Peerless Wine

Bartending is a very precise art, and any variation in alcohol content, choice of base liquor, or addition of other ingredients can result in a vastly different final product.

At the moment, Zhang Nuo is very serious and meticulous. Using his ability to remember everything he sees, he is solely relying on his brainpower to record the weight and proportions of each ingredient.

This data is precious experimental data, and the fixed recipe that will be established in the future is the result of multiple attempts during these experiments.

This is the core technology that he will use to make his fortune in the future, a true treasure that can be passed down through the generations.

Having experienced various types of wine and beverages in the future, it didn't take long for Zhang Nuo to freshly produce a pot of new wine with clear liquor from the market as the base liquor, an alcohol content of around 20 degrees, and a bit of osmanthus honey and aged tangerine peel to enhance the taste.

After multiple attempts by Zhang Nuo, only the current concentration and taste should be the most suitable for the taste of the people in the Tang Dynasty.

Previously mixed cocktails either had too high alcohol content that most people could not tolerate or were too weak and lacked character. Only the current one is the most suitable.

Proudly, Zhang Nuo put the pot aside and carefully recorded the entire mixing process.

These will still need to be adjusted later, after all, there is a difference between hand-mixing and large-scale production in the workshop. They will need to be adjusted according to the process.

But the current success at least proves that this path is definitely feasible. Now he just needs to find someone to try it out. The new wine must be tested by someone before it can be put on the market.

Mr. Fang is still busy outside, and there is only doggy at home who drinks, and he hasn't seen anything on the market.

At this moment, Zhang Nuo misses Li very much, not only because Li is currently his biggest client and sponsor, but also because Li looks like a person with extensive experience, and his evaluation is bound to be more objective.

It's just that this guy, Li, comes here every three days when there's nothing to do. Now that he's really needed, he's nowhere to be found.

Sometimes, things just happen to be so coincidental. Zhang Nuo had just complained when the Doggy ran in to report that the wealthy man surnamed Li had brought two guests and was about to enter the door.

Zhang Nuo's eyes lit up, he instructed the Doggy not to touch his things, and then eagerly picked up the wine pot and rushed to the front yard!

Did Li know that he was talking about him? Otherwise, how could he come so timely and so early? This is fate!

When Zhang Nuo arrived in the front yard, he saw Li Shimin, who was about to enter the door. Excitedly, he hugged Li Shimin's shoulder and pulled him inside, saying excitedly,

" Li, you came at the right time today. I have a pot of unparalleled wine for you to taste. I tell you, if it weren't for your affinity, you would have a hard time tasting such an unparalleled wine!"

When Zhang Nuo hugged Li Shimin, he was stunned for a moment, and then followed Zhang Nuo's footsteps into the house with a natural expression.

As for Changsun Wuji, it wasn't a big deal. After all, Zhang Nuo didn't know the Emperor's identity, and the two were quite close, so some crossing of boundaries was normal.

However, Du Ruhui was a different story. He was always concerned with propriety and decorum, and at the moment, his brows were furrowed as if he was about to scold someone.

Fortunately, Changsun Wuji held him back and said meaningfully,

" Du, it's normal for Xiao Zhang to be close with Li since they have a good relationship. Are you jealous?"

Du Ruhui was taken aback by his words and realized that, although he still saw the Emperor as His Majesty, in the eyes of that Xiao Zhang, he was just a merchant named Li.

So the way the two of them were shoulder to shoulder wasn't intentional overstepping, but rather just a casual act by Zhang Nuo.

Although more and more people came with Li, the seating arrangement was still the same, and Zhang Nuo continued to arrange the food.

However, before Zhang Nuo went into the kitchen to work, Li Shimin introduced Du Ruhui to him.

"Xiao Zhang, this is Du. He's an old associate of ours in business, and we've had many years of friendship. I brought him here to taste your cooking, and later we can sit down and chat together."

Zhang Nuo was also pleased. Li was really generous, not only treating everyone to a meal but also bringing one person after another. They could all become his big clients in the future.

After smiling and nodding to Du as a greeting, Zhang Nuo hurried into the kitchen to work.

Du Ruhui was still a bit uneasy and whispered to Li Shimin,

"Your Majesty, is it appropriate to discuss court affairs with this Xiao Zhang?"

Li Shimin glanced at him unhappily and said,

"I told you to call him Li. Don't let me catch you slipping up. Besides, Xiao Zhang is really capable. You'll see when the time comes!"

Although Du Ruhui valued propriety, anyone who could hold an official position at this level was a shrewd person. Looking at Li Shimin's expression, he knew that he had upset His Majesty with his words just now.

Well, no matter what, he was the son of an old friend, and he had come to take care of business. It was better not to say anything too critical.

Otherwise, if he knew that he had said something strange in front of His Majesty, this Xiao Zhang might complain to him.

In the end, if both the Emperor and Zhang Nuo were unhappy, he would be caught in the middle. So he should just enjoy his meal in peace.

After Zhang Nuo finished his work and washed his hands, he sat down with his wine jug, but before Li Shimin could speak, Zhang leaned in and whispered mysteriously,

" Li, that world-class wine I mentioned when I came in is right here! Come on, Old Du, you're lucky to have stumbled upon it on your first visit. Old Li and Old Sun have come here several times and never found it!"

"This is my exclusive brew, even better than the palace's royal wine! Come on, hurry up and try it!"

Li Shimin laughed after listening. Why did it sound so mysterious? He may not know about other fine wines, but isn't royal wine what he usually drinks? Not only is the chef Zhang Nuo's cooking amazing, but is he also better at brewing than those craftsmen who specialize in it?

Seeing Li Shimin's confused expression, Zhang Nuo didn't care and poured a full glass for each of the three of them, then pushed it forward.

Seeing the appearance and aroma of the wine in front of them, the three men became more confident.

The liquid in front of them was golden and clear, emitting an exceptionally strong aroma of alcohol, with a hint of floral scent.

Even though these three men were considered worldly, they didn't say much and cautiously brought the glasses to their lips, taking a sip.

Wow!

This is really good wine!

Their eyes lit up at the same time!

Although they didn't understand brewing, they have probably tasted countless wines, but this glass of wine in front of them was clearly different!

It was smooth, with the fragrance of alcohol mixed with a hint of osmanthus and the light fragrance of tangerine peel, perfectly blended together, hitting them straight to the head.

But after the wine flowed into their stomachs, a heat rose up, almost instantly spreading through their chests and abdomen, causing a faint sense of drunkenness.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Nuo actually brewed this world-class wine!

Zhang Nuo saw that the three men across from him were already slightly flushed after just half a glass of wine, and silently nodded to himself.

His speculation was correct; the Tang Dynasty had no tradition of drinking high-strength liquor. The Tang people were accustomed to drinking low-strength wine of around ten degrees, and even twenty degrees was already their limit.

If he were to suddenly serve them something above fifty degrees, they might mistake it for poison. It had to be done gradually.

Once they were accustomed to the twenty-degree wine, then they could move up to thirty, forty, and fifty.

It didn't matter if they weren't used to it now, habits could be slowly cultivated, which conveniently allowed him to make money from them little by little.

Thinking about it made him very happy!

Li Shimin took small sips and finished the glass of wine, closing his eyes as if savoring the taste, and after a while, he opened his eyes and gave a thumbs up, saying,

"Great wine!"

Zhang Nuo accepted Li Shimin's praise with great pride and not a hint of embarrassment.

On the side, Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji understood that with the emperor's comment of "good wine" today, the wine of Xiao Zhang's inn would not have trouble selling in the future.

They had to admit that it was indeed the best wine they had ever tasted. It had the original spiciness of the wine, as well as the softness of other flavors, making it a top-quality wine in terms of color, aroma, and taste.

It was no wonder that Xiao Zhang was confident earlier when he said it surpassed the imperial wine and was a unique masterpiece. Now, it seemed that his statement was truly justified.

After drinking the excellent wine and tasting the delicious food on the table, Du Ruhui felt satisfied. He complimented Zhang Nuo's culinary skills, but wondered how much more he could eat.

Therefore, after eating a few more bites, Du Ruhui asked,

"Xiao Zhang, this wine is truly a unique masterpiece. This is the first time I've tasted such good wine, and I'm sure it will become popular throughout Chang'an in the future."

"But aren't you worried that the court will become jealous in the future and issue a decree stating that only the government can sell alcohol?"

Zhang Nuo was surprised by the question from Du Ruhui, who was visiting for the first time with the wealthy businessman, Li. However, as it was Du Ruhui's first visit, Zhang Nuo explained,

" Du, you don't have to worry about this. How could His Majesty compete with us, the common people, for such a small profit?"

"And, if there were any such rumors, I could just partner with His Majesty to sell wine! After all, my unique skills are here, and His Majesty needs money. It's a win-win situation!"

Li Shimin had been enjoying his wine and food while listening to the debate between Du Ruhui and Zhang Nuo. Unexpectedly, the conversation had returned to him, and the cruel fact that he was broke was mentioned.

He was stunned. Could this Xiao Zhang really calculate and predict things? Had Du Ruhui, that black-hearted man, just swindled him? Did Xiao Zhang already know?

He wanted to ask for more details, but he didn't know how to approach the subject.

At this point, the loyal and considerate Changsun Wuji, the emperor's uncle, and the current Duke of Zhao and Minister of Personnel, spoke up.

He wanted to be the emperor's most trusted advisor and could not let the emperor feel uncomfortable asking certain questions.

"Xiao Zhang, let's not talk about the monopoly of the liquor industry. It's not even a reality yet. But from what you're saying, can we assume that our present emperor is short of money?"

Zhang Nuo saw that everyone was looking at him eagerly and knew that they were interested in this topic. He was happy to show off, so he patted Changsun Wuji's shoulder heavily and said with a look of "you don't know anything,"

" Sun, although you are a businessman, you should still learn more about the affairs of the court and the ins and outs of it, or how can you expand your business in the future?"

"Who says His Majesty doesn't need money? Nowadays, I estimate that His Majesty is even more short of money than the national treasury!"

Changsun Wuji had experienced many setbacks, but he didn't show any resentment when Zhang Nuo looked down on him. Instead, he took the initiative to pour Zhang Nuo a glass of wine, which left Du Ruhui staring in surprise.

"Boss Zhang, I am a small business owner with some assets, but I am not quite clear about the ins and outs of this. Can you explain it to me?"

Zhang Nuo nodded in satisfaction.

"It's normal to not understand. It's like the old farmers in the countryside. I remember when I was a child, I heard a husband and wife discussing how the emperor and empress lived their lives during their free time in the farmland outside the city."

"The old farmer said that the emperor must use a golden hoe to dig the earth every day, and the farmer's wife said that the empress must bake white flour cakes every day."

As soon as the words fell, the three people on the opposite side laughed so hard that they almost fell over.

Zhang Nuo thought it was his joke that was funny, but he didn't know that the protagonist who used the golden hoe in the story was sitting opposite him.

Li Shimin himself was also laughing so hard that he couldn't catch his breath. He had no intention of being offended. Ignorant villagers just imagined how the emperor in the heavens lived, and naturally said the most beautiful things they could think of.

Although it didn't make sense, it was not disrespectful. It was just that the villagers were ignorant, so they laughed it off.

Zhang Nuo saw that the little story was effective, so he continued,

"So, it's the same with you. You have a wide range of knowledge, and naturally know that the emperor also has to consider the country's affairs with great care."

"But you don't know that the emperor, the empress, and all the expenses in the palace are not paid for by the national treasury, but by the emperor's own small treasury, called the inner treasury."

Du Ruhui was a little surprised.

"Wow, Xiao Zhang, you even know about these things. It seems like you have some skills."

Zhang Nuo's explanation continued,

"The emperor cares about the people, and the empress advocates frugality, so they naturally will not spend extravagantly. But the emperor is also a person. Who wouldn't want to have better food and better things at home?"

"But there is only so much money in the inner treasury, and the expenses are so high that sometimes the officials have to cheat some money out of it and put it into the national treasury. It's strange if the emperor's finances are not tight."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin looked somewhat resentful and glanced at Du Ruhui. It was because he had just been cheated of five thousand strings yesterday.

Du Ruhui naturally pretended not to see it. There was no reason to give back what he had already cheated into the national treasury.

But seeing Zhang Nuo's meaning, there seemed to be a way to make money with the emperor?

Could he continue to cheat money from the emperor in the future, no, borrow some money from the inner treasury and put it into the national treasury?

At the same time, Li Shimin was also deeply moved by Zhang Nuo's words "the emperor is also a person".

At this moment, the Tang Dynasty was far from being strong. Neither the court nor the people had recovered from the chaos of the end of the Sui Dynasty.

Not to mention the instability, money was needed everywhere, even if he scrimped and saved from his small treasury, it would only be a drop in the bucket.

If selling wine could improve the income of the inner treasury as Zhang Nuo said, then what did it matter for him, Li Shimin, to cooperate with him in his current identity? He really wanted to enjoy the feeling of being rich.

But he didn't know if Xiao Zhang was willing to let him in.