Dian Tea Tribulation: Ming Court Tea Horse

During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the imperial court implemented the "tea-horse mutual trade" system. As the core of the southwest frontier, Yunnan was not only the starting point of the ancient tea-horse road, but also the hub of trade between the Central Plains, Tubo and the Western Regions. At this time, Emperor Wanli was negligent in his administration, and party disputes in the court were fierce. Eunuchs colluded with local officials to monopolize the Yunnan tea trade and plunder ancient tea tree resources and tea-making secrets. In Yunnan, the Dai, Yi, Bai and Hani people have lived together for generations, each adhering to tea-making skills and tea customs and beliefs. The tea-shou family "Cha" (mixed Chinese and Dai), as the core inheritor of Yunnan tea, holds the "Southern Yunnan Tea Making Atlas" and has become the focus of all forces.