Kuding tea, officially known as large-leaf holly tea, is named tea but essentially acts as a medicinal herb. According to "Chinese Materia Medica," it has a bitter, sweet, and cold nature. Its primary functions are to disperse wind-heat, clear the head and eyes, and relieve irritability and thirst. It's used for headaches, toothaches, red eyes, feverish thirst, dysentery, and more. It aids digestion, transforms phlegm, relieves irritability, quenches thirst, benefits the two excretions, removes greasiness, disperses liver wind, treats tinnitus and deafness, invigorates the blood, cools the heart and intestines, treats intestinal inflammation, scalds, ear pus, early mastitis, wind-heat, toothache, liver fire, head swelling, dizziness, and more.
The medicinal effects of Kuding tea are evident. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes it dispels wind-heat, clears the head and eyes, and removes irritability and thirst. It's used to treat headaches, toothaches, red eyes, feverish thirst, dysentery, etc. Modern pharmacological research shows that Kuding tea contains essential amino acids, vitamins, and trace elements like zinc, manganese, and rubidium. It also helps lower blood lipids, increase coronary artery blood flow, supply the heart muscle, fight arteriosclerosis, and is effective in preventing and treating symptoms like dizziness, headache, chest tightness, fatigue, and insomnia in patients with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Therefore, it's favored by middle-aged and elderly people.
Brewing Kuding tea is simple: just steep it in freshly boiled water. However, there are a few key points: the water should be fully boiled, the water quality should be good (preferably mineral, spring, or purified water), use porcelain or pottery for better flavor, use a small amount of leaves as it's strong and durable, and the preference for strength varies. For newcomers, brewing 2-3 buds in 250ml of boiling water might taste too bitter. Typically, a "Coconut Fairy" Kuding tea bud weighs about 0.3-0.4g, and pairing it with 1000ml of boiling water is ideal for a first-time drinker. Even if several people are drinking the same pot, don't use a large amount of Kuding tea; start with one or two buds until the flavor fades, and chewing on the tea buds enhances the effect. Drink it hot, especially for those with cold stomach diseases, but for those without stomach issues, cool Kuding tea is refreshing and invigorating.
Kuding tea can be brewed alone or mixed with other teas and herbs. When brewed alone, it offers a pure, sweet, and refreshing taste. When mixed with teas like oolong, green tea, Longjing, Maojian, and scented teas, it adds its own sweet aftertaste and throat-soothing qualities. Kuding tea is known as the "gall of tea" because it pairs well with any tea, adding a unique flavor when mixed. Usually, the ratio of Kuding tea to other teas is 1:9, ideally not exceeding 2:8, to prevent overpowering other flavors. In the Guling region, locals like to add a few leaves of Kuding tea as a flavor enhancer, treating it as "MSG of tea."
However, traditional Kuding tea enthusiasts prefer to brew it alone, using at least three buds per cup to savor the pure, intense bitterness. Jiang Cheng's frown was because the tea's strong flavor and simple brewing method didn't showcase his tea-making skills.
He was also surprised that the old man, with his status, favored this relatively inexpensive tea.
The old man sniffed the tea's fragrance and sighed, "Nothing beats this refreshing scent!"
Chen Bo hurriedly brought the cup to the old man's lips, and after struggling to lean forward, he slowly sipped the tea, smacking his lips afterward, "Ah, the taste is like sweet spring water, endlessly delightful!"
Then, looking at Jiang Cheng, he asked, "Why aren't you drinking?"
Jiang Cheng shook his head, "The tea is too bitter for my taste."
"Ha, it's bitter going down, but the aftertaste is sweet. The bitterer the tea, the sweeter the aftertaste."
Jiang Cheng shrugged, "I prefer the taste to be both bitter and sweet when I drink it, which is why I favor the snow tea from Hainan."
"But isn't everything in life first bitter then sweet? Whatever you want to achieve requires prior effort. Since ancient times, it's always been this way," the old man said slowly.
Jiang Cheng shook his head, "I believe in 'you must give to receive,' but I prefer to reap as I sow, to stay motivated and avoid blindly giving without equitable return."
Looking at Jiang Cheng thoughtfully, the old man paused, took a few more sips of tea, and then said, "You must have many questions in your mind, which I will answer one by one, but first, you need to understand something."
"What is that?"
"Everything about our Jiang family!" the old man said slowly and firmly, his eyes shining differently.
"Oh, I'm all ears." Jiang Cheng was eager to learn the secrets of his family, shrouded in mystery.
"Do you know when the surname 'Jiang' first originated?" Instead of revealing the secrets immediately, the old man asked Jiang Cheng a question.
Jiang Cheng thought for a moment and replied, "The 'Jiang' surname is one of the oldest in China, believed to originate from the ancient Yan Emperor Shennong. Since the Yan Emperor was born near the Jiang River, he took 'Jiang' as his surname. This traces back nearly 5000 years, and it's ranked 32nd in the 'Hundred Family Surnames.' But this is just one origin; there are three other sources for the 'Jiang' surname.
The second source is from the Huan family, originating from Tang Dynasty minister Huan Tingchang, who changed his surname to Jiang. Huan Tingchang, a descendant of Eastern Han Dynasty scholar Huan Rong, became the Grand Minister of Works in the second year of Emperor Li Zhi's Shangyuan era (675 AD) and was allowed to change his surname to Jiang, with his descendants carrying the Jiang surname ever since.
The third source is from various ethnic groups changing their surnames to Jiang. During the Song Dynasty, some people from the Qiang ethnic group in the southwest region changed their Han surname to Jiang. Today, the Dong, Yao, Yi, Mongolian, Tujia, Bonan, Bai, Russian, Korean, and other ethnic minorities have individuals with the Jiang surname, mostly due to the government's tethered policy and the assimilation movements during the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
The fourth source comes from the Jurchen tribe, also known as the Manchu Jiangjia clan. Their ancestors were originally Han, but at the end of the Eastern Han dynasty, they were captured by the Liaodong Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes and integrated into the Xianbei tribe, eventually evolving Luing into the Liaodong Jurchen and living in the Ningguta areas, belonging to the Zhenghuang Banner of the Manchu.
In the 17th year of the Ming dynasty's Chongzhen era , the Jiangjia clan followed the Qing army into the pass; in the 26th year of the Qing Kangxi era (AD 1687), their third-generation ancestor, Jiangjia Hashitai, Juehutu, and Hushibu, were ordered to relocate to Fengtian (now Liaoning Shenyang) and then to the area south of the Phoenix City in Dandong to guard the Old Tiger Cave. Their descendants changed their surname to the phonetic Han character Jiang and have been passed down to this day."
Thanks to his book "[Stories About The Ming Dynasty]," Jiang Cheng wasn't a history expert, but he knew quite a bit.
"Good, you're well-informed. But do you know how many historical figures there are with the Jiang surname?" the old man asked next.
"This..." Jiang Cheng found it challenging; he wasn't very clear on this. He spread his hands and admitted, "I only know of Jiang Ziya in the Zhou dynasty and Jiang Wei later in the Three Kingdoms period. I'm not aware of others."
"Ha!" the old man chuckled, "Knowing them is enough because our family line originates from Ancestor Ziya!"
"Ah!" Jiang Cheng was shocked. His ancestor was Jiang Ziya? He was a descendant of Jiang Taigong? Could that be true?!
"Surprised?" the old man asked, seeing Jiang Cheng nod earnestly. The old man slowly continued, "Your disbelief is understandable, as these events occurred over 3,000 years ago, making it hard to verify. However, it's certain that our Jiang family line comes from Ancestor Ziya, as we have the family genealogy to prove it!"
Jiang Cheng dismissed the claim skeptically. Family genealogies were the least credible, as people in ancient times placed great importance on lineage. Once a poor family became wealthy, they would compile a genealogy and find someone to trace their ancestors to lend prestige to their family. Even Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, after becoming emperor, had a genealogy compiled to avoid being called "a farmer of eight generations," linking his ancestry to the Southern Song Confucian scholar Zhu Xi. If even an emperor did this, it shows how much emphasis people placed on lineage.
Jiang Cheng knew some of Jiang Ziya's stories. His given name was Ziya, a descendant of Emperor Yan. Originally surnamed Jiang because his ancestor Boyi was one of the four princes under Emperor Yao, who served as Zichen during Emperor Shun's reign and assisted Emperor Yu in controlling floods. He was a crucial minister to Emperor Yu and was ennobled as Marquis Lu, given the surname Jiang, and enfeoffed in Lu, becoming the founder of the Lu State. From then on, his descendants followed his enfeoffed surname, hence called Lushang.
According to historical records, Jiang Ziya was born in 1156 BC and died in 1017 BC, living to 139 years old. He served six Zhou kings and was known as "Taigongwang" for being the founder of Qi State, commonly called Jiang Taigong. In the early Western Zhou dynasty, he was ennobled as "Taishi" (a military title) by King Wen and revered as "Master Shang," assisting King Wen and plotting to "cut down Shang." Later, he helped King Wu destroy Shang and was enfeoffed in Qi, becoming the founder of Qi State during the Zhou dynasty. He was one of the most famous politicians, military strategists, and tacticians in Chinese history. His story was turned into the famous novel "Fengshen Yanyi" (The Investiture of the Gods).
His descendants were numerous, and their surnames varied, including Jiang, Lu, Ding, Xie, Qi, Gao, Lu, Cui, and more. Their relationships were long untraceable. Now, the old man was claiming he was a descendant of Jiang Ziya, which Jiang Cheng found hard to believe.
"Don't disbelieve yet; let me explain." The old man took another sip of tea and continued, "I won't elaborate on the ancestor's life, as you probably know quite a bit. What I want to discuss is his descendants."
Jiang Cheng sat up straight, listening intently. The old man began, "If the old texts are correct, the ancestor indeed lived over a hundred years. He helped King Wu of Zhou defeat the Shang dynasty and was enfeoffed in Qi, leaving behind the Qi State Jiang lineage. However, later the Jiang royal lineage of Qi was replaced by the Tian family, and this lineage scattered among the people. The surname also became confused, with some reverting to the ancestral Lu, continuing as Jiang, changing to Ding (because "Jiang" in the north sounds like "Ding" in the south), or even changing to the old state name Qi... However, these weren't the true descendants of the ancestor."
"Oh? Why not?"
"Because they weren't actually of the ancestor's bloodline!"
"Really?!" Jiang Cheng asked in shock, a piece of ancient mystery unfolding before him.
The old man's expression turned peculiar, "Think about it, in 'Fengshen Yanyi,' the ancestor was already eighty when he came out of retirement. Although the real history doesn't indicate he was that old when he started serving, it's certain that he was already elderly when he began serving King Wen and later became the ruler of Qi State in his eighties or nineties. Although he was well-preserved and healthy, could you really expect an eighty or ninety-year-old man to still be capable of having children?"
Jiang Cheng's face flushed at the realization.
Indeed, even if Jiang Ziya was in excellent health, he was already in his eighties or nineties at that time. Could you really believe he was capable of "outshining the younger generation"? Moreover, that was over three thousand years ago during the Shang and Zhou periods. Medical conditions weren't up to standard. For Jiang Ziya to live over a hundred years was miraculous enough, let alone having the capacity to father children at such an old age.
"So, the real history is that the Qi State lineage was actually the result of the ancestor adopting the children of his disciple, General Wu Ji. The true bloodline of the ancestor was established in his youth and was protected in secrecy among the common folk, never mingling with the lineage of Qi State," the old man continued, revealing the secret. "Oh? Why is that?"
"This was the wisdom of the ancestor," the old man's eyes glinted with respect. "He saw the greatest peril in political invoLuement: once you fail, it could endanger the entire family. So, he ensured his bloodline was preserved early and hidden away, just in case one day his downfall might bring disaster to his descendants. Even after his rise to power, he didn't merge this hidden line with the Qi State lineage. Instead, he let them continue living among the common folk, keeping a low profile. This line has always upheld his philosophy, rarely engaging in politics, and if they did, they would change their surname and never touch the royal authority. Therefore, this line has existed quietly among the people, engaging in commerce for livelihood and producing quite a few significant figures, albeit less known."
"Who were they?" Jiang Cheng inquired, intrigued by the old man's revelations.
"The most famous include Lu Buwei of the late Warring States period, who changed his surname to Lu, Xie An of the Eastern Jin Dynasty who changed his surname to Xie, and two branches of people during the Sui and Tang dynasties who changed their surnames to Lu and Cui (part of the 'Seven Noble Families' during that time)."
"Ah, they were all from this line?"
"Of course!"
Jiang Cheng inwardly doubted: Could it really be so exaggerated?
Noticing Jiang Cheng's skepticism, the old man chuckled, "There's another piece of evidence that can prove the legitimacy of our Jiang family."
"What's that?"
"Ever heard of 'Liu Tao'?"
"Yes, but I've heard it wasn't actually written by Jiang Ziya but by later generations in his name. Still, the strategic thoughts in it indeed align with his ideologies, making it the first military book in history. The book is formatted as dialogues between King Wen, King Wu, and Lu Wang. It's not recorded in the 'Han Shu – Yi Wen Zhi' but is listed under 'Daoism' as 'Liu Tao, 237 chapters.' 'Liu Tao' is one of the great military texts from before the Qin Dynasty, discussing theories and principles for governing the country, the army, and directing warfare. It's known as the ancestor of military strategy books. Han Dynasty strategist Zhang Liang was said to have carried 'Taigong's Art of War,' which was based on 'Liu Tao.' It was one of the 'Seven Military Classics' during the Northern Song Dynasty, a must-read for martial scholars."
"Right, do you know what the six 'taos' in 'Liu Tao' are?" the old man continued to probe.
Jiang Cheng responded, "Yes, 'Liu Tao' is divided into six parts: Civil Tao, discussing strategies for governing and employing people; Martial Tao, on military strategy; Dragon Tao, on military organization; Tiger Tao, on the wartime environment and weapons and formations; Leopard Tao, on tactics; and Dog Tao, on command and training of troops."
"Ha, that's the common understanding due to thousands of years of transmission, leading to parts of 'Liu Tao' being lost. But originally, the most ancient 'Liu Tao' was written by one of our ancestors, and it's not just six volumes but eight, known as 'Ba Tao,' divided into Civil, Martial, Military, Weapons, Formations, Law, Commerce, and Changes. Among these, 'Civil Tao' is about the art of governance, 'Martial Tao' is actually about the art of combat and killing, 'Military Tao' is about military theory; 'Weapons Tao' is about crafting weapons and traps; 'Formations Tao' is about troop formations; 'Law Tao' is the synthesis of all, the core of tactics and strategy. 'Commerce Tao' discusses the art of commerce, and 'Changes Tao' is derived from King Wen's 'I Ching,' the art of divination. However, 'Commerce Tao' and 'Changes Tao' have always been closely guarded secrets of our Jiang family and haven't been circulated. Even the other six volumes have had their most essential parts removed, hence the current 'Liu Tao.'" The old man explained with authority.
Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow, "Is there any evidence to prove this?"
"You've studied it yourself, haven't you? The 'Six Animal Forms' are the essence of 'Martial Tao,'" the old man said softly.
"What?!"