Chapter 836

First Volume, Chapter 836: The Wine-Tasting Gathering

The idea of a wine-tasting gathering itself is not novel.

After all, those nobles and elites spend their days idle, their minds filled only with how to amuse themselves and pass the long, boring hours.

Thus, any kind of "game" centered around gatherings has already been exhausted by the nobles and elites.

Things like flower-viewing gatherings, tea-tasting gatherings, moon-viewing gatherings—there are countless such events, too numerous to list.

Jing Ci's hesitation stems ultimately from Qin Feng's terrible reputation: if he hosts this wine-tasting gathering, it's not just uncertain whether anyone will show up—even if they do, they'll come only to humiliate and belittle Qin Feng; isn't that inviting shame upon himself?

But upon reflection, Jing Ci realized that with Qin Feng's intelligence, he would never do something as foolish as picking up a stone only to drop it on his own foot.

This wine-tasting gathering is surely a case of selling dog meat under the label of a sheep's head—misleading by name, deceptive in reality.

Jing Ci wanted to see what kind of trick Qin Feng could pull off—but for safety's sake, she first sent a servant to report this matter to the King of Northern Di, and only after receiving permission did she begin selecting a venue and inviting guests for Qin Feng.

Very quickly, the news spread throughout the entire capital.

Groups of scholars gathered at the Wen Guan burst into loud laughter upon hearing Qin Feng planned to host a wine-tasting gathering.

"Hahaha, does Qin Feng even know the meaning of 'shame'?"

"A rat like him would be pelted with rotten vegetables and stinking eggs the moment he shows his face—how dare he host a wine-tasting gathering? It's hilarious."

"A man without shame is invincible; who in the Wang Du with any standing would even acknowledge him?"

"Hehe, I actually hope someone attends—this way, we can crush Qin Feng's arrogance."

"There probably won't be such an opportunity."

The news soon reached the Ministry of War, and Zhang Bingguo let out a cold laugh.

"Grand General Chen, tell me—after Qin Feng has been quiet for a few days, why is he stirring up trouble again? Can he not sit still for a single moment?"

Although Zhang Bingguo had previously conversed amicably with Qin Feng at the Yun Xiang Lai Wine House, he still looked down on Qin Feng from the bottom of his heart.

Qin Feng isn't here to grant Northern Di any concessions; Zhang Bingguo has no reason to treat him kindly.

Chen Si remained as composed as ever: "Hehe, this so-called wine-tasting gathering is merely a scheme to sell liquor."

Hearing this, Zhang Bingguo became interested: "Sell liquor? So Qin Feng really intends to go into business?"

Chen Si smiled: "To be honest, when I traveled to Liang Guo Jingdu, I personally saw Qin Feng's distillery—he's genuinely fascinated by the liquor business."

"As for doing business—he's never lied to you; this man is determined to become a merchant."

"As the saying goes: Shinan Nonggong—merchants hold low status, which is precisely why Qin Feng was granted only the title of Tianlu Marquis; otherwise, given his abilities, even a direct dukedom would be no surprise."

Zhang Bingguo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

If Qin Feng truly intends to go into business, it's not necessarily bad—after all, the greater Qin Feng's interests in Northern Di, the more his policies will inevitably favor Northern Di.

Thinking of this, Zhang Bingguo lowered his voice and whispered to Chen Si: "Grand General, Qin Feng's move is also advantageous for our Great Di."

"If we can tie Qin Feng to our Great Di's ship…"

Before Zhang Bingguo could finish, Chen Si cut him off bluntly: "Minister Zhang, watch your words!"

"Qin Feng is our Great Di's blood feud enemy; no matter how great his talent, we must never envy him."

"As Minister of War, a National Pillar, you must hold firm to your stance. If your words just now reached the Emperor's ears, do you think you need me to remind you of the consequences?"

Hearing this, Zhang Bingguo shrank back, not daring to speak recklessly again.

Unbeknownst to him, Chen Si, setting aside the blood feud, also hoped Qin Feng might join Great Di's side.

One such man is better than ten thousand troops.

Unfortunately, Qin Feng has harmed Great Di too severely—they are now irreconcilable, especially with the current domestic atmosphere, where everyone is unified: anyone who speaks well of Qin Feng is equivalent to traitorous talk.

Public outrage cannot be defied; even Chen Si dares not utter a single word in Qin Feng's favor.

Public opinion has already solidified; whoever dares to swim against the current will die without a grave.

Chen Si's tone was stern: "Do not interfere excessively with this wine-tasting gathering, and do not attend."

"Minister Zhang, let me warn you—the Emperor is desperate to tear Qin Feng limb from limb, yet has no good way to do it, and is seething with suppressed rage; don't you dare walk straight into his path now!"

Zhang Bingguo felt a chill run down his spine and immediately thanked Chen Si profusely.

"If that's the case, this wine-tasting gathering will probably be extremely dull."

Chen Si shook his head, his gaze resolute: "Don't worry—tonight will be lively. We who hold core interests cannot attend, but that doesn't mean others can't."

"Moreover, since Qin Feng entered Jingdu, he has spent most of his time hiding in the Yi Guan; the Emperor knows too little about him—this wine-tasting gathering is the perfect chance to probe his true nature."

"We needn't concern ourselves with these matters—focus instead on Zhuozhou."

"Lü Ci and Li Chou, those traitors, have surged forward with the wind at their backs; unless we assemble our main forces, we cannot stop them."

"But if we assemble our main forces, these two will retreat back to Sangzhou."

"If our main army remains stationed in Zhuozhou, we must either undertake massive construction to build a ZhuZhen, or rely on Logistics support—either way, it will require a heavy investment."

"If we advance recklessly, we'll collide with Qin Feng's army—a scenario we absolutely do not wish to see."

"For now, we can only keep sending small elite units to coordinate, maintaining a stalemate with the Rebel Army through local armed forces."

Hearing Chen Si's words, Zhang Bingguo glanced around, confirmed no eavesdroppers were nearby, then leaned in close, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"Grand General, there's something I'll tell only you."

"The Xiongying Brigade has recently been… preparing for war."

Upon hearing "Xiongying Brigade," Chen Si's heart sank.

The Command Authority over both the Xiongying Brigade and the Snow Wolf Brigade rests entirely in Chen Si's hands—if the Xiongying Brigade is truly mobilizing, then the King of Northern Di must have bypassed Chen Si and issued a Secret Mission directly.

Chen Si knew the King had not lost faith in him—but… he was preparing to make a final gamble, to strike down Jing Qianying with lethal force.

As long as Jing Qianying lives, she remains a massive threat.

But to use the Xiongying Brigade to eliminate Jing Qianying—is this deal truly worth it?

Perhaps for the King of Northern Di, yes—but for Northern Di as a whole, it would be an absolute loss, a catastrophic one.

Chen Si took a deep breath, gave Zhang Bingguo a warning glance, signaling him to keep silent and say no more on the matter.