Prince Andre, his head still hazy, had somehow managed to sign up for a so-called 'Seven-Day Luxury Tour of the Capital' at the unprecedentedly low price of 998 taels of gold per person.
Lin Qingge, while gleefully instructing Yan Tinghao to carry the gold back to her manor, said with a smile:
"Prince Andre, please rest assured. As your exclusive guide, I will be fully responsible for all your itineraries from this moment until your departure from the capital.
You will first accompany me to my residence to rest, and then enjoy delicious delicacies prepared by the top chefs of the Great Xia Dynasty, who serve only a select few."
After Lin Qingge's eloquent praise, she turned and beckoned Ye Shengxiao, the fastest runner in the corner, asking him to quickly return to the manor and inform Xiao Cao to make more food for lunch, anything simple would do.
Ye Shengxiao, believing his lord's conscience had been eaten by dogs or never existed, grumbled inwardly but could only nod in agreement.
Fortunately, the delegation of envoys from Chile Country numbered no more than ten in total.
Xiao Cao, who was responsible for all the food in the Lin manor, was already accustomed to preparing meals for groups of people, and usually prepared a generous amount of ingredients. Therefore, preparing an extra table that wasn't too lavish was not a problem.
Before long, Lin Qingge led Prince Andre and his entourage to their destination.
Looking at the striking 'Lin Manor' characters hanging prominently above the plaque, Prince Andre asked confusedly:
"Lord Lin, aren't those two characters 'mu' pronounced as 'Lin'?"
"Precisely."
Lin Qingge admitted without reservation and then began to flatter him, "I didn't expect Prince Andre to not only be proficient in the language of the Great Xia Dynasty but also to have a grasp of its characters.
Because the husband of the Eldest Princess's family name is Lin, it was named 'Lin Manor'."
"Oh, I see. So this is what you Great Xia people often call 'following your husband' after marriage!"
"Yes."
Lin Qingge continued her persuasion. Under the influence of her silver tongue, Prince Andre and the others chose two secluded and elegant courtyards to stay in, and then had a meal that astonished them all.
The host and guests were all pleased.
As it was their first day in the capital, no itinerary was planned for the afternoon. Everyone rested in their rooms, but Prince Andre and the others strongly requested that the midday delicacies be prepared again, preferably with more meat.
In response, Lin Qingge stated that the customer is king; as long as the money is in place, no problem is insurmountable.
Thus, Prince Andre, unaware of the dangers of the world, waved his hand generously and produced another bag of gold.
Lin Qingge immediately guaranteed that not only could they add more meat, but even feasting on meat every meal would be no problem!
Lin Qingge, returning with a full bounty and humming a tune, arrived back at the main courtyard. As soon as she entered, a cold, sarcastic voice reached her ears:
"Hmph, I've grown up in the capital since childhood, how come I never knew when the Eldest Princess's husband changed his surname to Lin?"
"It's a temporary measure, a temporary measure."
After speaking, Lin Qingge handed the bag of gold in her arms to Leng Ningyue, who had come out upon hearing the noise, "Madam, please take this."
Ye Shengxiao, who had taken the opportunity to enter the manor to see his beloved under the guise of helping carry the gold, couldn't help but complain:
"I say, Lord, even if those guys from Chile are foolish and rich, you can't cheat them like this?"
But Lin Qingge shook her head in disagreement, "How can you say I'm cheating? Every word I spoke was true, so where does the accusation of cheating come from?"
"Exactly!"
Yan Tinghao, as someone's most loyal subordinate, chimed in:
"Ye Shengxiao, you didn't see it just now. Those Chile people were so happy after eating the food Xiao Cao made!"
"The Chile country is a cold region, and most people make a living by hunting and fishing. Vegetables and fruits are already rare, let alone cooking methods.
However, our Great Xia Dynasty is not only vast and resource-rich, but we have also pushed the pursuit and dedication to culinary arts to the extreme.
Therefore, even the most ordinary dishes would inevitably astonish them, who are tasting Great Xia food for the first time.
However, student still wants to say one thing.
As expected of my Lord~"
Fearing that the next sentence would be another attempt to crack open her skull, Lin Qingge quickly interrupted:
"Master Hua, how are those 18 households investigated?"
"Reporting to my Lord, after our investigation, we found no anomalies or suspicious circumstances in those 18 households.
The children born safely could be said to have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and the children who died prematurely did so due to normal reasons such as the mother's frail health and premature birth.
However—
My subordinates have indeed inquired about the guard whose right little finger is missing half an inch.
My Lord, can you guess which household that guard with the broken finger belongs to?"
At this point, Hua Jinrong deliberately created suspense.
Lin Qingge thought for a moment and said, "That guard is not related to those 18 households?"
"My Lord, you can continue guessing~"
"Hurry up and tell me!"
"Yes, my Lord~
According to my subordinates' investigation, the guard with the broken finger does not serve a wealthy or noble family. His employer is a middle-aged woman named 'Madam Xiahou'.
Madam Xiahou lives with her not-so-young daughter in a three-entrance, three-story courtyard house and rarely goes out.
Coincidentally, a few years ago, Madam Xiahou was chosen by someone and taken into a manor as a concubine.
My Lord, can you guess which blind person chose Madam Xiahou to be a concubine?"
Lin Qingge's mind worked at lightning speed, and then she said with disbelief:
"You're not telling me it was that supreme scumbag, Prime Minister Shangguan?"
"Congratulations, my Lord, you guessed correctly~"
Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, Lin Qingge directly locked herself in her room and refused to come out.
"What's wrong with my Lord?
She was smiling just now, but in the blink of an eye, why does she look so dejected?"
Yan Tinghao said, wanting to knock on the door to inquire, but was so intimidated by Madam Lin's murderous glare that he stopped abruptly.
"She needs some time alone. You all should go back now."
Leng Ningyue directly ordered everyone to leave.
After everyone had left, she knocked on Lin Qingge's door, but the door remained unmoved.
Until the next morning.
That door was finally opened again.
Lin Qingge emerged from the room with a calm expression, stretched lazily towards the sun, and then came face to face with a handsome man in the courtyard whose every move exuded a hint of lewdness.
As their eyes met, she couldn't help but ask with some confusion:
"Big brother, who are you?"