Chapter 103 The Huaiyang cuisine at Lord Lin's house is truly authentic.

"Mr. Yuan, we've arrived."

Lan Cong lowered his head. He had noticed along the way that Mr. Yuan was very angry.

He knew perfectly well that Mr. Yuan treated the young lady just as he treated the master, throwing his life into it.

Although the master had asked her for help with something, it was clear that Mr. Yuan was extremely reluctant.

If the master hadn't told him at the end that if Mr. Yuan refused to come, he should say that he was unwell, then perhaps Mr. Yuan would have made the trip for Daiyu's sake.

Sure enough, it was that last sentence that coaxed Mr. Yuan back.

Yuan Hongqu glanced at Lan Cong before slowly getting off the carriage.

The carriage stopped at an extremely secluded mountain road, where a solitary Taoist temple stood by the roadside.

The Taoist temple appears to be built against the mountain, but its size is not readily apparent.

"Mr. Yuan, the master is in this Kongyun Temple."

Yuan Hongqu looked around. Lan Cong was leading the way, but she didn't dare to urge him on.

Given Mr. Yuan's temper, if I answer incorrectly again, she might turn around and leave as soon as we reach the door.

Fortunately, since they had already arrived at this place, Yuan Hongqu also wanted to know the truth, so she did not make things difficult for Lan Cong.

She followed Lan Cong into the Taoist temple.

The small Taoist temple looks unremarkable from the outside, but inside it is a completely different world. Along the way, there are screen walls, banner poles, bell and drum towers, Lingguan Hall, Imperial Hall, Four Imperial Halls, Sanqing Hall, and Patriarch Hall. If such a Taoist temple were located in the city, its incense would definitely be very prosperous.

After walking to the back, we made several turns and ended up in a guest courtyard.

Beneath the ancient pine tree in the courtyard, two people were playing chess, one of whom was Lin Ruhai.

He looked energetic and didn't seem sick at all.

Yuan Hongqu felt a sudden sense of relief for no apparent reason.

As soon as Lan Cong entered, he stood behind Lin Ruhai, who then placed a piece.

The man opposite stared wide-eyed, witnessing Lin Ruhai's final move utterly destroy him, and exclaimed in astonishment...

"Why has Lord Lin changed his approach?"

Just moments ago, everything seemed calm and even, with each move going back and forth. He wasn't prepared at all, but with one move from Lin Ruhai, his entire army was wiped out.

Lin Ruhai laughed heartily without offering any explanation.

"Mr. Yuan, thank you for coming all this way. This is Prince Xian."

Prince Xian had a rugged appearance and looked to be about the same age as Lin Ruhai. He resembled a warrior and did not seem like someone who could play chess and talk with a scholar like Lin Ruhai.

Yuan Hongqu bowed before speaking.

"Daiyu just moved back to the Lin family today. Now that Lord Lin has returned to the capital, he should spend time at home with Daiyu and enjoy the happiness of father and daughter."

For a responsible father, passing by his own home without entering is an extremely irresponsible act.

Yuan Hongqu wondered if Lin Ruhai was getting carried away. Just because Daiyu sent a few letters, he could really believe that Daiyu was living a very comfortable life, and that it didn't matter even without him, her father, by her side.

"Mr. Yuan has misunderstood Lord Lin. Lord Lin's trip to the capital this time is on official business," Prince Xian explained before Lin Ruhai could speak.

"Lord Lin was secretly brought from Yangzhou by someone because he has to be present for some official business. His journey here has been fraught with danger, and if he were to return home, his family would likely be in turmoil."

"Judging from your leisurely demeanor, the matter must have been resolved and the crisis likely over. Lord Lin, did you summon Hongqu here because you have something to instruct her on? Don't worry, Daiyu is perfectly fine."

Yuan Hongqu didn't want to waste too much time talking to them. She preferred to know as little as possible about what was going on in the court.

As the saying goes, the more you know, the faster you die. Daiyu hasn't grown up yet, and I don't want to die now.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Yuan, for taking such good care of my daughter. I am deeply grateful. However, I have invited you here today for another matter." Lin Ruhai naturally knew that Daiyu was living in the Rongguo Mansion just as well as she had at home.

Because of Yuan Hongqu, Daiyu had become the undisputed leader of the children in the Rongguo Mansion, a fact that Lin Ruhai was well aware of.

“Mr. Yuan, it’s not appropriate to ask you to come out on a day like today when Miss Lin is returning home, but we have a matter that we can only ask for your help with,” said Prince Xian.

Lin Ruhai also looked helpless. Who would have thought that the most inconspicuous salt merchant in Huaiyang was actually the biggest salt smuggler in secret? They finally found some evidence and arrested the salt smuggler.

Who knew why this person wouldn't say a word.

If we can use him as a breakthrough point to expose the corrupt officials in the Huaiyang salt administration and quell the salt administration turmoil in the Huaiyang area, we can at least ensure that the salt tax in Huaiyang will not have any problems for ten years.

At that time, Lin Ruhai will naturally be able to return to the capital.

After listening to what Prince Xian and Lin Ruhai said, Yuan Hongqu pieced together the whole story.

This salt smuggler was all alone, without father, mother, wife, or children. Even his subordinates changed every six months, and he didn't have any close friends. Trying to manipulate things in these areas would be completely useless.

He doesn't seem to have any particular hobbies, so I really don't know what he does with all that money.

It is said that the gold and silver found in his warehouse at that time would require at least ten large ships to transport to the capital.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of the Huaiyang salt merchants. If the rest were to be uncovered, who knows how shocking it would be!

When this man was escorted to the capital, Lin Ruhai had not yet arrived.

However, after days of interrogation and the use of all sorts of torture, the man remained tight-lipped and refused to utter a single word.

They had no other choice but to secretly invite Lin Ruhai here, since he had personally arrested the salt smuggler, and if Lin Ruhai were to interrogate him, it might be of some use.

After Lin Ruhai arrived, the salt smuggler Fan Huaiqing actually spoke, but he kept repeating the same sentence.

"The Huaiyang cuisine at Lord Lin's house is truly authentic."

This seemingly random statement almost made Prince Xian suspect that Lin Ruhai was also colluding with Fan Huaiqing.

Lin Ruhai was meticulous. Upon hearing this, he immediately recalled the family banquet at the Salt Inspector's residence last year. According to the tradition of previous years, not only local officials from Yangzhou were invited, but also several salt merchants of all sizes.

Because Fan Huaiqing paid his taxes on time and never shortchanged anyone, and he never caused trouble, he seemed extremely honest. Therefore, a message was also sent to this person.

This was the only time Fan Huaiqing ate a meal at the Lin family's house.

Lin Ruhai thought it over and over, but he couldn't think of anything particularly remarkable about Fan Huaiqing at the banquet that day.

He would toast others when they offered him a drink, and he would agree with whatever others said about how delicious a dish was; he wasn't special at all.

Since you say Huaiyang cuisine is authentic, does that mean you miss the food from your hometown?

After Lin Ruhai mentioned this idea, Prince Xian had Huaiyang cuisine prepared and sent to Fan Huaiqing. However, the man glanced at it and then turned his head away.

After two more days of this commotion, he still said the same thing:

The Huaiyang cuisine at Lord Lin's house is truly authentic.