Xuan Ling said majestically, "Let the Queen come in."
Sheng Xiyan stood up from his legs. His eyes were gentle as he slowly loosened his grip on her hand. As soon as he let go, he quickly grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her closer, letting her stand next to him.
She leaned against him, her hand gently placed on his neck, and he held her soft little hand.
Qingdai supported the queen and walked in slowly. Sheng Xiyan let go of Xuan Ling and bowed with a smile on her face.
"Your Majesty, the Empress, may you be blessed with good health."
Empress Duan smiled and nodded, then saluted Xuan Ling, "Good luck to the Emperor."
Xuan Ling said, "The Queen is feeling heavy, please sit down."
Empress Duan looked at Sheng Xiyan with admiration and praise, "Sister Sheng, you look so ethereal and graceful in this outfit, it's a delight to the eyes."
"Thank you, Madam, for your praise."
Empress Duan had forgotten how she dressed in her boudoir. Since entering the palace, she had never had the opportunity to dress like that because she had to be dignified and steady at all times.
The palace maids brought tea. As a concubine, Sheng Xiyan remembered her duty and personally served tea to the emperor and the empress.
Xuan Ling took a sip of Pu'er tea and asked, "What's the matter with the Queen?"
Empress Duan said respectfully, "Your Majesty, I have been considering the candidates for the six palaces these past few days. I originally favored Consort De, but she said she was too weak to handle the role. Consort Shu, Consort Liang, and Consort Jia each have their own unique qualities, and I am currently struggling to decide. I have come to ask Your Majesty for advice."
Xuan Ling didn't speak quickly. It was just afternoon tea time, and exquisite snacks were placed on the rosewood table.
Sheng Xiyan picked up a piece of Huangqiao pancake for him and a piece of sour jujube cake for Queen Duan.
Xuan Ling tasted it and said, "It's not greasy, Yanyan, try it."
Handing her the plate with half-eaten pancake, Sheng Xiyan carefully looked for the jade shoes and found that the palace servants had only brought two pairs of jade shoes, which were used by the emperor and the empress.
It would be indecent to eat it with your hands, and you had just touched the agarwood block.
So she took out her handkerchief and picked up the small pancake to eat. She liked snacks with a little saltiness. When she tasted it, she found it to be a perfect combination of salty and sweet, and even better than the old brands in Beijing.
Xuan Ling turned around and looked at her, smiling as she ate. It was just a small snack, but there seemed to be stars in her eyes.
The dimple on the right cheek appears and disappears as he chews.
Empress Duan was infected by Sheng Xiyan's appetite, picked up the sour jujube cake, nodded and said:
"I haven't had snacks that I like for many days. I thought the snacks were not tasty. It turns out that there is no lovely person like Sister Sheng around."
When Sheng Xiyan heard this, she was shocked. She thought the emperor and the empress were chatting while she was standing on the side eating in a secluded area, but she didn't expect that they didn't talk and just kept looking at her.
She quickly stuffed her handkerchief into her sleeves and forced an awkward smile.
How many lifetimes have you never seen dim sum? The two people sitting there must have thought so, ahem...
Xuan Ling looked at her uneasy yet cute appearance, and couldn't help but raise the corners of his mouth slightly, trying hard to suppress a smile.
When his eyes moved to the corner of her mouth where a little bit of crispy biscuit skin remained, he said gently, "Yanyan, come here."
Sheng Xiyan carefully observed his expression and saw that he looked kind and did not feel ashamed of his previous loss of composure, so he mustered up the courage to take a small step forward.
"Bow your head."
She obediently bent down and lowered her face a little. He stretched out his hand and gently wiped the puff pastry and a few white sesame seeds from the corners of her mouth.
Sheng Xiyan's face turned red instantly, as if it had been roasted by fire, and she wished she could find a hole to crawl into immediately.
However, in Xuan Ling's eyes, she looked particularly cute at this moment.
He consoled her, "Food is the most important thing for the people. The way Yanyan eats her snacks is truly captivating. I'd like to try some other snacks. Would you mind choosing some?"
There were ten plates of exquisite snacks on the table. Sheng Xiyan noticed that Pu'er tea was served today, so she picked up a piece of white tea pastry.
"Your Majesty, white tea pastry is light and sweet, and can enhance the taste of Pu'er tea. Please try it."
Then, he thoughtfully picked up a piece of walnut cake for Empress Duan and said, "Empress, if you supplement walnut kernels during pregnancy, your baby will definitely be very smart and healthy."
Queen Duan's face was filled with a gentle smile. She nodded and praised, "Sister Sheng is really good at choosing."
Xuan Ling personally picked up a piece of pine nut and lily pastry and said, "Yan Yan, I tried this pastry the other day and it was delicious. You should try it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
This time he gave her the entire dish, and Sheng Xiyan ate elegantly.
Xuan Ling was in a good mood. He leaned back against the yellow cushions and watched Sheng Xiyan eat some snacks for a while before saying, "Shu Fei is capable, but she doesn't know how to sympathize with the weak. If she's not suitable, let Liang Fei try first."
Empress Duan said respectfully, "I understand."
She put down her jade robe, stroked her pregnant belly, and said with a smile, "This child is a naughty one. The fetal movement is very obvious. I originally wanted to let him pay his respects to the emperor today, but he hasn't moved at all."
Xuan Ling said gently, "The child is sleeping. The Queen has worked hard. Go back and take good care of him."
Empress Duan stood up and bowed. "I'll take my leave. Could Your Majesty borrow Sister Sheng for a moment and have her accompany me to stroll around the Imperial Garden?"
Sheng Xiyan put down the plate and said with a smile, "The sun is shining brightly today, it's a good time for Your Majesty to take a walk."
Xuan Ling glanced at her, as if reluctant to let her go. "Go."
In the imperial garden, Sheng Xiyan supported Queen Duan and took a slow walk.
"I can see that the emperor is in a good mood. It's all thanks to you."
"This is what I should do."
Empress Duan caressed her hand, noticed the agarwood bracelet on her wrist, and said gently, "Your Majesty is busy with state affairs. His leisure time entertainment is not watching singing and dancing performances, but riding horses, shooting arrows, studying, and researching antique treasures."
Sheng Xiyan continued, "The emperor has elegant taste."
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
