The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 21 - Distilled Liquor

“Your Highness, what is this?”

In the abandoned bedchamber of the central courtyard within the Prince’s Mansion, Feng’er and Luan’er curiously examined the clay pot with a bamboo tube inserted into it.

This area had been vacated, with its contents moved to the east courtyard. According to Zhao Xu’s plan, he would reside in the east courtyard in the future.

The east courtyard boasted picturesque scenery, complete with gardens, bamboo groves, and artificial hills-an ideal place to live. In contrast, the central and west courtyards were relatively plain.

The west courtyard would primarily serve as a storage area, while the central courtyard had a more significant role-it would become the testing ground for every innovative technology Zhao Xu intended to introduce.

“This is called a still,” Zhao Xu explained with a smile.

Over the past few days, the two maids had grown closer to him, accompanying him during his leisure time. After all, Zhao Xu had spent three years in a state of madness, during which he had barely interacted with them.

Now that he had returned to normalcy, armed with knowledge of many strange and fascinating things, he had become a source of intrigue for them.

As for Zhao Xu, he was quite pleased with the two charming maids. Despite his madness, they had remained loyal and cared for the ninth prince, demonstrating their admirable character.

Moreover, Zhao Xu found himself in a new environment with limited entertainment options. Chang Wei, the leader of the guards, was a straightforward man whose conversations often ended abruptly. Liu Fu, on the other hand, was a sycophant who agreed with everything Zhao Xu said, making meaningful dialogue impossible.

Thus, Zhao Xu could only joke and banter with Feng’er and Luan’er, enjoying their company and their beauty.

“A still?” Feng’er asked, her expression puzzled, while Luan’er mirrored her confusion.

Zhao Xu didn’t elaborate further. “Just watch. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Feng’er nodded, while Luan’er, ever thoughtful, fetched a chair for Zhao Xu to sit on, her gaze never leaving him.

At this point, her feelings toward Zhao Xu had evolved beyond gratitude for his recovery. She now harbored a sense of admiration for him.

Both Feng’er and Luan’er had previously served as palace maids and were literate. They had some understanding of Yan Province and Yan Prefecture.

When they arrived in Yan Prefecture three months ago, they had been disheartened. In their eyes, even if Prince Yan were a competent ruler, surviving in such a place would be a miracle.

Controlling Yan Prefecture seemed impossible, and they feared that within a few years, the entire Yan Province might fall into the hands of the Beidi people. At that point, they and the prince would likely perish alongside it.

However, Zhao Xu’s recovery had brought unexpected changes. His clever strategies had not only secured substantial wealth and grain but also established the Prince’s Mansion’s personal guard.

This gave them hope, and now, whatever Zhao Xu did, they watched with anticipation.

“Your Highness, the liquor is here,” announced two servants as they carried over a large liquor jar.

Zhao Xu stood and walked over, lifting the oil cloth covering the jar.

“Green-mote liquor,” he remarked, his lips curling slightly.

The liquor brought by the servants was a typical example of ancient baijiu¹. Made from grains, it contained impurities that formed a frothy layer on top, and its alcohol content was relatively low.

Nevertheless, this was the most commonly consumed liquor among the people of the Dasong Dynasty.

This time, Zhao Xu intended to distill the green-mote liquor into a purer, higher-proof baijiu.

After all, his focus was on introducing the distillation process, not brewing the liquor himself. That would be a waste of manpower, resources, and time.

The distilled liquor would primarily target the wealthy-Dasong’s regional magnates and nobility.

The common folk of Dasong were too impoverished to afford such a luxury.

Moreover, Zhao Xu’s goal was clear: to profit from the wealthy and use those earnings to develop his fief, improving the lives of the less fortunate.

“Pour the liquor into the clay pot,” Zhao Xu instructed personally.

From now on, the task of brewing would be entrusted to these two servants. However, the price for this responsibility was their loss of freedom; they were no longer allowed to wander freely around Yan Prefecture to prevent the leakage of the technique.

Upon hearing this, the servants complied. Zhao Xu then directed them to prepare another clay pot and connect it with a bamboo tube. Finally, they lit a fire beneath the pot filled with green-mote liquor.

Since the boiling point of alcohol is 78 degrees and that of water is 100 degrees, heating would cause the alcohol to evaporate first, travel through the bamboo tube, and condense in the second pot. This process would yield a purer, higher-proof baijiu.

Half an hour later, when only a third of the liquor remained in the first pot, Zhao Xu called a halt. By then, most of the alcohol had transferred to the second cooling pot. Opening it, a rich aroma of liquor wafted out.

“So fragrant…” Feng’er sniffed the air, her nose twitching. The servants were equally entranced. In ancient times, lacking entertainment, liquor played a significant role in leisure activities. In the contemporary novel “Dream of the Red Chamber²,” everyone in the Jia Family, young and old, indulged in drinking. Whether at banquets, composing poetry, or even flower viewing, liquor was ever-present.

In the Dasong Dynasty, similar customs prevailed; everyone appreciated liquor.

“Would you like to try some?” Zhao Xu offered a wooden spoon filled with baijiu to Luan’er. Feng’er, with her bold personality, needed no invitation; she was already eager. Luan’er, more reserved, often became the subject of Zhao Xu’s teasing.

Luan’er gently shook her head. “Your Highness, I get drunk easily. Let my sister have it; her drinking capacity surpasses even men.”

Zhao Xu glanced at Feng’er, who was licking her lips, her delicate face full of anticipation. He chuckled, knowing that in ancient times, women drinking wasn’t frowned upon. He didn’t see Feng’er’s drinking habit as a flaw.

“Feng’er, do you want some?” Zhao Xu offered the wooden spoon to Feng’er again. Unashamed, she smiled at Zhao Xu and took a sip. After savoring it for a moment, her eyes widened. “This liquor is so strong! Compared to this, what I’ve had before was mere water.”

“Really?” Luan’er, observing Feng’er’s expression, was both surprised and delighted, further impressed by Zhao Xu. Unable to resist her curiosity, she disregarded her low tolerance and took a sip from the spoon.

“Oh, it’s spicy! Truly good liquor,” Luan’er exclaimed. The servants, their throats moving, were salivating.

Zhao Xu said, “You should try it too, indulge yourselves.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” the servants quickly fetched another wooden spoon to taste the liquor. Soon, two voices of admiration echoed.

“Your Highness, even the renowned Tipsy Immortal from the capital isn’t as pure or as strong as this liquor,” one servant marveled.

Zhao Xu nodded slightly. He too sampled the distilled liquor. The aged rice wine, after distillation, was exceptionally fragrant and robust, rivaling modern baijiu. He was confident that once this distilled liquor hit the market, it would cause a sensation. But first, he aimed to stir up excitement in Yan Prefecture and profit from the regional magnates.

With this in mind, he instructed the servants to continue distilling. Luan’er wished to stay with him but, true to her word, became tipsy and had to return to the east courtyard with Feng’er.

By afternoon, the servants had distilled a jar of liquor. Zhao Xu immediately had it taken to the Eastern Market for free tasting. It wasn’t generosity but strategy; free offerings were always enticing, timelessly so. After the promotion, he only needed to wait for the regional magnates to take the bait.

Footnote:

1. Baijiu(白酒):Baijiu is a traditional Chinese distilled spirit, typically made from grains like sorghum, with a high alcohol content and a strong flavor.

Dream of the Red Chamber(红楼梦): Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦), also known as The Story of the Stone, is one of China’s Four Great Classical Novels. Written by Cao Xueqin in the 18th century (Qing Dynasty), it depicts the decline of an aristocratic family.