An hour later.
The crowds at the market gradually dispersed.
Tao Xianzhi watched the foreign tribesmen finish off every last drop of the dairy tea while leaning against the edge of the empty tea cauldron, his smile so wide he couldn’t close his mouth.
Pu Ling and Hu Yunshan were busy packing away the tea-whisking utensils. Although essential for a tea ceremony, these tools have seen little use today. The foreign tribesmen were rugged and unconstrained, unaccustomed to the delicate objects of the Central Plains; some of the more hulking, fierce men looked as though they might swallow the tiny tea cups whole, which had frightened Tao Xianzhi into buying several large bowls on the spot for those coming to taste and inquire.
They had reaped a bountiful harvest this time. This harvest did not simply refer to how much silver they had earned; on the contrary, while they were distributing the tea, many tribesmen wanted to buy the tea leaves in Tao Xianzhi’s hands at a high price. Not only did Tao Xianzhi refuse to sell, but he specifically mentioned that many types of tea from the Central Plains were not expensive and were the most common items found in ordinary households as well.
Lord Xu was somewhat puzzled by this approach. They had come here specifically to do business, so why would they not only lower their own prices when business came knocking but also reject orders from others?
Tao Xianzhi was currently using the paper and brush he had just bought to record the tastes and preferences of the majority of the tribespeople.
Tea comes in countless forms, and it is hard to satisfy everyone. Some prefer it sweet, others salty; some enjoy a deep brown tea brewed from coarse, aged leaves, while others favor a lighter hue, unwilling to let the tea overpower the natural sweetness of fresh milk.
Once he finished writing, Lord Xu came over and asked why he didn’t sell the tea right there in the street.
Young Master Tao set down his brush and said with a shrewd look, “The journey to these foreign lands is long. How can one survive in the retail business? Rather than selling tea household by household like this, it is better to go straight for a big deal.”
Lord Xu asked, “What do you mean by a ‘big deal’?”
Tao Xianzhi looked around cautiously, and seeing no bystanders. He leaned in and whispered into Lord Xu’s ear, “Naturally, we must find that Third Prince Xiao. I have already inquired thoroughly; the Third Prince has just suppressed internal unrest and is currently consolidating his position, making it essential for him to win over the hearts of the people. Once the Tea Competition is over, we shall invite him out and let him see for himself how much his subjects adore these dairy tea products. Then, we give him the opportunity to win their favor by having him personally order tea through the Procurement Bureau. In this way, wouldn’t numerous individual customers become one long-term, major customer? We would also face fewer complications; once he orders the tea, how it is bought or sold is entirely up to him; we simply need to supply the tea.”
Being a mere military man, Lord Xu understood little of such business strategies that turned fragments into a whole. He only knew that if Xiao Heng ordered tea through the Procurement Bureau, the tea ordered might not necessarily be from the Tao family. Thus, he asked, “If that is the case, what becomes of you?”
Tao Xianzhi replied, “It makes no difference whose tea is ordered. As long as we can spread Central Plains tea throughout the foreign tribes, why concern ourselves with whose enterprise it belongs to? To the foreign tribes, it all goes by one name anyway; they can’t distinguish which is from the Tao family and which is from the Fang family. When the time comes that they take ‘Floating Clouds Emerging from the Mountains’ or ‘Auspicious Carved Lotus’ and dare to break them into pieces to toss into milk, just thinking about it makes my heart bleed!”
Lord Xu had not expected such a vision from a merchant and could not help but cup his hands in a respectful gesture. “It was my own narrow perspective; I did not realize Master Tao possessed such breadth of mind.”
Tao Xianzhi hurriedly returned the gesture with a “hehe” laugh. “It isn’t that my mind is so broad. To be honest, I hadn’t thought of this before coming here either. It was primarily because Fang Zesheng sought me out for a talk and asked me to think more along these lines. After all, if the Imperial Family’s business grows large and successful, how could we small tea suppliers ever end up at a loss?”
Once Lord Xu became well-acquainted with Tao Xianzhi and the others, he frequently heard the name Fang Zesheng mentioned. Knowing that he suffered legs ailment yet had exceptional tea-whisking skills, he had long wished to meet him; now, his eagerness had only grown. However, the journey home was long; it would be at least three months before a meeting could occur and perhaps even longer if they encountered the same harsh, freezing weather as they had on the way here.
Lord Xu kept this in mind, thinking that once they returned to Chuzhou, he must have a chat with the Head Merchant Fang. Little did he expect that upon returning to Xiao Heng’s residence with Tao Xianzhi and the others, he would see an unfamiliar face in the courtyard where they were staying.
“Master!?”
Just as Hu Yunshan stepped into the courtyard entrance, he saw Fu Jingxuan supporting Fang Zesheng as they walked toward the house. He rushed over and asked, “How did you get here?!”
Fang Zesheng greeted him as Young Master Hu and said, “You all have been gone for a long time, so I came to take a look.”
Tao Xianzhi also came running over. Seeing him standing on both legs, he asked in astonishment, “You can stand now?!”
Fang Zesheng gave a slight nod without saying much. Seeing Lord Xu among the group, he cupped his hands in greeting.
Lord Xu hurriedly returned the gesture and raised his hand to invite him into the flower hall to talk.
Fang Zesheng’s arrival this time was indeed to fetch Fu Jingxuan. He had earlier received a letter from Lord Zhang detailing the exact time Fu Jingxuan and the others would return home, so he set out early to meet them along the road. Unexpectedly, the journey had been exceptionally smooth; he had entered the capital of Linhuang Prefecture before they even began their return, allowing him not only to meet them but also to stay for a few days to observe the matters of the tea competition as well.
Inside the flower hall.
The group sat in a circle around a low table discussing the matter.
Pu Ling spoke up: “Word came from Xiao Heng’s side that the Tea Competition will be held in three days. I was originally quite nervous, but seeing the Head Merchant arrive, it feels like I’ve instantly found my pillar of support; I’m not so afraid anymore.”
Hu Yunshan nodded. “It just so happens that Pu Ling and I encountered a difficult problem that we haven’t been able to solve. We’ll need Master to take a look later and see at which step things are going wrong.”
Seeing how cautious the two were, Tao Xianzhi also began to feel nervous. “I heard that Xiao Heng studied tea in our state for many years and that his whisking skills are exceptional. What if we lose this time?”
Pu Ling, already fearful, felt his briefly relaxed mood tighten again upon hearing this. “Besides Xiao Heng, there seem to be two other foreign tea masters as well. I happened to catch a glimpse of them the other day; they were rather arrogant and even… actually said that our Central Plains tea culture was merely ‘so-so’ and not worth mentioning.”
Tao Xianzhi frowned. “Did that really happen?”
Pu Ling nodded weakly and said in a small voice, “Those two foreign tea masters are tall and sturdy, standing two heads taller than me. Their eyes are fierce and wicked. I’m truly afraid that if I face them during the competition, I’ll make some kind of mistake.”
Pu Ling’s concern was not without reason. Whisking tea demands absolute calm of mind; one must measure the timing, the froth, and the exactness of the kettle to pour. If there is even a slight error during the process, one must start all over again. While competition in the Central Plains might offer a second chance, they were currently in a foreign land and did not know if the rules might be changed.
Although Hu Yunshan was somewhat stronger than Pu Ling, he also harbored some concern, saying sullenly, “Xiao Heng’s skills are indeed excellent. That day when I was whisking tea alone, he came over to watch. Not only did he point out a mistake of mine, but he also showed me the correct technique…”
Tao Xianzhi was greatly shocked. “Why didn’t you two bring something like this to the table for us to discuss?!”
Hu Yunshan already felt embarrassed, and hearing Tao Xianzhi’s intent to blame them made him feel even more defiant. He couldn’t help but say loudly, “Who were the two of us supposed to tell! Our Mistress has been beside himself with worry all day, while Lord Xu is a military man, and you spend all day whining about nothing but being homesick. Even if we asked you, you wouldn’t understand either, so why waste our breath!”
“You!”
Tao Xianzhi also had the temper of a young master; he slapped the table and stood up. He intended to snap back, but before he could speak, he saw three people walking in through the door. At the head was Xiao Heng, flanked by two tall, burly men; likely the foreign tea masters Pu Ling had mentioned.
These two had clearly heard the argument just now, and their eyes were filled with nothing but contempt.
Having learned of Fang Zesheng’s arrival, Xiao Heng had come specifically to see him. During his youth studying tea in the Central Plains, he had long heard of Fang Zesheng’s name and had always wanted to find an opportunity to compete with him. Seeing him now, he felt somewhat disappointed. Noticing the cane by the low table, he took a seat opposite him and smiled, saying, “Young Master Fang has traveled from afar; please forgive my inadequate welcome.”
Fang Zesheng raised his eyes slightly and cupped his hands. “Greetings, Third Prince Xiao.”
Xiao Heng waved aside his formal courtesies while glancing at Fu Jingxuan by his side and the fuming Tao Xianzhi and Hu Yunshan before letting out an involuntary sigh.
Seeing this expression, Tao Xianzhi felt even more indignant. That look suggested they were a pack of useless fools who had wasted his anticipation for so long; it seemed it would have been better to let them go home early and save the time spent preparing for this pointless tea session!
Young Master Tao had been about to retort with a reckless jest, but when he lowered his eyes to glance at the people around him, he couldn’t help rubbing his nose and sinking back onto his cushion sheepishly. It wasn’t entirely fair to blame Xiao Heng for looking down on them; the tea masters in this room were indeed looking a bit unkempt. Fang Zesheng was travel-worn and weathered while Fu Jingxuan was covered in stubble, looking utterly haggard. Hu Yunshan was flushing red from their confrontation, and Pu Ling was clutching his hands so tightly he accidentally revealed several red marks; whether frostbite or burns, he had been enduring them in silence, looking nothing like someone fit to compete.
Tao Xianzhi thought to himself that they were finished, intending to wait for Xiao Heng to leave before discussing a strategy with Fu Jingxuan and the others.
Xiao Heng then noticed the injury on Pu Ling’s hand and said considerately, “I see that Master Pu likely cannot lift a kettle. Since Young Master Fang arrived today, how about he takes his place in the competition?”
Fang Zesheng was slightly taken aback and turned his head to look at Fu Jingxuan.
Fu Jingxuan was also looking at him; his brow deeply furrowed in apparent worry.
Xiao Heng had always been very attentive to Central Plains tea affairs and naturally knew that the Fang family had fallen into decline after some troubles in recent years. Seeing Fang Zesheng today, dusty from travel, gaunt, impaired, and dispirited, only reinforced his belief that this man was broken and no longer a threat. Furthermore, seeing Fu Jingxuan repeatedly shaking his head at Fang Zesheng, signaling him to refuse quickly, made Xiao Heng certain that he was merely a useless empty shell. He spoke up hurriedly, “If Young Master Fang has no objections, then it is settled. Three days from now, we shall meet at Zhaorong Terrace to determine the victor.”
Having said this, he hurriedly left the room with the two brawny foreign tea masters, fearing Fang Zesheng might regain his senses and speak up to decline.
After he departed, Tao Xianzhi blinked, drew a folding fan from his thick cloak, waved it a few times, and muttered in disbelief, “How could such a stroke of good fortune even occur?”
