Chapter 12: The Immortal Wine Takes Chang'an by Storm and Attracts Unwanted Attention

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At Riverview Pavilion, after Manager Lu hauled back five hundred jars of Immortal Wine from Du Family Village, he immediately instructed his waiters to spread the word: Immortal Wine would officially be on sale at Riverview Pavilion starting today.

As soon as the news broke, connoisseurs who had long been waiting nearby surged into Riverview Pavilion in a frenzy.

Yet, the main hall had already been fully reserved by wealthy families and influential figures, all eagerly anticipating Manager Lu’s announcement. No sooner had the news been released than the scene slipped out of control.

At the very front of the crowd was Qian Feng, steward of the Zheng family of Chang’an. The Zhengs were a renowned clan in the city; their patriarch held a high rank at court, and his sister was an imperial consort. Such illustrious status was unmatched by ordinary folk.

Three days prior, Qian Feng had been fortunate enough to sample a cup of Immortal Wine at Riverview Pavilion and promptly reported his experience to the Zheng patriarch.

The master, himself a lover of fine wine, upon learning that Immortal Wine would be officially sold in three days, instructed Steward Qian to reserve the most prominent seat in the hall early in the morning.

“Manager Lu, give me ten jars to start,” Qian Feng said with a smile.

“So it’s Steward Qian! Forgive me! Please wait a moment!” Manager Lu recognized him and felt his eyelids twitch—this was not a man to offend.

He quickly summoned a waiter and instructed, “Fetch ten jars of Immortal Wine from the warehouse and deliver them to the Zheng residence immediately. Understood?”

Turning back to Qian Feng, he spoke cautiously, “In the future, Steward Qian, just send word and we’ll deliver directly to your residence—no need for you to queue in person.”

“Manager Lu, you are thoughtful indeed. With Immortal Wine selling so briskly, you have a keen eye for opportunity, sitting atop a mountain of gold—how enviable!” Qian Feng teased.

“You flatter me, Steward Qian,” Manager Lu responded with a forced smile.

The people in line behind gasped upon hearing that even the Zheng family’s steward had come to queue for Immortal Wine, their anticipation only growing.

Within the next half hour, all five hundred jars were snapped up. Manager Lu hadn’t expected such demand and there were still many waiting in line.

Five hundred jars, with a profit of five hundred coins each, amounted to two hundred and fifty strings of cash—nearly equivalent to half a month’s earnings for Riverview Pavilion.

And this was just the first day. If this pace continued for a month, he’d make seven or eight thousand, perhaps even ten thousand strings! The more Manager Lu calculated, the more delighted he became, unable to restrain his laughter.

“Manager Lu, are you still selling wine? Everyone is still queued up, and you’re laughing so merrily—it’s not quite appropriate!” A wealthy young gentleman at the front of the line, annoyed by Manager Lu’s exuberance, couldn’t help but chide him.

“My apologies! Forgive me!” Realizing his lapse, Manager Lu quickly apologized, cursing himself for losing composure in his excitement.

“Everyone, today’s Immortal Wine is sold out. Please come earlier tomorrow,” Manager Lu explained helplessly, wiping away a cold sweat.

“How disappointing! After queuing so long, I didn’t get a single jar.”

“Same here! I arrived at dawn.”

“To miss the chance to taste Immortal Wine right away—what a regret in life!”

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The hall resounded with sighs of disappointment; some people refused to leave, lingering in Riverview Pavilion for a long while.

Manager Lu could only make arrangements as best he could, then hurried off with his delivery team to Du Family Village, hoping to haul back as much as possible.

He intended to suggest to Du Chengfeng that they expand production, though he didn’t know that Chengfeng had already anticipated this, and Du Family Village was in the midst of rapidly expanding their workshop.

Meanwhile, Wang Zhuo returned to Luoyang with five hundred jars of Immortal Wine and began sales at his own shop. The lingering fragrance attracted a throng of merchants and patrons.

After tasting, all were astonished; within an hour, the five hundred jars were gone.

Wang Zhuo was exceedingly grateful he had offered Chengfeng a ride—otherwise, he would have missed this golden opportunity.

He added a new maxim to his life: never judge a person by appearance. Chengfeng was the perfect example.

Who could have imagined that the young man clad in humble clothes was so exceptionally talented and capable?

“Looks like I’ll have to go to Du Family Village myself,” Wang Zhuo sighed.

He didn’t want to delegate the collection; he needed to go personally to show his respect for Chengfeng.

As the old saying goes: wealth stirs the heart. Immortal Wine, newly released in Chang’an, was snatched up within half an hour, catching the eye of many envious souls, all plotting how to get a share.

Yet, due to Riverview Pavilion’s powerful backing, most could only watch for now, though they would certainly intervene given the chance.

Still, some reckless and ambitious individuals could not restrain their desires.

Indeed, in the prestigious ground-floor private room of Riverview Pavilion, Steward Qian, having witnessed the frenzy, respectfully approached a domineering young man and bowed, saying, “Young Master, I’ve found out that Manager Lu does not produce Immortal Wine himself, but purchases it from a young man named Du Chengfeng.”

“Oh? Have you investigated this Du Chengfeng’s background?” The youth, his arm draped around a beautiful singer, asked casually.

“Reporting, Young Master, Du Chengfeng is from a small village outside Chang’an called Du Family Village; he is just an ordinary villager, and an orphan,” Qian Feng replied quickly, not daring to be negligent.

The youth was Zheng Xing, eldest son of the Zheng patriarch of Chang’an, a prodigy since childhood, proud of his literary prowess.

He was arrogant by nature; his father was now Prefect of Chang’an, while his aunt was an imperial consort—his family’s power was unrivaled.

Moreover, his father favored him greatly, so Steward Qian dared not slack in fulfilling his wishes.

“Just a rustic villager?” Zheng Xing scoffed. Hearing that Chengfeng was merely an ordinary orphan, his mind began to scheme.

A mountain orphan with no backing possessed a treasure like Immortal Wine, a fortune-making marvel—such a thing was indeed a treasure.

In Zheng Xing’s eyes, Immortal Wine was now the key to rapid wealth.

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Such a marvelous thing should not be in the hands of a commoner; only in his own hands could its value truly be realized.

Zheng Xing squeezed the singer’s waist lightly, glanced sidelong at Steward Qian, and spoke with a haughty air, “Steward Qian, take some men to Du Family Village and tell that boy to hand over the brewing method for Immortal Wine. Of course, we can’t be too harsh—give him a little benefit. Offer him twenty percent of the profits, and say it’s by my order.”

“You are truly magnanimous, Young Master. I’ll see to it right away and ensure he hands over the recipe,” Steward Qian flattered.

“Good, go make the arrangements!” Zheng Xing waved his hand dismissively, turning back to his playful banter with the singer.

Du Family Village—Manager Lu arrived in haste, only to find the place bustling and lively.

Strong young men were hauling stones, mixing mortar, building houses; others were chopping firewood non-stop; women sowed seeds in unfamiliar-looking paddies. Curious, Manager Lu looked closely—rice!

He was puzzled. The Hanzhong region had always favored drought-resistant grains like wheat and millet; rice was cultivated only in the water-rich south.

To see half the fields in Du Family Village planted with rice was utterly baffling.

Du Chengfeng emerged from the workshop and, seeing Manager Lu’s perplexed expression, asked curiously, “Manager Lu, you just collected goods this morning and now you’re back this afternoon, looking so puzzled. What’s the matter?”

Seeing Chengfeng approach, Manager Lu’s eyes lit up, and he exclaimed in delight, “Brother Chengfeng, it’s wonderful to see you. The five hundred jars of Immortal Wine were gone in no time, so I thought I’d come for another batch, and ask if you plan to expand production.”

“So quickly?” Chengfeng was astonished. Five hundred jars gone in a morning—he hadn’t expected that.

But then, Chang’an was the capital of the Tang Dynasty, filled with wealthy patrons. Though the wine was expensive, there were plenty of buyers!

“I didn’t expect it either—half an hour, and it was gone. All thanks to your irresistible wine,” Manager Lu chimed in, flattering him.

“Alright, as you see, we’re expanding. I managed to produce three hundred jars with extra hands. Why don’t you take those for now?” Chengfeng said, spreading his hands helplessly.

“Three hundred jars? Wonderful! More than enough!” Manager Lu replied, overjoyed. He’d expected at most a hundred, never three hundred.

“Then, Manager Lu, why not come inside and rest while I arrange for loading?” Chengfeng invited, intending to ask about purchasing a residence.

“Thank you, I’ll gladly accept,” Manager Lu replied with a bow.

Once inside, Chengfeng asked, “Manager Lu, I wonder if you could help me with a small favor?”

“Brother Chengfeng, just say the word. If it’s within my power, I’ll do my utmost,” Manager Lu answered readily.

This was his golden goose—he would go to any lengths to help, no matter how difficult, Manager Lu thought to himself.