Meanwhile, the Little Maid laid out the meal.
There were several meat and vegetable pastries, along with a bowl of Rice Blossom Honey Porridge.
Seeing only one bowl of honey porridge, Ao Tu instructed, "Have another bowl of honey porridge made for Her Majesty."
The queen smiled. "Great King, there is no need for the trouble. If you do not mind, would you share this bowl with me?"
Ao Tu looked at the queen.
The queen rested her lovely face in one hand and looked back at him.
Ao Tu sighed. "Your Majesty, please tell me plainly what you wanted to see me about."
"Let me serve you your meal first, Great King," the queen said. "There will be time enough to speak afterward."
"Very well," Ao Tu said.
With that, the queen divided the honey porridge and invited Ao Tu to eat.
After the two finished their meal, the maid cleared away the leftovers.
"Please speak, Your Majesty," Ao Tu said.
"Great King, surely what you said yesterday was untrue," the queen said.
"What makes you say that, Your Majesty?" Ao Tu asked.
The queen smiled. "Great King, you said you loved my beauty, yet yesterday you fled in disarray. Why?"
"I had important business yesterday," Ao Tu said, "so I took my leave for a time."
"Then do you still have important business today, Great King?" the queen asked.
"Nothing today," Ao Tu said.
At this, the queen's eyes and brows lit with a smile. She came over and sat beside Ao Tu, shoulder to shoulder and cheek to cheek, taking his hand.
Ao Tu raised his hand to look. Seeing her slender hand clasping his, he said helplessly, "Your Majesty, why do all the women in the Western Liang Women’s Kingdom behave like men?"
The queen smiled