Glory

At Chongshan Temple, Ye Chongming, who was being mentioned by tea enthusiasts at that moment, was leading his grandchildren Ye Jiaxing and Ye Yaming as they followed a young novice monk into Master Zhineng's meditation room.

Upon entering, Ye Yaming froze momentarily.

Aside from an elderly monk, there were two young men in the room—precisely Lu Guanyi and the prefect's son Qi Ji, whom she had encountered days earlier when delivering tea with Ye Hongsheng.

After exchanging greetings, both parties proceeded with introductions.

When presenting Ye Jiaxing and Ye Yaming to the group, neither Lu Guanyi nor Qi Ji mentioned their prior brief meeting with Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming breathed a subtle sigh of relief.

Had their previous encounter been disclosed, it would inevitably lead to discussing her visit with Ye Hongsheng to the Lu residence to retrieve the pressed tea. Masters like Zhineng were exceptionally perceptive; even the slightest hint would allow him to deduce that the Ye family had recalled substandard illicit tea.

Although the matter had been reported to the prefect, it was best kept as quiet as possible, being an unfavorable incident that could tarnish the Ye family's reputation.

When Master Zhineng introduced the somewhat imposing Lu Guanyi as the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis of Xuanwu from the capital, Ye Chongming started in surprise and promptly raised his hands in salute. "An honor to meet you," he said.

Ye Yaming, however, wasn't particularly astonished.

Given that Lu Guanyi resided in such an estate, maintained a close friendship with the prefect's son, and—judging by their seating arrangement before they stood—occupied a position of higher status than Qi Ji, it was evident he possessed not only wealth but also considerable standing. Thus, his identity as the eldest son of a marquis' household came as no shock.

Yet, a question flickered through her mind: Since Lu Guanyi was of age and the legitimate eldest son of the Marquis of Xuanwu, shouldn't he have been granted the title of heir apparent, and thus be introduced as "heir" rather than merely "legitimate eldest son"? But as this concerned her not at all, the thought vanished as quickly as it arose. After some polite disputes over seating arrangements with Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji, she took her place in the lowest seat.

Ye Chongming had sent a visiting card the previous day, announcing his intention to bring fine tea for Master Zhineng to sample.

Thus, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Master Zhineng inquired, "What exquisite tea has Old Master Ye brought? This humble monk is eager to taste it."

"Ha, Master Zhineng, please sample it first. Whether it qualifies as fine tea is for you to decide, not for me to claim," Ye Chongming replied.

At this, Ye Jiaxing stood and handed the box he was holding to the young novice. The novice opened the lid and presented it to Master Zhineng.

Master Zhineng peered inside. "Loose tea?"

He wasn't particularly surprised. As a genuine tea connoisseur, he disdained the overly elaborate processing and spice-masked true flavors of pressed tea, preferring instead to drink only loose tea.

His acquaintance with Ye Chongming had originated from his fondness for the Ye family's premium loose tea, which he purchased from them annually.

In truth, Chongshan Temple maintained its own tea garden at the rear, producing a modest quantity of tea leaves each year. However, the tea-making skills of Master Zhineng and the temple's monks fell slightly short of Ye Hongsheng's expertise, resulting in a slightly inferior taste. Hence, Master Zhineng continued to buy from the Ye family.

Given Master Zhineng's status, his connections with numerous nobles, and his renowned obsession with tea, his preference for the Ye family's loose tea significantly enhanced both the prestige and reputation of their tea.

Consequently, although Master Zhineng spoke of purchasing, the Ye family consistently declined payment. If they did accept any money, they would donate it back to the temple as an offering—often exceeding the tea's cost.Moreover, whenever the Ye family produced any fine or new tea, they would send some for Master Zhineng to sample.

This was how Master Zhineng and Ye Chongming became acquainted. Though their friendship was not deep, Ye Chongming always had a place reserved for him at Master Zhineng’s residence.

When Master Zhineng noticed that Ye Chongming had brought loose tea, he was not surprised but rather curious.

He scooped up a handful of tea leaves and brought them to his nose to inhale their fragrance.

“Oh?” He looked up in astonishment at Ye Chongming. “Osmanthus fragrance?”

Ye Chongming smiled and nodded, then gestured toward Ye Yaming. “This was developed by my third granddaughter.”

Master Zhineng was also acquainted with Ye Hongsheng and greatly admired his tea-making skills. However, since tea-making was the Ye family’s closely guarded craft, he refrained from asking Ye Hongsheng for guidance, lest their friendship surpass the one he shared with Ye Chongming.

Knowing this, Ye Chongming had deliberately introduced Ye Yaming as Ye Hongsheng’s eldest daughter.

Master Zhineng was taken aback and took a closer look at Ye Yaming before nodding in approval. “A worthy daughter of a formidable father. For such a young lady to achieve this is truly remarkable.”

He turned and instructed a young novice, “Brew some quickly so we may taste it.”

Ye Chongming had brought Ye Yaming today not only to pay respects to Master Zhineng but also to showcase his granddaughter’s tea-brewing skills.

Seeing Master Zhineng call for the novice to prepare the tea, Ye Chongming glanced at Ye Yaming.

However, she shook her head slightly.

Though puzzled, Ye Chongming had grown accustomed to deferring to Ye Yaming’s judgment, knowing she must have her reasons. He set aside his thoughts and turned back to watch the novice brew the tea.

The subtle exchange between grandfather and granddaughter did not escape Master Zhineng’s notice. He glanced at Ye Chongming.

Master Zhineng hailed from the imperial family and was a fifth-degree cousin of the current emperor, making his status illustrious. However, he had been frail and sickly since childhood, nearly dying several times before the age of ten. A revered monk declared that he was destined for Buddhism, and to save his life, his parents sent him to become a monk.

Having renounced worldly ties, he grew weary of entertaining visitors who came with ulterior motives. Only those with unavoidable connections—distant relatives or acquaintances of his parents and family—were granted an audience.

Those who managed to meet him were invariably individuals of high status, which led to the popular saying, “Master Zhineng only associates with the nobility.”

Ye Chongming’s place in his circle was secured not only because the Ye family’s tea met his standards and Ye Chongming’s character was commendable but also because Ye Chongming understood propriety.

He never overstayed his welcome, visiting at most twice a year. Even then, he would send a formal request in advance and only come if Master Zhineng agreed to see him.

Unlike others who used temple visits as a pretext to “accidentally” intrude or plead with monks to arrange an introduction, and who persistently sent requests, their true aim was not the monk himself but the so-called “influential figures” around him.

To prevent Ye Chongming from developing such ambitions, Master Zhineng always met with him alone. On the rare occasions when he had to receive other guests, he would first dismiss Ye Chongming before doing so.