When Luo Jing saw Zhou Chunfeng's displeasure, he persuaded him, "Lord Zhou, if it were anyone else, I wouldn't advise you. But Li Qingxian is clearly a troublemaker. If you give him the Gold-Character Command Token..."
"If I give him the Gold-Character Command Token, he'll dare to tear tiles off the roof!" Zhou Chunfeng said.
"You understand me far too little." Li Qingxian wore a look of profound grief.
"Zhou Hen, tell me, should we give it to him or not?" Zhou Chunfeng asked with a dark expression.
Li Qingxian looked toward Zhou Hen, whose nose was missing half of itself. His gaze swept over the curved blades and awl-swords at Zhou Hen's waist. I'm done for. This man is one of the Night Guard Department's famously ruthless men. He's clearly already a Fourth Rank master, yet he still favors short weapons, fighting life for life. They say even Third Rank masters are unwilling to provoke him. In secret, everyone calls him Madman Zhou.
They said he had lost that half of his nose when, as a Sixth Rank, he fought a Fourth Rank member of the Demon Race to the death.
Zhou Hen froze for a moment. Who had just tossed the seal and ribbon directly at him? Could he say not to give it? So his uncle played the villain, while he, an outsider, had to play the good cop?
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Hen said, "How about we 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 putting it off."
"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 glanced at the three of them and said, "We'll eat in the study today. Prepare enough for four."
"Yes."
"What ideas do you have about this new-style brewing? Tell us together." Zhou Chunfeng looked at Li Qingxian.
"Uncle Zhou, I was young and ignorant, neglecting my studies. If you ask me to talk about serious matters, I can't say much. But if we're talking about crooked side paths, such as running a new-style liquor business, I have countless ideas."
"Fine. Then tell me how you would sell the liquor."
Li Qingxian said, "No matter what you sell, what matters is the gimmick—or, to put it plainly, boasting. Think about it: whether it's famous liquor or fine food, which one doesn't have a string of stories behind it? Truth or falsehood doesn't matter. People believe that sort of thing. So if our new liquor is to become an overnight sensation, it's actually very simple. We say it was a formula stolen from the palace by disciples of the Ministry of Revenue's Evil Sects—originally a private royal brew. At first, nobody will believe it, but we'll make them believe! How? Send out the 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 stays open as usual. Tell me, will 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 comes out fiercer than the last... Cough, cough. This is a good method. We Evil Sects don't mind, but would the Night Guard be willing to dispatch the Mounted Patrol?"
Li Qingxian said solemnly, "The Emperor's Imperial Treasury holds a twenty-percent share. Everything we do is for the Emperor, so willing or not, they'll have to be willing! Isn't that right, Uncle Zhou?"
Zhou Chunfeng sighed. "If Brother Gangfeng had learned even a fraction of 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 meal was laid out. As the person delivering the dishes turned to leave, Li Qingxian said, "Help me thank Chef Wang. The tangerines Yu Ping from our household delivered today were very sweet."
"Yes." The dish bearer was baffled, but answered and left.
"Such a little Ghost, yet full of tricks! Eat." Zhou Chunfeng shook his head.
After lunch, Li Qingxian, Zhou Chunfeng, and Luo Jing continued discussing the brewing of strong liquor.
As evening approached, Luo Jing looked at the sky, then at Li Qingxian. "This Divine Capital is like a torn sieve. No secret can stay hidden. You absolutely must not tell anyone that you own a twenty-percent share. Otherwise, cats that smell blood will come one after another, and you may even draw lions and tigers."
"Lord Luo has thought it through carefully. Did you hear that?" Zhou Chunfeng asked.
"Don't worry. I won't babble about something that concerns my wealth and life." After speaking, Li Qingxian lowered his head and fell into thought again.
Zhou Chunfeng nodded in satisfaction.
"Lord Luo, I'll give you a document. Our cooperation will follow its terms. Once the brewing method is confirmed, we will formally negotiate." Zhou Chunfeng rose and returned behind his desk. Zhou Hen stepped forward to pour water and grind ink.
Zhou Chunfeng lifted his brush, considered for a moment, then began writing.
Luo Jing took 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 accustomed to it. What he had not expected was that Li Qingxian was still lowering his head in thought. It seemed the rumors were true: Li Qingxian was not a scholar at all.
After finishing four pages of documents, Zhou Chunfeng waved his right hand. Pale orange literary aura swept over the ink like a fresh breeze, drying the writing.
Luo Jing accepted the documents and examined them closely. He exclaimed, "As expected of Spring Breeze's sinew and bone. Lord Lu of my household will likely have this document mounted and framed."
Zhou Chunfeng merely smiled, then looked at Li Qingxian.
"Qingxian, what are you thinking about?"
Li Qingxian seemed to wake from a dream. "Is the Emperor 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 share to the Emperor as a birthday gift!"
Li Qingxian's words shattered the sky like a stone breaking through. Zhou Chunfeng and Luo Jing first froze, then exchanged glances.
Zhou Hen frowned, unable to understand.
Luo Jing sighed. "People all say Mr. Gangfeng was a tiger father who begot a dog son, that his illustrious name was ruined in one stroke. Only today do I realize that the world has been utterly wrong."
"Who taught you this?" Suspicion 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, leaving the people unable to live. The Emperor's Imperial Treasury has even been emptied to provide disaster relief. As a citizen of Great Qi and a member of the Night Guard, I should share the Emperor's burdens."
As Zhou Chunfeng listened to Li Qingxian's utter nonsense, a smile instead curled at his lips. Then he restrained it and glanced at Luo Jing.
After a brief thought, Luo Jing understood Zhou Chunfeng's intention and felt rather helpless. People said Zhou Chunfeng was a modest gentleman, softhearted and tender-handed. They certainly had never seen him when he was ordering people about.
Reading Zhou Chunfeng's intentions, Luo Jing opened his mouth and handed over the knife. "Utter nonsense! Mr. Gangfeng died after crashing into the Golden Hall. As Mr. Gangfeng's son, you have already given a twenty-percent share to the Imperial Treasury. Now you want to give another twenty-percent share. Would the Emperor dare... be able to accept it? If the Emperor 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 talking about." Li Qingxian wore a face of righteous integrity.
Zhou Chunfeng sneered. "His Majesty not only will refuse it, he will even be delighted, then reward you in return. He will let everyone in the realm know that he will not merely refrain from making 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 the sovereign and love for the country," Li Qingxian said.
"This is currently your best method of self-preservation," Luo Jing sighed. "Once you enter the Emperor's sight and receive the Emperor's reward, anyone who wishes to touch 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 a thousand and one schemes tucked into a single heart.
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