Chapter 241

Despite the long and tiring journey,

It did not affect Lord Commander's elegance in the slightest.

In the afternoon.

A pleasure boat.

Drifting on the lake.

The winter wind was a bit chilly.

But it was warm on the boat.

Jiangzhou was wealthy, situated by a great river.

Unlike the somewhat rapid flow of the Jing River,

The river in Jiangzhou was vast and boundless, which ancient people who had never seen the sea might have mistaken for the ocean itself.

Lord Jia was immediately captivated by Commander Jiang's grace upon meeting him.

He politely received him at the courier station, a guesthouse specifically for hosting traveling officials.

After settling in, he promptly arranged for afternoon tea.

Lord Jia was a typical scion of an aristocratic family. His official rank wasn't high, his salary wasn't impressive, but his family was powerful. He knew how to enjoy life's pleasures, though his administrative abilities were average, so he ended up in a reception position.

It suited him well enough.

Of course, while his rank wasn't high, his grade wasn't actually that low.

It was just relative.

With family backing, even the weakest would be at least fifth or sixth grade.

Ordinary people had no idea how to choose an official career or get promoted, but in great families, there was already a familiar path. One just needed to follow it step by step, as everything had been arranged.

The Jia family was also an old aristocratic clan.

Jia Sen didn't have any great talents. He barely passed the imperial exams and barely managed as an official, but he was most fond of the literati lifestyle and socializing with famous scholars.

Jiangzhou happened to be a place teeming with renowned scholars.

If someone had more political acumen, they probably wouldn't immediately engage with Commander Jiang, but rather wait for the situation to become clearer.

But Lord Jia happened to lack this particular insight.

Upon meeting Commander Jiang, he was utterly amazed.

At this moment on the pleasure boat, Lord Jia was like a peacock spreading its tail, his face even adorned with powder and rouge.

Mianmian, dressed in the robes of a wealthy young master, sat beside her father like his servant.

Looking at the uncle across from them, she noticed his face was actually covered in foundation?

But because the base wasn't done well, the pores were a bit coarse. From afar it looked whitish, but up close it actually triggered a bit of trypophobia, with each large pore plugged with white powder. However, as people get excited, they produce oil, so the edges of the pores would become moist, and the powder would be eaten away by the oil, forming a face that was both white and full of holes.

Ah, this was the result of using too many cosmetics but not cleaning properly, failing to remove makeup thoroughly.

It also showed that their family's sales ability was lacking.

Just selling skincare and cosmetics, such basic consumer goods, should have made their family as rich as a nation, but the result was just normal. They seemed only slightly richer than the average wealthy family, without feeling exceptionally wealthy. It must be that their business acumen was poor.

They hadn't even sold to Jiangzhou city.

The capital was a first-tier city, so Jiangzhou and Qingzhou, the hometown of Teacher He, the imperial censor, would be considered quasi-first-tier. Jingzhou used to be a fifth or sixth-tier city, but under Commander Jiang's vigorous development, it should have reached second-tier status.

Jiang Mianmian didn't stare at his face for too long, as that would have been impolite.

She just glanced once, but couldn't help internally criticizing.

Actually, Lord Jia was very nervous at this moment.

Because Commander Jiang was already handsome and elegant, and after freshening up to attend the appointment, in a navy blue robe, it accentuated his fair skin and beautiful features even more, making him indescribably perfect.

Seeing him wear such a navy blue robe, Lord Jia thought that when he returned, he should also purchase one, it looked so good.

But what made Lord Jia sit up straight wasn't just the graceful Lord Commander, but the young boy beside him.

Or rather, not a young boy, but a young girl.

Commander Jiang had actually brought his youngest daughter.

"My little girl is mischievous and wanted to see the world. Brother Jia, please don't mind," Commander Jiang said indulgently.

She also took the fair cup offered by the young mistress, smelled it, then frowned slightly and handed it back.

Lord Jia was made slightly unhappy by this series of actions.

Making tea was a very elegant affair.

Especially kungfu tea, which had been passed down from the imperial palace.

Although Commander Jiang's young daughter had city-toppling beauty, she was a bit disrespectful, actually giving the fair cup to her family's maid to smell, and that old maid even frowned.

It was also at this moment that Lord Jia noticed the old maid.

Only upon noticing did he realize that this maid had an unusual bearing, not looking like an ordinary person.

She looked even more formidable than the maids by his own family's Old Lady. He had completely failed to notice this maid earlier.

"How is the tea fragrance? Does it have a honey scent? To be honest with Brother Jiang, one tael of these tea leaves is more expensive than one tael of gold. I only managed to snatch two taels from my elder brother, and usually don't dare to brew it. I only bring it out for honored guests."

"Very good," Commander Jiang nodded.

"It seems to have a plum fragrance too," Mianmian said.

Lord Jia's long face immediately lit up, his cheeks quivering slightly, clearly very pleased.

"Yes, yes, that's the plum fragrance. This tea is made by slowly roasting it over green plum wood."

"If Lord Jia likes this type of tea, you can also try tea made with small green tangerines. You remove the flesh and put tea leaves inside. The resulting tea has both tea and tangerine fragrances. The flavor is smooth and lingering, not only delicious but also nourishing and energizing," Mianmian said.

Then she turned to Aunt Yin and asked, "Auntie, did you bring that tea? Please brew some for Lord Jia later."

Aunt Yin nodded helplessly.

Commander Jiang smiled indulgently, playing along.

They all sat together, drinking tea and chatting.

Lord Jia thought to himself, this young lady is exceptionally beautiful and speaks well, but her knowledge is limited. Not everyone can brew this kind of tea properly; it requires skill. How could an old nanny do it? But considering how pretty she was, he didn't object. When you're good-looking, you can say whatever you want.

It's just letting an old nanny brew tea, so be it.

Aunt Yin gave a few instructions, then sat down at the tea table.

Facing the river.

The singing minstrel changed to a new tune.

Fresh incense was lit.

Lord Jia was still trying to find topics for conversation.

Then he saw the old nanny in front of him extend her hands, which were even more beautiful than those of a sixteen-year-old girl. A pair of delicate, nimble white hands picked up the teapot, added water, and brewed the tea. Every movement was filled with a unique beauty and sense of ceremony.

It left him speechless.

Until a cup of tea was pushed in front of him.

He picked it up dumbly and took a sip.

Neither too hot nor too cold, it was smooth on the palate, pleasant down the throat, and warming in the stomach.

One sip of tea could flow so smoothly all the way through.

Lord Jia was a bit bewildered. What kind of tea was this?

What kind of nanny was this?

An etiquette instructor?

How could brewing tea look so beautiful?

It made him completely forget about the nanny's age, feeling as if he was watching a true peerless beauty.

Smelling the serving pitcher again, a rich fragrance wafted up, completely different from the tea he had brewed earlier, which required effort to detect any scent.

No wonder Brother Jiang had just casually sniffed it earlier. He had thought Brother Jiang didn't know how to appreciate it.

Lord Jia asked somewhat embarrassedly, "May I ask who this tea-brewing lady is?"

Mianmian smiled and said, "Lord Jia, didn't you just say you like brewing kung fu tea? My aunt's surname is Yin, and she wrote 'The Origin of Kung Fu Tea.' You must have read it."

"This... this..." Lord Jia's face was full of surprise, and he quickly stood up and bowed.

"I've made a fool of myself."

...