Chapter 60: Of Tea, Nobles, and Trouble in Silk Robes
Qinghe Town stood proud beyond the last bend, its crimson tiled rooftops gleaming in the afternoon sun. The scent of spring flowers and roasted almonds drifted through the gates, welcoming visitors with warmth and elegance.
Su Yanyue adjusted the ribbon on her light blue hanfu, her expression calm—but her nerves were quietly staging a coup. It was her first time standing in a place where people bowed before carriages and every tea shop bore ancestral plaques.
Yu Shiming rode silently beside her, his figure tall and steady, a quiet fortress at her side. The triplets bounced in the cart behind, still sticky with the caramel sweets they had somehow bartered for using only a frog and two shiny rocks.
The venue for the tea-tasting was the renowned Plum Courtyard Pavilion—a sprawling estate with blossoming plum trees lining the walkways, petals dancing in the breeze like pale confetti.
"Wow," Su Rui whispered, nose pressed to the carriage window.
"Smells like rich people," Su Lin muttered.
"I already don't trust anyone here," Su Zhi announced, suspiciously eyeing a servant with too-perfect posture.
As they entered the courtyard, servants greeted them politely, though their eyes lingered on Yanyue's simple clothing and the curious presence of three nearly identical boys holding skewers of candied fruit like weapons.
A steward stepped forward. "Miss Su Yanyue, correct? This way, please. The Lady of the Courtyard awaits your presence."
She nodded, smoothing her sleeves, and followed. Yu Shiming followed without a word. The triplets, sensing opportunity, immediately split off in three directions.
"Triplets," Shiming warned under his breath.
"I told them to behave," Yanyue whispered.
"They're interpreting that creatively."
Inside the main hall, the event had already begun. Rows of elegantly dressed merchants and noblewomen sipped from porcelain cups, murmuring thoughtfully. A judge with a beard long enough to braid nodded solemnly at a brew's aroma. A noble lady with nine hairpins frowned after one sip, clearly offended by mediocrity.
Then came the announcement.
"Su Yanyue of Su's Garden Teas, please step forward."
The room quieted.
Yanyue walked up, head high despite her simple hairpin and plain robe. She placed her tea set gently on the presentation table, every motion smooth and respectful. The scent of her signature blend—Chrysanthemum Mist—rose gently in the air.
A few murmurs began.
"Light… but distinct."
"There's wild honey in this?"
"A strange mix… but elegant."
While the judges whispered and sipped, a sudden crash echoed from the courtyard.
Then yelling.
Then—
"Unhand my dumplings!"
"That's not a chair, that's a decorative goat statue!"
"Su Zhi, stop bartering with nobles!"
Yanyue's smile twitched as her eyes darted toward the noise. Yu Shiming was already gone—sliding silently from the shadows to retrieve his chaos trio.
The judges, blissfully unaware of the full-scale diplomatic incident unfolding outside, scribbled notes.
"Excellent clarity."
"Unexpected flavor profile."
"A delicate balance of bold and calm."
Just like her.
Moments later, Yu Shiming returned, a squirming Su Zhi under one arm, Su Lin clutching two half-eaten dumplings, and Su Rui holding a tiny noble's hat like a prize.
Yanyue managed a composed smile and bowed.
"Thank you for your time. I hope my tea brought a moment of peace."
One of the judges chuckled. "Peace with a pinch of surprise, Miss Su. Just how we like it."
As she stepped back, the applause—though modest—was real.
And behind her, the triplets were plotting something involving silken napkins, a koi pond, and a bamboo flute.
Su Yanyue exhaled slowly.
One round done. A dozen more to go.
And she wasn't just here to play. She was here to win.