Roasting tea depends entirely on feeling and experience. Previously, everyone didn’t notice much difference when making steamed green tea, but now the disparities were obvious.
“What about those who aren’t capable enough? They now know the process of making Longjing tea, but can’t become Longjing tea craftsmen. This might cause problems in the future,” Ye Chongming frowned.
“Moreover, more and more people are trying to spy on the Longjing tea-making method through various means. The tea garden is becoming increasingly dangerous.”
Since Longjing tea hit the market, the Ye family had been under enormous pressure. The tea factory had caught several spies trying to gather information in recent days.
Once everyone discovered that Longjing tea wasn’t being produced at the factory, they would quickly shift their attention to the Ye family tea garden.
Although the Ye family had already hired escorts from a security bureau to guard the tea garden perimeter, Ye Chongming was still worried.
If Ye Yaming hadn’t been summoned down the mountain by Old Lady Ye, Ye Chongming would have gone up the mountain today to discuss this issue with her.
“Let’s hold on for a while. I have a way to completely resolve this problem,” Ye Yaming reassured him.
“Really? That’s wonderful.” Ye Chongming’s brow relaxed, and his face broke into a smile.
“Send someone to deliver a message to Young Master Lu and Young Master Qi. If they’re available, I hope they can come to Lin’an,” said Ye Yaming.
“I’ll write a letter right away and send someone to deliver it.” Ye Chongming sat at his desk and began writing. After finishing the letter, he dispatched someone to the capital to deliver it.
A master can only guide the way; the practice depends on the individual. The disciples on the mountain had all mastered the method, but to make good tea, they still needed to practice more and gradually refine their skills. Moreover, with Ye Hongsheng watching over them on the mountain, Ye Yaming was in no hurry to go up.
She planned to rest well at home for a day.
The next day, after leisurely finishing breakfast and just as she was about to head up the mountain, someone came to report that Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji had arrived in Lin’an. They needed to go home to freshen up first before coming to the Ye residence.
“The Old Master was worried that you might have gone up the mountain, so he instructed me to notify you first,” said the teahouse assistant.
“Alright, I understand.” Ye Yaming returned to her room and changed out of her riding attire. She told Madam Guan, “We’re not going up the mountain today. You can go home for a visit if you’d like.”
Madam Guan shook her head, “No need. There’s nothing much to go back for.”
Her mother had passed away two years ago, leaving only her and her father to rely on each other. When Ye Yaming came down the mountain, Guan Canghai followed, and now both father and daughter were staying at the Ye residence.
Ye Yaming changed her clothes and went to the outer courtyard.
By then, Ye Chongming had returned from the teahouse and told Ye Yaming, “The guard sent to deliver the letter met Young Master Lu and Young Master Qi halfway and returned with them.”
As they were speaking, Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji arrived.
Qi Ji greeted Ye Chongming, then turned to Ye Yaming with a grin, “Congratulations to Miss Ye for producing such excellent tea as Longjing.”
“Congratulations to you as well,” Ye Yaming replied. “I invited you here today because I wanted to discuss this matter with you. Currently, the demand for Longjing tea exceeds the supply, and I plan to expand production. Are you two gentlemen interested in learning the tea-making method?”
Qi Ji’s eyes immediately lit up.
He looked toward Lu Guanyi.
Lu Guanyi smiled, “Of course we’re interested.”
“However, I should mention upfront that besides you two, I will also sell the tea-making method to others,” Ye Yaming said.
She turned to Ye Chongming, “Grandfather, this is my solution. The tea-making method is relatively simple. Rather than having people try every means to steal it, potentially endangering my father’s and my safety, it’s better to sell it directly.”
She turned to Lu Guanyi and said, “I’ll charge others thirty to fifty thousand taels of silver, but for you, it’s just ten thousand taels.”
Before Lu Guanyi and Qi Ji could respond, Ye Chongming became anxious, “Yaming, it’s fine with Young Master Lu and Young Master Qi since they’re our people. But shouldn’t we wait before selling to others? Our family still hopes to make Longjing an imperial tribute tea.”
At this point, he looked at Lu Guanyi, “Young Master Lu, is there hope?”
Lu Guanyi nodded, “There’s great hope. The Emperor truly enjoys your tea.”
The compressed tea cakes with added borneol fragrance made one feel stuffy and uncomfortable when consumed. Additionally, as the Emperor was advanced in age and typically favored meat dishes, he drank tea to achieve refreshment and aid digestion, but those tea cakes only made him feel worse.
As for the loose leaf tea of the past, the Emperor always complained about its bitterness and poor taste, and didn’t like it.
When Longjing tea was presented, its fresh fragrance immediately greeted the nose. With its refreshing and mellow taste, it left the mouth and tongue moistened, had a noticeable sweet aftertaste, and a lingering finish. The Emperor fell in love with it instantly.
However, for a tea to become imperial tribute wasn’t a simple matter. Officials from the Imperial Household Department would need to come and inspect; the raw materials and production process had to be clean and hygienic; the producers must have a clean family background; and both the quantity and quality had to be stable, with a certain amount supplied year after year.
It wouldn’t do to supply it this year and then claim there was none the next. The Emperor wouldn’t want to behead someone just for a cup of tea, earning a reputation as a tyrant. So this matter required caution.
If not for this reason, the Emperor might have immediately decreed Longjing tea as imperial tribute.
But these words, he couldn’t easily share with the Ye family.
“You see? We haven’t yet become an imperial tribute tea, and you’re already selling the tea-making method for thirty or fifty thousand taels of silver. What if others take our place?” Ye Chongming’s face had reddened with anxiety.
Seeing the old man so agitated, Ye Yaming quickly comforted him, “Don’t worry, Grandfather. Not only is our Ye family already known to the Emperor as the authentic source of Longjing tea, but also, when it comes to tea-making techniques, who would teach others their most treasured skills? Would I not keep some secrets to myself? So rest assured, if Longjing tea can become an imperial tribute, I can guarantee it will be our Ye family, alright?”
“Really?”
“Really!”
Ye Chongming looked at Ye Yaming with suspicion, still somewhat doubtful.
It wasn’t that he was overly suspicious, nor that Ye Yaming was unreliable. As someone from a tea family background, while he might not be exceptionally skilled in tea production, he could at least discern the tea-making process and judge the quality of the tea infusion.
He could see that the tea-making method Ye Yaming taught those disciples was identical to what she taught Ye Hongsheng, without any reservations. Among that group, some occasionally performed exceptionally well, producing tea that tasted no different from Ye Hongsheng’s or even Ye Yaming’s, like Zhao Daquan.
“Are you wondering why I taught everyone the same method? That’s because I haven’t used my secret techniques yet,” Ye Yaming smiled.
“Our Longjing tea already surpasses other teas with its current quality. The secret techniques won’t be revealed just yet. When others have learned and want to compete with us for imperial tribute status, that’s when I’ll bring them out. Besides, it’s easy to go from simple to luxurious, but difficult to go from luxurious to simple. Tea must be gradually improved to consistently earn the Emperor’s praise.”
Ye Chongming’s cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, “Really? There are still secret techniques?”
“Of course,” Ye Yaming smiled. “When have you ever seen me act unreliably, blocking my path for a bit of silver?”