The Dragon's Flower Vol 1-5

Vol 5 Chap 139

XH 139

The little maid's way of brewing was nothing out of ordinary. It was not even the best brewing technique the Empress had seen in her life.

A beautiful woman in early thirties stared at the cup of tea in front of her doubtfully. With every turn and angle, it looked just like any ordinary tea in her phoenix shaped eyes.

"This is the tea leaves that the Empress had provided for this servant to brew tea. Please have a taste."

Duke Heng does not have a treasure in his hand now, so he offered his folding fan to her. As someone that does not appreciate poetry or any famous scholar in this world, Xiao Hua could not see the value of the fan and immediately declined.

"It's fine for today, Duke Heng. Consider it as a celebration for successfully forming a deal."

"Is that so? Then this lord will not be polite." Like a child eager to open his Christmas present, Duke Heng swiftly took a cup and drank the content, humming in bliss. Seeing him that way, the Empress put aside her suspicion and tasted the tea.

She had originally doubted Xiao Hua's skill and believed that Duke Heng had a beginning love bud towards her, hence the extreme bootlicking over her supposed 'skill'. However, when the taste hit her tongue bud, her ill thoughts fled away like a cloud of dust that was unable to withstand the might the wind's blow.

Duke Heng was already in his second cup when she came back to her senses. "How could this be? You added something into it."

Xiao Hua gave a mysterious smile. "This servant is not allowed to say or else the Third Prince would have my head."

With a delicate frown, the Empress asked doubtfully, "Do I need to sign a letter of promise?"

"Your Highness does not need to," Duan XiYing answered. They could only trust the Empress not to betray her own son, for it would be rude to question a mother's love for her son. While there were mothers that have lukewarm feelings to their own children, no one doubted the Empress faked her affection for her biological son.

Pleased, the Empress nodded and went back to enjoy her tea, after smacking Duke Heng's hand that reached for the teapot for the fourth time.

"Drinking too much tea would not be good. For a tea expert, should you not care for your dignity and sip the tea with the intention to taste it properly?"

Xiao Hua wisely kept her silence on how the Third Prince drank the tea like how one would drink water. Perhaps she should restrict his intake of the tea to remain on the safe side.

Remembering his blissful smile as he enjoyed the tea make Xiao Hua miss the Third Prince again.

"You claim that your skill in massage is better than your tea brewing?" The Empress inquired with interest.

With an awkward laugh, Xiao Hua replied in a hesitant manner, "This servant had assumed so, but my late mother had not tasted this servant's tea before. Tea brewing is something this servant learned in the Munzhu country half a year ago."

Xin Lin helped to refill the Empress' empty cup, ignoring Duke Heng's unreasonable possessiveness of the teapot that could be seen from his fiery gaze.

Xiao Hua and Duan XiYing exchanged meaningful eye contact. Seems like the tea was delicious to the Empress but not overly obsessive of it like how it does for Duke Heng.

"You will give me a massage before I retire for tonight," the Empress ordered.

Xiao Hua agreed without making a fuss. "As you wish, Your Highness."