Chapter 66: [World 3] Royal Secrets 5 : Delivering Medicine

Xia He taught many standard etiquettes to Xunian while decocting the medicine.

Xunian had a good memory and quickly imitated the gestures exactly.

“Like this?”

Xunian repeated the movement just as Xia He had shown.

“Yes, just like that…”

Xia He looked at her with satisfaction, surprised that Xunian could learn so quickly.

She had only watched twice and could copy the motions perfectly—a promising seed indeed.

She turned to check on the medicinal pot. The medicine was almost ready.

Xia He wrapped the scorching medicine pot with a clean cloth and carried it to the side.

The black medicine steamed with white vapor, releasing a distinct bitter aroma. Just smelling it was enough to imagine how bitter it would taste.

Xunian recalled that when she was little, there was a time she was sick.

Her parents took her to the Imperial Physician Hall to get herbal medicine.

She didn’t like the taste and secretly poured it out.

Later, her elder sister found out, and half-coaxing, half-forcing her, made her drink it.

Afterward, her sister patted her head and rewarded her with a Big White Rabbit Milk Candy.

From then on, she didn’t hate herbal medicine as much, because she had her sister’s candy.

Even now, she still kept the habit of carrying Big White Rabbit Milk Candy with her.

At this very moment, she still had candy hidden on her.

It was hidden so secretly that the Palace Maids who searched her hadn’t found it.

Xia He solemnly handed the bowl of decocted medicine to Xunian.

Xunian accepted the bowl of medicine uneasily, carrying it carefully all the way to the Main Hall.

She hesitated at the door of the Main Hall, suddenly realizing something was off.

Why was she the one delivering it?

She was a newly arrived Palace Maid—why would such an important medicine for the Empress be entrusted to her?

Xia He should have been the one in charge of decocting and delivering the medicine.

Now she was passing such a heavy responsibility to Xunian so easily—it was a bit strange.

Thinking it over, it could only mean that the Empress had given the order herself.

Everything felt a bit odd; not a sound could be heard from within the hall.

There were too few people here.

Since entering Qinghe Palace, Xunian had only seen two living people.

One was Li Momo, the other was Xia He.

How could the Empress have so few servants around her?

“Still not coming in?”

The Empress’s voice floated out from within, soft and gentle, tinged with exhaustion.

At her words, Xunian immediately pushed the door open. Upon entering, she saw a long hanging curtain, with the faint silhouette of the Empress behind it.

She tiptoed forward and set the bowl on a table.

“This servant was ordered to bring medicine for Your Grace.”

“Cough, cough,” the Empress covered her mouth as she coughed, sounding severely ill, “Go out.”

Xunian withdrew.

Once Xunian left, the Empress called softly, “Li Momo.”

Li Momo stepped forward to test the medicine for poison.

She dipped a silver needle into the bowl, then lifted it to sniff. The aroma was no different from previous medicines.

She poured a little into a plain tea cup she had prepared and drank it herself.

The taste was normal too.

It appeared to be safe.

She handed the bowl to the Empress with confidence, “Please rest assured, Your Grace. Xia He watched the entire process.”

The Empress did not hesitate and drank the entire bowl of medicine in one go.

Li Momo was a bit surprised. The Empress had always hated drinking medicine, usually waiting until it was cold before reluctantly taking it. But this time…

The Empress seemed to be treating this new Palace Maid a bit differently.

Her gaze darkened.

She wondered about the origin of this Palace Maid, who had somehow won such favor from the Empress.

……

Xunian knew the Empress was testing her. She lingered at the door for a while and indeed heard voices from within.

There was no need to linger any longer. She turned and went back to the Side Hall.

Xia He was still waiting for her inside. When she saw Xunian return, she handed her a Booklet, “These are the rules for Qinghe Palace. You’d best remember them.”

Noticing the troubled look in Xunian’s eyes, Xia He asked in confusion, “What’s wrong?”

Xunian spread her hands, “I can’t read.”

Her current persona was that of an illiterate Palace Maid, and she had fully immersed herself in the role.

Seeing her blank expression, Xia He sighed, “Let me read them to you, then.”

Xunian nodded.

“The Palace Rules of Qinghe Palace, first: Always obey the Empress. Second…”

Xunian nodded with feigned understanding.

……

“She can’t read?”

Upon hearing Li Momo’s report, the Empress looked up in surprise.

That fair, clean little face, spotless clothes, an ethereal aura, and hands without a trace of calluses—she didn’t seem at all like an illiterate servant, but rather like a young lady from a wealthy family.

Something didn’t feel right.

The Empress wanted to meet this Xunian herself.

It had been a long time since anything so interesting had come along.

The Empress felt a strong interest in Xunian.

A slight curve lifted her lips, a faint smile in her eyes, as she gave an order,

“Have her bring tea.”

“Yes.”

Li Momo went out to instruct Xunian to deliver tea.

Just finished the herbal medicine, and now she had to bring tea?

Carrying the tea, Xunian walked along the path to the Main Hall, thinking that this Empress really liked bitter things—always drinking the most bitter stuff.

When she reached the Main Hall doors, this time she had learned her lesson and announced,

“This servant was ordered to bring tea for Your Grace.”

“Come in.”

Xunian gently pushed the door open, walking across the wooden floor as silently as possible.

She set the tea on the table and was about to leave when she heard the Empress’s voice, “Stop.”

[Rule Two]: No one may refuse the Empress’s request.

Even though Xunian felt she was already far from the Empress, she was, after all, still a person.

So she obediently stopped.

From behind the curtain emerged a slender figure, eyes as bright as autumn water, brimming with amusement; brows like distant mountains dusted with pigment; hair like spring mist; skin like smooth, lustrous jade.

Truly, as the saying goes, “One smile back, and a hundred charms blossom.”

The Empress was the second most beautiful person Xunian had ever seen. Looking again, she was still awed.

Of course, the most beautiful was her elder sister.

Duke’s Daughter: ?

Standing before the Empress with her head bowed, Xunian thought that if the Duke’s Daughter heard that, she would surely be angry.

She hesitated, wondering whether she should place the Duke’s Daughter in second place, when the Empress’s command rang out,

“Raise your head.”

Not daring to break the rule, Xunian had no choice but to look up.

The moment the Empress saw her, she was visibly moved. Her lips quivered as if she wanted to say something, yet she didn’t know what to say.

What was going on?

Xunian’s clear black eyes met hers calmly, without a trace of fear.

The Empress chuckled softly, “You’re not afraid of me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xunian put on a frightened expression.

The Empress was caught off guard by Xunian’s sudden acting and was left speechless.

Xunian dared not disobey the Empress’s command, so she kept her head raised, waiting for her next order.

Still not lowering her head?

What a bold Palace Maid.

The Empress’s eyes gleamed with greater interest. With her slender hand, she lifted Xunian’s chin and carefully examined her features.

Indeed, she was a beauty.

Xunian blushed under her gaze, her eyes darting away.

Could it be that her scoundrel soul was stirring again? Why else would she feel shy under the Empress’s stare…