Chapter 19: A Beauty Beyond the World

Hangzhou, an ancient city under the jurisdiction of Yue Prefecture. Here, the landscape is breathtaking, the climate mild, and nearly half the tea of the entire Jiangnan region is produced in these lands.

At noon, Lu Xin took three retainers from the Xu estate and rowed a small boat across West Lake. All around, shimmering waves reflected verdant mountains. Before his journey through time, Lu Xin’s home was in Hangzhou, and he was intimately familiar with West Lake. But this was his first time in Hangzhou during the Tang Dynasty.

In this era, West Lake was far larger than in modern times, and much more tranquil. There were fewer houses, and almost no visitors. According to his companions, twenty years prior, Yang Su, a minister of the Sui Dynasty, had, by imperial decree, opened the Grand Canal of Jiangnan. Only then had the quiet city of Hangzhou become lively. Lu Xin understood well: to become prosperous, one must build roads. In the ancient world, where land travel was arduous, waterways were far swifter.

Even so, in the year 627, West Lake had yet to gain fame. Lu Xin gazed across the water for a long while, yet did not see a second boat. At the edge of his sight lay quiet mountains, shrouded in dense mist, resembling a celestial realm. Perhaps West Lake was not yet renowned because it lacked sacred temples or immortal verses. But in Lu Xin’s eyes, the West Lake he beheld was perhaps at the height of its beauty in all of history.

“Manager Lu, we’ll be ashore in half a quarter hour. But climbing Lion Peak will take some effort. Shall we eat some dry rations first?”

The speaker was He Meng, a second-class retainer of the Eastern Court, thirty-seven years old, a veteran in the Xu household. Though Xu Sanjin had entrusted Lu Xin with the tea business, he’d only given him a single shop, dealing in tea from Lion Peak, buying in Shanyin County and selling in Hangzhou. The business had long stagnated. Lu Xin had examined the accounts; without a change in approach, earning two hundred taels of silver within a few years would be nearly impossible.

Thus, on this trip, he decided to ascend the mountain himself, see where the tea was grown, and seek out new strategies. Yet, being so young, the shop hands did not truly regard him as their master, and Lu Xin found it awkward to give orders.

“No need. Didn’t you say there are families living in the mountain? If we buy their tea, surely they'll feed us. Why fill up on dry rations?”

Since leaving the Xu estate, Lu Xin carried a sword. It had been given to him by Mute Wu to practice swordsmanship. It wasn’t sharp, but it was heavy. Each night, when the others slept, Lu Xin would train with the sword for hours. In just a few days, both his strength and spirit had grown.

The three retainers didn’t care about Lu Xin’s position, but they were wary of the sword in his hand. Coupled with his perpetually cold expression, they dared not disobey his words.

By the time they climbed Lion Peak, the tea farmers were already at work. In truth, these so-called tea farmers were just a handful of villagers living on the mountain, not even twenty in total. Living off the land, their only income was from selling tea. But now, in summer, the tea was bitter and hard to sell. So when news spread that tea merchants from the Xu estate had arrived, the villagers welcomed them eagerly.

“Xiaoyu, guests from the prefecture are waiting at home. Go brew them some of the fresh tea your grandfather just picked. Don’t keep them waiting.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away!”

In the fields, a fourteen-year-old girl ran joyfully toward her home. Her name was Tian Yuer, the granddaughter—and only living relative—of the village elder Tian Gui. The residents of Lion Peak had fled here decades before, beyond the reach of the imperial government. According to custom, they honored the eldest among them. Whenever merchants came, Tian Gui and his granddaughter would greet them and set the price for tea.

Lu Xin sat in a bamboo house open to the breeze, inhaling the fresh fragrance of tea, his mind instantly clear and bright. The temperature on Lion Peak was far lower than below, making it the perfect place to escape the summer heat. But he hadn’t been seated long when Tian Yuer rushed inside. Her long hair hung over her shoulders, and as she wiped sweat from her brow, her rolled-up sleeves revealed snowy white skin. Sweat rolled down her cheeks like sparkling mountain springs. She was beautiful, tall for her age, with delicate features, and possessed the unique grace of mountain folk. The sight of her held everyone’s gaze.

Lu Xin, too, was entranced. The girl before him was pure and ethereal, untouched by the dust of the mortal world—like one of those fairy maidens he’d only seen on television or in dreams. He swallowed hard, then felt embarrassed, quickly turning his head away.

“So it’s Uncle He. Oh... This young brother, I’ve never seen before.”

“Mind your manners. This is Manager Lu of the Xu estate. In future, all tea from Lion Peak will be purchased by him. Go on, pay your respects.”

“Pfft! Manager Lu? He’s just a child—he’s not even as tall as I am... Hee hee, I’m Tian Yuer. Greetings, Manager Lu. I’ll go make you all some tea.”

He Meng and the others had climbed the mountain many times, so Tian Yuer knew them. But hearing that Lu Xin was the new manager, she laughed and ruffled his hair. Lu Xin, mortified at being called short by a girl, blushed, yet her hands were so soft and warm he did not move away. Only when He Meng’s expression changed did Tian Yuer dash off, grinning.

A moment later, the girl returned with freshly brewed tea. Lu Xin caught the rich aroma from across the room. When the tea was set down, he took it up and drank, finding it sweet and refreshing, cool as it slid down his throat. Yet oddly, He Meng and the others did not drink, instead frowning at their cups.

“What’s wrong?” Lu Xin asked, puzzled, thinking perhaps there was something amiss with the tea.

Just then, the seventy-year-old Tian Gui entered. At the scent of the tea, his expression grew tense.

“Xiaoyu, what are you doing? Can’t you even brew tea properly? My apologies, honored guests. These leaves have been pan-fried over a fire for my personal use, so the tea looks and tastes unusual. Please don’t drink it. I have fresh leaves from this morning—I’ll brew you a new pot.”

Tian Gui quickly collected the cups and made a fresh pot from unprocessed leaves, picked that morning and brewed directly in boiling water. There was some fragrance, but it was faint. Lu Xin found it bland, but He Meng and the others seemed content.

Only then did Lu Xin recall: Xu Sanjin always brewed tea with fresh leaves, and so did everyone in Jiangnan. But in modern times, all tea was pan-fried and specially processed, resulting in a completely different flavor.

“No wonder no one in the Tang Dynasty drinks tea—just tossing fresh leaves in water has little taste, and it doesn’t keep. This old man, then, is a pioneer in the art of frying tea.”

This revelation thrilled Lu Xin. If everyone drank only unprocessed fresh leaves, then by pan-frying the tea before selling it, he could boost sales. More importantly, tea processing would become a vital element of future tea culture. If he played his cards right, Lu Xin could become a witness and participant in the evolution of tea culture itself.

But pan-frying tea was a complex craft, and in modern times, the price of tea depended heavily on its processing method. Lu Xin himself knew nothing of the technique, but Tian Gui seemed to have stumbled upon it already. Just as he set down his cup to ask him, another group arrived outside the bamboo house.

At their head was a fat man of about forty, dressed in rich finery, holding a folding fan. Two prominent front teeth stuck out, his eyes were narrow, and his smile was lecherous. Five burly men followed, looking like household retainers. At the sight of these men, Tian Gui’s expression grew tense, even fearful.

“Heh heh, Old Tian, it’s never quiet at your place, is it? Well, never mind. Today I’ve come to ask about Xiaoyu’s marriage. There’s no time like the present—are you ready to give me your answer?”

The fat man strode in as if there were no guests in the house, his beady eyes searching the room.

“Master Niu, you’re one of Hangzhou’s wealthiest men, with thirteen wives and concubines. You hardly need our Xiaoyu. The girl is still young and knows nothing but picking tea. She’s not fit to enter your family.”

“Hmph! Stubborn old fool! If you won’t take my kindness, you’ll get my wrath. Get out of the way! Whether Tian Yuer joins my family is for me to decide!”

Tian Gui tried to placate him with a smile, but the fat man kicked him to the ground. At this, Tian Yuer rushed out from the inner room.

“Grandfather, Grandfather, are you alright? Niu Ercheng, get out of here! Over my dead body will I ever enter your house!”

“Hahaha! I like a fiery girl like you. Dead? You won’t die so easily in my hands! Men, tie her up and take her home. I’ll have my bridal night tonight!”

Niu Ercheng leered down at Tian Yuer. The aged Tian Gui, unable to withstand the blow, lay paralyzed on the ground. At Niu’s order, his men rolled up their sleeves and advanced—but before they reached the threshold, a sword crashed down on the doorframe.

Niu Ercheng jumped in fright, but quickly turned on Lu Xin and his companions in fury.

“Who are you, meddling in my business? Don’t you fear never leaving Hangzhou alive?”

“Hmph. Tian Gui is a tea-farmer in the employ of the Xu estate. If you dare harm them, you’ll have the whole Xu estate to answer to.”

Lu Xin sneered, rising slowly to his feet.