Chapter 643: Hundred Flower Tea

Zu'an's brow furrowed. His first thought was, "Is this another trap from Cheng Xiong?"

However, he quickly realized that Cheng Xiong had just played his trump card with the Emperor and wouldn't be able to launch another attack so soon.

"Miss, please lead the way," he said, curious enough to investigate.

Hearing him call her "Miss," the palace maid's pretty face flushed slightly. Clearly, no one had ever spoken to her like that before. This Embroidered Uniform Guard was not as sinister and terrifying as his colleagues; on the contrary, he spoke very pleasantly.

Soon, she led Zu'an to a quiet palace, filled with various blooming flowers. The sight of the colorful blossoms was truly delightful and pleasing to the eye.

Zu'an was a bit surprised. These flowers were clearly not originally planted in the palace. His own courtyard also had some flowers, but they paled in comparison to those in this palace.

Someone had clearly cultivated them with great care, so he smiled and asked the maid, "Miss, your hands are truly skillful to have grown so many beautiful flowers."

The maid's face reddened slightly. "These were planted by the Consort," she replied.

"The Consort?" Zu'an's heart stirred. He had met most of the palace maids in the Empress's palace, and this was clearly not Kuning Palace. So, which Consort was this?

"Is Lord Eleven also a lover of flowers?" a gentle voice suddenly inquired.

Zu'an looked up and saw a graceful figure standing among the flowers not far away. She held a pair of pruning shears, trimming branches and leaves. The maid beside her curtsied and slowly withdrew.

"Greetings, Imperial Consort Bai," Zu'an immediately recognized her. He had met her once when he first entered the palace, and her gentle, shy demeanor had left a deep impression on him.

Back then, she had been reluctant to even speak much to men from outside the palace. What reason could she have for specifically asking to see him now?

Imperial Consort Bai handed the pruning shears to a nearby attendant, took a damp towel offered to her, wiped her hands, and then looked at Zu'an. "Lord Eleven is too polite," she said.

Her demeanor was inherently gentle, and her voice was soft and delicate, truly evoking a sense of pity. Zu'an couldn't help but marvel that the "foolish" Crown Prince was quite fortunate, having both a beautiful and graceful Crown Princess like a peony, and a tender, understanding woman like Imperial Consort Bai.

"I just heard Lord Eleven praise the flowers in the courtyard, so it seems you are also a flower enthusiast," Imperial Consort Bai said, her eyes softening further, clearly pleased to find a kindred spirit.

"I do indeed love flowers," Zu'an secretly added, *though what I truly love is the beauty of women*.

He subconsciously glanced around with his peripheral vision, detecting no ambush.

It wasn't surprising he was overly cautious, having been repeatedly ambushed by Cheng Xiong recently. He wondered if this woman might also be colluding with Cheng Xiong, planning to frame him for harassment.

"May I ask, Imperial Consort Bai, why you have called me here?" Zu'an asked cautiously. Beautiful as she was, it wouldn't be good to let her beauty cloud his judgment.

Imperial Consort Bai offered a faint smile. "You saved the Crown Prince and Crown Princess previously, and I haven't had a chance to thank you properly until now. That's why I specifically invited you today."

Zu'an was momentarily surprised; he hadn't expected this reason. However, it was natural for her, as the Crown Prince's concubine, to thank him.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture. "It was merely my duty; I dare not take credit."

Imperial Consort Bai said softly, "Since the Crown Princess has already bestowed gifts today, if I don't express my gratitude, people might think I don't care about the Crown Prince's safety. Is Lord Eleven trying to put me in such a difficult position?"

Her eyes fluttered, seeming to shimmer with a crystalline moisture.

Zu'an inwardly gasped at her skill. Even as a woman who had given birth, she could still appear so pitiful and vulnerable.

He quickly replied, "This subordinate would not dare."

Imperial Consort Bai continued, "Could it be that Lord Eleven dislikes my gift, thinking it's not as good as the Crown Princess's? It's true, as a mere concubine, I don't have much to offer."

Zu'an knew she was speaking this way deliberately, yet he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity. *Women in the imperial palace truly are not to be underestimated*, he thought.

"Imperial Consort Bai, you overstate things. This subordinate thanks Your Ladyship."

Imperial Consort Bai nodded with satisfaction, motioning for the palace maids and eunuchs carrying the jewelry and gifts to wait to the side.

She then slowly walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down, pouring tea while gesturing for Zu'an to also sit. "Lord Eleven, please take a seat."

Zu'an was startled. Sitting so close to her might not be appropriate.

At this point, Imperial Consort Bai continued, "I felt that simply offering material gifts would be too impersonal and wouldn't fully express my gratitude for you saving the Crown Prince. So, I invite you to have a cup of 'Hundred Flower Tea.' This tea is made from various flowers I personally collected and cultivated. Although it's not a rare treasure, it is quite special."

"Imperial Consort Bai, you are too kind," Zu'an replied. "If a tea like this isn't precious, then what is?"

He also sat down at the table opposite her in the pavilion. The area was open, and there were palace maids and eunuchs standing nearby, so he assumed there would be no misunderstandings.

Her choice of this location for tea was likely to convey a sense of openness and propriety.

A gentle smile flickered in Imperial Consort Bai's eyes, capable of subtly calming one's heart. "Lord Eleven, please."

As she poured the tea, a small portion of her fair wrist was revealed, truly as delicate and white as milk. Perhaps because she had given birth not long ago, her movements emphasized the fullness of her chest.

Zu'an kept his gaze modest, finding it inappropriate to stare. He lowered his eyes to the Hundred Flower Tea in front of him.

Unlike the common green or brown hues of tea, the Hundred Flower Tea in the cup had a delicate rose-red tint, which, paired with the jade-green porcelain cup, was truly a delight to behold.

He exclaimed from the heart, "This tea is truly like Your Ladyship, Imperial Consort Bai—its beauty surpasses jade inlaid with pearls, and the morning dew on a rose cannot compare to its elegance."

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He was accustomed to complimenting beautiful women in everyday life, but this was the imperial palace, and her status was special; it was quite inappropriate.

As expected, Imperial Consort Bai's expression subtly changed upon hearing his words. She instinctively straightened her back, as if to distance herself from him. However, she quickly noticed the clarity in his eyes, which lacked any hint of lust, and only then did she relax, realizing his praise was sincere.

A faint blush spread across her fair face, truly resembling the Hundred Flower Tea in the jade-green cup. "Lord Eleven, you flatter me," she said.

Zu'an offered an awkward smile. It wasn't appropriate to say anything further, so he simply drank his tea. As soon as he picked up the cup, he caught a unique scent, unlike any perfume or cosmetics he had encountered before—it was incredibly fresh and natural. "How fragrant!" he exclaimed.

Imperial Consort Bai smiled, pursing her lips. "This tea combines the essence of many flowers, so it naturally carries their fragrance. I spent considerable effort researching how to prevent its scent from becoming too strong or gaudy."

"Imperial Consort Bai truly possesses a noble heart and keen intellect," Zu'an praised. He had initially worried the tea might be poisoned and had only taken a small sip. But that single sip filled his mouth with fragrance, and he couldn't resist drinking several more.

*Imperial Consort Bai wouldn't dare openly poison a golden-badge Embroidered Uniform Guard*, he reasoned. *And if it were an aphrodisiac, well, I have the most potent one in the world, and this tea clearly doesn't have that familiar sensation.*

Seeing him take several sips, a hint of joy flashed in Imperial Consort Bai's eyes. After all, who wouldn't want their efforts to be appreciated?

However, she suddenly recalled that he had compared the tea to her, and now he was continuously drinking it. *Wouldn't that imply...?*

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly changed the subject. "I heard there was a Grandmaster among the assassins at the Eastern Palace this time?"

Zu'an put down his teacup. "That's right, and she was a woman."

This was public knowledge, so there was no need to hide it.

Admiration flickered in Imperial Consort Bai's eyes. "Lord Eleven, to protect the Crown Prince from a Grandmaster is truly admirable."

Zu'an's old face flushed. "To be honest with Imperial Consort Bai, I couldn't even withstand one strike from her. It was His Majesty who repelled the assassin."

Imperial Consort Bai smiled gently. "Lord Eleven is too modest. To withstand a Grandmaster's strike and remain unharmed, that level of skill is certainly something to be proud of. Moreover, I've heard from the palace maids that it was precisely because of your valiant struggle at the beginning that they were able to hold out until His Majesty intervened. Therefore, you are still the greatest contributor."

"Imperial Consort Bai, you flatter me," Zu'an replied, feeling a little lightheaded. This woman was beautiful, her voice gentle, and her words pleasant. Being praised by her, it was indeed hard not to be lost in thought.

"Oh, by the way," Imperial Consort Bai said with a hint of worry, "I heard that female assassin was injured and escaped. Has she been captured? If she's hiding somewhere in the palace, we might all be in danger. I don't mind for myself, but if anything were to happen to the Imperial Grandson, I truly wouldn't want to live."