PC Chapter 25

Su Cen had always been reluctant to accept a certain fact. Back in Suzhou, with its interwoven waterways and rows of white walls and black tiles, he never noticed he had this problem. Later, as he traveled to famous mountains and rivers, strolling leisurely without a care for direction, things were manageable. Since arriving in Chang’an, where the layout was orderly with grand residences everywhere, he should have been even less likely to get lost. Yet, time and again, he found himself lost, circling the same place three or five times without finding his way out.

A magistrate of the Dali Temple not knowing his way around—this was like admitting that a newly crowned top scholar couldn’t read, or a master chef couldn’t use a knife. It was nearly intolerable.

The moment Su Cen saw the Lakeside Pavilion again, he almost convinced himself he had run into some kind of supernatural maze in broad daylight.

It seemed the resentment of the Princess Ning Consort was indeed strong. He had disturbed her peaceful rest, and now she wouldn’t let him go.

Putting his hands together, Su Cen silently prayed, “No offense meant, please don’t hold it against me. If you must haunt someone, go after that old tortoise Li Shi. This really has nothing to do with me…”

He heard a light laugh behind him. “What are you muttering about?”

Su Cen spun around, coming face-to-face with those deep, dark eyes. There was a clear smile in them—who knows how much he had overheard.

The ink jade thumb ring had already returned to his hand.

Su Cen quickly changed his tune, “I was just praying for your assistance in my narrow escape this time, Your Highness. I’m offering blessings for you.”

“Praying with a tortoise?” Li Shi asked with a chuckle.

Su Cen responded smoothly, “The tortoise is a symbol of longevity, a wish for Your Highness to live a long life filled with blessings and good health.”

“Well, that’s a good one,” Li Shi laughed, slowly walking toward the Lakeside Pavilion. “I have a few green-shelled tortoises in this pond. Why don’t you fish one out to use for your blessings?”

Su Cen looked at the Dragon Pond and couldn’t help but click his tongue. Although it was called a “pond,” it was actually a full-fledged lake spanning several hundred acres. Trying to fish a tortoise out of this lake would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

“Your Highness… I was wrong.” Worried that Li Shi might actually be serious, Su Cen hurriedly followed him. As soon as the words left his mouth, he was a bit stunned himself. Perhaps because he had been asleep for several days and still felt weak, his words came out soft and even with a hint of coquettishness.

Ahead, Li Shi burst out laughing, “Looks like you’re almost recovered.”

In the Lakeside Pavilion, the servants had already prepared tea. Judging by the aroma, it seemed to be Biluochun from early spring. The green tea leaves swirled in the hot water, perfectly timed. Now, the curled leaves had unfurled and were rolling in the water. Li Shi casually picked up a cup and took a sip; it was fresh and fragrant, with just the right temperature.

Only then did Su Cen notice that ink and paper had been prepared on the stone table, along with a stack of memorials. It seemed that even when Prince Ning came out for a stroll, he couldn’t forget his state affairs—he indeed appeared to be a good prince devoted to his country and people.

But when someone oversteps their authority, holding power for too long, it’s naturally hard to let it go.

Sensing the moment was right, Su Cen spoke, “Your Highness, about my case…”

Li Shi looked up, “Hmm, you did well.”

“And what about the man in black?” Su Cen couldn’t believe that Qi Lin had captured the man and obediently sent him back to the Dali Temple.

Li Shi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

It was a dangerous look, but Su Cen was completely focused on the case before him, too busy to notice. He continued, “There was another person among those present that night. I suspect he is an accomplice of the man in black; it was he who committed the murder…”

“The case is already closed,” Li Shi interrupted.

“But there are still a few unresolved deaths. There’s also the death of Tian Pingzhi, the son of Old Master Tian, from years ago. It might involve high-ranking officials. The deceased are gone, yet they cannot rest in peace!”

Li Shi put down his brush. “The follow-up investigation will be handled by others. You are supposed to work on the case of the new scholars. The culprit has already confessed, so this is no longer your concern.”

“But this is my case!” Su Cen stepped forward.

Li Shi grabbed a few memorials and threw them over. The hard spines struck Su Cen’s nose, causing a sharp pain that nearly brought tears to his eyes. Facing the intimidating aura in front of him, he dared not even rub his nose.

“Look,” Li Shi commanded with an air of authority.

Only then did Su Cen crouch down to pick up the memorials. When he opened them, his vision blurred. Avoiding the others, he used his sleeve to press his eyes before he could see the words clearly.

The first memorial was from Song Jiancheng, the Chief of Dali Temple, accusing him of abusing his power for personal vendettas.

The next one was from the Vice Minister of Rites, impeaching him for disrupting official duties and bullying.

There was also a report from the Jingzhao Prefecture accusing him of deliberately imprisoning innocent people, causing public resentment, and from the Jinwu Guard about his street brawling after curfew, disrupting public order.

He had indeed overstepped his authority in his haste to solve the case in some places, leaving him with so many charges that anyone could use against him. Any one of these is enough to make him suffer, but how he would be dealt with depended entirely on the mood of this powerful figure.

Su Cen pursed his lips and softened his tone, “Your subordinate was indeed rash at the time, causing so much trouble for Your Highness and putting you in a difficult position.”

Su Cen’s words were neither humble nor arrogant, but they cleverly pushed the issue back to Li Shi. If a dog is not kept on a leash and bites someone, is it the dog’s fault or the person who let go of the leash?

Li Shi couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re quite clever.”

Seeing that there was still room for negotiation, Su Cen quickly stepped forward, picked up a cup of tea, and offered it. “I hope Your Highness will be magnanimous.”

Li Shi glanced at it but did not take it. After a while, he simply said, “I heard that Lord Su has quite a flexible tongue.”

Su Cen was taken aback but quickly understood. The Dali Temple was Li Shi’s territory. In fact, he didn’t need these reports to know everything Su Cen had done. Li Shi probably already knew.

His knuckles turned white as he gritted his teeth. Su Cen picked up the cup and drank a sip himself, then closed his eyes and leaned forward.

Li Shi remained still, watching as the person slowly moved closer, long eyelashes trembling like sifted chaff, while his delicate lips shimmered with a watery gloss. Li Shi was in no rush. His slightly cool fingertips slid down the side of Su Cen’s fair, smooth face, lifting his pointed chin as he leaned down.

Su Cen was forced to tilt his head up. He held water in his mouth, not daring to swallow yet unable to pass it to the other person. It was caught in his throat, causing great discomfort. Li Shi, however, showed rare patience. He gently kissed away the moisture on Su Cen’s lips and deftly pried open his teeth, tasting the lingering tea fragrance on his lips, teeth, and tongue as if he were in his own territory.

Su Cen’s eyes widened in terror, his eyelashes barely brushing against the side of Li Shi’s face, like the wings of a startled butterfly.

Aside from that brief peck Li Shi had given him on the lips last time, Su Cen had never experienced anything like this in his twenty years of life. With his lips and teeth open, he was completely at the mercy of the other person. Lips, tongues, and saliva intertwined, and tea spilled from the corners of his mouth, trickling down his slender neck, creating an indescribably decadent sensation.

If the last time he was forced, this time there was a hint of willingness. After all, a kiss could not be completed with his teeth clenched tightly shut.

Li Shi finally withdrew before Su Cen could suffocate. Su Cen choked on most of the tea and knelt on the ground, coughing for quite a while before straightening up. He saw Li Shi looking at him with an amused gaze, as if watching a plaything. “Is the honey still sweet?”

“If it is bestowed by Your Highness, it is naturally sweet.” Su Cen stiffened his neck, forcing himself to smile with utmost sincerity. After all, who can’t put on an act? Even if he had been seen in his most miserable state, he had to summon the last bit of his dignity to hold on.

Li Shi’s fingertip lightly touched his nose. “Did it hurt when it was hit earlier?”

“It didn’t hurt,” Su Cen replied with a smile.

Even though his nose was already swollen, Li Shi’s action, though gentle, still caused a sharp pain to shoot through him.

Li Shi picked up the cup and offered it to him. Su Cen glanced at it and instinctively pulled back. Was this old fox not satisfied with one round and wanted another?

Li Shi chuckled. “It’s a reward for you. Soothe your throat.”

After much hesitation, Su Cen finally took the cup. This time, he learned his lesson and took a small sip first. Seeing that Li Shi made no further move, he dared to swallow it. His throat was raw from all the coughing earlier, and the tea’s fresh fragrance and sweetness indeed soothed it considerably.

“How does it taste?” Li Shi asked.

“This is tea from my family’s tribute,” Su Cen replied. “It’s the finest Dongting Biluochun, grown amidst osmanthus, plum, and green bamboo. The tea absorbs the floral fragrance, and the flowers are infused with the tea’s aroma. However, it is not the best tea.”

“Oh?” Li Shi looked at him with interest, holding the cup. The Su family was the largest tea merchant in the Jiangnan region, with thousands of acres of tea gardens. The tea leaves from Jiangnan offered to the palace each year were all supplied by the Su family.

“The best tea is the first flush harvested before the Qingming Festival,” Su Cen continued. “Only the most tender buds are picked, still unopened like a flower bud about to bloom. When steeped in hot water, they slowly unfurl, like a young girl coming of age, standing gracefully.”

Li Shi smiled faintly. “You are quite bold to say that.”

Supplying the palace with something less than the best could be considered deceiving the emperor, a crime that could lead to the destruction of the entire Su family.

However, Su Cen shook his head slightly and said, “That tea is indeed the best, but no one actually gets to drink it. A tea tree only produces a few tender buds. Once picked, the next buds that grow are thin and long, without even a core. When making tea, the first batch is young, the second is green, and the third is mature, but the weight is greatly reduced. If we only pick the tender buds of early spring, there’s no way to meet the annual tribute quota for the palace. So, we have to let the buds grow a bit more before harvesting.”

Su Cen raised his head to look at Li Shi. “Does Your Highness want the very first flush of tea from early spring, or the smoother, richer common tea?”

Li Shi rubbed his thumb ring in silence for a long time, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What if I want both?”

“How can a single tea tree produce two kinds of buds at the same time?” Su Cen shook his head slightly. “And how can one person have two different natures? I’m new to the officialdom and reckless, but thanks to Your Highness’s protection, I can provoke those whom others dare not provoke and take on cases others dare not take. If Your Highness thinks I’ve caused trouble and wants me to become smooth and sophisticated, how would I be any different from those timid and opportunistic people in the court? If Your Highness insists on picking only the core buds until they no longer regenerate, would you still be able to enjoy this tea?”

Li Shi lifted Su Cen’s pointed chin, his fingers gradually tightening. The person below him showed no fear, meeting his gaze directly with clear, bright eyes.

“Have I been spoiling you too much?”

Su Cen smiled faintly. “Thank you, Your Highness, for your favor.”

By now, the cup of tea had already gone cold. Li Shi got up and began to walk back.

Su Cen hurriedly stood up to follow. “Your Highness, about my case…”

“You are not feeling well right now; take another two days to recover.” Li Shi neither agreed nor refused, raising his hand in a gesture to stop the conversation. Su Cen had no choice but to swallow back the words he was about to say.

 

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