Chapter Thirty-Seven: Zhao He Is Truly a Paragon of Virtue

Word spread like wildfire through the city: Zhao He was about to treat the entire town to a banquet. The very next day, he would be hosting the grand feast at Drunken Immortal Tavern. Zhao’s lavish generosity was entirely thanks to Jiang Chen, and the news brought the nearly forgotten tavern back into the public eye.

According to the agreement between Jiang Chen and Zhao He, Jiang had purchased over a thousand jars of what he called worthless wine from the Zhao family winery for a mere pittance, thus relieving Zhao He’s most pressing crisis. Jiang’s reasoning was simple: he just so happened to possess a batch of rare medicinal herbs brought back from Tiger Head Mountain. Once these herbs were steeped in the wine to make medicinal spirits, they could be sold at a handsome profit.

“Brother-in-law, isn’t this what they call making something out of nothing?” Wu Qingshan exclaimed, thoroughly impressed by Jiang Chen’s maneuver. Though Jiang had paid a small sum for Zhao He’s wine, the price was so low as to be almost negligible. And with Zhao He footing the bill for the feast at Drunken Immortal Tavern, Jiang’s outlay was virtually nothing.

Once the medicinal spirits hit the market, they could easily fetch tens or even hundreds of times the original price. The phrase “making something out of nothing” could not have been more apt. What made it all the sweeter was that, though Zhao He was surely fuming inside, he had no choice but to sell his goods at a loss to Jiang Chen, then watch as Jiang profited handsomely in turn.

Gu Jun remarked, “I never imagined business could be done this way. Zhao He is a sly old fox, but Jiang Chen has tamed him completely. Just thinking of that sour look on his face makes me want to raise another glass!”

The group was gathered at Jiang Chen’s house for a simple celebration, but the real purpose was to plan their next move.

Jiang Chen spoke, “The urgent task is to turn the wine from the Zhao family into medicinal spirits as quickly as possible. The taste doesn’t matter—once it’s made into medicine, people won’t care.”

“With the country at war, medicinal spirits are in high demand both for health and for treating injuries. They’re as good as currency these days. Qingshan, Brother Gu, I’ll leave this in your capable hands.”

Wu Qingshan patted his chest confidently. “No problem, leave it to me. I guarantee it’ll be flawless.”

“And you?” Gu Jun asked, nodding.

Jiang Chen frowned. “I need to secure permission to enter Ziyang City. Once the medicinal spirits are ready, there’s no way our small town of a few hundred people can consume them all. Only in a big city like Ziyang can we sell them all—and at a premium.”

Gu Jun and Wu Qingshan gave Jiang Chen a thumbs-up. They admired how Jiang always had a clear plan for every step he took.

The problem was that Di Hong, the commander guarding Ziyang, was a coward, keeping the city gates shut to supposedly keep out enemy spies. But in truth, Jiang Chen knew this was just an excuse to turn away the countless destitute refugees at the gates. Without an official letter of introduction, one could only gaze longingly at the city walls.

Jiang Chen thought of the magistrate. If he could secure a letter of introduction from the local official, affirming that he was a legitimate merchant, he should be able to gain entry.

The next evening, Drunken Immortal Tavern, which had been closed for ages, was suddenly ablaze with light and crowded with guests, all thanks to Zhao He’s generosity. Some had doubted the news, thinking it a prank—after all, the wealthy Zhao He was never known for his charity. Yet once they were warmly welcomed into the tavern, they sang Zhao He’s praises, hailing him as the very model of virtue and benevolence.

Zhao He, for his part, accepted all the flattery with a beaming smile.

Wu Qingshan muttered under his breath, “That rascal’s getting all the glory. It’s you, brother-in-law, who made this feast possible, yet Zhao He’s the one basking in good reputation.”

Jiang Chen smiled faintly. “He paid for it, so let him have his moment of consolation.”

Jiang Chen’s real target tonight was the magistrate. Once the festivities were in full swing and the wine had flowed freely, Jiang made his way over. After a round of flattery, the magistrate, thoroughly drunk, nodded and bowed to everything Jiang said, having shed all his usual dignity.

At Jiang’s next toast, the magistrate nearly knelt to thank him, leaving Tang Yong, who stood by, visibly embarrassed.

“Don’t be surprised,” Tang said. “Whenever our magistrate gets drunk, he forgets all about being an official—he thinks he’s still the poor scholar who failed his exams year after year. He’ll bow to anyone, and no one can stop him.”

Jiang Chen couldn’t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth. “That’s quite an unexpected habit,” he remarked. Seeing the magistrate in such a state, Jiang knew he had to act quickly and get that letter of introduction, complete with the official seal, so he could visit Ziyang City. He dared not wait—if the magistrate passed out before the matter was settled, the opportunity would be lost.

In the end, Jiang succeeded in obtaining the letter, though the handwriting looked suspiciously like a forgery. Luckily, the official seal was genuine.

While the banquet roared with laughter and clinking cups, another corner of the city was shrouded in silence.

In the Lin family manor, Lin Yuanzhou and Lin Lidong sat in their respective rooms, pondering the day’s events at Drunken Immortal Tavern. What on earth had happened?

The two cousins had recently been locked in a bitter rivalry over a beautiful widow, only to discover that Zhao He, once their ally, had thrown in his lot with Jiang Chen and Lin Qingxuan. To make matters worse, every household in the city had received an invitation to the feast—except the two of them, who had been completely snubbed.

Given their status as scions of the wealthy Lin family, they should have been among the first invited. But Zhao He had treated them as if they were invisible.

“Hmph, what is Zhao He playing at? I take my eyes off Drunken Immortal Tavern for a while, and he pulls a stunt like this! Does he think Lin Yuanzhou is so easily trifled with?” Yuanzhou fumed.

Meanwhile, Lin Lidong swore to himself that he would not allow Lin Qingxuan, Jiang Chen, and the others to enjoy their triumph for long. Shanguan Town, after all, had always been under the Lin family’s control.