It's almost time to wear it. The soft beauty relies on the child-bearing system to favor her

"Did you make all those snacks yourself?"

The Queen Mother took the teacup from the palace servant who was serving beside her, and stopped looking at Su Wanti. She just used the lid of the teacup to gently stir the tea leaves floating in the cup.

The teacup was a fine product from the official kiln. The bone china was light and fine, and the lid and the rim of the cup touched from time to time, making a crisp "ding ding" sound.

"Reporting to the Empress Dowager, the snacks that I sent to the Cining Palace were all made by me alone."

Su Wanti stood up, her expression pious and solemn, but her voice was even more pleasant than the crisp "ding ding" sound.

"These snacks are all presented to the Empress Dowager sincerely by me. They represent my feelings for her. I dare not use anyone else's hands to make them."

In fact, the Queen Mother had already investigated the matter clearly and she knew that the dim sum was indeed made by Concubine Wan herself.

This question was just to draw out her real concerns.

"Hmm," the Queen Mother responded indifferently, glancing at Su Wanti with her slender eyes with coldness.

"Your family is a farmer in the suburbs of Beijing. After entering the palace, you only worked as a maid in the flower room for two years and never worked in the imperial kitchen. The recipes of these pastries are delicate and complicated. Where did you learn it?"

The Queen Mother was meticulous. She knew Su Wanti's family background and her experiences after entering the palace.

She had looked at the dim sum and found that they were similar to those made in the imperial kitchen, but also different.

This is not something a woman from a humble background can do.

The empress dowager was worried that there might be some unknown forces that were detrimental to the emperor. Seeing that Su Wanti was extremely beautiful and the kind of person the emperor liked, she bribed her and provided her with help behind the scenes to help her gain the emperor's favor, and then used her to achieve some ulterior motives.

Perhaps it was that unknown force that provided Su Wanti with such a unique dessert recipe?

Su Wanti didn't know that the Queen Mother would think so deeply, nor did she know that the Queen Mother would link the snacks she made with the conspiracy.

But she knew that the empress dowager had been immersed in the harem for several years and had developed a pair of sharp eyes that could see through routines and understand people's hearts.

Well, it’s best not to lie in front of the Queen Mother, just tell the truth.

But this truth does not mean telling everything.

For example, she cannot reveal the source of the recipe, but she can talk more about the thoughts and steps she took to make the snacks.

After hearing the Queen Mother's question, Su Wanti smiled and answered honestly:

"Your Highness, the Queen Mother, the snacks I present to you are all made by me after I have improved upon the original snacks."

"I wanted to meet the Queen Mother, but I couldn't find the way. Later, I remembered the first time I came to see the Queen Mother, and I saw the maids in the Queen Mother's palace picking plum blossoms and collecting fallen snow. I thought that the Queen Mother must like exquisite things that contain the spirit of nature."

"I asked the emperor for confirmation, and he said that the empress dowager likes to incorporate natural things into her diet. I thought, maybe I can make some novel, non-sweet snacks for the empress dowager to please her."

"I was born in a farming family. When I was at home, I worked day and night and was responsible for the family's three meals a day. I have made all kinds of pasta and snacks, so I have some basic knowledge."

"But the level of sophistication and the ingredients and processes used in the snacks in the palace are incomparable to the food of ordinary people."

"In order to make these snacks, I have put a lot of effort. I first selected a snack and studied it for several days. I stayed in the small kitchen for at least four hours every day. During this time, I would ask the imperial chef for advice. Then, when making the snacks, I tried to add the natural things that the Empress Dowager likes."

"I have really put a lot of thought into this, such as plum blossoms, mint, lotus, osmanthus, etc. We cannot let them conflict with the main flavor of the snacks, nor can we let them be obscure and have no sense of existence."

"I have to try every dessert many times, and only when I feel it is suitable will I dare to present it to the Queen Mother."

"If the Empress Dowager has seen the snacks I made, it's okay if she still doesn't want to see me. I have also improved some drinks, such as sour plum drink, snow-soaked plum wine, golden lychee ice, etc. In summer, I will make them one by one and present them to the Empress Dowager."

While Su Wanti was speaking, the Queen Mother would occasionally glance at her to see her expression.

The Queen Mother knew that the dim sum she made involved complicated processes and tedious production, which required not only meticulous thinking but also great patience and carefulness.

From this point we can see that she is not an impetuous and perfunctory person, but a down-to-earth, careful, persistent and patient person.

Now, she tells the story of the process of making snacks in a detailed and real way.

Su Wanti was excited when she talked about what she had done with all her heart. Her cheeks flushed slightly and her sincere words caught the Queen Mother's eyes completely, and her previous worries disappeared.

The Queen Mother felt relieved and her prejudice against her faded a lot.

She glanced silently at Su Wanti's little face, carefully examining her complexion.

Su Wanti's eyes were big and soft, her pupils sparkling like broken stars, and the corners of her eyes were upturned, like the eyes of a little fox.

Looking down, she has a small nose, a pointed chin, and charmingly red lips that are as red as pearls, full and round.

Her eyes and lips made her look alluring and beautiful.

Yet, her fair and tender cheeks were slightly flushed with either shyness or excitement, and her words and actions were quiet and proper, giving her a calm and peaceful temperament that made one feel at ease just by looking at her.

The Queen Mother felt that the woman in front of her was like a tamed little wild animal, pretty, docile, and with a bright and fierce beauty.

No wonder the emperor doted on her alone. After seeing her appearance and knowing her character, he found her pleasing to the eye and was willing to take a second look at her.

In fact, the Queen Mother didn't hate beautiful women from the beginning.

The Queen Mother had no prejudice against any type of women until the Emperor fell in love with the beautiful Fang Meiren.

After Concubine Fang became favored, she became arrogant. The empress dowager couldn't stand it, so she found excuses not to see her.

Later, the empress dowager learned that Concubine Fang had done extremely outrageous things in order to gain the emperor's favor, and she began to dislike beautiful women.

The imperial concubine was even more beautiful than Lady Fang, and the empress dowager's prejudice against beautiful women became even deeper.

This directly affected the Queen Mother's view of Su Wanti. Fortunately, Su Wanti allowed the Queen Mother to see her true self and shattered her prejudice against her.

Su Wanti clearly felt that the Queen Mother's attitude towards her had softened.

She also discovered that the Queen Mother always looked at her vaguely, with no disdain in her eyes, but rather a hint of appreciation.

Su Wanti had a clear idea in her mind.

She bowed deeply to the Queen Mother, stood up, and said softly:

"Your Majesty, I have tried every possible means to see you. I have something to ask for."

The Queen Mother then raised her eyes and looked at her, "What do you want?"

Su Wanti's attitude became more humble and submissive. "I would like to ask for the protection of the Queen Mother... Yesterday, the imperial physician diagnosed that I have been pregnant with a dragon fetus for nearly two months."

"Huh?" The Queen Mother lost her composure due to surprise. The sound seemed to be squeezed by her throat, coming out flatly from her throat with completely messed up tone.