The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch

Yan City’s Eastern Market.

Two servants from Prince’s Mansion placed the liquor jar on the ground, immediately drawing the attention of many townsfolk and merchants. Even some young scions of regional magnates, wandering aimlessly, joined the crowd out of curiosity.

“Hey, what kind of liquor is this? The aroma is really strong.”

As soon as the jar was opened, the scent of the liquor wafted into the noses of those nearby, causing a few seasoned drinkers to drool.

One servant, wearing a proud expression and recalling the words taught by Prince Yan, announced, “To be honest, this jar contains a secret brew crafted by His Highness, Prince Yan. We just received it today, and His Highness instructed us to bring it here to the Eastern Market for everyone to enjoy for free.”

The other servant chimed in, “That’s right. So if you find it delightful, all you need to do is spread the word about His Highness’s fine liquor.”

The combination of “fine liquor” and “free” instantly stirred the crowd into a frenzy. Those at the back pushed forward, fearing they might miss out, while those at the front were jostled, leaving the servants with barely any space to stand.

As the news of free liquor spread, more and more people flocked to the Eastern Market. The servants from Prince’s Mansion were not displeased by the thronging crowd; rather, this was exactly what they had hoped for. Thus, they held off on distributing the liquor, choosing to wait a little longer…

Zhang Family.

Zhang Qian’s mood these days felt as if he’d swallowed a dead fly. First, the art of ice making had cost him ten thousand taels of silver and some land, given to Prince Yan’s Mansion. Now, his son had been extorted by Prince Yan for another ten thousand taels of silver.

Even though the Zhang Family was large and wealthy, they couldn’t withstand such constant draining. The art of ice making might still offer a chance to recoup the losses, but the ransom for his son was a sunk cost, never to be recovered.

The pain of losing such a sum kept him awake all night. As he sighed and sipped his tea, he noticed the butler rushing in, looking anxious.

“What is it? Why are you in such a hurry?” Zhang Qian’s foul mood was evident in his tone.

The butler was cautious. He knew Zhang Qian was like a wounded tiger, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. Several servants had already faced his wrath, some even beaten to death.

“Master, there’s something I don’t know if I should mention,” the butler said.

“Spit it out!” Zhang Qian snapped, not even bothering to lift his head.

Swallowing hard, the butler said, “Someone reported that people from Prince Yan’s Mansion are giving away free liquor at the Eastern Market, claiming it’s a secret brew from the mansion.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian abruptly raised his head.

The largest brewery in Yan Prefecture belonged to the Zhang Family. Due to their influence, only their liquor was sold in the prefecture, yielding substantial profits each year.

Now, with Prince Yan’s Mansion distributing free liquor at the Eastern Market, it was clear they intended to sell liquor, threatening his business.

“Prince Yan, you’re courting death!” Zhang Qian slammed his hand on the stone table.

He now resented the slow passage of time. If only the Beidi people would arrive sooner, he could deal with Prince Yan and end this daily humiliation. For now, he could only watch as Prince Yan gradually encroached on his interests.

“Send someone to taste it. I refuse to believe Prince Yan can brew anything remarkable,” Zhang Qian ordered.

He was confident in the quality of his family’s liquor.

The butler acknowledged the command and hurriedly left without delay.

Meanwhile, the news caught the attention of other regional magnates, who sent people disguised as commoners to the Eastern Market to investigate the truth. Merchants from other provinces visiting Yan Prefecture for business also decided to join the commotion.

At the Eastern Market, seeing that the crowd had gathered sufficiently, the two servants took out small liquor glasses they had prepared. These glasses could only hold a small sip at a time, allowing more people to taste the liquor.

“Don’t push, everyone. Come one by one, line up properly. No queue, no liquor,” one servant shouted as he poured a glass and handed it to the first person in line.

The first person, dressed in silk and looking well-fed, appeared to be a merchant. Without hesitation, he drank the liquor. “Ah…” he exclaimed, his eyes widening in amazement. The exquisite taste of the liquor stimulated every taste bud, igniting his craving and leaving him in a blissful trance. “It’s so delicious,” he shouted, refusing to leave, pleading with the servant for another glass.

Seeing the merchant’s exaggerated reaction, those behind him grew impatient. Three or five people immediately yelled for the merchant to move along, and one impatient person dragged him to the back.

The two servants smiled knowingly, having already tasted the liquor themselves. The merchant’s reaction was no surprise to them. The second person followed, and like the merchant, wanted a second glass but was also pushed away. After leaving, he joined the merchant, feeling as if a fire burned within him, desperate to take the liquor home.

Then the third, fourth, and fifth people tasted the liquor and joined the group. “This is heavenly liquor; if I could drink my fill, I’d die happy,” one drunkard exclaimed, his eyes red with desire.

Listening to the exclamations of those who had tasted the liquor, the group felt tormented. Suddenly, someone shouted recklessly, “Charge! Let’s grab the liquor and drink to our heart’s content. It’s worth dying for tonight!”

The words sparked chaos, and the crowd surged towards the Prince’s Mansion servants. The two servants were dumbfounded, not expecting Prince Yan’s liquor to cause such a commotion. They tried to stop the crowd but were quickly overwhelmed, and the liquor jars were snatched away, plunging the Eastern Market into chaos.

Once the chaos subsided, they found the area in disarray, with the liquor jars and glasses gone. The two servants, faces bitter, had no choice but to return to the mansion.

Meanwhile, three burly men headed to the Zhang Family. They carried a liquor flask containing only a little baijiu, which they had fought hard to obtain, leaving them bruised and battered. Entering the mansion, they presented the liquor to Zhang Qian.

“Is this the liquor brewed by Prince Yan?” Zhang Qian knew he had lost just by smelling it. The three men nodded. Trembling, he poured a glass and drank it in one gulp. The rich aroma spread in his mouth, the liquor fiery, while his heart grew cold. Though he was reluctant to admit it, compared to this liquor, the green-mote liquor brewed by the Zhang Family was nothing.

At the Prince’s Mansion, as soon as the news of the secret brew spread, Dong An and Yang He arrived, though Lv Ran was absent, having gone to the prefectural troops camp. While others fought over a single glass, Dong An and Yang He had already indulged themselves, being allies with Zhao Xu.

“Your Highness, there’s no liquor in the world better than this,” Yang He, drunk as a skunk, said, while Dong An remained somewhat sober. He realized Prince Yan intended to start a liquor business. “Your Highness, how much is a jar of this fine liquor worth? Our Dong Family is willing to buy a thousand jars to sell elsewhere.”

Just as he finished speaking, a servant rushed in. “Your Highness, many regional magnates are outside requesting to see you.”

Zhao Xu smiled triumphantly. Clearly, the allure of the liquor surpassed that of ice. Now that the fish had come, it was time to reel them in.