sbdcsierra Chapter 101 Tea and Snacks
Chapter 101 Tea and Snacks
Royal Palace
Xiao Han went to court this morning, and after court, the brothers were kept behind by Emperor Sukang.
Inside the imperial study, Emperor Sukang rested his hands on the imperial desk, his sharp gaze fixed on the row of sons below.
The group of men stood upright below, not daring to utter a sound. They knew what was going on and were just waiting for the person sitting above to speak first.
The vast imperial study was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. A dangerous atmosphere hung in the air, as if an impending storm was brewing.
Sometimes what frightens people isn't swords or knives, but rather what the emperor is about to say.
A strange atmosphere spread around them. After a long silence and a moment of eye contact, the emperor finally spoke first.
He removed his right hand from the desk, clenched it into a fist, and slowly raised it to his lips.
He cleared his throat: "Ahem..."
Upon hearing the cough, everyone knew that their father was about to speak, and they immediately adopted a serious expression, staring straight ahead as if they were soldiers waiting to be trained.
Emperor Sukang glanced at them from left to right, taking in their actions, and couldn't help but snort inwardly.
He spoke leisurely: "It has been quite some time since the last Winter Solstice Banquet. I haven't summoned you all until today, when I had nothing else to do, so I called you here to ask what you thought of the banquet that day."
After he finished speaking, he looked at their reactions. Seeing their indifferent expressions, he knew they wouldn't take the initiative to speak first.
He then called out names one by one as usual. He looked at Xiao Han and said, "Seventh Brother...you go first."
Suddenly called out, Xiao Han thought to himself, "Why is Father Emperor not playing by the rules today?"
Prince Yu over there was already prepared. He had figured out how to start the conversation. Hearing that he hadn't been given a hint, he breathed a sigh of relief.
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Han slowly spoke: "Father... the dishes on the day of the Winter Solstice Banquet were all delicious, the wine was also very mellow and rich, and the tea and snacks were also good, especially the tea, which was refreshing and sweet. I drank quite a bit of it!"
The brothers were speechless upon hearing this, thinking to themselves, "It's over, it's over. Let's mourn for a few seconds."
Emperor Sukang frowned slightly upon hearing this. This was utter nonsense! Was this what he was asking? Had his question not been clear enough?
However, he didn't lose his temper. He held it in for later, so as not to affect his imperial dignity or upset his health.
He turned his gaze to Prince Qi: "Fifth Prince...you speak."
After being called out, Prince Qi thought to himself, "My father is really not playing by the rules today!"
He glanced at Xiao Han, then raised his eyes to look at Emperor Sukang: "Your Majesty, I was sitting with my seventh brother at the time, and we chatted for a bit. The tea was indeed excellent, with a sweet aftertaste, and the snacks were also delicious. Little Jiu ate quite a lot of them!"
After hearing this, Emperor Sukang pursed his lips and nodded. He continued to call out names, this time lowering his voice and becoming much deeper: "Third Prince."
The Prince of Jin glanced at the right with a hint of resentment, and could only helplessly agree, saying, "Your subject thinks that osmanthus cake is quite good. Perhaps it is because it was picked in season and is quite fresh. The osmanthus wine is also well brewed and is very mellow and fragrant."
Emperor Sukang kept his lips pursed after hearing this, but a small flame flickered in his eyes.
He nodded and looked at Lao Liu, wanting to see what this guy could come up with.
When King Xuan caught Emperor Sukang's gaze, he touched his nose and spoke up: "Your subject thinks their zither playing is quite good, with melodies that are long and soothing. Their pipa playing is also quite good, melodious and pleasing to the ear, with lingering notes."
He continued, "The dancing is also excellent, with supple and graceful movements. The calligraphy is also very good, flowing smoothly and powerfully. The painting is also good, and of course, the tea is delicious, and the osmanthus cake is also quite good."
After speaking, he lowered his head, not daring to look Emperor Sukang in the eye.
Standing to the side, Eunuch Xue felt a sense of oppressive atmosphere, and cold sweat began to break out on his back.
Emperor Sukang suppressed the small flames that had just begun to ignite, then turned to look at his second son, and at the same time glanced at his eldest son.
"Eldest brother...second brother...is the tea good? Is the osmanthus cake delicious?" He spoke in a calm tone.
Prince Rui replied nervously, "Your Majesty, the tea was indeed excellent, but I did not eat the osmanthus cake. I did eat the pineapple cake, which was quite good, with just the right amount of sweetness."
Prince Yu continued, "Your subject also drank the tea, and it was indeed very good, with a sweet aftertaste. I didn't eat the osmanthus cake, but the pineapple cake was indeed very good."
After they had all spoken, everyone lowered their eyes, not daring to look at Emperor Sukang again. They knew that they would soon face their father's wrath.
Emperor Sukang looked at his sons, who were sitting with their heads bowed below him, and took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm.
The Imperial Study fell silent once again.
The anticipated storm didn't come, making the princes even more uneasy, as none of them could figure out what their father was thinking.
Emperor Sukang picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, calmed himself down for a moment, put down the teacup, and turned to look at Eunuch Xue beside him.
"Did you hear that? The princes want to drink tea, eat osmanthus cake, and pineapple cake. Hurry up and prepare them. There will be plenty of food."
His tone was calm, yet it seemed to carry a heavy, clenched edge.
"As you command... this servant will go and make the arrangements immediately."
Upon receiving the order, Eunuch Xue immediately accepted it. Faced with the oppressive atmosphere in the imperial study, he longed to escape the battlefield as soon as possible! Even just staying outside for a while would be fine; this assignment had come at the perfect time.
With quick, light steps, he wiped the fine sweat from his forehead and hurried out of the imperial study.
The brothers thought to themselves, "It's over, it's over, this is really bad!" There was a sense of impending doom.
A short while later, a group of palace servants brought tables and chairs into the imperial study and placed them in front of them.
Emperor Sukang spoke calmly, "Please sit down!" He gestured with his hand.
The princes expressed their gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Father Emperor, for granting us seats."
After they sat down, the palace servants served tea and snacks one after another. Each person had a large pot of tea, a plate of osmanthus cake, and a plate of pineapple cake in front of them.
The palace servants poured them tea and then left.
Emperor Sukang sat upright on the dragon throne, a kind smile on his face, and said, "Eat and drink! We are all family, so there's no need to be reserved. Eat as much as you like, and if you're not full, there's more in the imperial kitchen."
The brothers exchanged glances, not daring to say a word, feeling that their father was even more terrifying than when he was in a rage.
They slowly picked up the pastries in front of them.
"Cough cough cough..." The sounds of coughing and tea being poured into cups could be heard from time to time in the hall.
It's not hard to guess that the coughing was caused by choking on the osmanthus cake.
That's why everyone says pastries and tea go perfectly together!
In your free time, you can meet up with a few friends at a teahouse, enjoy some pastries and a cup of tea – that's a leisurely and pleasant way of life.
However, now that I'm faced with two large plates of pastries and have to finish them all, eating pastries as a meal isn't as wonderful as I imagined.