Chapter 8: The Trap

The Chu family is one of the noble family in the capital. They are in the family relationship with the empress dowager. Lord Chu adopted his nephew to become his daughter and marry as the noble concubine to the King. This has become the big problem with the Empress Dowager when her cousin did not make it to become noble consort rank when the consort descends as the empress.

Ni Qing never wanted to go inside the cold thick wall. She rarely visits her sister inside the palace as she understands her feeling of unhappiness inside the thick wall. Every time, she visited her sister inside the huge Palace place, she never met with the Emperor as her brother-in-law. She also knows that her brother-in-law is having a lot of women on the palace added as his concubine as if one woman never satisfies his sexual urge.

She did not know that the emperor comes to visit the tea house. He hears the rumour that the tea house serves really good lotus cake and caramel candy. The two bestselling treats to accompany the best tea comes from the mountain area. Jin Yu still cannot forget the taste of the lotus cake and caramel candy from the girl when he was at his lowest point. He has been searching her all over the country and when he heard about the lotus cake seller, he will summon the eunuch to get it, or he will go out and get it straight away.

One of Lord Chu's subordinates manages to spot the emperor entered the tea house with his loyal guard. No one knows the emperor's face, but Lord Chu and his subordinates face him every day inside the court session to discuss the country problem. He ran to the room to report the Emperor presence inside this tea house to Lord Chu and his subordinate in the VIP room. They got goosebump to know his presences inside this tea house. They are afraid of the Emperor knows about their salt distribution.

Ni Qing got summoned by the manager to make her signature dessert, the lotus cake and caramel candy. The big batch made by her this morning already finished within the hour they open the tea house. No one can defeat her hand in the kitchen. All the lotus cake and the caramel candy sold from this tea house made personally by Ni Qing hand. It is a result of the year of practice since her young ages and her talent.

The manager pleas and begging her to make the cake, otherwise, he had to close this tea house. Ni Qing already teaches the cook her technique and recipe, but they cannot replicate the taste. She did not have any other choice rather than walked down to the kitchen and starts to make the cake.

"Hey… Lord Chu is the majesty never visit your daughter bed… How about today is the time, so he will go back quickly to the palace," The man asked his respected colleague after hearing about the emperor presences in this tea house.

"What do you have in mind, Mr Du?" Lord Chu looks at him.

"Tell your daughter to get ready for her wedding night," Mr Du said cunningly. He whispered to his maid who stood up next to him before he rushed to leave.

Lord Chu called his assistant and loyal guard to pass the message to his daughter. She has to be ready to sneak out from the palace and serves the king. Mr Du assistant purposely makes a ruckus to the servant that bring the tea to the emperor private room before knocked it down unconscious. He replaces the servant with his own people to laces the tea serves to the emperor with the aphrodisiac, the strong and potent one.

In his room, Jin Yu eyes already glitter to taste the similar caramel candies, he once tasted. He needs the last confirmation from the lotus cake. The servant is coming to bring his lotus cake while the others servant is preparing his tea inside the private room. It is the common service provides by the tea house to serve fresh brew tea in front of their customer inside the private room. It will give an extra point for a fresh brew tea show in front of the VIP guest.

Jin Yu is taking the bites at the lotus cake straight away and he can confirm that it is the same taste as the cake he tasted back then. He did not care about the tea show or the tea taste. The only thing that picks his interest is the maker of this dessert.

"Zhang, call me the manager?" Jin Yu finished the cake and drink the whole serve cup of refreshing tea. The servant already left the room after he saw the King drank the tea. Zhang also rushed to find the tea manager. Zhang comes to the room with the tea house manager who is old and wise in his appearance.

"What can I help you, Mister….?" Mr Zhao asked Jin Yu politely with his handclaps and bow to respect the guest in front of him.

"Mr Zhao… you can call me Jin… can I meet with your dessert maker to talk with her?" Jin Yu talked to the point.

"How do you know if the dessert maker is a girl? May I know what you need with my cook, sir?" Mr Zhao tries to protect Ni Qing identity. This tea house is the cover-up for Ni Qing to gather up information to support Lin Yu through his plan to defend the country.

"I need to compliment her and asked her to cook more for me… I am willing to reimburse her for her time and effort. Can you call her to come here?" Jin Yu asked politely with a firm tone.

"You do not need to be too polite. I can ask her to cook an extra batch for you to pick up tomorrow," Mr Zhao refuses his demand politely.

"either you are instructing her to come here or I will take her with force," Jin Yu firmly tell he intends to Mr Zhao. Finally, he can meet with the love of his life.