High-class Spring Joy

Not only was Qingyuan carrying a tray of tea, but the maids following behind her were also carrying trays, each with three cups of tea neatly arranged on it. There were as many as a dozen maids in total.

If you count them, there should be forty or fifty cups of tea. Forty or fifty cups of tea is enough for each of the ladies in this Buddhist hall to have a cup.

Qingyuan passed by Jiang Qingge, who was kneeling on the ground, without stopping. She went straight to the Empress Dowager and offered her tea: "This servant greets Your Majesty. Please take this last half-stick of incense time to taste this lotus leaf dew tea that I have brewed today. Although it is still made with lotus leaf dew, it is slightly different from the one I drank a couple of days ago. As for the specific difference, this servant dares to ask Your Majesty to taste and feel it carefully."

The moment Qingyuan appeared, the expressions of the people who had just mocked him changed. Jiang Qingge knelt on the ground, his brows furrowed, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes, and his face became unnatural. But Xiangjiang quickly realized that he couldn't afford to lose his composure, so he immediately returned to normal.

However, the naive and ignorant Miss Song, standing to the side, spoke up in a somewhat panicked manner: "You...you said you encountered an assassin, didn't you? How come you're standing here unharmed?"

Qingyuan did not directly answer Miss Song's question, but instead said, "Ladies and young ladies, the lotus leaf dew tea has been prepared. Please enjoy it."

As soon as Qingyuan finished speaking, the maids behind her brought up trays and placed cups of tea next to each lady and young lady.

Only Qingyuan took a cup of tea from a maid's tray and personally placed it in front of Miss Song, then took another cup of tea, and finally placed the last cup of tea in front of Jiang Qingge, who was kneeling on the ground:

"Miss Jiang, please have a taste."

Jiang Qingge's eyes reddened with anger at Qing Yuan's calm expression. He had clearly sent assassins with Song Er to destroy the lotus pond at the foot of the mountain and kill Qing Yuan. Now that Qing Yuan was still alive, the lotus pond should have been destroyed.

Where did she get so much dew to brew so much lotus leaf dew tea?

Jiang Qingge stared at the ground, at the cup of lotus leaf dew tea placed on it, and chuckled softly, "Thank you, Miss Qingyuan. You are so kind."

Miss Song was almost the first to pick up the teacup. Before she could even use it, she skimmed off the foam from the teacup and immediately gulped it down.

She clearly sent assassins, and Princess Jing'an just said that the assassins had indeed done their work. Logically speaking, the lotus pond should have been destroyed. How could Qingyuan have so much dew? It might be fake!

Because she couldn't break her promise to the Empress Dowager, couldn't bear to offend her, and couldn't disobey her orders, it was very likely that Qingyuan, driven to desperation, could only use something somewhat similar to muddy the waters. Once she drank it, they would surely be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake!

So Miss Song immediately poured it into her mouth, but the first sip almost burned her mouth full of blisters, and she spat it out, yelling:

"Is this what they call lotus leaf dew tea? It's nothing special! I can't taste even a hint of lotus fragrance. Didn't Her Highness just say that you encountered assassins while collecting dew in the lotus pond? How could you have collected so much lotus leaf dew to brew tea?"

Miss Song's crude and unrestrained behavior had already caused many of the ladies and young women present to frown and show some disgust on their faces.

Not to mention the Empress Dowager, who had been sitting at the front and was already annoyed by their arguing, frowned and looked at Miss Song with a flash of disgust in her eyes.

However, the Empress Dowager did not speak. What kind of person was the Empress Dowager? She was someone who had survived the palace intrigues. How could she not see through these petty struggles and tricks?

Even though the Empress Dowager disliked the second young lady Song's vulgar behavior, she didn't say anything. She just sipped the lotus leaf dew tea in her hand, the tea carrying the fragrance of lotus flowers and leaves. When it entered her mouth, it was like a clear spring, leaving a lingering fragrance on her teeth and cheeks.

The Empress Dowager simply closed her eyes, leaned her head back in her chair, and ignored the argument in the hall.

Upon hearing Miss Song's words, Princess Jing'an burst into laughter as if she had witnessed the most absurd and ridiculous joke imaginable.

"Hahaha... Miss Song really knows how to make people laugh. Throughout Bianjing, Miss Song is notoriously clueless about tea. Not only is she clueless about tea, but she's also completely unskilled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. How could she possibly understand such a long and rich culture as tea? Look around Bianjing. In this entire Buddhist temple, which lady or young lady drinks a cup of tea like Miss Song? Even if it were tea meant for immortals, the way Miss Song drinks it, she wouldn't get any benefit from it. Miss Song herself doesn't understand tea, and doesn't usually like drinking it, so how can she be sure that what she just drank wasn't lotus leaf dew tea? If I were Miss Song, I'd be embarrassed to even speak; it's like showing off my limited skills before an expert. Aren't you afraid people will laugh their heads off?"

Upon hearing Princess Jing'an's words, the ladies and young women couldn't help but chuckle, and some even joined in the laughter.

But most of the gazes that fell upon Miss Song were mocking and disdainful.

"Your Highness..." Miss Song's face turned pale at Princess Jing'an's words. When she realized that everyone's eyes were on her, she was extremely ashamed and angry. She wanted to argue, but she couldn't say anything. Her chest heaved with anger.

Qingyuan confronted Miss Song, saying without backing down, "Whether the tea I presented is lotus leaf dew tea or not is probably not for Miss Song to decide alone. If Miss Song cannot tell the difference herself, she might as well ask the other ladies and young ladies."

As she spoke, Qingyuan paused for a moment, her gaze shifting from Jiang Qingge to Miss Song: "But this servant would like to ask, Miss Song, you have never been to the lotus pond at the foot of the mountain. How did you know that the lotus pond was destroyed? Could it be that you know something? Or perhaps you know that assassins will come to assassinate this servant and destroy all the lotus flowers in that pond?"

Qingyuan's words were quite blunt; she was asking whether Miss Song was an accomplice or the mastermind.

Of course, Qingyuan never thought that Miss Song was the main culprit. With her intelligence and cunning, she was probably just an accomplice. It all depended on which identity she dared to admit.

Or rather, it depends on how skilled Jiang Qingge is at dealing with people.

Even without being explicitly stated, the ladies and young women present understood the meaning behind these words.

They all come from secluded mansions and are all shrewd and clever. How could there be a fool like Miss Song the Second?

Even someone as timid as Miss Song Wu knew that when forced to target Qing Yuan, it was important to provide her and the princess with some useful information, thus preserving some room for maneuver for herself.

Only this Miss Song, probably spoiled rotten by her father who doted on his concubine and ruined his wife, is so naive and has only a vicious, selfish and narrow-minded heart.

When Qingyuan confronted Miss Song with such a pointed question, she immediately lost her composure: "What nonsense are you spouting? I didn't send that assassin! Why would I want to harm you? What benefit would I gain from harming you? If I sent that assassin to kill you, whether it was to kill you or destroy the pond, if you couldn't prepare this lotus leaf dew tea, it wouldn't benefit me at all. Don't make baseless accusations!"

Miss Song was flustered and spoke in a hurried tone, as if she was afraid of being suspected.

Qingyuan chuckled, "Then why doesn't the Second Miss explain how she knew the lotus pond had been destroyed? It's because the Second Miss hasn't figured out how to explain it yet!"

"You...you...you..." Forced back step by step by Qing Yuan, Miss Song gripped the chair behind her tightly. "You, you're incredibly audacious...a mere maid dares to question me in this very hall! And dares to pin this accusation on me! What grudge do you hold against me that you would slander me like this!"

Miss Song looked extremely panicked. Qingyuan turned to look at the Empress Dowager in front of her and said, "Very well, since Miss Song insists she knows nothing about this, then let's bring in the captured assassin and interrogate him thoroughly. We'll find out in front of everyone who dared to commit such murder and arson in such a sacred and solemn place as Xiangguo Temple, right under the Empress Dowager's nose!"

Miss Song's face was as white as a sheet: "Qingyuan, you are utterly insolent! Don't you know your place? Even if you die, you're nothing more than a servant. How dare you use your worthless life to delay the Empress Dowager's best time for Buddhist worship, and how dare you drag so many ladies and young misses here to help you investigate the murder of a maid?!"

Princess Jing'an sat beside the Empress Dowager, slowly sipping her tea, and said in a cool tone, "That's not right. As the saying goes, 'He who steals a needle when young will steal gold when old.' If the person who assassinated Qingyuan today is not punished, who knows how many more robbers and thieves will become even more ruthless. If they can kill Qingyuan today, they can kill you, Miss Song, tomorrow they can kill any of the ladies and young ladies present, and in a couple of days they might even harm me and the Empress Dowager. Such murder and arson must never be tolerated."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qingge, who was kneeling on the ground beside him, darkened her expression and clenched her hands tightly.

That damned man in black not only took the money and failed to do a good job, but he also gave Qingyuan a handle to use against him!

They're utterly incompetent and more likely to cause trouble than anything else!

Judging from the princess's and the Empress Dowager's tacit approval, it seems that this matter will not be resolved today.

If that's true, let them bring the man in black up. After a few rounds of torture, he might just confess. For now, there's only one option left.

Jiang Qingge smiled and agreed, "What the princess says is very true. If the murderer is not found today, this matter cannot be put to rest."

After speaking, Jiang Qingge turned her head and looked at Miss Song.

Miss Song trembled with fright and immediately knelt on the ground. Realizing what had happened, she hurriedly kowtowed to the Empress Dowager: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, it's all my fault. I was so jealous of you, Your Majesty, for you and the princess dote on Qingyuan. How could a mere maidservant like her win Your Majesty's favor? And I can't! Why?! It's just lotus leaf dew tea, I was just too... too jealous of her, that's why I did such a wrong thing. I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness!"

Qingyuan and Princess Jing'an exchanged glances in mid-air, both seeing the unmistakable truth in each other's eyes.

For a moment, no one dared to speak in the entire Buddhist hall. Only then did the Empress Dowager slowly open her eyes: "This lotus leaf dew tea was originally prepared by Qingyuan for me and Jing'an. Regardless of its value, Qingyuan's heart for me and Jing'an is impeccable."

As she spoke, the Empress Dowager's gaze shifted from Miss Song to each of the ladies and young women, sweeping her eyes over them: "I know you are jealous of him, you look down on him, you despise him, you think his humble origins make him unworthy to be your equal, unworthy to be compared with you. But Jing'an and I have never changed here. If you truly wished, you could offer something else. You all only know how to disdain and look down on what others have earned through their own sincere efforts. You only know how to be jealous and despise. Why don't you dare to work hard for what you want? Because you are pampered and have high status, you believe that even if you can't have it, it shouldn't be Qingyuan's."

The Empress Dowager's words silenced everyone present, her imposing presence sending chills down their spines.

"That's the end of today's matter. Miss Song, immediately receive thirty strokes of the cane and be sent back to Bianjing to reflect on your mistakes in seclusion for a year. Your clerk will be executed a hundred times. Only when you change your narrow-minded and envious nature will you step out of the gates of your Song family again."

As soon as the Empress Dowager finished speaking, nannies and servants immediately dragged Miss Song Er out.

The nanny beside the Empress Dowager instructed, "Drag it further away, lest it soil my Buddhist shrine."

"I am also tired today. After such a commotion, I'm afraid I won't be able to calm down and worship Buddha. Everyone, please go back and think it over."

The Empress Dowager was helped into the inner hall by her nanny, and everyone in the hall had to disperse.

Qingyuan and Princess Jing'an returned to the courtyard. Princess Jing'an couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get so much lotus leaf dew tea? Wasn't the dew you collected and the lotus pond destroyed?"

Qingyuan gave a slightly embarrassed smile: "I went down the mountain to collect dew before, and I collected a lot. I brewed it all together and stored it as tea. I tasted it myself later, and the aroma was just a little weaker. There wasn't much difference, so a lot of it was old tea that I had stored before. As for how I brewed it in such a short time, you'll have to ask the Third Young Master..."

Princess Jing'an looked up and said, "Speak of the devil and he appears."

Chu Jingxian was waiting under the peach tree at the entrance of the courtyard.

Pink and white peach blossoms drifted down freely, scattering on his body, clothes, and hair.