Chapter 177 - Tea Ceremony
Chapter 177: Tea Ceremony
Translator: Antonia
Bihuan’s doubts were mostly dispelled after the two guarding nannies helped confirm. Now, although she was in terrible discomfort, she could do nothing but bear with it.
She passed out, felt sore all over her body after waking up, and trembled while walking. She must catch some serious illness and should invite a doctor when she was free.
If she suddenly fainted while serving the Princess, she would definitely be kicked out.
Thinking of this, Bihuan, doubts gone, made a vile smile, put down the blue dress, curtsied to Mo Qianxue, said some sweet words and left.
From other courtyards, there were laughter of ladies. They should be shared by several ladies together. Only this one was prepared for Mo Qianxue alone.
Mo Qianxue was crystal clear, but Chuyi didn’t. After sending away Bihuan, she helped Mo Qianxue get changed and asked with confusion, “On my way here, I found that other courtyards were quite lively. Why is this one occupied only by us?”
What Mo Qianxue was putting on was naturally the clothes Chuyi brought with her. She wouldn’t even touch the blue dress that the Princess had provided.
Why? The first reason was to isolate her, and the second to make it convenient to carry out the scheme. Well-dressed, Mo Qianxue sneered but said calmly, “Nothing strange. The Princess is benevolent and seeing I’m unwell, she doesn’t allow others to disturb me while I’m resting.”
It wasn’t because she didn’t trust Chuyi, but there were things that would make things worse when more people knew. Besides, here wasn’t the right place to talk. Walls have ears.
“Princess Yuhe is indeed as benevolent as people say.”
“We can’t know people thoroughly. It’d be better to remain cautious.” Although she didn’t want Chuyi to know what had happened, she still didn’t forget to remind her, asking, perplexed, “Why did it take you so long to be here?”
If she wasn’t wrong, the servants should all finish eating before ladies finished their lunch, so that they could come back to serve their ladies to take the noon break.
Chuyi got alerted, “I went to lunch with other servants. In the midway, one of the servant girls working in the garden bumped into me. She didn’t apologize but argued with me for quite long.
I came here to serve you, so I didn’t want to waste time with her, but the girl just didn’t stop. In the garden, I couldn’t use martial art, so when I got the diner, there wasn’t food already. The cook was kind and specially made me some…”
Calculation in every step! As Chuyi narrated, Mo Qianxue’s face got colder.
Seeing her face, Chuyi added, “At first, I thought it was an accident, but now, with your dirty clothes, I find it really strange. Lady, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Just took a nap.” Mo Qianxue pretended nothing had happened.
“Good. Otherwise, I don’t know how to make up for you.” Chuyi was relieved, “Just now you said you felt unwell. Let me give you a massage.”
“Good.” Anyway, they had nothing to do now.
Then, a soft voice came from outside, “Is Miss. Mo resting?”
Chuyi reported after she looked out through the windows, “It’s Junzhu Susu’s girl Lubai.”
Mo Qianxue waved, “Go.”
Chuyi welcomed her at the door, “It’s you, Lubai. Nice to meet you again. Does Junzhu have anything to tell us?”
Lubai replied politely, “Junzhu is too busy with those people, so she specially ordered me to check on Miss. Mo. Is she well? Junzhu also let me send these cakes for Miss. Mo to taste.”
Chuyi took over the box from Lubai and said, “My lady is resting now. I’m afraid she couldn’t receive a guest now. Please do pass the words to Junzhu that my lady is very well and thank her for caring.”
The two chatted for a while at the door before Lubai left. Chuyi took the cakes into the room, but before she walked in the door, there was another timid voice, “Is Miss. Mo resting?”
Mo Qianxue was siting right in the living room and naturally heard that. She gave a look to Chuyi, who quickly put down the cakes and walked out, “You are…?”
The servant girl replied, “I’m the servant of Wan Ziying, daughter of Imperial Censor Wan. My lady admires Miss. Mo’s talent very much and wishes to talk with her some time, so she let me send the words.”
Wan Ziying, Imperial Censor Wan?
Mo Qianxue recalled. She remembered an imperial censor Wan who, under the look of the Emperor, had tried desperately to put her into death at court back then.
She always remembered enemies well. Later, she also asked Su Qi specially that this Mr. Wan was the brother of the beloved Imperial Concubine Yu.
A few days ago, he wished her death, and now he sent his daughter to befriend with her? In such a party, she wouldn’t believe that someone wanted to befriend with her because of her talent.
However, the situation was changing at any second. Let’s decide whether she was a friend or foe after she met her.
Making up her mind, when Chuyi came back to report it, Mo Qianxue let her pass the words to the girl waiting outside that she welcomed Miss. Wan to appreciate art and poetry later after the break.
As soon as the girl left, Mo Qianxue walked out of the room and ordered Chuyi to pack up the things inside. They were going to change a room to receive guests.
She always felt disgusted sitting in that room.
In fact, there weren’t much to be packed. Just a piece of dirty clothes and a box of cakes from Junzhu Susu. Chuyi didn’t ask why. Anyway, there weren’t others in the courtyard, so lady could use whichever room as she wanted. Hence, she put the dirty clothes into her bag and came out with the box of cakes.
They moved to the east wing house. Mo Qianxue sat on the cough in the living room, while Chuyi slightly dusted the room, and got some tea from the guarding nannies, when Wan Ziying arrived.
Along with her was another person, Lan Ruomeng.
She was the girl who had won the Dance Pendant. The way she looked Mo Qianxue did contain admiration. Once she sat down, what she talked about was poetry.
She made lines impromptu, unhurriedly, carrying a little sadness. Her beauty was made of real learnings! Mo Qianxue believed that she and Jian Qingyou would become best friends if they knew each other.
A listener was always a thinker. Apparently, there were other intentions in Wan Ziying’s eyes, but they weren’t obvious. She didn’t talk much and just listened for most of the time. But when she did talk, she hit right to the point.
The three of them had some tea with the cakes from Junzhu Susu and talked about poetry, which, to Mo Qianxue, a former literature major, was quite enjoyable.
Not long afterwards, an imperial servant announced loudly that the afternoon session began, and the Princess invited ladies to the Peach Blossom Pavilion.
“If you don’t feel well, you may go back to rest. It’s not necessary to show up. After the party is over, I’ll send people to invite you here.”
After the greetings, when Mo Qianxue just took seat, Princess Yuhe’s voice came to her ear, “Why not take a longer break if you don’t feel well? I’ll notice you when it’s over.”
Mo Qianxue stood up and replied, “Thank you for caring, Princess. But how should I miss this grand party which happens only once a year? Besides, I’m not that spoiled. Even if I feel a little unwell, I can sit here and watch the talented ladies. It doesn’t matter.”
Junzhu Susu also helped, “Princess Yuhe is known for her kindness. Yet, I think Miss. Mo is in good spirit. She’s fine, I guess. Don’t bother to care about her, Princess.”
Princess Yuhe said, “That’ll be good, so Junzhu Susu, please take more care of her, so that I could be relieved.”
“Thank you Princess!” Mo Qianxue curtsied and sat down.
Taking a deep breath, she told herself that the less Princess Yuhe wanted her to show off, the more she should. It would be best if she could obtain more pendants to irritate the vicious mother and daughter to death.
Afterwards, without further ado, the talent contends were on agenda again.
Two of the three newly-added contends had completed in the morning, so now it was the third one, tea ceremony.
The culture of tea ceremony was quite mature in modern times. There were imperial tea ceremony, scholar tea ceremony, folk tea ceremony, religious tea ceremony and so on.
It concluded certainly tea tasting and appreciation, which focused on the taste, color, fragrance, aroma, shape and so on…
Immediately after Princess Yuhe announced the starting, before anyone else stood up, Mo Qianxue volunteered, “I happen to know a little about tea ceremony. Can I be the first one to show it?”
She could be the first one to demonstrate but didn’t have the right to refuse to participate in the competition like Princess Yuhe and Junzhu Susu did.
The pendants were issued by the imperial family, and they were imperial members, so naturally they could refuse to take them. But if she did the same, it was equal to despising imperial grace.
Princess Yuhe relaxed her narrowing eyes and smiled, “I heard mother said Miss. Mo is a talented lady. I guess she isn’t wrong. You can not only compose a peerless poem but also know tea ceremony. After this party, do come and visit me often so that I can learn from you.”
Her habitual methods. Sweet poisonous words!
“I don’t dare to teach. Please don’t say so, Princess.” She replied in a modest manner.
Meanwhile, the tea set was prepared on the table.
Mo Qianxue didn’t pretend and stepped forward.
The first step: warm cups. Mo Qianxue raised her hands to take the tea towel, holding it with the left hand and holding the teapot with the right one, poured one third of water into each cup, held it with both hands and began to rotate anticlockwise.
She did it in a graceful and unhurried demeanor, fluent as flowing river and floating clouds.
The second step: add tea. Mo Qianxue used a teaspoon to dial the tea from the jar into the tea pot. It appeared easy, but as long as she exerted a bit more strength, and tea leaves would fall all over the table…
From somewhere, the wind brought over some peach blossoms to fall on Mo Qianxue’s clothes, adding more doses of beauty and making her movement increasingly eye-pleasant and graceful.
The third step: appreciate tea. Mo Qianxue presented the teapot to Princess Yuhe and the ladies, to demonstrate the shape, color of the tea leaves, and then poured into each cup.
Then, she put back the tea jar, wet the tea leaves, shook it and brush them with water.
Using the ‘Phoenix Three Nodding’ technique, she raised the teapot high but poured at a low altitude, in the middle of which the water flew and cut, like a white silk, flowing downward as waterfall splashing down to the lake, disturbing the tea leaves to flap up and down. At the bottom of the cups, they turned green, like flags, like guns, like fish cutely swimming around.
Above the cups, vapor steamed up like a soaring crane.
At this moment, except Mo Qianxue’s tea ceremony, everything else seemed to become foils. The ladies, the blossoms, and even the sunlight. The tea ceremony was just so stunning that the eyes couldn’t look away.