The Little Eunuch glanced cautiously left and right, then whispered, "Your Majesty, there are no more teacups here. Shall I go out and get one back immediately?"
Most of the Emperor's tea sets were silverware. Traditionally, emperors of past dynasties used silverware as tableware to prevent poisoning. The two porcelain teacups just now were exceptions, as the Emperor particularly liked them and had used them for a long time. In a fit of anger, he smashed them all just now. Now, there's no need to worry about poisoning.
Every time the Emperor drank tea, his Personal Eunuch would taste it first, and then he would drink. This was known as the legendary poison testing among the people.
The eunuch beside the Emperor was politely called the Personal Eunuch, but more bluntly, he was merely a tool for testing poison.
The daily meals followed the same procedure, with every dish being tasted by the Personal Eunuch before the Emperor ate.
