To Love You Again

[The Truth Behind the Treaty of the Xiong Family and the Zhou Family].

It was such a sensationalizing and scandalous title, almost like the articles written by the paparazzi. It made everyone want to know more. 

Old Xiong frowned and began to read the file.

The content was like how he was taught when he was still a child. 

Old Xiong was even more confused. So what was the deal? What 'truth behind the treaty', was it not the same as what they knew?

Linfeng looked at the old man's confused face. Most likely, the old man read the introductory history, the one they all knew as.

The real history was on another folder attached below it, in the ancient relics he had found.

His investigation led him to discover many things. Linfeng did not just stop at studying the two families' records, he also especially had experts study many ancient artifacts from that era a long time ago.

This collection of ancient artifacts started since he was young and he got them with utmost secrecy through various channels. Also, there were a few Zhou predecessors who had attempted the same, and although they did not succeed, Linfeng secretly retrieved the results of his ancestor's hard work and synthesized it with his own discoveries. 

The history which Old Xiong knew was not too far off from the truth, but unknown to them, there was a few missing bits. And those missing bits, when pieced together with the history they knew, made a whole difference.

****

A long, long, time ago, when the ancient empire was still striving at ancient Huaxia's golden age. 

It was a time when the country was teeming with aristocratic nobles, scholars, and heroic generals, bringing the country much prosperity.

(EN: Huaxia is the ancient name of China)

The Xiong family was a highly prominent family owning a famous teahouse in the capital.

They also have various businesses related to tea trade and many branches of teahouses scattered throughout the empire. They could be considered as one of the wealthiest families, and although they were not from nobility, they were highly looked upon by nobles and the like. Their prized Xiong Shu Huan tea has a very unique flavor that even the imperial family came to love it.

The Zhou family, on the other hand, were merchants who were obsessed in collecting porcelain tea cups.

According to the history recorded in the treaty, the Zhou's ancient ancestors visited the famous Xiong Teahouse. The Zhou ancestors fell in love immediately with the unique taste of Xiong Shu Huan tea. They saw it as a treasured hen that could lay eggs and would not be surpassed for a long time.

The merchant family spent a lot of effort in proposing to be a partner of the Xiong Teahouse and expand its business, creating new branches outside Xiong's sphere of influence, introducing new products, and bringing their tea through the trade routes leading to the far west and the southern lands across the seas.

After much thought, the Xiong family agreed with the proposal of the Zhou merchants. They worked together for many years harmoniously. The two families even began to put into paper their agreement regarding their business. 

Until one day, the Zhou family committed a terrible and irrevocable mistake that resulted to a lifetime debt.

The Xiong family was invited to the palace by the favored concubine of the then reigning emperor. The favored concubine had invited the Xiong Master to brew for her the most famous Xiong Shu Huan tea. After a few invitations, she also came to know of the Xiong family's collaboration with the Zhou family.

The concubine was a known tea lover and also had the same hobby like the Zhou family, she loved collecting tea cups. Thus, when she heard that the Zhou merchants, known for their love of collecting various tea cups, were working together with her favorite Xiong teahouse, she sent out an invitation again for the two families to come over and have a chat.

The Xiong family and the Zhou family were ecstatic at the great honor given to them at that time. It was a lifetime opportunity and a great advantage to be appreciated by any of the royal family.

The Xiong Master always brought his son together with him in important events like this, in order to train his heir. Thus, he also encouraged his good friend and business partner, the Zhou Master, to do the same and bring his own son as well to the palace.

They hoped that in the future, their two sons could continue serving the royal family with their prized tea and impart their collected tea stories. The Xiong's young master and the Zhou's young master were then brought to the imperial palace as apprentices.

While the Xiong Master brewed tea in a formal tea ceremony for the favored concubine, the Zhou Master told stories on how he acquired many unique teacups and their varieties.

Although their fathers both told them to be cautious and not to wander, the two daring young masters grabbed the chance to secretly roam around.

According to Linfeng's investigation and comparison with various articles, that golden era of Huaxia was more tolerant in social norms. Men and women were not as strictly separated as the other dynasties. It also was reflected in the royal palace's backyard. Although men were not allowed to enter the living areas of the harem unless escorted, they could still stay within the premises of the harem's outer pavilions, especially if they were artisans and talents invited to entertain the bored concubines.

They were at the favored concubine's outer pavilion. The Xiong young master had been here a couple of times. He knew where the kitchen and the collection for tea cups were at.

The Xiong young master then told his friend that he once saw an extremely beautiful tea cup owned by the concubine. Knowing that his friend was obsessive to teacups, he told him this amazing news. The Zhou young master in his excitement wanted to take one look at the beautiful tea cup. 

The two impulsive youths sneaked into the courtyard and went to the collection room. Fortunately for them, they did not meet anyone on their way.

Inside the collection room, they saw shelves where different kinds of teacups sat. The Zhou young master spent some time looking at them, until they saw an elegant box at the back. The Xiong young master carefully lifted the box while the Zhou young master waited to see the content.