Glory

Ye Yaming was unaware of the minor discord Tao Shi had stirred up.

After Ye Hongrong and the others had left, she said to Ye Chongming, "Grandfather, we sold the tea-making recipe last year. Although Dragon Well has now become Tribute Tea and our family is no longer what it used to be, there will always be those who want to push us down to elevate themselves."

Ye Chongming's heart immediately tightened. "What are you thinking?"

"I need to have a few silver pots made, and this matter shouldn't be known by others. Can you find a suitable silversmith?"

Ye Chongming understood at once.

What else could silver pots be used for but to roast tea?

He didn't know the reason behind using silver pots for tea roasting, but if Ye Yaming said so, it must be correct.

He only asked, "Are there any specific requirements for these pots?"

Ye Yaming shook her head. "No, they just need to be shaped like pots. They don't need to be particularly refined."

"That's easy," Ye Chongming said. "I'll ask your granduncle to assign us a silversmith apprentice."

The Mei family ran a money exchange business, so they naturally handled currency exchange. Sometimes when they received silver of poor quality, it needed to be purified, or they would cast silver ingots for clients. They also operated a jewelry store, processing gold and silver into jewelry for sale as an expansion of their business.

Thus, they employed a group of silversmiths. These silversmiths were all Household Serfs, with skills passed down through generations, and their Indentured Servant Contracts were held by the Mei family.

If Ye Yaming's requirements were high, it would be difficult to manage. After all, skilled silversmiths were limited in number, and the Mei family might not be willing to part with one. But since her requirements were so simple, transferring a silversmith apprentice would suffice.

"It would be ideal if we could purchase a silversmith apprentice. If that's not possible, having them make a few pots for us would also work, as long as it's not disclosed that they were made for our family."

Ye Chongming nodded. "Leave this matter to me. Don't worry."

Ye Yaming stood up. "I can't avoid going to the Lu residence. I'll take some people there shortly and stay there tonight. Tomorrow, I plan to visit Qi Furen."

"Go ahead," Old Mrs. Ye approved of her plan.

Mainly because Ye Yaming showed little reaction to her pregnancy—she ate well, slept soundly, with the only symptoms being slight dry heaving in the morning and some drowsiness. Otherwise, Old Mrs. Ye would not have felt comfortable letting her stay elsewhere.

When Ye Yaming married, she took a group of attendants to the capital, and this time she brought them back with her. She lacked neither personal attendants nor cooks. Staying at the Lu residence would pose no inconvenience.

"You are now Madam Lu. If you return without spending a night there, the servants there won't regard you as their mistress. If you lack anything or need any personnel, just say the word, and I'll have them sent over."

"I should have everything I need," Ye Yaming said.

When the furniture was made, a set was also crafted for this residence, so everything was complete.

"I'll have someone deliver some rice, flour, and fresh vegetables to you. Even if the Lu residence has them, they might not be fresh," Old Mrs. Ye said.

Ye Yaming did not object to this.

She immediately led her attendants out and headed to the Lu residence.

Meanwhile, Bai Xin took a carriage to the Qi residence to deliver a visiting card to Qi Furen on Ye Yaming's behalf.

As a junior, it was proper for Ye Yaming to visit her aunt upon returning to Lin'an. Qi Furen had taken great pains to help with her wedding. However, an unannounced visit would be impolite, so she sent a card first and planned to visit the following day.

The gatekeeper was still Lao Songtou and his family. Seeing Ye Yaming return, the entire family grew somewhat nervous.Ye Yaming introduced Xu Zan, Bai Xin, Ziyuan, and the people from the small kitchen she brought back to each other.

She said to Lao Songtou, "Just continue doing what you usually do, and don't worry about anything else. I'll assign two young men to take turns guarding the gate with you."

"Also, sometimes I'll be staying at the Ye residence. Whether I return or not, I'll have a servant inform you. When I'm not back, just make sure to keep the gates secure."

Lao Songtou repeatedly agreed.

When his wife Li Shi heard that Ye Yaming would be staying at the Ye residence, she glanced up at her but quickly lowered her head without daring to speak.

That night, Ye Yaming stayed at the Lu residence. The next day, she got up and went to visit Qi Furen at the Qi residence.

Qi Furen was delighted to see her and asked about their situation in the capital and Lu Guanyi's well-being. She insisted on keeping Ye Yaming for lunch before letting her return.

Ye Yaming did not mention her pregnancy to Qi Furen.

If Qi Furen knew, she would surely stop her from going up the mountain to make Spring Tea. Ye Yaming didn't want to cause any unpleasantness over this matter.

Moreover, there was a common belief that one shouldn't announce a pregnancy before three months. Even if Qi Furen found out later, she couldn't say Ye Yaming was wrong for doing so.

For the next month, Ye Yaming truly focused on resting. As long as there were no major issues in the capital or Lin'an, Ye Chongming didn't have anyone inform Ye Yaming. Though she was aware, she didn't interfere.

Just before it was time to make Pre-Qingming Tea, Ma Yun brought news: "Wang Kuan has partnered with Zhennan Wangfu and plans to make Dragon Well Tea this year. It's unclear what they're scheming. They're being very tight-lipped, so we couldn't find out the specifics."

Ye Yaming was taken aback: "Wang Kuan? The one here in Lin'an? How did he get involved with Zhennan Wangfu? Didn't Wang Kuan buy the secret tea-making recipe back then? How would he know how to make Dragon Well Tea?"

If she remembered correctly, this Wang Kuan had repeatedly used underhanded methods to steal the Dragon Well Tea formula from the Ye family and was excluded when the Ye family sold the tea formulas.

"Most likely, Zhennan Wangfu wants to cause trouble for you, so they sent people to Lin'an to investigate. They probably found out that Wang Kuan has a grudge against us and took the initiative to collaborate with him. As for how Wang Kuan obtained the tea-making recipe, I'll have someone look into it."

He had rushed over to report as soon as he heard about Wang Kuan's alliance with Zhennan Wangfu and hadn't had time to investigate the details.

"Look into those who bought the secret tea-making recipe but lack substantial resources and have been in close contact with Wang Kuan recently," Ye Yaming said.

Those with resources wouldn't sell the tea formula—more competition means less profit. Only those without resources would try to resell the tea-making recipe to recoup their losses.

"Yes," Ma Yun replied and immediately went to investigate.

With a suspect in mind, it was easier to investigate. The next day, he came to tell Ye Yaming: "We found out it's Zhou Qingsong. Wang Kuan paid sixty thousand taels of silver, and Zhou Qingsong sold him four tea-making masters who know how to make Dragon Well Tea. The sale happened shortly after Zhennan Wangfu approached Wang Kuan."

He then listed the names of the four tea-making masters.

Ye Yaming turned to Qingzhi and said, "Go and invite Second Master over."

Normally, she should have gone to him if she had questions. But if she did, Ye Hongsheng and Yin Shi would surely nag her, so she simply had Ye Hongsheng come to her instead.

Since she was staying at the Ye residence and the Second Branch's courtyard was nearby, Ye Hongsheng arrived quickly.Ye Yaming explained the matter to him, and Ye Hongsheng frowned, saying, "I remember those four men. One of them, a fellow named Qin Sixiang, had an extraordinary talent for tea making. By the end of his training, the tea he roasted was almost as good as mine. I actually wanted to keep him, but unfortunately, Zhou Qingsong refused to let him go."