scarlet heart | exo

Rewards

Soon after Huixin's marriage, Xuefeng was promoted to fill her position of the Emperor's Head Tea Lady.

Xiumin and Huixin were currently on what could only be described as the ancient equivalent of a honeymoon; since Xiumin wasn't really an important figure in the court, he had been granted a week off court sessions 'to get a good start in the production of my grandsons', as the Emperor put it, eliciting groans for his cheesiness. They had kept their itinerary a secret from even Xuefeng, preferring to travel incognito.

And Zitao had come to visit her again.

"So... Did Huixin's wedding change your mind?"

She banged the tea tray on the table, making the prince yelp as the hot tea splashed over his clothes. "Geez, watch it." He pried the tea tray out of her hands, fearful of the ways she could take her temper out on him with that very solid piece of wood.

"I don't know." She muttered in a soft voice. "And I don't want to know."

When he finally left, she had stalked off and slammed the door to her room, in a very bad mood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Xuefeng soon realised that being the Head Tea Lady not only allowed one to boss the other servant girls around, it also gave her access to a network of connections amongst the eunuchs that she had never dreamt of having before.

"The Mongolians' delegation has come with the intention of negotiating a peace deal with the Qing dynasty," remarked Xuefeng to Zhiyu. The Palace had welcomed visitors, and their intentions were, until recently, unclear. But there was apparently no need to worry, if the titbit that the Emperor's closest eunuch provided was accurate.

Picking up the teacups and placing them on trays, Xuefeng and Zhiyu proceeded to the Emperor's study. He had called a meeting with the princes to discuss something, most likely the peace treaty offer from the Mongolians, and they would be busy with the tea-serving duties.

"So, Zitao. I want you to tell me. What do you think of this treaty?" The Emperor's hard and demanding eyes never left Zitao's calculating ones as the father scrutinised his son carefully.

"I think it is great. If the treaty goes through, we will have peace for many years to come. Moreover, the peace treaty would encourage the exchange of knowledge and skills, and would be mutually beneficial for both cultures. For example, the Mongolians are very good on horseback, as they are experienced riders from living on the plains; and although horse-riding is a skill that us Manchurians consider a core part of our culture, we have since seen a decline in our prowess since leaving the plains for the cities. The Mongolians' knowledge could help revive horse-riding, not only amongst the people, but more importantly, in our military."

The Emperor nodded in approval, giving Zitao a proud glance. Zitao was perceptive and politically-savvy, and for that, he was obviously one of the Emperor's favorite sons. "Your analysis is very sound, Zitao, and I feel the same. We shall hold a banquet tonight to celebrate the arrival of our Mongolian friends and discuss the conditions of this peace treaty." The eunuch scurried of to do the Emperor's bidding.

"Well, now that that's done, let's go on to some more light hearted topics. Zitao, when are you ever going to get a wife?"

A chorus of laughter echoed around the study.

Right at that moment, Xuefeng walked forward to pass Zitao a fresh cup of tea, and playfully, he let his hand ghost over hers as he reached for the cup. She gave him a barely audible hiss, which made him chuckle.

"I haven't found the right woman yet."

"The right woman? How about one of your concubines?"

"Most of them don't want anything to do with me." Another round of chuckles echoed around the room.