Do You Know?: Rule the World.

Chapter 60 My God
As soon as he finished speaking, the palace maid standing by took light steps and brought another celadon bowl filled with lotus leaf soup to Zhao Han.

Zhao Han quickly stood up upon seeing this, took the bowl with both hands, and said solemnly, "I thank the Empress for her grace."

"No need to be so polite, just try it and see how it tastes." Queen Cao smiled and looked gentle.

She paused, then said softly, "This lotus leaf soup is made according to the taste that the emperor usually likes. I wonder if it suits Lord Zhao's taste."

Zhao Han carefully scooped a spoonful, savored it carefully, and then showed an expression of admiration.

"This soup is refreshing and fragrant. The sweetness of the lotus leaves and the richness of the broth complement each other perfectly. Your Majesty is truly a skilled cook. I am amazed!"

The smile on Empress Cao's face deepened, and she nodded slightly: "As long as Lord Zhao likes it."

"When I have nothing to do, I like to think about cooking."

Zhao Zhen looked at the two of them and couldn't help but interrupt: "The Queen's cooking skills are excellent. This lotus leaf soup is nothing compared to her."

"In my opinion, the most delicious one is the plum blossom shortbread."

Empress Cao covered her lips and chuckled, and the golden phoenix hairpin on her temples swayed gently.

"The shortbread is made from plum blossoms after the first snow, marinated in honey for three days, then wrapped in puff pastry and baked. When you bite into it, the crust is crispy on the outside, while the filling carries the refreshing aroma of plum blossoms."

"It's just that the season is wrong right now. The shortbread made with the cellared plum blossom honey has no spiritual flavor."

"When the plum blossoms are in full bloom this year, I will make another box for you."

"If Lord Zhao is free, please come to the palace and have a taste."

Zhao Zhen raised his eyebrows, and before Zhao Han could speak, he quickly agreed, "That's right, then it will be your turn to go to the plum garden and pick plums!"

Zhao Han was shocked when he heard this, and the spoon in his hand almost slipped.

Looking up, he saw Zhao Zhen and Empress Cao both looking at him with smiles in their eyes. He could only stand up, bow and say, "I obey your command."

"I overheard that Lord Zhao is already married?"

Zhao Han replied gently, "Your Majesty is right. Before I went to the capital for the imperial examination, I was already engaged to the eldest daughter of Master Sheng, the Chengzhilang."

"When Lord Sheng was the magistrate of Yangzhou, he took great care of me and was even willing to marry his eldest daughter to him. This kindness is truly rare."

"Oh?" Empress Cao raised her eyebrows slightly and asked casually, "Have you set a wedding date?"

"It will be on August 15th of this year."

Empress Cao's eyes curved, and she looked at Zhao Zhen with a smile, saying softly, "Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered that the palace has several pieces of fine brocade, which would be perfect for making a wedding dress."

"How about giving it to the young lady from the Sheng family?"

Zhao Zhen put down the spoon, picked up the handkerchief beside him and wiped the corner of his mouth.

"The Queen can make the decision on these matters. There is no need to ask for my opinion."

"Then it's settled." Queen Cao responded with a smile, but saw that Zhao Han looked frightened.

"Your Majesty, as the saying goes, one should not accept rewards without merit. I really don't deserve this." Zhao Han lowered his head, trembling slightly.

Zhao Zhen waved his hand and said loudly, "My dear minister, you have helped me share my worries and provided advice that saved the court tens of thousands of taels of silver. What are a few pieces of brocade worth?"

"Besides, this is the Queen's sincere gift. Why don't you express your gratitude quickly?"

Zhao Han frowned, then said with gratitude in her eyes: "Your Majesty, on behalf of the daughter of the Sheng family, I thank the emperor and the queen for her grace."

Empress Cao smiled and turned to the maid beside her, saying, "Go get the brocade and pair it with the red gold and kingfisher feather headpiece, and send them to the Sheng residence."

After Zhao Han left, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Zhen suddenly whispered, "Dan Shu, what do you think of Han'er? Does he have the potential to be a crown prince?"

Empress Cao raised her eyes and looked outside the palace. After a moment's silence, she said, "Although Han'er is young, he is calm and composed, neither humble nor overbearing. He also has some of the magnanimity of the young emperor."

"When approaching, it is like the sun; when looking out, it is like the clouds. Rich but not arrogant; noble but not comfortable."

"When I first saw him, I thought, if I and your family had a prince, he would probably look like him."

Zhao Zhen sighed softly and put his arm around Empress Cao's shoulders.

"Although Han'er grew up among the common people, she is well-mannered and kind-hearted. She will definitely treat you like her own mother in the future."

Empress Cao leaned on Zhao Zhen's shoulder, her eyes slightly reddened. "I don't ask him to treat me like a mother, I just hope he can be like you, a benevolent ruler who loves his people like his own children."

"It would be best if we could recover the lost territories of Yan and Yun in the future, thus settling this century-old long-cherished wish." Zhao Zhen nodded, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes. "I believe that day will surely come!"

Jiying Lane, Sheng Mansion, inside the main hall.

After everyone bowed and thanked the female official beside Empress Cao and sent her off, they couldn't help but look at each other, their minds blank as they stared at the reward before them in disbelief.

The neatly stacked brocade shimmered with light, and the crimson gold headdress was so dazzling that it was hard to open one's eyes.

"Oh my God!" Wang Ruofu's voice suddenly rose and echoed in the main hall.

"What kind of merits did our Sheng family ancestors accumulate to deserve the reward from the Queen Mother!" She took a deep breath, her heart beating heavingly.

Sheng Hong helped the old lady up with his hands trembling slightly, and said in a deep voice: "Mother, Han Ge'er is really lucky!"

"It wasn't long after entering the Imperial Academy that he was promoted to Imperial Reader as an exception, and now he's even won the Empress's favor."

"I was right!"

"Hua'er will be able to wear the wedding dress and headgear given by the Empress when she gets married. This is a great honor!"

The old lady was knowledgeable and experienced, so she was not as excited as they were. She just smiled and nodded, saying, "When Han Ge'er comes to visit next time, tell the servants to be more respectful and not to be too careless."

"Mother is right. I'll take note of it." Sheng Hong bowed in response, with joy in his eyes and eyebrows.

He secretly calculated in his heart that after Zhao Han had established his foothold in the court, Changbai would just enter the officialdom. At that time, the new Jinshi would have the emperor's close minister to look after him, and his official career would surely be much smoother.

Wang Ruofu couldn't wait to tell Mama Liu, "Quick, throw away all the wedding clothes I prepared!"

"Invite the best embroiderer in the capital. Not a single inch of this brocade can be wasted!"

"I'm going to go to Yuqing Temple someday and add some money for incense!"

"Give me another bottle of hot wine, and I'll have a good time!"

Mother Liu responded with a smile.

Hua Lan pursed her lips, and the handsome figure of Zhao Han appeared in front of her eyes, and a blush appeared on her fair cheeks.

Molan, Rulan and others stood on one side. She stared at the brocade and the headdress, unable to hide the jealousy in her heart.

She murmured, "Big sister is so lucky. She has just arrived and has received a reward from the Empress."

Rulan raised her chin when she heard this, "If Fourth Sister is jealous, she might as well marry a man who has won the third place in the imperial examination."

"Oh, no, I forgot. Fourth sister has always been so proud of her talent that she is comparable to Xie Daoyun, and she has always wanted to marry into a noble family."

"I'm afraid that given the family background of my eldest brother-in-law, he might not be worthy of my fourth sister's attention."

After saying that, he curled his lips at her with a smug look on his face.

Molan snorted softly, glanced at Sheng Hong out of the corner of her eye, and her voice rose slightly, with a hint of sob.

"Fifth sister, what are you talking about?"

"Have you forgotten what Madam Kong taught us? Sisters in our family share prosperity and adversity."

"I just haven't seen the prizes from the palace. I took a closer look and praised my eldest sister for being so lucky. But Fifth Sister is actually mocking me like this?"

Before she could finish her words, Molan burst into tears and her shoulders trembled slightly.

Sheng Hong, who was standing not far away, happened to hear Molan's words and his face immediately darkened.

He turned around and glared at Rulan, then shouted, "You bastard!"

"It's only been a short time since Madam Kong left, and you've already forgotten everything and started talking nonsense again!"

Rulan's face trembled with fear and she quickly hid behind Wang Ruofu.

Wang Ruofu, eager to protect her child, frowned and scolded Molan, "You're crying on such a happy day! How can you be so rude!"

Molan heard this and her crying became weaker, but she still covered her face with a handkerchief and her shoulders trembled.

"Madam, calm down. It was clearly Fifth Sister who spoke rudely first..."

Sheng Hong looked at the tearful Molan, then glanced at Rulan who was hiding behind Wang Ruofu, raised his finger and pointed at her, saying, "Wait until your elder sister's business is done, and then I'll show you how I'll teach you a lesson!"

The old lady sighed lightly and took Hualan and Minglan back to Shou'an Hall, leaving them to do whatever they wanted.

　Ask a question, how many big guys want to see Molan, if there are many, I will change the outline and see how to arrange Molan later
　　
　
(End of this chapter)