It was springtime and I was so happy since so much time had now passed it was confirmed that Gyokuyou was pregnant. Lingli was walking around more to and she was getting cuter somehow.
"Can she tell there's a baby inside?" Maomao mumbled as Lingli fell with her head against her Mother's stomach then rubbed her head against it.
"So cute." The ladies in waiting let out.
"Maybe I also should start to..." Hongnaing blushed.
Lingli then looked back and spotted me. "Very cute." I nodded and she giggled happily.
Lingli then came over to Maomao and me with some paper. "Would you like to draw again?" Maomao asked and she nodded.
I helped her sit down as Maomao drew first and it was a mushroom. "Be careful of those," I warned Lingli.
"Yeah, this is the woolly milkcap, a poisonous mushroom-" Maomao went to explain and Hongniang slapped her forehead making us laugh. "Draw normal flowers, please."
I took over since I'm actually passionate about those and Lingli was loving the first one. "A rose, huh?" Maomao let out.
"The rose is the most popular." I hummed as I drew. "They are very beautiful to others and come in many colours, so they have many meanings. That's why I use them a lot of the time for bouquets. They are still in the process of blooming again..."
The same day for some reason Jinshi called for me and I was told he was going to ask a favour of me.
"He already wants a favour after the last one that nearly had me killed?" I mumbled to myself confused. "Desperate old man."
"Is he?" Gyokuyou giggled since Hongniang was the one who gave me that message.
"Died?!" Yinghua yelled.
"...A little fall can mean death at my age." I hummed and she was still crying. "Momo, I can't fix her."
Maomao patted my head and then came with me to Jinshi's office as I was asked. Jinshi looked exhausted while Gaoshun seemed slightly tired. "You called me for a favour?" I asked. "You pulled me away from my cute sister. She's like Bao."
"Sorry." Jinshi laughed.
"It's normally Momo you call for." I hummed.
"Yeah, but this time it's your speciality," Jinshi explained. "We were talking about getting together to admire blue roses."
"...Are you high?" I asked confusing him.
"Of course not!" He yelled.
"Then they were." I nodded, and he freaked out even more.
"There must be some new popular hallucinogen," Maomao added.
"Would you like one?" I asked her.
"There isn't! That'd ruin our whole nation!" Jinshi screeched.
"Master Jinshi," Gaoshun spoke up as I laughed.
"Is it impossible?" Jinshi asked and he looked stressed.
"What is it?" I asked. "You haven't informed me of what the favour is."
"Can you get me some blue roses by next month's garden party?" Jinshi asked, and I titled my head to the side. "I was asked to...get some."
"Who are these ignorant idiots?" I hissed pissed off shocking them, but Maoamo. "Such beautiful things take time. Roses take two months at the earliest to bloom. And blue at that...the colour doesn't exist naturally within roses."
"...They don't?" He mumbled stunned. "I will find a way to turn him down."
"Was this brought up by a certain strategist?" Maomao questioned him.
"Yes," Jinshi answered nervously.
"...I should be the only one making you suffer." I hummed confusing him. "Momo, you are working with me here. This task will be mine, and I will need you to get me stuff Jinshi."
"Are you sure?" He asked.
"Don't doubt my abilities. I can grow them easily." I grinned. "Desperation to have flowers blooming in my garden every day for my Mother made that so, but Momo, are you fine with this? This old man is like a bug. I think blue roses work quite well at keeping them away."
"Then I will help," Maomao smirked. "I might as well take a swing of smashing his creepy monocule."
"He can suffer for once." I grinned at her and Jinshi looked concerned. "Now for my requests."
I explained exactly everything I needed surprising Maomao a little with my knowledge. I had Jinshi enact a plan Maomao helped me come up with before to efficiently speed up the process of blooming the flowers by tricking them into thinking it's always day and that it is the season for them to bloom.
Firstly, we needed to borrow a specific building, so we didn't waste time making a new one and Lihua happily accepted. "Thank you for allowing us to use it, Lady Lihua." Maomao bowed to her.
"It's a request from Princess Liena. I am more than happy to accept." She grinned. "Does that mean you will be nearer more?"
"Yes." I nodded and she looked very pleased, so I'm sure she will visit me.
Maomao got a book out from her sleeve and held it up when I tried to take a closer look at it.
She held it out to Lihua. "This is the Emperor's favourite book," Maomao informed her.
"I appreciate this." Lihua accepted it.
We went to check on the build progress to see Jinshi and Gaoshun leading the project of changing the steam room to exactly how we needed it to be. "Ah, you two are here." Jinshi hummed. "I had them build this as you asked, but...what is this for?"
"We are gonna manipulate the roses," I stated. "They will grow to our exact wants."
"...You seem scary," Jinshi admitted.
"I'm passionate." I retorted as I glared at him.
"What do you mean by manipulate?" He asked.
Maomao opened the door to the place then motioned at the ceiling and I grinned at the beautiful glass panels in the ceiling. "We are going to let the sunlight in and blow steam inside through here." Maomao pointed at the hole connected to the room where there would be a fire.
"The roses will grow in this warmed room," I explained. "They can't see or think they will react to the environment and grow according to it. We just need to give them the nutrients all time around and blooming early is highly possible."
"I see..." Jinshi let out.
"It isn't guaranteed, though," Maomao added.
"I have many things in place to make sure it is." I grinned. "Don't worry a bit, Momo. This is my responsibility. Your leg won't do well here since this will take a lot of work."