Chapter 6

"I heard that those people were Western Xia spies, staying at the Liu Family Inn right next to the Great Xiangguo Temple. The Imperial City Bureau conducted raids at two locations overnight. The one at the inn was led personally by Deputy Commander Yao, and a lot of people were killed—I heard many bodies were carried out, all shot down by crossbows."

Although Yang Manniang’s expression remained indifferent, it did not dampen Lu Xiaoniang’s desire to gossip. Especially when mentioning Deputy Commander Yao Xiaolou, her round, apple-like face flushed a rosy red, and her eyes sparkled—the very image of a devoted fan.

"Well, we should be thankful to Deputy Commander Luo for our meal today. It was fortunate that he was the one who came to the Fan Pavilion to make arrests. If it had been Yao Xiaolou, we’d still be eating cabbage and rice water at noon," Yang Manniang said with a smile.

Lu Xiaoniang choked on that, falling silent.

"That's for sure! Who in Bianjing doesn't know? Of the two deputy commanders under the Imperial City Bureau, Deputy Commander Luo is a scholar from the Imperial Academy—refined, gentle, and the most reasonable person when it comes to handling affairs," Old Mother Zeng said with a laugh. Having finished her meal, she brought her bowl over and sat down, then whispered in addition, "That Yao Xiaolou doesn't care if you're running a business or not; everything must serve his mission of catching spies. Yesterday, the whole area around the Liu Family Inn was sealed off. A dozen Western Xia spies were killed, and the shop door was plastered with an official seal from the Imperial City Bureau. It hasn't even opened for business yet; old shopkeeper Liu must be crying his eyes out!"

At this, Old Mother Zeng curled her lip. Clearly, she preferred the gentle approach of Deputy Commander Luo Sinian and had little patience for Yao Xiaolou’s aggressive methods.

The original owner of this body had been poor, focused entirely on earning money to support the family, and spent every spare moment taking in laundry. Though she knew of the Imperial City Bureau, she had never paid much attention to the news within it. Yang Manniang naturally knew nothing of these details either. Hearing this, she gasped, "Is this Deputy Commander Yao so hot-tempered?"

"Officials from the military schools—how many of them aren't hot-tempered?" Old Mother Zeng scoffed as she shoveled a mouthful of rice.

"Auntie, you're too biased! Yao Xiaolou isn't like that at all!" Lu Xiaoniang raised her voice, unable to bear the criticism of her idol. She set down her bamboo chopsticks, pouted, and argued, "Deputy Commander Yao comes from a military background and spent his early years fighting alongside the commander in the Western Army. Even if his temper is a bit fiery, it's all for the sake of his duties. How can one be soft-hearted when catching spies? Besides, he didn't kill any innocent people."

"What does a young girl like you know? You're just taken by the fact that Luo is handsome, and he fed you meat for free," Old Mother Zeng retorted, feeling a bit slighted by the contradiction. She grumbled unhappily.

Seeing Lu Xiaoniang pouting in displeasure, Lu Yawei, sitting at a nearby table, stepped in with a grin to smooth things over. "Heh, who in Bianjing doesn't know that Deputy Commander Yao acts with lightning speed? I heard from a guest that although his temper is explosive, he isn't a boorish man. He pays the utmost attention to his appearance, especially in polishing his cavalry boots. Before, when he was ordered by the commander to catch someone in Daming Prefecture, he signed a military pledge to finish the mission in twelve hours. In the end, he traveled through the night and finished the battle in just eleven. Guess why?"

"Why?" Lu Xiaoniang’s spirits instantly revived at the mention of gossip about her idol, her face full of anticipation. Even Yang Manniang couldn't help but feel curious.

"Haha, of course, it's because he wanted to save the last hour to polish his boots!"

"Hahaha! He really is interesting!" Lu Xiaoniang was so delighted she couldn't stop laughing.

***

Old Mother Zeng glanced at Lu Xiaoniang, then shot a look at Lu Yawei, cursing him as a blockhead in her heart. Lu Yawei, oblivious, was emboldened by Lu Xiaoniang’s laughter and continued with the analysis he had overheard from guests in the private rooms: "The reason they didn't seal off our place is that the Fan Pavilion has the backing of the Xiang family and is a place the Emperor has visited. The Imperial City Bureau couldn't just act recklessly. I suspect that when the Commander sent the gentle Luo Sinian to our place and the hot-tempered Yao Xiaolou to the Liu Family Inn, he already had a plan in mind and had carefully weighed how to handle both situations."

"Oh, since he is so meticulous, and his two deputy commanders each have their own strengths, wouldn't the Commander himself be even more formidable?" Yang Manniang asked casually, having finished her meal and taking a sip of hot water from her bamboo cup.

"Uh... well... heh heh, I don't know about that. I'm full, I'm going to wash the bowls," Lu Yawei’s expression shifted. He gave a dry laugh, shoveled down the rest of his food, and hurried away.

Old Mother Zeng, sitting opposite, looked at the bewildered Yang Manniang, glanced at the other employees eating nearby, and lowered her voice to warn her: "Don't talk about the Commander outside, especially not here at the Fan Pavilion."

Although Yang Manniang didn't know the reason, she wasn't someone who looked for trouble. She nodded sensibly and didn't ask further. After Old Mother Zeng left, Lu Xiaoniang pulled her along to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

On the way back to the West Pavilion, Lu Xiaoniang explained in a low voice: "The Imperial City Bureau Commander is named Fu Jinguang, courtesy name Yurong. Because his sword is the Seven-Star Longyuan, people usually refer to him by the name of his sword, 'Seven-Star.' I heard that a few years ago, a fifth-rank official in Bianjing called the Commander by his name right here in the main hall of the West Pavilion, harshly criticizing him for being ruthless and cruel, saying he would memorialize the Emperor to have the Commander dismissed. The next day, that official was found hanged in his home. Later, when other officials petitioned the Emperor to complain, saying it must have been the Commander's doing..."

"And then?"

"Then, the Emperor summoned the Commander alone to inquire about it, but there was no punishment. Instead, it was revealed that the official who had complained was using his wife's dowry to support a mistress, and the Emperor dismissed him from office. Ever since then, no one except the Emperor dares to call him by his name, let alone discuss him in public. So, don't ask about him in public again."

"Oh, I understand." Yang Manniang nodded, taking the lesson to heart.

Aside from the senior managers, the staff at the Fan Pavilion had no lunch break. By the time Yang Manniang returned to the West Pavilion, it was nearly the hour of Shen (3:00 to 5:00 PM). She placed the candles she had received that morning into the candle holders in each private room, filled the gardenia lanterns on the outer veranda with oil, and after checking everything, she finally had a moment to rest. She retreated to the innermost pantry to drink some hot tea and wait for the guests to arrive.

The tea culture of the Song people was the most ordinary, yet the most elegant. Years ago, during a grand New Year's banquet in the palace, the Emperor had set up a tea banquet in the Yanfu Palace, ordering his attendants to bring out tea sets so he could personally whisk the tea. When the froth floated on the surface of the cup like scattered stars and a pale moon, the Emperor would distribute the tea to his ministers, saying, "This is tea I whisked myself." The ministers attending the banquet would receive the imperial tea, drink it, and bow in gratitude. When the Emperor favors something, those below him follow suit. What the Emperor liked would quickly sweep through the court and the commoners, with merchants and nobles vying to imitate him.

Therefore, every floor of the Fan Pavilion had a dedicated tea pantry, with women hired specifically to boil water day and night. When guests arrived, they not only had to be served top-quality brewed tea immediately, but occasionally, if a guest was in the mood, they would want to whisk, distribute, or compete in tea-making themselves. Thus, the three stoves in the pantry always had fires burning and water heating, making it the warmest place and the spot where employees hid to gossip.

"Finished with your chores, Manniang? Come and taste the tea that Fat Mother brought!" As Yang Manniang entered, Lady Liao greeted her with a smile, taking her bamboo cup and scooping in a spoonful of pale green tea powder before pouring in boiling water.

That was just the kind of person she was; except for being at constant odds with Liu Xishi, she was very friendly to everyone else. Drinking tea these days was not like in the modern era; tea leaves were not seen whole, but ground into a fine powder. So, the cup looked like it had a layer of matcha powder, with a pale green hue floating on the water. Yang Manniang took a small sip, and a rich jasmine aroma filled her mouth.

"So fragrant. Is this jasmine tea?" Yang Manniang had thought she might not be used to this kind of tea, but it tasted surprisingly good. She couldn't help but take another sip.

"Heh heh, you're right, Manniang. This was made from wild jasmine picked by my Lian'er in the summer," the stout woman laughed, her expression filled with pride as she spoke of her daughter.

Fat Mother was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, and true to her name, she was tall and plump. Yet, she was "plump without being greasy," her hair tied up in a high bun, and a blue-flowered cloth apron tied around her waist; in her speech and laughter, she had the graceful air of a Tang dynasty beauty.

They were all laborers, and Yang Manniang didn't even know her real name. In her memories, ever since she started working at the pavilion, she had often seen Fat Mother bustling about the West Pavilion. She wasn't an employee of the pavilion, but a "leisure-woman." These women were neighborhood locals who, like Fat Mother, wore blue-flowered aprons and high buns, providing services in restaurants like pouring wine, running errands, or delivering letters in exchange for money. The original owner of this body had looked down on Fat Mother, feeling that she was indecent for flirting with guests for a few tips. Although she never said it aloud, she would never have touched the woman's tea.

However, the current Yang Manniang did not feel that way. Peddlers and laborers have existed since ancient times. For those at the bottom to be self-reliant and work hard to support their families was no small feat. How could they afford to worry about "decency"? Besides, if one could truly live a decent life, who wouldn't want to?

"This tea is excellent. Your Lian'er is very talented to be able to make tea of this quality. If she could go to the Heart Lake Tea Garden to apprentice, she might one day become a tea master like Xiao Bailu!" Yang Manniang praised with a smile.

"Oh my, Lian'er wouldn't dare compare herself to Xiao Bailu. She’s the signature of the Zhu Skull Tea House, serving tea specifically for the nobility. I heard that when those wealthy families invite her to whisk tea once, it costs twenty taels of silver!" Fat Mother beamed with delight at the praise, but she wasn't a frivolous woman; she didn't take the polite flattery to heart. After laughing, her expression grew wistful. "When I save a bit more money, I'll send my Lian'er to the Heart Lake Tea Garden to learn. I don't ask for her to be a great success; if she can just be a tea-serving maid in an ordinary teahouse, that would be enough."

"Dong, dong, dong!"

At the hour of You (5:00 to 7:00 PM), before they could chat any further, the sound of gongs rang out, signaling the lighting of lamps across the five main buildings.

"The hour of You has arrived! Light the lamps and welcome the guests!"