In the long, cold night, in a corner of the sky, a cold and stubborn waning moon struggles, unwilling to set, greedily hanging high on the withered branches outside the window of the Cloud and Mist Pavilion.
Inside the window, she stubbornly held onto her many secrets, muttering to herself about the person she longed for in her life who seemed destined to be unattainable.
Whether all of this is the cruel twist of fate or just my own making a fuss, the concept has long since become blurred. I only know that I am already deeply trapped in it and cannot extricate myself.
Time flies, and who knows how many nights this has been, with her unable to sleep, longing for the dawn of a new day to arrive soon.
Finally, as dawn broke and night fell, a pale white hue gradually appeared on the eastern horizon. Soon, the entire sky followed suit, displaying a color like a young girl's blushing cheeks. As day broke, birds began to sing, and hardworking people began their new day of work and life.
At this moment, in the Qin Prince's mansion, Granny Zhao hurriedly walked towards Mei Xiyuan's bedroom in Shaohua Pavilion.
Before the person even arrived, an urging voice rang out: "Hasn't Your Highness the Princess gotten up and dressed yet?"
The maid on night watch slowly opened her sleepy eyes, rubbed them, and lazily replied, "Reporting to Granny, Her Highness the Princess has not yet summoned me to wash up!"
Upon hearing this, Granny Zhao immediately appeared anxious, pacing back and forth at the door, occasionally sighing.
However, after only a short while, as if she really couldn't wait any longer, she was about to speak inside when a soft voice came from inside: "Is that Granny Zhao? Is there something important to report? Come in and serve us!"
Immediately, a group of maids carrying various toiletries appeared at the door and entered the bedroom in an orderly line.
Mei Xiyuan was then helped off the couch, her long, black hair flowing freely. She moved to sit in front of an exquisite diamond-shaped mirror, where she was attended to and dressed by many delicate women who suddenly appeared in the room.
At this moment, Mei Xiyuan, while examining herself in the mirror, asked, "Why did Granny Zhao come to see me so early this morning? What is it about?"
As Zhao Mama stepped forward to comb her hair, she spoke mysteriously, "Your Highness, this morning, this old servant saw Miss Lu sneak out of the Prince of Qin's residence as soon as it was light..."
Before she could finish speaking, Mei Xiyuan said with a tone of utter disdain, seemingly devoid of any curiosity: "She is His Highness's junior sister and a frequent visitor to the Qin Prince's residence. Naturally, she can freely enter and leave the residence. What's there to be curious about? Perhaps she's just craving some coarse food from some roadside stall again! Sigh, let her be. It seems that the imperial chefs from Dongning who accompanied me in my dowry are not even as good as those unpalatable little shops on the streets of Xiqin. She truly is a shameless wretch!"
Zhao Mama said, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but this old servant saw her acting suspiciously, so I ordered someone to secretly follow her. Just now I received news that Miss Lu went to... Sihai Tea House!"
"What? She really went there!" Upon hearing this, Mei Xiyuan immediately looked up and exclaimed in surprise, the magnolia hairpin she had just carefully selected and held in her hand slipping from her grasp with a thud.
"Then... what should we do next? The scouts came back saying that Sihai Tea House is only open to people of high status and position; ordinary people can't even get close." Granny Zhao said with a troubled expression as she picked up the magnolia hairpin that had slipped out and put it back into her hair.
After finishing her makeup, Mei Xiyuan checked her appearance and asked curiously, "It seems that Sihai Tea House is indeed quite prestigious. What is its background? Have you found out anything?"
Only then did Granny Zhao remember the information she had received early that morning. She quickly took out a letter from her person and handed it over, saying, "Your Highness, please take a look. This is the result of the investigation that I arranged for as soon as you gave the order yesterday. In just over half a month, a restaurant that was about to close down has been brought back to life and transformed into the number one tea house in the entire capital. The current owner of this tea house must be quite extraordinary."
After reading the letter, Mei Xiyuan was quite shocked. She never expected that a mere barbaric merchant from the Northern Lie Kingdom could possess such abilities. This completely overturned her previous perception that the Northern Lie Kingdom was a barbarian land devoid of humor.
Hearing Zhao Mama's words, she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows, and then gradually narrowed her bright eyes, giving her a leisurely order: "Zhao Mama, prepare the carriage. This princess has suddenly become quite interested in this Sihai Tea House and wants to personally experience this so-called number one tea house in the capital and see what's so special about it!"
"Yes, this old servant will go and prepare immediately."
...
It is said that Lu Tianjiao has not slept all night since he persuaded Mei Xiyuan yesterday that he was determined to take Yi Shangyun's life this time.
She tossed and turned all night, racking her brains, and finally came up with the best person to help her with this important task.
So, as soon as it was light, she couldn't wait to go out and get into a carriage.
Sure enough, the name of Sihai Tea House was already well-known to everyone. After driving around countless streets for about an hour, the car finally stopped on the most bustling street in the city, lined with shops.
As I got off the bus and looked up, a two-story shop that looked quite elegant and serene immediately came into view.
Above the street-facing entrance hangs a rectangular plaque with the four imposing characters "Sihai Tea House" carved in gold on a black background, exuding grandeur and solemnity. Below, on either side of the entrance, are couplets that read: "Nine dragons soar across the four seas from the rocks; the finest teas are of the highest quality."
But as she walked silently up the stone steps, surprised and curious, and stepped over the high threshold into the shop, all the noise and restlessness were shut out, leaving only utmost tranquility.
On both sides of the shop stand tall and imposing mahogany tea cabinets, filled with a dazzling array of teas and teaware. The walls are adorned with various promotional calligraphy and paintings about tea culture, and near the entrance, there is a life-sized bronze model of a tea farmer drying tea leaves. The "Sihai Tea House" plaque hangs prominently opposite the entrance.
The entire store is decorated in a natural and rustic style, yet it exudes a grand atmosphere, making people feel refreshed and relaxed at first sight.
What caught her eye most were the several large, transparent display windows specially placed by the window, showcasing some very attractive and precious teas, as well as some extremely valuable tea sets.
Not only that, they also brewed many beautifully shaped and tempting tea leaves in specially made transparent glass cups. Because the display cases were placed in locations with the best natural light, the tea leaves, bathed in sunlight, seemed to come alive, radiating vitality.
As Lu Tianjiao gazed at the scene, he was utterly astonished. The tea, teaware, and tea water here formed a breathtakingly beautiful picture.
Just as he was completely absorbed in his own astonishment, Tuoba Ze, who had been waiting for him for a long time, slowly came downstairs.
He was dressed in a white brocade robe, seemingly untouched by worldly dust. With one hand behind his back and the other holding a folding fan with a landscape painting, he quietly approached Lu Tianjiao and whispered in her ear, "These teas are changed and displayed in rotation every day. I wonder how Miss Lu finds them?"
Lu Tianjiao was too excited to speak, and could only smile and say, "'Sihai Tea House' is indeed extraordinary!"
Tuoba Ze smiled and replied politely, "It is truly an honor to receive such praise from Miss Lu!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Tianjiao turned around and his eyes suddenly fell on a cup of tea with a bright orange-yellow broth and red and green leaves. He leaned closer to smell it and was surprised to find a rich orchid fragrance. He asked in astonishment, "What kind of tea is this? I've never seen it before!"
"'Nine dragons soar across the four seas from the rocks, a supreme tea of ​​unparalleled taste.' This is a new tea I have discovered, and it is also the treasure of our shop. I will name it 'Nine Dragons.'" Tuoba Ze then turned around and said with pride, leisurely waving the folding fan in his hand.
"Nine Dragons?" Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao suddenly raised his head and looked at Tuoba Ze's face, asking in confusion.
Tuoba Ze said quietly, "This tea is named after its place of origin, which is a deep valley. Stepping into the valley, there is a relatively flat stone path with a stream flowing along it. On both sides are nine craggy peaks, like nine giant dragons about to take flight. The Nine Dragons Tea is rooted on the cliff at the deepest part of the valley, hence the name 'Nine Dragons'."
Lu Tianjiao nodded as if suddenly realizing something, and praised, "I see! The tea is good, and the name is even better!"
At this point, Tuoba Ze smiled, making a gesture of invitation while also showing a hint of mystery, and led the way, saying, "Miss Lu, would you like to go up to the second floor and take a look?"
"What is this?" In contrast to the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the first floor, the second floor presented a completely different scene, bustling with noise and activity.
Upon seeing this, Lu Tianjiao immediately stopped in his tracks, stunned.
It turns out that the second floor, besides being a place to enjoy tea, is also a novel type of establishment similar to a teahouse and restaurant. It has both a main hall and private rooms, and everything you need.
Upon closer inspection, Lu Tianjiao discovered that the music could be played as tunes or audiobooks... and those present were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries, each with an illustrious status.
How pleasant and relaxing it is to drink tea while listening to various kinds of music!
Seeing Lu Tianjiao's delighted expression, Tuoba Ze led him to a private room in the far corner and made him sit down.
It was midday. Lu Tianjiao had been on his way since early morning and hadn't had a drop of water yet. When he came in, he saw a table full of delicious and colorful dishes, along with a teapot that looked extremely valuable. The teapot contained the shop's prized possession, the Nine Dragons Tea, which he had seen downstairs, and it was emitting a wonderful aroma.
With their wine cups and teacups filled, the two sat down together and happily began to eat.
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