At this time, the world's wealthy families, except for the emperor, are the eight kings Zhao Yuanyan. The wine he brews at home is comparable to that of a small state, and the lees are even more mountainous. Since the Northwest War, all the officials and furniture of the DPRK and China have reduced their salaries to help the border expenses, and the Eight Kings are no exception. First, Zhao Yuanyan asked for a reduction of one or two years, but the emperor did not allow it, and finally reduced the minister's money by half every year by hundreds of thousands.

Who is Zhao Yuanyan? After decades of spending lavishly, I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, and soon felt that I was strapped for cash. However, the war in the northwest has dragged on for a long time, and he can't see the hope of the minister's money recovery, and the boss is impatient in his heart. At first, he was willing to help the border expenses with money, saying that he was not acting like a false benevolence and righteousness, but at that time he was sincerely helping the country. But it is true that the family is insufficient, and some complaints about the court are also true, and the two are not contradictory. Especially for the officials who presided over the war in the northwest and the ruling of the DPRK and the central government, Zhao Yuanyan almost openly scolded that the chaos of a small country could not be pacified for a long time, and it was too useless.

Du Zhongxiao steamed wine for large families in the capital, and in less than a month, he began to drink spirits in the capital. Of course, this wine cannot be sold, but it does not prevent decent people from giving gifts. One is rare, and the other is that since it can't be sold and can't drink it at home, large families send it around. In particular, there are some officials who are good at drinking, pursuing that feeling of drunkenness and smoking, and even more in love with spirits.

Zhao Yuanyan learned the news, so he entrusted someone to summon Du Zhongxiao, who was steaming wine, to the mansion.

In the flower hall, Zhao Yuanyan saw a young man less than twenty years old, dressed in a green shirt, and asked, "Are you the Du Zhizhao who steamed wine?" ”

Du Zhongxiao arched his hand: "Back to the king, he is not waiting for an edict, he is a scholar who came to the capital to study." Because he sells wine at home, he has the skill of steaming wine from sake lees, and he helps the rich and noble to steam wine in his spare time. Sake lees are useless, and it's a pity to let them rot, but it's always good to steam some sake out. ”

Zhao Yuanyan muttered in a low voice: "A good reader, how to make wine for others, it is undecent." Are you short of money in the capital? I'll send you some entanglements, study well, and don't do such things. ”

Du Zhongxiao said: "The king has misunderstood. I don't make wine for other people's families, not for money. My father was the one who failed the last imperial examination, and he suffered countless hardships when he returned to his hometown, and he almost lost his life on the way. Thanks to the fact that I got this method of steaming wine from a wandering Taoist, the magistrate of the county raised it, and opened a restaurant in the county, and the family business was rough. My family lived on this, and once made a vow to steam wine on sake lees for others, and buy as much rice as they received from sake lees, and give porridge to the poor. This time the wine was steamed in the capital, and it was the same, so that the poor could have some porridge to eat, not for money. ”

Zhao Yuanyan nodded again and again after hearing this: "I see." No wonder a few days ago, the family of the prince of the attached horse gave porridge every day, and everyone praised it, and even the palace called his family good, it turned out to be this reason. ”

Wang Yiyong, the deputy privy envoy, is attached to the horse, Zhao Yuanyan's brother-in-law, and the news there can't be hidden from him. Du Zhongxiao steamed wine in Wang Yiyong's house for many days, and gave porridge according to the proportion every day, making a lot of noise in Kaifeng Mansion. Du Zhongxiao's steamed wine is based on the proportional requirements of porridge, and the remuneration is not fixed. I am still young, and there are countless ways to make money in the future, so there is no need to rely on this. And he was talking about going to the capital to study, but he turned out to steam wine everywhere, and collecting money made people look down on themselves. At this time, money is far from being famous.

After thinking about it, Zhao Yuanyan asked again: "How does your restaurant run at home?" The wine is steamed out of the sake lees, and the dregs are still there, so is it possible to still throw it away? I've heard that it can be sold to farmers who raise pigs outside the city. It's just that people like me have a mountain of sake lees, which one can buy it? ”

"Back to the king, I have pigs at home, so I don't have to worry about the wine lees."

Zhao Yuanyan nodded again and again: "This is the way." I came to you today to steam wine for my family. It's just that you are a scholar, and I am afraid that it will delay your studies. If you have made a wish, then it is another matter. Tomorrow I will go to the Bodhisattva and make a vow to buy more rice than you originally set and cook porridge and give alms. That's a good thing, I wonder what you think? ”

Du Zhongxiao arched his hand: "The king has such a good heart, it is good." I have to stay in the capital for a few more days, and it's nothing to steam wine for the king. It's just that the king has to send more people to be helpers, and I'm pointing on the side, so I can't miss the study. ”

"Okay, that's it. I'll set aside a courtyard here to be your study, and the rest will be at your command. ”

After thinking about it, Du Zhongxiao said again: "Speaking of steaming wine, the petty officials of the Sushe people in the middle of the court fell in love with me, and they studied together in the past few days, and he knew the matter of steaming wine best. I couldn't stay in the capital for a long time, and it was a pity that this matter was abandoned, so I wanted to write a booklet on how to steam wine and present it to the imperial court. This booklet was co-written by Su Xiaoguan and me, so it is better for the king to let him write it with me in the king's mansion. After steaming the wine for the king, he presented the book of steaming wine, and from then on the court did this, wouldn't it be good? ”

Zhao Yuanyan was stunned: "Are you willing to dedicate this law to the imperial court?" Won't this ruin your family's food and clothing? ”

Du Zhongxiao smiled and shook his head: "Now Xuzhou can only be steamed by my family, and the land of one state is enough for the whole family to eat and wear." ”

Zhao Yuanyan nodded happily: "If you have this heart, the court will have a heavy reward!" Okay, these days you will be steaming wine at my house, and you will want something, even though you will be in charge of the house. I help you do this, and I also do things for the court. Since the Northwest War, it was the time for the imperial court to use money. ”

Hearing this, Du Zhongxiao's heart moved: "Spirits are different from ordinary wine, they will not be rancid if they are left for a long time, and they are most conducive to long-distance trafficking." If the imperial court made wine, it could be transported from the capital to the northwest, saving the front-line grain and rice. ”

Zhao Yuanyan listened interestingly and asked Du Zhongxiao how to operate. This matter is simple to say, not only the capital has sake lees, but also many state armies from the capital to the northwest, all of which make their own wine, and there are countless sake lees. If the wine inside is steamed out and transported to the northwest in large vats, the amount is considerable. At this time, on the Northwest Front, wine was a very important strategic material, and a large amount of grain was consumed every year. The food on the front line is not comparable to that in the mainland, and it takes several buckets to transport one bucket there. If it is replaced with wine steamed from sake lees, a lot of military rations can be saved every year.

This matter was thought of by Du Zhongxiao on a whim, Zhao Yuanyan asked, and he also felt that it was very feasible. Now there are three roads along the border, and a large amount of sake lees has accumulated along each road, and the amount is very considerable. Because they could not deal with it, some of them were apportioned to the local government, and they also caused lawsuits.

Zhao Yuanyan was greatly dissatisfied with the long-term delay in the war in the northwest, the shortage of funds for the imperial court, and the impact on his own life. There is a reason for the front line to reduce the loss of military rations, and it is also safe to make up for the minister's money that has been paid less in recent years.

The more I thought about it, the more I felt that this matter was okay, Zhao Yuanyan called Director Du, who was in charge of the house, and ordered him to help Du Zhongxiao steam wine. Whatever Du Zhongxiao needs, he doesn't have to report it, and he can pay the money directly from the account.

Du Zhongxiao hesitated a few times, wanting Zhao Yuanyan to support him and Su Song in making a primitive steamer machine, but finally held back. It's better not to find fault with this matter, as long as the cost is calculated into the steamed wine, and he and Su Song slowly tinkered with it. The mountain-like piles of wine lees in the palace were all steamed out of wine, and I don't know how much charcoal it would cost. How much money can be added to make a special pot in it?

I've been in Beijing for a month, and I've bought all the books I should have bought, and I've learned almost everything I can learn. As for discussing classics and making connections among officials, Du Zhongxiao didn't want to do it. Who knows if in a few years' time the connections they have made now will be a blessing or a curse? Now that great changes are coming, it is better to stay away from the whirlpool and protect yourself wisely.