Fang Chongyong is confident that Wang Defu will definitely return to Kuizhou.
Because people in the Tang Dynasty drank to a crazy level, and almost never had fun without drinking!
You must drink it during festivals, and you should also drink it at ordinary times. Drink when you are happy, drink even more when you are unhappy!
If the wine suits their taste, they will have no worries about sales. This is also an important reason why Fang Chongyong doesn't engage in distilling liquor or making knives. The cost of wine with too high alcohol content is also very high. If you make koji liquor with more than ten degrees of alcohol content, you can already spend it. There is no need to make soju with 40 or 50 alcohol degrees.
People in the Tang Dynasty had a sweet taste and liked sweet wine. Sometimes if the wine was not sweet, they would even add sugar (not white sugar).
Red yeast wine with bright red color and smooth and sweet taste is easily sought after by dignitaries.
The prosperous Tang Dynasty was a country of wine, and there was no joy without wine.
According to official statistics from the Tang Dynasty, the annual output of official wine was about 10 million buckets. Including private brewing, the total consumption of wine is about 50 million buckets, which can only be calculated as a small amount but not a large amount.
Not only that, there is not only no shortage of market for truly good wine, but the price is frighteningly high. Countless alcoholics are still flocking to it, and the expensive price of wine cannot deter them. Rice wine itself is a frequent visitor to the banquets of the aristocratic class.
Therefore, Fang Chongyong is very convinced that good red yeast wine will have a "sudden rise" effect at this time. After all, no one has seen it before.
The expensive brewing cost (it is said that Red Lotus rice is used as the raw material), the good taste, and the novel and high-end appearance are destined to have many people willing to support Honglian Spring!
There is a poem in Li Bai's "About to Enter the Wine": "The five-flowered horse, the golden fur, calls for the children to be exchanged for the fine wines, and we will sell the eternal sorrow with you."
Where can I find endless supply of high-end drinks? People who like fine wine will buy wine even if they are selling clothes or horses!
Guanglu Temple, the central institution in Chang'an, is responsible for the food and wine supply, and has departments such as the "Liang Brewing Department" and the "Food Officials Department" to coordinate the use of wine by the palace and the capital's officials, which is the so-called "official wine".
The Liangying Department "orders the governor to enshrine the five, seven, and three wines of the state." When the emperor offers sacrifices to heaven and earth, the Liangying Department will lead his subordinates to arrange and display a large number of wine vessels. If you are an official, you will be provided with "Spring Storm, Qiu Qing, Fen Niang, Sang Luo and other wines."
The specific affairs of official brewing are handled by the "Liang Brewing Department" and the "Food and Drinking Bureau", both of which are manned all year round. For example, the Liang Brewing Department has 30 people in charge of brewing, and 120 people with brewing skills are responsible for making bronze wine vessels. There are 13 handymen.
Although official brewing is already very powerful, the principle of "masters among the people" still applies in the Tang Dynasty. Many of the tribute wines contributed by various places are quite good. Rich businessmen like Wang Yuanbao naturally also run the liquor business in Chang'an City.
There are even many restaurants and other industries. Trafficking drinks with different flavors from various places to Chang'an and making a lot of profits.
If we do not rely on external forces, no matter how good Honglianchun is, it will not be able to become famous in a short period of time and spread by word of mouth among drunkards. Therefore, we can only rely on wealthy businessmen to "advertise it widely" in private, ferment and hype public opinion, and finally become "an instant hit".
It's a win-win deal.
Sure enough, before the New Year, Wang Defu came again and agreed to acquire Honglianchun, but made three more demands.
First, the first batch of red lotus harvested in spring will be 1,000 bushels, and the price must be reduced to 20 bushels per bushel. Future prices will be adjusted according to Chang'an's market conditions. It is not ruled out that it will rise, but it is also possible that it will fall or even stop closing.
The volume of a thousand buckets is about the same as a thousand two-liter bottles of Coke in Fang Chongyong's previous life. It can be loaded on one or two tankers, and the risk of transportation is also very low. It has to be said that the Wang family is indeed a wealthy businessman in Chang'an, and they plan everything to death.
If Honglianchun is not popular, they won't lose much money, and they can recover their capital by selling it slowly.
If Red Lotus Spring becomes popular, then even though their purchase price is high, they will sell it more expensively and they will not lose money!
When dealing with these businessmen, their calculations are crackling. You may make money, but they will never lose money.
Fang Chongyong was very open-minded and readily agreed and signed the deed, which gave Wang Defu a reassurance.
Second, Wang Defu invited a "wine tasting expert" to Kuizhou to determine the quality of the finished wine to be delivered. Only after getting approval can we purchase goods in batches.
Regarding this point, Fang Chongyong was also full of confidence and agreed without thinking.
Third, Wang Defu hopes to obtain the brewing method of "Honglianchun" and the method of making distiller's yeast. They originally intended to pay a high price for the purchase, even if it was 100,000 yuan, it was not non-negotiable.
Tu Qiong saw that this was probably Wang Yuanbao's true intention in coming to Kuizhou this time.
Fang Chongyong refused without even thinking. Seeing his flat refusal, Wang Defu was disappointed but also relieved.
It is normal not to sell, because I have confidence in the wine and know that it is a cash cow, so I cannot sell it. If you can’t wait to sell the secret brewing recipe, then you have something wrong with you.
Wang Defu didn't dare to buy it.
Thinking that Honglianchun would be out of the cellar soon, Wang Defu was worried about gains and losses for a while and waited anxiously in Kuizhou Fucheng.
…
"Uncle, come and try the red lotus spring in Fucheng."
In a stilt house in the Dongyang Mansion camp of the Tang Army outside Wushan County, Fang Chongyong came to get close to Wang Zhongsi, carrying a pot of Honglianchun wine that had just been released from the cellar yesterday.
Looking at his son-in-law who was young but had eight hundred scheming minds, Wang Zhongsi smiled helplessly, took the wine jar, tore open the seal, and smelled a strong aroma of wine.
"The wine is good."
Wang Zhongsi drank the wine in one gulp, put down the old earthenware basin (a kind of folk wine cup, common in the middle and lower classes), thought about it for a while, and then poured another glass.
This time he refused to get bored in one sip. Instead, he picked up the old earthenware basin, tasted it carefully, and savored it until not a drop was left. Finally, he reluctantly put the wine glass aside and sighed deeply.
"Uncle, do you think this wine is not good?"
Fang Chongyong asked with curiosity on his face. Yesterday, Wang Defu and the "wine tasting expert" he invited were already very drunk under the pretense of public service. They were full of praise for the quality of Honglianchun, saying that it had a unique flavor and was not inferior to the top official wine. Fine wine. Both its color and taste are unique!
How else would Fang Chongyong dare to present the treasure in front of Wang Zhongsi today!
"No, this wine is mellow and long-lasting. It is a first-class wine. If you were in Chang'an, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to buy ten swords per fight. You could buy several horizontal knives."
Wang Zhongsi couldn't help but sigh and sigh when he thought about the border affairs. It is really hard for border officers and soldiers, and they even need to prepare a lot of their own equipment. As for drinks, let alone Hong Lianchun's grade, even the most common "green ant wine" is difficult for ordinary soldiers to drink, and they can only be allocated wine when they are rotated or fighting.
Many people in the Tang Dynasty may never know what Hong Lianchun's grade of wine tastes like.
After all, these are the patents of noble people.
"Uncle, I'm probably going back to Chang'an."
Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.
After Honglianchun is transported away by Wang Defu, the payment for the goods will be sent directly to the palace by wealthy merchant Wang Yuanbao. Kuizhou shipped the goods, and Chang'an gave cash directly, but they were no match for Fang Chongyong and Zheng Shuqing. I believe that before the Lantern Festival, Li Longji will order Zheng Shuqing to be transferred back to Chang'an to report on his duties.
Of course, he must be "idle" for a while before taking office, and he will not be appointed immediately.
But since Zheng Shuqing took over the central government as Du Zhi Langzhong (referred to as Du Zhi Lang), there shouldn't be much of a problem.
After Zheng Shuqing's "popular science", Fang Chongyong already knew that Du Zhilang was the commander of Du Zhicao under Shangshu Province.
In the Shangshu Province of the Tang Dynasty, there was no Shangshu Order. Because the first Shangshu Ling in the Tang Dynasty was Li Erfeng. How could anyone else be the official he once was?
Li Erfeng had been the emperor, should any official want to try to become the emperor?
Therefore, the most powerful minister in the Tang Dynasty, the chief of the three provinces, was left vacant, and the left and right servants discussed major affairs of the minister together.
Everyone understands the principle of two monks carrying water, so in the final analysis, Shangshu Province is a place where the emperor can directly intervene in government affairs and place favorite officials.
This is what existed in the Tang Dynasty since Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, a kind of power check and balance derived from the system! The administrative power was fragmented and flattened to counter the two chiefs of Zhongshu Province and Menxia Province, forming a dynamic decision-making system to prevent the dominance of one powerful minister.
I have to say that this is indeed an effective system if the factors of the emperor's laziness are not taken into account.
With random thoughts in his mind, Fang Chongyong saw Wang Zhongsi fell silent and didn't speak for a long time.
"When you return to Chang'an, are you really sure you can let me leave Dongyang Mansion?"
Wang Zhongsi looked hesitant, and it took him a long time to say such a sentence.
It's not that he has no confidence, but that Li Longji is getting more and more moody. Wang Zhongsi really doesn't know what Li Longji is thinking now.
"Uncle seems to have something on his mind."
Fang Chongyong poured Wang Zhongsi a glass of Red Lotus Spring while he watched from the sidelines.
Drinking alcohol at a young age can cause irreversible damage to brain nerves. Fang Chongyong does not want his prodigy character to turn into an alcoholic character.
"It's true that he has something on his mind. The saint...actually doesn't know much about the situation at the border."
Wang Zhongsi sighed quietly. He was treating Fang Chongyong as a confidant. Otherwise, how could he say such words?
He regarded Fang Chongyong as one of his own, not because he was Fang Youde's son, but because of the saying, "If you can only control the invasion of the mausoleum, how can you kill more people?"
Now Li Longji's border town policy has really gone too far, and has exceeded the limit that the country can bear.
Wang Zhongsi began to tell Fang Chongyong some of his experiences at the border of Tang Dynasty. The content surprised Fang Chongyong.
In Li Longji's eyes, border officers should be eager to perform meritorious service, fight bravely against the enemy, regard the country as their home, and their robes as their brothers; they should have the highest goal of being invincible in the Tang Dynasty, and use this as the strongest belief to motivate themselves!
But in Wang Zhongsi's eyes, those are all living people. They will also be afraid, cowardly, and fearful.
An unmarried childhood sweetheart who misses her hometown.
Married people miss their wives and parents at home.
Whether they could beat the Turks and beat the Tibetans was actually very far away for these soldiers. But the struggle against these forces is closely related to their lives: because the soldiers of Turks and Tibet are their opponents!
This caused a misunderstanding. The victory or defeat of the war was their responsibility and efforts, but the interests of the war had nothing to do with them. Infected by such emotions, the border officers were eager to go home in rotation, and those who were not yet on duty tried their best to escape from military service.
Li Longji may have wanted to plant the flag of the Tang Dynasty in every place in the Western Regions, but most people on the border of the Tang Dynasty may not think so.
Their wishes are more humble and more real.
"Why bamboo flute complain willow, spring is not degree Pass."
Fang Chongyong sighed, feeling the emotion in Wang Zhongsi.
"I heard that your father usually doesn't care about teaching you, but I didn't expect you to be so smart."
Wang Zhongsi poured another glass of wine and drank it in one gulp.
"Back then in Hexi, the Tubo Chief Zanpu was training his troops in Yubiaochuan. The soldiers under my command were all afraid and thought they were invincible, so they wanted to return for help. At that time, I was young and energetic, and I didn't think the Tubo had anything to fear, so I mentioned The knife rushes into the enemy formation.
In this battle, thousands of people were beheaded and tens of thousands of sheep and horses were captured. Based on my military merits, I was promoted to General Zuoweiwei, acting Northern Governor, and granted the title of Male of Qingyuan County. But in that battle...many of my men died, many of whom were my brothers!
If I hadn't been so dedicated to my merits, they... wouldn't have had to die. "
Wang Zhongsi punched the bamboo table, causing the old earthenware basin to flip over, frightening Fang Chongyong to the point of trembling all over.
Not knowing whether it was because of drinking or being excited, Wang Zhongsi asked with red eyes: "Do you think that I want to take the lives of my subordinates to dye my official robes red and pave the edges?" Qingyun Road, the general’s town?”
"Uncle, you are drunk and cannot drink any more. It is not good for such words to reach the ears of a saint."
Fang Chongyong persuaded with some panic.
Those words just now were overt and covert complaints about Li Longji. If spread, it would easily lead to fatal rumors such as "Wang Zhongsi complained that the saint was mean and unkind after he was demoted." When word reached Li Longji's ears, the saint in Chang'an still didn't know what he would do.
You know, that person is not a broad-minded Lord! He fell in love with his daughter-in-law and robbed her. This is true for his own son, and he is also the son of his beloved concubine. What he would do to an outsider like Wang Zhongsi, you can actually imagine it with your toes.
"There's nothing I can't say! For the sake of the little benefit at the border, I just sacrificed the lives of the frontline soldiers at will, and I won't let you talk about it anymore!"
Wang Zhongsi was so excited that he beat the desk hard, and the desk made of bamboo actually fell apart!
"Clang!"
The jar containing Honglianchun fell to the ground and broke into pieces. The aroma of the wine instantly filled this extremely simple stilted house with stilts. It also freed Wang Zhongsi from his sadness and anger.
"Too bad for the wine."
Wang Zhongsi also calmed down, took a deep breath, and stabilized his emotions.
"Uncle, as the saying goes: Don't admonish those who go by, but chase after those who come. My uncle also knows how to cherish the lives of border officers, but many generals in the court don't know this. They all want to climb up on the bones. , please the saint and achieve your own immortal achievements.
In comparison, only if my uncle becomes a border general can we minimize such things from happening, right? How could uncle give up on himself in Dongyang Mansion? "
Fang Chongyong persuaded patiently.
"You're right."
Wang Zhongsi calmed down quickly.
"This time when you return to Chang'an, please work harder and do your best to help me move around. Take a letter from me to compile a book with you. If there is any disharmony, you can find a solution to Prince Zhong."
Wang Zhongsi put his big hand on Fang Chongyong's shoulder and said earnestly.
