Chapter 185

The Yongxing tea house was full of people and extremely lively.

Those who came to participate, whether they were the noble prince or the tea-ordering lady, all had the same status. They were ranked according to the order they received, waiting to go on stage to compete with the tea guardians on their ability to order tea.

Xu Yi was lucky. He got a wooden sign with "Two Shilu" engraved on it.

On top of the huge half-meter-high platform, there is an attic with carved flowers and plants. In the attic sit several tasting masters, as well as the shopkeepers and owners in the building.

The looming gauze hangs down from the top. The gauze enchants the eyes, making it impossible to see the person inside clearly.

Xu Yi raised his eyelids for a glance, then withdrew his gaze, and instead looked at the people competing on the stage with relish.

After several rounds of competition, it was Xu Yi's turn to take the stage.

Xu Yi prepared sesame tea. Amidst the thick and refreshing fragrance of tea, the unique oily aroma of the white sesame seeds he ground was particularly prominent.

This caused other contestants to look at him frequently.

Xu Yi didn't care at all and carefully made his own tea. Then the waiter waiting aside took the tea to the attic.

"This is... white sesame?"

"Didn't I order clear tea today?"

"No, it's just that all the contestants chose clear tea."

The tea ordered was OK, so someone asked: "Is this tea drinkable?

"It smells good, but the aroma of the tea is gone. I can't go up to the second floor." Xu

Yi heard this when he came down from the stage.

He didn't look to see who said it, and walked straight to A Xu's place, waiting for the results of the tasting.

"Lang Jun, are you sure?"

A Xu and the others clenched their fists anxiously.

After hearing this, Xu Yi pondered for a while and said: "This tea is just an anecdote. The result is not important. There are thousands of people with different tastes. If the taste does not meet the taste, winning or losing will not be a surprise."

He looked at it . Even though A Xu and the others were still anxious.

Fortunately, the tasting did not take long and the results came out quickly.

A boy came towards them with a smile on his face, saluted and handed them a new wooden sign.

This time the wooden sign was engraved with "Shijiu".

Nineteen of the twenty-six people advanced and were able to go to the second floor for the second competition.

Xu Yi took the wooden sign and took A Xu and the others to the second floor.

The second floor was not as lively as the lobby on the first floor, and it was closer to the attic. This time he could see some of the people sitting in the attic.

Most of them are elderly people, wearing loose and elegant crane cloaks, with white beards, and they look like Taoist cultivators.

Among them was an old man who smiled at Xu Yici.

Xu Yi was stunned for a moment. He was not arrogant and gave a junior salute to the other party.

But soon, a maid invited him to sit in the tea room next door. In this tea room, several young people of different ages were already sitting there chatting.

Seeing new people coming in, they couldn't help but look over.

Seeing that it was Xu Yi, they all showed a look of understanding, and sure enough, this person also came up.

"My surname is Chang, and my name is Yangfan," the young man who came over to say hello introduced himself with a smile, "I don't know your name?"

Xu Yi said, "My surname is Xu Mingyi."

Chang Yangfan said enthusiastically, "I I had a chat with several other brothers upstairs just now. They all know that sesame seeds are good, but they don’t know that they can also be used for tea?”

After hearing what he said, another brother said with a smile: “But before ordering tea? There are thousands of things, but tea is the first one. This brother Xu is so bold that he is not afraid of missing out and can't come up to the second floor?"

Xu Yi said with a helpless smile: "You don't know, I am not proficient in ordering tea. I was just passing by Zhaohua and heard about the grand tea party. I thought I would be here for a long time. If there is anything wrong, I hope you guys will tell me."

After hearing this, Chang Yangfan and others were stunned.

"This..." Chang Yangfan had a complicated look on his face, "You don't know?"

Xu Yi nodded, he really didn't know.

When the competition started, he saw that the people on the stage were choosing pure tea without any condiments. Only then did he realize that he had made a mistake, thinking that the tea ordered at Yongxing Teahouse would also add other things.

Who would have expected that this tea ordering is purely tea ordering, relying on the basic skills of tea ordering, rather than special skills and innovation.

Everyone was silent for a long time as they saw Xu Yi, who was harmless to humans and animals, with a clean and graceful appearance.

They were also worried that this person was a strong opponent, but in the end the opponent didn't even understand the rules.

Everyone laughed, and Chang Yangfan said, "Well, since Brother Xu doesn't know, then if we don't tell him, it would be a shame and no fun." After

he said that, he asked Xu Yi what kind of tea he was preparing for the next game.

Xu Yi looked at him thoughtfully and said concisely: "It's herbal tea."

Chang Yangfan: "..."

He coughed twice and said: "Would it be bad if I put this herbal tea here? ..."

Xu Yi frowned: "You can't use medicinal tea?"

But the sesame tea he ordered passed. Could it be that medicinal tea using other medicinal materials is not acceptable?

Chang Yangfan only thought that this person didn't know how to adapt. In this tea house where the fragrance of tea is overflowing, he ordered tea with unpleasant medicinal materials. How could it not be beautiful?

But he couldn't say this clearly, which made him extremely uncomfortable.

Xu Yi looked at his face that was a little red from holding back, and realized later that Ganqing was worried that the smell of the medicinal materials would ruin the atmosphere.

He smiled and asked, "Brother Chang, are you worried that the taste of this medicinal material is not good?"

"Yes!" Chang Yangfan saw that he noticed it and happily admitted.

Xu Yi said: "Well, I know it well."

Chang Yangfan asked: "Changing to clear tea?"

Xu Yi shook his head: "I still choose medicinal tea."

Because he doesn't know how to drink clear tea.

Chang Yangfan: "..."

*

As soon as they finished speaking, a female envoy came to invite them.

Chang Yangfan then told Xu Yi that the number of winners had been announced. The number of people who could get up to the second floor would not exceed fifty, but Xu Yi made it up by mistake with a sesame tea.

This made Chang Yangfan look at Xu Yi with a bit of envy.

His family ran a tea house, and he had been exposed to tea since he was a child. When he came home from a private school, he followed his father and learned how to choose tea, fry tea, and order tea.

Over the years, he has become somewhat famous as a tea orderer in Zhaohua.

It's a pity that he only passed the first level last year after attending three tea parties. He entered the second floor but stopped at the second floor.

This year he wanted to get into the top ten, but he was still not sure.

How could he not be envious of someone who was so lucky to be able to come to the second floor for the first time?

Xu Yi didn't know what he was thinking. He followed the female envoy's guidance and came to the huge courtyard at the back. There are several pavilions in the courtyard, with flowers, willows and mountains and rivers. In the pavilions, tea supplies are placed. Sitting in the largest pavilion in front are the tasters he saw in the attic.

They were one step ahead and had come here to sit and wait.

Soon, Xu Yi and Chang Yangfan were assigned to a group.

One of them is seventeen and the other nineteen, just separated by a person. The man had not spoken to Xu Yi. He looked at Xu Yi coldly and arrogantly, as if he didn't bother to speak.

Xu Yi didn't have the habit of being warm-hearted and cold-blooded. The other person didn't seem to want to talk to him, so he wouldn't take the initiative to get close to him.

He admired the scenery in the courtyard for a while, and then three pretty tea-ordering ladies came towards him.

The three of them came to the pavilion opposite them and bowed slightly towards them. Xu Yi and the others were stunned and saluted towards them.

Next, a new round of tea ordering competition begins.

Xu Yi took out the food box he brought again. This time, he opened the lower layer and took out the contents one by one.

At the same time, Chang Yangfan, who was sitting across the table, took out the tea can he had prepared and looked at Xu Yi sideways from the corner of his eye. When he saw Xu Yi taking out several plates of medicinal materials, he couldn't control the corners of his mouth. Twitched sharply.

Really order some medicinal tea!

This person is too crazy.

When he thought about how the entire courtyard would be filled with a medicinal smell that was so strong that it overshadowed the fragrance of tea, he couldn't imagine what would happen.

Just as he was thinking in panic, Xu Yi had already poured the medicinal materials into Hui Yicao one by one.

This time, the medicinal tea he chose was an improved version of heat-clearing and damp-removing tea.

This tea requires fresh reed roots, but in Zhaohua, Xu Yi asked A Xu to search for it for two days but couldn't find it, so he had to reluctantly use dried reed roots instead.

Chop the reed root, then add the bamboo shoots, burnt hawthorn, fried rice sprouts, orange and frost mulberry leaves. [Note 1]

There is no need to grind it into fine powder. After grinding it to a coarse powder, you can pour it into a clay pot, add water and boil it.

In the clay pot, there was a gurgling sound.

A not unpleasant medicinal smell floated out faintly. Chang Yangfan and the other brother were closest to each other. Hearing this sound and the steady stream of medicinal smell, they were about to die.

Especially that brother, who glared at Xu Yi angrily.

Xu Yi blinked, a little innocent.

He doesn't seem to have done anything.

The medicinal smell is considered light, and if you smell it carefully, you can smell a refreshing orange scent.

Xu Yi likes the taste very much. When he was a child, when the seasons changed from summer to autumn, he would always feel uncomfortable with phlegm in his throat, so his father would make him a heat-clearing and damp-removing tea for him to drink. This tea is not unpleasant to drink, and has a slightly sweet taste. It can dispel evil without harming the good. It can be taken as a tea instead of medicinal soup, and it also has a therapeutic effect.

The tea boiled, Xu Yi waited for a moment, took the clay pot, filtered out the coarse powder inside, and poured it into the teapot on the side.

After closing the lid and being silent for a while, Xu Yi poured the herbal tea into the teacup. The female envoy Shi Shiran came over and left with the tea soup.

Xu Yi knelt down calmly, his eyes fell on the taster, and he saw many female envoys passing by carrying tea soup.

Soon, Chang Yangfan and the other brother who teamed up with him also had their tea soup taken away.

Chang Yangfan walked over impatiently: "Brother Xu, you are so brave..."

Xu Yi raised his eyebrows.

Chang Yangfan gritted his teeth and said, "Didn't you notice that a lot of people were looking at you just now? Those looks were..." He paused and motioned Xu Yi to look to the left, the person in their team. Brother, I can't help but want to come over.

Xu Yi sighed: "That smell is very strong?"

Chang Yangfan choked for a moment when he heard this. He thought about it carefully, and it seemed that it was not that strong.

He just subconsciously felt that he shouldn't order such medicinal tea at such a tea party.

Among the people present, not only Chang Yangfan had such an idea, but even among the tasters, there was a dispute over Xu Yi's "heat-clearing and damp-removing tea".

"Nonsense! This, why is this medicinal tea served!"

The speaker was an old man with a white beard. He blew his beard and glared, and his chest rose and fell irregularly with anger.

Another old man glanced at him leisurely and said: "I think it's very good. In the past, everyone was tired of seeing these teas. Most of the contestants were pedantic and old-fashioned, didn't know how to adapt, and were not very interesting."

"What are you doing? What do you mean?" The angry man looked at him and became even more angry.

Could this be calling him pedantic and old-fashioned?

However, the old man didn't seem to notice his angry look. Others nearby saw them quarreling and came over to persuade them to make peace.

"It's not like people didn't have such ideas in the past. You two should calm down." The person trying to persuade them looked at them and continued, "Besides, this tea person is quite interesting. The sesame tea last time, you two Don't they all say it tastes good?"

"The sesame tea is good, but...but this time it's made from medicinal materials. Is it drinkable?"

The person who agreed to Xu Yi's advancement regretted it.

If they knew that this guy could make medicinal tea, they should kill him immediately.

Next to them, the boss, who was watching their conversation with a smile, took the tea cup and sniffed it, smelling the aroma of the herbal tea, and said softly "Eh".

He took a sip and was a little surprised by the taste of the herbal tea.

Not bitter, slightly sweet, can replace tea.

The owner looked up at the tea masters who were still arguing, smiled and waved his hands: "Don't worry, why don't you take a sip first?"

"This..."

The owners of Yongxing Tea House all spoke. These tea masters Of course I want to give face.

The few tea masters who disagreed did not show any pretense. They picked up the tea cup and smelled it first before drinking it.

The next moment, their reaction was the same as that of the owner of Yongxing Tea House.

This herbal tea was different from the herbal teas they had come across before. It didn't smell bad or taste bad. After drinking it, there was a slight sweetness in my mouth, and then I felt a sudden sense of relief in my chest.

Several people were shocked. The old man said: "I said this herbal tea is good, did I lie to you?"

Everyone looked subtle: "..."

...

In a pavilion not far away, there were dozens of contestants of different ages. , are all anxiously waiting for the final result.

Time flies, and the time for two cups of tea has passed.

No one was in the mood to enjoy the scenery in the courtyard. Most of them were looking forward to it, wishing they could fly to that pavilion and interrogate him thoroughly so that they could decide whether to live or die and let him die.

Waiting left and right, they waited for several female envoys coming over.

The female servant holds a green sandalwood plate in her hand, with ten upside-down wooden tablets placed on it.

Everyone gathered around in a roar, but no one lost their temper and lifted the sign.

One of the leading female envoys cleared her throat and said, "If your name is called, you can leave."

Everyone heard this and breathed heavily, for fear of being called by name.

However, the names were announced one by one, and those whose names were read out all looked miserable and left with regret.

There were also some who did not leave when their names were read, but stood aside with their necks stretched and their heels raised, wondering who had won the first place.

As there were fewer and fewer people around him, Xu Yi raised his eyebrows, why hadn't he thought of him yet?

Amid the doubts of Chang Yangfan and the brother, there were still more than a dozen people whose names were not read out.

It was not until the third to last moment that the brother's name was read out. He was stunned for a moment, and then his face fell. Then, he stared at Xu Yi closely, wanting to see if his name would be read out.

The second to last... was an old man who looked very old. When his name was read, tears hung from the corners of his eyes, and he was extremely frustrated.

The last one... wasn't Xu Yi.

It’s not Chang Yangfan either!

Both of them stayed.

The brother's eyes were full of disbelief, and he shouted angrily: "Unfair, unfair, how did you get into the top ten!"

Chang Yangfan frowned and said: "This brother's words are wrong, Brother Xu Although the tea ordered by Tai is medicinal tea, how can you say that his medicinal tea cannot be in the eyes of the tasters?"

Someone spoke up for Xu Yi, and those who were in the top ten also stood by Xu Yi? On Yi's side, not to mention anything else, just because of that "unfair" sentence, they have to fight for it. If they can't win the top ten, wouldn't it be unfair?

"That's right, don't make others laugh with your empty talk."

"Since you lose, you lose. Why can't you compete with me at next year's tea party?"

"You are so angry and angry, you can't be. Jealous of

him ,

he will also go to the owner of Yongxing Teahouse when the time comes? After a while, he was so angry that he threw up his sleeves and ran away angrily.

Xu Yi sighed softly, he did not expect such a commotion to occur, but fortunately these people were very strong in fighting, and the battle was over before he even opened his mouth.

Next, the ten of them were invited by the female envoys to meet the owner of Yongxing Tea House and the highly respected tea masters.

The huge pavilion not far away suddenly became crowded with about ten people.

The owner of Yongxing Teahouse has a face as white as jade, a rosy complexion, and a natural smile. Wearing a hairpin, brocade clothes and jade robes, with dark patterns of fortune, wealth, clouds and longevity woven on his wide long sleeves, he sat with those immortal old men, standing out from the crowd.

He glanced at Xu Yi, and Xu Yi saw him.

Even if he didn't recognize the middle-aged man, Xu Yi could immediately identify him.

The old man who smiled at him before looked at him kindly and asked, "How do you want to win with this herbal tea?"

Xu Yi laughed and said, "I have never thought about winning. "

Oh?" The host was surprised, "Why?"

Xu Yi said sincerely: "My original intention of attending this tea party was to gain experience, and now it is indeed as I expected, and I have a lot of fun."

The old man said with a smile. So, can you tell me what the name of this medicinal tea is? "

Xu Yi patiently explained to them: "This tea is called heat-clearing and damp-removing tea. It can clear the head and harmonize the spleen and stomach. This herbal tea can not only replace tea, but also have curative effects. The burnt hawthorn and fried grain sprouts used in it can eliminate the disadvantages of being difficult to eat and have many benefits." [Note 1] ]

After everyone heard this, they were suddenly enlightened. No wonder they felt enlightened after drinking it.

"It's really good tea." The boss looked at Xu Yi with a smile and asked, "This official Xu can make such exquisite herbal tea. Could it be that he knows a lot of pharmacology?"

Xu Yi said, "I am a doctor."

Others The losers were all shocked when they heard his answer. They actually lost to a doctor? ? ?

Even the owner of Yongxing Tea House and the old man who had supported Xu Yi before had expressions of surprise when they heard his answer.

At this point, others began to wonder about Xu Yi's ranking.

Unfortunately, when the wooden plaque was unveiled, everyone was disappointed with Xu Yi's ranking. He was actually tenth.

They didn't know that if it weren't for the dispute, Xu Yi would have been ranked among the top three, but his shortcomings were obvious. Unlike others, he used herbal tea to win. After discussion, they could only compromise and get the last one. Ranking.

Chang Yangfan's ranking was better than him, in eighth place.

His face was full of smiles, as if he was bathing in the spring breeze, and he couldn't wait to go home and tell his father the good news.

The shopkeeper of Yongxing Teahouse first went to the garden to inform a few people and took them to get the first prize for this grand tea party.

There are rewards for the top ten. In addition to the rosewood wooden plaques with carved rankings in their hands, the tenth place is rewarded with a handle inlaid with gold, pearls and silver like jade.

This jade weighs twelve weights in the hand, among which there are three gold beads, one is as big as a bean, and it looks like a solid piece when buckled.

What Chang Yangfan got was a silver tea set set with rubies, which was exquisite and heavy.

Chang Yangfan held it carefully in his arms and was reluctant to take it out for others to see.

Xu Yi smiled and stuffed the silver jade handle into his arms.

After the tea party, the names of the top ten people will be recorded in the tea master's record of Yongxing Teahouse. There is also a "tea master's record wall" with dense wooden plaques hanging in front.

Not long after, ten new wooden plaques appeared on it, with Xu Yi's name clearly on them.

A Xu and the others were unable to enter the inner garden, but when they saw the teahouse shopkeeper and the female envoys coming out and hanging up the names of the winners, they all cheered with joy.

Great, Lang Jun won the ranking!

The three of them were overjoyed and eagerly awaited Xu Yi's return. However, the owner of the tea house invited them to attend the banquet, and Xu Yi asked a female envoy to bring them a message, asking them to go back to the inn first.

...

The news that Xu Yi participated in the tea party and won the ranking spread in the inn.

On this day, Xi Rou knocked on Xu Yi's door with a plate of red bean fruits.

"Creak -"

Xu Yi opened the door and saw the innkeeper's wife. He was a little confused: "I didn't order any fruit."

Xi Rou said with a smile: "This is the fruit I made by myself. It's quite delicious, so I wanted to take it. Let me give you a taste. Where is Miss A Jin? Why don't you see her today?"

Xu Yi said, "A Jin and Er Qing are out of town." Xiao Huang is following them.

After saying that, he thanked her and took the plate from her hand.

Xi Rou's age is almost the same as Madam He and others. In modern times, she is almost the same as his aunt.

Xu Yi faced her and was not as distant as the young lady in the boudoir. He smiled and asked her if she had anything to do with him.

Xi Rou is a straight-tempered person. When Xu Yi asked, she said, "The news about you at Yongxing Tea House has been spread, and everyone said that your 'heat-clearing and damp-removing tea' is very good. I thought, I usually There is dampness and heat in the body, and I am afraid of taking medicine. I want to ask you for some."

She was afraid that Xu Yi would think she was trying to gain advantage, so she added, "You can tell me how much money you want for these."

Xu Yi's smile did not change and he said: "It's not that expensive. I happen to have some left here. If you want it, Shopkeeper Xi, just charge me for the medicine."

He returned to the room and gave her the few remaining "heat-clearing and damp-removing tea" .

This has been prepared. All the medicinal materials have been ground into coarse powder. Pour directly into water, boil and filter, and it can be used as tea.

Xi Rou successfully got the medicinal tea, smiled, took out the money and gave it to Xu Yi, then left and went downstairs with satisfaction.

Xu Yi's eyes fell on the plate of red bean fruits, which were not very delicate. He couldn't help but laugh when he thought about how many people had come to the inn recently and asked him to buy this heat-clearing and damp-removing tea.

However, it was time for him to go to the hospital.

Thinking of this, Xu Yi walked out the door without any delay.

A few hundred steps away, coming out of the alley in the south of the city, there was a medical center around the corner.

Xu Yi soon arrived in front of the medical clinic. Just as he was about to enter, he caught a glimpse of a flexible figure leaping past.

Looks like a tanuki?