The first tea plant grew where his eyelids had fallen, and its leaves to this day help keep sleep at bay. The subsequent fate of tea are much less bloody. The idea to brew tea supposedly came from the Chinese emperor Shennong, who was known for his wisdom. He was also a great proponent of herbalism and ... boiled water. In order to reduce the number of people falling ill, he encouraged all citizens to boil their water before drinking. A tea leaf from a nearby bush once fell into one of the pots with water that was cooling off after boiling. Prone to experiments, the emperor tried the brew, thereby discovering its stimulating and tasty properties.