CH 9.1

Cui Nong is an extremely smart person, and she has a thorough understanding of Empress Dowager Song’s thoughts.

So when the two snacks were delivered to Li Chengxuan, not only did she say that they were made by the Empress’s kitchen according to the instructions of Empress Dowager Song, but she also said that Song Jinning asked someone to make it especially for him. 

"Her Highness the Empress said that this is a famous snack from Jiangnan. The wild herbs used in this snack only bloom during this season, and they are very fragrant. As for the glutinous rice inside, it is warm and sweet in taste. This snack has the ability to improve His Majesty’s health."

Li Chengxuan snorted in disdain when he heard this. 

Song Jinning definitely did not ask someone to make this for him. 

He's not a fool, he can see Song Jinning's indifference to him on the wedding night, and the expectation that he would disappear before her eyes. 

Furthermore, if Song Jinning asked someone to do this for him, the one sending it should be Song Jinning's maidservant. How come it’s Cui Nong who is sending it to him? 

It must be that Song Jinning took these snacks to Empress Dowager Song, and Empress Dowager Song asked Cui Nong to send this to him in order to improve his thinking of Song Jinning. 

Even though he had seen the truth behind the incident, Li Chengxuan did not show any impatience or contempt on his face.

Instead, he ordered Zhou Jing to grab chopsticks, and took a bite of the Haozibaba in front of Cui Nong.

He paused slightly.

This was very good!

Seeing that what needs to be done has been achieved, Cui Nong retired and turned back to return to Shoukang Palace. 

As soon as Cui Nong walked out of the hall, Zhou Jing hurried forward to remove the snacks. 

This is the Emperor, what kind of delicacies has he not eaten? Giving him a snack made of wild herbs, who are you looking down on?

Not even eating, Zhou Jing felt that Li Chengxuan was aggrieved just by looking at these two snacks.

What's more, the emperor just took a bite...

Zhou Jing felt that it was really difficult for Li Chengxuan to win the trust of the Empress Dowager. 

How many things does he need to do against his will?

Zhou Jing hurriedly removed the plates that were in front of Li Chengxuan. 

As he looked at the plates, he slandered in his heart, tsk, what kind of plates are these? White and plain, this is the emperor! 

But he changed his mind to thinking that these are foods that poor villagers would eat, nevermind, this is what the poor villagers would feed to their livestock. Even if an expensive plate was used, it would still be the same. 

Turning around, he handed the plates to a eunuch who was standing on the side. Zhou Jing turned around and said to Li Chengxuan: "Your Majesty was wronged just now. Should this slave ask someone to go to the imperial kitchen to get some cakes in order for your majesty to clean his mouth?” 

He held up a green tea pot and poured tea for Li Chengxuan graciously. 

"Your Majesty, rinse your mouth first."

Li Chengxuan: ...

He was still holding the pair of chopsticks. 

Originally he wanted Cui Nong to leave before he ate more of the Haozibaba, but Zhou Jing suddenly snatched it away. 

In order to maintain his majesty, Li Chengxuan always had a cold face so that no one could see what he was thinking. 

So naturally he can't tell Zhou Jing that the Haozibaba was indeed very delicious. 

Nevermind. 

Li Chengxuan put down the chopsticks in his hand and took the tea cup from Zhou Jing's hand expressionlessly.

He drank the tea, but the Haozibaba taste still didn’t disappear.  

Then he ate the cakes that the eunuch had brought from the imperial kitchen. 

These were his favorite cakes, but he couldn't help but recall the taste of the Haozibaba while he was eating. 

He couldn’t help but be slightly annoyed. How did Zhou Jing know him so well that he took the Haozibaba without him saying anything? 

Is the mind of an emperor something you can guess so casually?

Seeing Zhou Jing, he couldn’t help but feel disdain. 

Zhou Jing: ...

Zhou Jing began to tremble involuntarily.

Why does he feel that the Emperor is upset?

But why is the emperor unhappy? He did his job pretty well today. 

Zhou Jing couldn't understand.

But he couldn't ignore Li Chengxuan's heavy gaze. So he hurriedly bowed his head and bent over, wishing that he would just disappear. 

How useless.

Zhou Jing heard Li Chengxuan’s voice after a while. 

"Did you make the tea today?"

"Yes." Zhou Jing answered.

In Zhou Jing's view, a tea’s function is to quench thirst. But in Li Chengxuan's case, he only needs to drink once. Needless to say, he can immediately tell what kind of tea it is, even if it is soaked in rain or snow.

Zhou Jing has served Li Chengxuan for seven or eight years, and he knows that he is picky in this matter. So even though he is now the head eunuch, he still makes tea for Li Chengxuan from time to time. 

For example, the tea Li Chengxuan just drank now was made by him. 

Zhou Jing is not worried about what will happen to this bowl of tea because he is used to making tea.

He still has this confidence.

So when the emperor asked him these words, does this mean he likes the tea? The taste of the wild herbs just now that made the emperor aggrieved, did the tea successfully remove it?

The more Zhou Jing thought about it, the more he was convinced that this was the reason. So his body no longer trembled, and he no longer bowed his head. 

As he was about to stand up to receive the award, he heard Li Chengxuan's moodless voice again.

"The water when you made this tea boiled too much. Because of this, you will be punished to kneel in the imperial kitchen.”

Zhou Jing: ...

What kind of tongue does his master have that he can actually taste boiling water?

Is there such a person in the world?

Zhou Jing had doubts, but even if he had ten lifetimes worth of courage, he would not dare to ask. 

He had to lower his head again, bow down, and answer respectfully, "Yes."

He didn’t get the expected award, but at least he didn’t get any more punishments. 

This punishment will enable him to master the skill of boiling, so he can make better tea in the future? 

Full of doubts, Zhou Jing turned and went out of the hall to go to the imperial kitchen.

T/N: Zhou Jing annoys me for no reason ^^