Li Qingxian, Loyal to His Sovereign and Devoted to His Country

Seeing Zhou Chunfeng displeased, Luo Jing advised, "Lord Zhou, I wouldn't try to persuade you if it were anyone else, but Li Qingxian is clearly a troublemaker. If you give him the Gold-Character Command Token..."

"If I gave him the Gold-Character Command Token, he'd dare climb onto the roof and tear off the tiles!" Zhou Chunfeng said.

"You understand me far too little." Li Qingxian wore a grief-stricken expression.

"Zhou Hen, tell me, should I give it to him or not?" Zhou Chunfeng asked darkly.

Li Qingxian looked toward Zhou Hen, whose nose was missing half of itself. His gaze swept over the curved blades and awl-like sword at Zhou Hen's waist. This is bad. This man is one of the Night Guard Department's famed ruthless men. He was clearly already a Fourth Rank master, yet he still favored short weapons and fighting for his life. They said even Third Rank masters were unwilling to provoke him. In private, they all called him Madman Zhou.

It was said that he had lost half his nose when, as a Sixth Rank cultivator, he fought a Fourth Rank demon to the death.

Zhou Hen froze. Who had tossed the seal and ribbon directly at him earlier? Could he say not to give it? So Uncle Zhou played the villain while making an outsider like him play the hero?

After pondering for a moment, Zhou Hen said, "Why not wait until the brewing method is finalized and the first new-style distillery is built, then take back the Gold-Character Command Token?"

Li Qingxian's eyes lit up. He hurriedly said, "Uncle Zhou, even Little Uncle Zhou says so. You can't keep refusing now."

"This is the Night Guard Yamen!" Zhou Chunfeng said.

"Yes, Uncle Zhou. Lord Zhou Hen is right."

Zhou Chunfeng's face was full of helplessness.

"My lord, it is time for lunch. Shall we wait a while?" a guard's voice came from outside.

Zhou Chunfeng looked at the three of them and said, "We'll eat in the study today. Prepare food for four."

"Yes."

"What ideas do you have about this new-style brewing? Tell us all of them." Zhou Chunfeng looked at Li Qingxian.

"Uncle Zhou, I was young and ignorant and neglected my studies. If you ask me to speak seriously, I can't say much. But when it comes to crooked paths and side alleys, such as running a new-style liquor business, I have countless ideas."

"Good. Then tell me how to sell the liquor."

Li Qingxian said, "No matter what you sell, what matters is the gimmick—or, to put it plainly, bragging. Think about it: whether famous liquor or fine food, which one does not have a string of stories behind it? True or false, people believe such things. So if our new liquor is to become an instant sensation, it is actually simple. We say that this was a recipe stolen from the palace by disciples of the Ministry of Revenue's Evil Sects—originally a private royal brew. At first, people certainly won't believe it, but we'll make them believe! How? Send out Night Guard Mounted Patrol to surround the place for three days and three nights, pretending to investigate. After three days and three nights, they leave under cover of darkness, while the tavern remains open as usual. Tell me, would people believe it then? If that still isn't enough, hire a group of storytellers to spread the tale everywhere."

Zhou Chunfeng stared at Li Qingxian with an odd look in his eyes.

Luo Jing muttered softly, "Pull out a radish and plant an onion; each crop is hotter than the last... Ahem, this is a good method. We Evil Sects don't mind, but would the Night Guard be willing to send out Mounted Patrol?"

Li Qingxian said sternly, "His Majesty's Imperial Treasury has a twenty-percent stake. Everything we do is for His Majesty's sake. Willing or not, they have to be willing! Isn't that right, Uncle Zhou?"

Zhou Chunfeng sighed and said, "If Brother Gangfeng had learned even half your shamelessness, he would not have ended up in such a state."

The room fell silent. Luo Jing immediately changed the subject and continued discussing distillation and brewing.

Before long, the dishes were laid out. As the person delivering the food turned to leave, Li Qingxian said, "Help me thank Chef Wang. The tangerines Yu Ping from our quarters brought today were very sweet."

"Yes." The food bearer was completely baffled, but answered and left.

"Wise beyond your years! Eat." Zhou Chunfeng shook his head.

After lunch, Li Qingxian, Zhou Chunfeng, and Luo Jing continued discussing the brewing of strong liquor.

As evening drew near, Luo Jing glanced at the sky and looked at Li Qingxian. "This Divine Capital is like a torn sieve; no secret can be hidden. You absolutely must not tell anyone that you own a twenty-percent stake. Otherwise, cats that smell fish will come one after another, and you may even draw lions and tigers."

"Lord Luo has thought this through carefully. Did you hear him?" Zhou Chunfeng asked.

"Rest assured. I won't babble about something that concerns my life and fortune." After saying this, Li Qingxian lowered his head and fell into thought again.

Zhou Chunfeng nodded in satisfaction.

"Lord Luo, I will give you a document. Our cooperation shall be based on this. Once the brewing method is settled, we will formally negotiate." Zhou Chunfeng rose and returned behind his desk. Zhou Hen went over to pour water and grind ink.

Zhou Chunfeng picked up his brush, considered for a moment, and began writing.

Luo Jing drew a deep breath, suppressing his excitement. He craned his neck and carefully watched Zhou Chunfeng write.

A single word of Spring Breeze was worth a hundred taels.

Zhou Hen was used to it, but he had not expected Li Qingxian to still be thinking with his head lowered. It seemed the rumors were true: Li Qingxian was not a scholar at all.

After writing four pages of the document, Zhou Chunfeng swept his right hand. Pale orange literary essence, like a clear breeze brushing past, swept over the ink traces, drying the words.

Luo Jing took the document and examined it closely. He exclaimed, "As expected of Spring Breeze's sinews and bones. Lord Lu of my family will likely have this document mounted and framed."

Zhou Chunfeng merely smiled, then looked toward Li Qingxian.

"Qingxian, what are you thinking about?"

Li Qingxian seemed to wake from a dream. "Is His Majesty about to celebrate his sixtieth birthday?"

"That is indeed the case," Zhou Chunfeng said.

"I've decided. If this brewing method fails, then so be it. But if it succeeds, I will offer my twenty-percent stake to His Majesty as a birthday gift!"

Li Qingxian's words were like a stone shattering the sky. Zhou Chunfeng and Luo Jing were first stunned, then exchanged glances.

Zhou Hen frowned, unable to understand.

Luo Jing sighed. "Everyone says Mr. Gangfeng was a tiger father with a dog son, that his great name was ruined in a single stroke. Only today do I realize the world was utterly wrong."

"Who taught you this?" Doubt flashed through Zhou Chunfeng's eyes.

Li Qingxian clasped his hands toward the Imperial City and said solemnly, "No one taught me. I merely heard a few days ago that disasters have been unceasing in recent years and the people can barely survive. His Majesty's Imperial Treasury has been emptied for disaster relief. As a citizen of Great Qi and a member of the Night Guard, I should share His Majesty's burdens."

Zhou Chunfeng listened to Li Qingxian's utter nonsense, yet a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Then he withdrew it and glanced at Luo Jing.

After some thought, Luo Jing understood Zhou Chunfeng's intent and felt quite helpless. They all said Zhou Chunfeng was a modest gentleman, softhearted and easily swayed. That was surely because they had never seen him ordering people about.

Luo Jing sized up Zhou Chunfeng's intention, opened his mouth, and handed over a knife. "Utter nonsense! Mr. Gangfeng died after crashing into the Golden Throne Hall. As Mr. Gangfeng's son, you have already given twenty percent of the shares to the Imperial Treasury. Now you want to give another twenty percent. Would His Majesty dare... be able to accept it? If His Majesty truly accepted it, what would the people and scholars of the realm think? I think you are currying favor and fawning!"

"I don't understand what you are saying." Li Qingxian wore a righteous expression.

Zhou Chunfeng sneered. "His Majesty will not only refuse it, he will even be delighted and reward you in return. He will let everyone under heaven know that he will not make things difficult for Li Gangfeng's son, but will treat him generously, displaying harmony between ruler and subject."

"Is that so? I don't understand. Like my father, I only understand loyalty to my sovereign and devotion to my country," Li Qingxian said.

"This is currently your best method of protecting yourself," Luo Jing sighed. "Once you enter His Majesty's sight and receive His Majesty's reward, anyone wanting to move against you or your shares will have to think twice. Even I cannot think of a better method."

At the side, Zhou Hen suddenly understood. These scholars truly had one heart with ten thousand twists and turns.