Chapter 34: Fang Xuanling Samples the Wine

From early morning, several carts had already passed along the flagstone road.

A shipment of liquor arrived at the Cheng Family Tavern first thing in the morning.

Every jar was sealed tightly, however, so no one could smell what was inside.

When they saw the price on the sign, even the tavern staff were startled, thinking it had been written incorrectly.

Only after asking carefully did they discover that there was no mistake. One jar really was being sold for one hundred taels of silver.

“What kind of liquor is this? How can it be so expensive? I have never even heard of it before. It is not called Taibai Drunk, either.”

When they saw the name of the liquor, everyone began discussing it animatedly.

The tavern staff had never seen liquor like this before, either.

Even so, they hung up the sign.

After all, this was an order from above. They were merely employees and were only following the rules.

The name of the liquor was pleasant enough, and there was even a poem written on the sign, but no one in the tavern held out any hope. How could liquor this expensive possibly sell?

The price soon caught the attention of a number of people.

At first, everyone assumed that the tavern servants had made a mistake. After all, selling a single jar of liquor for one hundred taels of silver was an utterly outrageous price.

“Did your tavern make a careless mistake this morning and hang up the wrong price? Even ten taels for ten pounds of liquor would already be exorbitant. Yet you have actually put up a sign asking for one hundred taels!”

Several people who had come to the tavern to buy liquor noticed the sign.

Many of them felt that the tavern servants must have written the price incorrectly.

But after asking repeatedly, the servants confirmed that there was no mistake.

“This liquor really does cost that much. We understand why you find it strange. At first, we did not dare believe it ourselves, but we asked the master of the house, and he confirmed that this is indeed the selling price.”

The tavern servants explained the matter to the people outside.

The liquor truly was being sold at that price.

This aroused the curiosity of everyone else. They wondered what made the liquor worth so much, but no one dared try it. Even a single taste would be costly, and the liquor was sold only by the jar, not by the cup.

Gradually, the news spread, and many people gathered around.

Yet no one dared buy it.

“What kind of liquor is this, exactly? The poem is quite good, at least. As for the liquor itself, though, who can say?”

The poem printed on the jar had already attracted everyone’s attention.

Someone read it aloud.

Several scholars sensed a bold and majestic spirit in its lines.

“‘When life brings satisfaction, one must revel to the full; do not let the golden goblet face the moon empty.’ This means that one should cherish joyful moments. Of course, it can also be understood as telling people to make this jar of liquor worthwhile. It truly is an excellent poem.”

Someone began analyzing the poem.

It seemed to be only the middle two lines of a longer poem, with the beginning and ending omitted, but no one knew what the full poem was.

“‘Heaven has given me talents, and they must be put to use; though a thousand pieces of gold are scattered, they will return in time.’ Those lines are extremely bold, and they suit the price of this jar perfectly.”

Many people remembered those final two lines, and before long, they were spreading throughout Chang’an.

From morning until noon, no one dared come forward to buy a jar.

Yet the name Taibai Drunk spread rapidly throughout Chang’an.

With the poem lending it such magnificence, the liquor seemed all the more extraordinary.

As the name grew more famous, an elderly man finally entered the tavern at midday.

“Bring me a jar of liquor. I will try it here, on the spot. Give me the one priced at one hundred taels. Here is the silver.”

The old man was dressed plainly, but he took out one hundred taels of silver.

Many people wanted to try the liquor, but none dared. They were afraid of wasting their money.

Besides, ordinary people could not possibly afford such a price.

Anyone capable of paying it was certain to possess an unusual status.

One of the tavern servants placed a jar of liquor before the old man.

The old man did not open it immediately. Instead, he studied the poem written on the jar.

“The poem is fine, but whether the liquor is truly worth the price remains to be seen. If I discover that this jar is not worth what you are charging, do not blame me for being merciless. I will smash every jar of liquor in this place.”

The old man commanded respect without raising his voice.

Many people began wondering about his identity. He was clearly no ordinary man.

Some well-traveled individuals stared at him, finding him vaguely familiar.

For a moment, they racked their minds, trying to determine who he was.

At last, someone suddenly remembered a name.

“Fang! He is Chancellor Fang!”

Someone had finally recognized the old man’s true identity.

He was none other than Fang Xuanling, Chancellor Fang.

Ordinarily, no one would dare behave so boldly in this tavern. After all, it belonged to Cheng Yaojin.

But Fang Xuanling had heard that a jar containing only ten pounds of liquor was being sold for one hundred taels of silver.

This was clearly an attempt by Cheng Yaojin to extort people. There was no justification for charging such an outrageous price.

Fang Xuanling had come to expose Cheng Yaojin’s trickery. He might even report the matter directly to Li Shimin.

The several tavern servants were completely stunned.

They did not actually know what was so special about the liquor, either.

At that moment, they could only stare at one another in dismay.

Others might not dare do anything to Cheng Yaojin’s tavern, but Fang Xuanling certainly did.

“What are you waiting for? Open the jar. I will taste it here myself. I refuse to believe that any liquor can be worth one hundred taels for ten pounds!”

Fang Xuanling intended to try the liquor personally and expose its quality on the spot.

The servants did not dare delay.

They had their own grievances, but the price had been set from above and was not something they could alter at will.

Just as they opened the jar, an intoxicating fragrance rushed into the air.

The aroma was rich and powerful, spreading in every direction.

Even the people gathered around the tavern could smell it.

Some who could barely hold their liquor were already swaying unsteadily after breathing in the scent.

Fang Xuanling’s hand trembled.

“This… this really is liquor…”

Before he had even tasted it, Fang Xuanling could already tell that it was extraordinary.

The fragrance was so rich that it was more than ten times better than the liquor offered in tribute to Li Shimin.

Where had it come from?

He had never smelled or tasted anything like it before. Fang Xuanling poured himself a cup.

In the Great Tang, most people usually drank from bowls.

Only when drinking particularly precious liquor would they use cups.

The liquor in this cup appeared pure and flawless, yet its fragrance was intensely powerful. Unable to wait any longer, Fang Xuanling swallowed it in a single gulp.