xymnovel Chapter 86 The Heritage of Oak Bay Manor
Chapter 86 The Heritage of Oak Bay Manor
"Good afternoon, sir. These roses are blooming beautifully. Are they the 'York' variety from England?" Joseph Warren asked in a casual tone.
The gardener looked up, glanced at him with his cloudy eyes, and then replied in heavily accented English, "No, sir. This is 'Damask,' a variety brought back from the East by the Crusaders. Its petals can be distilled to make the finest essential oil."
Warren was somewhat surprised that an ordinary gardener could say such things. Intrigued, he continued, "You seem to know a lot about gardening?"
"I know a little bit." The old gardener put down his shears and wiped his forehead with his muddy hands.
"But when it comes to true gardening, no one can surpass the ancient Romans. In particular, Pliny the Elder, whose grafting techniques recorded in his Natural History are still amazing to read today."
Warren was completely stunned.
Pliny the Elder? His Natural History?
He tentatively replied in Latin: "If you only observe the parts of nature and not the whole, then at no time will you be able to grasp its power and majesty."
This is one of the famous quotes from "Natural History".
A completely different light suddenly flashed in the old gardener's eyes.
He straightened his back, as if he were a different person, and replied in the same clear and articulate classical Latin: "Indeed, sir. But as Cato the Elder taught in his 'Agricultural Treatise,' horticulture is the closest discipline to wisdom."
Warren's mind went blank.
A gardener trimming flowers and plants on the outskirts of Boston was able to discuss ancient Roman agricultural treatises with him in fluent Latin.
At that moment, he felt not shock, but an unfathomable fear.
Who exactly is hiding in Li Wei's manor? And what is he planning to do?
This attempt was a complete failure.
Warren realized that he was like a doctor with a scalpel, trying to perform exploratory surgery on a heavily armed fortress.
Any external prying or clever tricks are pointless.
The only way to deal with this kind of person is to go into his stronghold and sit down face to face with him.
That evening, Warren personally ground the ink and wrote an elegant letter on a fine piece of parchment.
In the letter, he formally requested, on behalf of Dr. Joseph Warren, to visit the owner of Oak Bay Estate at his convenience to discuss some topics "concerning Boston's health".
When Li Wei received the letter, he was recounting the "accident" that happened during the day with Fiona.
"Dr. Warren..." Levi looked at the signature on the letter, his fingertips tapping lightly on the table. "This sharpest scalpel has finally decided to examine the lesion itself."
What preparations do we need to make?
"Prepare the best tea." Levi handed the letter to the fireplace, watching it turn to ashes. "Dealing with a smart man is easier than dealing with a hundred Samuel Adams. Let him see what he wants to see. Let him ask what he wants to ask."
Because he knew that Warren was the kind of person who only believed what he saw and heard with his own eyes and ears.
The next afternoon, in the study of Oak Bay Estate.
The fire in the fireplace burned brightly, and the air was filled with the scents of old books, leather, and a faint sandalwood fragrance.
Dr. Joseph Warren sat opposite Levi, the two separated only by a low table with an exquisite porcelain tea set on it.
There was no tension; the atmosphere was more like an academic discussion among university professors.
After pouring tea for the two of them, Fiona quietly retreated to the shadows in the corner.
Warren got straight to the point, deciding to communicate in a language the other person could understand.
"Mr. Li, please forgive my bluntness. I am used to looking at things from a doctor's perspective. In my view, Boston today is like a seriously ill patient."
"The Governor's House and the British garrison are the necrotic tissue on its body, which must be removed. And we, the 'Sons of Liberty,' are the newborn body that is trying to restore it to health."
He picked up the teacup and gently blew on the steam.
"In this complex and dangerous surgery, I'd like to know, what role did you play? Were you the medicine that provided assistance, the scalpel that sped things up, or... the germs that tried to invade while the wound was open?"
Li Wei listened quietly, his face expressionless.
After Warren finished speaking, he picked up his teacup but didn't drink it; he simply felt the warmth emanating from the cup.
"Dr. Warren, your analogy is brilliant. But unfortunately, it's not entirely accurate."
Li Wei put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and calmly looked at the doctor who was highly respected in the lower rungs of Boston.
According to the information Fiona provided, although Dr. Warren earns a high income, he always prescribes the lowest possible medical fees for working-class people.
"I am neither a doctor nor a germ."
"I'm just a blood seller."
"If a patient needs blood, I will provide blood. Whether that blood is used to save a dying patriot or to nourish a rapidly growing tumor is not my concern."
"I only care about one thing," Levi said, holding up a finger, "the price of blood."
"As for praise, let it be engraved on my epitaph after I die."
The study fell into absolute silence, with only the crackling of the burning wood in the fireplace serving as a footnote to this cold declaration.
Dr. Warren's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air for a moment.
The warmth that porcelain possessed seemed to carry a chill, creeping into his arm through his fingertips.
He had considered many possible answers.
The other party may claim to be a profit-seeking speculator, may use Eastern philosophy to disguise their ambitions, and may even show an attitude of being like-minded with the "Sons of Liberty".
But I never imagined it would be such an unvarnished self-disclosure.
The phrase "I am just a blood seller" was light and airy, yet it carried more weight than the cannons in front of the governor's mansion, shattering all his preconceived notions of morality and cooperation.
He finally realized that he was not facing a potential ally who could be inspired by ideals.
Dr. Warren gently pushed up his glasses and slowly placed the teacup back on the low table. The bottom of the cup touched the porcelain saucer, making a soft but clear crisp sound.
The firelight flickered in the fireplace, casting erratic reflections on Dr. Warren's glasses.
He straightened his back and abandoned all tentative words and metaphors.
Since the other party is a businessman, let's talk like businessmen.
"Mr. Li, I apologize for my intrusion. Well then, let's get straight to the point and discuss a business deal."
Upon hearing this, Dr. Warren changed his posture, leaning forward slightly to create a confrontational stance with Levi.
"If we, the 'Sons of Liberty,' can help you secure all your smuggling routes in Boston and assist the Black Dragon Merchant Guild in monopolizing the underground tobacco and tea trade in the North American colonies, what price in 'blood' will you offer?"