Chapter 46: The Women of Huangjing

Chapter 46

The Women of Huangjing

Before Nie Shuang could go out to greet him, Kang Wang had already stepped inside. Dressed in pristine white, his mere presence seemed to brighten the entire room. The merchants all bowed in respect as he stopped before Nie Shuang, and his attendant handed her a gift box.

"Lady Boss, that box of your Hong Bao tea is nearly finished. Today, I intend to purchase another fifty jin. Besides keeping some for myself, I plan to send some to the royal palace. You can spare that amount, can’t you?"

Well...he wasted no time getting down to business. Nie Shuang smiled broadly, barely able to contain her joy, and quickly agreed.

"Of course, Your Highness, I’ll have my staff prepare it right away. You can have your people pick it up whenever it suits you."

She then invited him to sit in a suitable spot and poured him a cup of Hong Bao tea. The fragrant aroma filled the air as the maids brought out tea for the guests. Kang Wang lifted his cup with grace, steam rising to partially obscure his calm, elegant face. Today, his hair was tied up and secured with a white jade guan[1]. From the side, one could admire the sharp bridge of his nose and his downcast, almond-shaped eyes.

Merely watching Kang Wang drink tea gave the merchants a sense of grandeur. At the same time, the red tea was poured into their fine porcelain cups by the dainty maids, and the merchants felt as though they were a part of that same elevated status. The deep red tea, fragrant and rich, filled their cups, and as they held them, they felt an overwhelming sense of superiority. After all, the tea Kang Wang was drinking was now in their hands. When the warmth of the tea touched their tongues, the rich aroma filled their noses, the taste more robust than that of Lü Cui tea, the color more vibrant and bold—truly a tea that embodied the spirit of autumn. As they closed their eyes, they imagined themselves sitting in the halls of a grand palace, gazing upon the red leaves of autumn in the royal gardens. Only the sound of Kang Wang’s voice brought them back to reality.

“Lü Cui is a clear green, fresh and fragrant like the scent of spring, while Hong Bao’s rich flavor and bold color are as fiery as autumn...”

Kang Wang placed his teacup down and mused aloud.

“So, it was Your Highness who composed that couplet. It’s so beautiful.”

One of the merchants sitting in the front quickly complimented. The others, upon hearing this, chimed in.

“No wonder. When Lady Boss recited that poem earlier, I immediately thought it must have been composed by someone of great scholarly talent, not just any ordinary scholar. Your Highness, your literary skills are truly exceptional. Just two lines of poetry perfectly encapsulate the essence of this tea.”

Now, Nie Shuang didn’t need to spur them on further. Everyone recalled that just moments earlier, Ding Tao had accused her of hiring scholars to write flattering verses about her tea and even insulted them, calling them fools for buying her tea at such high prices. Yet here was Kang Wang himself, endorsing the tea and even composing a poem about it. It was clear now that Ding Tao’s words stemmed from nothing but jealousy toward the Lady Boss. Everyone turned to look at him in unison. Ding Tao, now both furious and humiliated, clenched his fists tightly, his entire body trembling with rage.

Who would have guessed she had Kang Wang backing her!? Dirty tricks! Shameless!

He refused to believe that the success of the tea house was due to Nie Shuang’s capabilities. In his mind, she must have seduced Kang Wang with her feminine wiles, leading him to lower himself to support a humble tea house like this. He seethed with anger, not once reflecting on how many times he had used underhanded tactics to take over tea plantations and force other tea shops out of business.

This girl was bent on being his enemy! She opened a tea house and didn’t order any tea from him, instead supporting the Jiang family, who were about to sell their plantation to him but have now recovered. On top of that, she’d made the tea from Chun Shui Shop worthless. It’s clear she had malicious intent toward him!

In reality, Chun Shui’s tea was still being sold at the same price and remained high-quality tea from Huangjing City in Nan Fang province. However, in the public’s eyes, the tea from Xiangyun had become a symbol of cultural refinement and luxury. Besides, Nie Shuang didn’t specifically target him; she simply created a new trend in this once peaceful, ancient era.

The conversation in the room revolved around tea, but Ding Tao wasn’t listening. His mind was fixated on plotting revenge to redeem his reputation. Many people inquired why the tea was red, noticing that the vibrant red color stood out even more against the fine white porcelain cups.

"Is this really the natural color from the tea leaves? Or have you mixed it with some cinnabar?"

One merchant asked. Nie Shuang laughed lightly.

"You must be joking, Boss. Cinnabar would be harmful. How could it be added to the drink? Actually, the rich color and flavor are due to a longer production process. If Lü Cui is like youthful freshness, then Hong Bao represents the elegance and maturity that comes with time."

Upon hearing her explanation, any lingering doubts about Hong Bao being a mere substitute vanished in an instant. Now, they understood that Hong Bao’s later release was due to the longer processing time, naturally making it more valuable. Moreover, its auspicious red color evoked feelings of good fortune, and everyone began viewing the red tea boxes like precious treasures.

"And...will there still be a two-box limit?"

Someone asked. Nie Shuang could barely contain her smile, but she forced herself to maintain a serious expression, her cheeks aching.

"Hong Bao takes longer to produce, and the quantities are limited. Its auspicious red color makes it a perfect gift. Therefore, yes, it’s still limited to two boxes per person. However, if you wish to reserve some for year-end gifts, you may place an order with a deposit of half the price. Once the tea is ready, you can pay the remainder."

Hearing that they could reserve the tea, their eyes lit up. If they didn’t reserve it now, there might be none left later. As soon as Wang Dongpo brought out the ledger to take orders and payments, his table became surrounded by eager buyers.

Kang Wang glanced over at Nie Shuang, who was now smiling so brightly that her eyes curved into crescents, her cheeks flushed pink. She wasn’t paying attention to him but was focused on the chaotic crowd rushing to order and purchase Hong Bao tea. A fond smile tugged at the corner of his lips. When Ding Tao had left, no one knew, but at that moment, scholars began to gather outside the tea house, led by the head teacher of the academy. One of his students came in to deliver a message.

"Lady Boss, my teacher heard that His Highness composed a poem about your new tea. He would like to take this opportunity to have His Highness guide us on the aesthetics of tea appreciation and poetry. We also heard that you are not open for business today, so my teacher wanted to ask if it would be possible to reserve the tea house for this special occasion?"

Kang Wang was a learned scholar and regularly supported the academies in Huangjing City. He frequently visited to converse with the teachers, forming close relationships. Upon hearing the student’s message, he turned to Nie Shuang and said,

"Let them come in. I’ll cover all the expenses."

Although Kang Wang hadn’t offered, Nie Shuang had already intended to host the scholars, as they were the reason her tea house had such an academic atmosphere. However, since Kang Wang insisted on being the host, she didn’t refuse, as it wouldn’t have been proper to argue with him over such matters. Besides, he never asked for prices when purchasing from her; he would simply have his attendants hand over trays of money. Today, she planned to gift him fifty jin of tea without charge.

Returning home to her mansion, Nie Shuang collapsed onto her bed, exhausted, without even bathing. The wet nurses and Xiao Tong brought in the children, who immediately crawled over to snuggle against her. The softness of their little bodies and the scent of milk revitalized her weary heart like a refreshing elixir. They were so adorable, like little dolls, with big round eyes, rosy cheeks, and lips red like peaches. She couldn’t resist hugging and kissing each of them on the cheek.

"Bao Bao, Bei Bei, Xiao Hua Hua, were you all good today?"

She asked in a soft, playful voice, lovingly engaging with them. The children reached out to grab her face, some snuggling against her chest. Her little daughter was now just as chubby as her two brothers and babbled more than the boys, who were busy climbing around. They had missed her terribly while she was gone, clinging to her now and refusing to leave her side.

Qilin...

Every time she looked at her eldest son, she couldn’t help but think of him. The older Da Ge[2] grew, the more he resembled his father, especially when he smiled. It was uncanny, as if they were the same person. This was bad. She had promised herself not to think of him anymore...

In truth, she had already named her children, but she still preferred to use their nicknames for now. Maybe it was because, deep down, she wished he had been the one to help name them.

Meanwhile, on Song Qilin’s side, a month later, he received troubling news.

"What!? The Xi Region refused to exchange horses for tea!?"

"Yes, General. The tea that was sent had lost its fragrance before the merchants of the Xi Region even had a chance to sell it. It took a month for the tea to travel from Huangjing to the capital, and another month to reach Xi Region. By then, the aroma was almost entirely gone."

Song Qilin furrowed his brow deeply.

"And what does the Minister of Finance have to say?"

"It seems the deal may have to be scrapped. However...there is a new type of tea ordered by the royal palace from Huangjing. It’s a light green tea with a rich aroma and can be stored for a year. It’s become quite popular in the inner palace. The minister mentioned that...if we could obtain this tea for the exchange, the horse deal might still be possible. However, this tea is quite expensive. If..if you could speak to Kang Wang to negotiate for a lower price..."

It seemed that Song Qilin would have to take the matter into his own hands and use his connection with Kang Wang to negotiate.

"Oh, and regarding the search for the Furen..."

Song Qilin quickly looked up, intrigued.

"The men you sent east and south reported finding a woman who might be the lady you’re looking for, but she has three children..."

"That’s not her."

Song Qilin waved his hand dismissively before the report was finished. His Shuang Shuang hadn’t been pregnant when she left. At most, if she had conceived, she would only have one child, not three. His attendant swallowed the rest of the report.She was in Huangjing City as well...

[1] Guan (Chinese: 冠; pinyin: guān), literally translated as hat or cap or crown in English, is a general term which refers to a type of headwear in Hanfu which covers a small area of the upper part of the head instead of the entire head.

[2] Da Ge (大哥) means eldest brother; big brother (polite address for a man of about the same age as oneself).