PDLP Chapter 2185 Preparing for the "Meeting"
Chapter 2185 Preparing for the "Meeting"
Yan Ruyu gave an introduction to everyone, and Su Shengsheng looked at Linlang with a slight smile in her eyes.
"Miss Linlang, I noticed how graceful you were when you bowed. You must have some martial arts skills, right?" Su Shengsheng walked up to her, her tone cheerful and without any hint of formality.
Linlang's eyes lit up. She put away her dagger, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Miss Su has a good eye. I'm not exactly skilled, but I'm more than capable of protecting myself."
"What a coincidence!" Su Shengsheng clapped his hands, his smile widening. "I've been learning martial arts from my father since I was little, and I don't usually have any opponents. How about we have a little sparring? Just a friendly exchange, as a small gift to each other as we get to know each other?"
The leader stood aside, smiling and nodding: "A friendly spar is good, it'll be a good way to stretch your muscles."
Seeing this, Yan Ruyu smiled and nodded, "The courtyard is spacious and there is plenty of room. Please enjoy yourselves without feeling constrained."
As soon as she finished speaking, Linlang had already gotten into position, her steps as light as a butterfly, her movements graceful and agile.
Su Shengsheng was equally decisive, his movements fluid and his attacks steady and powerful.
The moment the two clashed, their figures intertwined, and their fists and feet clashed without the slightest hesitation.
Linlang was agile and focused on attacking the lower lane, while Su Shengsheng's attacks were wide and powerful, with a tight defense. For a while, the only sounds in the courtyard were the soft rustling of clothes and footsteps.
After several rounds, the two stopped their moves at the same time, looked at each other and smiled, their eyes full of mutual respect.
"Miss Su, you're very skilled!" Linlang wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead, her tone sincere.
Su Shengsheng laughed and said, "You're the one who's amazing. Your movements are so fast and agile. If I hadn't reacted quickly, I probably would have already lost."
She paused for a moment, then said, "It was really exhilarating to spar with you. It was much more interesting than fighting those conventional opponents!"
Yan Ruyu looked at the two of them, who seemed to have hit it off immediately, and a gentle smile appeared in her eyes: "Seeing how well you two get along, Linlang, why don't you take Miss Su for a walk around the palace and familiarize her with the environment? If you're in the mood, you can also go for a stroll on the street and try some of the local snacks in Youcheng."
"Really?" Linlang's eyes lit up instantly, and she turned to look at Su Shengsheng. "Miss Su, shall we go together? The garden in the Prince's mansion is beautiful, and there are many novelties on the street!"
Su Shengsheng had the same idea, and quickly nodded: "Okay! I'm new to Youcheng and was worried about not having anyone to guide me, so I'll trouble Miss Linlang."
The two of them excitedly tidied themselves up, and Linlang even took some loose silver and put it in her pocket. Before long, they happily went out the door.
Watching their departing figures, Yan Ruyu turned to the head of the gang and said, "Let's go back inside and talk. I have some questions for you."
Back in the courtyard, a maidservant served tea. Yan Ruyu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and looked at the head of the household: "While I was away, did anything unusual happen at the Prince's Mansion or in Youcheng?"
The head of the household held up his teacup, his expression becoming more serious: "Everything is fine in the Prince's mansion, except that the First Madam seems to be unwell for a while, but the Second Young Master is tight-lipped, so Linlang and I can't go over to disturb her."
"The city of You is generally peaceful, but..." She paused before continuing, "I'm sure the Princess has already heard about it, it's the 'Fragrant Chaos'."
"Xiang Luan?" Yan Ruyu raised an eyebrow slightly. "Is that what everyone calls it?"
The head of the gang nodded slowly: "The spice shops on the street are being returned one after another. Even the peddlers who go from street to street selling cheap sachets and incense sticks often have their products returned because they say they don't feel comfortable using them."
Yan Ruyu put down her teacup, her fingertips lightly touching the edge of the table, lost in thought: "So, whether it's a large spice shop or a small peddler's sporadic business, anything related to incense has been affected?"
“Exactly.” The leader nodded.
Yan Ruyu thought to herself, this "fragrant chaos" was indeed strange. On the surface, it didn't reveal any swords or spears, but in reality, it came with overwhelming force.
If it is poison, the ability to poison so many people silently is certainly not an ordinary method. Just thinking about it is terrifying. What if it is some kind of potent poison?
Just then, a familiar sound of footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, accompanied by hearty laughter: "Is it the Princess returning!"
Yan Ruyu looked up and saw the abbot, dressed in a gray monk's robe, walking in with light steps, his face full of smiles, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothing out.
The leader bowed and retreated.
"Abbot!" Yan Ruyu stood up to greet the Abbot. "I was just saying I'd come to see you later, and here you are."
The abbot walked into the room, looked her up and down, his eyes full of concern: "How are you? You look quite thin after your journey."
"Isn't everything alright?" Yan Ruyu smiled and offered her a seat. "Being a little thinner is healthier. These days, I'm really worried about things in Youcheng because of you."
Upon hearing this, the abbot sighed softly, his tone tinged with guilt: "I am guilty about this. Youcheng was peaceful all along, how did all this mess suddenly appear, and even the First Madam was implicated?"
“This isn’t your fault,” Yan Ruyu said. “You’ve done a great job. Those people were scheming, and even if you wanted to stop them, you might not have been able to prevent it.”
The most important thing right now is to find out the source of these events as soon as possible.
The abbot nodded, his expression turning serious: "You're right. So what are your plans now? If there's anything you need me to do, just let me know."
Yan Ruyu lowered her head and pondered for a moment: "In this way, you now have prestige in Youcheng, and the people trust you."
You organize a meeting similar to an exchange session, saying you'd like to share some Buddhist teachings or health tips.
Taking this opportunity, they gathered together the shopkeepers and peddlers of the spice shops, as well as the people who had recently experienced problems after using spices.
"When they arrive, let them have some spiritual spring tea and chat. I'll observe them secretly and see if I can find any clues."
Upon hearing this, the abbot immediately understood her meaning and slapped his thigh: "Okay, no problem!"
This is similar to a modern celebrity meet-and-greeting event, making it convenient for you to conduct secret investigations.
Before I transmigrated here, I even went to check it out; I know this stuff well!
"Then I'll go and make preparations, choose a spacious place, and have people promote it more so that relevant people can come."
He had just turned to leave when, as if remembering something, he turned back, raised his hand and wiped in front of him, and a bunch of things appeared out of thin air.
Several plump chickens and ducks flapped their wings, a basket of fresh eggs was still warm, several bunches of blooming flowers smelled fragrant, and there was a pile of green vegetables, glistening with water droplets.
"These things in my space have grown wildly while you've been gone, and I can't use them all up, so I brought them over for you."
As the abbot spoke, he handed her the items: "Kill the chicken and duck to make soup to nourish yourself. Look how thin you are."
Looking at the abundant supplies, Yan Ruyu felt a warm glow in her heart: "Thank you, Abbot, you are always so thoughtful."
"We're all family, no need for formalities." The abbot waved his hand, turned and strode away. "I'm going to attend to the meeting. I'll let you know if I have any news."