Chapter 690
Golden Flame Flower Tea Before Rain Sparrow Tongue
Chapter 690 Golden Flame Flower Tea Before Rain Sparrow Tongue
Where Liu Ying walked, Gao De could even see transparent particles of light constantly escaping from her hair and skirt, leaving a faint halo in the air.
The two figures quickly disappeared into the shadows.
But those remaining particles of light lingered at the edge of the shadow for a moment before completely merging into the darkness.
This inevitably caused him some concern.
The fluorescence phenomenon was more severe than he had anticipated.
However, the Wang Mian family should be very experienced in this matter, and the methods they use are certainly more practical than his current [Primary Yingyou Body].
Moreover, Liu Ying specifically asked him to wait before she left, and the certainty in her tone indicated that she was confident in her solution for the family.
This photochemical state is by no means an unsolvable problem.
After thinking about it this way, Gao De's tense nerves relaxed a little.
He withdrew his gaze and followed Marcus's directions to the side door.
Behind the side door is a corridor covered with a deep red carpet, the edges of which are embroidered with dragon and bird patterns outlined in gold thread.
The carpet is made of a very special material. Stepping on it feels like sinking into the clouds. It can absorb all footsteps and make no sound at all when walking on it.
The walls on both sides of the corridor are made of milky white marble, the stone is warm and delicate, without a trace of impurity.
Off-white paired with deep red—a classic color scheme for aristocratic castles.
But Gao De suddenly had a thought: for the Wang Mian family, perhaps it was because they used this color scheme as their castle decoration that this color scheme became the most popular style of decoration for noble castles on the continent.
The Wang Mian family is the oldest noble family in the mage plane.
A gentle fragrance lingered around my nose; it was a blend of cedarwood and evening primrose.
It contains none of the pungent smell of magical fragrances; it is purely the mellow aroma of natural spices that has been refined over time, bringing peace of mind.
“Madam doesn’t like the smell of artificial fragrances.” Marcus seemed to read his mind as he led the way, chatting casually as if they were old friends.
"She felt that those synthetic fragrances were too fake, with too much artificial craftsmanship. Therefore, all the fragrances in the inner palace came from the infusion of natural plants."
Gao De nodded, saying nothing more, and simply listened silently.
Marcus didn't mind his silence and continued, "The oil paintings on both sides of the corridor are all original portraits of our family's ancestors."
Following his gaze, Gao De saw an oil painting hanging every few meters along the corridor.
The clothing and attire of the figures in the oil painting clearly show the differences between the eras.
What remains unchanged is that each of them possesses deep-set eyes and a striking profile, with the same noble and resolute air about them.
At the end of the corridor is a hall, in the center of which stands a fountain.
The dome of the hall is painted with a mural of the starry sky, and the stars on the mural move slowly.
"This is an enchanted painting that a court painter spent ten years creating." Seeing Gao De's curious gaze, Marcus smiled and introduced, "Each star is embedded with a miniature sensing rune, which can synchronize with the changes in the outside starry sky in real time."
"This was also designed according to the lady's wishes. She said that being able to see the starry sky when looking up would remind people to be humble."
"For the Wang Mian family, learning humility is a very important lesson."
Ordinary people or common nobles need to cultivate a dignified yet humble demeanor.
Families like Wang Mian's, which stand at the pinnacle of power, must learn humility.
Gao De nodded silently, gaining a deeper understanding of the Wang Mian family.
He followed Marcus forward, through the halls, and finally to a large ebony door.
"This is the inner court VIP room." Marcus stopped and gestured for him to enter, his eyes showing approval.
“Master Gaode, our family has been serving the Wang Mian family since my grandfather’s time. I watched Prince Liuying grow up.”
"A mage as young as you, to be treated as a distinguished guest by the Wang Mian family, I think in the Golden Flower Dynasty, besides the royal family, there is probably no one else like you."
These words highlighted Gao De's special treatment without being overtly flattering. Coupled with his gentle smile, they made Gao De clearly feel the importance that the Wang Mian family placed on him.
As he spoke, Marcus gently pushed open the ebony door.
Inside the door was a spacious and elegant room, where the scents of cedar and evening primrose grew stronger.
A large desk was placed on one side of the room, with fresh broom flowers in a crystal vase on it.
On the other side was a set of sofas.
"Please wait here for a moment," Marcus said politely.
He then clapped his hands, and two maids entered, carrying silver trays on which lay warm floral tea and delicate pastries.
"This is Golden Flame Flower Tea, a specialty of the Terra continent. It has unique effects. You'll find out once you try it; you should be pleasantly surprised."
After the maid had arranged the tea and snacks, Marcus spoke again, "Master Gaode, please rest for a moment. If you need anything, please let me know. The maid is waiting behind the door."
After saying that, he gently closed the door and left.
Gao De was the only one left in the room.
He walked over to the sofa and sat down; the soft feel of it relaxed his tense body a little.
He picked up the silver teacup, feeling the warmth from his fingertips, and smelled the delicate fragrance of flower tea and the rich aroma of natural spices.
Gao De drank it all in one gulp.
The warm tea slid down my throat, then transformed into a refreshing sensation that spread throughout my body.
Like sweet rain nourishing parched land, it instantly cleansed the restlessness in his soul.
In an instant, Gao De felt his consciousness clear.
The obscure knowledge points and some fourth-order basic runes that he had accumulated while studying runes in the desolate and barren Soul Domain suddenly became clear.
The logic of rune combinations and energy flow paths that had troubled him seemed to be illuminated by a light in his mind.
What was once a superficial understanding has now become a thorough comprehension, just as if I had spent months studying diligently.
this?!
Gao De abruptly put down his teacup, a look of intense astonishment flashing in his eyes.
He could easily understand the high value of this cup of flower tea.
In a past life, that would have been the Enlightenment Tea.
Although the effect is not as dramatic, the purpose is the same.
Originally just a novice fourth-tier rune master, he has now entered the ranks of experts in understanding and using runes thanks to the nourishment of this cup of Golden Flame Flower Tea.
Is this the foundation of the Wang Mian family?
Such a precious magical tea, yet they were willing to serve it to guests.
Gao De was amazed. Then he thought that Richard and Liu Ying, as heirs of the Wang Mian family, must have drunk more of these magical plant teas from childhood.
With the aid of such resources, their mastery of magic and their knowledge base must have far surpassed those of mages of the same level.
It is said that talent can make people turn their lives around, but what kind of talent does the Wang Mian family, with its abundant resources, need to achieve such a turnaround?
Not to mention Liu Ying's talent, which is in a class of its own in the entire plane.
Upon realizing this, Gao De immediately understood that he was still some distance from being a truly top-tier genius mage. About half an hour later...
The door was gently pushed open.
Marcus, who had left earlier, reappeared at the door, his expression still gentle: "Master Gaode, the lady wishes to see you."
Only one person in the entire Wang Mian family could be addressed as "Madam" with such solemnity by Marcus.
She was the wife of Grand Duke Wang Mian and the mother of Liu Ying and Richard.
Although he was unclear about the other party's intentions, Gao De knew that refusing such a person who held real power in the family would be pointless.
He readily nodded in agreement, stood up, straightened his robes, and made sure his posture was appropriate.
He followed Marcus through a quieter corridor, at the end of which was a more ornate carved wooden door.
This is the core reception room of the Wang Mian family's inner court, which only the most distinguished guests or core family members can enter.
Marcus reached out and lightly touched the door knocker.
Gaode, on the other hand, took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down as much as possible.
Even though he had seen many big events, he was still a little nervous about the person he was about to meet.
The gate slowly opened inwards.
A woman dressed in a light purple dress was sitting in the main seat.
She looked to be around thirty years old, with her hair styled in an elegant updo, and a few soft strands of hair hanging down by her temples, perfectly framing her gentle features.
To Gao De's surprise, Richard's handsomeness goes without saying, and Liu Ying is an absolute beauty.
As the mother of these two, Lady Wang Mian's appearance was only considered above average, not as stunning as he had imagined.
Moreover, her attire was rather simple for her status, and there was no jewelry on her attire.
The highest-ranking person in the Plantagenet dynasty is naturally the current monarch, List XII.
Grand Duke Wang Mian stood beside King List XII, at the pinnacle of power in the Plantagenet dynasty.
What's special is that in almost every kingdom on the continent, such powerful ministers are often checked by another noble of comparable strength in the court to prevent one from becoming too powerful and threatening the royal authority.
But the Plantagenet dynasty was an exception.
Grand Duke Wang Mian is the only duke in the dynasty. He controls the most precious mithril mine in the dynasty besides the anti-magic stone mine, and commands the Silver Dragon Cavalry. No one in the court can rival him, making him the absolute second most powerful person in the dynasty.
This is the public structure of the imperial court.
In fact, the actual person in charge of the Wang Mian family in recent years was not Grand Duke Wang Mian himself, but his wife.
That is, Lady Wang Mian.
Since marrying into the Wang Mian family, this wise woman has been in charge of all the affairs, big and small, of the Wang Mian family.
She could even be called the most powerful woman in this dynasty, without exception.
This applies to both the resources and power actually controlled and the nominal status.
Because Queen Liszt XII died the year after giving birth to the "crown prince".
After that, Liszt XII never married or had an empress. As the wife of the only duke in the dynasty, Lady Queen naturally became the most respected woman in name and in reality.
These were all things that Liu Ying told him when he spent his days and nights with her in the desolate and barren Soul Realm.
Gao De was also curious about what kind of person this woman was, who could make Grand Duke Wang Mian completely trust her and entrust all the family's affairs to her.
He had considered many possibilities, but he never expected it to be such an "ordinary" noblewoman.
What's even stranger is that after actually meeting Lady Wang Mian, he had a strong feeling that Lady Wang Mian should be like this, rather than the various postures and appearances he had previously imagined.
Marcus led God to the center of the reception room and pulled out a chair for God to sit opposite Lady Crown.
Then he stood quietly beside Lady Wang Mian.
He clasped his hands naturally in front of him, his back straight, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far from the host and guest seats.
This way, it won't interrupt their conversation, and it will allow for immediate response when they need it.
At that moment, Gao De suddenly felt that his usually agile and nimble body had become somewhat stiff, and even sitting down felt a little awkward.
He knew perfectly well that it wasn't that his body was actually stiff, but rather that the presence of the woman opposite him made him feel somewhat uneasy.
Even though Lady Wang Mian hadn't said a word the entire time, and maintained a gentle and mild smile throughout, her eyes showed no hint of scrutiny or oppression.
This is the invisible sense of oppression imposed by identity and status.
That is power.
After Gao De took his seat, the lady opposite him did not speak immediately. Instead, she picked up the white porcelain teacup beside her and took a slow sip.
Her eyelids were slightly narrowed, as if she were savoring the taste of the tea. Her aura remained gentle, yet it carried a calm and composed air of someone in complete control.
Gao De remained silent for a moment.
In front of him was a cup of tea that looked exactly the same.
The tea soup is clear and bright, with a few tender green tea leaves floating on it, emitting a faint herbal fragrance.
He thought for a moment, then picked up his teacup and took a small sip.
The tea soup has a light taste with a hint of herbal sweetness, without any strong flavor impact.
At this moment, Madam Wang Mian had already put down her teacup. The lid lightly touched the cup, making a crisp "ding" sound that broke the tranquility of the reception room.
She smiled as she looked at Gao De's face: "How is the tea?"
As for the taste... Gaode (a Chinese audio guide website) really can't tell whether it's good or bad.
He was never an expert in the art of tea.
It had no effect whatsoever and was nothing like the magical Golden Flame Flower Tea from before.
It's just a cup of pure tea, meant to quench your thirst.
So he put the teacup back on the table, looked up to meet Lady Wang Mian's gaze, and honestly said, "I don't understand it."
It seems that Gaode Maps did not expect such a response, without even a simple polite remark like "good tea".
A fleeting, ambiguous emotion flickered in her eyes, vanishing in an instant. "Drinking tea is just drinking tea. There's no need to understand it. It's fine."
As she finished speaking, Madam Wang Mian paused briefly, her fingertips gently stroking the silver rim of the cup, and slowly added, "This is my favorite tea, called 'Pre-Rain Sparrow Tongue,' transported from the Mist Spirit Mountain in the western part of the Central Plains Continent."
"The tea leaves need to be picked before the Qingming rain. Qingming is the name of the solar term in Zhongting. Only the tenderest part of the buds is taken. They are stir-fried by hand to kill the green. There is no magic or special effect, but I like this pure grass and wood fragrance."
Her voice was calm, as if she were talking about a trivial matter, but her eyes gradually became deep: "This kind of tea can only be found in the valleys of Wuling Mountain in the Central Plains. It is extremely picky about its growing environment, requiring misty clouds and mountain spring irrigation. It cannot be artificially cultivated."
"In recent years, the Empire has frequently sent troops to the Central Plains Continent. Wherever its iron hooves have gone, it has almost taken over most of the western region of the Central Plains Continent, and is still expanding its territory."
"In a few years, Wuling Mountain will probably fall into the Empire's territory. If we want to drink Yuqian Sparrow Tongue again, we may have to bow down and beg the Empire for it."
Gao De was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that the first topic Madam Wang Mian discussed after their meeting would be the origin and future of a cup of tea.
(End of this chapter)