“Yes, Your Highness. Following the Qin family’s ship is naturally no problem. This perfume is more important than this humble servant’s life,” Li San said with a playful grin.
“Glib tongue,” Xiao Ming glared at Li San, though he didn’t mind the latter’s slyness. In his view, a company—or in this case, his princely estate—needed all kinds of people. There had to be those who worked diligently in silence, as well as smooth-talkers who could handle tasks requiring different personalities.
The next day, Xiao Ming visited the Qin family’s residence.
Although the four major families had their businesses spread across various parts of Qingzhou, each of them maintained a residence within the city. Moreover, Xiao Ming knew that these families also owned assets in other provinces.
Xiao Ming’s arrival took the Qin family by surprise. He had most frequently visited the Wang family in the past, and it was rare for him to come to the Qin residence on his own initiative.
“Your Highness’s presence brings immense honor to the Qin family,” Qin Chuanyun said, leading his family out to welcome Xiao Ming after being informed by a servant. Qin Mu was also among them.
Compared to Xiao Ming’s Qi Prince’s estate, the Qin family’s courtyard was smaller, but it was no less impressive, with its gardens and rock formations.
As Xiao Ming walked inside, he said, “Master Qin, there’s no need for such formalities. I’ve come today to express my gratitude to the Qin family for procuring such high-quality spices for me.”
Qin Chuanyun was still somewhat overwhelmed. Among the four great families of Qingzhou, the Wang family ranked first, while the Qin family was slightly behind. In his view, this was largely due to the Qi Prince’s favoritism toward the Wang family. Although Qin Mu had previously tried to win over Xiao Ming, his efforts had not been very successful.
Nevertheless, Qin Chuanyun still hoped to gain Xiao Ming’s favor. The prince’s personal visit to the Qin family, especially after the recent incident involving Zhang Liang, made him feel more at ease.
“Your Highness, you are too kind. It is an honor for the Qin family to be of service to you,” Qin Chuanyun said, guiding Xiao Ming to the main hall.
Xiao Ming gestured for Qin Chuanyun to sit down with him and said, “Even so, it was Master Qin who repeatedly came to my aid during difficult times.”
After a pause, Xiao Ming continued, “That’s why I’ve come today—to repay Master Qin’s kindness.”
Qin Chuanyun was even more excited, but as a seasoned man, he maintained a calm exterior. “Your Highness, you are too generous.”
Qin Mu, standing to the side, smiled contentedly. After the previous setback at Xiao Ming’s hands, it seemed he had now fully regained his standing.
“No need for further pleasantries. Li San, bring it over,” Xiao Ming said to Li San, who had accompanied him.
When they had entered, Qin Chuanyun had noticed the wine jar in Li San’s hands. Now, as Li San placed the jar on the table, Qin Chuanyun asked, “Your Highness, if it’s fine wine you seek, the Qin residence has plenty. There was no need for you to bring your own.”
“Master Qin, how can you be sure this wine is the same as what you have in your residence without tasting it first?” Xiao Ming replied.
“Oh? Does Your Highness’s wine have something special about it?” Qin Chuanyun asked.
Xiao Ming signaled to Li San, who then poured a bowl of clear liquor and handed it to Qin Chuanyun.
In the Great Yu Empire, green ant wine was not the only type available. During his time in Chang’an, Xiao Ming had tasted pure liquor, though its alcohol content was low, similar to beer. Higher-proof liquor was rare, which was why Xiao Ming was confident that the distilled wine he had produced would be considered a fine brew.
His wine wasn’t extremely strong, but it had an alcohol content of around 38 degrees.
As the liquor was poured, a rich aroma filled the air. Qin Chuanyun, having traveled extensively for business and sampled many of the Great Yu Kingdom’s finest wines, had never encountered anything like this before.
He took a small sip and immediately exclaimed, “Excellent wine!”
Xiao Ming smiled and nodded. The wines of the Great Yu Kingdom were generally low in alcohol content and lacked depth, which was why distilled spirits had replaced traditional low-alcohol wines in modern times.
“Father, let me try some too,” Qin Mu said, swallowing hard. Among the noble families of the Great Yu Kingdom, drinking was a common pastime and one of the few forms of entertainment available. After all, getting drunk was a way to pass the time, especially during long, uneventful evenings.
After taking a sip, Qin Mu’s expression mirrored his father’s. He said, “Your Highness, this must be imperial wine from the palace, right?”
“This time, Brother Qin, you’re mistaken. Like the coal stove, this is a skill I learned. Today, I had my servants brew it, and I brought it over to share with Master Qin.”
Qin Chuanyun and Qin Mu exchanged glances, both visibly astonished. “Such fine wine is also Your Highness’s creation?”
Xiao Ming nodded. “Indeed. So, like the coal stove, I thought of your Qin family first. What do you think the profits would be if this wine were sold in Chang’an?”
Qin Chuanyun and Qin Mu were overjoyed. So, this was the “repayment” the prince had mentioned. Qin Chuanyun said, “Chang’an is filled with nobles and wealthy families. This wine would surely sell well.”
“Is this gift to your liking?” Xiao Ming asked with a smile.
“Very much so!” Qin Chuanyun replied, unable to contain his excitement. “But Your Highness, what is this wine called, and how much will you charge per jar when selling it to the Qin family?”
After a moment of thought, Xiao Ming said, “Let’s call it ‘Drunken Qingzhou.’ The finest daughter’s wine in Chang’an sells for twenty taels per jar. I’ll sell it to the Qin family for fifteen taels per jar. How does that sound?”
“That’s more than fair,” Qin Chuanyun said happily.
If Drunken Qingzhou were sold in Chang’an, it would likely fetch a few taels more than daughter’s wine. Shipping a hundred jars at a time would yield a profit of five hundred taels per trip, far more lucrative than selling other goods.
“Then it’s settled,” Xiao Ming said.
He named the liquor “Drunken Qingzhou” to create a buzz. Qingzhou was far removed from the political center of the Great Yu Kingdom and often forgotten by most. By associating the wine with Qingzhou, he hoped to attract merchants and investors to the region.
After all, his fiefdom was poor, and this was one way to stimulate its economy.
Qin Chuanyun and Qin Mu were beaming with joy.
At this point, Li San gave Xiao Ming a meaningful look, reminding him of something. Xiao Ming then said, “By the way, I need Li San to accompany your merchant ship to Chang’an to deliver some items to my mother. Would that be convenient?”
Qin Chuanyun, still riding high on excitement, replied, “Your Highness, that’s a trivial matter. If you can provide a shipment of this fine wine, I can have a merchant ship ready to depart for Chang’an immediately.”
“That might be difficult for now. My estate only has ten jars of Drunken Qingzhou. However, if Master Qin could purchase all the rice wine available in Qingzhou’s market and deliver it to my estate, I could produce a hundred jars within three days,” Xiao Ming said.
Buying rice wine would be a significant expense, and Xiao Ming had no intention of footing the bill himself.
Qin Chuanyun’s eyes gleamed as he slapped the table. “Your Highness, that’s also a small matter. I’ll have my son deliver the rice wine tomorrow.”
Xiao Ming nodded in agreement.