Chapter 550
~ THE DEVASTATED JIN WANG ~
“Granduncle, you are a real dragon. No matter where you go, you carry the aura of the mighty true dragon. People will soon discover it even if I don’t announce it.”
“Haha.” The Emperor couldn’t hold back his laughter. He knew that Mu Yunyao was deliberately flattering him, but the words that came out of her mouth were exceptionally pleasing to the ears.
The Emperor and Grand Princess Yi De walked into the garden where Bu Xian Luo was located. Just as they entered, they felt a cool breeze blowing against their faces, bringing a sense of surprise. As they walked forward, they suddenly heard the sound of flowing water, bypassing the tall flower wall and shadow wall, which had a panoramic view of the open scenery.
Most of the garden was floating in the water. The lotus flowers are in full bloom in summer, and the dark green lotus leaves sway in the wind. The pavilions in the distance looked like they were built on top of a lotus pond. At a glance, they look like tiny fairy pavilions.
The Grand Princess Yi De let out a sigh of amazement. “This garden was well-built.”
Mu Yunyao led the way as she followed the stairs to pass through the lush lotus pond and headed towards the source of the sound of flowing water. After passing the fake mountain in the middle of the lotus pond, numerous exquisite small pavilions appeared at the end. A variety of flowers surrounded the gazebo, many of them gorgeous and charming.
“Granduncle, Grandmother, what we want to drink is flower fruit tea. It’s the most pleasant thing to drink tea and enjoy flowers simultaneously.”
The wind blew over the lotus pond, filling the courtyard with fragrance. The Emperor looked around at the scenery, and his mind gradually relaxed.
After Mu Yunyao cleaned her hands, she concentrated on making tea. The color of the flower fruit tea was much more gorgeous than ordinary tea leaves. Among them, there were carefully selected and dried flowers. The flower petals began to stretch as Mu Yunyao poured the hot water into cups. Even without using skills in brewing tea, it still looked enjoyable.
Mu Yunyao brought the teacup to the table’s edge, “Granduncle and Grandmother, please taste it quickly. Is there anything you want to improve on?”
The Emperor opened the cup and slightly shook the water in it. A few bright red petals of a snow plum blossom moved along with the water. Even the stamen of the plum blossoms could be seen as well, “Not to mention the taste, just looking at the quality of this tea is extraordinary.”
Mu Yunyao’s eyes lit up slightly, “With the support of Granduncle and Grandmother and with the good looks of the flower fruit tea. Even if the taste is unsatisfactory, it would still be enough to make the other madams and ladies rush in like a flock to it.”
The Grand Princess Yi De pointed at Mu Yunyao with a smile and said, “I don’t know what this girl’s personality is. If she wants to be smart, she often speaks straight without thinking. But if she wants to be silly, she can consider the thoughts of ladies and madams in Capital. However, this time, well calculated. When you earn some silver taels from your flower fruit tea, don’t forget to send it over to the Emperor and me as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Grandmother, don’t worry. I will never forget it.” Mu Yunyao smiled widely, “Grandfather and Grandmother, how about we quickly have a taste?”
The Emperor lifted the teacup and took a sniff. The plum blossoms’ fragrance was refreshing, and the fruits’ flavor was sweet. The two different flavors mixed, which made people feel refreshed after drinking it and gave an endless aftertaste. “Not bad.”
The wind blew, and the fragrance of the flowers filled the air around the pavilion. The smell was not too strong, but it was very comfortable.
The Emperor stood by the window, holding a flower fruit tea cup in his hand as he looked at the path at the end of the lotus pond. There were clumps of green bamboo planted on the side of the road. There were waterfalls beside, and the water spray was intermittent. The water mist was diffuse. The sunlight hit the water mist, and colorful lights seemed to bloom.
“This place is completely devoid of any noise and traffic. It doesn’t seem to be in the Capital at all. It is indeed a good place to relax. No wonder the business of Bu Xian Luo is so prosperous.”
“Grandunvcle likes the scenery here. In the future, when you have nothing to do, you can come here to drink some tea and enjoy the scenery. In any case, this is only a few steps away.”
“Alright.”
Within the Imperial Palace, Jin Wang stood at the foot of the steps of the grand hall, covered in dirt and dust.
The attendant stepped forward and said carefully, “Your Royal Highness Jin Wang, the Emperor followed Grand Princess Yi De out of the Palace. I don’t know when he’ll return. If not, why don’t Your Royal Highness pay a visit to Imperial Concubine Zhen first?”
Jin Wang’s expression was gentle as he replied, “Alright, thank you for your reminder, Eunuch.”
When Imperial Concubine Zhen heard Jin Wang had come to pay his respects in the Imperial Harem, she rushed out to greet him, “Junjin, you’re finally back. Come in quickly and take a seat.”
Jin Wang followed Imperial Concubine Zhen into the Imperial Harem hall and said, “This Son greets Mother.”
“Quickly get up,” These days, Imperial Concubine Zhen was already panicking and at a loss. She came from a lowly background. She served the Emperor as a palace maid in her early years and suffered greatly. After being favored by the Emperor, her first thought was to develop her family and not allow others to humiliate or bully her. She thought everything was going well, but who knew she would waste all her previous achievements in the blink of an eye? She realized what it meant to be a companion to a king like a tiger. “Have you heard about your two uncles?”
Jin Wang nodded with a gloomy expression, “I already know that it is the Li family who has attacked the two uncles.”
“In the Palace, Imperial Concubine Li kept oppressing me, and then the Li family attacked your two uncles outside the Palace. Ling Wang can’t sit still any longer. We must think of a way to save your two uncles and strike them back.” Thinking of the grievances she had suffered in the past few days, Imperial Concubine Zhen felt indignant.
Jin Wang shook his head and said with calm eyes, “Mother, please be patient. I’m afraid it’s not that simple.”
“Although your two uncles may be arrogant, they wouldn’t dare to kill anyone. The Li family must be deliberately framing them. As long as we can find evidence and bring it to the Emperor, they will naturally suffer. Junjin, I see that you have a troubled expression on your face. Could it be that Jiangnan’s trip hasn’t gone smoothly?”
Jin Wang didn’t know how to explain this to Imperial Concubine Zhen. Imperial Concubine Zhen had been pampered for so many years that his two uncles had long since lost their initial wariness and became conceited and arrogant. They might have already fallen over if it weren’t for his repeated warnings. Moreover, the two kept the silver notes that the Jiangnan Salt Merchants had sent in their hand. In the beginning, the two made repeated assurances to avoid being noticed by people. After careful consideration, he gave them some silver notes in exchange for some silver taels and kept the rest temporarily. Who would have thought that something terrible would happen to the two not long after he left for Jiangnan?
The two kept the silver notes that the Jiangnan Salt Merchants had sent in their hand. They had guaranteed it several times before, but to avoid anyone noticing, he had carefully given them some silver notes in exchange for some silver taels. As for the others, he had not expected that something terrible would happen to the two not long after he left for Jiangnan.
The two uncles were questioned now because they had seized another person’s property, robbed a commoner’s daughter, and beaten and killed someone. They didn’t mention the two million silver taels at all, and it was unknown whether the official didn’t search for it or the Li family secretly coveted it.
Thinking of this, Jin Wang felt a splitting headache. Fortunately, he has earned a good reputation in Jiangnan. His Imperial Father should not be angry with him because of his two uncles, “Mother, these few days, tell people that you are sick and don’t walk around casually. I have my plans for other things.”
Imperial Concubine Zhen nodded her head. When she saw that Jin Wang was about to leave, she could not help but ask anxiously, “Then what about your two uncles? Is there no way to help them?”
“I’ll think of another way. Let’s leave it alone. Mother, I leave now.” Jin Wang was getting impatient, so his tone revealed some impatience.
Imperial Concubine Zhen’s heart trembled, and she quickly nodded, “Alright.”