The stewardess took the order and meekly led Li Ying to the main entrance.
Li Ying gave a faint smile.
She sized up the magnificent plaque of the Tea Tax Censor's mansion and loudly praised, "The Censor is truly a man of knowledge and propriety, extremely open - minded and magnanimous, not bothered by trivial matters!"
The words were humble, and Li Ying deliberately raised her voice, attracting the curious glances of passers - by.
The stewardess thought she was just trying to gain some face for herself. Moreover, every word Li Ying said was full of praise, so she didn't stop her.
After she finished speaking, Li Ying calmly followed the stewardess through the overlapping pavilions and towers until they reached the inner courtyard of the Censor's mansion.
The Censor's wife had already taken off her cloak and changed into a bright brocade robe. She was lazily reclining on a beauty's couch. When she saw Li Ying coming, she half - rose and gave her a sidelong glance.
"I've heard that you're a very clever and resourceful person. Since you've already seen through my intention just now outside the door, I'm sure you've already prepared your price in mind."
"Don't worry. As long as you hand over the recipe for the Awakened Lion Pastry, I will surely not treat you badly. Just name your price, and I will surely grant your wish!"
Seeing that Li Ying's clothes were only embroidered with simple and plain patterns, not very luxurious, the Censor's wife felt a bit of contempt. She thought that this ordinary woman couldn't have much vision.
For now, she would use words to appease this simple - minded person. After learning the skill of making the Awakened Lion Pastry, she would make this country woman keep her mouth shut. It was a profitable and easy thing to do.
Li Ying saw her eagerness and guessed what was going on in her mind. She just smiled faintly and didn't expose her. Instead, she bowed respectfully.
"I'm really honored that the lady values my humble skill so much. And I'm also grateful for the lady's kind treatment today. Please rest assured, I will surely tell you everything I know!"
She put on a look of being flattered. The Censor's wife was afraid that she would come to her senses later, so she quickly ordered someone to bring writing brushes and ink for her to use.
Li Ying didn't decline. After a moment of thought, she calmly picked up the brush and really wrote down all the complicated steps in great detail.
The Censor's wife saw that she had written everything in detail, so she had less suspicion. She ordered the maid to send the recipe to the kitchen, and then said to Li Ying,
"Boss Li, don't be in a hurry to leave. You've done a great job for me. It's only reasonable that I should treat you well. Since you have nothing to do, stay here and rest for a few days."
After she finished speaking, two maidservants came over and forcefully led her towards a small room in the back courtyard.
Li Ying knew very well that the Censor's wife was afraid that she had tampered with the recipe and that she would say something inappropriate after leaving the mansion. So she didn't struggle but pretended to be ignorant. She thanked the Censor's wife for her kindness and then voluntarily followed the two maidservants away.
The Censor's wife saw her rather brisk steps and felt a bit relieved.
Sure enough, she was a stupid woman without any scheming.
The two maidservants led Li Ying to a small side room and "politely" "invited" her in. Then they closed the door tightly.
Li Ying's recipe was indeed very detailed. Not only an ordinary cook in the Censor's mansion but even a royal chef in the capital might not be able to find anything wrong with it.
However, the Awakened Lion Pastry, from making the crispy shortening, opening the dough to the final shaping, had many unique secrets that she didn't mention. Without her personal guidance, no one could make the exact same pastry even if they read the recipe.
If her prediction was correct, after frying according to her recipe, the eyes and eyebrows of the Awakened Lion Pastry would probably fall off and look a mess.
Since the Censor's wife couldn't make the pastry, she wouldn't let Li Ying leave. Li Ying thought she would have to stay in the Censor's mansion for some time.
Li Ying looked around. The side room was small but tidy, though there was a bit of dust that made her nose and mouth itch.
Since she had nothing to do, Li Ying simply took a broom and slowly started to clean up.
After all, she had to make herself comfortable.
She swept the floor and the window frames, and then wiped the dust off the bed board. When she felt a strange place on the bed board near the wall, she tapped it gently, and there was an empty echo from under the bed board.
Li Ying's mind stirred. She carefully felt for the gap in the bed board and lifted it up. A shallow hole came into view, and there was a stack of straw paper neatly placed inside.
She held her breath and flipped through the straw paper one by one. There were some strange symbols on it that she couldn't understand.
Although Li Ying didn't know what it was, she knew that something that was so carefully hidden in such a secret place couldn't be ordinary.
She quietly put the straw paper into her bosom and was about to lie down when she suddenly heard a cold sneer behind her.
"Look at your sneaky behavior. Did you steal the lady's jewelry and money and get locked in here to fend for yourself?"
Li Ying was shocked. She managed to calm herself down and turned around. She saw an old woman in a blue robe with dull eyes staring at her.
Li Ying didn't know how much of her actions the old woman had seen. Her mind was racing, trying to think of a way to deal with it.
The old woman examined her for a while and then seemed to lose interest suddenly. She sat down in a corner and said coldly,
"I advise you. If you have any other ideas, just give them up. The maids locked in this side room are regarded as useless by the master. They never get out alive."
She ignored Li Ying and took out some hard, cold cakes from a shabby straw basket to eat. Li Ying frowned slightly when she saw the thick calluses on the old woman's index finger and middle finger.
"Senior, you just said that if a maid is regarded as useless by the master, she has no chance of survival."
"There's no kitchen here. The cakes you have must be brought by outsiders. That means you're still valuable to the Censor's wife and she has to keep you alive. But for some secret reasons, she can only lock you up here."
A thought flashed through Li Ying's mind. She said softly, "If I'm not wrong, you're the servant who is good at imitating others' handwriting and came to the Tea Tax Censor's mansion with the lady when she got married?"