Chapter 184 – Trap (1)
They had barely walked a few steps, when Lu Qiongqiu, suddenly cried out and excitedly grasped Ye Zhen’s hand, pointing in the direction of what looked like a small house with many windows, in the distance.
Ye Zhen looked to where Lu Qiongqiu’s was pointing. There was indeed two transparent houses yonder. They were not big, but they looked very delicate. Unlike the normal house, they did not have walls but glass windows in their stead.
So, this is the Glasshouse.
[T/N: Glasshouse is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are cultivated; also known as greenhouse]
“I heard that only the Huangfu family knows how to build glasshouses. Unfortunately, now the family is nowhere to be found. Thus, no one else in the world can make glasshouses.” Lu Qiongqiu said, “It is said that this glasshouse was acquired by Qi doctors ten years ago, when they were looking for descendants of Huangfu family. It is said to be very rare.”
Ye Zhen nodded gently. Of course, she knew that glasshouses were invaluable in medical centers. Not only because they were scarce, but also because of their usefulness. They provided the perfect habitat to grow a few precious herbs.
Perhaps, one day, I will have the opportunity to take a look inside.
Lu Qiongqiu held Ye Zhen’s hand tightly as she mischievous glint flitted past her eyes.
“Let’s sneak a peek before someone notices us.”
“This is not a good idea.” Ye Zhen stood still, making her objection obvious. “The teacher did not send us here to let us go there. We had better not go.”
“We can just take a look, not go in.” Lu Qiongqiu whispered in her bid to persuade.
Ye Zhen patted the back of her hand. “Let us look for herbs first.”
“Well then.”
Lu Qiongqiu wore a look of disappointment as she looked back, towards Huang Fuxiang, before following Ye Zhen to find the herbs they needed.
Ye Zhen not only wanted to find the herbs handed down by Master Qin, but she also wanted to use this opportunity to identify other herbs. If she could, she really wanted to stay here all day. She was liking it here, for it offered a lot of knowledge.
In no time, the two busied themselves with looking for the herbs. Since the herbs were spread out, they had to cover a lot of ground. The more they looked, the imperceptibly close they were to the Glasshouse. Noticing their proximity, Lu Qiongqiu’s eyes lit up. As she talked to Ye Zhen, she surreptitiously steered closer to that side.
Here, Ye Zhen was immersed in the realm of herbs. Currently, she was engrossed in recollecting their appearance, characteristics, uses and medicinal properties. She did not notice that she was in the vicinity of the Glasshouse.
“Yaoyao!” Lu Qiongqiu suddenly exclaimed in a low voice. “Look, is that … fire lotus?”
Ye Zhen was awakened by Lu Qiongqiu’s voice. Her eyes slowly moved away from the herb in her hand and turned towards Lu Qiongqiu.
In an instant, she furrowed her brows. When did we get here?
Noticing that she had caught Ye Zhen unawares, Lu Qiongqiu fueled her momentary stupor and pointed to a fire-red lotus inside the glass room, and said in astonishment, “It is said that fire lotus blooms in warm places. I cannot believe it … I cannot even imagine seeing one in Kyoto.”
Ye Zhen stood up peeped into the glasshouse. “Indeed, it is a fire lotus …”
“I wonder if there would be snow lotus…if it can grow in a glasshouse, would it be easier to get snow lotus paste later?” Lu Qiongqiu asked, excitedly.
Ye Zhen smiled faintly at her companion’s simple thoughts. “A glasshouse is designed only for plants that need to be kept warm, not cold.”
In fact, she was not particularly surprised by the glasshouse. She remembered her father telling her once, that if the government did not ban private glass making, he would have also made one.
“The door is unlocked. Let us go in and have a look.” Lu Qiongqiu whispered as she urged Ye Zhen. “I’ve never seen a fire lotus before. Let us go in and take a closer look.”
Before Ye Zhen could even answer, Lu Qiongqiu took her hand and pulled her into the glasshouse.
She was not interested in the glasshouse per se but was pleasantly surprised by the herbs in it. These were the precious medicinal herbs mentioned in the Qi Family Medicine Classic.
Unexpectedly, I am able to glimpse these treasures with my very eyes. Such a rare sight! Such a pleasure!
Today, in her quest for herbs, Ye Zhen had indeed wandered far.
The Glasshouse commanded a legendary status. Not only because the Huangfu family who had built it were nowhere to be found, but also for what it housed. If the medicinal field was a treasure, this was a treasure amongst treasures. The herbs grown here were of the rare and finicky kind that demanded utmost care.
Now, within the confines of these transparent walls, Ye Zhen was entranced. The more she looked, the more fascinated she was; the more she saw, the more engrossed she became. As she explored each and every herb that was growing here, she had drifted into a realm of her own. So much so that not only was she oblivious to her surroundings, but also the person she was here with. She did not pay mind to Lu Qiongqiu was up to.
Recently, she had become progressively interested in studying medicine. Her every waking hour was spent in either reading books or gathering information, to the extent that she even often forgot to eat. At the sight of these precious herbs, she naturally wanted to put to good use this rare opportunity she had gleaned and taken a closer look at them.
Seeing that Ye Zhen was immersed in tending to the herbs and ignored her, a cold smile formed on Lu Qiongqiu’s lips. Taking this chance, she quietly slipped out of the Glasshouse and to the other side of the medicine field, leaving Ye Zhen all alone.
Ye Zhen who was preoccupied with committing to memory the characteristics of these precious herbs, did not notice Lu Qiongqiu’s absence. As she took a good look at each one, she finally stopped when she came to the Fire Lotus. This rare beauty completely enraptured her.
But, what is this…
The flowerpot was tilted on its side, all its soil and leaves scattered around, petals still bright and roots dangling from the edge of the pot. Only a moment ago, this Fire Lotus was still in good shape. But now, it was uprooted and in shambles. This must have happened not long ago, Ye Zhen was certain about it for she had only just passed by. She wondered who might be the culprit.
How come this happened? There were only the two of them who had entered the Glasshouse unless… the person she was with intended to push her into a trap!