The main street in the west of the city.
The sign for " Mixue Ice City " is still covered with a red cloth.
The door was half open, and the sound of a table being moved could be heard from inside.
The owner of the steamed bun shop across the street peeked out and muttered to the tofu pudding vendor next door, "A new shop? What do they sell?"
The old woman at the tofu stall shook her head.
"The sign was just put up yesterday; I heard it's for merchants from Qiantang."
No one asked any more questions.
Everything is available in the Yi Prefecture City; whether there's an extra shop or a lesser shop, no one will be surprised.
Until Tiedan appeared at the street corner with a group of children.
Fifty.
The oldest was only twelve or thirteen years old, and the youngest was only seven or eight.
Each person held a bamboo tube filled with fruit tea, some hot and some with crushed ice.
At the front of the line, Tiedan was holding up a crooked cloth flag with four large characters written on it: Mixue Ice City.
Tuoba Mang stood at the very front of the procession.
He turned around, faced the fifty children, and raised his right fist.
"Have you memorized everything?"
"I've got it!"
Sing along with me!
Tuoba Mang opened his mouth.
The sound was so powerful it could shatter roof tiles.
"Love~Old~Tiger~yo~"
Fifty children followed in unison.
"I love tigers! Tiger-themed ice cream! Mixue Ice City is so sweet!"
Everyone on the street stopped.
The steamer basket in the steamer shop owner's hand almost fell to the ground.
The old woman holding the tofu pudding spoon was suspended in mid-air, her mouth agape.
With a command from Tuoba Mang.
A group of children ran from one end of the street to the other, carrying bamboo tubes, singing as they ran, their clear voices echoing in the morning breeze.
Tiedan ran in the lead, his face full of excitement, and his feet were faster than a rabbit's.
"I love tigers~ I have tiger lovers~"
" Mixue Ice City is so sweet~"
Passersby were stunned by the sound.
Some people curiously followed the child, while others stood still, repeatedly pondering the phrase, becoming more and more confused the more they chewed it.
"What tiger? Where did this tiger come from?"
What does a tea shop have to do with tigers?
Whether I understand it or not, the melody has already seeped into my head.
That catchy melody could be heard from three blocks away.
Across the street.
At an inconspicuous tea stall.
Zheng Hao put down his folding fan, his brows furrowed.
He was in his early twenties, from a collateral branch of the Zheng Clan of Xingyang. He wore a finely tailored sky-blue long gown and had the demeanor of a scion of a prominent family.
His ostensible purpose in coming to Yi Prefecture was to check the market for Shu brocade on behalf of his clan, but in reality, he was sent by Prince An Gu Mochen, to keep an eye on Prince Yi's movements.
Sitting next to him was Chen Qing.
Chen Qing had a thin, long face and triangular eyes. He wore a gray silk robe and looked shrewd.
He was Zheng Hao's classmate and also one of the advisors in the Prince An's Residence.
The two came to Yi Prefecture together; one was responsible for checking the accounts, and the other for keeping an eye on people.
At this moment, both of them were looking at the group of children singing, their expressions different.
Zheng Hao tapped the table in frustration.
"What is this thing? 'Love Tigers'? What does that mean? Did the people from Prince Yi's Residence make this?"
Chen Qing was leaning out of the tea stall's awning, squinting at the children running past, and tapping his fingers on the table to keep time.
"I love tigers... I have tiger honey..."
He hummed along, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.
Zheng Hao snapped the fan shut.
"This is an insult to civility."
"No, that's not right." Chen Qing turned his head, his two eyes on his thin face darting around twice, and lowered his voice.
"Brother Zheng, listen carefully, there's a deeper meaning in these words."
"A deeper meaning?" Zheng Hao asked with a doubtful expression.
Chen Qing slapped his thigh and leaned closer.
"We've been keeping an eye on this for days, and the mastermind behind it all is definitely Prince Yi Prince Yi. Just think about his reputation in Beijing."
"Useless, sickly, and afraid of his wife."
"Yes." Chen Qing held up a finger. "When he arrived in Yi Prefecture, he brought all six of his wives with him. What about himself? Did you see him leave the house?"
Zheng Hao shook his head.
"What does that mean? It means that the real power in the Prince's mansion is in the hands of those six women!"
Chen Qing lowered his voice even further, his expression extremely solemn.
"I love tigers, oh! Think again, I love tigresses, oh!"
Zheng Hao's eyes widened slowly.
"Do you have tiger honey?"
"That's Prince Yi showing his loyalty to his wives in the inner quarters! Using sweet words to please them! Making those six tigresses happy!"
Chen Qing's expression was full of smug satisfaction, as if he had seen through everything.
Zheng Hao gasped.
In other words...
" Prince Yi has been sidelined." Chen Qing nodded emphatically, "A complete puppet."
Zheng Hao took out his notebook and started writing.
" Prince Yi... fears his wife like a tiger... real power... falls into other hands..."
He wrote very carefully, stroke by stroke.
Outside the tea stall, the group of children ran past, singing again.
Mixue Ice City is so sweet~
Chen Qing hummed along softly for a couple of moments, then suddenly slammed his hand on the table.
"Wait, ' Mixue Ice City'... Mixue... Ice Cream..."
He started thinking again.
Honey is sweet, snow is white, ice is cold, and the city is a royal palace.
Sweet talk, white face, cold heart.
The name itself hints at the power struggles within the royal palace!
Beneath the sweet words lies a cold power struggle!
Zheng Hao's pen stopped.
Are you sure?
"Brother Zheng," Chen Qing patted his chest, his expression utterly sincere.
"I've served Your Highness for so many years, what kind of conspiracy haven't I seen? I dare to swear on my life that behind this 'Mixue Ice City ' lies the power secret of the Prince Yi's Residence's inner palace."
Zheng Hao closed the notebook and solemnly stuffed it back into his sleeve.
Across the street, the doors of Mixue Ice City are being removed piece by piece.
A brand new sign was revealed from behind the curtain.
A cute, silly snowman head is drawn on a red background, with four large characters below it.
Mixue Ice City.
The snowman wore a crown, had upturned corners of its mouth, and was chubby.
A young master dressed in a moon-white brocade robe stood at the door, fanning himself with a folding fan, and directing the waiters to set up tables and chairs.
With his tall, slender figure and composed demeanor, he clearly had the air of someone in charge.
Chen Qing's eyes lit up.
"Look! That's the person in charge! She really is a woman... no, she looks like a man?"
Zheng Hao peeked inside.
"I can't see clearly."
"Never mind." Chen Qing stood up, dusted off his clothes, and said, "Let's go check it out."
"Now?"
"With the enemy in a dangerous situation, speed is of the essence."
Zheng Hao hesitated for a moment, then placed the tea money on the table and stood up with Chen Qing.
The two had just stepped out of the tea stall when another group of children ran past them.
I love tigers!
Chen Qing paused for a moment.
That tune is so catchy.
He shook his head and strode towards Mixue Ice City.
(˵¯͒⌄¯͒˵)
[Four chapters updated! Thank you Gu Zong for the flowers, 666 for the milk tea, and Chen Qing for the flowers. Wishing all my darlings a life sweeter than Mixue Ice City, and to pamper yourselves like the Snow King!]