare to stop him!
Although she was filled with resentment and displeasure, she knew she couldn't show it in front of the Emperor. So she quickly put away the gloom on her face, put on a bright and beautiful smile, and gracefully went out to greet him.
"Your Majesty, I respectfully greet you." Su Nuannuan moved gracefully to the Emperor's side, bowed slightly in greeting, her movements elegant and poised, displaying the demeanor of a royal concubine.
At the same time, the palace maids following behind her also curtsied.
Immediately afterwards, Su Yueniang and Honglian each carried their young mistress as they slowly stepped forward, saying in unison, "The Fifth Prince (the little princess) greets His Majesty."
"You may rise, no need for formalities." The Emperor smiled and personally helped Su Nuannuan up. However, upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan secretly rolled her eyes.
She couldn't help but think to herself, "Hmph, if they wanted to waive the formalities, they should have said so earlier! They only say this after we've already done the formalities. How shameless of them."
However, she could only keep these thoughts to herself and would never dare to show them in front of the Emperor. Therefore, despite her reluctance, Su Nuannuan still had to smile sweetly and thank the Emperor for his grace: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Sigh! It's true that a higher rank can crush you! The rules and hierarchy in this palace are suffocating. If only I could leave here!" Su Nuannuan sighed helplessly, straightening up as she muttered to herself.
"Your Majesty, why have you come at this time?" Su Nuannuan looked at her hand being held by the Emperor with some surprise and asked in confusion.
The Emperor replied with a smile, "Didn't my beloved concubine send your palace steward, Li Quan, to the Hall of Diligent Governance to find me, saying she wanted me to give our little princess a nice name? So here I am."
Upon hearing the Emperor's words, Su Nuannuan quickly lowered her head and said softly, "Then...then there's no need for Your Majesty to make the trip in person! Just send someone to deliver the message."
However, the emperor pretended to be displeased and asked in return, "What? Does my beloved concubine not welcome my arrival?"
Upon hearing this, Su Nuannuan's heart tightened. She quickly raised her head and said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand. How could I not welcome you? I am overjoyed that you have come to my Cuiwei Palace!" As she spoke, she gently shook the Emperor's arm and began to act coquettishly.
However, right after she finished being coquettish, Su Nuannuan felt a chill run down her spine and almost threw up her dinner from the night before.
Oh dear, it seems I'm really not good at using the art of coquetry. But the Emperor seems to fall for it; he's standing there laughing heartily, his laughter loud and clear.
After entering the inner hall, Jinse tiptoed to the Emperor's side and personally placed a cup of emerald green tea steadily on the small table. Then, like a well-behaved cat, she quietly retreated to the side, standing silently with her head bowed and not daring to make a sound.
Just then, Su Nuannuan gracefully walked up to the Emperor, carefully picked up an exquisite teacup from the small table, and presented it to him with a charming smile. She said sweetly, "Your Majesty, please try the Lotus Leaf Three Purities Dew that I have carefully prepared. It is perfect for summer!" Her clear and melodious voice was like a nightingale singing in a valley, which was intoxicating.
The Emperor raised his head slightly, his gaze falling on the teacup in Su Nuannuan's hand. The cup contained a pool of clear, emerald-green tea, like a flawless piece of jade, radiating a captivating luster.
He asked with great interest, "Did my beloved concubine make this tea herself?" His words revealed a hint of surprise and curiosity.
"Your Majesty, it was indeed I who did it all myself!" Su Nuannuan nodded with a smile.
Then she began to recount her story: "That day, I happened to pass by the Imperial Garden and saw that the lotus leaves in the pond were exceptionally large and lush. On a whim, I ordered someone to pick one. I first carefully washed it, then cut it into small pieces, and then vigorously crushed it in cooled boiled water until the lotus leaf was juiced. Next, I used a snow-white gauze to squeeze out the juice, repeatedly pressing to ensure that every drop of essence was extracted. Finally, I carefully filtered out the foam and impurities with a fine tea strainer, and then added an appropriate amount of cooled boiled water to dilute and blend it. Of course, to make this tea even more delicious, I also added a little sweet and mellow honey for flavoring. Only in this way can the Lotus Leaf Three Purities Dew be considered complete." After speaking, Su Nuannuan still held the Lotus Leaf Three Purities Dew in both hands and slowly recounted the entire production process in detail.
The Emperor listened intently to Su Nuannuan's narration. After she finished, he reached out and took the teacup from her hand. He gently placed it under his nose, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and savored the faint, delicate fragrance. After a moment, he opened his eyes and smiled with satisfaction, "Hmm, indeed, it has a refreshing and elegant lotus leaf scent!"
After speaking, he elegantly raised the exquisite teacup in his hand to his lips, first carefully taking a small sip, and then slowly put the teacup down, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, and said softly, "Hmm, not bad, my beloved concubine is truly thoughtful."
Standing to the side, Su Nuannuan stared intently at the remaining lotus leaf dew in the teacup, inwardly complaining, "Hmph, it's such a waste to give this to someone as suspicious and afraid of being poisoned! Since you're so timid, you might as well stay obediently in the Hall of Diligent Governance and not go anywhere else."
However, on the surface, she lowered her head gently, rubbing her wrist softly, and said in a feigned aggrieved manner, "Oh dear, it seems that the lotus leaf dew that I carefully prepared does not suit Your Majesty's taste. What a pity! I put in a lot of effort to make this lotus leaf dew. Just grinding the juice almost broke my little hands."
Upon hearing this, the Emperor's expression changed slightly, as if he realized that his behavior just now was somewhat inappropriate. So, without saying a word, he picked up his teacup and drank the remaining lotus leaf dew in one gulp.
Seeing the Emperor's actions, Su Nuannuan couldn't help but feel secretly pleased: "Hehe, little brat, do you think I can't handle you?" But she still maintained a gentle smile on her face.