“You’ve finally come,” Nan Jihan said without preamble. She gave him a polite smile in response.

Delighted, Nan Jihan led Jun Huang to a divan and had the servants serve the food prepared beforehand. He then poured a cup of tea for her. “I know you like tea. You must have gotten tired of Northern Qi’s varieties. You should have some of ours.”

Jun Huang looked down at the cup, then at the hopeful Nan Jihan. She stopped after taking a sip. Nan Jihan frowned at her and asked, “Do you not like it?”

“As Your Majesty said, this gentleman has gotten used to Northern Qi’s tea. Northern Qi’s tea is bitter, which is how most tea in the world is. Southern Mu’s, on the other hand, is sweet. It’s not how tea is supposed to be.”

Nan Jihan stilled but quickly recovered. With an awkward smile,...