Bringing the courtyard through [delicate] lady killed like crazy

There was total silence in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The only sound left was the ticking of clocks.

"Hahahaha, fine, I'll accept this watch. Since our two countries have diplomatic relations,... Fuyao, what do you think is a suitable return gift?"

Li Jiaojiao: ...What does this have to do with her?

"Your Majesty, aren't you making things difficult for me? I don't know how to return the gift..." Li Jiaojiao frowned, expressing that she really didn't know what the better return gift was.

"The princess is still young, why are you asking her this? Open my storehouse and pick out some of the best silk for us." The Concubine Chen, who had been sitting upright, turned around and gave instructions to the people around her.

After a pause, he turned to look at Emperor Qing and asked, "What do you think, Your Majesty?"

"Okay, very good, I'm sorry to have wronged you. I will double the amount you give away later." Emperor Qing's voice was so gentle that it could squeeze water out of it, and he didn't even need to use the word "I".

The people below were asked to lower their heads and pick their toes...

The tribute continues.

The foreigner took out the second gift, which was a green round object.

When this thing was taken out, not only the civil and military officials in the court were shocked, even the fifth elder who was the translator was stunned.

He didn't know what gift the foreigner was going to send in advance, but he was familiar with this thing. He had been eating it for the whole summer. Now it was in the cold storage of the boat gang. The princess had just sent it a few days ago. It was especially refreshing after being chilled!

Brothers, don’t tell me how much I love it.

The foreigner brought out a round watermelon and chattered to the fifth elder for a long time.

Everyone in the hall, even the palace maids and eunuchs standing around him, looked at the Fifth Elder's... mouth.

I really want to know what this person said for so long.

The Fifth Elder's brows were furrowed so much that they could pinch a fly to death. For the first time, he regretted taking this job. There were so many ways to surprise His Highness and the Princess, why did he choose this one?

Seeing that the Fifth Elder was slow to act, the foreigner thought that the other party did not understand and began to gesture with his hands and feet.

The Fifth Elder raised his hand resignedly to his fate and stopped him. He turned his head and said, "Your Majesty, he said this is a kind of melon that was carefully cultivated in his country. It has red soil and green skin and contains a variety of rich nutrients. Now he is willing to offer the cultivation technology and seeds to Your Majesty. In addition, he wants a knife to cut the watermelon on the spot and share it with everyone to taste."

Emperor Qing narrowed his eyes and nodded in agreement. Immediately, a young eunuch brought a table and the imperial guards presented a dagger.

When the foreigner cut it in half himself, the two semicircles swayed and spread out on the table, and those who were nearby gasped in disbelief.

An official looked at the fifth elder, eager to learn: "Excuse me, do they eat it themselves?"

The fifth elder nodded and relayed the message to the foreigner.

The foreigner smiled as he cut the melon into two-finger-sized pieces horizontally and vertically, while happily replying to the fifth elder.

As the foreigner cut the melon, everyone's eyelids twitched, their brows furrowed, and they quietly moved back.

Occasionally he would look at the Fifth Elder hopefully, eager for an explanation.

After a while, the fifth elder took a deep breath and explained to everyone: "He said that only the nobles in their place can taste this. Because the production is very small, not everyone can eat it. In addition to the one in the hall, he has nine more outside for the birthday celebration. These are the only ones they have this year, and they also selected the largest and best ones to send here."

As the foreigner spent more and more time cutting the watermelon, he was so serious and focused that he didn't notice that many people had stretched their necks to look at the things on the table.

After hearing the explanation, all the civil and military officials in the hall took a deep breath, then lowered their eyes to look at the whole plate of cut watermelon on their desks...

Look at the middle of the hall, there are red, yellow, white, green things, and there are also a mess of white, yellow, and black seeds in it?

(You can imagine the watermelons from Country H here...)

Isn't this the same thing?

Or a distant relative?

Everyone looked at Emperor Qing with aggrieved eyes, "Your Majesty, we are all your subjects. You can't just sit there and watch the foreigners poison us to death!"

Perhaps because of the heavy resentment, Emperor Qing somehow understood the accusations and grievances in everyone's eyes...

The corners of Emperor Qing's mouth twitched and his eyebrows jumped. Whether it was poisonous or not, he didn't really want to taste it anyway.

On the other hand, the team of foreign envoys looked at the hall curiously, even a little... expectant?

Emperor Qing's eyes lit up, got it!

Then he whispered a few words to Li Jing, who lowered his head, laughed, and turned away...

The view from above is good, and everyone can see everything below.

Qi Yuyi picked up the watermelon on the table and took a bite to calm herself down. Then she slowly moved her butt and moved closer to Li Jiaojiao.

She looked down and raised her chin towards the foreigner, "Jiaojiao, do you recognize this thing?"

Li Jiaojiao chuckled and whispered in a voice that everyone around could hear: "Looking at the seeds sticking out from inside, it should also be a watermelon, but it's probably because they didn't cultivate it properly, or because of the different climate and soil overseas, so it looks a bit uglier."

Everyone: ...I see.

Qi Yuyi shook her head and asked in confusion, "I believe that if it is not cultivated properly, what else can the soil and water have to do with it? And is it just ugly? Why do I feel that it should taste bad too? Even from such a distance, I feel that it tastes dry."

After Qi Yuyi finished speaking, she picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea to moisten her throat.

The tangerines have a refreshing fragrance and are very comfortable.

The people around who heard it also silently picked up their teacups and moistened their throats. As expected of Princess Yuyi, she had unique insights and was very sharp!

Finally, the melons brought by the foreigners were cut and placed on exquisite white jade plates.

The little palace maids carrying plates all rushed towards the envoy's team, and placed all the white jade plates on the table of the envoy's team without leaving any behind.

All civil and military officials breathed a sigh of relief... Thank you, Your Majesty!

The envoys were bewildered.

The foreigner was not happy with it. He was so anxious that he jumped up and down and talked a lot, but no one could understand him.

And since he kept talking, it was difficult for the translator to interrupt...

Emperor Qing had a kind smile on his face. He waved his hand towards the foreigner and said, "I am deeply honored that you have come from afar to celebrate my birthday. I still have nine melons. Now I will give this one to you who have come from afar to taste. But there is one thing I would like to ask you to be a witness for me."

As Emperor Qing finished speaking, the little palace maids who had not left with the envoys in delivering melons all leaned over and moved a plate of bright red and juicy food on the table to the middle and placed it together with the melons sent by the foreigners.

"I, the Princess Fuyao of Qing, have the honor of cultivating a high-yield watermelon. This is probably the same as the melon sent by the envoy. I would like to trouble you all to taste it and bear witness for me."

Emperor Qing did not clearly state what he was witnessing.

But those who come here are the top leaders of their respective countries, and they are all smart people, so how could they not understand?

Collecting melons, collecting melon seeds and planting methods are completely different in nature.

If you accept someone's seeds and planting methods, then your return gift cannot be low...

But, now.

Everyone looked at the two things in front of them, which were different in color, appearance, and smell, and suddenly they didn't want to see this certificate...

After all, they are outsiders.

On the other side, the fifth elder smiled and translated the words of Emperor Qing for the foreigner, and a little palace maid thoughtfully brought a plate of red, juicy, seedless watermelons to the foreigner...