Chapter 96 Back Then

Lian Qianli gestured for Hua Wanli to wait on the second floor, and then looked down at the rooftop.

Hua Wanli winked at Lian Qianli, as if asking if he should go up and take the two away himself.

Lian Qianli shook his head.

In other people's eyes, Hua Wanli is a pampered young lady, only at night or when she is on a mission does she become a wild girl.

You can't easily let others see your wild side.

Otherwise, something terrible will happen.

Moreover, the two people on the rooftop are from the palace, and they are not to be trifled with.

Even Qianli knew that with Hua Wanli's skills, she could definitely take down those two.

So what if we take it?

Should he keep his "Spring Never Ends" teahouse open? Should he still make money?

Do we still want to hear those gossips...?

"I'll go!" Lian Qianli said in a low voice.

After saying that, Lian Qianli lightly touched the ground with his toes and leaped onto the roof.

Hua Wanli rolled her eyes at Lian Qianli, thinking that his only advantage was that his lightness skill was slightly better than hers.

Then, Hua Wanli reluctantly shuffled up to the second floor.

The two guards on the roof were startled when they saw Lian Qianli jump up.

Then one of them pulled a soft whip from his waist, and the other pulled a dagger from his boot.

"Brothers, could you do me a favor?"

I know you're trying to protect the ladies, but isn't it inappropriate for you to be so brazenly on my roof in broad daylight?

"If others see this, wouldn't they think that my teahouse has been targeted even before it's officially opened?" Lian Qianli said with a smile.

The two guards exchanged glances, initially intending to ignore Lian Qianli.

Lian Qianli then spoke again.

"Besides, my cook's specialty is pastry recipes. If you two are doing this on the rooftop, you'll be learning my cook's pastry recipes."

Of course, I know that neither of you will learn it.

"But... it's not easy for us teahouse owners to have some special skills." Lian Qianli spread his hands, looking helpless.

Isn't it obvious?

Which craftsman doesn't cherish their family recipe as if it were their lifeblood?

It's just like practicing martial arts. If you're good at a particular martial art, would you teach it to others?

The two guards looked at each other again.

They were both palace guards, tasked with protecting the seventh prince.

As for whether your teahouse will be successful or not, what will others think?

Heh, what's it to them...

Well, it's not entirely fair to say it has nothing to do with them.

I heard that the Duke of Dingguo's mansion has invested in this teahouse. If it doesn't open, the Duke of Dingguo's mansion will lose money.

If the Duke of Dingguo's mansion loses money, will the Duchess of Dingguo go to the palace and plead poverty to the Empress?

Or perhaps the Shangguan family, the maternal family of the Duke of Dingguo's wife, will write another memorial impeaching the two brothers...

They said they were disturbing the peace and stuff...

That's hard to say!

"It's our duty, please bear with us!" one of the guards said in a muffled voice.

Lian Qianli breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he was willing to answer, that was good.

"Brothers, what do you think of this arrangement?"

You two shouldn't stay on the roof anymore. I'll open the room opposite Madam Shen's room for you.

"Open the door too, so you can see whoever enters the teahouse and get to Madam Shen as quickly as possible," Lian Qianli suggested.

The two guards looked at each other again, about to say that it wasn't necessary and that they were more comfortable staying on the roof.

"You all go over there! Don't eavesdrop on the cook's conversation; that's her livelihood."

The seventh prince came out just in time and shouted a couple of times at the roof.

Upon hearing this and seeing the Seventh Prince's sullen face, the guard immediately jumped off the roof.

"Seventh Prince..."

The seventh prince didn't say anything, but simply took out a pouch containing gold ingots from his pocket and threw it at the two of them.

"Just go across the street, order some food. They follow me around every day, and their meals are never on time."

After saying that, he turned around and went back into the house, closing the door behind him.

The guard glanced at the purse, quickly bowed respectfully towards the room where the Seventh Prince was, and then followed Lian Qianli to the room opposite.

With the doors and windows open, the view is expansive.

Sure enough, it could be seen from every room in the entire teahouse.

After dealing with the two bodyguards, Lian Qianli glanced at the room where Shangguan Jin was, feeling a strong urge to return.

What can they say?

What unknown past could one's own cook possibly have?

A shocking secret of a noble family? Or a long-buried, bitter past in the imperial palace?

Why......

It's best not to listen; that Madam Shen is not someone to be trifled with...

"Brother, that kid's lightness skill is pretty good!" the guard inside the room suddenly said.

"Hmm, I can see that. Your footwork is pretty good. If you start running, we definitely won't be able to catch you."

"Hmm, not bad at escaping."

......

In Shangguan Jin's room, Zhu's mother, her face covered in tears, sat down opposite Shangguan Jin.

Although Shen Qingyue didn't know what it was about, seeing Shangguan Jin's serious expression, she knew it must be something important.

The Seventh Prince nodded to Shangguan Jin.

"Mother Zhu! No, I should call you Mother Chen! How...how did you get here?"

"I didn't mean you've already..." Shangguan Jin didn't finish her sentence, just looked at Mother Zhu.

Zhu's mother bit her lip, trying hard not to cry anymore.

"Miss, please call me Mother Zhu!"

"These past few years, everyone has been calling me Mother Zhu." Mother Zhu said after a long pause.

Shangguan Jin nodded.

"Okay, Mom, can you tell me what happened?"

Why did you, who were supposed to serve Consort Xian, disappear before Consort Xian's accident happened?

Where have you been these past few years?

What happened to Consort Xian back then?

"And what happened to your face?" Shangguan Jin asked a series of questions.

With each question asked, Shen Qingyue's heart trembled.

Is this cook in front of me actually the person my aunt serves personally?

this......

Shen Qingyue looked shocked.

Looking at Zhu's mother's disfigured face, Shen Qingyue immediately understood that Zhu's mother had fled.

Although the Seventh Prince's face remained calm, his hands were clenched into fists.

The cook in front of me was one of the people my mother trusted most back then.

Her wet nurse when she was a child, and later the person who managed her mother's small kitchen.

However, he disappeared before his mother's accident.

The Empress Dowager said she went back to her hometown to visit relatives.

Less than ten days after this person left, the mother suddenly passed away.

When Consort Xian passed away, the Seventh Prince was not by her side.

At that time, besides the palace maids and imperial physicians who served him, the only other person in the palace was Emperor Xiao Jing.

No one, including the Seventh Prince, was able to see Consort Xian one last time.