After a few bites of the exquisite dishes, Tuoba Ze raised his wine cup and said affectionately, "I am finally fortunate to have Miss Lu grace my humble abode with her presence. In truth, Miss Lu, you may not know this, but ever since our first meeting that night in the south of the city, I have been hoping to one day share a meal with you. But alas..."
Tuoba Ze paused mid-sentence, sighed deeply, and continued, "I thought I would never see Miss again in this lifetime!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Tianjiao wiped his mouth, then smiled and exclaimed, "Young Master, this is more than just a humble abode; it's practically paradise on earth, a magnificent palace. I never imagined that in just over half a month since we last parted, you would have managed to establish this renowned teahouse in the capital. This is truly unprecedented!"
Seeing Tuoba Ze shaking his head with a smile, Lu Tianjiao continued, "It's not just the magnificent and luxurious facade; I clearly saw all the dignitaries and nobles sitting outside just now. Why are you being so humble in front of me, young master? It seems that my words on the night of the Lantern Festival, where I offered to help you stay in Xiqinli to rebuild your fortune, were truly an arrogant boast."
Tuoba Ze chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Hehe, it's all thanks to the previous manager of this restaurant that we have such a loyal customer base. In addition, I am slightly skilled in tea ceremony, so I made some minor modifications to the original structure, turning it into the 'Sihai Tea House' we know today. In reality, it's just that I used this prime location of the original restaurant and employed a little trick to cooperate with the original manager in running the business. Miss Lu, you flatter me too much."
After some pleasantries and small talk, Lu Tianjiao finally understood why the person in front of him was so incredibly powerful.
So, she slowly picked up the fragrant cup of Nine Dragons Tea in front of her with both hands, and said to him with a sincere and gentle expression, "Actually, after that chance encounter in the south of the city, I originally thought that my meeting with you was just a fleeting one, and that we would never cross paths again in this life... However, I never expected to meet you again when I was most lonely, helpless, and confused. It must be a rare fate. Since we are both fellow sufferers in this world, how could I, Tianjiao, turn a blind eye to your current difficulties in a foreign land! However, seeing how well your Sihai Tea House is doing today, I am relieved. Let's forget the past and start anew. May we both have a bright future!"
As he spoke, he drank tea instead of wine as a sign of respect, while Tuoba Ze pursed his lips, smiled, and tilted his head back to drink the wine in his hand in one gulp.
However, he secretly pondered to himself, when had a proud young lady like Lu Tianjiao, born into a prestigious family and with such high aspirations, ever been able to tolerate anyone else, especially since she knew all too well that she used to make a living in that kind of way? How could he forget the panic and avoidance she felt when she first learned of this? And now, her unusual behavior made Tuoba Ze seem to have a premonition of something.
Looking at the unusual dishes on the table, Tuoba Ze suddenly picked up a plate of mushrooms with an uneven, honeycomb-like surface and placed it in Lu Tianjiao's bowl. He then introduced it to Lu Tianjiao with delight and interest:
"Miss Lu, please try this honeycomb mushroom. Don't let its unassuming appearance fool you; it's a rare and precious ingredient, on par with truffles and matsutake mushrooms, even more so than shark fin and bird's nest. It's a renowned delicacy at banquets and a celebrated medicinal herb. Many imperial courts used it as a nourishing tribute. It's neutral in nature, sweet in taste, beneficial to the stomach and intestines, and has unique health benefits, even more nourishing than cordyceps. This is the first mountain delicacy of spring; I guarantee you'll never forget its taste after you've tried it."
Despite Tuoba Ze's warm and attentive hospitality, Lu Tianjiao took out a handkerchief and lightly wiped the corner of his mouth. After a moment of silence, he spoke in a deep and serious tone, his mind preoccupied: "To be honest, besides visiting you, I have another request to make of you. I wonder if you would be so kind as to..."
Tuoba Ze had long anticipated this, specifically from their first encounter, that one day Lu Tianjiao would personally come to beg him. However, he never expected it to happen so quickly. Just as Lu Tianjiao was halfway through his sentence, a knocking sound suddenly rang out on the door, "Knock knock knock."
Immediately, a guard with a sword at his waist walked in. As soon as he entered, the guard went to Tuoba Ze's side and whispered something in his ear.
After a short while, Tuoba Ze paused for a moment, then nodded. The guard then walked out and gently closed the door.
"Young master, do you have important matters to attend to? In that case, Tianjiao should return today and we can meet again another day..."
Seeing this, Lu Tianjiao was about to get up and take her leave, but Tuoba Ze gestured for her not to pay attention and said, "Miss Lu, please continue. It's nothing serious."
Seeing Tuoba Ze so calm, Lu Tianjiao became really anxious, so he sat down again and continued his previous conversation: "Actually, besides visiting you, I have another request to ask of you."
“Miss Lu, there’s no need for such formalities. Since you consider me a friend, there’s no need for such politeness. Your affairs are my affairs. Please speak freely, and I will do my best to help you if it is within my power!”
Tuoba Ze served him a bowl of fragrant and smooth snow fungus and fish maw soup, made from fish maw, white fungus, lotus seeds, dried dates, Solomon's seal, lily bulbs, poria cocos, and red beans. The soup was known for its benefits in replenishing qi and blood and beautifying the skin. Tuoba Ze spoke generously and kindly.
However, Lu Tianjiao had already lost her appetite. She frowned, bit her lip, thought for a while, and finally made up her mind and blurted out, "I wonder if you, young master, could go to Peach Blossom Village as quickly as possible to help Tianjiao deal with someone?"
"Heading to Peach Blossom Village... to deal with someone... I wonder what Miss Lu wants me to deal with?" Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze felt both that it was expected and somewhat unexpected.
His intuition told him that the person Lu Tianjiao was talking about must be a woman, and the very same woman who had made him furious, aggrieved, and pitiful when he first met her in the south of the city. Surprisingly, she actually believed him.
At this moment, Lu Tianjiao took a deep breath, raised his head slightly, and looked firmly into his eyes, saying, "This person... is the female physician Yi Shangyun, whom the Qin Prince's Mansion is searching for with a reward posted all over the world."
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Ze exclaimed in surprise, "It's her! She's still alive?"
"What, you recognize her?" Lu Tianjiao stared at Tuoba Ze's astonished eyes.
Tuoba Zemo sat for a while, thinking that this brat was really lucky to still be alive.
A moment later, he slowly rose, put one hand behind his back, and stood by the window. He half-closed his deep eyes and looked at the tree full of flowers outside the window. He snorted coldly, then said blankly, "Yi Shangyun, I would recognize her even if she turned to ashes. If it weren't for her causing trouble, my business in the south of the city wouldn't have collapsed so quickly. However, she is really lucky to survive falling from such a high cliff."
Upon hearing this, Lu Tianjiao immediately raised his head and looked at his profile, stunned: "What do you mean? Could it be that everything that happened in the south of the city that day was your doing? Who...who exactly are you? How dare you lay a hand on Brother Han?"
"Me?...I'm just an ordinary merchant from the Northern Lie Kingdom!" Tuoba Ze said casually.
At this moment, even if Lu Tianjiao knew her true identity, she seemed to pose no threat to him whatsoever. He knew that only he could help this proud and arrogant woman.
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked over to Lu Tianjiao's side and whispered in her ear, "So, Miss Lu likes Prince Qin, Xuan Yuanhan? But do you know that Prince Qin, Xuan Yuanhan, would rather die with that girl!"
"What do you mean?" Lu Tianjiao glanced at him sideways, but didn't look at him directly, and asked in confusion.
Tuoba Ze reached out and patted the back of the chair the girl was sitting on, chuckled, and sat back down beside her, saying, "That day, if it weren't for your so-called Brother Han desperately clinging to her in that thicket of thorns at the edge of the cliff, that girl would have fallen off the cliff and been smashed to pieces. Do you believe it? I even tried to persuade the Prince of Qin on behalf of Miss Lu for a long time, but he was truly stubborn and incorrigible. So, it's not my fault. It was the Prince of Qin... he cared too much about that girl, and that's why he was dragged down with her."
These words undoubtedly struck a nerve with Lu Tianjiao instantly.
She suddenly stood up and slammed her hand on the table in front of her, the bowls and chopsticks clattering as they fell to the ground. She blurted out angrily, "Shut up! You're not allowed to talk about my brother Han like that! How could he possibly like such a useless, ugly girl?"
Tuoba Ze chuckled and said, "Whether Prince Qin Xuanyuan Han has truly fallen for that girl is not important at this moment. What is important at this moment is why Miss Lu asked me to help you deal with her? Furthermore, I wonder what exactly this word 'deal with' means?"
Lu Tianjiao said aggressively, "You...you shut up! I never thought you were this kind of person. I, Lu Tianjiao, was blind and misjudged you. Are you willing to do it or not? If not, I'll leave immediately and find someone else. We'll have nothing to do with each other after that. Just pretend I, Lu Tianjiao, never knew you!"
"Find someone else? If I'm not mistaken, Miss Lu is meticulous and must have already planned this out very clearly. I doubt an ordinary person would dare to do this for Miss Lu! That's someone the Spirit Void War God, King Qin, has publicly announced he wants to find. If King Qin were to punish her, it would be more than just the extermination of her entire family!" Tuoba Ze's words were sharp and to the point, each sentence striking at the heart of the matter.
Lu Tianjiao was suddenly stunned...
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