At this moment, the eunuch responsible for announcing things outside the palace came in, said something to the emperor, and everyone saw the emperor nod.

Immediately, the eunuch announced that the heir of the Marquis of Fu'an, Murong Jing, should enter the palace.

After entering the main hall, Mu Rongjing first paid his respects to the Emperor, and then, without saying anything more, walked over and stood beside Kaiyang.

He left the capital late last night to handle an important matter. After finishing it, he rushed back without stopping. Upon learning that something was wrong with the delegation, he quickly washed up and tidied himself up before hurriedly entering the palace.

Although he didn't know the specifics, as soon as he entered the hall, seeing the aggressive demeanor of the other party, the worried expressions of the officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, and then looking at that calm-looking person, Mu Rongjing roughly had the answer in his mind.

It's almost certainly her doing.

Given her fearless, daring nature, and her willingness to ask the emperor for payment, foreign missions were nothing to her.

See, even under these circumstances, she still managed to greet me!

However, apart from Hong Xiaoduo herself, the two most composed people in the hall were Wei Kaiyang and the person on the dragon throne, which surprised Mu Rongjing.

Kaiyang has been with Xiaoduo the longest, so it's normal that he has complete faith in her abilities. But where does Your Majesty's calm and confident demeanor come from? Is it just because Empress Gao was released from the Cold Palace and because of the case involving Prime Minister Dong's youngest son? Does that give you such complete faith in her?

You are the Emperor, the most powerful man in the land! How could you be so easily subdued by a mere girl?

After smiling and nodding to Murong, Hong Xiaoduo said to the delegation, "What a coincidence! I actually know what opium looks like. Well then, words are no proof, so today I'll convince you all."

After saying that, Hong Xiaoduo said to Eunuch Fu, "I would like to trouble you to send someone to prepare paintbrushes, paper and paints for me."

Upon hearing this, Eunuch Fu immediately ordered a young eunuch to fetch him.

After giving his instructions, he remembered to look at the person on the dragon throne beside him.

The emperor glared at him, thinking to himself, "Is it too late that you didn't ask for my opinion now?"

In this situation, even if he knew he was wrong, it was not the time for Eunuch Fu to admit it. He shrank back, stood up straight, and prepared himself to accept punishment later.

I haven't been punished yet. I should be able to handle it if it happens once in a while!

He remembered that when he first entered the palace, his master had said that a eunuch who had never been flogged was not a qualified eunuch.

Eunuch Fu glanced at Mu Rongjing, then looked at the Emperor. Seeing that he had also seen what was happening, he thought to himself, "Your Majesty, you saw it, didn't you? Even the Mu Prince, whom you value most, is doing something inappropriate in this situation."

Mu Rongjing asked Kaiyang in a low voice what had happened, and Kaiyang told him the important parts.

Upon hearing this, Murong Jing was no longer surprised, but rather shocked.

She's like a treasure chest; no one knows how many rare and precious things are inside. The longer you spend with her, the more you get used to her and gradually become numb to her wonder.

In a short while, several eunuchs delivered what Hong Xiaoduo wanted. The quick-witted ones didn't even wait for instructions and carried the table and placed it in front of Hong Xiaoduo.

Another person asked Hong Xiaoduo in a low, respectful voice if she needed someone to serve her. Hong Xiaoduo replied that she thanked them but it was no need.

Then, everyone watched as she rolled up her sleeves, reached into the pen holder, selected the pen she needed from a row of pens, and then, as if remembering something, turned to Kaiyang and called out, "Kaiyang, come here, let me teach you how to draw."

Hong Xiaoduo's words startled everyone present. Wait, what's going on? Why is she teaching painting now?

Kaiyang didn't care what others thought or thought. When his mother called him, he immediately responded and went over.

"Mom, you can paint?" she asked softly as she approached.

"Yeah, I just remembered." Hong Xiaoduo replied to Kaiyang and started mixing the paint.

“By adding cinnabar to indigo, you can make purple.” After saying that, he looked at the angry delegation opposite him and said, “The original plant name of opium is poppy. It is an annual herb that grows to about one to two and a half feet tall.”

The flowers come in a variety of vibrant colors, including red, pink, purple, and white.

The petals are usually four, but occasionally double petals are also possible. There are several rings of stamens around the stamens, and white and red are the most common colors.

The leaves are emerald green and oblong; the plant stands tall and elegant; the fruit is high above the branches; it blooms in summer, with solitary flowers at the branch tips. The fruit is round or oval, containing numerous small seeds.

Hong Xiaoduo described and wrote at the same time, and after she finished speaking, she put the pen in her hand on the pen holder.

"Thank you for your trouble. Let His Majesty have a look first, and then let the delegation confirm whether I really know the true nature of opium," Hong Xiaoduo said to the two eunuchs waiting not far away.

The two hurried over, not even bothering to admire the lifelike flowers on the paper, and carefully lifted the scroll by both sides, walking towards the emperor.

The flowers on the paper are full of life, as if they are about to jump off the paper. The delicate brushstrokes and gorgeous colors are incredibly shocking and amazing.

The emperor learned not only the Four Books and Five Classics from a young age, but also the principles of governing the country, as well as the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

Therefore, the emperor's appreciation of paintings went beyond simply whether they were beautiful or not; he was also quite professional in judging the skill and artistry of the painter.

The foreign delegations on either side below, along with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue, including Murong Jing, hadn't seen the scene yet, but judging from the emperor's shocked expression, they were already eager to watch.

The emperor snapped out of his daze and nodded to the two eunuchs holding the painting.

The two eunuchs carefully delivered the painting to the delegation. Seeing the astonished and incredulous expressions on their faces, the two young eunuchs straightened up involuntarily.

How could this be? As far as they knew, this item did not exist in Fengliang Kingdom, nor was it recorded in any books. Even the two countries between Ying Kingdom and Fengliang Kingdom did not have this item. Yet, she, such a young woman, painted it so vividly and accurately.

Furthermore, her description of this object was absolutely accurate, and she even seemed to know more about it than they did.

How could this be? Could it be that she really went to the Panda Country?

"Your drawing is so lifelike, and you describe its appearance in such detail, but what does that prove? Can you be any more specific? Besides its analgesic and antidiarrheal properties," the envoy said, forcing himself to speak.

In fact, the envoy knew very well at that moment that he had no confidence whatsoever.

Upon hearing the other party speak, the two eunuchs holding the painting immediately and carefully returned it to the table in front of Hong Xiaoduo, and then retreated to their positions on the outside.

But what's with those angry looks from you gentlemen? It's like you want to devour them both?

The two eunuchs were still basking in the pleasure of the foreign delegation's humiliation, completely unaware that the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry of Rites, and Prince Mu, among others, were cursing them eight hundred times in their hearts. They had shown the painting to the emperor and the foreign delegation, so why hadn't they shown it to the foreign delegation?

However, even so, when the rulers and ministers of Fengliang saw the expressions of the foreign delegation, the phrase "stubborn to the end" immediately came to mind...