Chapter 1094: Grand Finale: Return of an Old Friend (2)
Guyu and Jingzhe were both startled. Uncle Tang hurriedly asked, "What's wrong, Madam?"
Shen Miao shook her head: "Maybe I caught a cold last night, and the smell of goat milk is fishy. I can't eat it now, so I'd better not drink it."
"In that case," Uncle Tang mused, "I'll have the servants bring back some medicine. Madam Yokan should not drink it for now, to avoid feeling uncomfortable. I'll have the kitchen make some light soup later."
Shen Miao nodded, grabbed her cloak and said to Jingzhe Guyu, “Let’s go.”
Mo Qing and Cong Yang had already prepared the carriage outside. They did not follow Xie Jing Xing to Ming Qi, and Long Ye was not completely at ease from then on. Since they were both highly skilled in martial arts and Shen Miao could use them easily, they stayed in Long Ye and followed Shen Miao's instructions.
When she entered the palace, Empress Xian De was waiting for her in Weiyang Palace. She smiled and said, "You are a little late today."
"There was some trouble before we came out." Shen Miao said with a smile, and then asked: "Your Majesty, have you been feeling better these days?"
"Not bad. He even strolled around the garden with me yesterday. But..." Empress Xian De smiled bitterly, "Maybe he was just lying to me. He always lies to me and never tells me anything."
Shen Miao paused for a moment and then advised her, “His Majesty is also afraid that you will worry. He hopes that Your Majesty will not worry about this. He is thinking of you in his heart.”
"Perhaps." Empress Xian De smiled. "Let's not talk about that anymore. I got some new tea leaves yesterday, and I made some sweet-scented osmanthus cakes in the kitchen. Ancient books record that scholars in previous dynasties put tea leaves in sweet-scented osmanthus cakes to get the fragrance of tea leaves. Paired with tea, they were called tea snacks. I thought it was a good idea, and thinking of you coming today, I decided to make it in the imperial kitchen. I'm afraid the emperor would laugh at me if he knew, so I had no choice but to come to you with a shameless face."
“Your Majesty, you are truly praising me.” Shen Miao smiled, “I come from a military family, and have always been rough and unsophisticated. I don’t know how to do these elegant things.”
“Don’t come on,” Empress Xian De scolded, “Even those scholars and officials in Longye who think they are well-educated are not as knowledgeable as you. If you are rude, won’t you be ridiculed by all the scholars and officials in Longye?” She handed the teacup to Shen Miao, “Try it first, how about it?”
Empress Xian De loved to make tea. She loved to watch the tea leaves boil in the water. The water temperature had to be just right, not too much, not too little. The time had to be just right too. As for the specific tea leaves, spring water, and honey, it was a matter of study. As an empress, she seemed not to be impatient with these trivial matters. It seemed that it was precisely because of this that her temperament was tempered to be so peaceful. Shen Miao loved being with Empress Xian De because of her peaceful temperament, which made people feel that the years were quiet and peaceful, and time was long.
Shen Miao said, "Obedience is better than respect." She picked up the tea and took a sip. The tea was very fragrant, with a rich aroma and a slightly bitter taste, but a dry and sweet aftertaste. Shen Miao was about to speak when she suddenly felt nauseous. Her hand shook and half the cup of tea fell out. She covered her mouth and retched.
Empress Xian De was startled and quickly took the tea from her hand. Seeing that she looked unhappy, she asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Shen Miao felt that the churning in her stomach had subsided a little, and then she shook her head and said, "It's okay. Sorry, Madam, I'm really sorry. I probably caught a cold recently and have been feeling uncomfortable in my stomach. When I went out today..." Her voice suddenly stopped, and an expression of disbelief appeared on her face.
Empress Xian De was also a little confused at first, but after seeing Shen Miao’s expression, she seemed to have thought of something and said in shock: “You can’t be…”
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