Chapter 267: Chu Lan in the Opposite Tea

House_l

Translator: 549690339

Xiu Yaojun huffed lightly: “As long as you know.”

Wei Qingwan bit her lip, refusing to dispute further with Xiu Yaojun, and turned her head away to quietly carry on with her own affairs.

Just then, a sudden commotion erupted in the courtyard, sparking a look of confusion on the faces of the ladies within the teahouse.

Everyone turned to look through the window facing the courtyard, only to see a man being beaten in the center of it.

The assailant was a man from the opposite teahouse.

From his dressing, it was clear that the attacker was a servant from a prestigious family. As for the beaten man, his attire was quite decent, generating queries about what sparked the conflict.

The courtyard, which was flanked by two teahouses, contained beautifully maintained flowers and plants that were severely damaged amidst the action.

“Miss Xiu, who are the guests in the opposite teahouse?” Someone asked Xiu Yaojun.

Xiu Yaojun wasn’t certain either: “According to the owner of the establishment,

it’s a dignitary. They won’t disturb us.”

No one knew who the master of such unruly servants was, permitting them to assault people so brazenly.

As everyone was left puzzled, Chu Lan emerged from the opposite teahouse.

“Isn’t that Prince Seven?”

Many in the crowd were ladies from prominent families, and some had met

Chu Lan before.

Chu Lan’s celestial-like countenance was something that anyone would find hard to forget after just one encounter.

“So it’s Prince Seven. Then, there must be something wrong with the man who

was beaten.”

“I heard that Prince Seven was injured on the battlefield some time ago. Not sure if he has fully recovered.”

-When Prince Seven was appointed as Military Governor, he had a tough time, actually going onto the battlefield himself to fight enemy soldiers.”

The ladies whispered quietly amongst themselves about Prince Seven.

Wei Qingwan, who was seated near the courtyard due to Xiu Yaojun’s coldness, had a clear view of the scene unfolding in the courtyard.

Like everyone else, she found herself watching Chu Lan intently. Despite their different statuses and the limited times they’ve met, she felt her heart flutter differently with each encounter.

Contrary to everyone else, Wei Ruo looked away from the scene, turning her gaze to a window on the opposite side that overlooked the lake.

Understanding the ladies’ reactions to Chu Lan, Wei Ruo was all too familiar due to the original host’s crush on him. But to her now, Chu Lan was nothing more than a despicable bastard and a harbinger of disaster.

Chu Lan stood at the entrance of the teahouse, looking coldly at the man his men had beaten to a pulp.

This person had been tailing him since he left the Yusheng Tea Garden, even following him all the way to the Yusheng Tea House. Chu Lan didn’t believe this was a coincidence.

He was aware that many were eyeing his life, especially his Sixth Royal Brother, who was particularly eager.

Recently, there were moves to reopen the case of Lord Xiu of the State. Chu Lan had an inkling that the Ninth Prince was still alive and behind the push.

However, he didn’t have any solid evidence to prove his suspicion yet.

The identity of today’s stalker might be related to one of these two parties, and he intended to get to the bottom of it.

After the beaten man fell unconscious, Chu Lan ordered him to be dragged back into the teahouse for interrogation.

It was then that Chu Lan noticed that the women in the opposite teahouse were observing this side intently.

Chu Lan asked the person next to him, “Who are in the opposite teahouse?” “Your Highness, on the day of dragon boat race, the daughter of the Tongzhi Prefecture booked the opposite teahouse. The guests are all prestigious young ladies in Taizhou Prefecture.”

At these words, Chu Lan’s gaze swept over the teahouse, lingering on Wei Qingwan for a moment.

Feeling his gaze, Wei Qingwan’s heart stuttered nervously, and she clenched her fists tightly.

Chu Lan quickly averted his eyes and returned with his men to his own teahouse.

The beaten man was also hauled into the teahouse.

With the spectacle gone, everyone’s attention was drawn back.

After a while, a person came from Chu Lan’s teahouse and gave something to the maid at the entrance.

The maid then entered and delivered the message, “The dignitary in the opposite teahouse has sent over a pouch of Wufeng Tea as an apology for the disturbance earlier.”

Wufeng Tea is a tribute tea. Its yield is extremely limited each year, and it’s mostly offered to the court.

Common families could not even fathom the thought of tasting it, let alone seeing it.

Prince Seven giving them Wufeng Tea! Everyone was exalted.

Xiu Yaojun quickly ordered the maid to steep the tea and share it with everyone for tasting.

Numerous sighs and exclamations came from the crowd after tasting the tribute tea. They were all grateful for this unexpected encounter, as the chance to taste such an exclusive tea was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence for many.

Wei Ruo received a cup too, but she didn’t drink it. It wasn’t that the tea was not good, but she simply disliked Chu Lan and everything related to him, except his money, of course.

Awhile later, the sound of drums came from the direction of East Lake. The dragon boat race was about to begin.

From afar, more than a dozen dragon boats were lined up neatly, each with two rows of crew members arranged in an orderly manner, and a drummer at the head of the boat.

Xiu Yaojun quickly recognized the boat from Anzhou Academy and pointed it out, “Look, that’s Anzhou Academy’s dragon boat, my brother is sitting in the first row!” Her voice was filled with pride and admiration.

Xiu Yaojun then specifically inquired about Wei Ruo’s opinion, “Qingwan, what do you think of my brother?”

“Master Xiu is exceptionally accomplished at such a young age. He’s indeed extraordinary among his peers.” Wei Ruo responded.

In actuality, she hadn’t paid much attention to Xiu Fengyuan’s appearance. But since Xiu Yaojun complimented him, she decided to play along.

“Isn’t it? My brother is truly remarkable. My mother mentioned that there are enough young ladies in Taizhou Prefecture willing to marry my brother that they could line up from the east gate to the west one.”

Wei Ruo found nothing hard to believe about this. The Xiu Family was one of the most influential families in Taizhou Prefecture. Several members of the Xiu family held high-ranking positions in the court. Hence compared to the declining Wei Family, the Xiu family was like a rising sun, attracting many suitors wishing to marry into it.

Xiu Yaojun said again, “What I mentioned last time about my mother taking a liking to you was true. In fact, I heard that she has already expressed her intention to your mother.”

Xiu Yaojun deliberately revealed this information to Wei Ruo.

“I’m not worthy of your brother. Master Xiu should find his partner from among the more distinguished daughters of prominent families. Miss Xiu, you shouldn’t play the matchmaker so carelessly,” Wei Ruo responded.

“Indeed, given your family’s situation, you are a bit lacking for my brother. But you are lucky; my grandparents enjoyed your loquat syrup, and my mother is fond of you, so you may very well become my sister-in-law,” Xiu Yaojun confidently asserted.

She spoke loud enough for everyone in the teahouse to hear.

Wei Ruo frowned slightly, then corrected her, “Miss Xiu, we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. The details of this marriage haven’t been finalized yet..”