To be honest, Shao Yunan looked up for a split second to see the clothes of whoever he didn’t know, please forgive him for being a bit thick. After a few seconds, he looked up to find faces and the first one he saw was a middle-aged man with a jade crown and a beard on his chin. This person was the Emperor, right? Shao Yunan looked at the man and then at the younger man sitting next to him. He couldn’t be sure who the Emperor was. Don’t the emperors on TV wear yellow robes? Where is the yellow robe?
“Shao Yunan.” Shao Yunan was stunned, recognizing the voice, and quickly shouted, “Your Majesty.” So, the one with the beard is the Emperor, and the one without the beard should be the Empress? However at this time the Old General spoke. “Shao Yunan, how old are you this year?” Shao Yunan looked over, showing a questioning look. Eunuch An on the side said, “This is the Old General.” Shao Yunan immediately stood up to bow. “Old General.”
“Sit down, sit down.” The Old General seemed a bit anxious and the eyes of the Old Lady and Old Sir were wandering on his face. The Old General asked again, “How old are you this year?”
“Uh…” Shao Yunan calculated. “17.”
“Exactly 17?” Wang Shijing quickly answered, “17 in nominal age, but the birthday hasn’t arrived yet.” The Old General hurriedly asked, “When is your birthday? In which year of Kangsheng were you born?”
What does he mean? Shao Yunan resisted the urge to look at Wang Shijing. Wang Shijing answered on his behalf. “He was born in the 32nd year of Kangsheng. As for the birthday, it’s said to be in August, but it’s not certain.”
Eunuch An explained on the side. “Emperor, Yunan was adopted and is not clear about his exact birthdate.” Wang Shijing added, “And his adopted parents probably don’t know either. The recorded birthdate is said to be false.”
Shao Yunan spoke. “I don’t know my exact birth date.” The Old General suddenly became emotional. They all knew that Shao Yunan was adopted, but they didn’t expect this possibility!
Seeing the excitement of the old official and the Old Lady, the Old General realized who it was, and there was no need to guess—the eyes of Shao Yunan narrowed slightly. What do these three people mean? Why ask about his exact birthdate?
The Empress suddenly trembled and Emperor Yongming also sensed something from the faces of the three old people, and he, too, trembled. “You…” The Old General uttered a word, but couldn’t continue. Shao Yunan waited for him to speak, as Wang Shijing gradually frowned.
The Empress finally spoke. “Yunan, this prince has heard that not only do you have Longjing green tea this year, but also black tea. Is that true?” The Empress changed the topic and the Old General hurriedly stabilized his emotions. The old official and the Old Lady still stared at Shao Yunan’s face, but they were also clearly trying to calm down.
Suppressing the questions in his heart, Shao Yunan nodded. “Yes. This year, there are two more black teas, Xiushui Qimen black tea and Dahongpao. Keemun black tea was discovered last year, but this kind of tea can only be harvested in spring, so it has been waiting until this year to be harvested. These two black teas are very expensive. After the production is completed, there is also storage for at least half a year before drinking, preferably storage for two years. I have already told Uncle An all the specific details. For these two black teas, I mean to go directly to the auction house.”
Uncle An nodded on the side. “Yunan has already handed everything over to this old servant.” The Empress praised. “I am fortunate to have such a talented person as you. It is the blessing of both myself and the Great Yan. I wonder, what is the difference between red tea and green tea? Why is there a distinction between red and green?”
When it came to his expertise, Shao Yunan immediately spoke confidently. He explained in detail the differences between red tea and green tea to the group as the Empress nodded approvingly.
“Thanks to you, otherwise, all the tea in the Great State of Yan would have been wasted. I can’t wait to taste this red tea.” Empress Qian Sui said. Shao Yunan modestly smiled. His smile caught the attention of the Old General and the Old Lady restrained herself from saying anything. Shao Yunan didn’t see their reactions, but Wang Shijing did, and so did Eunuch An.
“Your Majesty, Empress Qian Sui, everything has been brought in,” someone reported from outside. It was the steward who had left earlier. Emperor Yongming nodded and Eunuch An went out. Soon, Eunuch An returned. It was time to open the gifts.
The attitudes of the Emperor and Empress made Shao Yunan very comfortable. Both of them were very amiable and it seemed like he had chosen the right side to support. Shao Yunan brought many things and they couldn’t all be brought in at once, so the servants had to bring them in one by one. Most of what he brought was intended for the Grand General’s residence.
There were things like solid paste, honey pomelo tea, and honey red date tea, which had been sent before. Four cans of premium green tea, two cans of premium red tea, five jars of white wine, and ten jars of yellow wine. Five jars of strong liquor were specially given to the generals stationed on the border and were made from precious medicinal herbs brought by Brother Tiger from the mountains, such as wild ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, dendrobium, as well as deer antler, deer whip, peach gum, and more. Shao Yunan had mentioned that the golden silk chrysanthemum wasn’t ready for harvest yet, so he didn’t bring it.
It was heard that the Old General had been leading troops in battles for many years, stationed at the cold border for decades. Additionally, in the later years of the previous emperor, he had endured several years of imprisonment. His body had many visible and hidden injuries, and his legs were not in good condition. Therefore, Shao Yunan specially brewed two jars of medicinal wine for the Old General.
Wang Shijing made a blackwood handle for the Old General and a pair of blackwood fitness balls. For the Old Lady, it was a blackwood comb and a blackwood hairpin, adorned with a piece of jadeite. Of course, Wang Shijing didn’t make these combs and hairpins himself; he didn’t have that skill.
For the younger generation, such as Dai Mingrong, Wang Shijing prepared a blackwood sword for each male and a blackwood bead bracelet with 108 beads for each female. For the next generation, including Dai Zhanxiao, regardless of gender, each received a blackwood brush.
Shao Yunan had a blackwood tree, but what Wang Shijing brought back was just a section. It couldn’t be divided into large items for so many people, so each main family of the Grand General’s residence could have a small blackwood item. There were also the Old Imperial Tutor’s residence, Elder Cen side, and the biggest support, the Emperor and the Empress. Therefore, the section of blackwood that Wang Shijing brought back could barely meet the needs.
People of this era didn’t yet understand the value of blackwood and since this material was from the deep riverbed, unless there was a major earthquake to bring it up, it was challenging to extract. Everyone present was seeing this black wooden material for the first time. Shao Yunan explained that it was a treasure discovered by his family’s Brother Tiger.
Brother Tiger was a spirit beast, a tiger immortal, who particularly liked things with spiritual energy. When Brother Tiger found this piece of wood, he refused to leave without it so Shao Yunan and Shijing carried it back home. Everyone present knew that Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing had “raised” three tigers, but they didn’t know they were tiger immortals. Shao Yunan took the opportunity to mention the earthquake.
“Your Majesty, have you heard about the earthquake in our village?” Emperor Yongming nodded. “I sent King Luo Rong to investigate. King Luo only mentioned in his report that the magistrate of Yongxiu County would report the details to me in person.”
Shao Yunan said, “In fact, that earthquake was caused by Brother Tiger. As for why it happened, Your Majesty, you should hear the detailed report from my elder brother, Magistrate Jiang Kangning of Yongxiu County, in the court. This matter is significant, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive us for not speaking casually.” The expressions of those present were shaken. Emperor Yongming asked, “Are those three tigers truly tiger immortals?”
“Yes, at least Brother Tiger is. Many of the things we brought were found by Brother Tiger. The wild ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, deer antler, all were thanks to Brother Tiger. Also, the wild game I brought, some can only be found deep in the forest, and only Brother Tiger can catch them. Most importantly, the solid element paste, pomelo tea, etc., that I brought for Your Majesty and the Empress, used water from the immortal spring, which only Brother Tiger could find.”
Hiss… Emperor Yongming and the Old General felt a chill all over. Wang Shijing interjected. “Brother Tiger found this black wooden material and Yunan called it blackwood. We don’t know what kind of tree it is. If it weren’t for the earthquake in the mountains and forests, this wood might have stayed buried underground for a long time. Brother Tiger really liked this piece of wood; he wouldn’t leave without it. Yunan said that according to legend, there is a kind of wood that gathers the aura of the heaven and earth, absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, never rots for millions of years, and looks ugly, but is a divine wood that dispels evil and prolongs life. This wood, because it possesses spiritual energy, never appears unless the earth shakes. This piece of wood was discovered by Brother Tiger after the earthquake, and the more we look at it, the more we feel it is that kind of divine wood.”
Hiss, hiss… Shao Yunan hinted, “My father should have books that record this kind of divine wood. I read about it in my father’s books.” When he relaxed, Shao Yunan forgot that he had called himself a commoner, but no one reprimanded him. Emperor Yongming’s eyes brightened. “How much of this wood do you have left?” Wang Shijing said, “There is still a section left for Brother Tiger, the rest has been brought here.”
Emperor Yongming was now eager to know what Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan had prepared for him and the Empress. Shao Yunan, with a discerning look, said, “This wood was also discovered shortly before coming to the capital. After much consideration, Shijing and I didn’t know what to prepare for Your Majesty and the Empress. We didn’t want to give it to others to waste, so what we prepared for Your Majesty and the Empress is a section of the original wood. Your Majesty and the Empress can let the skilled craftsmen in the palace decide what would be suitable.” Emperor Yongming was very satisfied. “Good, very good. You two have considered it very well.”
To be honest, Shao Yunan looked up for a split second to see the clothes of whoever he didn’t know, please forgive him for being a bit thick. After a few seconds, he looked up to find faces and the first one he saw was a middle-aged man with a jade crown and a beard on his chin. This person was the Emperor, right? Shao Yunan looked at the man and then at the younger man sitting next to him. He couldn’t be sure who the Emperor was. Don’t the emperors on TV wear yellow robes? Where is the yellow robe?
“Shao Yunan.” Shao Yunan was stunned, recognizing the voice, and quickly shouted, “Your Majesty.” So, the one with the beard is the Emperor, and the one without the beard should be the Empress? However at this time the Old General spoke. “Shao Yunan, how old are you this year?” Shao Yunan looked over, showing a questioning look. Eunuch An on the side said, “This is the Old General.” Shao Yunan immediately stood up to bow. “Old General.”
“Sit down, sit down.” The Old General seemed a bit anxious and the eyes of the Old Lady and Old Sir were wandering on his face. The Old General asked again, “How old are you this year?”
“Uh…” Shao Yunan calculated. “17.”
“Exactly 17?” Wang Shijing quickly answered, “17 in nominal age, but the birthday hasn’t arrived yet.” The Old General hurriedly asked, “When is your birthday? In which year of Kangsheng were you born?”
What does he mean? Shao Yunan resisted the urge to look at Wang Shijing. Wang Shijing answered on his behalf. “He was born in the 32nd year of Kangsheng. As for the birthday, it’s said to be in August, but it’s not certain.”
Eunuch An explained on the side. “Emperor, Yunan was adopted and is not clear about his exact birthdate.” Wang Shijing added, “And his adopted parents probably don’t know either. The recorded birthdate is said to be false.”
Shao Yunan spoke. “I don’t know my exact birth date.” The Old General suddenly became emotional. They all knew that Shao Yunan was adopted, but they didn’t expect this possibility!
Seeing the excitement of the old official and the Old Lady, the Old General realized who it was, and there was no need to guess—the eyes of Shao Yunan narrowed slightly. What do these three people mean? Why ask about his exact birthdate?
The Empress suddenly trembled and Emperor Yongming also sensed something from the faces of the three old people, and he, too, trembled. “You…” The Old General uttered a word, but couldn’t continue. Shao Yunan waited for him to speak, as Wang Shijing gradually frowned.
The Empress finally spoke. “Yunan, this prince has heard that not only do you have Longjing green tea this year, but also black tea. Is that true?” The Empress changed the topic and the Old General hurriedly stabilized his emotions. The old official and the Old Lady still stared at Shao Yunan’s face, but they were also clearly trying to calm down.
Suppressing the questions in his heart, Shao Yunan nodded. “Yes. This year, there are two more black teas, Xiushui Qimen black tea and Dahongpao. Keemun black tea was discovered last year, but this kind of tea can only be harvested in spring, so it has been waiting until this year to be harvested. These two black teas are very expensive. After the production is completed, there is also storage for at least half a year before drinking, preferably storage for two years. I have already told Uncle An all the specific details. For these two black teas, I mean to go directly to the auction house.”
Uncle An nodded on the side. “Yunan has already handed everything over to this old servant.” The Empress praised. “I am fortunate to have such a talented person as you. It is the blessing of both myself and the Great Yan. I wonder, what is the difference between red tea and green tea? Why is there a distinction between red and green?”
When it came to his expertise, Shao Yunan immediately spoke confidently. He explained in detail the differences between red tea and green tea to the group as the Empress nodded approvingly.
“Thanks to you, otherwise, all the tea in the Great State of Yan would have been wasted. I can’t wait to taste this red tea.” Empress Qian Sui said. Shao Yunan modestly smiled. His smile caught the attention of the Old General and the Old Lady restrained herself from saying anything. Shao Yunan didn’t see their reactions, but Wang Shijing did, and so did Eunuch An.
“Your Majesty, Empress Qian Sui, everything has been brought in,” someone reported from outside. It was the steward who had left earlier. Emperor Yongming nodded and Eunuch An went out. Soon, Eunuch An returned. It was time to open the gifts.
The attitudes of the Emperor and Empress made Shao Yunan very comfortable. Both of them were very amiable and it seemed like he had chosen the right side to support. Shao Yunan brought many things and they couldn’t all be brought in at once, so the servants had to bring them in one by one. Most of what he brought was intended for the Grand General’s residence.
There were things like solid paste, honey pomelo tea, and honey red date tea, which had been sent before. Four cans of premium green tea, two cans of premium red tea, five jars of white wine, and ten jars of yellow wine. Five jars of strong liquor were specially given to the generals stationed on the border and were made from precious medicinal herbs brought by Brother Tiger from the mountains, such as wild ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, dendrobium, as well as deer antler, deer whip, peach gum, and more. Shao Yunan had mentioned that the golden silk chrysanthemum wasn’t ready for harvest yet, so he didn’t bring it.
It was heard that the Old General had been leading troops in battles for many years, stationed at the cold border for decades. Additionally, in the later years of the previous emperor, he had endured several years of imprisonment. His body had many visible and hidden injuries, and his legs were not in good condition. Therefore, Shao Yunan specially brewed two jars of medicinal wine for the Old General.
Wang Shijing made a blackwood handle for the Old General and a pair of blackwood fitness balls. For the Old Lady, it was a blackwood comb and a blackwood hairpin, adorned with a piece of jadeite. Of course, Wang Shijing didn’t make these combs and hairpins himself; he didn’t have that skill.
For the younger generation, such as Dai Mingrong, Wang Shijing prepared a blackwood sword for each male and a blackwood bead bracelet with 108 beads for each female. For the next generation, including Dai Zhanxiao, regardless of gender, each received a blackwood brush.
Shao Yunan had a blackwood tree, but what Wang Shijing brought back was just a section. It couldn’t be divided into large items for so many people, so each main family of the Grand General’s residence could have a small blackwood item. There were also the Old Imperial Tutor’s residence, Elder Cen side, and the biggest support, the Emperor and the Empress. Therefore, the section of blackwood that Wang Shijing brought back could barely meet the needs.
People of this era didn’t yet understand the value of blackwood and since this material was from the deep riverbed, unless there was a major earthquake to bring it up, it was challenging to extract. Everyone present was seeing this black wooden material for the first time. Shao Yunan explained that it was a treasure discovered by his family’s Brother Tiger.
Brother Tiger was a spirit beast, a tiger immortal, who particularly liked things with spiritual energy. When Brother Tiger found this piece of wood, he refused to leave without it so Shao Yunan and Shijing carried it back home. Everyone present knew that Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing had “raised” three tigers, but they didn’t know they were tiger immortals. Shao Yunan took the opportunity to mention the earthquake.
“Your Majesty, have you heard about the earthquake in our village?” Emperor Yongming nodded. “I sent King Luo Rong to investigate. King Luo only mentioned in his report that the magistrate of Yongxiu County would report the details to me in person.”
Shao Yunan said, “In fact, that earthquake was caused by Brother Tiger. As for why it happened, Your Majesty, you should hear the detailed report from my elder brother, Magistrate Jiang Kangning of Yongxiu County, in the court. This matter is significant, and I hope Your Majesty will forgive us for not speaking casually.” The expressions of those present were shaken. Emperor Yongming asked, “Are those three tigers truly tiger immortals?”
“Yes, at least Brother Tiger is. Many of the things we brought were found by Brother Tiger. The wild ginseng, lingzhi mushrooms, deer antler, all were thanks to Brother Tiger. Also, the wild game I brought, some can only be found deep in the forest, and only Brother Tiger can catch them. Most importantly, the solid element paste, pomelo tea, etc., that I brought for Your Majesty and the Empress, used water from the immortal spring, which only Brother Tiger could find.”
Hiss… Emperor Yongming and the Old General felt a chill all over. Wang Shijing interjected. “Brother Tiger found this black wooden material and Yunan called it blackwood. We don’t know what kind of tree it is. If it weren’t for the earthquake in the mountains and forests, this wood might have stayed buried underground for a long time. Brother Tiger really liked this piece of wood; he wouldn’t leave without it. Yunan said that according to legend, there is a kind of wood that gathers the aura of the heaven and earth, absorbs the essence of the sun and moon, never rots for millions of years, and looks ugly, but is a divine wood that dispels evil and prolongs life. This wood, because it possesses spiritual energy, never appears unless the earth shakes. This piece of wood was discovered by Brother Tiger after the earthquake, and the more we look at it, the more we feel it is that kind of divine wood.”
Hiss, hiss… Shao Yunan hinted, “My father should have books that record this kind of divine wood. I read about it in my father’s books.” When he relaxed, Shao Yunan forgot that he had called himself a commoner, but no one reprimanded him. Emperor Yongming’s eyes brightened. “How much of this wood do you have left?” Wang Shijing said, “There is still a section left for Brother Tiger, the rest has been brought here.”
Emperor Yongming was now eager to know what Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan had prepared for him and the Empress. Shao Yunan, with a discerning look, said, “This wood was also discovered shortly before coming to the capital. After much consideration, Shijing and I didn’t know what to prepare for Your Majesty and the Empress. We didn’t want to give it to others to waste, so what we prepared for Your Majesty and the Empress is a section of the original wood. Your Majesty and the Empress can let the skilled craftsmen in the palace decide what would be suitable.” Emperor Yongming was very satisfied. “Good, very good. You two have considered it very well.”
