Bai Yi was mindlessly busy with his work, racking his brain to recall what exactly Xiao Shiyun had done to him the previous night.
However, since he had been fast asleep, he could only remember snippets from his dreams. To not even spare someone who was unconscious, if that wasn’t a beast, what was?
He noticed Guo Fu concluding a meeting with the little eunuchs in the distance. Tossing aside his broom, Bai Yi ran over. Making milk tea for a beast wasn’t worth the effort, but making a cup for himself sounded like a fantastic plan.
“Manager Guo Fu, hello!” Bai Yi waved from afar. Guo Fu focused his gaze, realized it was Bai Yi, and immediately welcomed him with a practiced smile.
“Oh, Young Master Bai, what brings you to this servant?”
Instead of asking about the milk tea right away, Bai Yi smiled warmly and said, “Manager, you must be exhausted after bustling around all midday in this sweltering heat. How about I make you a refreshing beverage to quench your thirst?”
An unprompted display of hospitality usually signaled hidden motives. Suspecting as much, Guo Fu tactfully declined, keeping his standard smile intact. “Young Master Bai flatters this old servant. How could I dare trouble you? May I ask what kind of beverage you speak of?”
“Oh, it’s very simple to make yourself. It just requires tea leaves, rock sugar, and milk. Could you help me gather them?” Bai Yi asked, rubbing his hands in anticipation.
“Of course. Would Young Master Bai prefer black tea or green tea? I will have the ingredients delivered to the imperial kitchen shortly. You can head over whenever you are ready.”
Green tea or black tea? Bai Yi hesitated. There shouldn’t be much of a difference, but black tea usually tasted better.
“Black tea. Thank you, Manager,” Bai Yi stated decisively.
“Understood, this servant will prepare it immediately.”
It was only when Bai Yi actually stepped into the imperial kitchen that a sudden wave of helplessness washed over him.
The tea leaves, rock sugar, and milk were neatly arranged in separate, exquisite little Ru ware bowls. Before him stood a large stove that required firewood and a smaller fire on a hanging stove.
He decided to use the large stove, as it felt more authentic.
Bai Yi squatted down and stuffed a handful of Bupleurum wood inside. A cloud of soot puffed up, making him cough uncontrollably. And then what? How on earth was he supposed to start a fire?
One of the kitchen maids couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, terrified that messing with this honored ancestor would bring the Emperor’s wrath upon them, the young maid asked cautiously, “Young Master Bai, do you require assistance?”
Bai Yi turned around and saw a young girl of about seventeen or eighteen.
What a joke. How could a grown man like him trouble a young girl? “No need, no need. I can handle it myself.”
The maid closed her mouth, leaving her words unsaid, and stood aside. Unfortunately, Bai Yi completely failed to read her look.
He began to wholeheartedly research how to start a fire. According to the most famous method from ancient times, one should friction-light a fire with wood. As a university student, there was no way he would use such a primitive method. He would give them a grand surprise in a moment, Bai Yi thought to himself.
He would lay straw over the wood, use a magnifying glass to focus the midday sunlight on it, and wait. It would definitely succeed.
Bai Yi found a glass pot lid with an uneven surface. Pressing his eye against it, the hesitant face of the little kitchen maid inside appeared twice its original size. This was truly an exceptional, naturally gifted piece of material.
Cradling the Bupleurum wood and straw, he marched outside with absolute confidence. Turning his back to the imperial kitchen staff, he squatted on the ground, placed the wood down with immense anticipation, and raised the pot lid toward the sun.
“Hey, what do you think Young Master Bai is doing crouching out there?” a cook couldn’t help but ask gossiping.
“Who knows? According to Sixteen, Young Master Bai’s mind hasn’t been right for quite some time. Let’s just be more accommodating.”
Crouching on the ground, Bai Yi couldn’t help but sneeze. He spun around to see who was speaking ill of him, but all he saw was the kitchen staff working orderly, each attending to their duties.
Turning back, he continued to stare at the Bupleurum wood and straw. It seemed he was overthinking. After a while, his legs fell numb from crouching, so he shifted his position. No, this wouldn’t do; he needed to call an assistant to friction-light the fire through rub-friction.
A performance required an audience, and scientific truths needed to be propagated!
Bai Yi called over the little kitchen maid who had offered to help, along with two other cooks.
“Use this thicker branch to aim at the straw, then rotate and rub it. Watch closely, this scientific inquiry program will only broadcast once!” Bai Yi stuffed the branch into the little maid’s hands. Like a man pumped with adrenaline, he raised the pot lid toward the sun.
The staff exchanged glances, utterly baffled by Bai Yi, but they complied with his instructions and stood by watching.
“Three, two, one, rotate.” Bai Yi stared at the pile of straw with a gaze intensely focused, as if he were writing a thesis or conducting lab research.
The little maid immediately began rotating the wood. Suddenly, a faint wisp of white smoke rose. Bai Yi shouted excitedly, “Look at that! This is what you call science, understand? This ancient method has been passed down for thousands of years, you must study it carefully!”
Everyone craned their necks to look, only to see the tiny wisp of white smoke fizzle out. The little maid rotating the wood truly couldn’t take it anymore and said, “Young Master, this method of yours has indeed been passed down for thousands of years, but it is far too primitive. You simply want to start a fire, correct?”
“Oh? Meaning you have a better method?” Bai Yi asked thoughtfully. Could it be a more advanced variation of friction-lighting?
The group gathered around the stove once more, exchanging glances. The little maid pulled a fire piston from her sleeve, popped off the cap, blew on it gently, and a flame flared up. She promptly tossed it into the pile of Bupleurum wood.
For a moment, Bai Yi and the bystanders stood in a stunned, silent deadlock. The others lowered their heads, and the little maid said, “Please continue. We will head back to our work. Just call us if you have any questions.”
He had embarrassed himself completely. However, how could this not be considered a learning experience? Fabricating a convenient excuse for himself, Bai Yi stepped back in front of the large pot.
First, he used the rock sugar, tea leaves, and water to stir-fry them together. Once they were fully melted, he added the milk and let the large pot simmer for half an hour.
The other cooks pretended to go about their duties, but they were all secretly watching.
Bai Yi ladled the mixture into small bowls. The aroma will drive you crazy, don’t you want a sip?
Since sharing is caring, Bai Yi poured half a bowl for the little maid and each of the other cooks. “Quickly, give it a taste.”
The little maid shrank back slightly. Could something made by Young Master Bai actually be drinkable?
To avoid bruising Bai Yi’s ego, the kitchen staff could only accept the bowls with profound gratitude and take a small sip. Instantly, they all chimed in to support him, saying, “This is incredibly delicious! Young Master Bai, your craftsmanship is truly unmatched in the world.”
Look at that, such was the power of milk tea. If he set up a shop to sell this outside, it would absolutely become a massive hit. Bai Yi poured a few more servings into small bamboo cups and snapped the lids on.
One cup for Xiao Shiyun, one for Manager Guo Fu, and the final cup was reserved for himself.
What was next? Picking wild flowers, of course. Tying them into a bouquet to gift to Xiao Shiyun was an authoritative, textbook method of pursuing someone. Xiao Shiyun would definitely be moved to tears when he dismissed the court session.
A man of action, Bai Yi carried the prepared milk tea into Jingqian Palace, placed it on Xiao Shiyun’s desk, clapped his hands clean, and turned toward the back garden.
He couldn’t pick the Malus marianensis, as those were quite expensive. Instead, he picked some China roses, some foxtail grass, and a couple of small daisies.
Bai Yi snapped a stem of practically every flower that didn’t look overly expensive, tying them together with a thin hemp rope. It actually looked quite beautiful, though it attracted a few bees. Bai Yi didn’t pay it much mind, carrying it into the hall to arrange it right beside the milk tea.
Returning from the court session, Xiao Shiyun and Guo Fu looked at the items on the desk, exchanged a glance, and Xiao Shiyun cleared his throat before asking Bai Yi, “Have you drunk this thing yourself?”
At that moment, a bee buzzed into the hall, circling the bouquet on the desk like a headless fly.
“I haven’t drunk it yet. I was waiting for you guys to return so we could drink it together. Don’t be polite, hurry up and try it. Manager Guo Fu, I brought a portion for you as well,” Bai Yi said with a grin.
Xiao Shiyun cautiously brought the cup to his lips, thinking to himself: Bai Yi wouldn’t poison this to extract revenge for this morning, right?
Then again, he probably lacked the brains for that. He would reluctantly take a sip, if only to accept Bai Yi’s intentions.
Xiao Shiyun set down his cup with a strange expression, and Guo Fu followed suit, taking a sip. Bai Yi watched them expectantly. “Delicious, isn’t it?”
A bee landed right on Guo Fu’s head. Guo Fu waved the bee away, just as a subtle, painful sensation rippled through his stomach.
With an expression hard to describe, he said, “Young Master Bai, please stop trying to assassinate the Emperor. Have mercy and let His Majesty go!”
Xiao Shiyun stared at the contents of the bamboo cup and remarked, “From now on, you should be added to the list of people trying to assassinate me.”