Sun Jiacheng's carriage followed behind the Duke of England and stopped at a teahouse called Yige. Seeing that the two were well-dressed and had arrived by carriage, the waiter warmly welcomed them, led them into a private room, served them tea, and then left.
"I wonder what brings the Duke of England to see me here?" Sun Jiacheng was somewhat wary after being suddenly summoned.
“Lord Sun, I know you have always loved tea. Why don’t you try the tea from Yige first?” Wuge said.
Sun Jiacheng looked at the tea set, which was quite exquisite. He took a sip, and the bitterness of the tea rushed to the tip of his tongue, slowly permeating every nerve. Before he could savor it, the bitterness slowly turned into sweetness, refreshing his heart and soul.
Sun Jiacheng is not from Beijing, but he has a great love for tea. Having lived in the capital for so long, he was surprised to find such a wonderful place. His mood brightened considerably, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Good tea, good tea!"
The Duke of England then spoke up, saying, "Lord Sun is now a favorite of the Emperor and has long wanted to get to know you. It is my honor to have the pleasure of inviting you for tea today."
Sun Jiacheng quickly replied, "Not at all, not at all, you flatter me. Everyone knows that you, Lord Ying, are a pillar of the nation and a meritorious official of our Great Qing. When I first arrived in the capital, I owe my current position to the promotion and assistance of the late Lord Ying Gongfei Yang Gu."
Sun Jiacheng had always felt regretful that he could not repay the help he received from the Duke of Ying. Now that he had met Wu Ge, the two hit it off immediately and he thought about when he could repay the debt of gratitude.
Upon hearing his father's name mentioned, Duke Wuge of England felt a pang of sorrow: "When my father was alive, he helped many people. Now that the family has declined, only you, sir, still remember my father's kindness. I am deeply moved."
Upon hearing this, Sun Jiacheng felt even more favorably toward Wuge and said, "If there is anything I can do to help you in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. I will do my best to repay your kindness."
After chatting for a while, the Duke of England asked, "Sir, you hold a high position, so the Ministry of Rites must be very busy for you. If there is anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask!"
Seeing that he and the Duke of Yingguo got along quite well, Sun Jiacheng figured it wouldn't hurt to tell him about the Emperor's sudden move to bring forward Hongli's wedding. Besides, the bride was none other than the Duke's daughter, so he could do him a favor. He said, "I'm not too busy, but... the Emperor just summoned me to the Hall of Mental Cultivation to bring forward Prince Hongli's wedding, which is quite troubling. I just finished preparing for Princess Biechuke's wedding not long ago, and now I have to deal with the prince's wedding. Sigh..."
The Duke of England's thoughts lingered on the matter of his son's marriage being brought forward. He had previously discussed with his youngest daughter that it would be easier to monitor Hongli's every move after she became his concubine. Therefore, bringing forward the marriage would be more beneficial to him.
"I feel really bad for troubling Lord Sun with my daughter's marriage. If there's anything I can do to help, please don't hesitate to ask," the Duke of England said obsequiously.
"You're too kind, sir. Your princess is about to marry Prince Hongli, and you will be the prince's father-in-law." With that, Sun Jiacheng picked up the teapot in his hand and poured a cup of tea for the Duke of Yingguo.
The two discussed some more matters related to tea ceremony before Wu Ge saw Sun Jiacheng out of the teahouse.
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