Several steeds galloped out from within the city gates of Linhuang Prefecture with several figures seated upon their backs.
The man leading them was clad in a purple robe and mink coat with wolf-fur boots upon his feet. Catching sight of the Central Plains carriages stopped a li outside the city. He whipped his horse forward and shouted loudly to the leader of the escort, “Lord Xu!”
The commander of the escort who had accompanied Fu Jingxuan and the others held a significant official rank; he was a Deputy Commissioner under the Imperial Guard. Hearing the shout, he hastily swung down from his horse, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting. “Xu greets Third Prince Xiao.”
This Third Prince Xiao was the Northern Territory royalty who had invited the Central Plains tea masters for the competition; his name was Xiao Heng, a man in his early twenties with a rugged and hardy foreign countenance.
He and Lord Xu had met several times in the capital and were considered acquaintances. Once Lord Xu had performed his salutations, Xiao Heng also dismounted, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed heartily. “It has been a hard journey; I have finally looked forward to your arrival.”
In the present day, the Central Plains stood as the leader of all lands. When special envoys from the Central Plains visited surrounding minor kingdoms, they were not required to perform kneeling prostrations before the local royalty. Although kneeling was unnecessary, etiquette could not be lacking. Hearing the commotion outside, Fu Jingxuan and the others lifted the carriage curtains and dismounted one by one to meet this foreign prince.
The feast of wine and meat had already been laid out. Xiao Heng gave a nod to the tea masters and invited them to enter the city.
Linhuang Prefecture had been established as a capital for less than five years; its city walls and streets were mostly modeled after the imperial capital of the Central Plains. Yet while the architecture was similar, the lifestyle and customs differed greatly from Central Plains’ culture. There were no wooden chairs or round tables inside the flower hall; cushions and low desks were placed on the floor, requiring one to dine while kneeling or sitting cross-legged.
Xiao Heng and Lord Xu sat at the head of the hall while Fu Jingxuan and Tao Xianzhi sat at a side table with Pu Ling and Hu Yunshan opposite them.
During the meal, Tao Xianzhi adjusted his seat on the cushion five or six times; sitting like this left his legs numb, the discomfort much like being shut in the ancestral hall by his grandfather to copy texts. He had initially been brimming with curiosity, eager to take in the customs of this foreign land, but one gulp of the liquor; sharp as a burning blade, snuffed out all his enthusiasm at once. With tears in his eyes, he muttered, “How is this even stronger than Lord Xu’s brew? How is anyone supposed to drink it?”
Seated beside him, Fu Jingxuan looked at the table laden with mutton and beef and likewise found himself unable to begin. He had never been particularly picky about food, yet after spending so long with Fang Zesheng, he had gradually grown a bit like him.
Fang Zesheng preferred lighter fare, leaning toward vegetarian dishes; even when meat was served, it could not be overly oily, heavily spiced, or rich in salt or sugar either. He had been this way since childhood, and nothing has changed even now. Yet there was one thing Fu Jingxuan could never make sense of: by all reasoning, Fang Zesheng favored light, delicate flavors, and yet he had a fondness for buying pastries so sweet they were almost cloying. Fu Jingxuan often found them hard to swallow; every time he finished a sugar-laden “fried sesame balls,” he had to gulp down two pots of fresh water just to survive; otherwise, the excessive sweetness was so uncomfortable he would lie in bed all night searching for water.
As Tao Xianzhi continued to grumble under his breath, Fu Jingxuan shot him a glance, then picked up a piece of dry-roasted mutton with his chopsticks and set it on his plate. Meanwhile, he listened to the exchange between the Third Prince and Lord Xu, his brows slowly drawing together the longer he listened. Taking advantage of a gap when the two set down their wine cups, he asked, “Based on what the Third Prince just said, the few of us must wait in your country for three months before we can engage in the tea competition with you?”
Xiao Heng nodded upon hearing his question.
Tao Xianzhi was startled. He had been so preoccupied with shifting his feet that he hadn’t clearly heard the conversation between Xiao Heng and Lord Xu. He now asked urgently, “Why must we wait three months?”
Xiao Heng did not say much to him, merely informing them nonchalantly that he was currently dealing with a family matter. Since this matter arose just as they were nearing the capital, it would have been inappropriate to turn them back; thus, he had no choice but to have them stay in the capital for a short while. Once he had finished this busy period, he would prepare for the tea competition.
What “family matters” could there be within a royal family? It was nothing more than a struggle for political power. Such matters could be large or small, and their duration could be short or long. Although Xiao Heng spoke of only three months, if something serious were to happen, the time they might be stranded here could easily stretch far beyond that.
After the banquet concluded, Fu Jingxuan and the others stayed with Lord Xu at Xiao Heng’s residence.
This was also Lord Xu’s first visit to a foreign land, and he had not expected to encounter such a situation. Equally worried, he sat in the arranged bedroom with Fu Jingxuan and the others to discuss the specifics.
“What should we do?” Tao Xianzhi paced in an anxious circle. Though he did not understand politics, he had read history books regarding imperial disputes. Xiao Heng claimed it was just a family matter, but his family’s affairs could very well spark national turmoil! It would be a terrible bargain if they lost their lives in a real war before the tea battle even took place.
Lord Xu hurried to reassure him, “Even if war breaks out here, it will not threaten our safety either. We are honored guests of the foreign state. Even if Third Prince Xiao falls behind in the struggle, the other royals would still return us unharmed. Master Tao, there is no need to worry about this.”
This point was indeed true. Among the regulations for diplomatic relations between the surrounding minor states and the Imperial Court, the very first article stated that no imperial subject must be harmed; any violation would result in certain execution. Furthermore, there were many matters in which these frozen northern lands relied on the Imperial Court’s assistance. They would never dare to provoke a conflict between two nations over internal political affairs. If any foreign tribe dared to harm an imperial subject or challenge the imperial majesty, they would be seeking their own destruction and facing the catastrophe of clan extermination.
Hu Yunshan said, “Then must we simply sit and wait like this?”
Lord Xu pondered for a long time before letting out a sigh. They had arrived at the summons of duty; since Xiao Heng had no plans to let them depart, leaving now would only mean returning again once the Xiao family’s matters were settled. Spending all their time traveling back and forth was hardly a wise move.
“Please, remain calm, everyone.” Lord Xu said. “Tomorrow, I will first send a letter to the capital requesting Lord Zhang of the Procurement Bureau to report this matter to His Majesty. We shall decide our next step based on the outcome.”
Spring’s fresh greens and the red of willows yielded to summer’s heat and seasonal breezes; in a fleeting moment, autumn’s golden hues drifted into the waters, and another year of frost and snow descended.
Today, the first snow of winter fell upon Chuzhou City. A thin layer of snowflakes blanketed into the inner courtyard of the Fang residence, looking as if a new garment had been draped over the elegant residence.
Fang Zesheng sat at the desk in his study flipping through all the ledgers from this year since the Fang family re-entered the tea market. The stack was substantial, marking a several-fold growth compared to the years under Wang Xiuhe’s leadership. While still short of the Fang family’s peak prosperity, they had clearly emerged from their darkest days. With just a few years of steady growth, they would surely be able to catch up.
Apart from him, several members of the Fang clan were also seated in the study. Fang Changrong had returned from He County with his children and grandchildren and had been assisting Fang Zesheng with managing the storefronts. “The order sheets on Fang Yu’s side are already full. Since the quality of the newly produced ‘Carved Lotus’ has rebounded, many old patrons have returned to order tea. There are also many new accounts he hasn’t accepted yet; he’s concerned that with your high standards, if the harvest of next year’s spring buds is insufficient, it would be bad to delay the orders from the Procurement Bureau.”
Fang Yu was Fang Zesheng’s paternal cousin. Originally, he had been a useless fellow much like Fu Jingye, but after experiencing the ordeal with Wang Xiuhe, he had returned to the business and learned to settle his mind by applying himself to the work. Besides him, all the uncles and relatives of the Fang family had united to support one another. Though it remained uncertain whether this unity would last, at least for the coming years, it was not something Fang Zesheng needed to concern himself with.
Fang Changrong mentioned a few more miscellaneous matters before glancing at the crutch leaning by the desk and then at the wide-backed chair Fang Zesheng was currently occupying.
That chair had no wheels; the wheeled one had long since been pushed into the storage warehouse by the mute uncle, untouched for a long time.
Ever since Fang Zesheng became able to stand, he had never sat back in the wheelchair. No matter how much it pained him to walk, he refused to rely on that object again.
At that moment, the snow in the courtyard grew heavier. Zhou Qi, who was holding a letter, came jogging into the study and said excitedly, “Head Merchant! Lord Zhang has sent a reply!”
Fang Zesheng’s hand paused; he quickly set down the ledger and tore open the letter Zhou Qi handed him.
Fang Changrong could likely guess the contents of the letter and followed up by asking, “Is there news?”
Fang Zesheng read the letter word by word and then placed it on the table, remaining silent for a long time.
“Uncle.”
“How is it?”
Fang Zesheng said, “Complete the current orders first next year and devote your attention mainly to selecting spring buds. The goal is not the quantity of tea, but the pursuit of perfection. You worked with my father for many years and understand his standards; in the months ahead, I will need to rely on you to manage more of the family’s affairs.”
Fang Changrong asked, “And what about you?”
Fang Zesheng looked at the fresh snow outside the window. “I am going on a long journey to welcome my wife.”
