I run a training class in Shu Han

Chapter 118 Green Tea...Bitch?

No more than three days after the imperial decree of investiture was issued, Li Xiangyi, Liu Qiao, and Wang Feng, in accordance with palace rules, dressed in plain palace attire, went together to the Empress's palace to pay their respects and perform the rites of audience.

The Li and Liu families were prominent, and the review process was much faster for them.

Although Lady Wang was born a maid, she had the Empress's family backing her, so the officials in charge of the review would not neglect her.

The interior of Jiaofang Hall is elegantly furnished, without too many extravagant decorations. Only a faint scent of calming incense burns in the four corners, the smoke curling upwards, which only makes the atmosphere inside the hall more solemn.

Li Xiangyi and Liu Qiao knew that their status was not as high as the Empress's. Although their own boudoirs were not as large as the Jiaofang Palace, they had far more ornaments and treasures. This shows that the rumors about the Emperor's frugality were not just rumors.

Zhang Shi was dressed in a light blue casual dress, her long hair was tied into a simple and elegant flying cloud bun, and she sat gracefully in the main seat of the main hall with only a plain silver hairpin.

She was stern and rarely smiled, yet she exuded the majesty of an empress, which made Li and Liu feel a chill in their hearts and carefully perform their greetings.

"This humble woman pays her respects to Your Majesty the Empress."

Although the three women entered the palace, they had not yet been formally conferred titles, so they were referred to as "common women".

"Very well, rise, and have a seat."

Zhang's words were concise, and her voice was calm and gentle, neither cold nor warm. Li Xiangyi and Liu Qiao sat down tremblingly, not daring to raise their heads easily.

Only Wang Feng, whom she had served since childhood, showed more respect and less fear in her expression.

"My three sisters, this palace will be your home from now on. You can all call each other sisters and serve His Majesty together. There's no need to be so formal."

Zhang noticed their restraint, so she spoke in a gentle and soft voice, like a warm spring breeze, without a trace of sharpness.

Upon hearing this, the pressure on their hearts eased somewhat.

They had just been summoned to the palace to learn the palace rules, and they knew that the rules of the royal inner court were paramount, with a strict hierarchy, and that taking even the slightest wrong step could lead to certain doom.

Given that the Empress had been infertile for many years, the two were terrified that their presence would arouse the Empress's jealousy and dissatisfaction, and that they would be bullied by her, so they were even more cautious.

Li Xiangyi glanced up and secretly observed the Empress on the throne, her heart filled with unease.

She was a member of the Li Yan clan, and her entry into the palace was filled with the expectations of her family, which made her feel somewhat flattered.

The empress is Zhang Fei's daughter and has deep ties with the Prime Minister's Jingzhou faction. If she makes a slight mistake in her words or actions, it will not only affect herself but also her family.

Liu Qiao, standing to the side, was also filled with mixed emotions. The expectations of the Yizhou gentry weighed on her shoulders. She had to fulfill her duties, but she also could not disgrace the Liu family of Chengdu.

"I have summoned you here today for no other reason than to have a heart-to-heart talk with family. You have entered the palace to serve His Majesty and continue the imperial lineage. From now on, you will be sisters in this harem, and you should live in harmony and be of one mind and one heart."

The three of them quickly stood up and agreed.

"Your Majesty's words are absolutely right. I will certainly follow Your Majesty's teachings, live in harmony with my two younger sisters, and serve His Majesty wholeheartedly. I would never dare to make the slightest mistake."

Liu Qiao, as expected of someone born into a prominent family in Yizhou, received strict education from a young age, has seen the world, speaks tactfully, and knows how to maintain appropriate boundaries.

Li Xiangyi also bowed down, saying, "Your Majesty's instructions are well remembered. I will keep to my duty and dare not act recklessly."

Wang Feng bowed deeply and said, "This servant has only ever known how to serve His Majesty and Your Highness, and will obey Your Highness's every command."

This single sentence reveals the upbringing and family traditions of the three individuals.

Madam Zhang nodded and continued, "Although the three of you have not yet been officially appointed, His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and I are all aware of your potential and will certainly not treat you unfairly."

Upon hearing this, Liu and Li felt extremely uneasy, as their positions in the harem were crucial to their future standing in the palace and even in the emperor's eyes.

If one's rank is too low, it means that one is not valued and may not receive the emperor's favor for a year or two. How can one bring glory to one's family in such a situation?

"The Liu family is a prominent family in Yizhou. My sister Liu has been influenced by her family since childhood and is well-versed in human relationships. Therefore, I have made her a Noble Lady. This way, she can help me manage the harem and it will not disgrace the family name."

Liu Qiao was overjoyed upon hearing this.

According to the rules of the inner palace, a Noble Lady is a rank second only to the Empress. He quickly stood up and bowed in thanks.

"Li Yan, the Protector-General, was a minister entrusted with the care of the young emperor. He made many meritorious contributions when the late emperor entered Xichuan. The Li family has rendered service to the court, so his younger sister was made a Zhaoyi to assist the palace in managing the accounts."

Although Zhaoyi was not as high as Guiren, she was still the head of the concubines, and Li Xiangyi quickly expressed her gratitude.

As for Wang Feng, the master and servant had already agreed that he would only be officially appointed after Liu Shan had visited him.

However, his rank was far lower than that of Liu and Li.

"This matter has not yet been officially decreed, so you must not make a fuss about it," Zhang instructed solemnly.

"I will obey the Empress's command."

The three responded in unison, their previous tension easing considerably.

Zhang suddenly realized, "I was so focused on business that I forgot to serve tea to my three younger sisters."

"Someone come here!"

At Zhang's command, the palace maids, as if they had been prepared in advance, served the three of them a cup of tea.

The tea soup was golden and clear, with a fragrant aroma that soothed the mind and body, which aroused the curiosity of Liu and Li.

They had never seen such a light tea.

Madam Zhang smiled and said, "This is the first batch of new tea this year. His Majesty ordered the 'Tea Ceremony Class' to use special techniques to process it and bestowed a pound upon me. Today, I'll also let my three younger sisters try some of the fresh tea."

They had also heard about this new tea.

This tea was used by Liu Shan when he held a farewell banquet for Meng Huo some time ago.

They also heard that this tea was extremely precious, and that only Prime Minister Zhuge Liang among all the civil and military officials could receive it as a reward; the others had never even tasted the tea leaves.

But the Empress had a pound of this, which shows how much favor Liu Shan showed her.

The three of them slowly picked up the cups, took a small sip, and found the tea to be refreshing, mellow, and with an endless aftertaste and lingering aroma.

This unprecedented feeling invigorated them.

Fine tea!

Madam Zhang also picked up her teacup, her fingertips gently stroking the rim. Her gaze fell on the green tea in the cup, and she slowly said, "You are all intelligent people. There are some things I don't need to say outright; you should understand them in your hearts."

Upon hearing this, the three immediately sat up straight, as if facing a crisis.

"Look at this cup of fresh tea. The leaves are extremely green and tender, looking pure and clean, without any aggression. Anyone who sees it would think it's a gentle and harmless thing. But after you swallow this tea, there is a hidden bitterness, and even more so, a force that stirs the tea soup. It seems calm and still, but in fact, there is a calculation inside."

Her tone shifted, a hint of coldness slowly creeping into her gentle voice. Her gaze swept over the three of them, each word clear and distinct.

"In this harem, there is no shortage of people like this, who are as cunning as green tea. On the surface, they appear to be gentle, kind, humble, and sensible, doing everything perfectly and without a single fault. But behind the scenes, they are shrewd, scheming, spreading rumors, vying for favor and profit, and even colluding with the court to disrupt the peace of the harem, attempting to use their seemingly weak appearance to gain His Majesty's pity and seek their own interests."

Zhang spoke each word slowly and deliberately, uttering this fresh yet sharp phrase. The gentleness in her eyes remained, but her gaze was now cold and dignified, making the temperature in the hall seem to drop several degrees.

Li Xiangyi and Liu Qiao's expressions changed slightly, and their hands, hanging at their sides, clenched quietly. How could they not understand the Empress's implied meaning?

These words were clearly a warning to the two women, indicating that the power of their families was known, and that the court might harbor ambitions to win the emperor's favor after they entered the palace.

Zhang took in the changes in their expressions, but continued in a calm tone, "Sister Liu is from a prominent family in Yizhou, Sister Li comes from a military family, and Wang Feng, you have been by my side since childhood and are gentle in nature. The order of the three of you was decided by His Majesty and me, without bias or favoritism, in order to ensure the stability of the harem and prevent the power of the court from interfering in the trivial matters of the harem."

"It is your duty to serve His Majesty after entering the palace. However, if anyone dares to act two-faced, using the illusion of purity and gentleness to stir up trouble in the harem, engage in jealousy and rivalry, or even collude with their families to interfere in court affairs, thus disrupting the rules of the harem and causing chaos in the court..."

She paused, her gaze suddenly sharpening, and her gentle voice lost all its warmth.

"Then don't blame me for being ruthless. As the Empress, I hold the Phoenix Seal of the Inner Palace, obeying the Empress Dowager's orders and managing all affairs of the Six Palaces. If you really want to be serious, I have plenty of ways to show you what it means to be law-abiding."

The three men immediately lowered their heads and meekly replied, "Yes, sir!"

"Your Majesty is kind and may not see through those feigned weakness, but I cannot tolerate even the slightest imperfection. What the harem needs is stability, and what Your Majesty needs is peace of mind to handle state affairs. Whoever can be law-abiding and not cause trouble, I will protect and ensure their lifelong peace."

"But anyone who dares to scheme or play tricks will be shown what it feels like to fall from grace."

These words, spoken in a gentle tone like a soft breeze and drizzle, carried an unwavering and intimidating force, like an invisible blade piercing straight to the three men's deepest fears.

Li Xiangyi and Liu Qiao had never seen such majesty before. Beads of sweat appeared on their foreheads, and they immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly: "We dare not, we would never dare to do such a disobedient thing! We will certainly obey Your Majesty's decree, remain dutiful, and have no disloyal thoughts whatsoever!"

Wang Feng also hurriedly knelt down, his voice filled with fear: "Your Majesty, please understand, this servant would never dare to harbor the slightest scheming intention. In this life, I will only serve Your Majesty and His Majesty with utmost loyalty!"

Looking at the three kneeling men begging for forgiveness, Madam Zhang's expression gradually softened, and she returned to her previous gentle demeanor. She raised her hand to let the maid help them up, and her tone became soft again.

"Rise. I believe you are all intelligent and insightful people. You naturally understand the principles that need to be understood. Take a sip of this green tea, remember the taste of today's tea, and more importantly, remember what I have said today."

"From now on, serve His Majesty well in this palace and keep to your duties. Only then can you live peacefully in this harem and protect your respective families."

"Don't be that kind of woman who appears innocent on the surface but is full of scheming behind the scenes."

"Do you know what His Majesty calls this kind of woman?"

The three shook their heads.

"Green tea bitch!" Zhang said, enunciating each word clearly. "You can judge for yourselves!"

The three of them picked up their teacups, their fingertips trembling slightly. They savored the refreshing yet subtly bitter tea, and a chill ran through them as they firmly engraved the Empress's words in their hearts.

Looking at the three men's respectful and obedient manner, Zhang's lips curled into a faint smile.

The calming incense in the hall still wafted gently, but after the reprimand that had just been given, which was both gentle and firm, the rules of the inner palace had been established and could not be transgressed.

The three new concubines also came to a complete understanding of the gentle empress's ruthless methods and imperial majesty hidden beneath her mild exterior.