Chapter 108: Most likely suspect (2/2)

All Celestial Fragrance Teashop teas had labels on the tins, so it’d be too obvious if the poisoner placed the toxin there. An assassin wouldn’t be so stupid. Han Yunxi was more suspicious of Mu Liuyue’s friends. If one of their gifted teas were poisonous, then it’d have to be someone who gave them as frequent gifts. From time immemorial, gifting had always been a perfectly normal thing. But gifts weren’t given without reason, nor were they accepted without reason. Mu Liuyue was an extravagant young Miss who ate, wore, and used freely. She wasn’t covetous enough to hanker after a few tins of tea. For her to frequently accept such tea as gifts, there had to be an underlying reason.

Either the tea leaves were exceptionally good, enough to fit Mu Liuyue’s tastes, or the person gifting the teas was on excellent terms with Mu Liuyue in terms of studying tea. Mu Liuyue didn’t just come to the Celestial Fragrance plantation to buy tea, but to meet with friends and drink tea. Of course, Han Yunxi had to search all of Celestial Fragrance first.

Mu Qingwu ordered some green tea, and the servant served it in a highly professional method: rinsing, getting, infusing, steeping, tasting, pouring, clearing in an exquisite manner befitting the Way of Tea.

Han Yunxi tasted a few cups before asking, “Are all these teas grown by the teashop?”

“To reply esteemed wangfei, all of the teas from the teashop are from the three tea-cultivating mountains behind us. It was the owner that created them. But guests can bring their own tea here as well,” the servant replied.

Han Yunxi seemed lost in thought as she nodded her head, and asked again, “Young Miss Mu brings her own tea frequently, right?”

At this, the servant girl didn’t reply immediately, but looked as if she felt things were awkward. Each private courtyard in the Celestial Fragrance Teashop had its own assigned tea servants. Many of the courtyards were reserved throughout the year by regular guests, so that these tea servants had become private servants exclusive to their regulars. If not for Mu Qingwu today, Han Yunxi might not have even made it inside this Spring Rain Courtyard. As the tea servants served their guests this way and that, they heard and saw many things. One of their most important jobs was to safeguard their guests’ secrets.

“Feel free to thoroughly answer esteemed wangfei’s questions. I’ve already left a word with your supervisors,” Mu Qingwu said lightly.

Asking Mu Liuyue herself was the best way to investigate, but Mu Qingwu was very clear on his little sister’s temper. It was better not to ask her at all, because if they did, she wouldn’t necessarily speak the truth. Instead, she’d make up lies and interfere with the investigation. Thus, he could only bring esteemed wangfei to Celestial Fragrance to check in.

Mu Qingwu was still Mu Liuyue’s older brother, and his words greatly relieved the tea servant. Immediately she said, “To reply esteemed wangfei, eldest young Miss Mu never brings her own tea when she comes. When she comes along, she drinks tea from the plantation; when she comes with friends, it’s usually the friend bringing the tea.”

Both Han Yunxi and Mu Qingwu grew alert at these words. Without a doubt, this situation was in accordance with their conjectures.

“Who does eldest young Miss drink tea often with?” Mu Qingwu hastened to ask.

The tea servant thought for a bit before answering. “There’s a few frequent visitors. Princess Changping, the Third Young Miss from the chancellor’s family, the eldest young Miss from the high military official’s estate, Lin Family’s Seventh Young Miss, Han Family’s Second Young Miss…” the tea servant rattled off a whole slew of names, even astonishing Mu Qingwu. He didn’t expect his little sister had such a wide circle of friends.

When the tea servant reached the end, she added one more thing. “Eldest young Miss met most recently with the Han Family’s Second Young Miss.”

“Which Han Family?” Han Yunxi couldn’t resist asking. Though the only Han Family capable of forming connections with Mu Liuyue in the capital would be her own, she still had to make sure.

“The Han medical family, esteemed wangfei’s parents’ family,” the tea servant replied in a low voice.

Han Family’s Second Young Miss, Madame Li’s daughter Han Ruoxue?

Hesitation flickered in Han Yunxi’s eyes. Her suspicions on Madame Li had just grew, but she remained calm. After all, everything was just conjecture and she’d yet to find solid proof. If she made Madame Li her target now, she might miss other possible clues and find the wrong suspect. Han Yunxi had never investigated a case before, but she thought it had to be similar with conducting a diagnosis. You couldn’t form subjective assumptions because many diseases were very similar. You had to eliminate possibilities one-by-one until the disease was clear-cut and well-defined. Otherwise, you’d only misdiagnose a patient and harm them.

Han Yunxi didn’t say any more, but the Mu Qingwu who was completely ignorant of the suspicions around Madame Li was much more impartial. He asked, “Among these people, who drinks tea with eldest young miss the most often?”

The tea servant thought a bit before shaking her head. “Your servant hasn’t kept track of that specifically. The various young Misses all come by frequently, so your servant doesn’t have a clear recollection.”

“Then who gifts the most tea?” Mu Qingwu asked again.

This time, the tea servant didn’t even have to think before replying, “Han Family’s Second Young Miss.”

Hearing this, Han Yunxi’s heart skipped a beat as she was suddenly hit with a bad premonition. Mu Qingwu didn’t immediately follow up with his questions, but glanced at Han Yunxi with a complex look. The Han Family’s Second Young Miss was from esteemed wangfei’s family, her younger sister who shared the same father but different mothers. If Han Ruoxue was the culprit, then the Han Family would drown in the ruin!

“Think it over carefully, is there anyone else?” Mu Qingwu asked seriously.

“The chancellor and the high military official’s two young Misses also frequently give eldest young miss tea, but not as often as Han Family’s Second Young Miss. Miss Han seems to gift some every single time, Eldest Young Miss Mu likes Secound Young Miss Han’s tea.” the servant replied, thinking awhile before adding, “Over the past two to three years, Second Young Miss Han has definitely given the most tea, especially last year. She’d gift one every two months.”

With these words, Mu Qingwu fell silent and asked no more.

Without a doubt, Han Ruoxue was the most likely suspect!

-o-

[1] Spring Rain Courtyard (新雨院) – xinyu yuan, literally ‘new rain courtyard.’ Xinyu could refer to newly fallen rain or, in a more poetic sense, rain in early spring. Artistic license was taken with this name.