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Upon seeing the Emperor, the woman who appeared like a mistress paused, reacting a beat too slow.

Zhang Qing coughed, and the woman, realizing her tardiness, hastily bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

The maid, somewhat bewildered, also bowed following her mistress.

"No need for formalities," the Emperor said, looking down at the two women before him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," the woman said, tugging at her maid beside her. They both lowered their heads and stood to the side, instinctively trying to hide the canister she was holding, as if feeling it was inappropriate, yet she forcibly stopped herself.

The Emperor, who had initially paid no mind to the canister, glanced at it and inquired, "What is that in your hand?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, it's just... just some ordinary tea," the woman said, somewhat nervously stammering, emphasizing the word 'ordinary.'

The Emperor grew curious about what could make the woman so concerned about it, as if she was reluctant to let others see it.

"Zhang Qing, bring it here for inspection," he ordered.

"Chirp!"

Listening to the conversation between the Emperor and his servant, the woman panicked, reluctantly handed over the canister to Zhang Qing, and watched eagerly as he presented the tea to the Emperor.

The Emperor opened it and saw that it was indeed tea, but he could not recognize the type. He sniffed it, and found the aroma striking, fresh, and pleasant, very appealing indeed.

The Emperor asked, "What tea is this?"

With her head still lowered, the woman spoke in a muffled voice, "Replying to Your Majesty, this tea is called Dew Tea."

"Does it possess any unique characteristics?"

"Replying to Your Majesty," the woman hesitated for a moment, feeling it might be inappropriate not to elaborate, and continued, "If made into a tea bag and carried around, it can refresh and sharpen the mind. If brewed and drunk, it has a sweet aftertaste, cools the heart and dissipates heat in the summer, and in the winter, it relieves fatigue and reduces dryness."

The Emperor could tell the woman seemed fearful that the tea would be taken and not returned, displaying a rather stingy demeanor.

Amused by a bit of malice, the Emperor thought to himself, the little maid fears that I might covet her tea, but what if I did?

Thus, he declared, "I have not yet tasted this tea, so I shall take it back and try it. Zhang Qing, take it away."

"..." Lian Hua stared wide-eyed at the retreating golden-yellow figure, unable to recover for a long time. Had she just been robbed by the Emperor?

Since that night she climbed into the bed, she had hardly seen the Emperor for over two years, and the Emperor had not thought of her either.

Unexpectedly, the first time she went out to give a gift, she was intercepted midway, ruining her plan to curry favor with Xu Zhaoyi. Her mission had failed before it began, and Lian Hua felt like crying.

Xiao Qing looked at her worriedly and called out, "Young master..."

Lian Hua sniffled, "Let's go back."

What else could she do if she went back, as her gift was gone too.

...

In the palace, lower-ranked concubines had a rule of promotion every three years.

The current Emperor was not lascivious, and promotions among the concubines were carried out according to the rules. Lesser concubines below the rank of Beauty were promoted every three years based on seniority, while high-ranking consorts were promoted based on merits, demerits, and seniority.

However, for high-ranking consorts seeking promotion through seniority, the process took more years since the ranks of high-ranking consorts were limited. If every one was promoted every three years, the ranks would have been overwhelmed, and no further promotions could be made.

Xu Zhaoyi had unexpectedly been promoted from Jieyu to Zhaoyi under this stringent system. People from the former court knew it was because Xu Zhaoyi's father had won a significant victory and earned merits, benefiting his daughter. However, those in the Harem did not know this; they thought Xu Zhaoyi received favoritism and broke the usual protocols for her promotion.

In this era, the former court and the Harem were strictly separated; the Harem was not to interfere in political matters or entangle with the former court. Understandably, only those of high status knew a little of the inside information, while others were completely ignorant.

This time, among those lower-ranked concubines being promoted, was Lian Hua.

Lian Hua had been titled a Cainv for just over two but less than three years. With the current war going well, the Emperor was extremely pleased, and he graciously promoted concubines who had served for more than two years. Lian Hua had indeed encountered a fortunate time.

Lian Hua had now officially become a Seventh Rank Daying, a true mistress. Her monthly salary had increased from six taels to ten taels, which was a significant benefit for her and her maid.

That day, dressed neatly and exuding confidence, Lian Hua set out to attend Noble Consort Xue's birthday celebration.

Having been promoted to Daying, Lian Hua felt quite different; even stepping out felt like she had a stronger foundation.

Of course, they were still quite poor, struggling daily to meet their basic needs, but Lian Hua felt that this was not a problem since life was improving day by day.

The monthly salary might have been meager and often deducted, but with their own vegetables to cultivate and occasional visits to the Imperial Garden to scavenge, life was quite enjoyable.

She brought the Dew Tea as a gift again. After being robbed the previous time, Lian Hua had felt somewhat deflated. After participating in the promotion ceremony and touring the luxurious palaces, Lian Hua grew envious and revitalized. It took her nearly twenty days to re-prepare the Dew Tea.

This time, her target for currying favor had changed to the Noble Consort. If she managed to please the Consort well, even the slightest generosity from her would be enough for Lian Hua to live comfortably.

Learning from her painful experience before, Lian Hua dared not take the same path this time; if she was intercepted again, it would be disastrous.

To prevent another interception, Lian Hua devised a meticulous plan, changing the tea container to a box and wrapping it with cloth, making it indistinguishable from the outside.