sbdcsierra Chapter 2198 The Situation is Grim
Chapter 2198 The Situation is Grim
The waiter nimbly carried in a tray, with wisps of steam rising from the celadon teapot.
On the white porcelain plate next to it were four pieces of osmanthus cake, golden in color, sprinkled with a few fine osmanthus flowers, with a sweet fragrance that looked very appetizing.
He placed the teapot and saucer on the table and said with a smile, "Esteemed guests, your Biluochun tea and osmanthus cake are here. Please enjoy!"
Yan Ruyu looked up at the pot of tea. The tea soup was clear and bright, and the aroma was delicate. At first glance, it was no different from ordinary Biluochun tea.
Looking at the osmanthus cake, its texture was soft and glutinous, and its osmanthus fragrance was pure; there was nothing unusual about it.
But she knew in her heart that these seemingly ordinary tea snacks might hide some unknown trickery.
Huo Changhe rested his fingertips on the edge of the table, his gaze sweeping over the teacup. He showed no intention of picking up his chopsticks, and simply said, "Thank you."
The waiter replied, "Call me anytime if you need anything," then turned and left, closing the door to the private room behind him.
The private room instantly fell silent. Yan Ruyu immediately took out an oil paper bag from her sleeve, carefully put all four pieces of osmanthus cake into the bag, and sealed it tightly.
Then he took out a small porcelain bottle, uncorked it, and slowly poured the Biluochun tea from the teapot into the bottle.
She put the oil paper bag and porcelain bottle into her space.
"Take it back to the Prince's residence first and examine it carefully to see if anything has been added to it," Yan Ruyu said in a low voice, her gaze falling on the empty teapot and saucer, lost in thought.
Huo Changhe nodded.
The two were in the private room, peering through the window at the commotion downstairs.
The sunlight outside the window gradually slanted westward, but the number of customers in the teahouse remained unchanged. The hall on the first floor was packed, and laughter and conversation could be heard from time to time.
Faintly, Yan Ruyu could also hear a faint sound of a zither, melodious and pleasant, but it was drowned out by the noise of the teahouse.
About an hour later, Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe got up and went downstairs.
As she reached the corner on the second floor, Yan Ruyu deliberately slowed her pace and scanned the lobby on the first floor.
The tea sets on each tea table were different, and the teas brewed were also varied, including Longjing, Pu'er, and some unidentified coarse teas, which were obviously determined according to the guests' preferences and spending levels.
The quality of the snacks varied greatly. Some tables had exquisite pastries, while others only had a plate of melon seeds and peanuts. Some tables of guests didn't order any snacks at all and simply drank tea and chatted.
This scene resembled that of an ordinary teahouse. If one did not already know that the First Madam, Madam Cao, and Liu Zi'an had all been consuming Biluochun tea and osmanthus cake here, one might have thought that one was being paranoid.
As she was pondering this, Yan Ruyu's gaze inadvertently fell upon a man dressed in a royal blue silk robe beside the counter, who was whispering something to the waiter from before.
The man was about forty years old, with a round face, a shrewd look between his brows, and was dressed elegantly.
“That’s the owner of Baixing Teahouse.” Huo Changhe followed her gaze and said in a low voice, “Baixing Teahouse is considered an old establishment in Youcheng. The current owner took over from his father, and business has been good all these years.”
Yan Ruyu frowned slightly, her tone tinged with doubt: "As an established business with a long history, it should have a good reputation. It shouldn't be doing such a harmful thing."
If it's truly an established business, its reputation is what it values most. Why would it risk ruining its brand by tampering with its dim sum?
There must be more to this story than meets the eye.
As the two were talking, they had already reached the lobby on the first floor.
The owner had just finished his conversation with the waiter and was about to go upstairs when he saw Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe. He immediately put on a warm smile and greeted them with a cupped hand: "Gentlemen, are you leaving already? Did you enjoy the tea and snacks today?"
Yan Ruyu smiled gently and nodded, saying, "It's very good. The tea is fragrant and mellow, and the pastries are sweet but not greasy. It suits my taste perfectly."
Upon hearing this, the owner smiled even more broadly and repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your praise, sir! If you find it enjoyable, please patronize our shop often in the future and support our business."
Yan Ruyu paused slightly, and asked casually, "This Biluochun tea, is it also transported from Jiangnan? It must have taken quite a bit of effort to transport so much good tea from such a long distance."
The owner's smile faded slightly, and he sighed softly, his tone tinged with emotion: "Sir, you have excellent taste. This Biluochun tea is indeed sourced from Jiangnan."
"Who can argue with that? The journey is long, and shipping costs and damage all add up. We're just earning a meager living through hard work."
He spoke so earnestly that it sounded like he was genuinely complaining about how difficult business was.
Yan Ruyu understood and didn't ask any more questions. She simply smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work. We have other matters to attend to, so we'll take our leave now."
"Take care, sirs! Welcome to visit again!" The host warmly saw them to the door, watching their figures disappear around the street corner before turning and going upstairs.
After walking a distance, Huo Changhe said in a low voice, "This host is enthusiastic and speaks very tactfully."
Yan Ruyu nodded, gazing into the distance, her tone grave: "Let's not alarm him for now. Once we get back and examine the tea and osmanthus cake, we might find out what secrets this Baixing Teahouse is hiding."
Just as Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe reached the vermilion gate, before they could even step inside, they heard the rapid sound of hooves and wheels rolling on the ground in the distance.
The sound grew closer and closer, carrying a hurried and urgent quality, as if something was chasing after them.
The two instinctively stepped aside to avoid it. Looking up, they saw a blue carriage speeding towards them, its wheels kicking up dust and its hooves clattering on the stone pavement, making the ground tremble slightly.
Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, Governor Cao's anxious voice came from inside: "Faster! Faster!"
His voice was hoarse, and he was clearly flustered.
Yan Ruyu frowned slightly, a bad premonition rising in her heart.
The carriage was in front of the Prince's Mansion when the curtain was suddenly flung open, and Governor Cao practically tumbled and crawled off the carriage.
His hair was disheveled, his official robe was askew, and his face was covered in sweat.
His gaze swept eagerly across the doorway, but when it landed on Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, he couldn't recognize them for a moment.
Governor Cao didn't bother to discern the details and was about to rush into the Prince's mansion when he stumbled and fell forward.
Huo Changhe reacted quickly, reaching out to firmly support his arm, his tone steady: "Sir, watch your step."
Only when the familiar voice reached his ears did Governor Cao suddenly come to his senses.
He stared wide-eyed at the two people in front of him, and it took him a while to recognize Huo Changhe's outline. He then looked at Yan Ruyu beside him, his eyes filled with shock: "Your...Your Highness? Your Highness?"
He didn't even have time to catch his breath. He gripped Huo Changhe's arm tightly with both hands, his voice urgent and low, filled with barely concealed panic: "Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Several more patients have fallen ill!"