Chapter 646: Hundred Flower Tea

Zu An frowned. Was his first thought that this was another one of Cheng Xiong's traps?

But he immediately realized that Cheng Xiong had just played his trump card with the Emperor and couldn't possibly launch another attack so soon.

"Please lead the way, miss," he said, his curiosity piqued. He decided to investigate.

Hearing the address "miss," the palace maid's pretty face flushed slightly. Clearly, no one had ever spoken to her like that before. This Embroidered Uniform Guard wasn't as gloomy and terrifying as his colleagues; instead, his words were quite pleasant.

Soon, she led Zu An to a quiet palace. It was filled with all sorts of fresh flowers, and the sight of the vibrant, colorful blossoms was truly delightful and pleasing to the eye.

Zu An was a little surprised. These flowers clearly weren't originally planted in the palace. His own courtyard also had some flowers, but they paled in comparison to those in this palace.

Clearly, someone had cultivated them with great care. So he smiled and asked the palace maid, "You have very skillful hands, miss, to have grown so many beautiful flowers."

The palace maid's face flushed slightly. "Her Ladyship planted these."

"Her Ladyship?" Zu An's heart stirred. He had largely seen all the palace maids in the Empress's palace, and this was clearly not Kuning Palace. So which 'Ladyship' was this?

"Does Lord Eleven also love flowers?" At that moment, a gentle voice drifted over.

Zu An looked up. He saw a graceful figure standing among the flowers not far away, holding pruning shears and trimming branches and leaves. At this point, the nearby palace maid bowed slightly and slowly retreated.

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

At that time, she hadn't even been willing to speak much with outside men. Now, she had specifically sought him out. What could be the reason?

Consort Bai handed the pruning shears to a nearby maid. She took the wet towel offered to her and wiped her hands. Then she looked at Zu An: "Lord Eleven, you are too polite."

Her temperament was already very gentle, and her voice was soft and delicate; it truly evoked pity in one's heart. Zu An couldn't help but sigh, thinking that the foolish Crown Prince was quite fortunate with women. He had a Crown Princess as vibrant and elegant as a peony, and a gentle, understanding woman like Consort Bai.

"I just heard Lord Eleven praising the flowers in the courtyard. It seems you are also a flower lover." Consort Bai's gaze grew even softer, clearly pleased to meet someone with similar interests.

"I do indeed love flowers," Zu An secretly added a thought, "but what I love is the beauty of women, like flowers."

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

It wasn't surprising he was overly suspicious. He had been so frightened by Cheng Xiong's various schemes these past few days. Could this woman also be in league with Cheng Xiong, setting him up for a false accusation of harassing her?

"May I ask, Consort Bai, why you summoned me?" Zu An asked cautiously. Beautiful women were beautiful, but it was not good to be completely swayed by their charms.

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

Zu An was taken aback. He hadn't expected this to be the reason. However, as the Crown Prince's concubine, it was natural for her to thank him.

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

Consort Bai said softly, "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. Does Lord Eleven wish to put me in such a difficult position?"

Her eyes fluttered, as if clear tears were welling up in them.

Zu An secretly marveled. Even a woman who had given birth could still appear so pitiful and vulnerable.

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

Consort Bai then continued, "Could it be that Lord Eleven dislikes my gifts, deeming them inferior to the Crown Princess's? That's true, as a concubine, I don't really have much of value to offer."

Zu An knew perfectly well she was saying this intentionally, but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity in his heart. He thought to himself, 'Indeed, none of the women in the imperial palace are simple to deal with.'

"Consort Bai, you overstate things. Then this subordinate thanks Her Ladyship."

Consort Bai nodded with satisfaction. She motioned for the palace maids and eunuchs holding the jewelry and rewards to wait aside.

She then slowly walked to a nearby pavilion and sat down. Then, while pouring tea, she gestured for Zu An to sit as well. "Please, Lord Eleven, have a seat."

Zu An paused. Sitting so close might not be appropriate.

At this moment, Consort Bai continued, "I feel that merely offering some common gifts would be too cold and wouldn't express my gratitude for you saving the Crown Prince. So I'd like to invite you to have a cup of 'Hundred Flower Tea.' This tea is made from various flowers that I personally cultivated and gathered. Although it's not a precious item, it's quite rare."

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

He also sat down at the table, opposite her, in the pavilion. After all, the area was open, and palace maids and eunuchs were standing not far away, so he figured there wouldn't be any misunderstandings.

The fact that she chose this location to invite him for tea likely also conveyed a sense of openness and propriety.

A gentle smile flickered in Consort Bai's eyes—a smile that could unconsciously calm one's heart. "Lord Eleven, please."

As she poured the tea, a small section of her fair wrist was revealed. It was truly as delicate and white as milk. And perhaps because she had recently given birth, her movements now made her chest appear particularly full and ample.

Zu An kept his gaze modest; it wasn't appropriate to look too much. He lowered his head and looked at the Hundred Flower Tea in front of him.

Unlike the common green or brown tea soup colors, the Hundred Flower Tea in the cup had a faint rose-red hue. Paired with the emerald green porcelain cup, it was truly a delight to behold.

He exclaimed from the bottom of his heart, "This tea is like Consort Bai herself. Its beauty surpasses white jade inlaid with pearls, and its freshness and elegance outshine a rose in early dew."

The moment the words left his mouth, he felt a twinge of regret. He was used to praising beautiful women in his daily life, but this was the imperial palace, and her status was special, so it was truly inappropriate.

As expected, Consort Bai's expression subtly changed upon hearing his words. She instinctively straightened her posture, leaning back slightly, as if to create distance between them. However, she immediately noticed that his eyes were clear, without the lustful intent she might have expected. Only then did she relax, realizing he was truly complimenting her.

A faint blush flashed across her pale face, truly like the Hundred Flower Tea in the jade green cup. "Lord Eleven, you flatter me."

Zu An gave an awkward smile. It wasn't appropriate to say anything more at that moment, so he simply drank his tea. As soon as he lifted the teacup, he smelled a unique fragrance. Unlike any perfume or cosmetic he had encountered before, the scent was incredibly fresh and natural: "How fragrant!"

Consort Bai smiled, pursing her lips. "This tea combines the essence of many flowers, so naturally, it carries a floral scent. I also spent a great deal of effort researching how to prevent its fragrance from becoming too strong or common."

"Consort Bai truly has a refined and elegant mind," Zu An praised. Originally, he was worried the tea might be poisoned, so he only took a small sip. But that single sip filled his mouth with fragrance, and he couldn't help but take a few more sips.

In any case, Consort Bai surely wouldn't openly poison a Golden Badge Embroidered Uniform Guard, would she? And if it were an aphrodisiac, well, the most potent one in the world was already with him, and this tea clearly didn't give him that familiar sensation.

Seeing him take several sips, a flicker of joy passed through Consort Bai's eyes. After all, who wouldn't want their efforts to be appreciated?

But then she suddenly remembered that he had compared the tea to her, and now he was continuously drinking it—wouldn't that imply he was 'consuming' her?

Her heart skipped a beat. 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. "Yes, and she was a woman."

This was public information; there was no need to hide it.

A look of admiration flashed in Consort Bai's eyes. "It is truly admirable that Lord Eleven was able to protect the Crown Prince from a Grandmaster."

Zu An's cheeks warmed. "To be honest, Consort Bai, I couldn't even withstand a single strike from her. It was His Majesty who repelled the assassin."

Consort Bai smiled gently. "Lord Eleven, you are too modest. To withstand a Grandmaster's strike unharmed, that level of strength is certainly something to be proud of. Moreover, I heard from the palace maids that it was precisely because of Lord Eleven's valiant fight that the Crown Prince was able to hold on until His Majesty intervened. Therefore, you are still the greatest contributor."

"Consort Bai, you flatter me." Zu An felt himself floating a little. This woman was beautiful, her voice gentle, and her words pleasant. Being praised by her, it was indeed hard not to be carried away.

"Oh, by the way, I heard that the female assassin escaped after being injured. Has she been caught? If she's hiding somewhere in the palace, those of us here might be in danger," Consort Bai said with some concern. "It would be one thing if something happened to me, but if the Imperial Grandson were harmed in any way, I truly wouldn't want to live."