Chapter 661: First Volume_Chapter 661: Slacking Off at a Critical Moment

First Volume_Chapter 661: Slacking Off at a Critical Moment

Xie Yun'er's worry was not without reason.

The wine of today had not yet entered an era of rapid development and a hundred schools of thought contending.

Moreover, fruit wine and rice wine were the mainstay.

The most representative wine was grape wine.

A literary giant had once composed a poem.

"Fine grape wine in cups that glow at night, a pipa played on horseback urging one to drink."

But the alcohol content of fruit wine generally ranged between ten and twenty percent.

Twenty percent was already considered a high-proof wine.

Precisely because of this, in this era there were quite a few female drinkers as well.

However, whether rice wine or fruit wine, aside from the low alcohol content, the clarity was also basically nonexistent.

To this day, 'corn tassel' remained one of the required imperial tributes every year.

Corn tassel was the tassel on top of corn.

It was specifically used to filter impurities from the wine.

Even if filtered dozens of times with corn tassel, how clean could it possibly get?

On top of that, this era did not yet have gauze—at least not the kind of high-quality gauze from later ages.

Therefore, filtering wine was a very real problem.

But fortunately, Qin Feng had never planned to filter at all, and instead directly adopted the method of distillation.

This kind of wine, once distilled, was as clear as water by itself, and required no second filtering at all.

Once a high-proof white spirit was brewed, it would surely fill a gap of an entire era.

As for the profit margin, tsk tsk tsk…

"Yun'er, Second Sister, you can rest easy."

"When have I ever had a mishap?"

"Besides, our Qin Family is already in the grain business right now."

"Even the raw materials for brewing are saved."

"Hehe, just wait and count the money."

Seeing Qin Feng so confident, Liu Hongyan and Xie Yun'er could only choose to believe him.

Liu Hongyan gave a gentle reminder.

"Feng'er, if you want to brew wine, that's fine."

"But why insist on choosing now?"

"In just three days, the peace talks will officially begin."

"These talks concern the fate of Shedynasty and the Northern Di, and when the time comes, they will surely be extremely intense."

"While there's still time, wouldn't it be better to prepare in advance?"

"If precious time is wasted on brewing wine, I'm afraid…"

Before Liu Hongyan could finish, Qin Feng had already waved his hand and cut her off.

With an utterly dismissive look.

"Second Sister, the bottom line for the peace talks was already decided long ago."

"The so-called negotiations are just a formality."

"Even if the Northern Di Envoy Group talks till their lips wear thin, Shedynasty's bottom line will absolutely not waver."

"So rather than worrying over a foregone conclusion, it's better to put our energy into making money."

"In the future, expanding the Black Cavalry and the Tianji Camp Guards will both require massive funds."

"Money is always the foundation of everything."

Liu Hongyan and Xie Yun'er exchanged a glance.

They couldn't help but smile wryly.

Now, the entire world was watching the peace talks.

The outcome of Shedynasty's negotiations with the Northern Di would affect not only the two nations themselves.

Even the surrounding neighboring countries and tributary states would be implicated.

It could be said that every faction was sharpening their heads, desperate to slip into Jingdu and reach a hand toward the negotiation table.

Yet as the one in charge of the negotiations, Qin Feng was actually slacking off…

It was truly infuriating.

However…

That said.

Given Qin Feng's political instincts, as long as Qin Feng said there was no problem, nothing could go wrong.

Thinking of this, Liu Hongyan and Xie Yun'er had no choice but to let Qin Feng have his way, and turned to leave.

Almost the moment the two women left, Qin Feng called Qin Xiaofu over.

"Xiaofu, go to Tianji Camp immediately and bring five craftsmen over."

"Following the blueprints, build a stove, a steamer, and a distiller."

"The specific materials and methods, I've already written everything down on the blueprints."

"None of these things are difficult to make—get them done within a day."

Qin Feng paced back and forth in the courtyard with his hands behind his back, waiting for the craftsmen to arrive.

At this moment, his heart remained unsettled for a long time.

Because Qin Feng knew very well that, in this era's alcohol industry,

once baijiu was introduced, it would cause a sensation.

For the first time, Qin Feng felt he was so close to fulfilling his dream.

So close to becoming the richest man in Shedynasty!

Qin Xiaofu acted quickly; within half a Envoy, the craftsmen had arrived.

They immediately began constructing all the equipment needed for brewing in the Xiaoyuan.

Meanwhile, in the Jingong Yushufang,

the Hei Wei was reporting today's situation in Jingdu to the Liang Emperor.

"Your Majesty,"

"since the Northern Di Envoy Group arrived at the Yi Guan, they have not shown their faces again."

"Only Chen Si has left the city with Qin Feng, first visiting the Tianji Camp."

"Then they went to North of the City and the Longhu Army's ZhuZhen."

"Also, Qin Feng seems to be making something extraordinary again."

"But due to Mingyue Zhai's tight defenses, the Hei Wei could not infiltrate it, so he knows very little."

The Liang Emperor, busy reviewing memorials, put down his brush.

He muttered to himself in thought.

Qin Feng taking Chen Si to the Tianji Camp and Longhu Army—his motive was not hard to guess.

He aimed to display Shedynasty's military strength and exert psychological pressure on Chen Si.

And Chen Si, as the voice of the Northern Di Envoy Group, would surely report everything he saw in Jingdu to Lü Li in full detail.

The Liang Emperor, far from opposing Qin Feng's "friendship" with Chen Si, actively supported it.

After all…

The two nations had just fought a major war, and just as State Peace Talks were imminent, bloodshed occurred.

Publicly, they were already like water and fire.

But no matter how strained public relations became, this secret channel of communication must not be cut off.

Qin Feng and Chen Si represented Shedynasty and the Northern Di Envoy Group, secretly exchanging information.

Yet, at this incredibly tense deadline,

Qin Feng had gone off-track again, fiddling with those strange and peculiar things—something the Liang Emperor had not anticipated.

"This boy's thinking is always unlike anyone else's."

"But since I have entrusted the State Peace Talks entirely to the Qin Family,"

"let him do as he pleases."

As he spoke, the Liang Emperor remembered something and casually added:

"Until the State Peace Talks end, no one, no faction, shall disturb Qin Feng."

The Hei Wei nodded firmly and turned to leave.

The Liang Emperor gazed at the Liu Li Window of the Imperial Study and sighed softly.

"Qin Feng, Qin Feng—this time, how many surprises will you bring me in the State Peace Talks?"

"I… wait and see."

At the same moment,

the Jingdu Yi Guan official, Lü Li, looked astonished.

"What? Qin Feng is brewing alcohol at home? Is this true?"

Chen Si had just returned from Mingyue Zhai and did not hesitate.

"Pillar of the State, I saw it with my own eyes—there is not a shred of falsehood."

At these words, Lü Li and Han Yu exchanged glances.

Even Han Yu, a strategist, felt a wave of confusion.

"At this deadline, why brew alcohol?"

"Could it be…"

"that this fellow is playing the Empty City Stratagem on us?"

Lü Li narrowed his eyes: "That possibility exists!"

"This boy, Qin Feng, is not only decisive in battle but also cunning and deceitful."

"He must be trying to make us lower our guard, then strike us off-guard."

"Stay alert, all of you—do not fall for his tricks!"