Chapter 23

Chapter 23

The river breeze quietly slipped through the window, sweeping past the face with flowing hair.

It dispersed the sweet fragrance.

Ying Changchuan didn't answer directly but instead asked back: "Would my minister like to taste it?"

"May I try a piece?"

Jiang Yuxun, can you be any more undignified?

The young man couldn't help feeling a wave of despair within: While others say 'dying of craving' as an exaggeration, I could literally die like this...!

"Hmm," the Emperor seemed not to mind.

"...Thank you, Your Majesty."

Once bitten, twice shy.

For Jiang Yuxun now, this was just a minor scene.

Ying Changchuan picked up the document again, casually flipping through it.

Jiang Yuxun took a deep breath in silence, picked up a silver pick from the fruit plate, and carefully chewed a piece.

The sweet flavor instantly filled his mouth and lingered on his lips.

It must be said, Eunuch Sang indeed has a knack for picking melons.

Jiang Yuxun's eyes lit up – his risk earlier was worth it!

Ying Changchuan didn't have a sweet tooth.

Yet, catching a glimpse of this scene, he surprisingly developed some interest in such sweet delicacies for the first time.

……

By evening, at Liuyun Hall's duty room.

Jiang Yuxun slowly unfolded the map he had borrowed from Zhuang Yue.

By the light of the lamp, he could see that after leaving the plains, the Yi River quickly joined the main course of the Chen River.

The Chen River flows eastward for over a hundred miles, then suddenly turns and heads directly south, eventually flowing into the sea.

Jiang Yuxun held his breath.

Earlier in the carriage, he had only a vague concept in mind.

Now, seeing the map, Jiang Yuxun finally realized clearly: making the Yi River navigable was imperative!

Over the years, Ying Changchuan had been conquering and expanding territories.

In a short span of time, the country's territory expanded more than twofold.

These "new lands" were mostly concentrated in the south, exactly in the area where the main course of the Chen River flowed!

"The south..."

Jiang Yuxun couldn't help but mutter softly.

Mobilizing troops from Zhaodu to the south was extremely inconvenient. In case of turmoil, the imperial court was utterly helpless.

Historically, the rapid collapse of the Great Zhou Dynasty was also related to this issue.

Jiang Yuxun unconsciously caressed the map along the Chen River.

Zhaodu was precisely at the uppermost part of this waterway.

—If the Yi River became navigable, in case of a rebellion, the Emperor could quickly deploy troops from Zhaodu to suppress it.

From this perspective, calling it the lifeline of the Great Zhou Dynasty was not an exaggeration.

Jiang Yuxun's heartbeat grew faster and stronger, almost bursting from his chest.

The project to straighten the bends of the Yi River would take about three years.

In history, Ying Changchuan was set to lead a major northern campaign against the Zherou in the next seven years.

...How should he persuade Ying Changchuan to wait?

-

After returning the map to Zhuang Yue, Jiang Yuxun didn't rush back to rest but went to the residence of the Xuan Yin Monitors.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he encountered Gu Yejiu, whom he had arranged to train in the right division of the Xuan Yin Monitors.

The young man, who was fetching water, was startled and quickly put down his wooden bucket: "Master, why are you here so late?"

"I came to see how Weng Guang is doing," Jiang Yuxun asked with some concern, "Has he not woken up yet?"

Yesterday, a civilian had attacked the Prime Minister amidst the chaos, and it was fortunate that Weng Guang, a member of the Xuan Yin Monitors, had blocked the fatal blow.

Jiang Yuxun heard that although Weng Guang's injuries were not severe, he had been suffering from a persistent fever.

It was very likely that his wound had become inflamed.

"Not yet," Gu Yejiu shook his head and quickly led Jiang Yuxun inside, "Not only does Weng Guang have a severe fever, but he also clenches his teeth and refuses to open his mouth, making it impossible to feed him medicine."

As they spoke, the two entered the sleeping quarters.

Space was limited in Xianyou Palace, and the sleeping quarters were a communal area, visible at a glance.

Seeing Jiang Yuxun, the resting Xuan Yin Monitors promptly saluted: "Greetings to Master Jiang!"

"No need for formalities," Jiang Yuxun said as he quickly walked over to Weng Guang's bed.

Gu Yejiu followed, dipping a cloth in water, pausing for a few seconds before wringing it out and placing it on Weng Guang's forehead.

"Since Master Weng can't take his medicine, we can only try to reduce the fever this way, but it's not very effective," the young man explained.

Jiang Yuxun murmured to himself: "This can't go on like this..."

He unconsciously clenched his fists.

...Since he can't take medicine, we have to cool him down physically.

Jiang Yuxun’s gaze quickly scanned the sleeping quarters, finally resting on a pottery jar in the corner of the room: "Is that wine?"

"Ah?" Gu Yejiu was momentarily stunned, then nodded, "Yes, it's spring wine."

Jiang Yuxun swiftly walked towards the pottery jar.

"Distilled spirits" appeared quite late in history; the alcohol content in this era's wine was still low.

It was somewhat like modern rice wine, naturally fermented, with only a faint aroma detectable up close.

At this moment, everyone in the sleeping quarters focused their attention on Jiang Yuxun.

...What is Master Jiang planning to do?

Amidst the confusion, Jiang Yuxun suddenly turned and asked them: "Does Xianyou Palace have a steaming pot?"

Steaming... pot?

Hearing these two words, the room fell into a hushed silence.

Everyone seemed frozen in place.

Seeing their bewildered expressions, Jiang Yuxun pondered for a while and then offered another term: "A steaming pot... or perhaps called a 'heavenly pot.'"

What Jiang Yuxun referred to was the earliest bronze distillation apparatus discovered in later archaeological findings.

However, in this era, no one used it for distilling liquor, but for alchemy and distilling floral waters.

The looks on everyone's faces towards Jiang Yuxun gradually became more complex.

Finally, it was Gu Yejiu who whispered a reminder: "Master, what you're talking about is forbidden in our dynasty."

Jiang Yuxun: ...!

Damn, I almost forgot about that.

Before the advent of distilled spirits, the “steaming pot” was inseparable from sacrificial rites and divination rituals.

Just now, the Xuan Yin Monitors probably thought I had fallen into depravity, intending to use the steaming pot for alchemy to save Weng Guang.

If not for considerations of status, they might have arrested me on the spot...

Jiang Yuxun quickly clarified: "Don't misunderstand, I want to use it for distilling liquor."

"...Distilling liquor?"

Xianyou Palace was once a summer palace of the previous dynasty.

Its storerooms indeed contained several bronze steaming pots left from the former dynasty.

But how could a steaming pot be used for distilling liquor?

Everyone looked at Jiang Yuxun with skeptical faces.

"Yes," Jiang Yuxun nodded, repeating with unwavering certainty, "Use the steaming pot to make strong liquor, then use it to reduce Weng Guang's fever."

Normally, they would never believe such words.

But the person saying this today was Jiang Yuxun...

The bedroom fell silent once again.

The people exchanged glances, and after a moment of silence, finally made up their minds, gritting their teeth, "We will go and retrieve it right away!"

……

In the small courtyard of the Xuan Yin Jail.

Flames roared, heating the distillation pot set over the fire.

Soon, steam started to condense and drip down from the funnel-shaped spout as droplets of liquor.

The strong aroma of alcohol gradually filled the entire courtyard.

It was particularly overpowering and intense, like swords piercing through everyone's nostrils.

Even though not much had been distilled yet, the fragrance was already more intoxicating than a full jar of spring wine.

The rich aroma, like a hook, swiftly pulled everyone's souls to the heavens.

After removing the initial cut of the distillate, a bowl of strong liquor quickly accumulated beside the pot. Gu Yejiu immediately took the bowl inside, using it to wipe Weng Guang's body and reduce his fever, as instructed by Jiang Yuxun.

Inside the courtyard, someone unknowingly swallowed their saliva.

Many in the Xuan Yin Jail were known for their love of liquor, and their gazes towards the distillation pot grew increasingly fervent.

After a while, another bowl of fresh liquor had accumulated beside the pot.

Hesitating for a moment, Jiang Yuxun finally picked up the bowl of liquor under everyone's gaze and turned to ask, "Why don't we all take a cup and share it?"

"Yes!" The crowd's eyes lit up.

No one in the Xuan Yin Jail could resist strong liquor, and the bowl was quickly divided clean.

Each person only got a small sip, but that was enough.

"It's so spicy!"

"This liquor, just smelling it could intoxicate someone—"

The rich aroma, coupled with a hint of sweetness from the spring wine, made the freshly distilled liquor exceptionally strong and fiery as it went down, burning the stomach.

However, the aftertaste was richer than anything they had ever experienced.

Remembering what Jiang Yuxun had said, someone eagerly dipped a fingertip in the liquor and applied it to their arm.

The alcohol evaporated instantly, leaving only a cool sensation on the skin: "This liquor really does cool you down!"

The officers of Xuan Yin Jail were accustomed to heavy drinking.

But today, holding just a small cup, they were reluctant to drink it.

The night wind blew over their arms, sending chills, a constant reminder—liquor could be more than just a drink!

Despite it being late at night, the Xuan Yin Monitor was brimming with excitement, with no one feeling tired.

In the midst of their conversation, Gu Yejiu rushed out from his sleeping quarters with red eyes: "Young Master, Elder Weng has woken up!"

"Awake?!"

The hearts that had been hanging in suspense finally settled down.

Some couldn't help but tear up—though the Xuan Yin Monitor did not go to battle, over the years, many had succumbed to death from unrelenting fevers after injuries.

With this wine... could it mean fewer deaths?

-

The Xuan Yin Monitor was always self-disciplined; despite their love for alcohol, everyone just took a small sip.

The remaining strong spirits were all poured back into pottery jars, handed over to Jiang Yuxun.

By this time, the night had deepened.

The imperial lodge was dark, save for a faint light still glowing in Liuyun Hall.

Although he hadn't drunk much, Jiang Yuxun was already feeling dizzy.

Not only was his walk unsteady, but his hands were also shaky.

Just as Jiang Yuxun, holding the pottery jar, stepped onto the corridor, before he could take another step, he heard a voice nearby: "Watch your step."

He instinctively halted, turning to look down at the ground.

—On the corridor made of white jade, a small puddle of water had formed unknowingly.

Fortunately, he hadn't stepped into it.

Jiang Yuxun immediately looked up, intending to thank the person who had reminded him.

To his surprise, he saw...

The famously diligent Yingshang Chuan from history, not perusing reports in the hall, but leisurely standing outside, enjoying the moonlight.

It was he who had just alerted him!

Jiang Yuxun instantly came to his senses.

At the same time, Yingshang Chuan also smiled and looked at the young man, half-jokingly saying:

"I didn't expect the Xuan Yin Monitor to risk beheading to acquire forbidden items for this official."

Nothing in the Xianyou Palace escaped the Emperor's eyes, and he never hid this fact.

That Yingshang Chuan knew about the recent incident, Jiang Yuxun was not at all surprised.

He immediately explained, "Your Majesty, I did not use the distilling vessel for alchemy."

As he spoke, the pottery jar full of wine in the young man's arms suddenly slid downwards.

Jiang Yuxun quickly tightened his grip to hold it firmly.

Yingshang Chuan paused for a moment, as if finally noticing his difficult movements, and said, "Come here, my official."

The young man breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes, Your Majesty."

Thankfully, it seemed like Yingshang Chuan was not going to delve deeper into the matter of the distilling vessel.

Enduring the pain, Jiang Yuxun held the pottery jar and walked along the corridor.

Still feeling dizzy, he intended to bow to Yingshang Chuan and then rest in the duty room.

But as he passed by the Liuyun Hall, Jiang Yuxun stopped, as if remembering something.

Then, suddenly emboldened by the alcohol, he looked up directly at the Emperor: "Would Your Majesty care to try the strong liquor I made today?"

The night breeze scattered the fragrance, and now the entire Liuyun Hall was permeated with the scent of wine.

Yingshang Chuan's gaze slowly fell upon the pottery jar.

After a few seconds, he said with a smile: "Good."

※

Late at night, Jiang Yuxun returned to his usual seat in Liuyun Hall.

The young man carefully lifted the pottery jar, filling the Emperor's cup with wine.

Yingshang Chuan took a small sip and commented softly, "Indeed, it's rich and mellow, with a spicy intensity."

Having said this, he drained the fiery liquor in one gulp.

Isn't he worried about getting drunk by drinking so hastily?

Jiang Yuxun silently refilled Yingshang Chuan's cup, unable to resist testing the other's tolerance for alcohol.

As the Emperor emptied his cup in one go, as his subject, he naturally had to follow suit.

After pouring the wine, Jiang Yuxun also drank a cup following Yingshang Chuan and couldn't help but comment, "This wine, if aged for another year and a half, will taste even better as the spiciness subsides."

The branched copper lamp, casting half the palace chamber in bright light.

In his peripheral vision, Jiang Yuxun noticed — a huge sheepskin map had been hung beside this copper lamp at some unknown time.

The map depicted not the Great Zhou's mountains and rivers, but Zherou, far to the north.

He gradually clenched the wine cup in his hand.

Only when a slight pain tingled his fingertips did he belatedly release his grip.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Yuxun couldn't help but speak up: "Your Majesty... this map of Zherou only shows the rough borders, with the mountains and rivers left blank."

Zherou, located to the north of Great Zhou, encircles it in a ‘冖’ shape.

Yingshang Chuan's expression grew more solemn: "That's right."

He lifted his wine cup and slowly walked towards the large map: "Zherou mostly keeps to itself, making it difficult for the people of Great Zhou to penetrate its depths."

Under the copper lamp, Yingshang Chuan's ash-gray eyes seemed to warm a few degrees.

As he spoke, the Emperor unconsciously stretched out his hand, gently brushing over the map.

Jiang Yuxun shifted his gaze from the map back to his wine cup.

The young man's heart once again began to beat heavily, the drunkenness slightly dissipating:

"Your Majesty, my visit today is precisely about this matter."

Yingshang Chuan turned to look at the young man.

Jiang Yuxun drained the strong wine in his cup and walked towards the map.

He stopped before the Emperor, looking up into those ash-gray eyes:

"Since the previous dynasty, Zherou has been eyeing Great Zhou covetously, repeatedly slaughtering border citizens, sending troops to harass, and forcing tributes and marriages."

Yingshang Chuan's smile gradually faded, and his pupils turned a few shades colder.

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, Jiang Yuxun was not only unafraid, but his gaze became even more audacious than before:

"I know, Your Majesty's intention has never been just to prevent Great Zhou from being harassed, but to completely annihilate Zherou."

Historically, due to a lack of understanding of Zherou, the "Zhou-Zherou Conflict" continued intermittently for nearly seven years before it ended.

Although Great Zhou emerged victorious, it was weakened by years of continuous warfare and eventually fell three days after Yingshang Chuan's sudden demise.

The Emperor's ambition was laid bare for the first time, and Yingshang Chuan, who usually concealed his emotions and thoughts, actually spun his wine cup and nodded with a smile: "Correct."

Jiang Yuxun's gaze returned to the blank areas on the map: "...I believe, this war must not be prolonged. And for a swift and decisive victory, Your Majesty is missing one thing..."

Yingshang Chuan narrowed his eyes: "What is that?"

"A detailed map of Zherou."

"Do you have one, my official?"

Jiang Yuxun shook his head: "I do not."

The slightly inebriated young man was much bolder than usual.

After saying those words, Jiang Yuxun blinked and gently raised his now empty wine cup to Yingshang Chuan, saying, "But it can be exchanged for one."

A quietness settled in Liuyun Hall.

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Jiang Yuxun's heartbeat seemed louder in his ears, and his breathing became slightly erratic.

Yingshang Chuan almost instantly understood the young man's suggestion: "Sell wine."

Having said that, he poured himself another cup and drank it in one gulp.

Seeing the Emperor drink, Jiang Yuxun had no choice but to follow suit.

"Exactly, sell wine," the young man nodded in agreement.

Throughout history, it has always been merchants, not soldiers, who traveled the farthest.

They are the most suited to venture deep into Zherou and map its territories.

Previously, there were those who wanted to trade in Zherou, but the lifestyle and customs there are vastly different from Great Zhou, leaving hardly anything that could be sold to them.

But wine is different.

They can't refuse strong liquor.

Jiang Yuxun finally smiled: "In all the world, only we can make this wine."

Perhaps emboldened by the alcohol, Jiang Yuxun included himself and Yingshang Chuan in "we," and the latter seemed to accept it.

As he got carried away, Jiang Yuxun poured himself another cup of wine, drained it in one go, and then turned to Yingshang Chuan: "To make liquor, distilling vessels are needed, and Zherou has no idea what they are. After Your Majesty ascended the throne, you ordered all distilling vessels from the people to be collected in the palace and banned their further casting. Thus, even the people of Great Zhou can no longer make strong liquor."

A faint blush colored the young man's cheeks, and his eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings.

Yingshang Chuan averted his gaze subconsciously, nodding with a smile: "Correct."

The two of them took turns drinking, quickly consuming most of the wine in the jar.

The freshly brewed strong liquor was potent, and although Jiang Yuxun initially spoke with clarity to Yingshang Chuan, analyzing pros and cons, he gradually became completely inebriated.

Not only did his body feel weak, but his vision also started to blur and double.

...So sleepy.

Jiang Yuxun pinched himself hard.

Clearly drunk, the young man still didn't forget the main point of his visit today.

Jiang Yuxun suddenly looked intently at Yingshang Chuan: "I believe, Your Majesty should patiently wait for three years to complete this map... Meanwhile, the court could take the opportunity to repair the Yi River."

"I urge Your Majesty to consider this—"

-

The youth's words resounded with conviction.

Echoing over and over in the desolate Liuyun Hall.

After his words fell, Jiang Yuxun looked earnestly at Ying Changchuan, blinking while eagerly awaiting a response.

Whether it be the deep exploration of Zhe Rou or the direct approach of the Yi River engineering project, both are matters of great national importance.

They certainly cannot be hastily concluded tonight.

...Not to mention that the person who brought up this matter was clearly inebriated.

The Emperor paused for a moment before finally speaking slowly. As he was about to say something, he saw Jiang Yuxun... once again picking up the pottery jug, intending to refill his cup.

"How is it empty so soon?" Jiang Yuxun lamented as he set the jug aside, "I haven’t had that many drinks..."

After saying this, he suddenly put down the jug and staggered to his feet.

His actions clearly indicated he was heavily intoxicated.

Ying Changchuan couldn’t help but frown.

Just as he was about to call for Eunuch Sang to escort the man back to his room, he saw Jiang Yuxun looking at him sternly.

"Your Majesty, do you have an abacus?"

An abacus?

Jiang Yuxun was so drunk, yet he still wanted to use one.

Although Ying Changchuan was puzzled, after a brief pause, he still called for Eunuch Sang to bring one in.

The inebriated Jiang Yuxun was not at all polite with Ying Changchuan.

By the time Eunuch Sang brought the abacus, Jiang Yuxun had already prepared the ink himself.

"Master Jiang, here is the abacus," Eunuch Sang offered warmly, handing it over.

At the same time, he couldn't help but sneak a peek at the paper.

To his surprise, all he saw were indecipherable scribbles.

A breeze swept through Liuyun Hall, carrying with it a strong scent of alcohol.

...Was Master Jiang drunk?

Uncertain, he looked up at Emperor Ying Changchuan and asked, "Your Majesty, should we escort Master Jiang back to his quarters to rest now?"

Unexpectedly, Ying Changchuan shook his head and said, "No rush."

At this moment, the Emperor was extremely curious about what Jiang Yuxun intended to do in his drunken state.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Eunuch Sang bowed and slowly retreated to the side.

For a while, the only sound in Liuyun Hall was the young man clicking on the abacus beads, creating a 'clack-clack' noise.

Jiang Yuxun hadn’t used an abacus for many years, thus he was unable to calculate entirely in his head.

As he tapped on the abacus, he began to mutter seriously:

"…Spring wine costs seventy coins per dou, and distilling this strong liquor probably used about three dou. Three times seven is twenty-one… that's two hundred and ten coins in total. Plus labor costs… wood expenses… and considering scarcity, multiply by ten…"

In less than the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, the paper was covered with Jiang Yuxun's crooked and skewed handwriting.

Initially, Jiang Yuxun could barely keep his calculations straight.

As time went on, the numbers he muttered became jumbled.

"...Eh, three hundred and fifty coins times ten is, is..."

Ying Changchuan said indifferently, "Three thousand five hundred."

"Right, right!" Jiang Yuxun quickly noted down the number.

He continued, "Three thousand five hundred coins, one tael is equal to ten coins, so the total is, how many taels again?"

His mind felt heavier than stone at this moment, but he refused to rest, persisting in his calculations.

"...Forget it, let's just round it off."

Jiang Yuxun bowed his head to write and sketch for a while, finally stopping contentedly.

Holding the abacus, he walked towards Ying Changchuan, solemnly presenting the paper full of scribbles to the Emperor.

Eunuch Sang, having lived so long, had never seen anyone this drunk!

As an observer, he was dumbfounded and a faint fear arose in his heart... What was Master Jiang trying to do?

Even though Ying Changchuan had guessed the young man's intentions, he still took the paper, feigning confusion, and asked, "What is the meaning of this, my dear official?"

At midnight, the moon hung high in the sky.

The flame in the copper lamp was dazzlingly bright.

Despite being drunk, Jiang Yuxun's eyes were not only clear but even brighter than usual.

To maintain clarity of speech, he spoke unusually slowly: "I have finished the calculations. The wine just now is worth seven hundred taels of silver, to be shared equally between His Majesty and myself."

...Seven hundred taels?

Ying Changchuan raised an eyebrow and looked at the young man.

Jiang Yuxun, holding the abacus, looked up earnestly at the Emperor: "Can Your Majesty settle the bill for the wine today?"