Translator: Ink Hub
Editor: Yoog

The moment Luo Yu pushed the door open, his gaze fell upon Jun Mozhu standing by the window. It was dusk, and the lingering rays of the setting sun spilled through the frame, casting a long, slender shadow across the floorboards.

The ink-colored robe, embroidered with vibrant green bamboo patterns, still carried that air of noble elegance, tinged with a faint, bewitching allure. He truly was a dashing young gentleman.

Luo Yu walked into the room and pulled out a chair to sit down, uninvited.

“I didn’t expect that a minor wine market in Fengchuan City could attract a person of such high standing as Young Master Jun. It is truly a surprise.”

“I have no interest in the wine market, but you, on the other hand, interest me greatly.”

Jun Mozhu turned around.

“As the saying goes, one should view a person with new eyes after three days apart. Perhaps I should now address you as City Lord Luo.”

“I dare not accept such a title.”

Luo Yu let out a cold laugh. “With Young Master Jun’s noble status, how could a crude fellow like me dare to call you ‘brother’?”

“I hear resentment in your words, City Lord Luo.”

Jun Mozhu offered a faint smile. “Are you unhappy because I gave you a ruined city? Or is it because I deliberately collected three months of land tax in advance that you find me disagreeable?”

Luo Yu did not answer, merely staring him with cold eyes.

Jun Mozhu continued, speaking to himself.

“Qicheng is indeed a ruined city, but the terrain of the Sanqi Mountains is a rare, strategic treasure in Longxi. If the Western Qiang were to breach the border in the future, Cangqi would become a formidable stronghold that is easy to defend and difficult to attack. You come from a military background, so you should understand the strategic importance of the Sanqi Mountains.

“I handed such a vital position to you on a silver platter. Shouldn’t you thank me?

“As for the grain, it was indeed intentional. But I wanted you to understand that being a city lord is no easy task. Is that wrong?

“If I hadn’t been pushing you from behind, would you have thought of the path of distilling wine for profit? Look at the situation today; Sanguotou is bound to sell well. When the silver begins to flow into your pockets like water, won’t that be a good thing?”

These words left Luo Yu completely speechless. This man could turn even the blackest truth into something white.

Luo Yu’s brows twitched slightly. “I have always been curious why Dingxiang Residence knew that Sanguotou came from my hands. Now I understand—it was you who told them, wasn’t it?”

“How did you know?”

“Just a guess.”

Jun Mozhu picked up the wine pot from the table and poured two cups.

“Three pots of strong spirits brewed through years and seasons, a single sip of mellow fragrance dissolves ten thousand sorrows. Heroic spirit dwells within the cup, the world is vast, and I am free to roam within. Whoever drinks it will get a head rush!

“A vulgar name, but what a heroic poem.”

Jun Mozhu swirled the cup in his hand.

“I am curious, what exactly are you trying to do? You have such a massive backer in the Jun family, yet you insist on venturing out on your own.”

“To build Cangqi into a great city, and then wait for the Imperial Court to grant me the rank of a fifth-grade general.”

“It’s that simple?”

Jun Mozhu looked stunned. “What is a fifth-grade general worth? Follow me, and you shall have whatever your heart desires.”

“No need. Only what I earn with my own two hands is worth having.”

Luo Yu remained calm. In truth, he had thought about this a great deal over the past few days.

The Five-Year Pact with Madam Chang, on the surface, appeared to be about attaining a fifth-grade military rank, but in reality, it was a test of his ability and character—to see if he could become a man of integrity worthy of the military lineage.

A position obtained through someone else’s charity was not fit for a member of a martial family.

“Forget it, let us not speak of this. Keep me company for a drink.”

Jun Mozhu gently pushed a cup forward.

“It is not poisoned. Rest assured.”

Luo Yu remained motionless, with no intention of drinking.

“You really are a vengeful fellow.” Jun Mozhu chuckled softly.

“How about this? I will trade two pieces of information for you to drink one cup.

“First, as the spring warms, the Western Qiang are growing restless again. There are faint signs of a mobilization, and I fear the scale of the conflict this time will not be small. Cangqi is still too weak. If the Qiang soldiers truly invade, you will have no path to survival. While the war has yet to begin, you’d best develop and grow strong quickly.

“Second, do not think that just because you played a trick on Dingxiang Residence that everything is settled. Du Gang has already gone to see Yao Lin, and sooner or later, they will come to cause you trouble. Both of them have been rooted in Fengchuan City for many years, and their foundations are not something you can compare with. Furthermore, from what I know, there is a band of bandits outside the city who are on good terms with Yao Lin. You must be careful.”

Luo Yu’s eyelids twitched. Jun Mozhu truly was well-informed.

“Can you drink now?”

Luo Yu finally picked up the cup and raised it slightly.

“Just watch. I will trample the Yao family beneath my feet.”

* * *

“One thousand jars! A full one thousand jars!”

Whether it was Luo Yu or Xiao Shaoyou, both wore expressions of wild joy. In just five days at the wine market, Tingyu Restaurant had received orders for one thousand jars, and people were still lining up to purchase more.

“We’ve made it! We’ve really made it.”

Dong Chuan’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

“The cost of a single jar of Sanguotou is less than one tael of silver, yet we are selling it for eight. It is sheer, exorbitant profit!”

“Hey.”

Luo Yu waved his hand.

“We previously chose to purchase low-quality rice wine for distillation just to be quick, but now that the business is expanding, we cannot continue to produce shoddy goods. We must improve the quality. I suggest we continue distilling the better-quality spirits while also purchasing grain to brew our own. The quality of the wine produced that way will be much higher.

“Only by making the reputation of Sanguotou increasingly renowned can we continue to earn silver endlessly!”

“That makes sense!”

Luo Yu’s suggestion received unanimous approval. In business, one must aim for long-term success and never be so greedy for immediate gain that one ruins one’s own future.

Luo Yu’s gaze shifted, finally landing on Shen Li.

“From today on, you will be solely responsible for the brewing. From purchasing the raw materials to the distillation and the sales with Tingyu Restaurant, it is all in your hands.

“Not only that, but the purchasing and distribution of grain for the camp will also be under your management.”

“Miss Shen, the burden on your shoulders is not light,” Han Shuo teased. “It is equivalent to saying our entire logistics department depends on you. You mustn’t let the soldiers go hungry in the future.”

“What? Me?”

Shen Li was stunned, her expression filled with worry.

“But… but I only know how to brew wine! I know nothing about raw materials, purchasing, or bookkeeping. I can’t do this; you should find someone else.”

“If you don’t know, you can learn. You aren’t stupid.”

Luo Yu put on a stern face. “If you can’t even handle this little thing, I might as well throw you out to starve.”

“You!”

Shen Li was furious, waving her fists. “Fine, I’ll learn! But I want wages! Why does everyone else get paid for their work, but I don’t?”

“I haven’t been paying you?” Luo Yu asked, bewildered. “I thought you were.”

“You haven’t!”

“I’ll pay you the back wages, then. Why are you so impatient?”

Luo Yu turned his head away, ignoring the girl, and continued.

“With the wine business expanding, Cangqi City is temporarily free from the worry of grain. What we must do now is allow Cangqi to develop and grow.

“City construction and blacksmithing are proceeding steadily, so there is no need to worry about those for now. But to become a great city, a population is essential. One thousand people are still too few.

“We can post notices in the surrounding villages and towns to attract homeless refugees to settle in Cangqi. Tell them there is food to eat here. I believe many will come.”

Fengchuan City had a population of tens of thousands, yet Cangqi City had barely over a thousand. It was no wonder Yao Lin didn’t take Luo Yu seriously; in Yao Lin’s eyes, Cangqi barely counted as a city—at best, it was a large village.

“Good idea.” Xiao Shaoyou nodded in agreement.

“Refugees are homeless. If we provide them with a place to live and work in peace, they will be grateful to you from the bottom of their hearts, thereby gaining a sense of belonging to Cangqi City. Furthermore, we can recruit young, strong soldiers from among the refugees to strengthen our military.”

“That is exactly what I was thinking!”

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Before they could finish their discussion, the sound of war drums echoed from outside. This was the first time war drums had sounded since the founding of Cangqi.

Once the war drums beat, it meant an enemy was attacking. But there were no Qiang soldiers here, so who could it be?

Luo Yu narrowed his eyes.

“It seems the Yao family and Du Gang have come to cause trouble.”

NOTES
“One should view a person with new eyes after three days apart” (士别三日当刮目相看 – shì bié sān rì dāng guāmù xiāngkàn): An idiom implying someone has improved significantly or changed their status.

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