Courtyard House: A System Connecting Two Worlds, Resources for the Nation

When the notice was posted, the door of Ban Zhe Mian Tea House was already tightly closed, and there was a note on it announcing that it was closed, with a small smiley face drawn at the bottom.

This was drawn by Zhao Pan'er herself, and Zhou Feng sent someone to post it at the entrance of the teahouse.

For Zhao Pan'er, this half-covered teahouse was also a memory of her and Sun San Niang in this city of Tokyo. Perhaps a few years later, when she thought of that teahouse, she would want to go back and visit it.

By the time Zhou Feng's men were putting up the closure notice, seven or eight regular tea drinkers had already gathered at the entrance.

These people are the most loyal repeat customers of Ban Zhai Mian, but it is no longer possible for them to taste the tea soup there again.

"You all said Zhao Niangzi's teahouse was doing so well, how come it's closing down so suddenly?"

"Perhaps they went back to their hometown to avoid trouble. Didn't you hear any noise outside last night? Firecrackers and thunder. I huddled in bed shivering all night and didn't dare go out. I only heard this morning that something terrible happened in the city!"

"What's the big deal?"

"The Xuande Gate of the Imperial Palace was blown open; I wonder what it's like inside!"

...

"You don't know, but I do!"

While everyone was still discussing, a panting voice came from the side.

These people turned to look, and saw that the speaker was a scholar who walked through the crowd, stood at the half-hidden doorway, and bowed deeply.

"What are you doing? I've only ever seen people bow to Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, parents, and teachers, never to the tea ceremony!"

The scholar sighed.

He saw the notice posted outside early in the morning and realized that Madam Zhao had become such a noble person. Thinking that he had personally tasted Madam Zhao's tea ceremony before, he was so excited that he came here and paid his respects.

"There's no need for further discussion here. It seems that Half-Faced will never open its doors again."

"what?"

Why?

"Do you know something?"

"What happened to Manager Zhao?"

The group of tea drinkers immediately surrounded the scholar, bombarding him with questions.

Despite being from Qiantang, Zhao Pan'er's exquisite skills have won over these seasoned tea drinkers from Tokyo.

Now that they suddenly realize they can no longer drink that tea, how could these people possibly give up?

"The government posted a notice today; you can go and see what it says."

The scholar did not answer, but turned and left gracefully.

Before these people could even look at the notice, a large group of familiar faces surged toward the half-covered face.

"Quick, quick, this is the teahouse that the empress once ran!"

"Half-Hidden Face—that name alone sounds unique!"

"It is said that the lady's cooking skills are so good that even the shopkeepers in Tea Soup Alley are no match for her."

...

Hearing the discussion, the expressions of the veteran tea drinkers changed instantly.

They call Lady Zhao "Niangniang" (娘娘).

Could it be that Lady Zhao has been summoned to the palace by the Emperor?

Given Zhao Niangzi's looks, it wouldn't be surprising if she entered the palace. But wasn't she already engaged to the current Celestial Master?

After a while, more people gathered at the entrance of the half-covered-face teahouse. The old tea drinkers also learned about the contents of the notice, and their expressions became absurd.

Who could believe this?

Overnight, the emperor changed, the Taoist priest became the real emperor, and Lady Zhao became the empress!

The tea they drink every day is actually brewed by the Empress herself!

"I have lived for so many years, and I have drunk tea brewed by the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy and the Vice Minister of the Privy Council, but I am afraid I will remember the tea brewed by the Empress Dowager until the day I die."

Mr. Zhuoshi reached out and stroked his beard. His hands, which were usually very steady and proficient in calligraphy and painting, were now trembling slightly.

The other tea drinkers also sighed in amazement, with one even suddenly saying, "Mr. Zhuoshi, would you say we've... had a royal meal?"

A group of people laughed, but it was just self-deprecating humor; no one dared to bring up Zhao Pan'er.

After Zhao Pan'er took that position, her identity was no longer related to that of a merchant.

Trying to joke like before would be offensive.

"Hey everyone! Let's all go! After what happened before, we'll probably never forget it for the rest of our lives!"

Mr. Zhuoshi withdrew his gaze from the half-covered face and strode towards the alley entrance.

No matter how aloof or refined he was, he couldn't possibly ask the Empress to brew tea for him. Zhao Niangzi's tea-making skills would probably be lost forever in the capital!

With a touch of melancholy, the group of tea drinkers walked further and further away.

Meanwhile, outside the city, in the basement of the first manor Zhou Feng and his companions bought when they first arrived in this world.

Gu Qianfan was stretching his wrists in the porch outside the prison.

He himself had forgotten how long he had been held captive here. He only remembered being knocked down while investigating a case in Qiantang, and then he had no recollection of anything else.

The rest of my memories are of the constant torture I endured in that prison.

They didn't interrogate, investigate, or even ask questions; every day was just relentless torture and torment.

"Lord Gu, please!"

Wearing a faded gray prison uniform, with his hair loose and a long beard, Gu Qianfan turned to look at the guard standing at the dungeon's iron gate.

Is he able to get out?

After being locked up for so many days, he can finally see the light of day again?

"You...you really want to let me go?"

At this crucial moment, Gu Qianfan was somewhat incredulous, fearing that these people would come up with some new tricks to torment him.

In fact, Zhou Feng's actions towards these people went far beyond simply torturing them in order to gain more emotional value.

Sometimes they would deliberately give them a loophole, allowing them a chance to escape, and then, when their hopes were high, they would catch them and turn those hopes into despair, thus reaping another wave of emotional value.

Sometimes, when the guards saw the plans Zhou Feng sent over, they even felt a little sorry for the people who were imprisoned.

This is the ultimate way to kill someone by destroying their spirit!

"Don't worry, there are no tricks this time. We're just letting you leave. The new emperor has ascended the throne, and you've been pardoned. Please!"

"A new emperor has ascended the throne?"

Gu Qianfan's gaze sharpened, and he looked at the guard with some surprise.

If he remembered correctly, when he went out on his mission, the Emperor was still in his prime, right? How could a new Emperor have ascended the throne?

However, he kept these questions to himself and did not speak of them.

Now that he has the opportunity to go out, he can investigate what he wants to know for himself once he gets outside.

Gu Qianfan carefully passed by the guard, who showed no intention of stopping him and even watched him until he reached the entrance of the dungeon.

Are you really not going to stop him?

Just as a look of surprise appeared on Gu Qianfan's face, a furious voice came from the cell: "Why can he get out? I am also an official of the imperial court, I also come from the Imperial City Guard, and I am a confidant of Lei Jing, the head of the Imperial City Guard! Why won't you let me out?"