Chapter 797

First Volume, Chapter 797: White Liquor Emerges

Looking at the wine crate that had finally appeared after so many twists and turns, Qin Feng was ecstatic—he had poured countless hours into this, and this white liquor would be the stepping stone to making him the richest man in Shedynasty!

Beside him, Ning Hu, who had once roamed the streets of Beijing, was also a "wine enthusiast," having sampled countless famous wines from south to north, and thus possessed some expertise in liquor.

Seeing Qin Feng's adoration for the wine crate, Ning Hu couldn't help teasing: "Brother Qin, it's just wine—why such a fuss?"

"Heh, in my view, wine is just wine; no matter how expensive, it's merely a pastime."

Facing Ning Hu's skepticism, Qin Feng offered no explanation, only caressing the crate over and over.

In this era, wine had very low alcohol content—even women could drink a couple of jars without issue, making it an era of "universal drinking."

For most people, low-alcohol wine was merely a recreational beverage.

Thus, in this era, wine's reputation was still not too poor.

But Qin Feng's high-alcohol white liquor would shatter all existing perceptions—and turn wine into a synonym for "national ruin and people's decay."

So from the start, Qin Feng never intended to target the common masses; instead, he planned to position white liquor as a luxury drink—so expensive that ordinary people couldn't afford it—otherwise, if everyone drowned in drunkenness and ceased production, he, as the "inventor" of white liquor, would become a sinner for all eternity.

Qin Feng carefully opened the wine crate, revealing two yellow clay jars; to prevent breakage, they were packed tightly with dry grass.

This "packaging," if dropped on the ground, might not even be picked up.

No one could have guessed that these broken-looking jars held value beyond measure.

Even Ning Hu, beside him, upon seeing the jars, sneered: "Brother Qin, after all that, this is it?!"

Ignoring Ning Hu's mockery, Qin Feng immediately took one jar, carefully pulled out the stopper, and instantly the entire carriage filled with an intoxicating, refreshing aroma.

Ning Hu, who had just moments ago looked disdainful, froze in place, staring dumbly at the jar in Qin Feng's hand, inhaling deeply several times, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Qin… Qin Brother, is this really wine? I've never smelled such a rich aroma in my life!"

Coming out of his shock, Ning Hu snatched the jar, pressed his mouth to the rim, and inhaled the aroma in large gulps, his expression utterly enraptured.

Seeing Ning Hu lean toward the jar, ready to drink heartily, Qin Feng reacted quickly and snatched it back, scolding: "Take it easy!"

"Do you know how much manpower and resources it took to transport this wine from Beijing to here?"

"I'm counting on these two jars to open the Di Jingdu market—if you waste them, I won't forgive you!"

Facing Qin Feng's reprimand, Ning Hu scratched his head in desperation.

"Brother Qin, just a little—just a tiny bit!"

"Let me taste it—this fragrance keeps swirling in my nose, but I can't taste a thing—it's driving me mad!"

Since being appointed County Commander of Beixi, Ning Hu's demeanor had grown increasingly bold; whenever idle, he insisted on drinking heavily, making him a qualified "alcoholic."

Now, seeing Qin Feng's white liquor so fragrant, he was desperate to taste it.

Unable to resist Ning Hu's pleading, Qin Feng rummaged through the crate for a small wine spoon, dipped it into the jar, tasted it himself first.

The crisp white liquor hit his tongue with a sharp burn, then turned sweet, its complex flavors shifting endlessly across his lips and teeth—a true delight.

Beside him, Ning Hu was frantic: "Brother Qin, don't just drink it all yourself—let me taste too!"

Qin Feng reluctantly dipped the spoon again and held it out to Ning Hu.

Ning Hu took it with both hands as if receiving a treasure, carefully brought the spoon to his lips, sniffed twice, then finally swallowed it whole.

Feeling the flavor spread through his mouth, Ning Hu froze—his eyes first went blank, then flushed bright red with excitement, shining with fervor.

"Excellent wine! Excellent!"

"This is the kind of wine a man should drink!"

In this era, wine had universally low alcohol content—most wines were only eight or nine degrees; even the finest reached about ten to fifteen degrees, and at most, twenty.

But Qin Feng's white liquor reached over forty degrees—doubling the strength.

Moreover, by fermenting and then distilling a blend of several grains, the liquor was exceptionally smooth and rich, utterly unlike ordinary grain wines, which were merely "flavorful."

Ning Hu felt that one sip was better than drinking a whole jar—he felt warm all over.

At that moment, Ning Hu also noticed the white liquor itself was as clear as water, with not a trace of impurity, making him even more astonished.

"This white liquor… how can it be so pure?"

"Even imperial tribute wine, filtered multiple times with bao mao, still had a pale yellow tint—nothing compared to this white liquor."

Ning Hu was awestruck, even suspecting Qin Feng had used some sorcery—how else could the liquor be this crystal-clear?

Qin Feng smiled without speaking—he knew well that in this era, wine suffered not only from low alcohol content but also from poor filtration, leaving it full of impurities.

Even "bao mao"—corn silk—was one of the palace's designated imperial tributes, used exclusively to filter wine for the royal family.

But Qin Feng's white liquor skipped the filtration step entirely—it tasted as clean as water, with not a single impurity.

Qin Feng dared not drink more—there were only two jars total, and all other white liquor remained in the FermentationRoom at Ming Yue Ge in Beijing.

Qin Feng quickly stored the liquor, then took out paper and ink to draft a letter, ordering a brocade uniform messenger to deliver it to Beijing at top speed.

The letter instructed Xie Yun'er to continue brewing white liquor according to his method and expand production.

At this moment, Qin Feng's mind was already plotting grand schemes—he planned to open white liquor retail shops directly in the Di Jingdu. Starting with a cross-border business—this was an impossibly high starting point; Qin Feng already felt he was nearly touching the threshold of "liquor magnate."

Just as Qin Feng was basking in self-satisfaction, a commotion erupted outside the carriage.

Qin Feng frowned slightly, lifted the curtain, and saw the carriage following behind had refused to move.

At the same time, Jing Ci and her maid Qi Ya had stepped down, hands on hips, looking haughty.

"Qin Feng, come out here!"

Jing Ci, one hand on her hip, snapped sharply.

Seeing Qin Feng step out of the carriage, Jing Ci immediately launched her attack: "We agreed that once we reached Wang Du territory, we'd part ways—I refuse to enter the city alongside you, a sworn enemy of Di!"