NOVEL WEB Chapter 29: Li Shimin’s Curiosity!
Li Lizhi was preparing to leave, glancing at Empress Zhangsun’s lips.
While not as severe as Yushu’s, they were a bit dry not looking too good. Li Lizhi took out lipstick, saying, “Mother, don’t move!” She gently applied it to Empress Zhangsun.
“Girl, what’s this?” Empress Zhangsun asked, puzzled.
“It’s called lipstick.”
“What’s it for?” Empress Zhangsun inquired.
“This prevents lips from cracking, and it looks better and feels more comfortable,” Li Lizhi explained with a smile.
Empress Zhangsun, feeling the difference, remarked, “Indeed! Not bad. Is it also from that expert?”
Li Lizhi nodded, “Yes, Mother!”
Deciding not to give the used one to Empress Zhangsun, Li Lizhi planned to ask Xiao Ran for a new one. Yet, the accumulating debt to Xiao Ran weighed on her conscience.
“Good stuff!” Empress Zhangsun exclaimed.
Li Lizhi smiled, “Mother, I’ll take my leave!”
“Be careful on the slippery road!” Empress Zhangsun cautioned, considering the recent snowfall.
“I know, Mother, rest assured!”
Watching Li Lizhi depart, Empress Zhangsun turned to a palace maid and said, “Put the porridge in a box. Don’t let it get cold!”
Days of snowfall made the roads challenging. Li Lizhi, leaving the political hall with Yushu, was followed by Empress Zhangsun’s worried gaze.
Meanwhile, Empress Zhangsun stood before a dressing table, examining herself in a bronze mirror. She remarked, “Much better! Lizhi has some good things.”
“Looks great!” Empress Zhangsun pointed to her lips.
Li Lizhi, hearing this, nodded and replied, “Yes, Mother!”
Using the lipstick for herself, Li Lizhi planned to get a new one for Empress Zhangsun from Xiao Ran.
“Nice!” Li Lizhi smiled, “Mother, I’m leaving!”
“Be careful on the road!” Empress Zhangsun reminded, considering the slippery conditions.
“I know, Mother!”
Li Lizhi and Yushu left the political hall, leaving Empress Zhangsun instructing the servants to ensure the porridge stayed warm.
Later, Empress Zhangsun noticed Li Shimin entering the hall. The servants knelt, and she stood to greet him.
“Your Majesty, the queen,” they greeted.
Li Shimin assisted Empress Zhangsun, relieved to see her looking well.
“No need for formalities, Queen,” Li Shimin said, noticing the change in Empress Zhangsun’s lips.
Empress Zhangsun gestured for the servants to leave. She sat with Li Shimin, sharing a smile, and asked, “Lizhi brought this, isn’t it beautiful?”
Li Shimin, suddenly rejuvenated, took a bite. “This is a delicacy I haven’t tasted before!”
Empress Zhangsun, pleased, explained, “Lizhi brought it. She mentioned a master chef, but she’s not revealing more.”
Intrigued, Li Shimin expressed his growing interest in the mysterious chef and suggested inviting them to the palace.
“It might not be that simple,” Empress Zhangsun cautioned.
Curious, Li Shimin took another sip of porridge. “Why do you say that?”
Empress Zhangsun sensed the complexity of the situation, making Li Shimin’s enthusiasm for the mysterious chef more complicated than it seemed.