After Defeat, the Empress’s Negotiating Chip Turns Out to Be Me

Chapter 219

219~ Curiosity About the Empress's Past~

"So, Miss Xiao Bai, if you truly want to win Her Highness Mo's favor, perhaps you could learn from Lady Xiyan."

"Learn how to make pastries, how to brew tea, how to make Her Highness Mo laugh."

"At least from what I've seen, Lady Xiyan has always served Her Highness Mo this way, and Her Highness Mo likes Lady Xiyan very much."

After hearing the maid's words, Xiao Bai looked thoughtful.

Master Mo likes Xiyan? Does that mean as long as she does well what Xiyan can do, she can win Master Mo's favor!?

She'd already started fantasizing about the beautiful life of being doted on, being able to snuggle, hug, and be lifted high with Master Mo every day.

"So, if Miss Xiao Bai wants to win Her Highness Mo's favor, the first thing you must do is learn how to be a lady."

"Okay! Then teach me quickly!"

She couldn't wait to become a proper lady, then perform well in front of Master Mo! Win Master Mo's favor, and then she could snuggle, hug, and be lifted high every day! And sleep together every night!

"Well, Miss Xiao Bai, please be patient. A lady isn't made in a day. You must take it slowly. Even Lady Xiyan spent quite a while before becoming as she is now, and Lady Xiyan still doesn't count as a true lady even now."

"No, teach me right now! I can learn it!"

Her learning ability was super strong, okay!

As long as it could win Master Mo's favor, learning it would be like she'd turned on cheats!

"Ahem... Alright then. But before that, Miss Xiao Bai, you should first standardize your behavior. For example, take slightly smaller steps when walking. That way, your skirt won't be stretched too open, and it'll look much better too."

"Like this?"

Xiao Bai tried walking a few steps for the maid to see.

"Yes, exactly like that. As long as you can maintain this walking posture for a few days, you can try the next step."

"Mm!"

It sounded simple, but actually doing it was another matter entirely. For ordinary people to change their ingrained habits required a very long time. Something like walking posture couldn't be changed without several months.

This should keep Miss Xiao Bai settled down for a while, right?

The maid thought.

This was a task the Empress had given her, to think of a way to keep Xiao Bai behaving for a few days. These past few days, Miss Xiao Bai had caused too much commotion in the Imperial Palace. She'd almost directly demolished two houses in the palace, and the garden had suffered even worse, already destroyed beyond recognition.

If it weren't for these maids replanting new flowers every day, there probably wouldn't be a single living one left.

"Then, since Miss Xiao Bai needs to practice, I won't disturb you. After you've practiced well, you can come find me."

"Mm mm!"

Xiao Bai waved her hand, urging the maid to hurry and leave. She was going to start attempting to practice.

...

"Mo, it's time to eat."

The Empress reached out and rubbed the little Princess's head a few times.

"...Don't you need to handle government affairs today?"

"Today's a day off."

Of course, this holiday was one she gave herself. The others didn't dare say much either. Who'd dare talk back to the current Empress? Did they not want to live?

"Hurry up and get up. It's time to eat."

"Mm..."

Putting down the book in her hand, the little Princess reluctantly jumped off the bed, put on her little leather boots, took the Empress's hand, and headed to the dining room.

"So... what dish is this?"

The little Princess raised an eyebrow and asked somewhat confusedly.

"This was personally prepared by Her Majesty the Empress for you."

"Fei?"

The Empress personally prepared it for her?

In her impression, the Empress couldn't cook at all. Whether this plate of food could even be eaten, whether it was dark cuisine, remained to be verified.

"Eat."

The Empress pushed the dish in front of the little Princess and urged.

Apparently considering the little Princess's hesitation, she added another sentence:

"Rest assured, it's edible. Before I ascended to the throne, I ate this every day."

Before ascending to the throne... That was before the Empress became the Empress of Scarlet Phoenix Nation, which was when the Empress was most destitute, constantly walking the line between life and death.

Then she couldn't have any expectations for this dish. After all, someone constantly walking the line between life and death couldn't be expected to have cooking skills that were so, so good. At most, it could only reach an edible level.

Forgive her, but ever since her reincarnation, the first time she could eat normal meals, her palate had been spoiled.

"Ah wu~"

She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. Her entire mouth was filled with a bitter, fishy taste. She couldn't help but directly spit it out.

"How is it?"

"...Terrible!"

To be honest, this was probably the worst dish she'd eaten since her reincarnation.

Fortunately, the Empress was still reasonable and didn't insist she eat more. The other dishes were normal too.

However, the Empress herself kept picking up the dishes she'd made, apparently reminiscing about the past.

"Fei, what were you doing before you became Empress?"

She suddenly became somewhat curious about Fei's past experiences.

Historical records had never documented the Empress's past. The older generation of rulers hadn't mentioned it either. There wasn't even a bit circulating within Scarlet Phoenix Nation itself.

It was only after the Empress ascended to the throne that records began, that the Empress's achievements started circulating. Before that, whether in historical records or oral traditions, there was only the Empress committing regicide at sixteen.

Regicide was a great disrespect, but after the Empress personally dealt with the former ruler of Scarlet Phoenix Nation, the citizens could still accept the Empress, even seemed to adore her somewhat.

But that made sense. Since the Empress ascended to the throne, Scarlet Phoenix Nation grew stronger year by year. Except for that period of war in the Eastern Region, the people of Scarlet Phoenix Nation were quite comfortable. However, this only applied to the cities deeper inside Scarlet Phoenix Nation. The border cities were more or less still affected by war.

"Before?"

The Empress thought for a moment:

"What does Mo think?"

"I don't know."

If she knew, why would she ask the Empress?

She was asking now purely out of curiosity. How did this legendary figure of the Eastern Region grow step by step to become the ruler of not only the largest nation in the Eastern Region, but the most prosperous country on the entire continent?

She did know how the Empress strengthened Scarlet Phoenix Nation, but what she wanted to know was the Empress's experiences before committing regicide.

"I'll tell Mo when the timing is right. Mo doesn't need to know right now."

Seeing that the Empress had no intention of speaking, the little Princess could only continue eating.

She couldn't very well grab the Empress's collar and force her to answer, right? Then tonight her butt would probably bloom like a flower, wouldn't it?

Although the Empress had made a three-point agreement with her, if she indulged herself a bit and "provoked" the Empress, her butt still couldn't escape a sound thrashing.

At least before resolving the Glaze Nation royal family's internal problems, she had to protect her butt. Otherwise, riding a carriage back to Glaze Nation would torment her rear end!

Although there was the highest-grade shock absorption magic and soft cushions, that didn't mean there'd be absolutely no vibration and swaying at all.