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Zhang Qiu felt the sincerity of Prince Banan, which led K to release him. K let go, and the White-Bearded Man straightened his attire, walking respectfully to the prince and saying, "Your Highness."
Prince Banan nodded and then looked at Zhang Qiu, saying, "Follow me."
Prince Banan turned and walked upstairs, with the White-Bearded Man closely following. Lucia quietly asked, "Can someone tell me what's going on?"
"Let's go see," Zhang Qiu replied as he stepped forward. However, as soon as his foot touched the stairs, he was stopped by the prince's bodyguards.
"You cannot bring firearms!"
The bodyguard extended his hand, but Zhang Qiu did not hand over his gun. Both parties were at a standstill at the staircase. Prince Banan turned back and ordered the bodyguard, "Let them bring their guns up."
"Your Highness, this..." The bodyguard looked quite troubled.
"I am the prince; everything is decided by me."
"Yes!" Although hesitant, the bodyguard made way for Zhang Qiu and the others to pass.
The stairs were also covered with an exquisite carpet that blended seamlessly with the dark wooden steps, making it very comfortable to walk on. The second floor of the palace had a wide corridor lined with gold-framed oil paintings and etched prints on both sides of the walls. Heavy, ancient doors led to various rooms. Prince Banan stopped in front of one of the doors, and the bodyguards immediately went to open it.
This was a reception room decorated entirely in European style. Prince Banan sat on a beige leather sofa and smiled slightly, saying, "Please take a seat." He then instructed the bodyguards, "Everyone out; no one is allowed in without my command, including you."
"Yes!"
"Your Highness, I will take my leave now," said the White-Bearded Man as he stood up to bid farewell. Prince Banan nodded slightly without stopping him. In the room remained Prince Banan, Lucia, and K.
Prince Banan smiled faintly but did not speak, focusing on fiddling with the teacup in front of him. The tea table was set with an exquisite tea set that included a tea pot, tea strainer, tea cups, tea stove, and tea roaster, along with several other tea utensils that Zhang Qiu could not name. Just from this complex tea set alone, one could tell that its user was not an ordinary person.
Prince Banan lifted his teacup and took a sip, nodding in satisfaction as he smiled, "The flavor is coming through, not bad, not bad."
Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and K were all puzzled, unsure of what Prince Banan was up to. Not only did Prince Banan drink tea himself, but he also poured for Zhang Qiu and the others, saying with a smile, "Try this; it's the best tea in China."
The claim of it being the best tea caught Zhang Qiu's attention. In their country, advertising laws prohibit claiming something as the best. However, given the prince's noble status, obtaining good tea was quite easy. Zhang Qiu held the teacup by its rim with his thumb and index finger while supporting the bottom with his middle finger, bringing it to his lips and sipping it slowly until he finished the tea in three sips.
Prince Banan's eyes lit up as he hurriedly asked, "How is it?"
"It's okay," Zhang Qiu replied honestly.
"Just okay?" Prince Banan looked at Zhang Qiu in surprise.
"Yes," Zhang Qiu nodded, indicating that he was not mistaken.
Prince Banan still found it hard to believe and emphasized, "This is the best tea in China."
"No, no, no," Zhang Qiu shook his head. "This is good tea, but it's not the best. In my motherland, tea culture has a long history and is far more complex than this."
Zhang Qiu's understanding of tea came from the Black Stocking Woman through their interactions. Indeed, Prince Banan's tea was delicious; he could already sense its fragrant aroma before tasting it. However, compared to the tea brewed by the Black Stocking Woman, it fell slightly short. If Zhang Qiu had not tasted tea grown in the Black Stocking Woman's hometown, he would have absolutely thought that Prince Banan's tea was the best.
"Is there even better tea? This tea was a gift brought by your high official."
"There are some teas that even high officials cannot access. A hundred years ago, my country also had an emperor. Everything needed for the emperor's daily life came from the common people. In terms of food and drink, there was an unwritten rule in the palace: what was served to the emperor could never be the best."
"Why?" Prince Banan was very interested in Zhang Qiu's historical account.
"Because in ancient times, emperors held immense power over life and death with their whims. If the imperial kitchen—the department responsible for preparing meals for the emperor—presented him with the most delicious and freshest ingredients and he found them satisfactory, but later on wanted to eat them again—perhaps due to seasonal changes or insufficient supply—they might not be able to meet his demands. The emperor could become furious at any moment and could take their lives with a single word. Therefore, what emperors ate was often not the best; it was the eunuchs who got to eat that."
"Interesting, interesting." Prince Banan found Zhang Qiu's story captivating and, while reflecting on it, wondered if there was an unspoken rule in the royal kitchen as well. He wasn't a tyrant, and once the domestic situation calmed down, he would definitely have a talk with the kitchen staff to ensure they prepared the best dishes for him.
Prince Banan then asked, "Since you're so sure this isn't the best tea, you must have had tea that's even better?"
"I have indeed."
"Where?"
"At a friend's house." Seeing Prince Banan's keen interest in tea, Zhang Qiu added, "Next time we meet, I'll bring some for you."
"I can buy it from her. If it's as good as you say, I'm willing to pay a high price."
"She won't sell it to you," Zhang Qiu said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"Why not?" Prince Banan asked, puzzled.
"Because," Zhang Qiu recalled how he had suggested to Black Stocking Woman that she sell tea, and her response came to mind, "the tea I have is grown in the mountains, and the farmers specifically cultivate it for their own consumption. Every year during Jingzhe, which is one of China's solar terms, I don't know if you have something similar in Africa." Prince Banan shook his head, and Zhang Qiu continued to explain, "Every year during Jingzhe, the farmers pick the leaves at nine o'clock in the morning. After picking, they dry them for forty-nine days. When brewing tea, one also has to consider the teaware and water to achieve the best results. It is precisely because of these stringent conditions that such exquisite tea is produced. And because of these strict conditions, this type of tea cannot be mass-produced."
"Ah," Prince Banan sighed, "that's such a pity."
"It's not a pity; the tea that is commonly grown also tastes great, and you can buy that."
Zhang Qiu was keen on bringing Black Stocking Woman some business from across the ocean. He later thought that suggesting Black Stocking Woman work at a bar was somewhat abrupt and inappropriate. The best fit for her was tea. The appreciation that naturally flowed from her attitude and gaze when discussing tea showed how much she cared about it. Zhang Qiu believed that if Black Stocking Woman could expand her tea business, she would no longer engage in the gray business she was currently involved in, and Liu Xinru would also feel relieved for her sister.
"Really? That's wonderful! Zhang Qiu, you must introduce me to this friend."
"Of course!" With Prince Banan's interest in Black Stocking Woman's tea, Zhang Qiu felt genuinely happy.
"Well," Prince Banan's face returned to seriousness, "let's talk about business now."
Zhang Qiu turned to Lucia and found her staring at him. He winked at Lucia, clearing his mind of all distractions, focusing on Prince Banan.
"Now," Prince Banan fixed his gaze on k, "there's one more person in the room!"
K felt inexplicably caught in the crossfire. He saw Zhang Qiu and Prince Banan engaged in a lively discussion about tea and thought there wouldn't be any further issues. He didn't expect that Prince Banan would suddenly shift the conversation and consider him unnecessary.
"Regarding your soldier who was injured in the eye, it was solely my doing. At that time, Zhang Qiu and Lucia tried their best to stop me," k said, concerned for Zhang Qiu and Lucia's well-being as he faced Prince Banan.
"Oh, is that so?" Prince Banan pondered for a moment before asking, "When did you do it?"
"The night before, on the rooftop of Ematien Hotel."
"Those aren't my people; they are from the National Defense Force, under my father's command..." Prince Banan suddenly paused and stopped elaborating. "Alright, I'm not here to discuss this matter. You can leave now."
K was taken aback again, but Zhang Qiu seemed to understand something and said to k, "You should go out first; we are fine."
Zhang Qiu had been worried as well since they had indeed harmed a soldier. Now it appeared that those referred to as the National Defense Force by Prince Banan were likely the king's subordinates, while the prince's men were part of the New Army that rescued him from prison and supported his rise to power.
K walked out of the room in confusion. He vaguely felt that Zhang Qiu and Lucia were about to achieve the true purpose of their visit. However, he was left outside, unable to find out what was happening. K thought he should contact his country immediately to inform Professor Bai about the developments.
"Excuse me, is there any wireless communication in the palace?" K asked a bodyguard in black clothing, but the bodyguard ignored him completely.
In the reception room, Zhang Qiu fixed his gaze firmly on Prince Banan. Zhang Qiu suspected that Prince Banan might already know about his and Lucia's identities, and that what they were about to discuss was related to the three jade pendants.
"You came to Bam because of this, right?"
Zhang Qiu guessed correctly; Prince Banan pulled out a jade pendant identical to the White Tiger from his clothing.
"That's right." Zhang Qiu took out the White Tiger, and Lucia also held her jade pendant in her hand.
"It is just as I thought." A victorious smile appeared on Prince Banan's face. "I've found you."
"You were looking for us too?"
"Of course, weren't you looking for me as well?"
"But how did you know we are the Jade Pendant Heirs, how did you know we came to Tanzania, and how did you know there are three of us?"
Zhang Qiu threw out a series of questions. Prince Banan seemed to have information that was too accurate, accurate enough to suggest someone was watching them. Zhang Qiu sensed that there was a huge secret involved that he did not know about.
Very few people knew that Zhang Qiu had a jade pendant, and even fewer knew the true purpose of Zhang Qiu's trip to Tanzania. Moreover, Prince Banan's reaction when he heard about k injuring a soldier from the National Defense Force seemed to confirm that he was unaware of this matter.
So, where did Prince Banan learn that the Jade Pendant Heirs had come to Tanzania, and how did he find out that there were three people in Zhang Qiu's group instead of two?
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