Chapter Fourteen: Eight Treasures Tea

The moment she spoke, she realized she had seemingly hit a nerve.

Spring Rain’s cheeks flushed instantly, and Feng Wuchen laughed as he jumped up.

“I know how to put it—it’s called ‘the elegance that naturally emanates from a mind enriched with poetry and books,’ right, Mother?”

“The Tenth Prince is truly impressive. That’s the difference between a scholar and an illiterate!” Xia Mo stretched the syllables teasingly, covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

“Xia Mo!” Spring Rain stomped her foot, looking like she wished she could disappear into the ground.

“Then how about this! I command that more books be prepared—one for each of you,” Jiang Daiyin declared generously with a flourish of her hand.

“Ah…” Spring Rain felt like crying.

Every day she woke up and immediately got to work. Besides reading, writing, and memorizing poems daily, she had morning exercises and night runs with the Empress.

The entire inner palace buzzed with its own lively affairs.

Consort Xiao and Consort Shu were busy preparing for the Empress Dowager’s birthday celebration.

Concubine Wei relied on visiting Fengyi Palace daily to sustain herself, because whenever she saw Jiang Daiyin’s joyful expression, her teeth itched with hatred.

At times like these, a fierce fighting spirit would ignite within her.

Jiang Daiyin had harmed her to such an extent—she vowed revenge, to reclaim her former glory!

The Empress Dowager’s birthday was approaching; then, she would make everyone witness how she restored her favor.

“Mother, this is the calligraphy Yao’er wrote. The teacher even praised her!” Feng Lingyao eagerly held out the paper to Wei Ranzhu, hoping for her praise.

But to everyone’s surprise, Wei Ranzhu snatched the paper away with a fierce expression.

“Writing calligraphy? Your mother is being bullied—how can she be in the mood to praise you?”

“You’re just a girl. What use is good handwriting? If only Ye’er had your determination, His Majesty would have surely paid more attention to me!”

“Did you hear that? From now on, you must never overshadow your brother!”

As she spoke, Wei Ranzhu pinched Feng Lingyao’s arm.

“Yes, Mother, Yao’er understands,” Feng Lingyao replied weakly, fighting back tears, her delicate face full of grievance.

Every time she performed well at the National Academy, she expected her mother’s praise upon returning, but all she received was scolding.

She and her brother were both her mother’s children—why couldn’t her mother treat her the same way?

“Stop crying! You’ll cry away all your good fortune!” Wei Ranzhu thought of Feng Linye’s disdainful look toward her and grew even angrier.

Unable to hold back, Feng Lingyao burst into tears and ran out.

“Your Highness, the Sixth Princess is young and doesn’t understand. Please don’t be too harsh on her,” Rouge offered a cup of tea to comfort Wei Ranzhu.

“What use is the princess? She’ll rely on Ye’er in the end. If she performs so well, how will Ye’er be perceived? Such foolishness.”

“Your Highness is right.”

“Ye’er is always by that treacherous Bai Wanwan’s side—she’ll surely be corrupted. I must find a way to bring Ye’er back to me.”

The more Wei Ranzhu thought about it, the angrier she became. To be spoken to so openly by her own son in front of everyone—she couldn’t swallow that humiliation.

“What does Your Highness plan to do?”

“You can’t hold on to the child and expect to catch the wolf…” Wei Ranzhu narrowed her eyes.

The cold wind howled, leaves twirling down to the ground.

The Empress had not come to deliver the Eight Treasures tea to the Heart-Nurturing Palace for several days now, which unsettled Feng Yuxin.

“Fulinhai, go ask the Empress why she’s stopped sending the Eight Treasures tea to me.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Fulinhai bowed and left quietly.

“Master, what does the Emperor mean by this?”

“If His Majesty wants the Eight Treasures tea, he can have it brewed himself. Why trouble the Empress?”

Among them was Fulinhai’s apprentice, Little Fuzi, who was unsure of the Emperor’s intention.

“You insolent brat! How could you fathom the Emperor’s will? Watch your head!” Fulinhai tapped his head with a duster.

“Ouch! I understand, I understand!” Little Fuzi rubbed his head, no longer daring to speak.

“The Emperor is looking for an excuse to see the Empress,” Fulinhai glanced around mysteriously, smiling deeply.

“Alright, you must deliver this message.”

“Yes, understood.” Little Fuzi suddenly realized the Emperor’s true meaning.

To meet her, he just needed to go to Fengyi Palace—why beat around the bush?

“Stop! You must bow when you see Consort Xin!”

“Your servant pays respects to Consort Xin.”

Hearing this, Little Fuzi tensed and quickly knelt in greeting.

“Why so flustered?” Consort Xin recognized the young eunuch from the Emperor’s side and scrutinized him.

“Returning to Consort Xin, His Majesty sent me to ask why the Empress has not sent the Eight Treasures tea recently.”

“Eight Treasures tea?” Consort Xin’s eyes brightened.

Previously, the concubines had tried every way to offer the Emperor tea and soup, but His Majesty refused them all—except for the Empress’s offering. It turned out she sent the Eight Treasures tea.

An idea suddenly formed in Consort Xin’s mind.

“In that case, I won’t trouble the eunuch to deliver the message to the Empress.”

With that, Consort Xin curved her lips and quickly departed.

When Little Fuzi arrived at Fengyi Palace, Jiang Daiyin was just returning with Feng Wuchen carrying a hoe.

“The foundation of the nation lies with the people. We cannot simply sit in the court and ignore the hardships of the common folk.”

“Understood, Mother,” Feng Wuchen nodded like a little adult.

“In a while, we’ll be able to eat radishes we planted ourselves. Aren’t you happy?”

“Very happy!”

Jiang Daiyin smiled warmly, wanting the child to understand from a young age the value of food and the hardships of the people, so he could become a wise ruler.

“Your servant pays respects to the Empress and the Tenth Prince,” Little Fuzi bowed deeply.

Inside, a storm raged.

The Empress’s current state was far from the dignified and elegant mother of the nation he imagined—it shattered his worldview.

“Who are you?”

“Returning to Your Highness, I am a servant close to His Majesty. The Emperor sent me to ask why the Empress has not sent the Eight Treasures tea to the Heart-Nurturing Palace recently.”

Xia Mo suddenly slapped her thigh. She had forgotten something important lately.

Since the Empress fell ill, she had overlooked this matter. She hadn’t expected the Emperor to send someone to inquire. What a predicament.

“Eight Treasures tea?” Jiang Daiyin frowned, puzzled by the Emperor’s tactic, but she waved her hand.

“Go tell His Majesty that I will send it shortly.”

“Yes, your servant takes his leave.”

Little Fuzi left, his eyes filled with a complicated expression.

“Go find the Eight Treasures tea and send a bowl to His Majesty,” Jiang Daiyin said, understanding that two people together might share secrets only they knew.

After all, it was a little intimacy between a young couple.

She waved her hand, not making a fuss.

“Yes.”

Whether the so-called Eight Treasures tea was truly so or not, after so long, she was a bit craving some milk tea.

Jiang Daiyin rolled up her sleeves.

“Tonight, watch me make a grand display!”