Ye Hongsheng was most fascinated with tea-making research. Upon hearing this, he couldn’t wait to try it out. The heat conduction properties of silver utensils differ from iron ones, as Ye Yaming explained to Ye Hongsheng. He then began to roast the tea.

He was already a tea-making master, and in these two years, his skill in roasting green tea had reached a consummate level. After Ye Yaming’s explanation, he handled the silver pot with great proficiency. Surprisingly, he succeeded on his first attempt, producing tea comparable to the highest quality he typically achieved with an iron pot.

“It works!” he exclaimed with delight.

From then on, he immersed himself in the joy of each roast being better than the last.

Ye Yaming also took a silver pot and began roasting tea nearby. However, she was very mindful of balancing work and rest, taking breaks after roasting each pot. By the end of the day, she had produced only a quarter of what Ye Hongsheng had made.

As a tea-making master, one could discern subtle differences by brewing and tasting the tea oneself.

So even though the newly roasted tea still had the so-called “fire energy,” and last year’s pre-rain tea had already become “aged tea,” Ye Hongsheng, during his breaks, brewed cups of his tea from last year, his newly roasted tea, and Ye Yaming’s roasted tea to sample them, clearly sensing the differences between them.

He sighed, “Yaming, your father still can’t match you.”

If he used a silver pot for roasting, he would naturally be better than Ye Yaming using an iron pot. But if they both used either iron or silver pots, he always fell short of Ye Yaming’s skill.

Immediately afterward, his face brightened with a smile: “But with a silver pot, no matter how talented that Qin Sixiang is, he can’t surpass me, let alone you.”

Ye Yaming replied, “We still need to recruit more apprentices. Only by taking on more apprentices can we select those with talent. We have so many tea mountains that even if we work ourselves to death, the two of us alone couldn’t produce much tea.”

In Huizhou and Minzhou, she had directly recruited over two hundred people to learn tea-making, but in the end, only a little over a hundred were successfully trained.

In this profession, the five senses were crucial.

Ye Hongsheng nodded in agreement.

…

After half a month on the mountain, when the pre-rain tea production was nearly complete, Yi Wu requested to see Ye Yaming.

“Has news arrived from Ma Yun?” Ye Yaming asked.

Yi Wu replied, “The young master has sent a message.”

After saying this, he did not continue.

Yi Wu was originally a small beggar who had collapsed in the street during a heavy snowfall. Lu Guanyi had rescued him and then had him learn martial arts from a master. He had a talent for martial arts and was a grateful person, earning Lu Guanyi’s trust, which was why Lu Guanyi had sent him to Ye Yaming’s side.

Having stayed with Ye Yaming for over a year, she had come to understand his character well. She trusted him quite a bit.

Ye Yaming understood his meaning and said to Zi Yuan and the others, “You all may leave.”

Once Zi Yuan and the others had retreated outside the door, leaving only the two of them in the room, Yi Wu finally said, “The Prince of Zhennan’s wife’s son has died.”

Ye Yaming’s pupils contracted as she frowned, waiting for Yi Wu to continue.

The Princess of Zhennan must be a formidable character; one could tell from how she maintained a composed face at a banquet the day after her son fell gravely ill.

And her son was her life’s treasure.

With her son dead, the Princess of Zhennan would surely go mad.

“In the past, although the Duke of Wei’s household had power and influence, only Madam Shi truly cared for the three siblings of Chu Zonghua. Madam Shi had also repeatedly caused trouble for the Princess of Zhennan on various occasions. Thus, the Princess of Zhennan had managed to bribe one of Madam Shi’s servant women. That servant’s son is now in the Princess of Zhennan’s hands.”

Ye Yaming’s expression changed slightly.

Yi Wu continued, “The young master says that the Princess of Zhennan’s ability to maintain her position in the prince’s household proves she is no simple character. With her son’s death, she will certainly seek revenge. She must look after her natal family, and her power alone is insufficient to bring death to the Chu Zonghua siblings. She might incite conflict between you, the young master, Madam Shi, and the second young master.”

Ye Yaming asked, “How has the young master been at the border recently? Has he had any conflicts with the second young master?”

Besides Yi Wu and Chen Xiu, Lu Guanyi had also dispatched a ten-person squad to protect her covertly. She believed these people surely had their methods of communication to pass messages between them.

Ma Yun could only gather street gossip; only Yi Wu and his people would know about the situation within the border military.

Indeed, Yi Wu replied, “The young master is well. He has had two conflicts with the second young master, both initiated by the second young master’s bullying. The Marquis is growing increasingly displeased with the second young master.”

Saying this, he smiled slightly.

Ye Yaming knew this must be Lu Guanyi deliberately appearing weak before Lu Zhongying.

Like Lu Zhongying, such a great hero would naturally pity the weak and small.

Naturally, between his two sons, Lu Guanyi had always been the pitiful one. Considering both his background and Lu Zhongying’s feelings for his first wife, Lu Zhongying emotionally leaned toward Lu Guanyi.

But Lu Guanyu had instantly transformed from an arrogant noble son to a homeless dog. His maternal family had been executed, his mother divorced, and he had become someone everyone avoided, with no prospects. His father, Lu Zhongying, would certainly feel sympathy for this son.

Lu Guanyi used to be bullied by Lu Guanyu, and if he now sought revenge, beating a drowning dog, Lu Zhongying would find it unacceptable. Conversely, if Lu Guanyu, having fallen to such a state, still maintained his arrogant nature and bullied his elder brother, that too would be unforgivable.

Given Lu Guanyi’s intelligence, and judging by Yi Wu’s demeanor, his “being bullied” was certainly an act.

Ye Yaming nodded, “So the young master is warning us to be careful?”

“Yes,” Yi Wu said, “The young master says that regardless of what news comes from the border, it cannot be trusted; it must be part of the young master’s strategy. He asks the madam not to worry, to take good care of herself, and not to panic and fall into others’ traps.”

“Additionally, he suggests that Madam respond to changing circumstances by remaining unchanging. There’s no need to do anything; just quietly await the outcome. He has everything under control, and madam needs only to protect herself.”

“Very well, I understand,” Ye Yaming nodded.

Previously, with no one to help her, she naturally had to rely on herself for everything. Now Lu Guanyi had both the intellect and capability; the chess pieces placed in various locations were his people, and his access to information from the capital and court was more convenient than hers. Moreover, she was pregnant, so there was indeed no need for her to overexert herself.

Protecting herself and the child in her womb was most important.

“There’s another piece of news. The Emperor intends to arrange a marriage between Princess Imperial Yu’an and the Marquis. After Qingming Festival, the imperial decree should be issued.”

Ye Yaming raised her eyebrows and smiled, “His Majesty is truly impatient.”

Princess Imperial Yu’an had observed mourning for a year, and just as she ended her mourning period, the Emperor had arranged her marriage.

She sighed and said, “I suppose this is a good thing.”

Without this arranged marriage, probably neither Princess Imperial Yu’an nor Lu Zhongying would remarry. Not having a companion in one’s later years would indeed be lonely.