C98

Qiao Qiao sat upright in the Heart Nurturing Palace, looking at the indifferent man in front of him. After an incense's time, Qiao Qiao ordered Qingwu to summon Shen Qian Xun into the palace to meet him personally.

"This humble subject pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor, long live and long live the Emperor." Shen Qian Xun's attitude was humble. When he raised his hand and began to chat, there was a sense of elegance and indifference to it.

"Your Majesty, please rise." In the huge Heart Nurturing Palace, she had dismissed all the palace maids and eunuchs, leaving behind only Qingwu and Eunuch Zhang. Although she was the emperor and it was not too much to only see the emperor, she was still a woman after all.

"Yes." Shen Qian Xun saw that Qiao Qiao was still summoning him in such a mysterious manner. Although he was puzzled in his heart, there was not the slightest change in expression on his face.

Qiao Qiao could not help but sigh to himself. Indeed, one could not be surprised when dealing with matters. This kind of character was often the most troublesome and simplest to deal with.

"What's wrong with having a beloved official before she entered the imperial court?" Qiao Qiao still had a smile on his face as he looked at Shen Qian Xun with concern.

"Reporting to the emperor, this humble subject is doing well. I've troubled the emperor." Shen Qian Xun once again clasped his hands and bowed. He had done his best on the surface, making it difficult for others to find anything wrong with him.

Looking at the strict looking man in front of her, she could not help but laugh out loud and say, "No need to be so courteous, my beloved. Today, I have summoned you here just to ask you about the recent situation of Shang Shu Manor. If this matter is true, I will make the decision. "

"Your majesty, ever since this humble subject took office, he has been on friendly terms with the ministers of the imperial court, and has not been on good terms with them yet. He is only on friendly terms with the cabinet ministers in general, and there is no need for such things like him to be clamoring at my doorstep." Shen Qian Xun bowed. His words not only stated that Qiao Qiao still did not speak of this matter, but also that he did not side with the imperial government after taking office. However, his heart belonged to the Emperor and Shen Qian Xun was indeed an intelligent person.

"I am very pleased that my beloved official has such a heart." Qiao Qiao still nodded with a smile, but a flash of craftiness could be seen in his eyes. "I wonder, since my love has grown up in Governor Qiang, what are the unique features there?"

He quickly regained his composure however, as he said with a calm face, "Since this humble subject left home to travel and study, it is unavoidable that I have some unfamiliarity with the unique characteristics of my hometown. However, this humble subject has some knowledge on the most famous tea culture in Qiang Prefecture."

Qiao Qiao still nodded his head in admiration and agreed, "I have long since heard of the country's tea culture. It's a pity that the road is too long and I can't taste it myself. It's truly a pity." She said with some regret.

"In reply to the emperor, my father is well versed in the art of tea, and this humble subject has also heard a bit about it since I was young. If the emperor doesn't mind this humble subject's lack of skill, then this humble subject is willing to offer a cup for the emperor." Shen Qian Xun naturally heard the truth from Qiao Qiao's words and took the opportunity to speak.

"That's good." Joe nodded expectantly.

He slightly bowed and displayed a sense of humility in front of Qiao yet again. Then, he continued to speak with a faint smile as he spoke, "Your majesty, there are ten different paths to the Way of Tea in Qiang Prefecture. The first lotus flower is born in mud, and it is in the water during the hot summer.

"The second method is to burn incense and worship. It is to calm the mind and taste a good tea. Besides the taste, taste and sweetness, the state of mind is also an important factor."

Joe still smiled and nodded his head in agreement.

"The third path, reincarnation, is to clean the teacup with water. The purpose is to cleanse the teacup without any dust, just like when one cultivates Buddha. Apart from presumptuous thoughts, one's mind and body are pure." Shen Qian Xun was busy washing the tea set in front of him.

Without a speck of dust on his face, he returned to the Great Wisdom Sect with a bland smile. He seemed to be deep in thought, but he did not interrupt and only quietly listened to Shen Qian Xun's murmurs.

"The fourth, Guan Yin has descended to the mortal world, meaning to pour tea into a pot." Shen Qian Xun said as he placed the tea leaves into the mouth of the pot.

"The fifth path, Rain of the Sky, means to wash the tea. To make the tea is a crucial step in the tea ceremony. The quality of the tea brewing can completely determine the color of the tea." Shen Qian Xun washed the tea leaves with water and moisturized them.

"The sixth path, Bodhisattva embodiment, means to brew tea. It means to purify the tea leaves and then charge to the second water before tea can be poured."

"The seventh path, universal respect for all living beings, it means respect for tea." Shen Qian Xun said as he poured the brewed tea into a cup. He then handed it over with both hands, "Please taste the tea, your majesty."

Qiao Qiao continued to smile and did not accept the teacup in Shen Qian Xun's hand. Instead, he doubtfully asked: "I've only said seven out of ten people I love, what about the last three?"

When Shen Qian saw that the emperor had yet to receive the tea, he did not dare to straighten his body. He maintained his position while serving the tea with both of his hands, but the corner of his mouth slightly curled up, "The last three are the Boundless Sea of Bitterness, Transcendental Transcendence, and Perfection. It means tasting tea, comprehending tea, and thanking tea. All of these have to be completed by the emperor himself." He raised the teacup in his hand forward once again.

Qiao once again gave a cold smile. He still didn't extend his hand to receive the teacup. Instead, he stood up and began to pace forward.

Shen Qian Xun was really puzzled. The Emperor wanted him to pour tea, yet didn't drink his tea. He really didn't know what the Emperor intended.

"Tea is the Way of Tea, tea is the Way of Tea. Although I don't know much about the Way of Tea, but I know that the tea art my beloved official spoke of is Zen tea, I wonder if I am right?" Qiao once again turned around and looked at Shen Qian Xun. He frowned with a smile on his face.

Sure enough, after Shen Qian Xun heard the Emperor's words, his expression changed slightly. However, he still bent his body in an attempt to cover it up.

"Zen tea is for Buddhist tea. It has a clear mind and few desires, but it is not the same as the one in the State of Zhi Yin." Joe still sighed slowly.

"In reply to your majesty, this humble subject's words about the Way of Tea are indeed Zen tea, but regarding my father, this humble subject is unable to understand." He did not dare to slack off in the slightest, and Qiao Qiao was still like that. He finally understood that today, the Emperor was going to reveal his background, but he had never been able to figure out how the Emperor found out about it. He frowned and sighed. Perhaps he was just too nervous. Everyone said that this emperor was too loose, so how could he understand the ways of tea ceremony in this world?

"Don't you know anything about the Prefecture Overseer?" How could she have let him know so easily what she had done in secret?

Just as he finished speaking, traces of emotion could be seen in Shen Qian Xun's calm eyes. Could something have happened to his father?

"No wonder. My beloved has just taken office, and the affairs of the court are very complicated. It is normal that I have neglected some of it." Qiao Qiao still saw that Shen Qian Xun didn't say anything, but she continued speaking, "I have just received a memorial from the government. I am here to impeach the people of Qiangzhou, to embezzle the emperor's money, to protect the officials of Qiangzhou County, and to force my daughter to commit such a heinous crime. Don't you think that all these beloved officials of mine are unaware of the fact that they are from the General of Qiangzhou?"

He had repeatedly exhorted her to stay hidden for many years, but in the past few years, her father had been under the protection of Prime Minister Luo, and had even tried to force her to commit suicide. Although he harbored grievances in his heart, that was only because he was forced to find Prime Minister Luo, and only then was he able to suppress the matter. Prime Minister Luo, on the other hand, saw that he was in a meditative state, was not surprised at all, so he forced his father to enter the office, and in order to comply to his father, he had no choice but to do so.

Qiao Qiao continued to look at the changes on Shen QianXun's face and could not help but chuckle. "Of course, I have no idea about these Venerable Ones. Since they have been settled in the Qing Yin Temple outside of Qiang Prefecture, their relationship with Qiang Prefecture's Yin is in danger. If that's the case, the fact that they are proficient in Zen Tea is probably because they have been influenced by the abbot of the Qing Yin Temple, not the Qiang Prefecture's Yin."

He didn't expect that the emperor would thoroughly investigate his background. His Zen Tea Technique was indeed broadcasted by the Green Hidden Temple, and just now, the emperor ordered him to pour tea for them. He was forced to take the Zen Tea Steps to make a fool of himself, but he didn't expect that the emperor, who was located in the capital and was thousands of miles away from Qiang Prefecture, would actually have such a thorough understanding of the Zen Tea Culture of Qiang.

"It was also because of your father that my liege became Prime Minister Luo's subordinate, right?" Qiao Qiao still had a look of understanding as he chuckled.

He had originally thought that he had hidden his strength extremely well, but he did not expect this little girl to see through him. From the very beginning, they were the ones who were acting on their own, and they thought that they could deceive everyone, but in the end, the ones that they truly believed in were themselves.

When this subject was in Qiang Province, I heard that the Emperor and the Regent were enemies, that Prime Minister Luo was acting as his assistant, allowing himself to be under the influence of the Emperor and going deep into the Imperial Court. This subject knew that the Emperor and the Regent were secretly plotting against each other, and that Prime Minister Luo was just a clown who was seeking his own disgrace. "

Qiao once again smiled and said: "Good and evil will always be rewarded, don't you think so?"

"Yes." Although his father was a man who committed all sorts of crimes, he had never looked up to his father, so he swore that he would never enter the imperial court as an official. He never expected that because of his father's life, he would still agree to be together with Prime Minister Luo, even though he claimed that he was lucky, but now, what difference was there between him and his father!

Sigh … Shen Qian Xun sighed lightly. He did not intend to help Prime Minister Luo so much, but no matter what, he still chose to help.