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Chapter 484 An Old Friend of the Past

The maidservant called Min’er soon brought four cups of tea to them.

The fragrance from the tea diffused into the surrounding and one could tell that it was top grade tea. However, after taking in the scent, Lin Mengya put the cover back on the teacup.

She turned to Fanggu, looking as if she was about to laugh, but stopped herself.

“This is good tea indeed, but it’s been made the wrong way.”

Seeing that Lin Mengya had refused to drink the tea, the other two would not drink it too.

Moreover, they clearly understood the hidden message in Lin Mengya’s words.

“Oh? How do you know if there’s anything wrong with the tea when you haven’t even tasted it?”

Without expressing any opinion, Fanggu picked up her teacup and downed the tea with grace.

“For this tea you offered, I can tell the taste is not right even without drinking it. This tea was brewed using boiling water. The tea leaves had been scorched to brown color and the tea was extremely bitter. The intended refreshing taste was gone, which was why I said the tea had been made in the wrong way.”

Lin Mengya opened the cover gently and it was as she claimed.

Zuo Qiuyu and Yu An exchanged a perplexed look. Was it just that the tea was brewed in a wrong way?

“You’re right. This tea should not be made this way. However, although the taste of the tea had been lost, there’s another flavor in it. Why don’t you give it a try, sir?”

Faced with the pressing situation, Fanggu remained calm as she gazed at Lin Mengya, but Lin Mengya was already sneering to herself quietly.

A chilling look began spreading in Lin Mengya’s eyes, although she continued speaking with a relaxed tone.

“The tea is no good for a drink anymore. I’m just curious to find out who had sent you. Isn’t he looking down on us by trying to fool us with this low-grade knockout drops?”

Having exposed the truth, Lin Mengya still sat there calmly, her eyes turning cold already.

Little did she expect someone to try to drug her at a gambling house.

To her surprise, Fanggu maintained her composure, and an approving smile spread across her face.

“Please forgive me, sir, for my interest in teasing people. Min’er, replace this tea with the top-grade tea.”

Teasing? Lin Mengya could not help sneering to herself, and she was put on alert at the same time.

Zuo Qiuyu and Yu An were all ready to spring into action as they gazed intently at Fanggu, whose expression remained unchanged.

“Please don’t misunderstand me. While I know this is no decent place, it is not a fraudulent store. It was all because this young man resembles an old friend from years back. I missed him so much that I’ve acted impulsively. I would appreciate your magnanimity to forgive me.”

Lin Mengya’s thoughts made a turn at Fanggu’s words. If she was talking someone who resembled her, could it be possible that Fanggu knew her mother?

In that case, it would have been twenty to thirty years ago. Moreover, even if Fanggu knew her mother, it did not mean that she meant no harm to Lin Mengya.

“Since it’s an old friend, I shall not hold you accountable for what you’ve done. Please excuse us.”

Lin Mengya was about to turn and go when Fanggu blurted out, “Is the eldest princess well?”

Her body shaking, Lin Mengya’s thoughts turned around. Those few people in the courtyard stiffened simultaneously.

“After going our separate ways that day, I’ve not seen her for twenty years. However, I knew you are the child of the eldest princess the moment I set eyes on you. Aren’t you?”

Fanggu articulated every word she said and her voice quivered towards the end of her sentence from agitation.

Lin Mengya was greatly shocked. Apart from her two cousins, no one else had been so certain of her identity.

Turning around, Lin Mengya stared at Fanggu intently with her dark eyes in silence.

“There’s such a strong resemblance between you and the eldest princess. A few days ago, there was a rumor going around that said that the daughter of the eldest princess had been found. I didn’t believe the rumor initially, but after seeing you today, I have to believe that it’s true. Your Highness, the princess, I, Fanggu, your servant is at your service.”

Fanggu, the boss of this place, who was calm and composed just a moment ago, was in tears by now.

Even Lin Mengya was at a loss of how to react. At first, she thought that this woman was trying to harm her.

At this moment, however, she was already on her knees, weeping bitterly.

“This... since you’ve found out my identity, why did you try to drug me just now?”

Lin Mengya was not taken in by Fanggu’s words so easily. She was aware of the dangers lurking in the old capital, not to mention that some woman suddenly appeared and claimed to know her mother.

“Your servant, I know that a long time had passed. I can understand why Your Highness finds it hard to believe me. However, do you recognize these items?”

All of a sudden, Fanggu took out an exquisite box from her bosom.

Zuo Qiuyu and Yu An instinctively positioned themselves in front of Lin Mengya for fear that Lin Mengya might be stabbed in the back.

To her surprise, she saw Fanggu pull out an exquisite golden hairpin from the wooden box.

The golden hairpin had lost its luster because of time, but the delicate shape of the plum flower on the hairpin was too familiar to Lin Mengya.

“I was a personal maid serving the eldest princess. This hairpin was one of the twelve plum flower-shaped hairpins the late emperor made for the eldest princess. I have only one with me here, left behind by the eldest princess as a memorial to me. I’ve kept this with me for many years. Finally, Your Highness came. I’m so overjoyed that I’m lost for words.”

Fanggu transformed from being indifferent to being overly warm all of a sudden.

This confused Lin Mengya’s intelligent mind.

Taking over the plum flower hairpin from Fanggu’s hand, Lin Mengya scrutinized it and realized that it was indeed exactly the same as the plum flower pattern that her mother left behind.

How was it possible for such a coincidence to happen? How did she end up picking the gambling house where her mother’s maidservant was the boss?

Could it be that Lin Mengya’s mother had made this happen?

“Did you say that you used to serve the eldest princess? What proofs do you have?”

Suddenly, Lin Mengya was at a loss of what to do when faced with matters regarding her mother.

Zuo Qiuyu, instead, was able to remain calm.

After Fanggu’s sudden outburst of emotions, she wiped away her tears and thought that she had overreacted.

However, how could she not be overwhelmed with emotions when she chanced upon the daughter of her late master?

She stood up quickly and said, “I’m so embarrassed for overreacting. Back then, the eldest princess had made arrangements for the other maidservants and me when she brought us out of the palace. The rest of them had married while I was the only one who remained in the old capital, all because I hoped to be able to see the eldest princess again one day. This was my sense of loyalty towards her. At that time, those of us who were maidservants in the palace would be given identification papers as proofs. Let me bring it over to you so you can be assured of what I say, Your Highness.”

After Fanggu finished speaking, she turned and went into her room to look for her identification papers.

Min’er, who had brought the three of them tea, stood by and looked at them with a friendly smile on her face.

There did not seem to be any problem with the tea this time.

Lin Mengya’s mind was in disarray and all she could do was to pick up the teacup and start gulping down the tea.

To Lin Mengya, this was like an amazing coincidence.

“May I take the liberty to ask you a question, miss? Is your master always like this?”

Lin Mengya asked Min’er softly. It was not so much that she did not believe, but rather, Fanggu’s transition of attitude was too abrupt.

“In response to your question, Your Highness, my master has always been very composed and steady. I have been serving by her side since young and I’ve never seen her being so overwhelmed with emotions. I suppose it was because of her deep relationship with the eldest princess.”

Lin Mengya nodded despite still having some doubts in her heart.

She knew her mother to be a very cautious person. When Shangguan Qing outrageously plundered her mother’s possessions, did she not manage to preserve the most precious items?

There were twelve plum flower-shaped golden hairpins, and the pattern was exactly the same as what Lin Mengya carried on her waist.

These hairpins must be of great significance to her mother.

Given her mother’s personality, it was very unlikely that someone with an ill intention would be able to lay his hand on them.

Could it really be so coincidental? Lin Mengya had merely made a casual trip out in the streets and what was the likelihood of her chancing upon the gambling house opened by her mother’s maidservant in the past?

Such a predestined relationship was too intriguing for words.

“Yu An, if Fanggu was really my mother’s maidservant, is there a way to prove it?”

Fortunately, there was Yu An, a very knowledgeable person from the palace courts, with them now.

“Yes, there is. It was the protocol in the Nation of Lintian that all servants who serve in the palace would have been registered with their identities. Be it the place of birth or the family background, this information would be recorded in detail. Especially people like Fanggu and me, we serve our master by their side and our family backgrounds would have to be spotless. If Fanggu is able to produce the register, I will be able to judge its authenticity.”

Yu An’s words brought Lin Mengya much assurance.

Whether what Fanggu said was true would soon be verified once they saw the register.

In reality, she was secretly hoping that Fanggu was truly her mother’s intimate maidservant.

This way, she would be able to find out all about her mother’s past.

After drinking two cups of tea, even Min’er could not wait any longer but went into the room to check out the situation.

However, there was no sign of Fanggu from within the room. In fact, there was complete silence.

Lin Mengya gazed at the door which had been left unlocked and her eyebrows began to be knitted together into a frown.

“Miss Min’er, do you know where Fanggu usually keeps the important documents?”

Min’er shook her head helplessly. This was after all a gambling house, so her master was naturally very careful with her possessions.

Nevertheless, Lin Mengya began to feel increasingly uneasy.

Even if Fanggu had hidden her important things at a well-concealed place, she was taking way too long to retrieve it.

“How about you coming with me to check it out. I don’t mean to intrude Fanggu’s privacy, but we still have other matters to attend to. If it’s too troublesome, we will come back in a few days.”

Lin Mengya inquired of Min’er as she stood up.