King Rong sighed as he played chess. “Moxi is truly a child prodigy. I’ve never won a game against him.” Kang Rui replied, “Neither have I.”

“Duke An will probably cry in the future.” Kang Rui chuckled. Someone called them… Both men turned around as Shao Yunan came up to them up, saying, “Are you finished?”

“For now. If there are no more tea deliveries, then we’re done.” Shao Yunan gave his senior brother a big smile and walked up to King Rong, bowing respectfully. “Lord Rong, you’ve been here for a while and my husband and I couldn’t find the time to greet you properly. We’re very sorry.”

King Rong replied bluntly, “As long as you provide me with good tea, I won’t hold it against you; otherwise, hmpf.” Shao Yunan chuckled, appreciating that King Rong was as amiable as his father. Kang Rui spoke up, “I should also return to my room to rest. I have to go to the school early tomorrow. Yunan, Shijing, Lord Rong has assigned several guards to protect Qing. Tomorrow morning, I will go to the school with him.”

“We just came from Qing and Moxi’s place, and Qing told me.” Shao Yunan replied. “Thank you, Lord Rong.”

“Hmpf.” King Rong’s attitude almost made Shao Yunan laugh. As he couldn’t help himself, he said, “Then, Big brother, you should go and rest. Good night.”

“Good night.” Knowing that they had something to discuss, Kang Rui used an excuse to leave. King Rong entered the house with his hands behind his back. Wang Shijing held Shao Yunan’s hand and the two followed. After closing the door, King Rong immediately said, “Don’t beat around the bush with me. Moxi said that the paste and tea you made can cure my son’s illness!”

King Rong had been very amiable since he arrived at the Wang residence, even quite endearing. Regardless of whether he was talking to the children or to them, he never used grandiose titles, making him particularly approachable. Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing naturally responded with utmost sincerity.

Shao Yunan didn’t mince words as he pulled Wang Shijing to sit down and began. “Lord Rong, your son has a heart condition. The paste and tea I make are, at most, for health maintenance, but they have no curative effect on heart diseases.”

“I don’t care! I believe what Moxi said!” Shao Yunan couldn’t help but laugh. “The reason why the tonic and tea I make are good for the body is not that my skills are outstanding. It’s because my Little tiger brother helps.”

“Little tiger brother?”

“You should know that we have three tigers at home, right? The big one, I mean.”

“I know.”

Shao Yunan started to say, “The three big tigers, the biggest one is called Brother Tiger, and the two smaller ones, I named them Big Gold and Little Gold. We met them when Shijing and I went up the mountain. Back then, Brother Tiger was injured and fell into a pit. Big Gold and Little Gold were whimpering at the edge of the pit. Shijing, brave as he is, wasn’t afraid of being bitten by them and used a lot of effort to rescue Brother Tiger from the pit.” 

“Afterward, Brother Tiger, Big Gold, and Little Gold became our friends. Brother Tiger is the king of the mountains and forests and he often brings us good things. Wild animals, herbs, wild fruits, and so on. What we eat at home, the tea, and the paste I make, all use water from the depths of the forest, which is why they can promote one’s health. Why this water is healthful, you will understand later. Let me prepare a jar for you. The things we send to the nobles in the capital are all made and grown using this water.”

King Rong momentarily felt a bit disappointed, but quickly regained his spirits, saying, “Very well. The paste that His Majesty granted me has already been consumed. Could you make me more? I’ll have someone send it back to the capital for my son to consume.”

Shao Yunan really liked this elderly man who was down to earth, friendly, and rather endearing. He replied, “Of course. For someone like your son, it’s most suitable to drink black tea. However, whether it’s black tea or green tea, it should not be consumed when taking medicine, as it might reduce the medicine’s potency. Wait for about an hour after taking the medicine to drink.” King Rong immediately said. “Alright, alright. Make sure to leave me the best black tea.”

“I’ll naturally give you the best. But the black tea should be aged for some time for the best effect. Here’s what we’ll do… when you return to the capital, I’ll provide you with two cans each of Black Tea and Green Tea, and four cans each of the second grade. After you get back, keep them in a cool and dry place. By the end of the year, open the second-grade tea to drink. The following year, open the first-grade tea. When drinking black tea, make sure to have some snacks to avoid getting dizzy from the tea. Once you’ve drunk all of the black tea, come back to me to get more. From now on, I’ll reserve a portion of the new tea for you every year, free of charge.”

“Very well! I won’t be shy then.” King Rong smiled, with more wrinkles forming at the corners of his eyes. “I happen to have some newly made paste in stock. Originally, I intended it for my father, but you can send it back to the capital for your son…”

“Murong Yi.” King Rong interjected. “Call my eldest son Murong Yi. I also have a younger son named Murong Hui. You can call them Brother Murong and Little Hui.” Wang Shijing chimed in, “I’m afraid this might not be appropriate, as they are the Crown Prince and County Prince.”

King Rong impatiently responded, “Don’t worry about formal titles like ‘Crown Prince’ or ‘County Prince.’ After all, there comes a time when we all have to die, no matter what our titles are. I’d rather they weren’t ‘Crown Prince’ or ‘County Prince.'”

Shao Yunan immediately said, “I’ll remember your instructions.” King Rong laughed. “That’s good.” Shao Yunan added, “I also have three ginseng roots and two spiritual mushrooms that Brother Tiger gave us. You can take them with you for your son, Brother Murong. I’m sure he could use them.”

King Rong responded, “My household already has these items. Keep them for yourselves.” Shao Yunan said, “Take a look at them before deciding.” King Rong hesitated and said, “After looking at them, I’ll let you know.”

Wang Shijing returned and after seeing the ginseng roots and spiritual mushrooms, accepted them without hesitation. It was already very late, so Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing took their leave.

Back in their room, Shao Yunan recounted his conversation with King Rong to Wang Shijing. Wang Shijing, after hearing it, said, “King Rong was able to survive the tumultuous situation during Emperor Taizong’s reign and was conferred the title of a prince, likely because of his mindset. He must have gone through a lot to have such a profound understanding.”

Shao Yunan nodded and said, “Well, they say one should not rely on a single source of support. We should always have a backup plan.” Wang Shijing added, “Wife, I want to buy land.” Surprised while taking a sip of water, Shao Yunan asked, “Buy land? Do you think our land isn’t enough?”

“Not in Xiushui Village. I want to buy land outside of Yan Country. Sailing is one way out, but what if we can’t build seaworthy ships for a long time? If we buy land we need to have multiple contingency plans.” Shao Yunan agreed. “You’re right, I underestimated. Where are you planning to buy land?”

“The Great Mountain Tribe.”

“Why the Great Mountain Tribe?”

“Let me explain.”

“Ah.” Shao Yunan was taken by surprise when Wang Shijing suddenly lifted him.

“Let’s get into bed and talk about it slowly.”

“…”

Edited by: Jaisland

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