摘要
HAVING ruled for 60 years, in 1795 Qing emperor Qianlong decided it was time to abdicate in favor of his son. His ministers tried to dissuade him, saying: "A country cannot manage for a single day without its monarch." The emperor promptly retorted, raising his cup of tea, "A monarch cannot function for a single day without tea." Qianlong had several reasons for abdicating and mentioned tea only as a red her-
