Yun Zhengze realized that this was an attempt to put psychological pressure on Prince An and make him lose his composure.
"That Yang Tie..."
"He's just a Daoist priest who concocts Red Lead Pill to prolong life. The Tubo treat him like a treasure; let them take him."
Gu Moran put down his teacup.
"I am quite curious how Chisang will use those 'divine pills' once he obtains them."
The fire inside the warm room was burning very brightly, creating a cozy and warm atmosphere.
Meng Jiuning changed into an elegant moon-white dress, her long black hair tied up with a simple jade hairpin, and a flawless, gentle smile on her face.
She was kneeling gracefully beside a low table made of rosewood, brewing a pot of top-grade Pu'er tea that she had brought from Dali.
Washing the tea, warming the cup, brewing—every movement is fluid and graceful, full of ritual.
She wanted to pay her respects to the powerful figures in the area.
Ever since Gu Moran exposed her identity to her face and she signed that contract that was almost treasonous, she understood that if she wanted to survive in the Prince Yi's Residence, she wouldn't be able to rely on clever tricks alone.
We must demonstrate genuine sincerity and employ effective methods to integrate into this backyard.
" Sister Murong has a straightforward personality and enjoys strong tea; this thirty-year-old tea bud is perfect for her."
" Sister Lin is aloof and elegant; she should drink the fragrant orchid-scented maiden tea."
She spoke with a smile and explained the two female warriors' preferences in detail, as if they were already close friends. She even thoughtfully prepared tea for Su Yao, Xie Wanqing, and others who were not present.
Behind this impeccable gentleness lay her final struggle and tentative steps.
As she poured the tea, a speck of powder, finer than dust, was silently flicked into the rising steam from under her neatly manicured fingernails, concealed by the wide sleeves of her robe.
The Heart-Seeking Gu.
One of the most ingenious secret techniques of the Dali royal family, it is colorless and odorless. Once inhaled, it will completely lower one's guard for the next half hour, allowing one to answer any questions, and leaving no memory of the event afterwards.
She didn't expect to find out any military or political secrets; she just wanted to know who truly held sway in this backyard, who Gu Moran feared most, and whose pillow talk was most effective.
The tea was poured until the cups were seven-tenths full, and the rich aroma of tea filled the warm room.
Meng Jiuning picked up a cup, about to hand it to Murong Xue, who was closest to her.
"Squeak--"
The thick felt curtains of the warm room were suddenly pulled open, and a gust of cold wind swept in.
Shen Ling'er strode in, carrying a pottery jar that was still emitting white smoke, while complaining under her breath.
"The heating in this room is making it so dry; it's giving me a headache."
Without even glancing at the tea set on the table, she casually placed the earthenware pot in the center of the low table and lifted the lid.
"Buzz--"
An extremely pungent, strong aroma, a mixture of mint, mugwort, and some unknown potent herb, instantly filled the warm room.
The Gu worms, invisible to the naked eye in the tea mist, were like nemesis the moment they came into contact with the medicinal fragrance. They didn't even have time to struggle before turning into barely visible black ash, which fell into the teacup that Meng Jiuning had just picked up.
Meng Jiuning's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.
A flicker of disbelief, shock, and horror flashed in his eyes, but he instantly concealed it with masterful acting skills, even managing to force a perfect smile as he praised:
" Miss Shen's medicinal fragrance is truly unique; it refreshes the mind and body instantly."
Shen Ling'er finally glanced at her, then looked at the thin layer of black ash in her teacup, and spoke without any expression.
"Your tea is dirty, don't drink it."
She pointed to the cup.
"The soil and water in Yi Prefecture are hard, and people from other places often have stomach problems if they drink unclean food or drink unclean beverages."
Shen Ling'er's words were light and airy, like a feather, but when they landed in Meng Jiuning's ears, they felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
She stared at the almost invisible black ash in the teacup, her fingers tightening slightly as she held the cup, her knuckles turning a faint white.
They saw right through me.
Her prized royal secrets seemed like a joke in the face of this seemingly taciturn goddess healer.
"Thank you for the reminder, Miss Shen."
Meng Jiuning's smile remained unchanged, as if she genuinely disliked the dust on the tea. She calmly set the cup aside, preparing to replace it with another.
Her exceptional emotional intelligence and quick thinking allowed her to quell the turmoil in her heart.
She thought that as long as she wasn't embarrassed, it was others who would be embarrassed.
But she was wrong.
In the backyard of Prince Yi's Residence, no one would cooperate with her performance.
Before her smile could fully bloom, Su Yao had already sat down opposite her, carrying her ever-present sandalwood abacus.
"Smack!"
Su Yao placed the abacus on the table with a crisp sound.
" Miss Meng, now that we've had the tea, it's time we settled some scores."
Meng Jiuning was stunned for a moment.
Accounting? What accounts?
Before she could even ask, Su Yao's fingers were already flying across the abacus beads, so fast that only a blur remained.
"Crackling and popping--"
The crisp sound of abacus beads clinking echoed in the warm room, shattering the tender atmosphere that Meng Jiuning had carefully created.
"If you were to sell this bag of Dali Pu'er tea at market price in the ' Southern Goods Northward Transport Firm in the West Market of Yi Prefecture, it would occupy a square foot of counter space, costing you thirty cash in rent per day, plus a ten percent commission on each sale."
Su Yao's eyes were fixed on the ledger, but her words were clearly heard by everyone.
"Today you brewed this tea in the warm pavilion of the Prince's mansion, saving on shop rent. However, this pavilion occupies three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and uses the finest golden nanmu wood flooring. Just the daily maintenance cost of tung oil alone adds up to seven wen (approximately 6.5 grams) for this tea."
"And this charcoal is silver-bone charcoal transported from the West Mountain. It costs 120 coins per pound, and one furnace can last for two hours. You've been here for almost an hour now, so the charcoal costs 60 coins."
"The maid who pours tea is paid two taels of silver a month, which translates to eleven coins per hour."
"This water comes from the new well in the south of the city. It undergoes three layers of filtration before being transported to the mansion by special personnel. Each bucket of water costs eight copper coins as a service fee."
Su Yao raised her head and gave Meng Jiuning a smile that was unique to businesspeople, a smile that brought her good fortune.
"All things considered, not even considering the value of your tea itself, the cost of the tea ceremony provided by the Prince's Mansion alone is two hundred and six coins."
"This is just the cost."
Su Yao flicked her fingers across the abacus, producing a clear click.
"According to the rules of Yi Prefecture, the Prince's Mansion takes a 30% cut of any business conducted on its premises. I estimate that your tea ceremony can fetch a respectable two taels of silver, so the Prince's Mansion should take six hundred wen."
"So, Miss Meng, are you planning to pay in cash, or put it on your tab and deduct it from the future military aid funds for Dali?"
[Thanks to: Winter Snow for the update reminder, Rainy Love Letter x6, Gu Feng for the like, Yuan Wu for the update reminder, April Flowers, and everyone else for their love and support!]