“Heavens! Longjing tea has become tribute tea.”

“Come on, let’s go taste it.”

Upon hearing this news, the people of Lin’an City flocked to Ji Xiang Tower to taste the Longjing tea.

This tea had always been sold exclusively at the Ji Xiang Tower in the Capital City and Lin’an City. Moreover, purchases were limited to two jin per person. Compared to other loose teas, even the summer and autumn harvests remained quite expensive.

Therefore, except for wealthy people with leisure time or those who particularly loved tea, others only heard about it but never tried it.

“With that money, wouldn’t it be better to buy a few jin of meat to eat?”

But once the title of “tribute tea” emerged, people with a little money all wanted to try it, so they wouldn’t appear ignorant when others asked about it.

Thus, Ji Xiang Tower was once again packed with customers, surpassing even the crowds when the osmanthus tea was first introduced.

The tea merchants of Lin’an City grew worried.

Ye family’s Longjing tea was only sent to the Emperor’s table this spring. I think that, at the very least, they should wait until next spring to offer tribute again. Only if the Emperor drinks it and still enjoys it should it become tribute tea, right? How has it become tribute tea so soon? It doesn’t make sense.”

“What does this indicate? It shows the Ye family has someone backing them.”

“Hasn’t the Ye family gone many years without finding any powerful patron? How have they suddenly risen now?”

An elderly gentleman named Jin Baoshan, who had previously been on good terms with Ye Chongming and wanted to strengthen his relationship with the Ye family, spoke up: “Weren’t they forced into this position? How many difficulties did the Ye family experience last year? You all know about it, don’t you? First, someone surnamed Meng came from the Capital City intending to kill all the male members of the Ye family. Later, the Yang family opposed them. Just when those two families were finally imprisoned, their grandson-in-law, who had passed the provincial examinations, caused trouble by breaking off the engagement and wrote forbidden poetry that landed him in prison.”

“After experiencing so many troubles and producing a Longjing tea that works like a settling basin, wouldn’t anyone seek a powerful patron? Last year, not only the Ye family’s eldest master but also the second master went to the Capital City and stayed for quite some time. They probably went there to find a patron.”

Everyone nodded, strongly agreeing with these words.

“Do you know what patron they found?” someone asked.

Jin Baoshan shook his head. “This I don’t know. The Ye family has never been ostentatious. They don’t speak of it, so I couldn’t keep asking.”

He had indeed asked Ye Chongming, but Ye Chongming had only smiled and changed the subject. He understood that others didn’t want to discuss this matter, so naturally, he didn’t press further.

“Do you think their patron might be connected to the Ye family’s third daughter’s marriage arrangement?”

Hearing this, everyone had a moment of realization: “Yes, yes, it must be that.”

Many people had curiously inquired about the third daughter’s marriage arrangement, but no one had learned the details. This had raised everyone’s curiosity to the highest point. In Lin’an City, some people had even started placing bets on what the Ye family’s marriage arrangement entailed.

A fifth-rank official, a noble, with the Ye family’s reputation and the second master’s extreme love for his daughter, the prospective son-in-law should be quite impressive. Yet the entire Ye household remained tight-lipped, avoiding the topic as if the match were somehow embarrassing. How could this not make everyone itch with curiosity?

However, despite discussing this matter repeatedly, they couldn’t reach any conclusion. Even now, knowing that the marriage might be related to the tribute tea status didn’t help much.

“Let’s put that aside. The Ye family’s marriage arrangements and tribute tea status are not our concern. I’m only worried that with such powerful backing and the tribute tea title, the Ye family will reserve large quantities of raw tea this year. When that happens, our shares will surely be squeezed.”

Hearing this, everyone was suddenly alarmed. “Surely not?”

“Why wouldn’t they?”

Everyone fell silent.

In their position, they would do the same. What better time to expand the business than now? No matter how kind-hearted the Ye family might be, they weren’t running a charity. As businesspeople, they would naturally pursue profit wherever possible. Would they consider others’ interests and make way for them?

One merchant with a weaker disposition had tears in his eyes: “Business is becoming increasingly difficult. Everyone knows this industry has generous profits, so they all rush in, only hindered by the lack of tea-making formulas. Recently, the Ye family spread rumors about selling the secret formula for Longjing tea, which has attracted people from the Capital City to Lin’an. Do we have any path forward?”

“Exactly, exactly.” As he spoke, many people echoed his sentiments.

Another person indignantly added: “So much for ‘kind-hearted’! The Ye family is cutting off all our paths, not letting us proceed.”

At that moment, a familiar voice sounded from outside: “Are you all here to criticize me, Ye? If not for you people sending others to use various underhanded methods, trying to obtain my Ye family’s tea-making secrets without spending a single coin, would I have been forced to sell the formula?”

Everyone looked toward the voice and saw Ye Chongming entering with a grim expression. Behind him followed a beautiful young woman of sixteen or seventeen. Judging by her attire, she was a mistress rather than a servant.

Why had the head of the Ye Tea Guild come? And who was the woman with him?

“Chongming, why have you come?” Jin Baoshan quickly stood up with an awkward smile.

To avoid Ye Chongming, they had gathered neither at Ji Xiang Tower nor at the tea guild’s courtyard, but at a teahouse owned by a tea merchant surnamed Ma. They had come specifically to discuss how to deal with the Ye family.

Unexpectedly, Ye Chongming was so well-informed that he had come directly to confront them.

Over the years, Ye Chongming had treated everyone well. Whenever anyone encountered difficulties, he would help if he could, maintaining good relationships. Even when he faced financial troubles, although everyone had different thoughts, no one had openly opposed him.

Now that they were directly confronting each other, even those who hadn’t tried to steal the Ye family’s tea-making secrets felt uncomfortable.

Seeing Jin Baoshan stand up, everyone else also rose, forcing smiles onto their faces.

Regardless of their true thoughts or the harsh words they had just spoken, they dared not offend the Ye family to their face.

The current Ye family was not the same as before. Previously, Yang Hongwei might have replaced Ye Chongming as the guild head. Now, with the Ye family’s rise in status, Ye Chongming’s position as guild head was firmly secured.

As long as he lived, with the prestigious title of tribute tea, he could maintain his position for many years.

As Ye Chongming walked toward the head seat, he said: “Why have I come? If I hadn’t, some people would continue their underhanded tactics, forcing my Ye family to sell our secrets, while openly condemning me from a position of moral superiority.”

When Ye Yaming initially proposed selling the formula, they had held back. Only when Lu Guanyi came to discuss marriage did she allow news about selling the formula to spread.

Later, when Lu Guanyi asked Master Zhineng to deliver the betrothal gifts, it truly intimidated a group of petty thieves—the timid ones backed off. However, several bolder ones persisted. If not for Ye Yaming hiring idle men and ruffians as informants, and hiring armed escorts to guard the secrets, someone might have succeeded in stealing them.

At that time, the formula was still not released for sale. Besides allowing Ye Hongchang to teach the apprentices who were working with Lu Qi, so that both parties could profit from the summer and autumn tea harvests, Ye Yaming was also using this opportunity to investigate who was so bold as to persist in their attempts even after the Ye family had demonstrated they had powerful backing.

And these people were all present today.