The tea soup in the black cup showed a greenish white color. This was Lu Yu's tea. Xue Bai picked it up and took a sip.

Li Jilan glanced secretly, wanting to hear what Xue Bai said about the tea. After all, it was her who scooped up the Zhongling water. But Xue Bai didn't say anything after he put down the tea cup. She couldn't help but worry that he was

It's not that I'm unhappy.

After a while, a box of tea leaves was brought out.

Xue Bai has tinkered with many novel things so far. Since he brought out the tea today, everyone couldn't help but look forward to it, thinking that it would be a tea cake with a unique shape.

However, when the box was opened, there were only loose dark brown tea leaves inside, which looked really unflattering.

"Let's take a look."

Xue Bai first looked at Lu Yu and motioned for him to come forward.

Although Xue Bai didn't say it just now, he still very much recognized Lu Yu's tea art. Nowadays, the folk method of making tea is the same as making spicy soup. The tea leaves are boiled with onions, ginger, dates, orange peels, dogwood, mint and other things.

, although tea is also made among the rich and powerful, the taste is very bitter. Lu Yu's level is indeed much higher than ordinary people, and he already has the aroma of tea.

"Your Highness."

"Your tea is different from others. What's the difference?"

"Your Highness, the student's tea is roasted." Lu Yu replied: "Roast it slowly over low heat. Turn it frequently to make it cool evenly. Bake it until the tea cake is in the shape of a toad's back. Wrap it while it's hot to prevent the aroma from being lost.

.”

"What do you think of the tea I brought?"

Lu Yu picked up the tea leaves, smelled them, and said, "It's not roasted."

He looked thoughtful, thought for a long time, and finally said: "Your Highness, this tea, could it be... fried?"

"good."

Xue Bai was not used to drinking the tea soup of Tang Dynasty. He had tried brewing it several times, but drinking a cup of tea seemed not as simple as soaking it in boiling water.

He didn't have the time to study these things before, but now that he is at ease, he remembers that stir-frying is needed to brew the good taste. He picked the tea leaves several times and tried it several times, and gradually figured out the specific steps of stir-frying, including the temperature of the pot and the required tea leaves.

Several processes and so on.

Lu Yu touched the tea leaves and muttered to himself: "If you don't fry them dry enough, I'm afraid they will be ground into powder."

"This is soaked."

Xue Bai then stood up and went to make a pot of tea himself.

Lu Yu felt his aura and thought he was good at making tea. He couldn't help but stare with wide eyes. He also took off the strap he used to wrap his hands and was about to hand it over, worried that Xue Bai's sleeves would sweep down the various tea utensils.

.

Xue Bai picked up the wooden box with one hand, walked to the desk, calmly grabbed a handful of tea leaves, and poured it into the pot.

It is said to be a pot, but it is actually called a "cooked pot". It is one of Lu Yu's twenty-four tea utensils and is used to hold hot water.

Lu Yu couldn't help but be surprised. What was even more puzzling was Xue Bai's action of grabbing the tea with his hands. He thought to himself: "Is it to increase the saltiness of the tea? Then add salt? Put the tea leaves in the cooking bowl, and after a while the hot water will return.

Where to install it?”

With countless questions floating in his mind, Lu Yu watched Xue Bai's movements more intently to see which tea set he would use next.

Xue Bai looked around, picked up a tea towel from the complicated tea set, wrapped it around the handle of the boiling bowl, and poured the boiling water into the cooking bowl.

"alright."

"What?"

Xue Bai turned around and said, "The tea is ready."

Everyone was stunned for a moment, but Li Chenghong quickly reacted and praised: "Your Highness makes tea, the flow is flowing, it is pleasing to the eye, wonderful, wonderful!"

Li Qiwu couldn't help but feel resentful when he glanced at Li Chenghong, thinking that since he was so good at flattering others, it was no wonder he got the job.

Lu Yu felt Xue Bai's trampling on the tea ceremony, and stepped forward in despair, looking at the tea soup in the cooked bowl.

The fried tea leaves have spread out and sunk to the bottom, and the tea soup is green, which is really not good-looking.

"Serve it for everyone to try," Xue Bai said.

Lu Yu was about to refuse when he suddenly sniffed and smelled the aroma of tea.

He focused his gaze, filled a small ladle with tea and poured it into a tea cup. He closed his eyes and smelled it, took a long breath, threw away all the distracting thoughts in his heart, and took a sip calmly.

"how?"

Lu Yu opened his eyes and did not rush to answer, but felt the sweetness of the tea. Gradually, a different light appeared in his eyes, and he said in surprise: "It's so fragrant and refreshing!"

As expected, Xue Bai said: "That's not bad."

When the tea was tasted by everyone, everyone couldn't help but marvel at how such a simple brewing method can produce such a taste.

Lu Yu and Jiao Ran, these two extremely outstanding young people were simply overshadowed by Xue Bai, and they were still in the fields they were best at.

This seemed to add a lot of trouble to Li Jilan.

She admired him for being able to do everything, and being able to amaze the world with every move he made, but she was also not sure whether he was jealous of her by doing what he did today, so she kept guessing in her heart.

Over there, Xue Bai had already called Li Chenghong and asked: "How about this tea?"

"So, when the Tibetan envoys come, let's entertain them with this."

"Here."

After saying that, Xue Bai looked at Li Xian, the two smiled at each other and nodded.

In this small tea leaf, Xue Bai's big plan is actually hidden.

~~

A few days later, in the southwest corner of the imperial city, there was the Honglu Guest House.

Lu Yu sat behind the desk, boiling tea with his graceful movements, and presented it to the Tibetan envoy.

The Tibetan envoy's name was Basai Nang. He was tall, tall and thick, with a dark complexion and full beard.

His movements were quite elegant, and he could also speak Chinese. He took the tea cup from Lu Yu's hand with both hands. He took a sip and let out a comfortable sigh.

"Tea is really a good thing. We love to eat meat all year round. If we eat too much, we will get tired. This tea soup is very good at relieving tiredness."

Li Chenghong, the envoy of the Tang Dynasty, was the king of the county. Hearing this, he just smiled lightly and nodded to show his appreciation, looking very reserved.

Lu Yu poured another glass for Basai Nang and said, "If the envoy likes it, he can bring more back this time."

"Okay." Bassinang pointed to the table with a smile and said, "It's just that these utensils are too complicated. If I return to Tubo, I'm afraid I won't be able to make such good tea."

"I still have some brewed tea here. The envoy can also try it."

Lu Yu said, turned around, took out a box, and started making tea.

Although he looks ugly, his movements are much more graceful than Xue Bai's. The elegance of his gestures can always make people mistakenly think that he is a handsome man.

Soon, the tea was brewed. This time, all the Tibetan soldiers and servants who came with the envoys were given a bowl to taste.

This is because Xue Bai has different positionings for the two types of tea. Sencha has a complicated process and looks high-class, and is mainly for the aristocracy; tea making process is simple, and is mainly for ordinary people.

Although the Tubo people have been drinking tea for a long time to relieve their tiredness, it is impossible for everyone to drink the boiled tea soup. But if they can like the taste of the brewed tea and use it as a daily drink, the amount of tea trade will naturally be large.

increase.

Sure enough, after drinking this bowl of tea, no one found it bitter, but felt very relieved and comfortable.

Basai Nang also liked the fragrant tea and asked to buy more and take it back to Tubo this time.

As for the large-scale tea trade between the two countries, that is something to be discussed after the peace talks.

Li Chenghong brought Lu Yu with him to entertain the Tibetan envoys for this purpose. They followed the prince's order and had to take this opportunity to increase Tibet's demand for tea.

After drinking tea, Basainang wanted to bring the topic to the matter of marrying the princess of Tang Dynasty. However, Li Chenghong talked about him. Soon, another person behind him spoke, Jiao Ran.

Jiao Ran had a beautiful appearance and extraordinary conversational skills. Soon, he had a great conversation with Basak Nang and brought the topic to Buddhism.

Culture and education in Tubo were not prosperous. It should be said that they were very poor. There were very few literate people in Tubo, not to mention medicine, astronomy, geography, arithmetic and other knowledge.

Ignorance will lead to awe, awe of heaven, earth, nature, and ghosts and gods. Although Basainang is a Tubo noble, he also has a deep awe of Buddhism in his heart. On the other hand, he also knows that if Tubo wants culture and education to flourish, it is impossible

Relying on scholars, only monks who have done good deeds and accumulated virtues can spread culture and education, heal patients, translate books, and provide relief to the people in Tubo.

On the other hand, over a long period of time, the power of the Bonbo wizards has expanded, gradually weakening Zanpu's power. From weddings and funerals, farming and herding, to military alliances, Zanpu's succession to the throne, burial and construction of the mausoleum capital

To interfere, therefore, starting from Songtsen Gampo, Buddhism was supported by the Tubo royal family.

Today, Trisong Detsen, the Tibetan leader, is sixteen years old, but the government is controlled by powerful officials, who believe in Bonbo religion. It is Trisong Detsen's natural position to introduce Buddhism to fight against powerful officials.

Basainang was a confidant of Trisong Detsen. One of the purposes of his mission to the Tang Dynasty was to win the support of the Tang Dynasty through marriage and increase Trisong Detsen's prestige.

Naturally, he did not object to talking about Buddhism with Jiaoran. On the contrary, the more they talked, the deeper they got. Many doubts about the world and life were enlightened and enlightened.

The two also made an appointment to go to Changxing Temple tomorrow to visit Zen Master Hui Zheng, who is the most profound Buddhist in the Tang Dynasty today.

~~

Zen Master Hui Zheng is seventy-six years old this year.

He studied Buddhism since he was a child, was proficient in Buddhist scriptures, became one of Huineng's disciples, and obtained the Heart Seal. After practicing for more than forty years, his reputation became higher and higher.
To be continued...