The sedan chair stopped in front of a courtyard that looked quite elegant, and Yang Chuxia had just alighted when Commandery Princess Dongyang came out from inside.
Seeing that Yang Chuxia had come alone, she was taken aback for a moment before asking, "Why didnât my future son-in-law come? And whereâs Lele? Werenât they supposed to be out of the palace? Where are the little ones, how come itâs only you who has come?"
"Tsk tsk, are you really inviting me or the four steamed buns from my family?" With a glance, Yang Chuxia sized up the courtyard and couldnât help but admire that it truly represented a household of heritage â its simple elegance was not something ordinary families could match.
"Steamed buns? Canât deny it, these newborns do look like freshly steamed buns with their fair and tender skin."
Commandery Princess Dongyang added a comment, causing the corners of the maidsâ mouths to twitch involuntarily.
"Isnât that so," Yang Chuxia agreed, nodding, then laughing, "Lele could only stay for one day and last evening Eunuch Cui already came to take him back to the palace, and he took Yangyang with him too. The two are too small, and seeing that the weather looked overcast today, I didnât bring them out, so I had to come alone."
"Speaking of which, the Emperor really does seem fond of your two boys," Commandery Princess Dongyang ushered Yang Chuxia inside, "Please, have a seat."
Yang Chuxia had just sat down when Dongyangâs personal maid, Su Ma, brought over some tea, "Madam Ye, please try our Commandery Princessâs tea. This is a special tea from Yunnan, unique to our Tayun Tribe."
"Then I must try it. Iâve long heard that Yunnan produces good tea, better than the yajian tea we usually drink." Yang Chuxia picked up the cup and gently sniffed, taking in the fresh aroma, then took a sip. The flavor was light but sweet, lacking the usual bitterness of tea upon intake. "Itâs really quite good, and sweet too."
"Good, isnât it?" Commandery Princess Dongyang also held a great affection for her hometown tea.
"Indeed, itâs lovely, and very suitable for us women to drink. By the way, whatâs this tea called?"
"The name is quite ordinary, just called Sweet Tea." Commandery Princess Dongyang, cheerful, was pleased to see Yang Chuxiaâs enjoyment, "My father sent quite a bit for me, Iâll pack some for you to take back later."
"Then I wonât be polite about it, I quite like it." After a moment of thought, Yang Chuxia added, "Since this tea from Yunnan is so good, why donât you sell it?"
"Sell it?" Commandery Princess Dongyang shook her head, "I reckon the tea drunk by folks in Capital City is so different, probably no one would want to buy it, as everyone is accustomed to those bitter-tasting teas."
"Thatâs not true. You donât yet understand the people of Capital City; they all like novelty. Moreover, this tea is light and sweet. Even if it doesnât appeal to men, it will surely win over the women. If you ask me which peopleâs money is the easiest to earn, it definitely has to be womenâs money. You just watch; you could send some to the noble ladies in the palace, and spread the word that this tea is beautifying. They will certainly like it, and once the ladyfolk of higher society hear that the noble ladies in the palace like it, theyâll be scrambling to find out what tea it is, wonât they?"
"When that time comes, just open a shop, and gradually youâll carve out a path for it. You know, people from other places always take cues from Capital City. If they learn that people here are liking this kind of tea, those with money will surely find ways to buy it. Thatâs when you could consider opening shops elsewhere. Once your tea houses gradually gain traction, the demand for Sweet Tea will only grow."