"Uh..." Wang Xiaoqiang nodded, murmuring, "Lotus Princess... Just by the name, you can tell she must be a beauty..."

"Of course she's a beauty, otherwise how could she win the Emperor's favor..." said the official, "I've only seen her once, and she was breathtaking, like a heavenly being. Although she's a woman in her thirties, she looks just like a maiden in her twenties. She bore the Emperor a daughter, Princess Hua Shao, who is also a beauty. Standing together, they don't look like mother and daughter at all, but more like sisters—nine out of ten people would mistake them as such... Tsk tsk..."

Wang Xiaoqiang stroked his chin, recalling past events.

He had seen Princess Hua Shao and indeed, she was a beauty, even more beautiful than Ann Miaoyi by a few degrees, with a nobler and more refined air about her. However, his interest was more piqued by this Lotus Princess.

Although she was already a wife and a mother, Wang Xiaoqiang had a particular taste for such women, just like how on Earth he preferred women like Li Xianghong and Zhong Ping, who were like older sisters.

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang stroking his chin with such interest, the official, brimming with excitement, continued in a lowered voice, "There's a saying among the people, 'If one could see Lotus Princess just once in this lifetime, even death would be welcomed gladly! Think about it, she must be extraordinarily beautiful! Moreover, Lotus Princess is not only beautiful, but her cultivation base is also extremely high, which is another reason the Emperor adores her...'"

With the official's words, Wang Xiaoqiang's interest grew even further, but he dared not delve deep into this topic, considering Huang Ce was sitting at the head of the Jade Banquet Hall. Discussing his women here, if he were to hear, would likely mean no amount of heads would be enough to be chopped off.

After the meal, Wang Xiaoqiang was due to depart for his duty in Yue Land. Before his departure, he was summoned into the Imperial Study.

The Emperor's study was spacious and beautiful, with exquisitely carved screens depicting landscapes and birds on one side, and fine porcelain placed in the corners, while on the windowsill sat a pot of strange flowers...

When Wang Xiaoqiang entered the Imperial Study, he heard the crisp calls of birds and the chirping of insects, causing him to look around curiously. He found that there were no cages for birds, nor any insects within,

Which made sense—he thought—for the Emperor's study, such a prestigious place, was unlikely to harbor insects...

Just as Wang Xiaoqiang's curiosity peaked, a woman came around from behind the screen, appearing before his eyes.

Even for someone like Wang Xiaoqiang, who had been through countless encounters with women, his eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of her.

Her black hair was gathered up high, with a green jade hairpin inserted. A few strands of her hair cascaded down her temple, with cheeks as fair as snow, eyebrows like distant hills, and eyes like autumn waters. Her red lips seemed to have been naturally formed, and not a trace of makeup could be detected on her face—as if she were crafted from natural jade and pure gold. Her figure was slender, her demeanor elegant and graceful. Overall, she looked like a living piece of exquisite porcelain.

This woman was stunningly beautiful, brimming with charm, behind her dignified grace was a hint of delicate femininity. She was alluring without being lewd, radiant without being vulgar, and carried a warm yet distant charm. The maturity and allure she possessed were beyond what any young girl could compare with...

She was indescribable, her beauty reached a realm that words could no longer capture; any attempt to describe her would be a disservice to her splendor.

As Wang Xiaoqiang was dumbstruck, a name surfaced in his mind—Lotus Princess.

Although Wang Xiaoqiang was a man, he shared a sensitivity akin to that of a woman, particularly towards women—he possessed a natural intuitive insight. His instincts told him that the woman before him had to be Lotus Princess.

In fact, the woman was indeed Lotus Princess.

Lotus Princess, as if she had expected Wang Xiaoqiang's arrival, showed no sign of surprise. Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang gazing at her in a mix of shock and admiration, she smiled and said naturally, "Wang Xiaoqiang, you have arrived..."

Her tone carried the demeanor of a senior, yet it felt comfortable, natural, and friendly.

Wang Xiaoqiang came back to his senses, nodded with a smile and said, "Hey."

"His Majesty is tied up with something unexpectedly and was worried about you waiting, so he sent me to greet you," Lotus Princess said with a smile.

"How could I possibly deserve such a gesture?" Wang Xiaoqiang replied politely.

"Let's not stand on ceremony," said Lotus Princess, "Come, take a seat here. I'll make you some tea..."

At her words, Wang Xiaoqiang was somewhat taken aback,

Although he was not yet certain of her identity, the fact that this woman addressed him as Wang Xiaoqiang meant she was definitely not a maid, nor an ordinary lady-in-waiting—she had to be one of the Emperor's women.

The Emperor's woman making tea for him was an incredibly humbling affair.

"Uh, how could I bother you to such an extent?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked politely as he walked over and sat down at the table.

Lotus Princess extended her delicate white hands and poured a cup of tea for Wang Xiaoqiang, placing it before him.

Wang Xiaoqiang took a small sip and before the tea even reached his stomach, he felt a refreshing fragrance permeate his lungs, instantly uplifting his spirits.

He marveled inwardly, recalling the Pu'er tea on Earth that cost hundreds of thousands per box, which paled in comparison to this tea,

"Well, who would have thought that the Immortal Realm would have such remarkable tea? If I could sell this on Earth, a box could fetch tens of millions, right?"

Appreciating the taste, Wang Xiaoqiang boldly drank the rest of the tea in his cup.

The cup was too small; one cup of tea was just enough to wet the mouth, not nearly enough to reach the stomach.

Seeing Wang Xiaoqiang drain the cup in one gulp, Lotus Princess couldn't help but laugh again, before pouring him another cup.

Wang Xiaoqiang didn't dare to drink any more, as doing so would really make a fool of himself,

Seeing the woman's eyes—sparkling with laughter—fixed on him, Wang Xiaoqiang felt his bones turn soft and his flesh tremble.

When a woman is beautiful to a certain degree, she exudes a kind of magic power that can make a man tremble with just a glance or a gesture.

Wang Xiaoqiang thought that if this woman were to stand before him with no clothes, she could probably excite a man to the point of fainting.

At any rate, Wang Xiaoqiang had such a premonition.

In order to mask his embarrassment, Wang Xiaoqiang asked, "You must be the Lotus Princess from the legends, right?"

"Not at all," Lotus Princess chuckled.

Wang Xiaoqiang said, "If you are not Lotus Princess, then I have grown these eyes for nothing."

"Hehe, Wang Xiaoqiang, I find you have the sensitivity of a little woman and the confidence of a big man…"

Lotus Princess fixed her gaze tightly on Wang Xiaoqiang as she laughed. Under her stare, Wang Xiaoqiang felt even more uncomfortable.

So he changed the subject, asking curiously, "Hey, just now I heard the sound of bugs and birds in this room, but now I can't see them anywhere…"

"Isn't that it?" Lotus Princess said, pointing to the screen.

Wang Xiaoqiang's gaze fell on the screen, seeing it carved with flowers, birds, insects, and fish.

"You mean to say the bugs and birds on this screen can make noise?" Wang Xiaoqiang asked with curiosity.

"Stare at it carefully, without blinking; if you can keep staring for a minute, then you will see…" Lotus Princess said.

Wang Xiaoqiang did as told, his gaze unwavering, but after less than a minute, he felt his eyes become sore and couldn't look anymore. So he blinked.

"If you can't stare for a minute, you won't see the wonder," Lotus Princess reminded him.

Wang Xiaoqiang circulated a bit of Spiritual Power to his eyes, and again stared intently at the screen without blinking. Finally, after a minute, a marvelous sight appeared before his eyes: the flowers, birds, insects, and fish on the screen all came to life…the flowers swayed without wind, the birds opened their beaks and chirped, the insects hopped within the grass, and the fish began to swim in water…

It was no longer just a screen; it was a scene of nature that could move.

"How magical!" Wang Xiaoqiang muttered to himself as he gazed at the wonder before him.

And what was even more magical, after seeing the wonder, Wang Xiaoqiang found that his eyes were no longer sore, but were clearer and brighter than before!

"Wang Xiaoqiang, now stare at that pot of flower!" Lotus Princess directed him towards a flower on the windowsill.

Wang Xiaoqiang looked over to see a potted flower on the windowsill. The Huazi had not yet blossomed, displaying only four leaves.

"Don't blink, just stare for a minute, and you will see the wonder," Lotus Princess reminded him.

Doing as he was told, Wang Xiaoqiang stared at the plant without blinking, and after a minute, indeed he witnessed the wonder: the plant suddenly grew a bud, and then the bud unfolded into four strange flower petals, each one so beautiful—one red, one yellow, one purple, and one white.

Flowers normally take time to bloom, but this flower in front of him burst into bloom in an instant.

This is too magical!

Even more magical was that, as Wang Xiaoqiang looked at the flower, his vision became clearer and brighter.

"This is no ordinary flower; it is a Four-Colored Strange Flower," Lotus Princess said. "And those two screens are not ordinary screens, but the South Sea Immortal Screens…"

"Four-Colored Strange Flower, South Sea Immortal Screens…" Wang Xiaoqiang murmured, "They sound like Magic Treasures…"

"Hehe, these are not Magic Treasures, just some exotic items that's all. Their only use is to please the eye, and if you keep staring at them, over time your vision will become brighter and your eyesight will greatly improve…" Lotus Princess explained. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.