In the back hall of the Cao residence, Zhao Zhong also arrived and relayed Liu Hong's instructions to Cao Song.
Cao Song laughed and said, "Don't worry, Attendant Zhao, I will handle it perfectly!"
Zhao Zhong nodded. "Okay! That's good! Let's go over there then! I think they should all be here by now."
As he spoke, Zhao Zhong headed toward the front hall.
Cao Song quickly said, "Oh, no rush, no rush! Attendant Zhao, please have a seat! I have prepared some treasures bestowed by His Majesty; please have a taste!"
"Oh? A treasure bestowed by His Majesty? Then we must try it!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhong stopped in his tracks. Hearing that it was a treasure bestowed by the emperor, he immediately became interested.
Cao Song chuckled and said, "Hehe~ Please have a seat, Attendant Zhao!"
While the officials in the front hall were waiting in the cold wind, shivering, Cao Song and Zhao Zhong were sitting opposite each other in the back hall.
Before long, a cup of fragrant tea, which had just been served by servants, was placed on each of their tables.
"Attendant Zhao, this fragrant tea is a treasure His Majesty gave me. I have never taken it out before. Please!"
As he spoke, Cao Song brought the teacup on the table to his nose, closed his eyes slightly, and then twitched his nose, feeling the aroma of tea refreshing his mind.
"You're too kind, Minister of Agriculture, please!"
Zhao Zhong, just like Cao Song, first smelled the aroma of the tea, then took a sip. He immediately felt a warm current flow into his body, and an indescribable sense of comfort arose spontaneously.
"Tsk tsk tsk~ This is really a good thing. I heard that His Majesty developed it himself when he was in Hejian. The quantity is extremely rare."
"I've served His Majesty for so long, and I've hardly ever seen him drink this tea. I never imagined that the Grand Minister of Agriculture would receive such a gift from His Majesty! I'm afraid only the Grand Minister of Agriculture in the entire court possesses this fragrant tea."
After putting down his teacup, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but admire Cao Song, looking at him with envy. As far as he knew, even the two most important ministers, Grand Tutor Chen Fan and Minister of Works Hu Guang, had never received tea as a gift from the emperor.
"Haha~ Attendant Zhao, you flatter me!"
Cao Song then laughed and said, "His Majesty once instructed me to search extensively for tea-producing areas. I was just curious, so I asked a few more questions. Then His Majesty brought out this fragrant tea for me to see! I shamelessly said I wanted to take it home to study, and that's how I managed to get just one jar!"
Cao Song waved his hand with a smile. Although his words were full of politeness, he couldn't hide the smugness on his face.
In the entire court, perhaps only Cao Song dared to act so shamelessly in front of His Majesty. He was always trying to find ways to gain benefits from the emperor, but the emperor not only showed no displeasure, but also always smiled and rewarded him without hesitation. This shows how much the emperor favored Cao Song.
Looking at Cao Song's smug expression, Zhao Zhong couldn't help but feel a mixture of contempt and envy.
"It's true what they say, comparisons are the thief of joy," Zhao Zhong thought to himself, and picked up his teacup again, hoping that the scalding hot tea could warm his wounded heart.
After taking a sip of tea, Zhao Zhong felt much better. But when he glanced at the little tea left in his cup, a sense of loss welled up inside him.
Unexpectedly, the tea was empty so quickly after only a few sips. Zhao Zhong then held the teacup and looked at Cao Song with a meaningful gaze.
The meaning is quite straightforward: We're almost finished drinking, won't you give us some more?
Unexpectedly, Cao Song picked up the teacup in front of him, drank it all in one gulp, and even smacked his lips afterward, looking as if he was still not satisfied. He chose to ignore Zhao Zhong's request for more tea.
Cao Song's meaning was quite clear: It's over!
Zhao Zhong held his teacup in astonishment, staring blankly at Cao Song. He knew that the Grand Minister of Agriculture was stingy, but he didn't expect him to be stingy to this extent.
Considering that the man before him dared to unite all the officials to demand rice from the Emperor, Zhao Zhong had no choice but to give up. Trying to gain some advantage from Cao Song was probably just wishful thinking.
Zhao Zhong also finished the last of the tea in his cup and then asked, "I just heard the Grand Minister of Agriculture say that His Majesty asked you to find tea-producing areas? Could it be that he plans to have the Grand Minister of Agriculture produce this fragrant tea in large quantities?"
Cao Song nodded. "That's right! Your Majesty does have this intention. Although people nowadays add various seasonings to the tea they serve to distinguished guests, the more seasonings they add, the more respect they show to the guests. But those seasonings are not only expensive, but their taste is also indescribable!"
Although this fragrant tea uses only one type of tea leaf, which might seem like a slight neglect of guests, its delicate and refreshing aroma is unforgettable, far surpassing that of ordinary teas. I believe that once it's launched, it won't be long before it completely replaces all the so-called teas of the past!
After saying this, Cao Song savored the lingering aroma of tea on his lips and teeth once more!
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zhong nodded in agreement, "Ever since I drank this fragrant tea, those soup-like things from before are truly incomparable!"
Then Zhao Zhong looked at Cao Song with hopeful eyes, "How is the production of these fragrant teas going, Grand Minister of Agriculture? If there's a lot..."
"No!"
Before Zhao Zhong could finish speaking, Cao Song interrupted him.
"Uh~"
Zhao Zhong stared at Cao Song in astonishment, thinking to himself: I'm not asking for it for nothing, why is he so quick to refuse?
Seeing Zhao Zhong's appearance, Cao Song explained, "Although His Majesty ordered me to buy up many tea-producing areas, it's already winter, so where can we find tea? We'll have to wait until next spring!"
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