“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 263: Trade-Offs
Just the thought of this possibility made some faces light up with delight.
For the noble elite holding power, it’s pretty much predictable how much wealth and power they can enjoy while alive.
In their minds, the rivalry between the eastern and western courts would never spill over to bother them.
Even if they were to accidentally end up on the losing side, the winning side wouldn’t be stupid enough to kill off the noble families just to stabilize the provinces.
The families that haven’t been able to produce a grand talent feel even cozier in their comfortable bubble, thinking they’re quite safe where they are.
But in life, what about in death?
Nowadays, the standard view suggests that a ruler’s posthumous arrangements should be treated with the same importance as their living matters, leading to tombs filled with an astonishing number of statues, structures, coins, and everyday items.
The noble heirs think the same way.
Sure, those treasures can be easily placed in their tombs, but they can’t escape becoming a pile of bones in a coffin, no matter what.
If they could keep their bodies intact, wouldn’t it be possible for them to enjoy all they’ve hoarded in life even better after death?
Some even ponder that if this high-purity liquor can keep rotten pork from decaying, could slathering it on their faces also delay aging?
Humans really do have impressive imaginations.
Especially when faced with the unknown, they’re more than willing to daydream about things working out in their favor.
Sitting among them, Yang Xiu and Ni Heng overheard two older gentlemen discussing this at the next table.
Ni Heng seemed completely unfazed by the putrid meat odor in the air, as he split his attention between the experiment and filling his wine bowl to the brim.
Yang Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that after tasting the wine with the deliberate slowness of a connoisseur, Ni Heng wanted to try lighting the wine in the bowl on fire to experience something utterly new.
With Ni Heng’s attitude, which was as if he’d just been caught in a sack and didn’t care at all, Yang Xiu thought it was totally something he could actually do.
But before Yang Xiu could even begin to persuade him, he heard Ni Heng ask, “Is the Grand Marshal trying to scare off others venturing into wine-making by monopolizing the brewing techniques?”
Based on the info provided by Qiao Yan, Ni Heng, who had no clue how strong liquor was made, saw only three messages from her:
First, her new technique had a better output than typical brewing, and to save grain, she aimed to limit production of liquor through other means.
Second, the liquor produced with this new process was superior in purity and flavor compared to the original.
High purity was no problem; they could always dilute it later.
In short, increasing the concentration was the real challenge.
With a high-purity liquor that would certainly give her an edge after implementation, she could compete head-to-head for market share, but instead, she opted for a limit on production for a more peaceful negotiation.
Third, the higher purity liquor had miraculous efficacy in preventing and treating diseases, making her unique monopoly even more reasonable and necessary.
In battles, it cleaned wounds, and in widespread epidemics, it prevented contagion, turning liquor from a leisure item into a strategic commodity.
Moreover, the presence of Xianyu Fu and the venue for today’s wine discussion indicated that Liu Yu, the Son of Heaven, would back Qiao Yan’s decisions.
Lu Zhi’s endorsement represented another power standing behind Qiao Yan.
They could be seen as the great Confucians of the late Han, or viewed as figures tirelessly advocating for the revival of the Han dynasty.
As for whether Qiao Yan’s knife counted as coercive force or just a subconscious move, opinions wildly differed.
Ni Heng rubbed at the barely healed bruise on his face, trying to get a sense of the situation.
Yang Xiu asked him, “What if I say it is?”
Ni Heng scoffed, “If everyone in this world could be selfless, why would we have both the Chang’an court and the Ye City court? You can’t fight these greedy people purely with strength and logic.”
“The Grand Marshal can’t be that naive, can you?”
Ni Heng’s words were blunt yet undeniably true.
Before he could even finish, someone rose from their seat and walked toward Qiao Yan.
This person approaching wasn’t there to examine the differences between the pork fished out from the water and that from the wine, but rather to speak up.
He bowed to Qiao Yan, saying, “The Ren family from Zhongmu has a question for you, Your Grace.”
Qiao Yan’s face was mostly covered by a mask, making her current emotions hard to read, but her sharp, clear eyes made Ren Yi’s heart skip a beat.
However, simply stating what Qiao Yan had previously mentioned wasn’t enough to convince them.
Zhongmu sat in Henan, and it hadn’t fully submitted to the Chang’an court yet. The Ren family had amassed over a thousand guests and guard troops after the chaos in Luoyang two years prior, giving him quite a bit of swagger when he spoke.
He elaborated, “We all understand Your Grace’s intentions, and looking at the current situation, it’s true that the brewing secret must not be leaked to avoid it falling into the hands of Yuan Benchu, which would pose a threat to us. Moreover, with only a little grain available for brewing, it’s unwise for us to indulge in wine when we should be focusing on military supplies. We can only rely on the state-operated wineries for a small supply to sate our cravings. This is simply the reality.”
This was essentially echoing Qiao Yan’s earlier statement.
But he quickly switched gears, asking, “May I inquire, Your Grace, what would become of the servants originally employed at our wineries if we cease our operations and close our distilleries? Are you planning to draft them all into the military?”
“Furthermore, you and the Emperor have only ruled Central Plains for less than a year; it’s rather difficult for the people to migrate entirely into the region. Please, consider this carefully, Your Grace.”
Qiao Yan nearly burst out laughing at how righteous he sounded.
If going by his logic, they were using their sheltered population as slaves to carry their own burdens and could still declare they were selflessly serving the country, would she have to commend him for his benevolence?
If it weren’t for the fact that this wasn’t the time to make enemies, and that there were plenty of others who shared his views, she could have already sent troops to raid the Zhongmu Ren family’s fortress.
No, no rush…
Now wasn’t the time to hurry.
The whole reason she had Liu Yu stand up top was to fully uncover the value of these people, wasn’t it?
His popping out like this wasn’t surprising, nor beyond what she and her subordinates had anticipated.
So why bother getting angry over it?
Her mouth curved tightly under the mask but then slowly relaxed, revealing a smile that no one could see.
When she finally spoke, her tone was calm as she said, “Why should conscription in Guanzhong affect Henan? This place borders Yanzhou, and any misstep could lead to a rebellion in Yanzhou. As for your concern about surviving from the wineries, I had considered that long ago, even before I proposed the idea of limiting production. Now please return to your seats; I have a few things I’d like to show you.”
Qiao Yan waved her hand, signaling for the pork and jars to be taken away.
The sunlight was less bright today, and the early summer breeze blew through the southern outskirts of Chang’an, quickly dissipating the lingering stench of decay.
Moments later, as she returned to her seat, her attendants began bringing out covered trays and tableware, all meticulously prepared.
If not for the fact that Qiao Yan had already had a meal before they arrived, they might have believed she had specially invited them for a feast outside.
With some liquor set beside, it certainly resembled a gathering.
But whether it was truly a banquet remained to be seen. Qiao Yan’s well-prepared setup made everyone regard this young powerholder with even more caution.
As Ren Yi settled in, he heard someone beside him ask, “Are you really not in cahoots with the Grand Marshal?”
He quickly shook his head.
Despite the scene appearing like a carefully staged performance, this really wasn’t prearranged.
Look at him—he couldn’t even figure out what was in front of him!
If he had known beforehand, he wouldn’t be acting like this at all.
As they exchanged words, the first tray was already opened before them, revealing the same sauced meat leaf pancakes Qiao Yan had once invited Fu Shou to enjoy.
The second tray followed, featuring a pair of chicken wings drenched in a brown sauce.
Without pause, the third tray opened as well.
Surprisingly, this one only held a bowl of millet rice topped with a spoonful of brown sauce.
Ren Yi furrowed his brow, “This doesn’t seem like black bean sauce, does it?”
With most dishes being stewed, black bean sauce played quite a significant culinary role.
But the sauce drizzled over the millet rice was darker, appearing more like the residue after filtering some concoction.
This judgment led him to notice a strange fragrance wafting in the air.
Looking at the three plates in front of him, he just couldn’t muster any enthusiasm to taste the food.
It’s common knowledge that plain sauce doesn’t hold a candle to fermented bean paste, especially these days.
It’s not that Ren Yi has any bias; it’s just that the sauces made nowadays, like meat and shrimp paste, are fermented with a truckload of salt.
Experienced sauce makers learned that if they skimp on the salt, it’ll give the food a nasty sour taste, and it can also happen if the salt isn’t evenly distributed. So, to avoid disaster in sauce-making, they’d rather throw in more salt—at least more than they would while making fermented bean paste.
However, the salt most people use today can’t even compare to the refined salt of modern times, meaning the sauce has to be mixed with other condiments to be edible; otherwise, it tastes totally bizarre. On the other hand, fermented bean paste enjoys a high reputation as a standalone seasoning.
Ren Yi glanced around and noticed everyone’s chopsticks momentarily pausing, confirming that he wasn’t alone in his judgment.
Thinking of Qiao Yan’s adamant explanation that this was the answer to his question, and considering the wine she had brought out had the power to shake things up, he pondered for a bit before finally picking up his chopsticks under her watchful gaze.
The sauce-colored meat wrapped in lotus leaves looked strange, and the glistening rice looked a bit below par. He fished out a chicken wing first.
Qiao Yan hadn’t done anything sneaky like using pepper, which even she rarely used, on this chicken wing. Instead, she just used scallions, ginger, garlic, salt, and… soy sauce to whip up this dish.
In the future, this soy sauce would be a commonplace item, but right now, due to a lack of certain processes, it was a truly astonishing thing.
As Ren Yi took that first bite, his eyes widened dramatically, an even bigger reaction than when Fu Shou first tried the meat-wrapped lotus leaves.
Keep in mind, he wasn’t starving, nor was he feeling hungry after just seeing rotten pork, which had spoiled his appetite.
Even so, when that chicken wing hit his mouth, it made his taste buds explode, wishing he could make a bit more room in his stomach for it.
After downing the chicken wing and the meat-wrapped lotus leaves, he unthinkingly grabbed the bowl of rice in front of him.
It was upon taking a mouthful of plain soy-sauce rice that he suddenly realized what exactly had been enticing him from those two plates.
This was definitely not an improved version of fermented bean paste, nor was it any sauce he was familiar with; it had to be another kind of condiment!
He turned to look around, but no one could enlighten him. His whirlwind eating style had everyone else picking up their chopsticks, lost in this new seasoning sensation.
In their chopstick action, they still had some of that noble demeanor.
But the speed they devoured their food? That was a different story altogether.
By the time only bones remained on everyone’s plates, Qiao Yan finally spoke, “I shall name this soy sauce, and I hope those of you with wineries will shift your focus to producing this. I’ll share the corresponding production methods with you all.”
What’s the whole material koji-making? It’s a method where both beans and flour are added simultaneously to the koji-making process, effectively improving enzyme breakdown and raw material utilization, thus reducing the need to dump salt recklessly to suppress lactic acid formation during traditional sauce-making.
She lifted her chin a bit, her eyes gleaming with confidence.
The people before her had already shown her through their actions that it wasn’t they disliked soy sauce; it was rather that the previous sauce flavors greatly suppressed their chances to produce soy sauce.
But there are certain things capable of reaching a wider audience than alcohol, and there’s a valid reason for that.
Moreover, there was another reason to propose switching the soy sauce workshop to a winery.
She said, “Years ago, before I became the Prefect of Bingzhou, I used intercropping beans among grains to avoid locust plagues. Though it’s been years without experiencing such a disaster, the lands of Sanfu and Liangbing have suffered from it, so we must take precautions. I hope you all consider planting more beans in your fields to produce soy sauce for future pestilence.”
“The other sauce in the meat-wrapped lotus leaves is also bean-produced. To promote the limit on wine consumption, I’ll provide that recipe too.”
After she finished speaking, there was a moment of silence, with only the sound of the wind passing by.
They weren’t still lost in the fresh flavors from before; they were weighing things up. According to Qiao Yan, if they completely abandoned winemaking and turned this into an official enterprise, how much profit could they actually reel in from soy sauce?
Since soy sauce could make bland glutinous rice very tasty, that alone meant it could be introduced to countless households.
If she had hastily suggested planting more beans in their fields or demanded they hand over their winemaking industry, they would probably flip out right on the spot. But combining the two while handing over a brand-new industry to them had washed away any resistance they might have felt.
Perhaps, instead of sticking to struggling for a share of the wine market and facing Qiao Yan’s brewing advantage, it was more efficient to ride the wave and invade another market share.
As Qiao Yan mentioned later, if the proportions in this whole material koji-making method were adjusted, the resulting soy sauce would have different flavors. Just like alcohol, it would have various types, each with its own growth path.
This soy sauce was not just useful for the two dishes she provided; the rest would need them to dig deeper.
With these thoughts in mind, they took what Qiao Yan said about gathering up the wine kitchen’s fermentation leftovers and selling wine on a limited time basis as simple suggestions. They just hoped to get their hands on some high-grade pure wine to clear their homes inside and out.
“Everyone can rest assured about this, as promoting this order to every corner of the three states will require a lot of effort from you all.”
Finally reclaiming the wine business for the state and gaining a new stable channel to regulate grain and balance profits, a heavy stone in Qiao Yan’s heart finally settled down.
As long as these high-purity alcohols didn’t go up in flames from drinking them all at once, she didn’t mind if they used them to soak their ancestors’ remains.
She added, “Furthermore, I will provide each of you with a new batch of paper. I hope you can suggest how to use it more, as it will soon be for sale in Chang’an.”
Only then did the crowd realize they had momentarily forgotten about paper after the revelation of soy sauce.
The previous call for essays had already made them experience the wonders of those kinds of new paper, and since she was now actively offering to give them some as a gift, who would complain about that?
Once this paper hits the market in Chang’an, they would definitely be the most loyal users to showcase their worth.
There wouldn’t be any suggestions, at most they’d just use the paper to further express their loyalty to the Chang’an court.
As they got half-drunk on the fifty-degree white wine offered to them and were helping each other down the high platform, the sky had grown somewhat dim.
They glanced back at the high platform, seeing only Qiao Yan standing with her hands behind her, watching them leave, flanked by two of her subordinates responsible for their reception.
“Who can say this isn’t a joyful host and guest gathering?” Qiao Yan looked at their backs, saying, “De Zu, go ahead and take charge of the wine industry restructuring; while confiscating it, take the chance to recruit a few more folks.”
She shifted her gaze to Yang Xiu, the subtext of her words was clear.
Though she said to have them all switch careers, she had given away so many benefits to promote a policy, shouldn’t they reciprocate by sending some manpower her way?
As long as her recruiting didn’t cross a certain line, it was all good.
She also said, “Bo Yi, you keep an eye on the development of this soy sauce market for me, and once it’s steady, I’ll officially petition the Emperor to appoint you as Right Minister.”
Wei Ji nodded, accepting the task.
But he couldn’t help but voice a question that had been on his mind earlier: “The emergence of soy sauce will surely squeeze the market for fermented bean paste, and many small vendors operate in that sector. What does your Majesty think about their transition from winemaking to other paths?”
Though Wei Ji came from a noble family, he had a genuine concern for the common folk in Sili.
Hearing his question, Qiao Yan replied, “Bo Yi, do you lack confidence that together we can transform Sili into a place where the people have hope and governance? They will find a more suitable place here.”
Though the burden was heavy, at least a good harvest was on the horizon this year.
By the end of May, the fields already hinted at the imminent three-month harvest, making Qiao Yan’s promise sound far from empty.
“Alright, let’s not discuss this here, we’ll talk more when we return,” Qiao Yan shifted the topic, glancing at the young man who hadn’t left yet down below and asked Wei Ji, “You’re responsible for recording the list of attendees, so you should know who that is?”
He looked at the person Qiao Yan pointed at, thought for a moment, then replied based on his memory, “If I’m not mistaken… that person is from the Zhang family in Nanyang.”
Nanyang is the closest county to Jing Province and Sili, and since Liu Biao, the current governor of Jing Province, has a decent relationship with the Chang’an court, it’s not surprising to see someone from Nanyang show up here.
After all, this wine discussion event didn’t restrict the backgrounds of attendees; as long as one had a valid reason to participate, they were welcome.
But from Nanyang’s Zhang family…
Qiao Yan recalled the peculiar reaction he had when he learned about the effects of alcohol disinfection against major plagues and her heart stirred a bit, “Is the Zhang family from Nanyang connected to an official in medicine named Zhang Ji?”
The name Zhang Ji might sound unfamiliar, but he has a much more renowned courtesy name—
Zhòngjǐng.
Zhang Ji, Zhang Zhongjing!
The great author of the classic “Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Disorders!”
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