Chapter 20: Blood-Stained Official Robes

Fang Chongyong was confident that Wang Defu would definitely return to Kuizhou.

Because the people of the Tang Dynasty drank to a deranged degree—almost no joy without wine in their daily lives!

Holidays absolutely required drinking, and ordinary days called for a little too. When happy, they drank; when unhappy, they drank even more!

Wine suited to their tastes would never want for sales. This was also a key reason Fang Chongyong did not bother with distilled spirits or anything like shaodaozi. High-proof liquor was costly to produce; brewing a qu wine of ten-plus percent was already enough to show off, with no need for forty- or fifty-proof spirits.

People of the Tang Dynasty preferred sweet flavors and loved sweet wine; sometimes, if the wine was not sweet enough, they would even add sugar (not white granulated sugar).

Red qu wine, with its vivid crimson clarity and smooth, sweet taste, would easily win the fervent pursuit of high officials and nobles.

High Tang was a kingdom of wine—no joy without wine.

The Tang Dynasty's official statistics for government-brewed wine put annual production at roughly ten million dou. Including private brewing, total wine consumption came to about fifty million dou—an underestimate if anything.

Not only that, truly fine wine never lacked a market, and its price was frighteningly high; countless drunkards flocked to it regardless, and expensive wine bills could not deter them. Yellow wine itself was a regular fixture at banquets of the aristocratic class.

Therefore Fang Chongyong was absolutely certain that premium red qu wine would have the effect of a "dark horse emerging" at this time. After all, no one had ever seen it before.

Costly brewing ingredients (rumored to be Red Lotus Rice as raw material), excellent taste, and a novel, high-class presentation all guaranteed that Honglian Chun would have no shortage of eager patrons!

Li Bai's "Bring in the Wine" contains the lines: "Five-flower horse, thousand-gold fur, call the boy to bring them out for fine wine, and with you I'll drown ten thousand sorrows."

How could premium wine ever go unsold? Those who love fine wine will sell their clothes and horses to buy it!

The Honglu Temple, Chang'an's central institution, was responsible for managing food provisions and wine, with subordinate departments such as the Fine Brewing Bureau and the Provision Office to coordinate wine for the court and capital officialdom—the so-called "government-brewed wine."

The Fine Brewing Bureau "oversaw the presentation of the five qi and three wines for state sacrifices"; when the Emperor sacrificed to Heaven and Earth, the Bureau would lead its staff to arrange and display large quantities of wine vessels. For officials, it provided wines such as "Spring Boil, Autumn Clear, Fen Brew, and Sangluo."

Specific affairs of government-brewed wine were handled by the Fine Brewing Bureau and the Provision Office, both of which maintained year-round staff: the Fine Brewing Bureau had 30 people in charge of brewing, 120 skilled artisans responsible for bronze wine vessels, and 13 miscellaneous laborers.

Though government-brewed wine was already formidable, the principle that "the real experts are among the common folk" still held true in the Tang Dynasty. Among the tribute wines submitted from various regions, quite a few were highly competitive. Wealthy merchants like Wang Yuanbao naturally also ran the wine trade within Chang'an.

They even owned numerous taverns and wine houses. By transporting wines of different regional flavors to Chang'an, they earned substantial profits.

Without outside help, no matter how good Honglian Chun was, it could not become famous overnight or spread by word of mouth among drunkards. They had to rely on wealthy merchants to quietly "advertise widely," ferment and hype public opinion, and only then could it "shoot to fame."

This was a win-win deal.

Sure enough, before the New Year even arrived, Wang Defu came again, agreeing to purchase Honglian Chun but raising three demands.

First, the initial batch of Honglian Chun would be one thousand dou, and the price had to be lowered to 20 guan per dou. Future prices would be adjusted according to market conditions in Chang'an. Prices might rise, but they could also fall—or they might stop buying altogether.

The volume of one thousand dou was roughly equivalent to one thousand two-liter bottles of cola from Fang Chongyong's previous life; one or two transport ships could carry it, and the shipping risk was very low. One had to admit, the Wang family truly lived up to being wealthy Chang'an merchants—they had calculated everything down to the last detail.

If Honglian Chun proved unpopular, they would not lose much money, and selling it slowly would still recoup their costs.

If Honglian Chun became a hit, then even though their purchase price was high, they would sell it for even more, so they still would not lose!

Dealing with these merchants, their abacus beads clacked away. You might profit, but they would never lose.

Fang Chongyong was very straightforward and readily agreed, even signing a contract to give Wang Defu a reassurance.

Second, Wang Defu had invited "wine-tasting experts" to Kuizhou to assess the quality of the finished wine to be delivered. Only after receiving their approval would they purchase in bulk.

On this point, Fang Chongyong was likewise brimming with confidence and agreed without a second thought.

Third, Wang Defu hoped to obtain the brewing method for "Honglian Chun" as well as the technique for making the wine qu. They were willing to pay a high price—even one hundred thousand guan was not out of the question.

The true intent revealed at last—this clause was probably Wang Yuanbao's real purpose in coming to Kuizhou.

Fang Chongyong refused outright without a second thought. Seeing his flat refusal, Wang Defu was disappointed but also breathed a sigh of relief.

Not selling was normal: because they had confidence in the wine and knew it was a cash cow, they could not sell it. If someone was desperate to sell off their secret brewing recipe, that would mean they had something to hide.

Wang Defu, on the contrary, would not have dared to buy.

Thinking that Honglian Chun would soon emerge from the cellar, Wang Defu was momentarily anxious and gains and losses, anxiously waiting in the Kuizhou prefectural city.

……

"Uncle, come try the prefectural city's Honglian Chun and see how it is."

Inside a stilt-granary hut in the Tang army's Dongyang Command camp outside Wushan County, Fang Chongyong showed up carrying a jug of Honglian Chun that had just come out of the cellar yesterday, trying to cozy up to Wang Zhongsi.

Looking at this prospective son-in-law who was not old yet had eight hundred schemes in his head, Wang Zhongsi gave a helpless smile, took the wine jug, tore open the seal, and immediately caught a rich aroma of wine.

"Not bad wine."

Wang Zhongsi downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, set down the earthenware old basin cup (a type of folk wine cup, common among the lower and middle classes), savored the aftertaste, then poured himself another cup.

This time he was not about to toss it back in one gulp; instead he raised the old basin cup, savoring it carefully, relishing every drop until not a single one remained, and only then reluctantly set the cup aside, sighing deeply and endlessly.

"Uncle, do you find the wine wanting?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a curious expression. Yesterday, Wang Defu and the "wine-tasting expert" he had brought along had already abused their public duties to drink themselves dead drunk, full of praise for Honglian Chun's quality, calling its flavor unique and no inferior to the finest government-brewed wine. Both its color and taste were in a class of their own!

Otherwise, how would Fang Chongyong have dared to present it as a treasure before Wang Zhongsi today!

"Not at all. This wine is sweet, mellow, and lingering—a first-rate wine. In Chang'an, one dou would likely fetch no less than ten guan, enough to buy several horizontal swords."

He could not help thinking of affairs at the frontier, and Wang Zhongsi could not suppress his sighs and lamentations. The frontier soldiers had it truly bitter; much of their equipment even had to be self-provided. As for wine, let alone something of Honglian Chun's caliber, even the most common "Green Ant Wine" was hard for ordinary soldiers to come by, and they could only hope to receive a ration when rotating or going to war.

Many people in the Tang Dynasty might go their whole lives without ever knowing what wine of Honglian Chun's caliber actually tasted like.

After all, these were the exclusive privilege of the nobility.

"Uncle, I will likely be returning to Chang'an soon."

Fang Chongyong said in a low voice.

After Wang Defu transported Honglian Chun away, the payment would be sent directly to the palace by the wealthy merchant Wang Yuanbao's people. Shipping from Kuizhou here, cash paid directly over there in Chang'an—it would not even pass through the hands of Fang Chongyong or Zheng Shuqing. He believed that before the Lantern Festival, Li Longji would order Zheng Shuqing recalled to Chang'an to report on his duties.

Of course, before taking office there would certainly be a period of "idle waiting," and he would not be appointed to a post immediately.

But Zheng Shuqing's entry into the central administration as Director of the Revenue Bureau (abbreviated as Revenue Director) should be more or less assured.

Through Zheng Shuqing's "popular explanation," Fang Chongyong already knew that the Revenue Director was the head of the Revenue Section under the Department of State Affairs.

The Tang Dynasty's Department of State Affairs had no Director. Because the first Director of the Tang Dynasty was Li Erfeng. How could anyone else hold the office he had once held?

Li Erfeng had been Emperor—was some official going to try being Emperor too?

And so the Director of the Department of State Affairs, the most powerful position in the Tang Dynasty and the head of the foremost of the Three Departments, was left vacant, with the Left and Right Vice Directors jointly deliberating on major affairs of the Department.

Everyone understood the principle of two monks carrying water together, so in the end, the Department of State Affairs was a place where the Emperor could directly intervene in administration and install his favored officials.

This was a system-derived check and balance that had existed in the Tang Dynasty since Emperor Taizong's reign—fragmenting and flattening executive power to counter the two heads of the Secretariat and the Chancellery, forming a dynamic decision-making system to prevent any single powerful minister from dominating.

I have to say, if we set aside the emperor's laziness, this is indeed an effective system.

Lost in idle thoughts, Fang Chongyong saw Wang Zhongsi fall silent, not speaking for a long while.

"Do you really think you can ensure my departure from Dongyang Prefecture when you return to Chang'an?"

Wang Zhongsi wore a doubtful expression and took a long time before forcing out that sentence.

It's not that he lacks confidence; it's that Li Longji has become increasingly capricious, and Wang Zhongsi truly doesn't know what Li Longji is thinking now.

"Uncle, you seem to have something on your mind."

Fang Chongyong poured a cup of Red Lotus Spring for Wang Zhongsi, while he himself just watched from the side.

Drinking at a young age causes irreversible damage to the brain's nerves. Fang Chongyong doesn't want his prodigy image to turn into that of a drunkard.

"Indeed I have something on my mind. The Sage… actually doesn't understand the situation at the border passes very well."

Wang Zhongsi sighed softly, treating Fang Chongyong as a confidant; otherwise, how could such words be spoken?

He regards Fang Chongyong as one of his own, not because he is Fang Youde's son, but because of the saying, "If one can curb aggression, it matters not how many casualties there are."

These days Li Longji's frontier garrison policy has gone far, far beyond what the state can bear.

Wang Zhongsi began recounting to Fang Chongyong some of his observations at the Great Tang's border passes, which left Fang Chongyong quite astonished.

In Li Longji's view, the border soldiers should be eager for merit, brave in killing the enemy, treat the state as family and their robes as brothers; they should hold the supreme goal that the Great Tang reigns invincible, using it as their strongest motivation.

But in Wang Zhongsi's eyes, they are all living individuals. They can be fearful, cowardly, and apprehensive.

The unmarried miss their childhood sweethearts back home.

The married miss their wives and parents at home.

Whether they can beat the Turks or crush the Tubo is far beyond these soldiers' reach. Yet the struggle with those powers is tightly linked to their lives, because Turkic and Tubo soldiers are precisely their opponents!

This creates a mismatch: the war's outcome rests on their effort, but its spoils are unrelated to them. Under such sentiment, the border soldiers yearn to rotate home, and those not yet on duty scramble to evade conscription.

Li Longji may wish to plant the Tang banner in every corner of the Western Regions, but most people at the Tang border passes may not share his view.

Their wishes are humbler and more genuine.

"The Qiang flute need not blame the willows; the spring wind does not pass Yumen Pass."

Fang Chongyong sighed, sensing that emotion in Wang Zhongsi.

"I've heard your father seldom pays attention to teaching you; I didn't expect you to be so clever."

Wang Zhongsi poured another cup of wine and downed it in one gulp.

"In those days in Hexi, the Tubo Zhanpu chieftain trained troops at Yubiao River, and my subordinates were terrified, deeming the enemy unbeatable and seeking to retreat for aid. At that time I was young and bold, not fearing the Tubo, so I drew my sword and charged the enemy ranks."

In that battle we beheaded thousands and captured tens of thousands of sheep and horses. By virtue of my merit I was promoted to Left Guard General, Acting Northern Commander, and enfeoffed as Lord of Qingyuan County. Yet that battle… many of my men died, many who were like brothers to me!

"If I hadn't been so eager for merit, they… might not have had to die."

Wang Zhongsi punched the bamboo table, the old tiled basin rattled and tipped over, startling Fang Chongyong into a shiver.

Whether from the wine or from agitation, Wang Zhongsi's eyes reddened as he asked, "Do you think I'm willing to sacrifice my soldiers' lives to stain my official robe red and pave the way for a lofty career as a border general?"

"Uncle, you're drunk and must stop drinking. Such words reaching the Sage's ears would be ill‑advised."

Fang Chongyong, a little startled, urged him.

The words just now were complaints about Li Longji, both overt and covert; if spread, they could easily become the deadly rumor "Wang Zhongsi, after being demoted, complains that the Sage is harsh and ungracious." If it reaches Li Longji's ears, this Sage who sits in Chang'an, no one knows how he'll act.

Know that he is no broad‑minded lord! He covets his own daughter‑in‑law, and seizes her as he wishes; he treats his own son the same way, even though that son is born of a favored concubine. As for an outsider like Wang Zhongsi… one can imagine it even with a toe.

"What can't be said! For the sake of the border's meager interests, they casually sacrifice frontline soldiers' lives, and still forbid speaking of it!"

Enraged, Wang Zhongsi hammered the table so hard that the bamboo tabletop shattered.

"Clang!"

The jar containing Red Lotus Spring fell to the ground and shattered, its fragrance instantly filling the very crude high‑raised wooden house, also freeing Wang Zhongsi from his bitter fury.

"What a waste of fine wine."

Wang Zhongsi calmed down, took a deep breath, and steadied his emotions.

"Uncle, the proverb says: 'The past cannot be corrected, the future can still be pursued.' You still know how to value the lives of border soldiers, but many court generals do not; they all seek to step on white bones to climb higher, please the Sage, and achieve their unrivaled feats."

"Compared to that, only you, as a border general, can minimize such occurrences, right? How can you abandon yourself in Dongyang Prefecture?"

Fang Chongyong patiently urged.

"You are right."

Wang Zhongsi surprisingly calmed down quickly.

"This time you go back to Chang'an, endure a bit more hardship, and do your best to help me act. I have drafted a letter; keep it on you. If anything goes wrong, you can ask the Loyal King for a way."

Wang Zhongsi placed his large hand on Fang Chongyong's shoulder and said earnestly.