Glory

Ye Hongsheng had just finished processing the tea leaves in his hands. Worried about his elderly father, he removed the cloth from his hands and stood up. "I'll go check on him."

As soon as he spoke, he saw Ye Chongming walk in with hurried steps, looking extremely excited. Ye Hongsheng quickly stepped forward to support his father.

"I've tasted it, I've tasted it! The Emperor praised it, saying it's excellent," Ye Chongming exclaimed, his lips trembling with emotion.

"Father, please calm down," Ye Hongsheng said, gently patting his back to soothe him.

Bai Rui brought over tea and offered it to Ye Chongming, but he waved it away.

"Young Master Lu also mentioned that because the Emperor enjoys our tea so much, the Crown Prince took the opportunity to discuss the extravagance and wastefulness of pressed tea while highlighting the benefits of loose tea. The Emperor found his arguments very reasonable and is now having court officials deliberate on abolishing pressed tea in favor of loose tea."

Ye Yaming smiled. "That's wonderful."

Last time, Fan Yu and his group had stayed in Lin'an for four days. During that period, Princess Yuning specifically requested to meet Ye Yaming. She and her father had accompanied them to visit the tea garden and tea factory, leaving an excellent impression on Princess Yuning and the others.

After they left, father and daughter threw themselves into tea processing. They personally sealed the tea leaves in jars, and Lu Guanyi came in person to collect them and deliver them to the capital.

The Ye family also sent tea to Master Zhineng and Fan Yu, while making modest gifts to Qi Zhifu and the Tea Monopoly Office.

After sending off the Pre-Qingming Tea, father and daughter continued processing Pre-Rain Tea, remaining busy until now.

During this period, Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji had stayed in the capital the entire time.

Ye Yaming knew that Lu Guanyi and the Crown Prince would certainly use Dragon Well Tea to advance their agenda, but she hadn't expected them to persuade the Emperor to abolish pressed tea and promote loose tea so quickly.

"Ming'er, can the tea you and your father have been processing recently be put on sale now? Also, should we stop producing pressed tea at the tea factory? If we stop production there, can the apprentices come here to learn tea processing?" Ye Chongming asked.

Since the Ye family's Dragon Well Tea had earned the Emperor's praise, it would be a waste not to capitalize on this opportunity to launch it on the market and build the brand. Transforming this good reputation into tangible silver was the proper course of action.

Ye Yaming nodded. "Let's sell it. But we should continue making pressed tea for now, using up all the crude tea. After the crude tea is finished, they can come learn tea processing."

"I'll follow your advice," Ye Chongming said cheerfully, walking out with renewed energy as if he had become ten years younger.

Some time ago, he had transported all the Pre-Rain Tea processed by Ye Yaming to the capital, waiting for this moment to go on sale. The later batches were stored at the Ye residence. With Ye Yaming and Ye Hongsheng continuing to process tea, he believed the supply would be sufficient.

Mentally calculating, he took a carriage down the mountain.

The next day, a sign appeared at the entrance of Gathering Fragrance Pavilion, announcing the launch of Dragon Well Tea at fifteen taels of silver per liang, welcoming customers to taste and purchase.

The tea drinkers were astonished.

"Waiter, waiter, come here," an old tea connoisseur called out, beckoning inside.

When the waiter approached, he pointed at the sign and asked, "Is there a mistake on this sign? Shouldn't it be fifteen taels of silver per jin?"

The waiter smiled warmly. "Sir, you read it correctly, and we didn't make a mistake. It's indeed fifteen taels of silver per liang."

The crowd erupted in exclamations of surprise.Just as everyone was about to question him, the waiter continued, "This Dragon Well Tea is a new creation by our proprietor. The recently harvested Pre-Rain Dragon Well was sent to the capital, where His Majesty, the Crown Prince, Master Zhineng, Princess Yuning, Imperial Consort Fan, and others tasted it and praised it repeatedly. It's said that because of this tea, His Majesty is having court officials discuss whether to abolish compressed tea and promote loose-leaf tea instead."

Upon hearing this, everyone was astonished.

The elderly man leading the group stared wide-eyed after his initial shock, "Even if you're boasting, you should keep it within reason. No matter how good your tea is, it couldn't possibly be prestigious enough to be tasted by His Majesty and the Crown Prince, could it?"

"Hey, I wouldn't dare to spread false rumors. This is absolutely true. Do you know Young Master Lu who lives near the prefectural office? He's a close friend of Qi Gongzi from the prefect's household," the waiter pointed in the direction of Lu Guanyi's residence.

"I know him," said a well-dressed middle-aged man in the crowd, "He's the eldest son of the Xuanwu Marquis Household in the capital. My home isn't far from his." He often heard his wife and daughters talk about this Young Master Lu.

This man was handsome and came from a good family, making him one of the most eligible bachelors in Lin'an City. Many young women would dress up elaborately and linger near his gate, hoping for a chance encounter with Young Master Lu that might lead to marriage.

Unfortunately, this Young Master Lu either stayed behind closed doors or traveled far away. On the rare occasions when he was encountered, he maintained an aloof demeanor that kept strangers at a distance. His manor guards and pages treated these young women like thieves, preventing them from getting close to their master.

"Young Master Lu works in the Crown Prince's residence. After enjoying this tea himself, he brought some to the capital and presented it to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince found the tea fragrant, refreshing, and sweet, so he in turn presented it to His Majesty," the waiter explained.

Hearing him speak with such detail and confidence, the crowd became half-convinced, "Really?"

"Truly!" the waiter vowed earnestly, "Even if my proprietor and I had all the courage in the world, we wouldn't dare use His Majesty and the Crown Prince's names to promote our tea."

Finally, everyone believed him.

Although the current Emperor was lenient, and ordinary gossip about the Emperor in city teahouses was tolerated as long as it wasn't deliberate slander, false statements, or incitement to rebellion, merchants still wouldn't dare use the Emperor and Crown Prince for promotion.

However, looking at the price, it was truly staggering.

"Even so, you can't set the price this high."

"Only our Second Master knows how to make this tea, and he has to stay in the tea garden, picking and processing it on the spot. It's truly labor-intensive, hence the extremely low yield. During the entire Pre-Rain season, only about thirty jin were produced. Young Master Lu took ten jin to the capital, sent two jin to Master Zhineng, and when Princess Yuning, Imperial Consort Fan, and the renowned tea master Tan Xuan came recently to watch our Second Master make tea, they each took one or two jin. After sending a few liang to Magistrate Qi and the officials at the Tea Monopoly Bureau, there was nothing left."

"Everyone knows that rarity increases value. If we didn't set the price high, wouldn't it be bought up by just one or two people early on? Then later customers who want to taste it wouldn't get the chance, right?"

At this point, the waiter said with a smile, "Just like with the Osmanthus Tea before, I suggest everyone pool together to order a pot to taste. One pot costs ten taels of silver - one tael per person. For esteemed gentlemen like you with substantial family fortunes, one tael is nothing. When you go out, at least you can say you've tasted Dragon Well Tea, isn't that right?"Recalling the stunning impression Osmanthus Tea had made on everyone, those who could afford it immediately called upon friends, ready to pool their money for a shared pot.

One tael of silver was no small sum. For ordinary commoners struggling to make ends meet, saving a single tael could take an entire year. Even among the wealthier patrons of the teahouse, the thought of spending a tael for just a few sips of tea pained them deeply.

Yet all hesitation and complaints about the price vanished the moment they tasted the tea.

"How can this tea be so fragrant? So mellow and sweet without a hint of bitterness—no wonder even the Emperor praised it!"

"Exactly! A tael per cup? Worth every coin!"

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