"This concubine greets Li Xiurong in peace, and wishes Lady Xiu auspiciousness."
Zhou Wanying slowly walked up to Li Yuyu and bent her knees in a formal curtsey.
Li Yuyu lazily glanced at her. "Beauty Zhou looks in pretty good spirits today."
"Thanks to Lady Xiu’s blessing, this concubine’s health is excellent."
Zhou Wanying said in a soft, coy voice.
Li Yuyu gave a slight nod and stopped speaking.
Zhou Wanying straightened slowly and fixed her beautiful eyes on Li Yuyu, speaking gently: "Lady Xiu, where might you be going?"
"Going where?" Li Yuyu gave a light laugh. "Beauty Zhou, the Empress Dowager ordered me to kneel here. You couldn’t possibly not know that, could you?"
Zhou Wanying hadn’t expected Li Yuyu to state it so bluntly. She said softly, "This concubine has heard a few things, but doesn’t know how Lady Xiu offended the Empress Dowager. To punish you by making you kneel here is really too much of an affront to Lady Xiu’s dignity. This concubine is on her way to present soup to the Emperor. Once I see the Emperor, I’ll put in a word for Lady Xiu—perhaps I can help have your punishment revoked."
Even without being very clever, Hua Yin could hear the hidden mockery in Beauty Zhou’s words.
She was instantly furious.
Li Yuyu spoke in a lazy tone. "Beauty Zhou, how considerate of you."
She lifted her chin toward the little palace maid behind Beauty Zhou. "Hua Yin, open it and see what kind of soup Beauty Zhou is sending to the Emperor."
"Yes!" Hua Yin immediately brightened.
She walked over to the little palace maid and simply snatched the tray from the maid’s hands, then carried it over to Li Yuyu.
"Lady Xiu!" Zhou Wanying’s expression shifted slightly as she took quick, small steps forward.
"Kneel." Li Yuyu clipped out the two words, making Zhou Wanying’s face show raw humiliation as she pressed her lips together and knelt on the ground.
On the tray sat a white porcelain tureen, very exquisite.
Li Yuyu used a handkerchief to protect her fingers as she lifted the lid. A rich fragrance wafted into her nostrils; not having eaten breakfast, she suddenly felt ravenously hungry.
"Mm, it smells wonderful."
Li Yuyu smiled, picked up the spoon set to the side, scooped up a spoonful of soup, blew on it to cool it, and drank it.
"Li Xiurong, that was prepared by this concubine for the Emperor!"
Zhou Wanying’s face went pale with anger. She sprang up from the ground, reaching out to snatch back her soup.
"His Majesty arrives!"
Seeing Zhou Wanying’s hand about to touch Li Yuyu, Shen Quan hurriedly shouted.
The Emperor had come?
Zhou Wanying, startled, quickly dropped to her knees. "This concubine greets the Emperor and wishes the Emperor auspiciousness."
Li Yuyu’s hand, which was holding the soup, paused slightly. Although her back was turned to Yan Xiu, she could still feel his gaze stabbing into her like thorns.
But...
Li Yuyu drew a deep breath, forced her trembling hand under control, and continued drinking the soup as if nothing were wrong.
Beside her, the scent of ambergris drifted over.
Hua Yin stood rigid, face drained of color, but because Li Yuyu was still drinking the soup, she neither dared kneel nor retreat, and could only force herself to stand there.
Yan Xiu came to stand between Li Yuyu and Zhou Wanying, his gaze heavy as he watched Li Yuyu drink the soup.
"Your Majesty, this bowl of soup was specially prepared by this concubine for you, yet Li Xiurong deliberately snatched it away! Please, Your Majesty, uphold justice for this concubine!" Zhou Wanying shuffled on her knees a little closer to Yan Xiu’s side, mustering her courage to tug at his Dragon Robe, trying to draw his attention.
Yan Xiu swept his hand down, shaking free the Dragon Robe that Zhou Wanying had just grabbed.
He simply moved over to Li Yuyu’s side and said in a low voice, "Li Xiurong, how do you find the taste?"
Li... Xiurong...
He doesn’t even call me his beloved concubine anymore?
Li Yuyu’s lashes quivered lightly; as she lowered her head to drink the soup, she did not let any trace of emotion slip.
Only after swallowing the mouthful of soup did she lift her eyes to look at Yan Xiu, scooping up a full spoonful and saying in a soft, velvety voice laced with provocation, "Why not let Your Majesty taste it personally?"