Chapter 22: Mrs. Weiwei looks quite like an acquaintance of mine
Ah Si was settled in the back room of Xie's house.
After being treated by a doctor, the wounds from the stick on his body have healed completely.
As soon as Su He entered the room, Ah Si immediately knelt down and said, "Thank you very much, Madam, for saving my life."
She stepped forward to help Ah Si up and asked about his injuries. She was relieved to know that he was fine, and then she got back to the point: "Ah Si, do you know why the Du family's master wanted to accuse your father of stealing money?"
Mentioning the Du family, hatred welled up in Ah Si's eyes. "Because Daddy knows about the Du family's mess, the Du family master will naturally try to kill him."
Su He was puzzled: "What kind of bad debt is this?"
"I don't know the details either."
Ah Si thought for a moment, "On his deathbed, Daddy revealed the truth, saying he had recorded all those bad debts in a book, and that the book would be my life-saving talisman."
The Du family thrives in the capital, and there must be officials backing them up. Perhaps this account book is the Du family's weak spot.
Su He said in a deep voice: "This account book is a death warrant, how can it be a life-saving talisman!"
Then he asked, "Where is the account book now?"
Ah Si shook his head. "Dad didn't tell me where the account book was hidden at the time, and I've been so focused on seeking justice these days that I haven't looked for it. But I suspect it's hidden in the secret compartment next to Dad's bed."
Su He took a deep breath and said, "Ah Si, when you recover from your injuries, would you be willing to get the account books for me?"
Ah Si was puzzled for a moment: "Between Madam and the Du family..."
Su He replied in a resounding voice, "There is also a deep blood feud."
The air was silent for a moment.
After a moment, Ah Si's eyes gleamed, and he knelt again: "I will obey your orders, Madam."
Su He helped him up again. "Right now, I want to get closer to the Du family. Ah Si can tell me everything about the Du family."
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint Madam." Ah Si lowered his head helplessly. "Father has always been cautious. He never takes the initiative to discuss the affairs of the Du family with me, and he never even lets me casually step foot inside the Du family's gate. Even now that Father has passed away, I've never met the Du family's master, so I don't know much about him."
"Then tell me what you know."
Ah Si pondered for a moment, "What I know is that the Du family's master values his life so much that he's even spent a fortune hiring martial arts masters to protect his house. So, the Du family... is probably difficult to approach."
"Since we can't get into the Du family, the Du family will definitely leave the house, right?"
"It's said that whenever Master Du goes out, he's always accompanied by three or five experts. And his wife is just a woman..." Ah Si stammered, "How could she possibly get close to them?"
Su He fell silent.
The morning light streamed in from the doorway, making her face look as beautiful as a jade, yet also as steady as a mountain.
She suddenly asked, "When Master Du goes out, he has expert guards to protect him. But when his wife, Madam Liu, goes out, does she also have guards?"
"I don't know about that." Ah Si paused, then suddenly remembered, "But I once heard Dad say that Liu was obsessed with tea. Not long ago, she even spent a huge sum of money to become the master of Wuyou Tea House. She goes there almost every day."
Su He snorted coldly when he heard that.
The so-called Liu's obsession with tea studies may be because Du Yuting likes to drink tea?
Many years ago, wasn't Dad respected by Du Yuting because of his tea-making skills?
She said, "It's time for me to go to Wuyou Tea House and have some tea."
"Madam, do you want to meet the Du family's mistress?"
Su He smiled slightly and nodded.
Ah Si's expression was startled: "Then I'll go back and look for that account book."
"It's not too late to look for him after you recover."
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm fine."
After saying this, Ah Si turned around and walked out of the house, disappearing outside the door in a flash.
After Su He finished his lunch, he asked someone to prepare a carriage outside the mansion.
Afternoon is the best time to make tea, and it should also be the time for Liu to go to the teahouse.
Zhang Xiuhua wanted to go with her. Su He stopped her, saying, "Aunt and I are both from the Du family, but Auntie doesn't have plastic bones. If Liu recognizes her, it will be bad. Let Chunlan go with me."
After all, Chunlan had only worked for the Li family and had never met Liu before.
After the two of them had packed up, they left the house in a carriage.
In less than half an hour, they arrived at Wuyou Teahouse.
Su He found a private room on the second floor facing the street. When he opened the window, he could see the entrance of the teahouse.
At this time, there were many carriages parked at the gate, but she did not see any carriage with the Du family emblem. She concluded that Liu had not arrived yet.
I waited like this from the time of Wei to the time of Shen.
Chunlan was a little anxious: "Miss, what if Liu doesn't come today?"
She drank her tea slowly and said, "If you don't come today, there's still tomorrow. If you don't come tomorrow, there's still the day after tomorrow. There's no rush."
"But if the young lady goes out of the house every day, the old lady of the Xie family...I'm afraid she will have something to say."
After all, it doesn't make sense for a woman from the harem to show herself in the downtown area every day.
Su He paused, holding the cup, his expression still calm. "When she has something to say, it won't be too late for us to deal with it."
Chunlan put away her worry and breathed a sigh of relief.
Since the young lady is not panicking, then she won't panic either.
The two of them continued to wait for another quarter of an hour. Just when Su He thought that Liu would not show up today, the Du family's carriage slowly drove in front of the teahouse.
When the carriage stopped, the coachman respectfully placed a stepping stool on the ground and extended his arms to welcome Liu to get off.
Looking down from the second floor, Liu was wearing a golden hairpin and Shu brocade, and she looked very noble.
As the saying goes, every inch of silk is worth its weight in gold. Liu's clothes are enough for an ordinary family to eat and drink for a year. She is indeed very wealthy.
But fortunately, she had no guards except two maids.
Su He winked at Chunlan.
Chunlan understood, turned around and left the private room, hiding at the stairs, watching Liu lead the maid through the lobby and up the stairs to the third floor.
The teahouse owner Zeng Yidao lived on the third floor.
Zeng Yidao was a well-known tea master in Liang State. Although he came from a merchant family, he lived in seclusion for many years and rarely went out. Very few people had seen his true face.
But such a person who lived in seclusion in the bustling city actually made an exception and accepted Liu as his disciple. No one knew the reason behind it.
Su He didn't have time to think about it, and followed him up to the third floor with the prepared gift.
A huge tea room was built on the third floor, and the remaining open space was used as a terrace, where many flowers, trees and bonsai were placed.
Looking around, this small piece of heaven and earth is like a paradise.
As soon as Su He appeared, Zeng Yidao saw him.
Across the porch, through the interlaced light and shadow, Zeng Yidao, dressed in a green shirt, seemed stunned for a moment, then asked, "You are..."
Liu, who was washing the tea set, also turned around, squinted her eyes and looked at her carefully.
Su He walked into the house gracefully, then bowed and said, "My name is Li, and I am the wife of Xie Wuhen, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple. Because I love the tea ceremony, I have taken the liberty of coming here today to ask Mr. Zeng to be my disciple."
Xie Wuhen's reputation is naturally her best stepping stone.
But this title seems to have no effect on Zeng Yidao.
He is as tall as a pine tree and as elegant as an orchid. Even though he is over fifty years old, his features still have the gentleness of a modest gentleman, as well as the indifference of a person who is detached from the world.
He looked at Su He and asked, "Are you the Shaoqing's wife?"
She replied, "Yes."
"The girl looks like an old friend."
She replied, "It is my great honor."
Liu also stepped forward with a smile, her tone flattering: "So it is the famous Shaoqing's wife. I think she looks quite familiar."
Xie Wuhen's reputation is undoubtedly a huge temptation for the Liu family. Just ask, which merchant family doesn't want to make friends with more powerful officials in the court?
Su He then turned to look at Liu.
She had been only eight years old when she escaped from the Du family. Time had flown by, and another eight years had passed! She had grown up, and Liu had also aged. Wrinkles had formed around her eyes, and even the corners of her mouth had drooped irreversibly.
Back then, she didn't dare look Liu in the eye like that.
Her mother had taught her privately: "Hehe, remember this: they are the masters and we are the slaves. If the master does not allow the slave to raise his head, the slave must not raise his head, otherwise he will be punished."
So, she could only hide in the bushes or behind the archway to peek at the face of the mistress of the Du family.
Now, she has escaped death, reshaped her bones, changed her identity, stood in a higher position, and walked calmly in front of the mistress of the Du family.
The way she looked at her was not only a sizing but also an examination; she finally had the qualifications to confront her.
Su He casually asked, "Why does Madam Du think I look familiar?"
When Liu heard that the Madam Shaoqing actually knew her identity, she was secretly delighted and her smile grew even wider. "To be honest, Madam Shaoqing looks quite like someone I know."
Su He instantly guessed that the "acquaintance" she was talking about was her mother Su Xueer.
She also clearly remembered that Liu was jealous of her mother's beauty and worried that her mother would attract the attention of the master of the Du family, so she deliberately placed her mother in the kitchen and sent people to make things difficult for her from time to time, causing her mother to suffer a lot.
Unexpectedly, after so many years, Liu still couldn't forget her mother's appearance.
Su He's tone was meaningful: "Looking alike is also fate. I wonder if Mrs. Du can help introduce her to someone?"
Liu choked and immediately waved her hand, "That acquaintance was of humble origin and had long since passed away. He certainly had no luck in meeting Madam Shaoqing."
Yes, in Liu's heart, her mother Su Xueer had died long ago, and even she, who was eight years old at the time, died at the hands of the security guard Zhang Dachang.
Therefore, even if Liu saw that she looked like Su Xueer, she would never have any doubts - she would never have thought that the wife of the Shaoqing in front of her was the daughter of Su Xueer back then.
"That's a bit of a pity," she said.
Liu clearly didn't want to continue this topic. "Didn't Madam Shaoqing come to become your disciple?" She turned to Zeng Yi and advised, "Mr. Zeng, you can accept one disciple, or two. Since Madam Shaoqing has come personally today, why don't you accept them? You'll have someone to rely on in the capital."
Zeng Yidao looked at Su He again, his distant eyes concealing a careful scrutiny.
His tone was neither hurried nor slow, revealing the politeness of a gentleman, but also the coldness of a hermit. "I am ill and unable to guide my two disciples. I hope Madam Shaoqing will forgive me."
Su He hadn't planned to learn the tea ceremony; she had simply come to "accidentally" meet Liu, so she casually replied, "Since Mr. Zeng is ill, I won't force you."
Zeng Yidao nodded slightly, then placed a large jar of tea on the table. "Madam Du, let's learn how to identify tea today. This jar contains dozens of different kinds of tea. Please classify them one by one before tomorrow. I will come and check them then."
He walked out of the house, but stopped at the door and looked back at Su He. "If Madam Shaoqing is really obsessed with the tea ceremony, you don't have to become a disciple. If you don't mind, you can come to my teahouse to drink tea when you are free."
Su He bowed and returned the greeting: "Thank you, Mr. Zeng." Then he watched Zeng Yidao leave.
It was clearly the first time she met Zeng Yidao, but she inexplicably felt that she had some connection with him. She couldn't explain what kind of connection it was.
Seeing Zeng Yidao leave, Liu suddenly became lively. Smiling, she pulled Su He to sit at the table and said flatteringly, "If Madam Shaoqing really wants to learn the tea ceremony, I will tell Madam Shaoqing the method that Mr. Zeng taught me."
He continued, "Mr. Zeng has a proud and aloof personality. Don't mind me. He accepted me as his disciple thanks to my master. I'm sure my master gave him a lot of money before he agreed. Actually... that's all."
Su He naturally didn't believe that the arrogant Zeng Yidao would accept a disciple for money, but she was too lazy to expose it directly, so she let Liu continue to talk in detail.
She nodded in agreement from time to time, and the two seemed to be of the same mind and hated each other.
Finally, Liu said with a sincere face, "Madam and I really hit it off today. The day after tomorrow is the old lady's eightieth birthday banquet. If Madam doesn't mind, I hope that Master Shaoqing and Madam will come together."
Su He was delighted, as this was exactly what she wanted.
Of course, she would not take Xie Wuhen with her.
She replied, "Thank you, Madam Du, for your kind invitation. I will come as promised."
Liu was also very happy and specially made a cup of tea for Su He, and they drank while chatting.
Meanwhile, in Weiyang Palace, Shaoqing Lord Xie Wuhen was also drinking tea with the Emperor...
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